THE DEMENTED TRIALS - Now UPDATED TO VERSION 1.1

[StoopidBoiEthan]

Name: (THE DEMENTED TRIALS)
Map Format: (UDMF)
Ports Tested: (Only GZDoom 4.7.0 but it should work with any GZDoom past 4.0.0)
IWAD: (Doom 2)
Map(s): (MAP01)
Music: (Title theme is Egypt by Ribbiks, Level theme is Way of the Odonata by Dragonfly, and the ending theme is Briefing from Descent 2, ripped from Sunder.)
Gameplay: (Single play)
Difficulty Settings: (Yes)
Multiplayer Placement: (No)
Build Time: (About 1 year, including some breaks where i just got bored and stopped mapping.)
Textures: (Ukiro for OTEX, Tango for Supercharge, all of the people mentioned in the music section, theultimatefaris766, Captain Toenail, ETTiNGRiNDER, Gothic, and whirledtsar for the realm667 stuff)
Requirements: (A good computer because this map is huge. No Jumping or crouching, freelook highly recommended. OpenGL rendering encouraged because this map is huge and software can break some 3d stuff I think.)
 

THE DEMENTED TRIALS

• My second map, started just after I finished Supercharged Radiation Factory, and it took almost exactly 1 year to make (that was posted may 12, 2021 and this was posted may 9, 2022). 
• The Demented Trials is a massive hell (1.5k monsters on UV) map divided into several areas, each with their own theme, from bloody wasteland, to spooky mansion, to good fucking god what is this pink shit.
• Is designed around the supercharge mod (version 2.8), and its several new monsters and weapons. (this time it does not need to be loaded separately, thank god.).
• Also included some stuff I stole from realm667 as decoration (cooler trees and candles, and some other stuff).
• UDMF format, freelook allowed, no jumping or crouching, good computer highly recommended because this map is far too detailed for its own good.
• Only other compatibility to note is that the map looks a little better with the hardware renderer's software lighting.
• Combat is half drip feeds of enemies and half massive set piece encounters. (there is also a good amount of slaughter) 
• Most fights have their own gimmick, either being based around a certain enemy or weapon, or some kind of environmental influence, like lack of room to move or hazardous liquids.
• All difficulties are enabled. Sane is untested but most likely relatively easy, Insane is pretty harsh but still recommended for first playthroughs and DEMENTED is kinda batshit.
• The map takes like 50 minutes for me to beat, so a blind run will probably end up closer to 75 plus minutes.
• Midsaves are highly recommended to reduce agony.
• Important note: several secrets in this map are missable, specifically there is one secret in each of the three main areas. You cannot return to these main areas after you complete them.
• If you tolerate this map in the slightest then play Supercharged Radiation Factory too.

 

SCREENSHOTS

Spoiler

 

UPDATED TO VERSION 1.1

- added a proper titlepic, help/credit and enddoom screen by taking random screenshots of the level and putting a crappy color filter on them
- made an interpic that's literally just pure black because creativity and proper design are for losers
- changed color of some menu text for no reason
- replaced all of the difficulties with ones i thought sounded cooler (sane is HNTR, insane is HMP, DEMENTED is UV)
- fixed one stupid fucking light pillar that was the wrong color for some shitfucking reason
- replaced the menu music because it cuts off early and i don't know why or how to fix it. The new midi is egypt by ribbiks.
- added a proper quit message because that was super easy
- made the candle pillars next to the 3 switches in the first bloody area larger so it's easier to find their respective switches (hopefully)
- added those candle pillars to the blood wasteland slaughter area, and the double mastermind fight AND the double cyberdemon fight.
- several other smaller changes that are too unimportant to list individually

 

NEW DOWNLOAD: https://mega.nz/file/yOYGiarT#yWh1FKxHppnDbP1Y7SeSUOCKiOHWnGtfL_SS9tKGOII

Thanks again to all of the people I stole resources from, thank you for playing, and all criticism is highly appreciated! 

Edited May 12, 2022 by StoopidBoiEthan
updated for version 1.1

[xScavengerWolfx]

1 minute ago, StoopidBoiEthan said:

Thanks again to all of the people I stole resources from

This line right here, this is the most funnies shit i've ever read in a while lol. 

 

Anyways i will check this out when i can and give feed back it, but i will say that the first screen shot i was insulted with lots of ultra volte purple. Nothing wrong with that just saying it was like an overload for me. 

