[Ultimate Doom Community Project] Solar Struggle - Making maps where names are pre-selected (Development thread) [Looking for artists] [WE HAVE ALL THE MAPS]

[Anarkzie]

I still need to fix some lights, hide the lines in the opening out door area and will make adjustments to the placement of enemies once I have some feed back. I'm not sure if it's hard or easy as I'm playing it on keyboard only which makes it more challenging than playing with a pad. 

 

Oh it looks a lot bigger than it is. It's very linear and can be finished very easily under 10 minutes. I focused on combat choreography and combination of enemies types. 

 

Hope you like it I think it is fun. 

Edited March 15, 2022 by Anarkzie
Spotted stuff that needs working on

[Wavy]

15 minutes ago, Anarkzie said:

I hope this Google drive link thing works

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KTflpWd81U8enX1ktbyTau_z_0oMI-FK/view?usp=drivesdk

It says I need access. You can change this by right clicking the file in Drive, selecting "Get Link", then changing "Restricted" to "Anyone with the link".

[Anarkzie]

10 minutes ago, Wavy said:

It says I need access. You can change this by right clicking the file in Drive, selecting "Get Link", then changing "Restricted" to "Anyone with the link".

Thanks for that, I'm a proper noob. Can you try for me again please. 

[Wavy]

Just now, Anarkzie said:

Thanks for that, I'm a proper noob. Can you try for me again please. 

Seems to work now =)

[ViolentBeetle]

8 hours ago, Anarkzie said:

I hope this Google drive link thing works

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KTflpWd81U8enX1ktbyTau_z_0oMI-FK/view?usp=drivesdk

I played your map and I enjoyed most of it. However I had to play it in gzDoom and the target port is Crispy Doom/PrBoom+ I couldn't play the map in it because there's a random line on the staircase near the start with effect 2 and tag 0 - and god knows what else.

It seems the secret exit is easier to find than regular exit. Since all it requires is a set of keys that are part of normal progression.

I didn't enjoy the spider mastermind finght much, but I guess it's a legit obstacle. But the line that lowers it is skippable.

The starting area doesn't make sense - it's unclear how did I end up in the middle of it. Perhaps moving doors further away and hiding cacos in the pits next to windows would make more sense.

There's incorrectly defined sectors where baron the receptionist is, causing funky effects. Can probably be solved with "make sectors" mod.

The room with caged pinky also has some weird geometry issues, I think, that make pinkies flicker out of existence, but I might be seeing things.

[ViolentBeetle]

On unrelated note, E1M2: Admin Offices has freed up. Any takers?

Please take it if you intend to start working right away and finish it relatively quickly, so we don't delay for long.

Edited March 15, 2022 by ViolentBeetle

[Peccatum Mihzamiz]

Claiming E1M2! I wanted to map for this project for a while and was too late claiming a slot. Then I had the opportunity and I was too busy. Now I have the opportunity again and I'm grasping it with both hands!

[Anarkzie]

Oh no! I'm new to this so, I'm going to have to check this compatibility issue out. Is this an easy fix or does stuff like this require a complete do over? I will get this sorted. 

 

The first secret key is in the penultimate room so that should not be the case. I need to see if I have accidentally left a spare test key laying around somewhere. 

 

I'll drag the line over in S. D room. 

 

If you're asking how did the player begin in the middle of the cordons then the answer is that I cheated the start for gameplay reasons, I really was not thinking about the player seeing the journey from the tram to the back off the cueue. I just wanted a hot start, I got idea for this though. 

 

This defined sector thing will explain a weird anomaly that happened the other day. I going to try and fix this I may need to ask for help with it, I'll see how I get on. 

 

 

[ViolentBeetle]

1 minute ago, Anarkzie said:

Oh no! I'm new to this so, I'm going to have to check this compatibility issue out. Is this an easy fix or does stuff like this require a complete do over? I will get this sorted. 

It's mostly about cleaning out minor bugs. Shouldn't be anything that requires serious rework.

