SLUGGER - a short and punchy map for Doom 2

[Chris Hansen]

Feel like spending 10-15 mins on a short and punchy map for Doom 2? Do you have an urge for something with a nice brown and grey tint with a touch of nightsky? Look no more. "Slugger" is just what the doctor ordered!

 

This map was made because I was starting to get bogged down in detail in another project. I needed to go back to the roots and focus on something fun and.. well, not so pretty. I mean, it's not like I didn't care about lighting and texturing. I just didn't want to be all pedantic about it. Sometimes less is more, right?

 

The map runs on MAP01 and will need a Boom comp sourceport. I recommend -cl 9. The map features a nightsky by @Mechadon and the track "Rainbow rogue" by @Lippeth.

Thanks @plums, @Biodegradable and @FrancisT218 for testing it.

 

>> DOWNLOAD <<

 

 

 

 

 

 

[rita remton]

well, the lighting in the screenies do look absolutely gorgeous anyway (i can't imagine the level of detail in your other project). downloading as usual (like with all of your other maps posted in doomworld) :)

[Chris Hansen]

Why thank you, miss Remton. Much obliged :) I hope you enjoy it.

[plums]

I would have said clean and simple detailing instead of "not so pretty," and there are some nice moments with moving sectors. Otherwise yeah, fairly straightforward fun, go into an old base and shoot some demons, what's not to like!

[ivymagnapinna]

This was a fun little map to boot up this evening. The lighting and architecture are clean and satisfying and the combat is easy to breeze through but definitely not lifeless, especially with all the moving bits of geometry that can catch you off-guard. Great stuff!

[Clippy]

I'm just the right amount of toasted for this, watch me somehow luck my way through it all - very fun time for a nice kind of more chill session, maybe your nicest map - always a fun time guaranteed 

 

 

Gateways to more vids at end, not sure if you caught it but I found some other old stuff of yours another time and went through em, the high low series. 

 

I always know when I see a map from you its gunna be a worthwhile experience

 

take care buddy

[SleepyVelvet]

Thanks for sharing.  This was a very pleasant techbase to explore and interact with, all while keeping it clean and simple.  Not long at all either.  A very good experience for those looking or a quick 10 min coffee break map.

 

FDA: noisy_slugger.zip

[Chris Hansen]

Glad you all enjoyed the map and thank you for commenting!

 

7 hours ago, plums said:

I would have said clean and simple detailing instead of "not so pretty,"

Yeah, that's probably a better way to phrase it :)

 

6 hours ago, Clippy said:

watch me somehow luck my way through it all

One of the more chaotic videos I've seen from you. You were indeed lucky there at times. You nailed the end fight though! Also, the Spider fight you mention is this one from "Bond of Hatred"

Spoiler

 

Good demo by @SleepyVelvet. The only demo I've seen where you mostly use the SSG against the Arachotrons instead of the PG.

[Zesiir]

What a fantastic map. A rollercoaster ride from start to end. And works great with GZDoom.

 

From the conveyor belt ride at the start, dropping you into an evolving arena, to ambushes and traps that really stand out and are fun to best.

Music is badass, challenge is fair (leaning towards brutal, but not quite) and ramps up quickly. And level achitecture is well done. Very Doom 2,

and a great techbase mixed with some outdoor environs for flavor.

 

I got absolutely murdered two times. First at the Archvile encounter near the beginning. After that I got into the mindset of what kind of map it was.

The second by the onslaught of Revenants towards the end. I heard them, I knew they were gonna appear but they still surprised me.

 

All in all, well worth the 15 minutes.

[ryiron]

Very fun. I like the moody techbase vibes and the use of moving floors to shift the geometry. fdas (first one cut short due to a derpy archvile encounter): slugger-ryiron.zip. 

[Chris Hansen]

Thanks @Zesiir and @ryiron. Good to hear that you had good time plowing through it. I watched your demos ryiron and you're a good player. It was a very enjoyable watch. You tackled the traps like a pro :)

[bioshockfan90]

HNTR, 101K 59I 33S 6:38.77

 

Fun map to play while I wake up, I was actually playing Hell's Bane earlier so this is nice to see that you do, in fact, make D2 maps as well. No complaints here, short and punchy as the title says - the archviles caught me off-guard, I just took a shot from the final one since I knew it was the final monster. The rising nukage pit section is really cool and (I assume) just timed with some Boom actions, not actually tied into any of the monster killing on any given layer, am I right?

 

In any case, good stuff.

