[Final release] “Hell's Bane” - an Ult Doom megawad

[DRON12261]

2 hours ago, Chris Hansen said:

>>> Download final release <<<

 

Dead link

[boris]

48 minutes ago, DRON12261 said:

Dead link

 

Nah, your browser is just overzealously protecting you because it's not a HTTPS link. So try https://windward.dk/TDR/hellsbane/hellbane.zip

[Biodegradable]

5 hours ago, Chris Hansen said:

>>> Download final release <<<

 

I think it's time to wrap this up and release the final version. I feel confident that all serious bugs and oddities have been found and fixed. A big thanks to all of you who sent me feedback and commented in the last month! Without you it wouldn't have been possible to present a final release this polished. Thank you!

 

Congratulations on finally finishing this sucker, Chris mate. 

[NightFright]

Congrats also from me. Glad I was still able to contribute something, even if little, before the final release. Going to enjoy my Woof playthrough of this little gem in the next few days. :)

Edited January 13, 2024 by NightFright

[Devalaous]

Will be good to see updates of Rip/Tear/Smash and the 2002 ADO maps alongside 'brand new' ones ive never played. I love Ultimate Doom, the shorter episodes make it much easier to digest without too much megawad fatigue. Onwards to the final release!

[LadyMistDragon]

Yay, congratulations!:)

[Rudolph]

9 hours ago, boris said:

 

Nah, your browser is just overzealously protecting you because it's not a HTTPS link. So try https://windward.dk/TDR/hellsbane/hellbane.zip

Thanks for the link. Firefox would not let me download for some reason.

[NightFright]

After having played the first two episodes and started with the third, I can already say: This is the best thing since the invention of sliced bread. The maps just hit the sweet spot for me on HMP. Challenging at times, but not too tough or frustrating. Also, the levels look great plus the soundtrack rocks. Additional praise is given for the creative boss map design. It's still the usual bosses alright, but they are used and/or placed in a way which keeps you on the edge of your seat.

 

Final verdict incoming after I finish the rest. Anyway, I doubt it's ever dropping below the "excellent" mark. A job well done!

[Chris Hansen]

3 hours ago, NightFright said:

Challenging at times, but not too tough or frustrating.

That seems to be my new thing in my old age: Making levels that are easy to digest and I'm actually kinda glad to hear that verified.

 

3 hours ago, NightFright said:

the soundtrack rocks.

Indeed it does! The composers did a fantastic job!

 

3 hours ago, NightFright said:

It's still the usual bosses alright

Yeah, and as you say, I tried playing a bit with it so it isn't completely vanilla. Nothing spectacular, just a little extra. Glad you took notice of that and thank you for the praise. I hope you enjoy episode 3 and 4!

[NightFright]

I've just finished the rest. Naturally, the other two episodes didn't disappoint. To sum it up, this project shines in many ways. Just a few highlights I want to point out:

1) Placement of ammo pickups. Cells and rockets are not to be found everywhere, but when you get some, be sure to not waste them. Rocket spamming usually isn't a thing until there are special occasions such as boss fights or some slaughter zones. But boy, when it happens, it's really satisfying.

 

2) Boss fights are fun and creative. In ANY episode. Also, the way each episode ends is something worth experiencing.

 

3) Secrets are very rewarding and done the right way: Not too obvious, but clever enough to make you look twice before you recognize them. Also, entering the secret levels isn't too hard. All you need to know is the entrances are in the same maps as in vanilla Doom. Anything else can be figured out without a doctor's degree.

 

4) Besides the music I've already mentioned, I want to emphasize the high quality of the episode ending screens. If I didn't know any better, I'd say they have been ripped straight out of a lost id game from the mid 90s. Outstanding work!

 

Verdict: Definitely a megawad I'm going to revisit after a while. All of these maps are timeless and incredibly polished. There aren't many vanilla-style D1 projects out there using Boom (currently I'm only aware of Steve D's "Shotgun Symphony" and ofc PCorf's "2002: A Space Odyssey"), but this one is definitely going to leave a mark. Admittedly, I usually do my first playthroughs on ITYTD or HNTR in order to get through faster, but monster placement and gameflow is executed so brilliantly here that it'd be a crime to go any lower than HMP. Follow this advice and be rewarded with enjoyable, challenging encounters which force you to use your wits and the full extent of your arsenal. If this isn't going to be a Cacoward, you'll get one from me, right here and now. Respect, man!

