[idgames]Chex Quest: The Penultimate Breakfast :: 40-map megawad for CHEX.WAD, Limit-Removing -complevel 3

[Andrea Rovenski]

CHEX QUEST: THE PENULTIMATE BREAKFAST is a 40-map megawad for the original CHEX.WAD from the cereal boxes of 1996 sporting many new episodes that attempt to make the best out of the very limited texture set of the original game with very few additions. I actually played Chex Quest for the first time sometime this year and felt inspired enough to start a new project, so here we are. Each episode follows the structure of the original game, being only 5 maps long and no secret levels. The goal of this wad is to emulate the original style and expand upon some of the themes present from the game into more in-depth adventures. If you like Chex Quest and wanted something more, this is the spot to go. I haven't played anything other than the original Chex Quest while making this, so that is my only frame of reference for this project.

 

This wad uses UMAPINFO, tested with dsda-doom in software mode. Build time is 25 days total with a few month break in the middle.

DOWNLOAD :: CHEXTPB.WAD

 

EPISODE 1: A NEW CHEX QUEST

A remake of sorts of the original, following the same themes but with different senses of progression. 

EPISODE 2: JOURNEY TO PLANET BAZOIK 

Trapped on the surface of the planet Bazoik, you must find your way to salvation somehow...

EPISODE 3: THE SECRET LABS OF CHEX

Explore the top-secret laboratory hidden away in the far corner of the Planet Bazoik. What were those Chex Scientists really up to?

EPISODE 4: RETURN TO PLANET BAZOIK

Travel back to the wilderness of the Outer Bazoik Mining Complex on the surface of the planet Bazoik. Large rumbles can be heard from many kilometers away...

EPISODE 5: CHEX QUEST GOES TO THE MOON!

UH OH! Chex Dude is on the moon? How'd he get up there?!?!

EPISODE 6: CHEX AND BALANCES

Someone needs to balance the budget already! 

EPISODE 7: THY CHEX CONSUMED

Do you ever wonder what would happen... if you went beyond?

 

Don't have CHEX.WAD? Download it from DSDA  (click the name at the top)

 

load in dsda-doom, like this:
-iwad chex.wad -complevel 3 -file chextpb.wad 

 

bugs

some par times are not listed correctly in the last version and are as follows: e4m5: 4:24, e7m5: 6:34

gzdoom might not load certain levels correctly. I highly highly highly recommend using an accurate port

 

HONORIFIC TITLES

Press the HELP key at any time to remind yourself of cool things to do! Any qualifying video or demo posted will be linked below.

Quick & Efficient
Complete any 10 levels with 100% Kills and Secrets under Par time

Master Chexer
Complete all 40 levels with 100% Kills and Secrets under Par time

Is that it?
Complete any level in less than 5 seconds

The Superest Slimer Around
Complete any episode on Super Slimey! difficulty

Breakfast Is Served
Complete any 5 levels with 100% Kills using only the bootspork or spoon

Are We Losing Touch?
Complete Episode 5 without using any radiation suits

As A Matter Of Principle
Complete Episode 6 without using the LAZ Device a single time.

Perfect In Every Way
Complete any 10 levels without taking a single point of damage

Cereal Zorcher
Complete any 4 episodes with -fast enabled with 100% Kills and Secrets

Overpopulation Station
Complete any 4 episodes with -respawn enabled with 100% Kills and Secrets
 

Screenshots & Videos

newer episodes: 

Spoiler

 

 

more screens!

Spoiler

 

 

Other possibly interesting wads:

Existential Dread (2022)

A War On Christmas (2022)

I Hate Slaughter (2023)

Autophagy (2023)

PLUTORIUM (wip)

The Delirium Dimension (2023)

A War On Christmas: Part 2 (2023)

Edited January 3, 2024 by Andrea Rovenski
rc1

[OliveTree]

WELL. this is very unexpected. you can EXPECT a video playthrough from me

[Rudolph]

N I C E ! ! !

 

I unironically love Chex Quest - the Doom total conversion, that is - and I am glad to see it getting some love, given the dearth of custom mapsets.

