My second WAD - Your Way Out

[Pechudin]

    So uh, I managed to scrounge up enough time in between finishing my Master's Thesis to finish this map (TBH on some days I spent more time on the map). Anyhow, this is an Ultimate DooM map, replacing E2M2. I wanted to continue the theme of the previous map, cramped fights, but this time I also wanted to experiment with a large arena fight. I am okay with how it panned out but I can see I have tons to learn still.

 

Format: BooM: DooM (DooM format)

Tested in: PrBooM+, GZDooM

Skill levels: Implemented

Custom stuff: Only music (Splash from Marathon)

 

The Download link: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/31omlq4d59qqxic/YourWayOut.7z?dl=0

 

Some screenshots:

Spoiler

 

    There is a .DEH patch in the .7z file for the less advanced ports. Please provide feedback, especially on the outside arena fight, health, ammunition. I tested the map as much as I could and am at this point a bit sick of it heh. Thanks for your attention!

 

EDIT: Fixed a stuck imp.

Edited August 7, 2020 by Pechudin

[DNSKILL5]

Downloaded, will edit this post with my review when I finish it.

 

Edit:

 

First off, I highly recommend attaching a txt file to your download, using this as a base. It's the best way to ensure that if your file travels, people will know all they need to know about it in the text file. 

Update: Played on UV through ZDoom (without freelook or any extra features), took me 4 tries to get to the red key. One save after red key was found, one save once yellow key was found. 
Stats:

Spoiler

This level was a lot of fun, and it's always nice to see a Doom level for a change. The detail of the walls, floors, and ceilings are well done, as is the lighting effects, and the vanilla-feel is intact throughout the map. The surprise attacks were very well done here, and I feel they will catch many people off guard, but in a good way. I was not expecting the finale. I initially expected the map to be a lot easier than it was and was constantly being surprised throughout. I also like the areas of the map that resemble living quarters. Reminds me of the 90s. 

 

I think this level would fit well in a full episode replacement. 

I recommend this level for those that are looking for a fun challenge. 

I have not had the chance to play your previous WAD, so I cannot judge if you've improved or not, but I enjoyed what I played here.

Edited August 5, 2020 by Gerolf
Finished the WAD

[Horus]

5 hours ago, Pechudin said:

    So uh, I managed to scrounge up enough time in between finishing my Master's Thesis to finish this map (TBH on some days I spent more time on the map). Anyhow, this is an Ultimate DooM map, replacing E2M2. I wanted to continue the theme of the previous map, cramped fights, but this time I also wanted to experiment with a large arena fight. I am okay with how it panned out but I can see I have tons to learn still.

 

Please provide feedback, especially on the outside arena fight, health, ammunition. I tested the map as much as I could and am at this point a bit sick of it heh. Thanks for your attention!

 

I think you did well for the most part, I enjoyed the map. I really liked the cramped rocket launcher fights, in both cases barons were used well to force the player to be very careful as to where they launched their rocket. Visually the map was pretty good both in terms of detailing and lighting, with perhaps the exception of the outdoor arena which was a bit sparse. Only bug I noticed was a stuck imp on one of the crates.

 

As for the outdoor arena itself, I think the cacodemon-imp encounter was much better than the cyber-baron encounter. With the cacodemons and imps, you had to properly engage with the battle, infighting wouldn't cut it (and the amount of plasma ammo you gave was just right); but the cyber-baron battle was just a matter of getting them to infight and then clean-up the stragglers. 

 

I enjoyed finding the secrets, none of them were too obvious or too cryptic, the blue armor was perhaps a bit overpowered (on the other hand, the berserk secret might have been a bit harsh, think I lost more health than I gained on that one). And plus points for that barrel conveyor :P

 

As for the music, it was very quiet (I had to turn up the volume significantly higher than I normally do to hear it) and I'm not really convinced it fit the map (or Doom in general tbh)

 

Recording below, it was done on prBoom+, UV difficulty, complevel 9

 

 

 

[Pechudin]

2 hours ago, Horus said:

As for the music, it was very quiet (I had to turn up the volume significantly higher than I normally do to hear it) and I'm not really convinced it fit the map (or Doom in general tbh)

 

Quiet? Weird, it is rather fine on my end. Did you not lower the volume in the middle of the video, or am I misremembering?

[Biodegradable]

Pretty good map, mate. To echo Horus, I also enjoyed the final arena best. I even did better than I expected I would as I usually get my arse handed to me at least twice in these large scale fights. The map's layout and design is, well indeed a bit cramped, but its not to its detriment. You make the close quarter combat challenging and utilse the demons really well. Your health/armour distribution might've been a little too generous, but that's the only thing I can really knock it for. This was a fun one for sure :^)

 

Gameplay:

UV | GZDoom + Zagemod

 

 

 

[Pechudin]

    Thanks for all the replies thus far! I think I might go on to DooM II maps in the future, as I recently played Going Down and I really liked the style of those maps, I feel like that kind of chaotic, cramped fights is what my style is closest to (not saying I am anywhere near Moudly in terms of skill).

 

    On the Baron-and-RL trick, I am fairly proud of figuring that one out but I fear I might keep repeating it too much. I need to figure out other ways of making the limited bestiary of UDooM work.

Edited August 6, 2020 by Pechudin

[Horus]

6 hours ago, Pechudin said:

 

Quiet? Weird, it is rather fine on my end. Did you not lower the volume in the middle of the video, or am I misremembering?

 

Yes, I did indeed lower it a bit in the middle of the video, but I raised it a lot at the start of the level, much higher than I normally do, and when the intermission music came it was deafening lol. I use the SDL midi player in prBoom+, maybe it's specific to that, doesn't seem to be an issue in GZDoom