Jump to content

Sign of Torment (Boom compatible 32 map megawad){Final}


Recommended Posts

  • 2 months later...
On 4/30/2020 at 3:01 AM, Bushpig2dope said:

Screenshots look good but make sure not to burn yourself out man! 32 maps is a lot for one guy but hey if you think you got this you got this!

 

@Bushpig2dope

Thanks, that will definetly take some time. I made the 11 maps in 6 months and this is rather a beginner wad. BTW I added more rockets, so the maps should be more enjoyable.

Share this post


Link to post
  • 4 months later...

I've posted newer version of my wad containing new maps, so check it out if you really want to.

 

Because there is a lot of bugs with my project I am forced to suspend it. Maybe you can explain it?

 

Keep in mind, that this wad is unique in comparison to other mainstream wads.

Edited by Kain D.

Share this post


Link to post
  • 7 months later...

i just played through level one, and it's bloody fantastic!  Remarkable atmosphere and aesthetics, really loved the layout and the uniqueness, the music!, and pretty tough gameplay (i've never shot a Revenant with a pistol before), but on HMP perfectly manageable (thanks for implementing difficulty levels properly..)  If the rest is anything like this (watched a little bit of Arbys550's videos and it looks like it is!), and difficulty won't get too crazy, i know i'll love the whole thing.

Edited by dei_eldren

Share this post


Link to post
  • 2 weeks later...
On 5/12/2021 at 4:11 PM, dei_eldren said:

i just played through level one, and it's bloody fantastic!  Remarkable atmosphere and aesthetics, really loved the layout and the uniqueness, the music!, and pretty tough gameplay (i've never shot a Revenant with a pistol before), but on HMP perfectly manageable (thanks for implementing difficulty levels properly..)  If the rest is anything like this (watched a little bit of Arbys550's videos and it looks like it is!), and difficulty won't get too crazy, i know i'll love the whole thing.

 

If you've completed Plutonia you shouldn't have any problems with it. It's mostly Doom 2 difficulty mixed with Plutonia's. I think right now, map 09 is the most difficult.

 

I also posted newer version with fixed bugs and 3 new maps.

Share this post


Link to post
  • 2 weeks later...

tl;dr: This mapset has a unique use of gimmicks and lots of creative ideas. The first episode isn't very fun, but it rapidly and steadily gets better from there.

 

Alright, so I played through this set. It's pretty cool, but we'll get to that.

 

The goal of this WAD, as I understand it, was the creation of a megawad with usage of obscure Boom features, unique level design, and a more meaningful story than most. I think that this is mostly successful. Boom extras such as jump pads and silent teleports are mostly used pretty well to help make these maps unique. Even smaller things like sliding doors are a nice touch. The level design is pretty weird and often abstract, but motifs such as the black and white areas, red messages, and the wires/machinery connected to jump pads help to make the set cohesive throughout. I'll admit to not paying too much attention to the story, but things certainly seem to be coming to a head in the final maps. So I think that this WAD is thematically a success.

 

Now to move into the levels themselves.

 

To put it bluntly, I hated the first episode. The combat consisted of so many rooms of monsters spread randomly across a room seemingly without thought and with so much slow grinding of mid-tier enemies which made each map a slog to play through. The hellish theme was mostly okay, I guess, but compared to the later levels they felt almost incoherent even given the sort of abstract theme of the WAD. However, nothing that I saw felt really irredeemable and I think that the episode could be vastly improved with a proper balancing pass to keep progression moving. As it stands though, I think that the first episode really drags the whole experience down and may turn people away from the later levels, which would be a shame.

 

Now, moving into the second episode, it's like a goddamn switch was flipped. I swear the quality instantly doubled. Immediately we have a more pleasing theme (or maybe I just like snow), more coherent level design while keeping the weirdness intact, more creative gimmicks and level ideas, and of course far better combat. The introduction of new enemies and the buffed plasma gun along with the creative level ideas keeps things fresh and interesting throughout. Map14 and Map19 in particular stand as two of my favorite maps in this WAD. There's still some parts that aren't very good (the end of Map15 comes to mind), but it's still a significant improvement over the opening act and a damn good romp overall.

