Secrets of the Maya (Work in progess)

[monoe1996]

Hi DoomWorld. After one and a half days of practice, one day being dedicated to finding a builder that would run properly under Wine, I have made my first "map". It's a single map based on the real ruins of Uxmal in Cancun Mexico (specifically the nunnery quadrangle), but later I would like to branch this out into a megawad containing a variety of different Mesoamerican sites. The only other project I've seen do something similar is the first few maps of Ancient Aliens thus far.

 

I put map in quotations because in all reality what this basically is in the state it's in now is a test map for practicing how to make outdoor structures. I plan to work on it to make it fully playable however. There are a lot of things wrong with it right now. Including but not limited to:

-Completely screwed up textures in some places

-Textures are too plain

-Map is too big/open for any chance of a fun fight when monsters are added

-No items

-No weapons

-No doors

-No buttons

-No exit

-And a lot more

 

It runs just fine tested in GZDoom however (with vanilla Doom settings).

Would the concept be interesting enough for me to keep going with the project? Anything that could help me improve on it and map making in general later? I would like to know. Thanks all!

 

Video tour (YT)

Download the four map WAD

 

UPDATE 5/13/22: New startup screen! New name! And textures are now all fixed! For now, at least. I'm looking to overhaul them later. But I won't worry about that now. Anyways though doors are all screwed up and go all the way to the sky ceiling and not the ceiling of the structure I actually want it on. Such is life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF7L5SdpshA

 

UPDATE 5/13/22 AGAIN: Items, doors, weapons, monsters, an exit... These are things the average Doom mapper would have done already but for me it took two days. Progress is progress though, this is not a race after all.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 21, 2022 by monoe1996

[monoe1996]

Already on the next level to make and making El Castillo in Chichen Itza has to be the most time consuming thing. I spent so long on these stairs and didn't get it right. I should build the stairs first next time. I think that's actually what I did the first time but Doom Builder crashed. It's okay, it's not a race. I have my Andean music to keep me company.

[monoe1996]

This will probably be the last update I make for a bit, but the first two levels are done and playable, though I'll probably make changes to them later.

It features:

Map 1 - The Nunnery Quadrangle

Map 2 - Chichen Itza (With Kukulkan, the Pok'ta'pok court, Venus platform, Cenote Ik Kil, and Thousand Columns!)

 

Map 1 is quite simple, but map 2 is projectile hell so be wary. Mouselook and jumping weren't intended, but are nice to have. Feedback would be great, positive and negative. I want to keep making this and improve upon it. Thanks all!

Download the WAD here

 

Edited May 15, 2022 by monoe1996

[TheCyberDruid]

Just played the two maps and I like the music and how you scaled the buildings. On map 1 I would consider to open all three blue and yellow doors at once (use the same tag) because it's a bit weird that all fights in that map are optional. Map 2 is quite fun and the rocket launcher area is a good idea. The only issue is that the exit is marked with red skulls and you give the player a yellow skull (and made it a yellow door) :) Not a bad start, but it might be an idea to also put some less open areas into your maps where you don't have that much space to dodge stuff.

[monoe1996]

14 minutes ago, TheCyberDruid said:

Just played the two maps and I like the music and how you scaled the buildings. On map 1 I would consider to open all three blue and yellow doors at once (use the same tag) because it's a bit weird that all fights in that map are optional. Map 2 is quite fun and the rocket launcher area is a good idea. The only issue is that the exit is marked with red skulls and you give the player a yellow skull (and made it a yellow door) :) Not a bad start, but it might be an idea to also put some less open areas into your maps where you don't have that much space to dodge stuff. 

Thank you for your response!

I thought by making all the fights technically optional in map 1 it'd be a fun guessing game on the first few playthroughs, giving incentive to still open other doors for ammunition or weapons or health. So the last six doors would be an extreme of that, giving bigger rewards or bigger fights on a wrong choice. I can see how this can be bad for multiple playthroughs however so I'll have to do some tweaking.

 

I noticed the red door yellow key discrepancy on playing it right after I had posted the update, I thought I had changed it! Frustrating but I don't want to blow up WadHosting so I'll have to wait. And hearing to have less open areas when I thought people would want more is funny. I thought the amount of projectiles would be frustrating so I made up for it with the open spaces, having free range to dodge the stuff. Good thing these next few maps are designed to be bordering on claustrophobic lol.

[MauryMyers]

Is the download only for the environment?, there are no monsters or objects

[monoe1996]

2 minutes ago, MauryMyers said:

Is the download only for the environment?, there are no monsters or objects

If you got it from the main post that was the first release which didn't have anything in it, apparently I did not update it. Apologies! I'll fix that now.

