The Marshes Redone (Single Doom II Map)

[Kan3]

Every WAD has its black sheep level, hopefully only 1 or a couple, for Psx Doom it surely is The Marshes.

Bland, uncreative, boring, silly, with random crushers, a deathmatch only weird room and a hidden message saying "re":  that's The Marshes, a non-linear mess where you have to kill a Cyberdemon and that's it...

Seriously there's nothing else...

This was challenging, yes, but it inspired me :D It was the perfect terrain to get loose and so I did!

I immediately opted for a halloween/graveyard theme, cause I think it fits perfectly and perhaps I overdid a bit... (you can say just by looking at the file size D:).

 

First things first, as always, thanks to PlayStation Doom TC for the original map, music and sounds!

 

I don't really know if someone ever liked this map, but I must admit that the first time I finally entered this secret level I didn't dislike it, even though I guess it only was because it was a new level for me and I'm always excited to see new maps :D

Replaying that now... well... No comment...

Now, after just a couple of weeks, I can present you the best The Marshes you could ever play (hopefully) and of course this is a hardcore version:

"this is a warning, the level is not easy, not even in HNTR, so be careful and explore the map!"

 

Same changes I made to make it feel even better (hopefully):

Reduced Lost Souls hp.

DECALDEFS for torches, candles and health and armor bonuses.

Nightmare Spectre and Nightmare Imp.

New switch texture, lava fall, slime fall, wall, metal flat, white marble.

Stone Imp Statue.

 

Here's the screenshots:

(this time with a before/after comparison again!)

Spoiler

BEFORE

 

AFTER

 

 

Here's the info:

• Game : Doom 2
• Port : GZDoom 4.8.0 (it uses ZDoom features, so it shouldn't be compatible with anything else)
• Map Format : UDMF
• Map # : MAP01
• Single Player : Designed for
• Cooperative 2-4 Player : Player starts only (I actually cannot test it for cooperative, so I don't really know how it works)
• Difficulty Settings : Every Difficulty Implemented 
• Jump : Not Allowed
• Crouch : Not Allowed
• Freelook: Optional
• Base : MAP57 PsxDoomTC
• Build Time : 2 weeks
• Editor(s) used : Ultimate Doom Builder, Slade3
• Render Mode (suggested) : Hardware Accelerated

 

Here's the map: The Marshes Redone

 

Previous Redone here:

• Hell Gate Revamped
• Hell Keep Revamped
• Redemption Denied Revamped
• Club Doom Revamp
• Twilight Descends Redone
• The Mansion Redone
• Threshold Of Pain Redone

 

Known bugs: None (hopefully...)

• Fixed tiny inescapable pit at the coffin.  

 

I hope you like it and feedback and critics are always welcomed!

Edited January 19, 2023 by Kan3
Links

[Thelokk]

It's here! 

 

[Arwel]

Amazing visuals and atmosphere, one of the most immersive UDMF levels I ever played!

Backgrounds are so next level I'm not even sure how that works!

There are at least background images layered with distant visual portals and a bunch of effects on top of that from what I see.

[Thelokk]

Ok, played it on HNTR as suggested, a pleasant experience that didn't go overboard in difficulty.

What can I say, you took a steaming pile of trash and turned it into a compelling, atmospheric experience. You can see The Marshes under all the meat, but it's that meat which makes the difference - the varied bestiary, the still recognizable but expanded progression, all the little moody touches that GZDoom affords - considering the starting material, this may very well be my favorite remake so far. Stellar stuff. 

 

Next, it has to be Club Doom. It just has to. 

Edited June 28, 2022 by Thelokk

[Kan3]

3 hours ago, Thelokk said:

It's here! 

 

No need to thank me, it has been a pleasure x)))

 

54 minutes ago, Vrhrlv said:

Amazing visuals and atmosphere, one of the most immersive UDMF levels I ever played!

Backgrounds are so next level I'm not even sure how that works!

There are at least background images layered with distant visual portals and a bunch of effects on top of that from what I see.

Thanks a lot! :D I'm really glad the visuals have been appreciated!

 

In reality there is no too complicated stuff, but I'm impressed it happened to be so satisfactory to see x)
It's a "simple" custom skybox, an animated sky and custom acs thunders (Light_ForceLightning it's just lame)

 

[Kan3]

3 minutes ago, Thelokk said:

Ok, played it on HNTR as suggested, a pleasant experience that didn't go overboard in difficulty.