Edited January 18, 2024 by NightFright

[EffinghamHuffnagel]

Just finished EP2. Level design is great. Suitably puzzle-y without being ridiculous. I'll echo NightFright's comments and add monster placement. When you grab a key or hit a switch, massive monster closets don't just open. Some monsters show up. Then a few more. Then another, and another, and two more. It's like a slow wave. I love that. It raises the tension because you're never quite sure if you're done. Lots of fun so far.

 

Found one thing in E2M2, which is half a bug, I guess. The blood pit where you have to raise the bridge to continue has two damaging sectors (#161 and #335), but the rest of the blood in the pit isn't damaging. I found that odd. There's an escape lift, so not a biggie.

 

Also, the boss levels can function as intended in ZDoom with a properly edited Mapinfo (or ZMapinfo, I guess) without Dehacked trickery. Here's my edited E4M8 in the generic Mapinfo I use:

map E4M8 lookup "HUSTR_E4M8"
{
	levelnum = 38
	titlepatch = "WILV37"
	next = "EndGame4"
	secretnext = "E4M9"
	sky1 = "SKY4"
	cluster = 4
	par = 360
	nointermission
	nosoundclipping
	specialaction = "Cyberdemon", "Floor_LowerToLowest", 667, 16
	specialaction = "SpiderMastermind", "Door_Open", 666, 16
	music = "$MUSIC_E4M8"
	exitpic = "EPS4END"
}

Specialaction requires a monster that calls A_BossDeath to function. I think the "16" argument is the speed, but I couldn't visually verify that.

 

Here's an 'add' wad with my Mapinfo, Dehacked (I added the ExTEXTs from Umapinfo), a Gameinfo, and a plain black EPS3END graphic I made, just to be consistent.

 

Edit: updated the file. I forgot to add the Language lump to the wad. E4 music doesn't play properly in ZDoom without it when using the generic '$MUSIC_ExMx' format.

 

Edit2: updated again. I copied the wrong action to E3M8 in Mapinfo. Should have been "Floor_LowerToLowest". Fixed. Sorry.

 

Edit3: checked that E4M6 wasn't a boss level, but missed that E4M7 was. Fixed Mapinfo again. Probably should have played the whole wad before I posted this. Mea maxima culpa.

 

hellbane-add.zip

 

 

Edited January 29, 2024 by EffinghamHuffnagel

[jgs1989]

Hey Chris!  Been playing your wad after putting it off for too long and I am enjoying it once again.  I found a minor issue to report to you...in e1m6 there is a misaligned texture.  I have a screenshot showing this, and another of the line def circled in red.  Don't know if you even care to fix...like I said it is only a minor issue.  Just thought I would report it to you, as I missed it when I was helping playtest your wad.

[Chris Hansen]

Thank you @NightFright, @EffinghamHuffnagel and @jgs1989! As usual, I am happy to hear that you are having fun playing Hell's Bane. It makes all the hard work worth it :)

 

I'm not sure that I will re-upload the wad with fixes for those two minor bugs. Maybe if more bugs show their ugly faces :)

 

I'll link to your post from the first post, Effing. Thank you for sharing that piece of code.

[EffinghamHuffnagel]

Finally finished this. There are some people who make maps that are just fun to play and you're one of them. I've always liked your maps. Really enjoyed this.

 

Found an actual bug, but it's not automatic. Also a spot that might need to be adjusted, I think.

 

-------

E3M2

-------

The Baron wandered into the tag 24 teleport. The landing spot is 56 units high, and, since Barons are 64 units high, it couldn't move or attack. Became an easy telefrag.

 

-------

E3M7

-------

I never walk across the middle of large empty rooms. I played too many D&D Thieves in college. So in the SE room, I hugged the wall, got to the tag 84 switch to open the door, and kept hugging the wall to exit the room. I never triggered the tag 89 bars to close or raised the tag 83 monsters, so I fell into the monster pit past the tag 81 door.