 

Keep them coming! Hopefully, once this is done, you will check Chex Quest 2 and 3 out as well and be inspired to make maps for them too. :)

Edited June 8, 2023 by Rudolph

[Andrea Rovenski]

1 hour ago, OliveTree said:

WELL. this is very unexpected. you can EXPECT a video playthrough from me

excited!

 

1 hour ago, Rudolph said:

Keep them coming! Hopefully, once this is done, you will check Chex Quest 2 and 3 out as well and be inspired to make maps for them too. :)

We shall see where the inspiration takes me 🙏

[Devalaous]

FINALLY, someone dared to make episodes for Chex Quest! This makes me happy.

[OpenRift]

Oooh! Always love other IWADs getting content! Great stuff!

[taufan99]

Just gonna leave my message here to show my interest toward this mapset. More Chex Quest love is always good!

[OliveTree]

I'm not sure where the issue arises, but I noticed some odd compatibility issues with Chex.wad. Rockets did self splash damage, for instance, which in the original game I believe they were hard coded not to. Certain pressurized cans exploded like barrels, which they aren't supposed to. Flemoids could hurt each other and infight, something else I believe they were coded not to do. I'm sure these came from either 1) GZDoom? 2) my copy of chex.wad? or 3) my "setup" in some esoteric way causing some kind of issues

 

 

Episode 1 - Very cool Bazoik reimagining! I enjoyed the specific nods to memorable sequences, like the vine maze in the arboretum. There is some respectable work done with the limited Chex Quest textures. Shading skews somewhat dark in my opinion. Surprisingly challenging use of the flemoids. I particularly like the encounter around 11:30.

 

I liked the secret with the locker around 7:00. The interior being green and doing "slime" damage felt appropriate. The secret with the phasing zorcher under the big waterfall is also very cool.

 

IMO these maps could use some more set dressing to really make them feel like actual spaces. Chex Quest always weirdly felt more like a Build engine game in that respect, from my perspective. Also, at one point in the arboretum level (I think), some flemoids rise up from a pool of water. Surely this should be a pool of goo :P

 

The final boss encounter could use some tweaking imo. I can see how its kind of a reskin of the original final chamber. I thought it felt a bit un-dynamic. There's no real cover anywhere for instance. Personally I think the player should have more directive to go into the side-rooms and spawn all those fun extra monsters during the fight. On the topic of those side rooms, the doors extending up so high looks a tad silly imo. Also, these goo floors should really hurt the player. Maybe you could solve all three birds with one stone? ie, these are just side pockets in the cave, but they have valuable stone floors to escape from the goo from. That's just my blue sky suggestion :)

 

Will send my video of episode two when it finishes uploading :D

[Walter confetti]

Really interesting and unexpected!

[Rudolph]

Something weird happened: in E1M5, I only got 187 kills out of 203. EDIT: Nevermind, I missed an optional area.

 

It is not a big problem, but in the room with bats on the ceiling, there appears to be invisible pillars that make navigation trickier than it should be.

 

Also, I am not sure, but I think the Episode 1 ending screen should say "Congratulations".

Edited June 9, 2023 by Rudolph

[Andrea Rovenski]

6 hours ago, OliveTree said:

I'm not sure where the issue arises, but I noticed some odd compatibility issues with Chex.wad. Rockets did self splash damage, for instance, which in the original game I believe they were hard coded not to. Certain pressurized cans exploded like barrels, which they aren't supposed to. Flemoids could hurt each other and infight, something else I believe they were coded not to do. I'm sure these came from either 1) GZDoom? 2) my copy of chex.wad? or 3) my "setup" in some esoteric way causing some kind of issues

These things you mention are actually part of the original, but were "fixed" for Chex Quest 3 according to doomwiki (I havent played it) https://doomwiki.org/wiki/Chex_Quest_weapons -- Also thank you for the reports! I don't agree with all the suggestions but I will change a few things :)

 

24 minutes ago, Rudolph said:

Also, I am not sure, but I think the Episode 1 ending screen should say "Congratulations".

 

Edited June 9, 2023 by Andrea Rovenski

[Rudolph]

@Andrea Rovenski Well, like I said, I am not sure, because English is not my native language. Is "congratulation" acceptable too?

