TropicHELL - A tropical island themed MBF21 Community Project (OPEN SLOTS)

[Logamuffin]

Summer is fast approaching and that means Doomguy needs a vacation! And where else to go but the tropics?

 

I love tropical themed wads, some of my favorite wads are based around a tropical/island theme. So that's why I'm starting TropicHELL, which is a MBF21 Community Project based around tropical, beach, and ocean scenery. This community project is heavily inspired by Overboard, as well as various other ocean-themed wads like Ray Mohawk 2, Epic 2 and Pirate Doom. So let's dive in, shall we?

 

Rules

 

1. Your map must be made in MBF21 format. We are using DOOM2 as the IWAD.

2. Use the custom resource pack available for download below. It is a resource pack I put together from various tropical-themed wads (mainly Overboard) as well as a handful of texturepacks like 32in24tex. It also has a handful of edited and original sprites/textures in it. Using vanilla textures is OK, but don't use stuff that sticks out or clearly doesn't fit with the theme. If there's anything not in the texture pack that you want, just ask and I'll see about adding it!

3. Your map should be tropical themed and set on the ocean. If you claim a slot in Episode 1 your map can be set on a larger landmass (aka not be completely surrounded by water). Otherwise your map should be an island. Also, follow the guidelines for the episode themes, and if you are unsure about anything, just ask me.

4. Your map must start and end on The Boat^(tm). Doomguy needs a boat to sail to all these islands right? This is another idea shamelessly ripped from Overboard but I built a Boat^(tm) for this project and you're going to start and exit on it (with the exit requiring a key), just like in that wad. That means your map has to be designed around backtracking. In terms of The Boat^(tm) itself, it is contained in a template level I made available for download below. Oh, and since you asked so nicely here is a picture of The Boat^(tm):

5. Difficulties, Co-op starts and a MIDI are all required. If you don’t have these, I will provide them for you. No requirements for your MIDI as long as it fits the tropical vibe…
6. Your maps' difficulty should be based on what Episode you choose. For Episode 1, it should be traditional gameplay only, with difficulty not rising above Plutonia. For Episode 2, I'm willing to accept all the way up to slaughter-lite. And for Episode 3, full on slaughter maps are allowed, since those should be larger maps anyway. However, 2000 monster behemoths where the BFG is the only relevant weapon are generally not going to be allowed.

7. (Optional) Join the Discord server. You don't have to but it sure makes communication a whole heck of a lot easier. I haven't set it up completely yet but here is a link.

 

8. The deadline for submissions is August 31st. Please drop your mapslot if you can't make it by that point.

 

Downloads

Download the updated resource pack (TropicHELL_Resources_v1.2)

Download the demo map (TropicHELL_DemoIslands)

Download the template map (TropicHELL_Template)

 

Please use the template map when creating your level! It contains The Boat^(tm), as well as a vast sea for you to start building your level upon.

Also above is Demo Islands, a short level I made to show off the textures and sprites that I have in the resource pack. It won't be a part of the main map roster, but I might put it as a bonus map later. Load it alongside the resource pack and give it a play if you want, it's fun and shouldn't take you longer than 2 minutes. Here's a screenshot:

 

 

Map Submission Format

Map Name:

Map Slot:

Author:

MIDI:

Coop/Difficulties:

Comments:

Screenshots: 

Edited June 4 by Logamuffin

[Logamuffin]

Maplist and episodes
These are the episodes we're going with. As explained in Rule 7, I'm using Scythe's difficulty structure aka Episode 1 is easy, traditional maps while Episode 3 goes all the way up to hard slaughter maps. Keep in mind the descriptions next to each episode are ideas. I'm not gonna bite your head off if you have a big temple in your Episode 2 map or whatever. Just try to keep with the name and setting of the episode (e.g. don't make a coastal map in episode 3).

 

Another thing to note, is that I am going to rearrange the maps later for better pacing and difficulty, so the mapslot you choose may not reflect your actual placement in the final wad. We're going to be aiming for 32 maps, so hold on to your butts!

 

Maplist:

Spoiler

Episode 1: "The Coast" (Large landmasses, cliffs, caves, coastal villages, tropical resorts, etc)  

    MAP1: @Logamuffin
    MAP2: @rita remton
    MAP3: @Lizardcommando✓
    MAP4: @Beubeu
    MAP5: @Amiga Angel and @CBM
    MAP6: @Fun-E Personn
    MAP7: @Logamuffin
    MAP8: @BEG
    MAP9: @LibbyBibby
    MAP10: @Velcrosasquatch
    MAP11: @rebca

Episode 2: "The Archipelago" (Small scattered islands, boats, ruined temples and shacks, volcanoes, etc.)

