(Liquidium) - Short and challenging map [CL9]

[gabirupee]

I was messing up with the doom color pallete and created this short, challenging map to test it. Its a mixture of puzzley combat and slaughter took 6 days to make, enjoy!!

-DOOM2.WAD
-complevel 9 (boom-strict)
-title: Liquidium
-midi: Shores of europa 2.0 by Zach siegel
-tested: nugget doom 1.8.0, dsda doom 0.24.2, gzdoom 4.7.1
-difficulties: only uv(for now)
-no jumping and crouch
-only singleplayer

shots:

Spoiler

thanks to:

Spoiler

 

community chest for cc4 tex

stardate 20x6 for the interpic

haste for pallete blue tone

zach siegel for being a midi god

 

changelog:

Spoiler

v2; removed ammo, added more health, changed switch placement, added one more trap, changed some enemy placement,improved second area visuals and fixed monster block tag.

v3; removed some ammo, removed items, fixed some lighting and added more demons.

v4; added one armor.

v5; fixed unintended route, changed final fight a bit.

v6; fixed dumb revenants, changed some lighting and texturing, added some ammo and added more enemies

 

download

Edited June 9, 2022 by gabirupee

[Alaxzandarz]

Hello dude, I played through your map.

 

So the first thing I want to say is that you absolutely did your map dirty with your screenshots. Very little of the really nice detailing and level geometry is shown in them, so I would heavily advise you to retake them. Here is a couple of screenies that I took myself as an excample:

 

Spoiler

Show your super nice usage of midtextures in the ceiling and shows the variety in color in the map

Showcases the nice texturing and level geometry in the starting area a lot better

 

Generally trying to get a lot of the level into your screenshots is a good idea. When I saw your screenies I thought that the map would be a lot smaller than it actually is.

 

So to the map itself.

 

I like how the map looks. The "metal with colored highlights look" is executed very well. I especially really like the midtext usage in the green area. I also really like how much you use animated textures, but that's more subjective taste. Only area that I didn't really like was the second fight, it is just too dark and it lacks any interesting highlights. Raising the light level a bit and adding maybe a couple of light sources would make it more visually appealing.

 

The combat is all around quite good. The first two fights have a really good ammo balance with amount of rockets you are given. They are also movement and aiming wise quite enjoyable. The Baron fight was really nice for me, as I only got two of the energy cell packs. The fight unfortunately becomes trivial, if you lower all the cells during the fight. Either adding more Barons or removing two of the cell packs would make the fight more interesting.

 

The final fight is a really nicely executed crammed slaughter. There is a problem in the way you open the exit. The switch is right next to the exit and it is right behind the Mastermind. The player is going to kill the Mastermind asap and then they only have to press the switch and BFG the Archies and they are out. You don't have to kill anything in the fight exept the Mastermind and the two Archies.

Spoiler

They are way too close

 

I would recommend to move the exit opening switch to the farthest corner from the exit door, as this would force the player to engage with the fight. The fight has also way too much ammo. I spammed the BFG pretty mindlessly and had over 300 cells in the end. I would advise to remove 200 - 400 cells from the fight (But remember to playtest the map after any changes).

 

I would also add a couple of stims or a medkit to the second or the green fight. You can have very low health in the green fight if the Pain Elementals decide to not co-operate.

 

All in all it is a really nice map. If you decide to make like a short wad in this style I would absolutely like to play it.

[Doomy__Doom]

The armor situation (or should I say lack thereof) is really brutal, lower difficulties could use definitely use some green/blue love.

 

Got a 3:06 exit on attempt 35, lost the demo trying to watch it because I'm a genius, next exit is 2:53 on attempt 187 -.-

I'm pretty sure the route I'm using is very much unintended though, give it a watch. Might warrant a little fix.

dd_liquidium_uvmax_2-53.zip

 

Uhh this is for v1 I guess, noticing the edit now.

Edited May 26, 2022 by Doomy__Doom

[Arwel]

Awesome puzzle/microslaughter, really elegant layout and tasty texturing work. This reminds me Haste, but even more micro and even more punchy! Great work!

[Hitman]

Doom 2 [Liquidium.wad] - MAP01 [Liquidium] - UVMax Blind Speedrun Pistol Start

 

 

[Keykhosrau]

This is some incredibly nice architecture if I do say so myself. I liked the combat overall but I feel the 2nd room with the rockets and the hell knights feels a bit luck-based. You only have a rocket launcher and it's a coin toss based on whether or not the lost souls decide to loiter in your face or not. Perhaps you could place a suit of armour at the beginning, for me? 🥺

[gabirupee]

21 minutes ago, Keykhosrau said:

This is some incredibly nice architecture if I do say so myself. I liked the combat overall but I feel the 2nd room with the rockets and the hell knights feels a bit luck-based. You only have a rocket launcher and it's a coin toss based on whether or not the lost souls decide to loiter in your face or not. Perhaps you could place a suit of armour at the beginning, for me? 🥺

there we go my friend, use your armor well :D

[Keykhosrau]

1 hour ago, gabirupee said:

there we go my friend, use your armor well :D

Thank you for the one (1) armor! It seems you removed a stimpack in the process, oh well, beggars can't be choosers. :p

I'm just kidding at this point, although I should ask I don't think you have said the compatibility level in your top post. It's Boom, right?

[gabirupee]

5 minutes ago, Keykhosrau said:

Thank you for the one (1) armor! It seems you removed a stimpack in the process, oh well, beggars can't be choosers. :p

I'm just kidding at this point, although I should ask I don't think you have said the compatibility level in your top post. It's Boom, right?

yes its boom, i fixed the post. c:

Edited May 27, 2022 by gabirupee

[Doomy__Doom]

2:56 v4 max. I doubt I'd get anywhere close without that armor.

 

Almost gave up on this attempt after getting zapped, but then the vile died so I was like uhh ok let's try I guess. Played horribly at the end (story of most of my near-completion attemps lol).

dd_liquidium_v4_uvmax-00060.zip

[LadyMistDragon]

Too tired for a demo. I will tell you the combat's got serious effort for someone just "playing with pallettes"