 

Neither of these are automatic, so maybe just make note of them if more things come up that need to be addressed.

Edited January 30, 2024 by EffinghamHuffnagel

[Chris Hansen]

Thanks for the bug reports. I’ll put them on a list of todos for a possible update in the future. Luckily they aren’t too severe.

[RaRu Des2122]

I played through the megawad from E1M1 to E4M8 (with a visit to all secret maps, of course!) and did not find a single critical error. Anyway, all 36 maps can be completed 100% for kills, secrets and even items. All secret sectors can be reached without cheats, all the monsters teleport to the battlefield without any problems and if any items are not found it's only because an inattentive player did not catch up with them :)

 

In my opinion, if something requires some more corrections, it is hardly something serious.

Edited February 15, 2024 by RaRu Des2122

[RaRu Des2122]

Monsters' statistics for the Ultra-Violence difficulty:

 

In The Ultimate Doom barons of Hell as regular opponents, lost souls and cacodemons do not appear until the second episode but I have played a lot of megawads that don't follow this rule. For example, 2002ado, SINERGY, Solar Struggle, ConC.E.R.Ned, etc... But Hell's Bane, on the contrary, tightens this rule! On its first episode, spectres are so rare that they can also be considered as guest opponents! :D

Edited February 16, 2024 by RaRu Des2122

[Chris Hansen]

Heh. Cool! :)

 

I purged most of episode 1 of Spectres on purpose and if I remember correctly I only let them be in E1M8 and/or E1M9.

[Herr Dethnout]

Hey, is great to see your megawad released, congrats Chris!

 

I'm glad to contribuye with the music, although my contribution was little (sorry for not being able to finish more tracks, I will save it for another project of yours :P)

 

Anyways, I love Ult. Doom have some love, it truly reserve more!

[RaRu Des2122]

Now, let's begin! Today are presented:

E1M1: The Frontier
E1M2: Meek
E1M3: Main-Frame

 

***

EPISODE 1: Trust the Pain to Me

 

 

***

 

 

***

 

 

This map is one of the leaders in the megawad of the number of secrets and most of them form a single and closely connected chain which is a pleasure to unravel! And the secret exit found in the end looks like a really well-deserved reward for careful search.

Edited April 25, 2024 by RaRu Des2122

[RaRu Des2122]

Today are presented: 

 

E1M9: Strategical Offensive Array (secret level)

E1M4: Command Center

E1M5: Chemical Processing Plant

 

***

 

 

One of the two maps of the first episode, where we can still encounter not only visible demons but also spectres and even their number will be the same. To be honest, it would be very interesting to find out the reason for this almost full replacement

***

 

 

***

 

 

Starting from this point, the remaining maps will grow noticeably in size and become more confusing and less obvious to advance. This process looks absolutely logical considering the approach to the end of the episode but it's funny that it was perceived more heavily in the first two episodes than in the last two. And by the end of the megawad, I had already played out so much that it was really a pity that there is no fifth episode :))

Edited April 27, 2024 by RaRu Des2122

[Chris Hansen]

6 hours ago, RaRu Des2122 said:

but it's funny that it was perceived more heavily in the first two episodes than in the last two

Much of it has to do with the age of the individual levels. Not all, but much of it. Some of these levels are almost 23-24 years old and were made in super buggy and unreliable DoomCAD. On a potato PC with Windows 95 and DOS. Now, I could write an essay of just how difficult it was to build a level with these tools and I've touched upon it in other posts in the past, but I won't bore you with. It was miserable at times and I am super proud that I managed to make levels that weren't completely useless. The most impressive thing I've made in DoomCAD on a shitty old system is Helpyourselfish. I have no idea how I managed to pull that off back then!

[boris]

23 minutes ago, Chris Hansen said:

Now, I could write an essay of just how difficult it was to build a level with these tools and I've touched upon it in other posts in the past, but I won't bore you with.

 

I think that'd actually be interesting.