 

The final episode, at least what is done so far, is something completely different. This is quite possibly the best execution of a spooky atmosphere in Doom that I have seen in quite some time. The darkness, the music, the blood and impaled corpses, the messages burned into the floor, the clever use of invisible monsters, the scarce health, and the noticably more vicious firefights help make these maps really stand out. The execution is, I think, masterful. If you can keep things interesting for the final maps of the WAD and prevent fatigue with this awesome theme, then I think you're golden.

 

Here's a big text dump of my notes. Here you'll find map-by-map comments, observations, complaints, and suggestions in a mostly unorganized fashion.

Spoiler

Map01:

  • This is a nice little starting map. A little weird but overall pretty nice.
  • I like the wires that run across the ground. It's a neat idea and helps with navigation (This goes for all levels).

 

Map02:

  • I also rather like this level.
  • The building section is fun and well put together.
  • There's no custom music here, so unless D_STALKS was the intention...

 

Map03:

  • Oh no, reality is falling apart! Or something like that.
  • The theme here is well done. The long staircase is a bit bizarre but actually fits rather nicely.
  • I must complain about the two big monster rooms. The placement feels spammy and does not make for engaging combat. The rest of the level is fine though.

 

Map04:

  • I dunno, I'm just not sold on a crate maze in hell.
  • Also, a literal maze is... uh.
  • I'm not big on the monster placement again, and it turns into a real slog if you don't find the SSG (which I thankfully did).

 

Map05:

  • I really like some of the environments in this map. The big room, dark room, and SSG room are all pretty cool.
  • The combat is again pretty slow and grindy.
  • Many of these hanging corpses block your movement. This goes for other levels too but this is the first time it really got in the way.
  • The teleporter texture on the rim of the islands really doesn't work aesthetically.

 

Map06:

  • Choosing your weapons, awesome. A neat gimmick that I don't feel like I see enough.
  • The combat is so slow and tedious, which unfortunately really kills the map for me.

 

Map07:

  • I like the overall look and the clever use of silent teleporters.
  • Combat is yet even more tedious. There seriously needs to be either much fewer mid-tier enemies, or significantly more firepower. This really, really doesn't work.

 

Map08:

  • This is a bit more like it. The gameplay here is much better than the last two levels. Never once did I have to grind down a group of hell knights with the shotgun.
  • If you approach the bounce pads from certain angles (like, anything but straight forward), they may not launch you all the way to the next island.
  • The ending puzzle is good, reminds me of a part in Doom 64.

 

Map09:

  • The big arena is a cool environment, and the combat isn't quite so bad. Other than that, not much to say.

 

Map10:

  • The animated fire sky doesn't appear correctly in prboom+ software mode. Otherwise I rather enjoyed this one.

 

Map11:

  • Heh, cool music.
  • The arena fight is a good romp, though I think the first wave with the archviles was probably the most difficult.

 

Map12:

  • New theme! Immediately I think I like this ice theme more than the abstract hell.
  • New enemy! The invisible imp seems like a nice addition (after seeing the 3rd episode, it's an amazing addition).
  • The random conveyors make the fights really awkward here. I'm not a big fan of that.

 

Map13:

  • Never underestimate the power of zombiemen in large numbers, I guess. Good fight though.
  • I enjoyed the adventure into black-and-white land again, though I don't need invulnerability to punch out a dozen revenants. ;)
  • I know ice physics were inevitable, but the effect here (also in later levels) is a bit too strong, I think. It's not just slippery, but borderline uncontrollable.
  • The "You can't change the past" message at the red key appears upside down when you first see it.