Seems like I can get to blue key relatively early, even though it's in penultimate room. And then I can get through all quickly.

[Death Bear]

9 minutes ago, Peccatum Mihzamiz said:

Claiming E1M2! I wanted to map for this project for a while and was too late claiming a slot. Then I had the opportunity and I was too busy. Now I have the opportunity again and I'm grasping it with both hands!

Excited to have you aboard, Peccatum! Bring the heat! (You know...cuz it's solar.)

[Anarkzie]

8 minutes ago, ViolentBeetle said:

It's mostly about cleaning out minor bugs. Shouldn't be anything that requires serious rework.

Seems like I can get to blue key relatively early, even though it's in penultimate room. And then I can get through all quickly.

 

That's good to hear.

 

I'll check this key out, you should need to press on a secret wall in the teleporter room that allows you to enter the teleporter from a different angle and then grab it later after the big fight with all the Caco's in cages and Baron coming out of the floor. 

 

I did leave keys laying around for testing purposes so I may have left one in a random place. I need to change the bars in the secret exit room anyway, I'll find a way to better hide the keys. 

[Anarkzie]

Oh hey ViolentBeetle did notice any missing textures at all? 

[xScavengerWolfx]

Oh man i forgot you we're doing your own CP. 

 

Hope it's going well for you and the mappers on this. 

 

Is there a demo aka beta i can try out and give some feed back? I have Doom 1 to run it

[Anarkzie]

2 minutes ago, xScavengerWolfx said:

Oh man i forgot you we're doing your own CP. 

 

Hope it's going well for you and the mappers on this. 

 

Is there a demo aka beta i can try out and give some feed back? I have Doom 1 to run it

 

The first post has a link to a demo in it. 

[xScavengerWolfx]

1 hour ago, Anarkzie said:

 

The first post has a link to a demo in it. 

Thanks 

 

[ViolentBeetle]

17 hours ago, Anarkzie said:

Oh hey ViolentBeetle did notice any missing textures at all? 

Not visible ones anyway.

[ViolentBeetle]

By the way @Anarkzie do you have a MIDI in mind for your map?

[Anarkzie]

On 3/16/2022 at 9:00 PM, ViolentBeetle said:

By the way @Anarkzie do you have a MIDI in mind for your map?

I liked the Doom 1 track for Dis, I think it would suit my level or anything similar that you could think off. I'm not really knowledgeable when it comes to midis. 

[Anarkzie]

Hi I'm trying to convert my map and this weird thing is happening and I have no idea what is causing it. 

 

Does anyone have any advice, I've attached my map for reference. I've tried deleting sectors and remaking them but nothing seems to work. 

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GSbho2zdYk3n3TsPZp90bXfOgIVy_Cpr/view?usp=drivesdk

 

 

 

Edited March 20, 2022 by Anarkzie

[Anarkzie]

I'm also having real issues with the sky in my level, to be honest it's the thing that is making this process hard, I'm sure there is a simple way to do it but I cannot figure it out.

 

In gzdoom if you leave a texture blank with a sky for a ceiling the blank texture just becomes part of the sky in prboom its creating some weird fx. 

 

I found a work around for some sections by creating another sector and having the ceiling and the sky meet but this does not work for all of my map. Can I have fuzz free floating cages or do I need to change this? 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jark]

@Anarkzie

 

So I had a look and fixed the majority of the issues, the weird rendering of the ceiling you linked was due to a bunch of issues related to lines referencing wrong sectors and sectors that led into the void (not closed). 

 

Using the Map Analysis tool (little blue tick on your top toolbar), I unchecked check for texture issues then ran the tool - this found and pointed to many unclosed sectors and linedefs doing all sorts of janky things. I'm not quite sure how the map became this broken to be honest but I fixed the issues by wiggling vertices (moving them  to a new position then back to the original position to rebuild the sector they're attached to) and using the make sector tool [M].

