Hellbreach stand-alone maps

[smeghammer]

** UPDATE **

Reworked the blue key area bars switch to be more obvious following @Biodegradable's feedback. Can now see the effect of the switch much more easily.

 

** Update 2 **

Added music to MAPINFO. I don't play with music on, so forgot his completely until @Austinado played them and pointed out the lack of music.

 

Right, following some feedback from @Clippy and @HAK3180 I decided to separate the completed maps from my Hellbreach project into three standalone ones for easier playtesting. The standalone versions are each MAP01 and can be completed with pistol start on UV. I use GZDoom and my gameplay mod of choice is Brutal. I tested these with Brutal and Beautiful Doom as well as pure GZDoom. 

 

Free look is definitely advised as there are several places where looking up/down is pretty much needed. Jumping is not needed, though it is not disabled. 

 

Breach Containment

My first map in 25 years... 589 sectors

 - Added bonus in left-hand sewer branch so there is now a reward for going in there

 - fixed a moving doortrak

 - Added a bonus in the breach area

 - removed secret exit (not needed in standalone)

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Breach Scars

Second map I did. This map has 3D sectors and (a few) sloped floors. Very open map with a few caves/tunnels. 2070 sector.

 - fixed an unreachable ammo box

 - altered monster access to final area lift

 - added lamp to mark exit switch room key location

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Gate

Third map I did. Lots of 3D floors and a bit of ACS scripting. Quite important to do this in the right order. 2710 sectors.

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

I added floor lines (like HL starting lab complex floors) to Breach Containment to try and indicate where each key was. Breach Scars and The Gate are very open and don't have a great deal of obvious guidance as to which way to go. I did attempt to make switch action targets (bars and so on) visible from the switch, but this is not always the case - be warned... 

Edited August 8, 2020 by smeghammer
added music

[DannT]

Only had time for Breach Containment at the moment. I enjoyed it. Not terrible challenging, but that's a welcome change of pace to be honest. Fair ammo and health to keep me from saving every few seconds. Wasn't able to get through the Radiation door near the red door, but perhaps I wasn't supposed to. Still found all secrets, but I think I missed an enemy somewhere. I'll try the rest soon. 

[666shooter]

19 minutes ago, Dannarchy said:

 Not terrible challenging, but that's a welcome change of pace to be honest. Fair ammo and health to keep me from saving every few seconds.

*slow claps.* Tell me about it, friend.

Maybe I ought to give this a try.

[smeghammer]

@Dannarchy, thanks for taking the time to play, appreciate the feedback. Yeah, I built these to my skill level - I am OK but certainly not hardcore... I like to play to relax, not be frustrated.

 

1 hour ago, Dannarchy said:

Wasn't able to get through the Radiation door near the red door

 

Do you mean this door?:

 

 

That is one-way. If you got into the sewers, this is the way you would have got out after getting the red key. There is a lift behind this door.

 

Edited June 29, 2020 by smeghammer

[DannT]

Gotcha, thanks. I saw parts of it on the automap, but it was incomplete. I'm still wondering which enemy I missed. I may have to take another stab at it. 

[Biodegradable]

These are some great maps, Smeghammer. The amount of detail and craftsmanship is amazing, especially the second and third map. I've included my playthrough of the first two maps for you to check out. I did record myself playing the third map, but I got lost and frustrated trying to find the blue key and gave up so I figured it wouldn't be worth including the extra 20mins of me wondering around and getting increasingly frustrated haha. For someone who hasn't made a map in 20-odd years, you haven't lost your touch!

 

Here's my gameplay:

HMP | running on GZDoom + Brutal Doom

Spoiler

 

 

[smeghammer]

@Biodegradable, thank you for the comments! Very much appreciated :-) I look forward to watching your playthrough. Yeah, the third map is definitely frustrating - even for me sometimes... I definitely went all Slartibartfast (as I said somewhere else...) on the fiddly bits and possibly not enough time indicating the link between switch and key area. I might revisit that, especially the blue key.

 

This is definitely a big encouragement to carry on with the other maps (you can see a WiP of the fourth map and a secret map in the combined WAD in my github repo, though it is not really playable yet.).

 

Re the blue key - that is in a cave where the opening bars are not visible from the switch. I was probably thinking of that when I added the last paragraph to the first post.