 

Map14:

  • A really cool concept for a level with the cyberdemon avoidance.
  • Giving me a powered-up plasma gun, then providing plenty of monsters to play with it? That's a good time!
  • Overall, I think this is my favorite level of the entire set so far. Good execution of a solid gimmick.
  • The chandeliers in this level (and later levels) block your movement from above.

 

Map15:

  • The new enemy is pretty cool. Like an SS that doesn't turn the mapset into a meme.
  • Horizontally sliding doors in Boom is some black magic I don't understand.
  • I really like the whole white keycard area in general.
  • No super shotgun here, or at least none that I found, but the abundance of rocket launcher and plasma gun cells really made up for that. Felt like I should say that given how much I complained about the earlier levels.
  • The final segment with the pillars is just plain awful. It's boring, movement is extremely awkward, and it goes on for waaaaay too long. This pretty much completely kills the level for me.
  • "Sentenced to death" and "your suffering will never end" are upside down the first time you see them.

 

Map31:

  • Ooh, we got some monster hordes in here. Cutting through them with the rocket launcher is good mindless fun suitable to a secret level.
  • The animated sky continues to be broken in prboom+ software mode.
  • Mazes continue to be bad.
  • I like the arena with the silhouetted cyberdemons. It's a pretty nice effect.

 

Map32:

  • Look Ma, I'm a lumberjack! It's Serious Sam! A somewhat loose interpretation of Sierra de Chiapas. Really cool to see a recreation like this. It works pretty well, too.
  • The Map01 remix section was also really clever. I feel like the catacomb area is a reference too, but I don't get it.
  • Combat in the opening stretch is more slow grinding with the single shotgun, but it gets better (I guess Sam was like that too).
  • I get the plasma rifle in a secret like 30 seconds before I get it normally. Ruins the reward a bit.
  • Powering up the bounce pad twice to increase its strength is more Boom magic I don't understand.

 

Map16

  • The "choose your start point" gimmick is well done. I didn't feel underarmed for any fight whichever I chose.
  • I like the overall progression of the level in some abstract way, collecting keys from the different areas was pretty satisfying.
  • I haven't been paying much attention to music, but I really like this MIDI.
  • The crusher section is pretty bad and goes on for way too long.
  • The pillar with the white skull key is unpegged and looks weird when it lowers.

 

Map17

  • I'm not sure about this level. The abstract void stuff works fine as an aside but when it's the focus of the whole level, it's just confusing and hard to navigate and no good.
  • The fast demon and four sided building (that's a terrible description but whatever) are alright though.

 

Map18

  • The setting and decoration are really nice, almost enough to make you not realize that this level is mostly hallways cramped enough to make Misri Halek jealous.
  • I like the snow effect, H2H style. It looks really nice here, and I didn't really notice any oddities.

 

Map19:

  • Good combat here. I like this one.
  • No seriously really good combat, this is handily my favorite level thus far gameplay-wise.
  • Chasing after the red skull key had me laughing.
  • The tiny alcoves with the switches are snowing but nothing else?

 

Map20:

  • The opening arena was a good fight.
  • I'm a fan of the black key area, especially with how the colormap switch is set up. That's more Boom magic I don't understand.
  • I'm not a fan of the red key fight or white key maze.

 

Map21:

  • Welcome to space! And there's impaled corpses and blood everywhere.
  • Doors that split in the middle are yet even more Boom magic I don't understand.
  • Health is a bit tight, in a good way. Combat is likewise a bit harder than earlier maps.
  • This is a great introduction to an awesome new theme.

 

Map22:

  • No music again. (Turns out there is music, I was just using Woof, which doesn't have ogg support.) I put the PSX Doom soundtrack in the background instead and it fits perfectly.
  • The spooky atmosphere here is absolutely masterful and I love it.
  • The dark atmosphere, the impaled corpses, the dark look, the vicious fights, the scarce health, it's all great.

 

Map23:

  • Whoever's been sending me messages this whole time is really unhappy with me now.
  • The progression of this level, where you have to flee, gather resources, then return for a big battle, is a great concept.
  • The fake secret is amazing.