[Chris Hansen]

I'd have to dig really deep in my brain then. You see, I already made a mistake in that post. I started out with DoomCAD and a DOS nodebuilder on a 486 25MHz in Windows 3.11! Not Win95 :D

[RaRu Des2122]

Today are presented:

E1M6: Primary Base

E1M7: Laboratories
E1M8: The Grinder

 

***

 

 

There is a perfectly balanced map between the obvious and the confusing. Yes, there are places to wander for a few extra minutes or to turn to run into a dead end or understand that it is too early to get here but it does not take too much time and the level does not lose its integrity. Simply put, returning to previously visited places after some time, I did not have time to forget that I had already been here - and this feeling works on the perception of the level as a someone whole :))

***

 

 

Alas, I can't attribute all of the above to this level either. There are enough very dark places on it, it is easier to get burned in acid here and it is noticeably large, what is by no means a plus with a similar level of entanglement. In general, it was much less comfortable to play this level than the previous and next ones.

 

***

 

 

I must say that in this megawad you managed to make all the final levels in the episodes really interesting! In many other works, they are clearly aimed exclusively at battles. That's why their artistic design suffers (it is often very simple) and fullness suffers too. 

 

In Hell's Bane we do not observe this at all and the E1M8 is a great example finish of the first episode!

[RaRu Des2122]

Some intermediate results:

BEST MAPS: 

 

1) E1M3: Main-Frame

2) E1M6: Primary Base

3) E1M8: The Grinder

 

BEST MUSIC:

 

1) E1M5: "Dark Matter Anomaly" by @BattleCat

2) E1M7: "Second Wind" by @BattleCat

3) E1M8: "March of the Blue Jays" by @LightningBoltForever

 

 

The playthrough of the second episode won't take long to wait!

Edited April 25, 2024 by RaRu Des2122

[RaRu Des2122]

EPISODE 2: Monument Ready for Blood begins!

Today are presented:

E2M1: Rip and Tear

E2M2: Beta Station

E2M3: The Wailing Halls

 

***

 

 

As I understand it, the only change that the Monument episode has undergone is the return to it a standard color scheme? 

 

***

 

 

A more filled (both of monsters and secrets) and slightly more user-friendly version of the map with a similar name from 2002 A Doom Odyssey. However, I can say the same about all the modified versions of your maps from this megawad (especially about Obituary Written and Hell Unleashed)

 

***

 

 

It's funny: the episode, which is a collection of some of your previous maps is eventually included in the megawad, which is also a compilation of most of your previous maps in full! But it is a very good compilation, as it is totally not felt during the game.

[RaRu Des2122]

Today are presented: 

E2M4: Hive of the Horde
E2M5: Chasm Control
E2M9: The End? (secret level)

 

***

 

 

This map has two undoubted strong points: a multi-stage secret, unraveling which we will get BFG9000 (which is rare weapon in the second episode!) and a wonderful soundtrack written by @LightningBoltForever! In general, we have an obvious candidate for the best map of the episode!

 

***

 

 

As I already wrote when I was playing through Thirty Years with Doom, I love both city maps and hellish-city maps. And it is very pity that there are not so many such maps for The Ultimate Doom. This map is a perfect exception and the second candidate for the best map of the episode. I'm starting to get a little lost... :D

 

***

 

 

To be honest, it's a quite nondescript map compared to the previous two and all three remaining in the episode. Perhaps it can be regarded as the calm before the storm.

Edited April 27, 2024 by RaRu Des2122

[LightningBoltForever]

Thank you for the kind words about the MIDI for E2M4 @RaRu Des2122, and for E1M8's track as well! :)

[RaRu Des2122]

Today are presented:

E2M6: Smash It!
E2M7: Hunt' em High'n'Low

E2M8: Domain of Evil

 

***

 

 

***

 

 

***

 

 

A rather unusually designed, difficult and exciting battle with four cyberdemons in a quite narrow space ends the episode in a decent way! It was very unexpected to be in front of a large crowd of imps at the very first second (as well as to teleport from there instantly) and for the fact that the map with the death of all cyberdemons doesn't break off and ends in the spirit of the original E4M8, special thanks - you can finish off all the survivors and collect everything remaining.