[cl9] [/idgames] Mercurial Dregs

[suzerduzer]

Mercurial Dregs is a set of 3 boom-compatible maps themed around a broken world drenched in blood. They're very orange & red and I'd like you to play them.

The first two maps are relatively short combat puzzley maps as well as one long slaughter map (1500+ enemies). All difficulties have been implemented, so feel free to drop the difficulty if it's too challenging. I intended each map to be played from pistol start but I suppose you can do whatever you want.

Download: https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom2/Ports/m-o/md

Screenshots:


Midi:

title - stewboy - garden
intermission - resident evil 1 - safe room
map01 - tristan clark - atmosphere
map02 - james paddock - pollutants
map03 - tristan clark - the forgotten god
map04 - stewboy - daybreak

Textures:

32in24-15
gothicdm
jimmytex
quake
chasm: the rift

Special thanks to @Gothic Box for last minute testing :)

Old Versions

Spoiler

https://www.mediafire.com/file/zv4fkcndrnd2srs/MercurialDregsRC3.wad/file
https://www.mediafire.com/file/9ucjgpa1lz27yyj/MercurialDregsRC4.wad/file

 

Edited December 9, 2023 by suzerduzer

[Walter confetti]

Another one? Looks pretty neat btw

[suzerduzer]

Wow I didn't realize that, I tweaked the title for clarity's sake. Should have checked before settling on that title lol.

[suzerduzer]

Updated the mapset to RC2, fixed some encounters not properly spawning enemies in as well as some texture oddities.

[LadyMistDragon]

I really liked how the first map made you choose who to target first quite deliberately! Combat puzzles abound basically everywhere. The twilight aesthetic was really pretty and the musical choices really complemented it as well!

 

 

[suzerduzer]

Updated once again to RC3, I tweaked skill 2+3 a bit more to be a bit more reasonably balanced as well as made some encounters less cheesable on map02. I probably won't update this set again unless I find some serious issues with any of the maps. Thx <3

Edited September 27, 2023 by suzerduzer

[Ravendesk]

Very good set of maps. Fun gameplay and amazing visuals. I also really like the difficulty, it provides an interesting challenge but is still easier than most of combat puzzle or slaughter challenge wads of that kind, which is very welcome.

 

Here are fdas on RC3 version with saves on UV (you need dsda-doom 0.26.2 to play these demos back): mercdreg-fdas-raven.zip

Map 01 - just great, nothing much to add. Loved sunder 05 platforms homage.

Map 02 - the start felt a bit weird because it gives you ammo but doesn't give weapons and that was quite confusing. I kept thinking I missed something. Also what's the intended strat for 3 viles on the first outdoors platforms? I just came back to the at the end but it felt a bit wrong. Did I miss something?

Also I was about to praise semi-pacifist single shotgun gameplay of the outdoors part of the map and then I found the SSG in obvious place that I somehow missed xdd Anyway, I think these fights are not worse with SSG. Having just SG required a bit more strategy and precision.

There is one problem with the map though and it's a lack of monster blocklines. This is especially noticeable in a fight with two cybers (platform shape is actually more forgiving than in Abandon 02), you can see one cyber falling down in my fda. But snipers falling from their platforms is also a problem I guess.

Either way very cool map and it was interesting to tackle.

Map 03 - chaingunner at the start also have blocklines problem. Also I think there is a softlock at yellow key door? If you leave the arena it sometimes closes? I think it's because it's supposed to close immediately but sometimes you cross this line while it's still opening and it doesn't trigger? Not sure.

Overall the map was very good. It's pretty long, but I feel like the only time pacing wasn't that great was a relatively short section after the first big arena fight and before you get the BFG. Felt a little bit sloggish and like an unnecessary padding, but whatever, it's very minor. I didn't find the red skull key (and I assume the secret fight?) and generally found only 1 secret out of 8 xd Still had a lot of fun with it.

 

Thank you for making these.

Edited September 27, 2023 by Ravendesk

[suzerduzer]

@Ravendesk Omg I put the player 1 spawn in the wrong spot in map02 lmao, thats why it seems so weird. I updated the post fixing that. It'll be a lot more normal now. Thank you for the feedback despite that, my apologies.

Edited September 28, 2023 by suzerduzer

[Ravendesk]

5 hours ago, suzerduzer said:

@Ravendesk Omg I put the player 1 spawn in the wrong spot in map02 lmao, thats why it seems so weird. I updated the post fixing that. It'll be a lot more normal now. Thank you for the feedback despite that, my apologies.

Oh, haha, that explains things. It ended up being an interesting puzzle though xd

[Treehouseminis]

Not sure why this doesnt have more attention, this is really good stuff!  Right up my ally anyway.  Just beat map01, I did have to mid fight save the last arena cuz for some reason it kept kicking my ass.  Well designed for sure.

[Maribo]

Great mini set of blood & brick -> monolithic hell-tech themes. Particularly in love with Map01 as a whole, Map02's start (the button press!), and towards the end of Map03 when it gets into full-on BFG-based slaughter + the God Machine finale reference (although the whole thing is a crazy architectural achievement in its own right). I remember playing NYE Slaughter 2022 by you and enjoying it, these maps are a lot more ambitious and I'm really glad to see you're growing so much in your design ability.

 

A full set of UV -dsdademo playthroughs, plays back in v0.26.2, Map03's is quite long because of the nature of the map. - mercdregs_maribo.zip

 

There are a few cases I noticed where turret/perched monsters can be plasma/rocketed off (didn't write them down, they're in the demos), might be a good idea to double check your block lines if you don't want that to happen. I don't remember seeing any that would prevent 100% kills so it's probably not a huge deal.

[suzerduzer]

Thank you for the feedback + demos, it's always interesting to see how other people choose to progress through your maps. I'm also realizing now that I may have hid my secrets a little too hard lol. I put out another RC, probably the final one with a few smaller balance changes + bug fixes. It should be mostly impossible for enemies to fall into impossible to reach areas now.

[Treehouseminis]

Just finished it.  Great stuff.  The aesthetics and combat of map03 is wonderful.  I did find a weird softlock.  The yellow door closed on me again after I went back to try to find a little more health and armor, the green armor I looked for wasnt even in this room but the door closed and wouldn't open again. 

Spoiler

 

[suzerduzer]

@Treehouseminis Oops, thank you for pointing that out.

[OniriA]

I'm liking the atmosphere from the screenshots.

[Ravendesk]

@suzerduzer

Hey just a heads up I think the player start is wrong (again?) in current version of map 02 on idgames.

Might be worth updating the idgames upload.

[suzerduzer]

Unbelievable, I'll get around to fixing it soon, ill just keep the mediafire link up.