What can I say, you took a steaming pile of trash and turned it into a compelling, atmospheric experience. You can see The Marshes under all the meat, but it's that meat which makes the difference - the varied bestiary, the still recognizable but expanded progression, all the little moody touches that GZDoom affords - considering the starting material, this may very well be my favorite remake so far. Stellar stuff. 

 

Next, it has to be Club Doom. It just has to. 

Damn, I just finished the answer ahahah

Great, thank you! :D I was a little afraid about progression cause it might be not really clear, but I'm glad I managed to nail the difficulty enough!
Maybe cause it was so bad the starting paper that this version shines the most x)) But I also quite think this is the best remake so far.

Actually I was thinking to leave Club Doom untouched x) it's too overboard for a Doom level (and I don't think I'm able to improve that ahah)

[Omega Tyrant]

I thought The Marshes was decent as a secret map in the context of PSXDoom, since the only other maps with the Cyberdemon in the port was Tower Of Babel and Tricks And Traps, the latter of which really isn't much of a Cyberdemon fight at all. So this map offered PSX players another opportunity to fight the Cyber straightup, in a sandboxey arena that provided various ways to do so. Of course like nearly any map with just a Cyber and a handful of enemies it hasn't aged well, but I had fun with it back in the day as a Doom noob who only had the Playstation port to play.

 

Also the "re" in the map is the initials of the map's creator, Randy Estrella.

Edited July 1, 2022 by Omega Tyrant

[Kan3]

7 hours ago, Omega Tyrant said:

I thought The Marshes was decent as a secret map in the context of PSXDoom, since the only other maps with the Cyberdemon in the port was Tower Of Babel and Tricks And Traps, the latter of which really isn't much of a Cyberdemon fight at all. So this map offered PSX players another opportunity to fight the Cyber straightup, in a sandboxey arena that provided various ways to do so. Of course like nearly any map with just a Cyber and a handful of enemies it hasn't aged well, but I had fun with it back in the day as a Doom noob who only had the Playstation port to play.

 

Also the "re" in the map is the initials of the map's creator, Randy Estrella.

Yeah, agree about that, but still it has awkward and weird "gameplay designs" that leave you with a wtf on your face.

And the mistery has been solved! :D

[sandwedge]

I'm glad I played the original first this time because I was able to see how much work you did overhauling the level, great work!  Visually there's so much impressive stuff going on here, plus the whole reinterpretation of the theme into a sort of marshy graveyard... awesome.  It's also quite tough on UV, as you said!  But it was a fun challenge.  The stalking cyberdemon is quite dangerous while trying to go around completing tasks to get the plasma rifle and such.  I can hardly believe this is based on that humble level from the playstation, lol.  Great work again on this one, I might have to check the redone levels I missed!

 

 

[JamesBone]

To answer the question you posed in your post, I liked it, the original that is. I liked all the maps that were console-specific. Though in '95, my mind was younger and far more imaginative than it is in middle-age. So I was able to probably create a better version of The Marshes in my head while I was playing it than I can now. Now, its just nostalgia and rose-tinted glasses. But I digress. 

I enjoyed your rendition. The atmosphere was good, the layout was there and improved upon in ways. If I had complaints, its not really anything different in a sense from the original. The trees block your movement more so in this version than the PSX version, which when a Cyber is bearing down on you, trying to escape those rockets, the trees can be a bit of a nuisance. A few design decisions about places of structures that slow down the flow through the environment. For example, I wanted to walk behind the elevated ... "Imp fort" (or whatever you'd call it) but you had that structure in the way. Maybe you can lower it, but I didn't. 

But even so, it was a fun little map, and the introduction to enemies raising from the dead at various times when things were picked up, or lines crossed was a nice touch to keep the map feeling ever populated. I looked pretty much like I would have imagined it back 1995 with the PSX controller in my hand. So I'm happy. Thank you.

Considering I don't frequent here much, but to only to pick up a new map or two to scratch that itch, I'm glad you provided links to your other remakes, because I loved the The Mansion, and didn't know they existed. So I'm going to go download those three and enjoy me some more Doom.