    MAP12: @MattFright
    MAP13: @Frank Harper
    MAP14: @Boss
    MAP15: @horselessheadsman
    MAP16:
    MAP17: @AshtralFiend
    MAP18: @ABearInThaWoods
    MAP19: @MoiraHeart
    MAP20: @Moustachio

Episode 3: "The Ruins" (Large landmasses, big temples, plutonia-esque jungles and structures, shipwrecks, etc.)

    MAP21: @Heretic926
    MAP22: @MattFright

    MAP23:
    MAP24: @Tiramisu✓
    MAP25:
    MAP26: @LSC Lasico
    MAP27: @stochastic
    MAP28:
    MAP29: @dac
    MAP30: @Logamuffin

Secret levels: (Make it weird and hard but still fit in with the theme)

    MAP31: @ByRntStarOEI
    MAP32: @Kras

 

Credits

Spoiler

 

Overboard by @mouldy (aka the GOAT): Sea, sand and palm tree textures, along with many others.

Knee Deep in the Jungle by @Sergeant_Mark_IV: Palm tree and bush sprites, various textures
Epic by Eternal: Zombieman sprites, bonus sprites

Epic 2 by Eternal: Various textures

Ray Mohawk 2 by @Doomkid: Hula imp sprite

Lost Civilization by @Jaska: Various textures and sprites

Pirate Doom! by @Darch: Various sprites

Deus Vult II by Huy Pham: Sunglasses statusbar sprites

32in24tex-15 by @esselfortium: Various textures

Realistic Texture Pack by Rottking: Various textures
StalungCraeft Texture Pack by DooMAD: Various Textures

 

Important

This is my first real community project (the first one was a jokewad, though I learned some good project management skills with it), so please offer feedback where you can. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please don't hesitate to ask me. I want to try my best to make this as good as possible.

Edited June 20 by Logamuffin

[Sikreci]

I would love to claim an early episode 1 map, something fast and easy-ish. I'll take a random slot in the 01-06 range if that's agreeable.

[DoomGappy]

I want to claim a slot, but I'll probably be creatively bankrupt for a few more months. Good luck on the project!

[Heretic926]

Plutonia-esque, you say? I'd like to claim MAP21 for now.

[Raith138]

I will take map 02!

Is there a deadline or am I blind and not seeing it.

(nvm I am blind)

Edited May 7 by Raith138

[stochastic]

Sign me up for Map 27, please!

[MattFright]

am i able to claim two spots? if so i'd like to claim map12 and map22, if not then only map22

[Boss]

If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to take a slot somewhere in episode 2. Any of them is fine.

[Logamuffin]

58 minutes ago, MattFright said:

am i able to claim two spots? if so i'd like to claim map12 and map22, if not then only map22

Actually, I think I want to wait a bit before letting people claim multiple spots, since I don’t know how many people are going to participate in the project yet. I’ll give it a couple days and add you back in for Map22 if the slots aren’t claimed by that point, and let everyone else get a chance to claim multiple spots at that point as well. Just make absolute sure you have the time and energy for it…

Edited May 8 by Logamuffin

[Lizardcommando]

Oh, this sounds fun! Sign me up for MAP03.

[Amiga Angel]

I would like to claim map slot 5

 

This may end up being a collab between me and cbm.. is it ok to make a map that is a city on a tropical island?

[CBM]

screenshot of what amiga and I have so far

 

EDIT:

apparently imgbb is completely broken right now

 

new link

https://www.imghost.net/oKaybfS2ptqhOw5

Edited May 9 by CBM
imgbb is broken

[Sikreci]

Isn't that your D2ICO map but on an island? It looks really familiar.

[BEG]

Sign me up, I would like MAP08

[Logamuffin]

8 hours ago, Amiga Angel said:

I would like to claim map slot 5

 

This may end up being a collab between me and cbm.. is it ok to make a map that is a city on a tropical island?

Yeah, that’s fine! I might need to add some more textures to make a city map work though..

[dac]

You know, I think I'm ready after D2ICO didn't end well for me. Sign me up for MAP29!