 

The sky issue appears to be (at least in the cages case) that if the floor is higher than the player's sight, it funks out - so I lowered the hiding floor a little bit and it seems to function fine now. Could not find the other areas you screenshotted. 

 

Download Fix: fixSortof.zip

 

EDIT: The Map Analysis tool also pointed out that there are entities without skill flags making them obsolete which I would recommend looking into. 

Edited March 20, 2022 by Jark

[Anarkzie]

15 minutes ago, Jark said:

@Anarkzie

 

So I had a look and fixed the majority of the issues <snip> could not find the other areas you screenshotted. 

. 

 

Thank you, I'm really grateful for your assistance, I really don't think I would figured any of that out myself. I had no idea there was a map analysis tool. I'm going to look into those flag issues. Again thanks for your help. 

[ChopBlock223]

The Map Analysis Tool is extremely helpful for troubleshooting in my experience, it's helped me sniff out errors in many levels.

[ViolentBeetle]

2 hours ago, Anarkzie said:

I liked the Doom 1 track for Dis, I think it would suit my level or anything similar that you could think off. I'm not really knowledgeable when it comes to midis. 

Can be done, sure. But your level is pretty long and the track is only a minute and a half. I can look for something in this spirit but longer.

 

Also, you should probably switch to Ultimate Doom Builder, since it's a little more modern and reliable. Probably wouldn't do this thing with wrong lines.

[Jark]

2 hours ago, Anarkzie said:

I liked the Doom 1 track for Dis, I think it would suit my level or anything similar that you could think off. I'm not really knowledgeable when it comes to midis. 

 

If you have the time, might I recommend looking through this list of Musicians (click the link to the right of the author's name not the name itself to get the music): https://doomwiki.org/wiki/Adding_custom_music#Finding_MIDI_files

 

Lots of varied styles of midis and lots of different people.

[Borg]

Check this 6 map wad and see if there is anything you can use:

 

[ViolentBeetle]

@Anarkzie

While going for my stockpile of midis, I found something that I think might fit your map. What do you think?

 

[RataUnderground]

Okay, finally I have a version of E1M5 that you can test if you want : ) Serve yourselves.

https://mega.nz/file/hXJAiYhC#GWefNyGxpLkof76owuT-UC3mjZ7KGUo_FAKqUWMJJqk

 

[Wavy]

Happy to say that I should be able to release my map tomorrow. All that's left for me is to finish up on monster and item placement.

 

Thank you all for your patience =)

 

Edit: So it's past "tomorrow" and I've yet to submit it (school's been getting in the way), but the map is now pretty much done. I'll upload it and do the final testing tomorrow, tomorrow.

Edited March 29, 2022 by Wavy
ack

[PinkFlamingo]

On 3/20/2022 at 11:57 PM, RataUnderground said:

Okay, finally I have a version of E1M5 that you can test if you want : ) Serve yourselves.

 

Hey! I played your map on HMP and enjoyed it. The map looks great. Choice of textures was clean and tasteful. You also made good use of the rocket launcher for combat: lots of action and explosions throughout the map. Progression was a bit confusing around the blue key door: First, I didn't find the blue key. I was expecting to find it somewhere further along the road passed the blue door. Instead, it turned out to be hidden right next to it on a lower platform. Second, once I hit the switch in the blue key room I didn't know what it did. It lowered a barrier, right next to the door but this was not obvious to me. Perhaps a window could be added where the player can see the barrier lowering from the switch location? Or the barrier itself could be marked with a blue texture? Also, consider adding an extra exit sign next to the exit switch because I totally didn't notice the sign above the red key door. One last bug I noticed: the texture of the blue door is misaligned.

 

One thing I didn't like was the song you chose. The song itself ('paranoid') is fine, but I don't think well known popular songs fit with Doom. I kept on singing the lyrics inside my head and it distracted me from the map. It's also fairly short and repeated itself four times during my playthrough.

 

That's all. Great map! Cool atmosphere. Consider a different soundtrack.