 

Edited by Spie812

Share this post


Link to post
  • 3 weeks later...
On 5/21/2021 at 10:47 AM, Kain D. said:

 

If you've completed Plutonia you shouldn't have any problems with it. It's mostly Doom 2 difficulty mixed with Plutonia's. I think right now, map 09 is the most difficult.

 

I also posted newer version with fixed bugs and 3 new maps.

 

(Sorry for late response, i was on a hiatus from here.) 

 

Thanks for your reply, i'm by now on map16 and this really has fulfilled its promises.  i've come to think of your WAD as a natural progression (a sequel of sorts) to Eternal Doom, but while the levels are even more complex, the progression is really well managed - partly due to your use of spawning monsters in the direxion one is supposed to go to, and also by the end of the level one always has a good grasp of the layout.

 

Only issue i've had is a true scarcity of health, and as an example, you can imagine my troubles on map14 going to the canyon with HKs, Revs, Mancs and Archies with less than 10% health and being offered very little help there! :D  But, maybe it's just me, i can accept that too.

Share this post


Link to post
13 hours ago, dei_eldren said:

Only issue i've had is a true scarcity of health, and as an example, you can imagine my troubles on map14 going to the canyon with HKs, Revs, Mancs and Archies with less than 10% health and being offered very little help there! :D  But, maybe it's just me, i can accept that too.

 

Ok, I'll change medikit to berserk pack in the plasma gun room. Scarce health is one of the "features" of the third episode.

Share this post


Link to post

I'm always intrigued when a traditional three-"episode" Doom 2 megawad does something other than 20 maps of mundane settings followed by 10 maps of hell, so you've got my interest. :)

 

Scarce health as a schtick, alas, tends to lose my interest, but I'll reserve judgment for that until I can play it in its complete form.

Share this post


Link to post
2 hours ago, jerrysheppy said:

I'm always intrigued when a traditional three-"episode" Doom 2 megawad does something other than 20 maps of mundane settings followed by 10 maps of hell, so you've got my interest. :)

 

Scarce health as a schtick, alas, tends to lose my interest, but I'll reserve judgment for that until I can play it in its complete form.

 

This wad is rather far from "traditional". As for the scarce health, I only meant the third episode and this is done by placement of health, not its quantity.

Share this post


Link to post
9 hours ago, Kain D. said:

 

Ok, I'll change medikit to berserk pack in the plasma gun room. Scarce health is one of the "features" of the third episode.

 

That should do it!

 

One more general comment i forgot to make: i love how everything in this WAD is done with conviction, nothing is left half-assed.  Makes for truly immersive experience.

Share this post


Link to post
  • 2 months later...
On 6/2/2021 at 1:33 AM, Spie812 said:

The goal of this WAD, as I understand it, was the creation of a megawad with usage of obscure Boom features

 

I don't know if it's worth it to write something about this after all this time. From my perspective this isn't a goal, I'm just not afraid to use them and I don't understand why other Boom features aren't used more frequently.

 

 

Anyway, newer version has arrived with new maps 24, 25 ,26, 27.   

Share this post


Link to post
6 minutes ago, TheMagicMushroomMan said:

The screenshots remind me a little of A.L.T. which is a favorite of mine for its surreal and disturbing atmosphere. Is this somewhat similar?

 

If you like A.L.T., you probably like this wad. I think the first episode feels similar like A.L.T., athough Sign of Torment wasn't inspired by any wad.  

Share this post


Link to post

I've finished playing through the four new maps. In short, everything I said in my last post still applies. I still really like the atmosphere and more punishing combat. There are enough new gimmicks in the new levels to keep the episode from starting to drag, though the novelty of the theme begins to wear off by the end. Keep up the good work, and I hope to see some cool stuff in the final few maps.

 

As before, I will drop my notes.