[Amiga Angel]

1 hour ago, Sikreci said:

Isn't that your D2ICO map but on an island? It looks really familiar.

it is .. or its a compact version of it... however .. cbm and me plan on making plenty of changes to it

 

this is just cbms island with a compact version of my city and the boat on it at the moment... I wanted to try some things in this map that will make this play very differently from the map I made for d2ico

 

45 minutes ago, Logamuffin said:

Yeah, that’s fine! I might need to add some more textures to make a city map work though..

 

cbm made some car textures and added them to a texture wad ... the wad has 32 in 24 and the new car textures and I am sure cbm would be more than happy to send the wad to you, that would also allow the custom sector cars cbm made to show up correctly on the map

 

also 32 in 24 has lots of city stuff

Edited May 9 by Amiga Angel

[Logamuffin]

5 minutes ago, Amiga Angel said:

 

cbm made some car textures and added them to 32 in 24 and I am sure cbm would be more than happy to send them to you (they have been added to a custom version of 32 in 24 that also has tons of city stuff), that would also allow the custom sector cars cbm made to show up correctly on the map

 

Yeah, if you could send them to me, that’d be good. Also, can you join the discord so we can chat about your map easier?

[Moustachio]

I have an idea for how to end Episode 2. Sign me up for MAP20 please!

[Lizardcommando]

Progress is coming along much more smoothly and faster than I thought. The buildings can be entered via silent teleporters. The Inn is more or less completed. I still need to make the inside of the restaurant and make some more adjustments with the island, including difficulty settings.

 

[Logamuffin]

2 minutes ago, Lizardcommando said:

Progress is coming along much more smoothly and faster than I thought. The buildings can be entered via silent teleporters. The Inn is more or less completed. I still need to make the inside of the restaurant and make some more adjustments with the island, including difficulty settings.

 

Ooh, looks very nice! Though now that the project is getting going, I am noticing some limitations with the texture pack, it probably needs a good amount of additional textures, such as a better sand side texture and more island building textures. Again, if you have any suggestions for textures you would want for your map, give me a shout and I'll add them in.

[i suck at nicknames]

following

[horselessheadsman]

I would like to claim MAP15.

[Xaser]

If you're targeting MBF21, then UMAPINFO is also available, so you'll be able to split the project into proper episodes of whatever length you want, move the secret maps/exits, expand/shrink the available map slots based on interest, and so forth -- there's no need to stick to Doom 2's 32-map format.

 

Relatedly, it's generally a good idea to have folks reserve an episode (for theme's sake) but not a specific map slot, then figure out the optimal order based on the submissions that come in. If map slots are pre-reserved and there isn't a directed effort to have folks coordinate with their neighbors, you'll end up with super-wonky difficulty curves and pacing issues (e.g. 3 people making huge maps in a row). Or at least reserve the right to rearrange stuff afterward, so folks know to expect it.

[Logamuffin]

7 minutes ago, Xaser said:

If you're targeting MBF21, then UMAPINFO is also available, so you'll be able to split the project into proper episodes of whatever length you want, move the secret maps/exits, expand/shrink the available map slots based on interest, and so forth -- there's no need to stick to Doom 2's 32-map format. 

 

Relatedly, it's generally a good idea to have folks reserve an episode (for theme's sake) but not a specific map slot, then figure out the optimal order based on the submissions that come in. If map slots are pre-reserved and there isn't a directed effort to have folks coordinate with their neighbors, you'll end up with super-wonky difficulty curves and pacing issues (e.g. 3 people making huge maps in a row). Or at least reserve the right to rearrange stuff afterward, so folks know to expect it.

Thanks for the advice! I was mainly sticking to the 32 map format with reserved slots for simplicity's sake. I am most likely going to rearrange the mapslots later, and I should put that on the OP since I didn't mention it. I am gonna be using UMAPINFO for this as well, so the episode lengths may change too.

[Fun-E Personn]

Id like an episode 1 Map slot please (If there will be a lot of unfulfilled slots I can take more).

Edited May 9 by Fun-E Personn

[ABearInThaWoods]

I would like to claim the Map18 slot =)

[Sikreci]

Unfortunately I have to withdraw from this already. My computer is having some critical issues and I won't be able to replace it for months probably. :(

[Tiramisu]

Me when I hear there's a vaguely Plutonia-related project:

Spoiler

 

Sign me up for any episode 3 map other than MAP30! :)

Edited May 10 by Tiramisu