[LadyMistDragon]

The only demented about this is how hard it is to find the thing that allows you to access other areas of the first central courtyard with the Mancubi on the red pillar in the center. Generally, switches critical for progress should be made as obvious as possible given a particular map's layout.

[StoopidBoiEthan]

1 hour ago, LadyMistDragon said:

The only demented about this is how hard it is to find the thing that allows you to access other areas of the first central courtyard with the Mancubi on the red pillar in the center. Generally, switches critical for progress should be made as obvious as possible given a particular map's layout.

I had tried to use the light pillars and candles next to them to help make their position more obvious, but I guess I needed to do more with that. Will fix for version 1.1

On 5/9/2022 at 5:29 PM, xScavengerWolfx said:

Anyways i will check this out when i can and give feed back it, but i will say that the first screen shot i was insulted with lots of ultra volte purple. Nothing wrong with that just saying it was like an overload for me. 

I had specifically went with that color pallet because I knew that it was super abstract and that those purple colors generally aren't used in doom maps. I might have overdone it a bit though. Oops

Edited May 11, 2022 by StoopidBoiEthan

[xScavengerWolfx]

48 minutes ago, StoopidBoiEthan said:

I had tried to use the light pillars and candles next to them to help make their position more obvious, but I guess I needed to do more with that. Will fix for version 1.1

I had specifically went with that color pallet because I knew that it was super abstract and that those purple colors generally aren't used in doom maps. I might have overdone it a bit though. Oops

Still liked it though but i couldn't finish it though. i loved the idea and style behind it all but my computer isn't a beast that can handle all of the enemies on the screen at once, unless i want crispy 25fps lol. 

 

Overall: I love the idea, the mod you used was fun rapid firing the pistol and watching the enemies splatter upon death was great. And playing this is making me remake my very first wad i've ever made using UDMF format. (Since i've been playing around with it and also waiting on feed back on a community map i reworked). Hope this make it in a Video at some point and if i may make one slight feed back, dial back on the purple if you can lol. 

[Biodegradable]

It's great to see a new Supercharged map, but much like LadyMist, I too was completely lost progression-wise. No idea what you're supposed to do after you've killed everything in the big red square/courtyard battle with the poison blood pools. Nothing happens and I couldn't find any buttons/switches/keys or anything to indicate what on Earth I was supposed to do next.

Edited May 12, 2022 by Biodegradable

[StoopidBoiEthan]

4 hours ago, Biodegradable said:

It's great to see a new Supercharged map, but much like LadyMist, I too was completely lost progression-wise. No idea what you're supposed to do after you've killed everything in the big red square/courtyard battle with the poison blood pools. Nothing happens and I couldn't find any buttons/switches/keys or anything to indicate what on Earth I was supposed to do next.

If it's the first blood area (the one with the giant red gazebo thingy) then there are three switches that you need to hit, one in the center under the gazebo, and two others at opposite corners of the area. In the next version of the map there will be big light pillars next to these switches and others like it to hopefully make this less of a pain in the ass.

[Biodegradable]

3 minutes ago, StoopidBoiEthan said:

In the next version of the map there will be big light pillars next to these switches and others like it to hopefully make this less of a pain in the ass.

 

Good idea, fam. It's really important to signpost progression-dependent switches as blatantly as possible. No doubt you don't want to treat the player like they're a giant moron, but whatever you did with the current version, they're just a bit too subtle especially since the player has to race around in a frenzy as the radsuit ticks down.

[StoopidBoiEthan]

UPDATED TO VERSION 1.1

- added a proper titlepic, help/credit and enddoom screen by taking random screenshots of the level and putting a crappy color filter on them
- made an interpic that's literally just pure black because creativity and proper design are for losers
- changed color of some menu text for no reason
- replaced all of the difficulties with ones i thought sounded cooler (sane is HNTR, insane is HMP, DEMENTED is UV)
- fixed one stupid fucking light pillar that was the wrong color for some shitfucking reason
- replaced the menu music because it cuts off early and i don't know why or how to fix it. The new midi is Egypt by ribbiks.
- added a proper quit message because that was super easy
- made the candle pillars next to the 3 switches in the first bloody area larger so it's easier to find their respective switches (hopefully)
- added those candle pillars to the blood wasteland slaughter area, and the double mastermind fight AND the double cyberdemon fight.
- several other smaller changes that are too unimportant to list individually

 

God I hope this helps with the progression stuff. I hindsight I should have released this as a beta at a much earlier point, and got player feedback as I went, but as long as it works out in the end.