DTWID: Project is done, check the release thread

[C30N9]

Hmm... I don't think my last e2 is gonna work, i know that i posted thousand posts about my new incoming maps but none of them are completed, so after thinking I may take E1M1-E1M2-E1M3 and leave E2.

[Marcaek]

st.alfonzo said:

Ok, here's the second release candidate of Kepler Dorsum. I've ironed out one or two glaring issues, extended a few areas and better implemented the difficulty settings, although I still think it could be a little harder overall. There's also quite a few alignment issues still.

Download >> Here <<

There's some nukage that needs a sector effect in the area with the STONE2 and trap doors. I don't really like the music, but this is a pretty good map.

[Alfonzo]

Marcaek said:

There's some nukage that needs a sector effect in the area with the STONE2 and trap doors.

Yikes, better sort that one out. Thanks!

I don't really like the music, but this is a pretty good map.

Those unreleased tracks sure do need a bit of tending to. And this one has poor looping to boot. Mr. Freeze's immesurably awesome production skills will tend to these issues well enough though, I'm sure. In the mean time, feel free to IDMUS your way to a more tolerable tune.

[flubbernugget]

Marcaek said:

It feels kind of like there's too many techbase influences. You should maybe replace half of the tech stuff with hell stuff. A little tech is ok.

I saw many techbase influences in E2, what I stated the level was aimed for in my thread when I uploaded the wad. I only had the map slot as e3m1 for the music. I didn't realize that would confuse. How is it textured as an e2 map? Too much hell, tech, blood?

I am taking your other suggestions into account as we speak.

[Marcaek]

Definitely too much hell. You should put it in E2M1 for testing, because the sky makes a big difference. If you really want to use that music track, put it in E2M9 or put a custom D_E2M1 in your wad file.

Updated E2M8: http://www.speedyshare.com/files/26002441/mcdtwide2m8.wad

[Jan]

st.alfonzo said:

Ok, here's the second release candidate of Kepler Dorsum. I've ironed out one or two glaring issues, extended a few areas and better implemented the difficulty settings, although I still think it could be a little harder overall. There's also quite a few alignment issues still.

Download >> Here <<

Hey the music is Rusty Cage by Soundgarden right? Ripping off 90's grunge/metal bands is indeed "Doom the way id did" :D

[C30N9]

Map E1M1 is going very well, and for the first time i didn't make any homage.

Also I may take E3M1 after finishing one of the E1 maps, either the middle or late since Marnetmar picked early E1

[Marnetmar]

What's that freaky blue thing? How do I get to it?

[Marcaek]

Looks promising.

[NaturalTvventy]

My e1 level I started today, entitled Slime Trails...

http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/emilharold/Screenshot_Doom_20110101_184359.png

http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/emilharold/Screenshot_Doom_20110101_184553.png

[Marnetmar]

NaturalTvventy said:

My e1 level I started today, entitled Slime Trails...

http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/emilharold/Screenshot_Doom_20110101_184359.png

http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/emilharold/Screenshot_Doom_20110101_184553.png

WAY too much detail, my friend.

[Reisal]

Remember Tvventy, we are trying to keep the detail level between 1993-1996 at best.

[40oz]

Marnetmar said:

What's that freaky blue thing? How do I get to it?

That's the kinda mindset you want your players (especially never-played-doom-before players) to have when playing your maps. I think you're getting the picture :)

st. alfonzo, I played your map and its pretty great! (I was almost certain no one was going to use that midi track, thanks for forcing me to listen to it the whole way through!)

You're definitely following a lot of the rules. The layout is pretty nice, some rooms look really doomy, and there are fun secrets to find. I especially like your usage of windows, which made some tiny areas feel a lot more expansive than the actual play area admits. I think it could do with less BRNSMALC though.

Some stuff though was that I got lost a lot for a couple minutes. Not a big deal but there is a lot of nukage that im required to cross which wore me down a lot before figuring out where to go. It wasn't until i was down to 40% health that I found some hidden hallways that were unusually dark. There were quite a few drastic lighting changes in some areas that seemed weird to me. The other thing is that there are a lot of perilous ground, especially for an E1 map. I can't imagine a newly introduced gamer being able to navigate this map without dying a hundred times, even on the easiest skill level. I thought the part with the switch isolated on the bridge over nukage was pretty awesome, but extremely unsafe for newbies. With the exception of some haphazard architecture that looked cool in some areas and weird in others, your map is pretty good

NaturalTvventy, I hope im not the first to tell you that I really don't think you're getting the picture so far. I was kinda lenient towards your first map because it was kinda zany and seemed like it had potential to be a secret level. The screenshots you've posted for your other maps definitely aren't doing it though. The screenshots you posted for your next E1 map are pretty bad. There's an overabundance of textures you usually dont see often in doom and the architecture is whacky and inconsistent as hell.