Spoiler

Map24:

  • The cyberdemon trap is really cool and I have no idea how it doesn't kill you.
  • "Cut your throat" appears upside down when you first see it.
  • I enjoyed the quest for the white key.
  • The final fight for the red key is harsh but I could eventually do it consistently.

Map25:

  • The opening seems to leave me at 20% or 10% health at random. Not that it actually makes a difference or anything.
  • I see that fan blade and I approve.
  • The black skull key area is good use of darkness though I was a bit shocked when nothing happened upon picking up the key.
  • I like the red keycard area with the floating platforms.
  • The core gimmick of running around a cyberdemon you can't kill is a good idea, but the area is so small and making it to another door without taking a random rocket feels like a coin toss.

Map26

  • The fights through the darkness feels like a more fleshed out version of what I saw in the last map.
  • I enjoy the extended arena fight while hunting for the red key.
  • The teleporter from the red key area back to the main hub is not aligned properly.

Map27

  • The red key fight is really hard if you go for it first, but it's not too bad otherwise.
  • The floating pillars are a nice decoration.

 

Share this post


Link to post

@Spie812 I don't know if you're intrested in my answers. Anyway:

 

Spoiler

Map24:

  • The cyberdemon trap is really cool and I have no idea how it doesn't kill you.

This is due to Sector type 11. There's more info about it in here: https://doomwiki.org/wiki/Damaging_floor

 

  • The final fight for the red key is harsh but I could eventually do it consistently.

Yes and it also creates a problem for me. is it worth tuning down difficulty in there? This fight is much easier, if a player does something unthinkable(in Doom 2 standards) and the fight also kinda forces to, also in later levels. That is playing aggressively against Arch-Viles, this due to the Plasma gun dealing more damage. In short when a player is very close to an Arch- Vile, the Plasma gun will kill it faster, before the Arch-Vile finishes its attack charge.

 

Map25:

  • The opening seems to leave me at 20% or 10% health at random. Not that it actually makes a difference or anything.

I also have no idea, why it happens.

 

  • I see that fan blade and I approve.

It first appeared in Map 22. This is one of few features, that wasn't invented by me.

 

  • The core gimmick of running around a cyberdemon you can't kill is a good idea, but the area is so small and making it to another door without taking a random rocket feels like a coin toss.

That's why it is an easier map, due to this unpredictability.

 

 

Map26

  • The teleporter from the red key area back to the main hub is not aligned properly.

I assume you mean the sector with tag 162. This is due to PrBoom+/GLBoom+ has problems with flat aligning when loading a save. This works properly, when other source port is used, or a save isn't used.

This is only a tip of the iceberg. For some unknown reason (this is only my observation) most Boom wads only use ~70% of its features. Sign of Torment uses ~95% of Boom features, unfortunately it also causes source ports to " explode".

 

Map27

  • The red key fight is really hard if you go for it first, but it's not too bad otherwise.

I tried to do something with Light amplification power up and I ain't doing this again. This was hard to set up, because heavy scripting is used in there to not allow a player to leave the area when the power up isn't worn out.

  • The floating pillars are a nice decoration. 

This isn't my invention again. Ancient Aliens used these. If I remember correctly, ironically in both wads the pillars first appears in Map 27.

 

Share this post


Link to post
  • 2 months later...

It is done, all 32 Maps. Although final 3 maps were tested only by me(when posting this).

 

In terms of difficulty the third episode is closer to Plutonia. There are difficulty spikes.

 

All the bugs in the "Known Bugs" section(except -nomonsters info) are sourceports' bugs. It is not up to me to fix them.

 

I also have reports about Woof and DSDA Doom. In Woof linedefs 210 work properly, but it doesn't have ogg support.

DSDA Doom fixed friction disappearing, when loading a save. But kept all the bugs, that are in GlBoom+/PrBoom+.

Share this post


Link to post

Your story contains several grammatical errors, I fixed them for you if you want to update it:

 

Spoiler

After a long battle with Hell, Earth is rebuilt and the UAC has reclaimed its position as a powerful corporation.