[MauryMyers]

I was finally able to play it, I liked it and I concur with the points mentioned by TheCyberDruid.

Difficulty: Ultra Violence
Source Port: RZ Doom 3.0.0

In map01, the encounters behind the doors feel weird. I liked the detail of how the exit is a path and the beginning of map02 is a path in the forest/jungle.

In map02, The highlights for me are the two small arenas (near the pyramid and the pit). Is it possible to kill all the monsters on the second map? I'm not saying this because of ammunition but because of the position they are in, for example the barons in the pyramid.

Edited May 17, 2022 by MauryMyers

[monoe1996]

1 hour ago, MauryMyers said:

I was finally able to play it, I liked it and I concur with the points mentioned by TheCyberDruid.

Difficulty: Ultra Violence
Source Port: RZ Doom 3.0.0

In map01, the encounters behind the doors feel weird. I liked the detail of how the exit is a path and the beginning of map02 is a path in the forest/jungle.

In map02, The highlights for me are the two small arenas (near the pyramid and the pit). Is it possible to kill all the monsters on the second map? I'm not saying this because of ammunition but because of the position they are in, for example the barons in the pyramid.

Thanks for the response!

I find the somewhat negative response to the random doors strange. I thought it would be a fun gimmick but I can certainly think of ways to make it better than it is.

Arena areas are the parts I like making most, so it's good to see there's a positive reaction to it. Weird too, because I had thought that would be the thing people wouldn't like as much, where you couldn't tell if you were playing Doom or a shmup. I've seen people make complaints about the open areas of Doom II so I made that connection. I liked those parts too though so I'll stick to having areas like it.

 

EDIT: I neglected to mention yes, all enemies are able to be killed in map 2, including the barons. Though it's difficult to get to them because it requires precise movement to get to their exact level on the pyramid without slipping down further, basically just take your finger off of the shift key. Alternatively you can jump down with a more modern source port and check with mouselook. I really did not intend for those to be in the gameplay but it's very fun playing with them on.

Edited May 17, 2022 by monoe1996

[monoe1996]

It has been a week and progress has been a little stagnant, I apologize for that. Only two more maps and a fifth unfinished room are in at this point, but I thought it was enough to warrant an update post.

It may have major balancing issues which is why I think it's important to post it.

Note the music in MAP04 sucks and is just a placeholder; it's not even Mayan!

The two maps feature the secret inside of Kukulkan and Tikal's Grand Plaza.

 

Download the four map WAD

[TheCyberDruid]

Played (or tried to) the two new maps. Map 3 is almost impossible to pistol start due to the lack of weapons and health. You get the shotgun and chaingun from the enemies, but you also get shot quite a bit and without any health I just got murdered by what comes next. Map 4 starts better by giving the player at least a SSG. You made it less easy to avoid the projecticles which is good. Fighting mancubi that are above you without a rocket launcher is a bit tedious though. Once I pressed the switch behind the blue door the chaingunners started to attack and even with the plasma you can't take them out all at once. Might be a challenge for UV, but I would appreciate it if the lower difficulties wouldn't as punishing.

 

That being said the titlepic is cool and I like the layout of map 4 a lot. So map 1 & 2 need to be *more* difficult and map 3 & 4 *less* difficult in my opinion ;)

[monoe1996]

4 hours ago, TheCyberDruid said:

Played (or tried to) the two new maps. Map 3 is almost impossible to pistol start due to the lack of weapons and health. You get the shotgun and chaingun from the enemies, but you also get shot quite a bit and without any health I just got murdered by what comes next. Map 4 starts better by giving the player at least a SSG. You made it less easy to avoid the projecticles which is good. Fighting mancubi that are above you without a rocket launcher is a bit tedious though. Once I pressed the switch behind the blue door the chaingunners started to attack and even with the plasma you can't take them out all at once. Might be a challenge for UV, but I would appreciate it if the lower difficulties wouldn't as punishing.

 

That being said the titlepic is cool and I like the layout of map 4 a lot. So map 1 & 2 need to be *more* difficult and map 3 & 4 *less* difficult in my opinion ;)

Thank you for another reply! Your feedback's always good.

I had a suspicion pistol start would be impossible for some. I could only make it to about halfway, and accounting for my subpar Doom skills I consider that good for more experienced players. I also have the bad tendency to keep expecting players to just not die on pistol start throughout which is not good. I'll add more weapons, especially to map 3 which has almost none. Ammunition's also a big issue, I can tell that's where most of the difficulty is coming from.