[Andrea Rovenski]

2 hours ago, Rudolph said:

@Andrea Rovenski Well, like I said, I am not sure, because English is not my native language. Is "congratulation" acceptable too?

I am sorry to confuse you, but it's just a purposeful typo :P

[Rudolph]

35 minutes ago, Andrea Rovenski said:

I am sorry to confuse you, but it's just a purposeful typo :P

Oh, I get it. You meant to reference those infamous NES ending screens, right? :P

[Ausara]

good shit sister

[Lippeth]

Played through the first few maps episode whole thing in dsda and it's been fantastic so far!

 

Getting up the waterfall in e1m4 to get the red key did take me a minute to figure out for some reason (and I figured it out by accident), but everything else has been pleasantly intuitive, and the action ramps up nicely. The only issues I found are two slime trails, no pun intended. One minor one in the first area of e1m3 on linedef 153, and a larger one in the last main area of e1m5 on linedef 635. And lastly in e2m1 the sector in the slime tunnel with the switch that lowers the wall forward has a rock flat but still has a damaging floor.

Edited June 9, 2023 by Lippeth

[Rudolph]

Weirdly enough, there is no music in Episode 2 and E2M1's exit returns me to the main menu rather than load E2M2.

 

I am playing with GZDoom. Could that be the reason?

Edited June 9, 2023 by Rudolph

[Andrea Rovenski]

Yeah, it appears GZDoom, for some reason, fucks with chex.wad and has extra restrictions on it, which means this wad will probably not be compatible with it unless someone wants to help me fix it, because frankly it's not my area of expertise to debug in exotic source ports :D

 

Could probably be worth asking the source port developer why chex.wad has these limitations?

 

edit: 

2 hours ago, Lippeth said:

Played through the first few maps episode in dsda and it's been fantastic so far!

thank you btw! Will look at the reports and see if its cool or not :)

Edited June 9, 2023 by Andrea Rovenski

[magicsofa]

23 hours ago, Andrea Rovenski said:

I actually played Chex Quest for the first time last week and felt inspired enough to start a new project, so here we are.

 

Wow, as someone who got the actual CD from a cereal box in the good old days, THIS IS GRATE

[The Almighty Egg]

FINALLY new chex quest projects. Will definitely play this.

[BohdanZPM]

Cool, you're making something completely different. I like it.

[Argent Agent]

Really great stuff so far! Looking forward to the two episodes after this. I hope to make a Chex project of my own in the future.

[Rudolph]

20 hours ago, Andrea Rovenski said:

Could probably be worth asking the source port developer why chex.wad has these limitations?

Even though I use GZDoom, I am actually not very familiar with its development team nor do I have an account on ZDoom.

 

I might try doing the latter eventually, but for the time being, I went ahead and asked in Doomworld's Editing sub-forum.

 

Here is the link to my thread in case you want to stay up to date.

[S3M_XM]

I've finished the two episodes recently. It's pretty interesting to see to make use of Chex Quest wads nowadays.

Also in E1M2, the three Flemoids are stuck each other after activating the red key switch.

Spoiler

 

[Andrea Rovenski]

6 hours ago, S3M_XM said:

Also in E1M2, the three Flemoids are stuck each other after activating the red key switch.

  Hide contents

 

be nice, they're trying their best :) thank you!

 

9 hours ago, Argent Agent said:

Really great stuff so far! Looking forward to the two episodes after this. I hope to make a Chex project of my own in the future.

Thanks!

[Rudolph]

Okay, I think I almost figured out how to get Episode 2 to run on GZDoom.

 

I copy-pasted ChexQuest3.wad's MAPINFO file into CHEXTPB.WAD and both the music and level transitions are working properly!

 

However, some issues remain: the episode and level names as well as the intermission texts are incorrect - vanilla Doom content is used instead.