Unbeknown to others, the UAC begins research at the edge of a flying Deimos base in Hell, sending expeditions from time to time.

Gained knowledge allows the corporation to conquer alien planets outside the solar system.

Years have passed and the UAC has become a superpower no one can oppose, erasing all of its involvement in the first Hell invasion.

New discoveries could allow the corporation intergalactic travel, however, contact was lost with the latest expedition.

The UAC, afraid of losing precious data and not wanting to risk any resources, decides to send prisoners.

You, prisoner 649, have been sentenced to death. You are offered a deal to find out what happned to the expedition and collect the desired data in exchange for your life.

You're given the device to track their signal and without any choice

YOU DESCEND INTO HELL...

 

Edited by TheMagicMushroomMan

Share this post


Link to post

I never knew this existed O_o.

Downloading but I gotta tell ya I am like 18 months behind on playing new content. This has been such an amazing year for new releases. :o)

Share this post


Link to post

Glad to see this unique project finishing up.

 

15 hours ago, Kain D. said:

All the bugs in the "Known Bugs" section(except -nomonsters info) are sourceports' bugs. It is not up to me to fix them.

As I read the bugs, it does not appear that you can play this in any single port without dealing with issues you did not intend. Is that accurate? If so, I hate to say, but that could be a significant deterrent. 

Share this post


Link to post
On 11/29/2021 at 3:39 AM, TheMagicMushroomMan said:

Your story contains several grammatical errors, I fixed them for you if you want to update it:

 

Thanks, I'll fix it.

 

19 hours ago, HAK3180 said:

Glad to see this unique project finishing up.

 

As I read the bugs, it does not appear that you can play this in any single port without dealing with issues you did not intend. Is that accurate? If so, I hate to say, but that could be a significant deterrent. 

 

Like I said: It is not up to me to fix them.

Every sourceport I tested has problems with this wad. Sign of Torment uses much more Boom features and it causes sourceports to explode.

My point is, there is like 30% Boom features, that are completly unused, by other mappers.

Share this post


Link to post
5 hours ago, Kain D. said:

Like I said: It is not up to me to fix them.

 

No, but you could make sure that your wad runs perfectly in at least one of them. You can say that your wad is bug free and the source ports are to blame, and that may be true, but it's irrelevant to the consumer. For all intents and purposes, it is your wad that is buggy, not the source ports. 

 

It's probably too late now, but I just fear people will not even download upon seeing that list of bugs with not even one port to play it on fully functionally. It's a major turnoff to me personally, and I'm someone who does not care about immersion and plays on different ports and/or comp levels all the time.

 

Let me ask you: If you want to play your own wad Sign of Torment from beginning to end, how do you personally do it?

Share this post


Link to post
27 minutes ago, HAK3180 said:

Let me ask you: If you want to play your own wad Sign of Torment from beginning to end, how do you personally do it?

 

I'd chose GlBoom+ 2.5.1.4, or PrBoom+ 2.5.1.4 with default compability, but set "Retain quirks in Doom's sound code" to yes.

DSDA Doom with -cl9 might also handle it well, but it is untested.

Share this post


Link to post

I enter map06 and enter the first room. I read the words on the ground, look around, and all the paths you can choose wall up. I can't continue.

Share this post


Link to post
4 hours ago, Bryan T said:

I enter map06 and enter the first room. I read the words on the ground, look around, and all the paths you can choose wall up. I can't continue.

 

Spoiler

I assume you talk about starting area. Basically you chose the equipment and there is a teleporter in the middle.

 

You can also check @Arbys550 ' s videos above from testing if you get stuck. Just keep in mind, that changes has been made to the wad since then.

 

Edited by Kain D.

Share this post


Link to post

I can't choose anything because they all wall up before I can get to them.

Using gzdoom 4.7.1

Edited by Bryan T

Share this post


Link to post

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...