Agh, the stupid chaingunners! I should not have put them in such open areas, I have to move them to the back where buildings obscure them. The mancubus issue will also be helped by just giving a rocket launcher at the start as well which is much needed, would help with the archviles as well.

About the easier difficulties being too difficult... I neglected to give proper attention to difficulty choice these two maps. Sorry about that! I'll make sure to better tone it down, it's just the least fun part of the map making process and I forget about it.

Thanks for replying again!

[monoe1996]

Been a few weeks and I am sorry to say a lot of progress has been lost due to computer issues...... the Spanish still got it out for me and they like pulling shit like that. Interfering with my technology and stuff stuff just never goes right lol. Updated Wine Ultimate Doom Builder gives special errors for me. Uggghhhhhhh

 

Maps 5 through 11 have to be built up from scratch again....it's frustrating but it's a fun process. Thanks all out there listening now. You're the best!

 

[MauryMyers]

Tested with the following

Difficulty: Ultra Violence
Source Port: GZ Doom 4.8.0

I decided this time to go for 100% in everything.

Spoiler

 

MAP01: How are you supposed to obtain the megasphere behind the yellow door?

MAP02: I noticed that this time you added 2 secret to this map, i liked the one with the invisibilty and rocket ammo, but the berserk one feels kinda meh, since you want to avoid meele in this one.

MAP03: Nice punchy short map, my biggest problem with this one is the belowed area with all the toxic blood, its a problem if you want to 100%, the cacos and baron can get stuck and dont follow to the stairs. I missed a secret and i think is in that area.

MAP04: This one feels like a harder version of MAP02. I dindt have a problem in the first part, but i can see how pistol start can be a problem if someone decides to play in that way. When walls lower, you are greeted by a bullet hell (lol), you can easily deal with the archies and revenant with just luring them behind the pyramids, it kinda breaks the pacing in my opinion, but is what it is. 

The pinkies / specter section seems to be broken (?), they cant go out of that part, you can easily kill them on the entry.

I found a HOM
In-game
Automap
 

 

 

[monoe1996]

30 minutes ago, MauryMyers said:

Tested with the following

Difficulty: Ultra Violence
Source Port: GZ Doom 4.8.0

I decided this time to go for 100% in everything.

  Hide contents

 

MAP01: How are you supposed to obtain the megasphere behind the yellow door?


MAP02: I noticed that this time you added 2 secret to this map, i liked the one with the invisibilty and rocket ammo, but the berserk one feels kinda meh, since you want to avoid meele in this one.


MAP03: Nice punchy short map, my biggest problem with this one is the belowed area with all the toxic blood, its a problem if you want to 100%, the cacos and baron can get stuck and dont follow to the stairs. I missed a secret and i think is in that area. 


MAP04: This one feels like a harder version of MAP02. I dindt have a problem in the first part, but i can see how pistol start can be a problem if someone decides to play in that way. When walls lower, you are greeted by a bullet hell (lol), you can easily deal with the archies and revenant with just luring them behind the pyramids, it kinda breaks the pacing in my opinion, but is what it is. 

The pinkies / specter section seems to be broken (?), they cant go out of that part, you can easily kill them on the entry.

I found a HOM
In-game
Automap
 

 

 

Thanks for playing! It is nice to see you again.

 

The thing about the megasphere in map 1 is funny: you are not supposed to get it. That was just something I threw in because I felt a room with a baron was too lame. I thought it'd be a funny f you lol. Do just a little inspecting and you'd fine a soulsphere so it's rewarded I think.

 

The berserk pack was just for the 100% health get from the small gauntlet in the Cenote Ik Kil waterhole, not so much for getting the punches out of it. Though you could use it for all the imps on the lowest platform of Kukulkan (the big pyramid).

 

Yes, the secret you missed was definitely in the blood area. On the safe platform with the stimpack press the wall behind you and it will reveal a secret radiation suit. I'm debating on whether or not to make the radiation suit not a secret because of the depth of the maze, at the same time the whole point is the challenge of trying to find your way around it as fast as possible as to not take damage..

 

That's a smart way of dealing with the final few enemies I hadn't thought of. Perhaps it does slow down the pacing by a lot but at the same time it takes away a lot of the challenge. I try not to make it too challenging but I at least want something that interests players. Maybe I'll find a better way to go about that.

 

That was intentional, actually. Pinkies running around everywhere whilst the chaos of everything else ensues didn't really seem fun to me, so I just put them in a shallow pit so as it fills space for you to have to clear out to seek coverage. I thought it was interesting.

 

Thanks for pointing out the texture issue, there are a lot on map 4.

 

Thanks for your response!

Edited June 16, 2022 by monoe1996