 

If anyone wants to take a look at the modified MAPINFO and help me figure out the remaining issues, here it is:
 

Spoiler

 

clearepisodes

episode E1M1
name "A NEW CHEX QUEST"
picname EPPIC01

episode E2M1
name "JOURNEY TO PLANET BAZOIL"
picname EPPIC02

episode E3M1
name "CHEX LABS INC."
picname EPPIC03

map E1M1 "Landing Zone B-6"
levelnum 1
titlepatch WILV00
next E1M2
secretnext E1M9
sky1 SKY1 0
cluster 1
par 110
noinfighting
sucktime 1
music D_E1M1

map E1M2 "Chex Warehouse"
levelnum 2
titlepatch WILV01
next E1M3
secretnext E1M9
sky1 SKY1 0
cluster 1
par 180
noinfighting
sucktime 1
music D_E1M2

map E1M3 "Chex Testing Labs"
levelnum 3
titlepatch WILV02
next E1M4
secretnext E1M9
sky1 SKY1 0
cluster 1
par 200
noinfighting
sucktime 1
music D_E1M3

map E1M4 "Hydroponics"
levelnum 4
titlepatch WILV03
next E1M5
secretnext E1M9
sky1 SKY1 0
cluster 1
par 240
noinfighting
sucktime 1
music D_E1M4

map E1M5 "The Hidden Caverns"
levelnum 5
titlepatch WILV04
//next E1M6
next EndGame1
secretnext E1M9
sky1 SKY1 0
cluster 1
par 300
//moving end sequence
nointermission
nosoundclipping
noinfighting
//baronspecial
specialaction_lowerfloor
//moving end sequence
sucktime 1
music D_E1M5

// Registered/Retail Episode 2

map E2M1 "Landing On Bazoik"
levelnum 11
titlepatch INTER21
next E2M2
secretnext E2M9
sky1 SKY1 0
cluster 2
par 240
noinfighting
sucktime 1
music D_E2M1

map E2M2 "Oasis"
levelnum 12
titlepatch WILV11
next E2M3
secretnext E2M9
sky1 SKY1 0
cluster 2
par 200
noinfighting
sucktime 1
music D_E2M2

map E2M3 "The Slime Pits"
levelnum 13
titlepatch WILV12
next E2M4
secretnext E2M9
sky1 SKY1 0
cluster 2
par 240
noinfighting
sucktime 1
music D_E2M3

map E2M4 "Barrens O' Bazoik"
levelnum 14
titlepatch WILV13
next E2M5
secretnext E2M9
sky1 SKY1 0
cluster 2
par 360
noinfighting
sucktime 1
music D_E2M4

map E2M5 "Big Baddy On Bazoik"
levelnum 15
titlepatch WILV14
//next E2M6
next EndGame2
secretnext E2M9
sky1 SKY1 0
cluster 2
par 340
// moving end sequence
nointermission
nosoundclipping
noinfighting
cyberdemonspecial
//specialaction_exitlevel
// moving end sequence
sucktime 1
music D_E2M5

 

 

[Andrea Rovenski]

UPDATE

Spoiler

 

Episode 1: balance change
Episode 2: more secrets added to each map, edited umapinfo stuff to potentially fix issue with gzdoom? (someone tell me, I didnt test it)

Added Episode 3

 

 

Explore the top-secret laboratory hidden away in the far corner of the Planet Bazoik. What were those Chex Scientists really up to?

 

let me know how it goes :)

[Rudolph]

 

EDIT: What do you know, I renamed "EPPIC03" to a different name and now the episode's title is properly displayed in the episode selection menu. Huh...

 

The only remaining issue is the third episode's title does not display properly: all I can see is a "T". I tried replacing EPPIC03 with EPPIC02 and it displays the title of Episode 2 properly, so the problem seems to be related to "EPPIC03", somehow.

 

Still, thank you! Even when it comes to GZDoom, you are much better at this than me... :P

Edited June 12, 2023 by Rudolph

[Andrea Rovenski]

I'll take a look at the episode stuff later, but for some reason GZDoom places a shitload of restrictions to chex.wad that I had to find out how to undo with umapinfo. No idea why, but I'm glad it works!

[Rudolph]

Alrighty! I just finished Episode 3.

 

In E3M2, in the southmost room, there are two blocks that I cannot figure out how to lower, the first one with a backpack and the other an armor.

 

In E3M4, I can open the exit room door despite not having acquired the Yellow Key yet.

 

Keep up the good work!