[Napeyear]

Great work as always! I had a lot of fun blasting through this for about 15 minutes in total. You weren't lying when you said it was going to be punchy, as some of the traps really did catch me off guard (especially towards the end). Those damn arachnotrons took me out on my first attempt, and I thought you did a good job with the pacing, as it was a pretty consistent level in terms of difficulty and progression. Loved the aesthetic along with the music, it gives the level a pretty cool vibe and shows that stock Doom 2 textures still work quite nicely in the modern mapping scene when used correctly.

 

Demo link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GTBLMuWsWqqIzdnfdj_aRtXuqoC26OTm/view?usp=sharing

 

My full comments below (as included in the zip file)

 

Spoiler

 

IWAD: Doom 2
PWAD: Slugger
Map: 1
Author: Chris Hansen

 

DEMO NOTES:
Player: Napeyear
Skill: 3 (Hurt me Plenty!)
Exe: Dsda Doom (Boom)
Time: 7:46

 

Comments: Quick and chaotic are the words that come to mind when describing this level. Despite the short run time, this level manages to squeeze out a lot of atmosphere and good gameplay in nearly every room that the player traverses. I really enjoyed this level! The music, skybox, and texture choice combined offered some very moody aesthetics without stripping away the signature Doom 2 feel and I really enjoyed how simple yet creative this level was, sometimes less is more! My favorite areas were the slime room in the beginning, where the floor raises up periodically, letting in more monsters into the arena with the player, with two mancubi waiting for you at the top; and the final area with the revenants and arch vile guarding the exit.

 

In my first demo attempt I actually died at the arachnotron room with the red key, as I was so focused on getting them to shoot at the pinkies I ran around like an idiot and died.. but other than that the level wasn't extremely difficult on HMP, but still keeps the player on their toes, as some traps can easily kill the unprepared and inexperienced player (ie the slime room where you have to shoot the switch to progress, the chaingunners took me by surprise my first demo attempt).

All in all, not too much too say without just stating the obvious, but I want to point out that you did an excellent job of giving the player enough space to deal with all of the traps and monster encounters for being in a techbase setting. Usually techbase levels revolve around fights in corridors, but this level manages to have nicely designed arenas and makes great use of the space you created in the level editor. Not only was it nice to look at, but more importantly it plays even better. Great job with the ammo and health placement too! You give the player plenty of options and, despite having some nasty traps, it always felt like you had a chance no matter how dire the situation got, and you were quick to reward the player with ammo and health at the appropriate times.

 

I only found 2/3 secrets (couldn't figure out how to get outside where the last secret was, I was pausing to look at my automap to find a clue and figured you didn't wanna see me wander around and stand in place for 10 minutes..) and the exploration was fine, not too complicated but also interesting enough for me to backtrack a fair bit to see what items I left behind before progressing further.

 

Overall, I loved playing this level Chris as someone who played dozens of your levels in my Doom career it's always a treat to see one of my favorite authors still uploading levels in 2024. I give it a 10/10 because I think your level does everything right. I wish it were longer, but you mention you had other stuff going on, so I think it achieves all of the goals you set out to accomplish and was a great way to kill 10 minutes!

 

 

 

 

Edited April 15, 2024 by Napeyear

[Clippy]

yes bond of hated, im remember, linked that and others at end of vid there. 

 

But this map yeah, I cant believe I survived that botched performance during the archie attack with hitscanners, thought for sure I would get dead. You really know how to use them low tiers, just great stuff I'll always jump on board your maps if I can

[Custom Longplay]

Project Brutality 3.0 - Doom 2 - Map: #363 - Slugger - [4K60ᶠᵖˢ]

 

 

[fefor]

Good stuff, love the lighting and light sources on this and you can't go wrong with night sky and techbases, I've been craving for maps like this ever since I played through Abscission. Here's my blind playthrough.

slugger_fda.zip

[Chris Hansen]

I am humbled by your review, @Napeyear. Thank you. Also, while I loved making this level I had no idea so many of you would like it. That's really nice and makes it all worth while.

 

Watching the level look and play like it does in your video @Custom Longplay really is an interesting thing to watch. The aesthetic goes from slightly gritty to downright dirty! :D I love that minigun in your mod. Reminds me of my Quake 2 days where that weapon really took my young heart by storm! Cool video and well played.

2 hours ago, fefor said:

I've been craving for maps like this

Glad to have helped you satisfy your hunger! :) And thanks for the demo!

[AshtralFiend]

Great map! Simple, fun, and good-looking!