As for the comment about Club Doom being next, sure whatever you want. I get it, I know what it is, but please have mercy on our ears and don't include that awful music. lol At least include some decent club music.

Edited July 1, 2022 by JamesBone
Typo

[Kan3]

19 hours ago, sandwedge said:

I'm glad I played the original first this time because I was able to see how much work you did overhauling the level, great work!  Visually there's so much impressive stuff going on here, plus the whole reinterpretation of the theme into a sort of marshy graveyard... awesome.  It's also quite tough on UV, as you said!  But it was a fun challenge.  The stalking cyberdemon is quite dangerous while trying to go around completing tasks to get the plasma rifle and such.  I can hardly believe this is based on that humble level from the playstation, lol.  Great work again on this one, I might have to check the redone levels I missed!

I thank you again! I'm particularly glad it came out to be entertaining and not annoying, cause that was my 1st concern.
 

10 hours ago, JamesBone said:

To answer the question you posed in your post, I liked it, the original that is. I liked all the maps that were console-specific. Though in '95, my mind was younger and far more imaginative than it is in middle-age. So I was able to probably create a better version of The Marshes in my head while I was playing it than I can now. Now, its just nostalgia and rose-tinted glasses. But I digress. 

I enjoyed your rendition. The atmosphere was good, the layout was there and improved upon in ways. If I had complaints, its not really anything different in a sense from the original. The trees block your movement more so in this version than the PSX version, which when a Cyber is bearing down on you, trying to escape those rockets, the trees can be a bit of a nuisance. A few design decisions about places of structures that slow down the flow through the environment. For example, I wanted to walk behind the elevated ... "Imp fort" (or whatever you'd call it) but you had that structure in the way. Maybe you can lower it, but I didn't. 

But even so, it was a fun little map, and the introduction to enemies raising from the dead at various times when things were picked up, or lines crossed was a nice touch to keep the map feeling ever populated. I looked pretty much like I would have imagined it back 1995 with the PSX controller in my hand. So I'm happy. Thank you.

Considering I don't frequent here much, but to only to pick up a new map or two to scratch that itch, I'm glad you provided links to your other remakes, because I loved the The Mansion, and didn't know they existed. So I'm going to go download those three and enjoy me some more Doom.

As for the comment about Club Doom being next, sure whatever you want. I get it, I know what it is, but please have mercy on our ears and don't include that awful music. lol At least include some decent club music.

I understand x) I never had many "feelings" about this map, cause I never found it when I was a kid and I only played it the first time not so many years ago, so I didn't appreciate it very much due to the amount of new more modern stuff that came out and to which I became used to.

Thank you for your words!
The reason of that is because in these remakes my first "law" is to keep the main objective/theme untouched. The Marshes is basically just a boss level, a sort of weirder and more interactive Tower of Babel, but with more of a chase component to it, so I decided to focus on that.
I tried to make the player feel afraid of that cyberdemon and the only way (since I didn't want to modify its AI) is through the environment (and increasing its size and hp, lol). This though can bring some tedium in game, I know, even cause I'm not a real map designer expert x) (and the custom trees hitboxes are slightly off due to the fact that I reduced the size of some of them in UDB to fit the map and give more variation).

Glad to hear that :D

Welcome to the "love the mansion" club x) I hope you'll like the remakes then!

Ahahahah don't worry, I'll leave it for last and I'll definitely change the music x) 

[sandwedge]

3 hours ago, Kan3 said:

Ahahahah don't worry, I'll leave it for last and I'll definitely change the music x) 

 

But the music is the best part 😆

[Custom Longplay]

I also played through the map once and was very surprised by the whole setting.

 

 

[Kan3]

22 hours ago, Custom Longplay said:

I also played through the map once and was very surprised by the whole setting.

Thanks a lot mate! :D

 

I just finished your whole "series" on my D.N.A. too, so thanks for your time and efforts! You almost make me want to make a compatible version of the wad for project brutality and such x)

[invictius]

I get put in the small room with the cyberdemon that can be alerted, but there's no way to exit?

[Kan3]

On 2/15/2023 at 9:49 PM, invictius said:

I get put in the small room with the cyberdemon that can be alerted, but there's no way to exit?

For some unknown reason I never got a notification for this message :/ sorry!

Right on the other side of room you're in, there an eye switch that you need to shoot at to exit.