[Marnetmar]

40oz said:

That's the kinda mindset you want your players (especially never-played-doom-before players) to have when playing your maps. I think you're getting the picture :)

Excellent, that's exactly what I was trying to pull off

[Xaser]

Heh, I always loved it when E1 did that. Somehow I recalled the idea for my most recent mapping thing, and I think this project is to blame. I doubt it would've come to mind otherwise. :P

[ellmo]

I haven't been 'ere for years and it's so good to see this place alive, kicking and still spawning community projects. I haven't touched an editor in 2 years I think, but when I read about this project, I've decided it can be a good way to come back.

Since yesterday I've been working on a mid/late e2 map clearly inspired by my one of my all-time favorites "halls of the damned", but I'm aiming to mix it's style with other mid/late e2 maps. Not too much to show now, but here goes:





Before you comment - I know the long-ass straight staircase doesn't really fit in any of original doom episodes, I'm trying to come up with something to fix it.

40oz said:

The other thing is that there are a lot of perilous ground, especially for an E1 map. I can't imagine a newly introduced gamer being able to navigate this map without dying a hundred times, even on the easiest skill level. I thought the part with the switch isolated on the bridge over nukage was pretty awesome, but extremely unsafe for newbies. With the exception of some haphazard architecture that looked cool in some areas and weird in others, your map is pretty good

But the maps should be much harder than the original ones, shouldn't they? I thought your projects is addressed to veterans, who would like to relive the original experience, still the difficulty should be much higher - some of us have been playing this game for 15+ years now :)

[Marcaek]

Actually, we're trying to make levels that would be around the same difficulty, afaik.

[Hellbent]

Welcome Ellmo, looks good!

There are pros and cons to keeping original difficulty. The pros are that we maintain 'authenticity', the cons are that the levels will have the possibility of being blazed through too quickly by vets looking to relive the original doom experience. If the difficulty can be increased while keeping the map feeling like an authentic original doom map, then I'm open to it.

[Hellbent]

Great level Alfonzo! It got better and better as I played it. I agree with 40oz about texture use; it is a bit haphazard at times. But the level is really interesting and doomy. I love what you did with the yellow key door--very creative. I jumped into the deep slime pit since I had a rad suit on... except I wasn't able to find a way out :(. I have no problem with inescapable pits: they were a major part of Doom. And honestly, I find it inauthentic to find a lot of pits that people have made in this project escapable by a lift (this is just not something you saw in Doom; if it was escapable, it was through a secret passage, not by a lift in the pit--this was a feature that came later in doom 2 and episode 4 of doom. Of course, if you can show me an example of a lift in a slime pit in doom episode 1 through 3, don't hesitate to point out my error).

I think id was conscious of having no rad suits in levels with pits you could not escape from, or at least no rad suit within any sort of proximity to an inescapable pit for the very reason that they didn't want to encourage people to investigate inescapable areas with a rad suit on. Ie: don't put a rad suit in a level with inescapable slime pits.

[ellmo]

Hellbent and Marcaek said:

*stuff about difficulty*

No problem, I'm even happier with this level of difficulty - let's you enjoy the atmosphere more than running and smashing monsters.

Update on the map:
Removed the staircase altogether and started adding some kind of outdoor area, similar to the one in E2M6.

[The_MártonJános]

Nukage and pink intestines? These look quite weirdo in this way.
But what was Doom about if not being weirdo? :D Keep it up!

[Lutz]

Just a heads-up, folks -- after a few rooms, I think my level is looking more and more like a late E3 level than an early one. I'll post some screens later tonight after I patch up a few misaligned textures. Also, I'm claiming dibs on the name "Lake of Fire" (so there).

[C30N9]

Ok, because we're planning to make fresh full megawad (that's what i think) shall i send my completed maps to Hellbent or publish it here?

[ellmo]

Cell said:

Nukage and pink intestines? These look quite weirdo in this way.
But what was Doom about if not being weirdo? :D Keep it up!

Both were used in original E2M6 ;)

C30N9 said:

Ok, because we're planning to make fresh full megawad (that's what i think) shall i send my completed maps to Hellbent or publish it here?

IIRC Hellbent addressed this issue and basically - it's up to you, you can PM the file to Hellbent's account and people involved in this project should be able to review it, or you can show it here for the public.

I'm showing my screens publicly, since It's been a while since I've mapped anything.

[NaturalTvventy]

Hey crew, there's no berserks in e1, right? How about invulnerabilities?

NT

[Hellbent]

NaturalTvventy said:

Hey crew, there's no berserks in e1, right? How about invulnerabilities?

NT

I suggest everyone plays through all three episodes if you have not done so recently or if you do not know doom inside out.

There are no berserks in episode 1. The first invulnerability sphere appears on E2M7 and there are two of them on the level.

[Marcaek]

I think we should base level names on the places like the original maps. Ie Computer station, Hell keep, Phobos anomaly.

[Reisal]

I admit I've made my version of E2M4 harder than what the original was..

[Marcaek]

Mr. Chris said:

I admit I've made my version of E2M4 harder than what the original was..

Difficulty fluctuates a bit, there's a lot of barons in some areas, but other areas could use another sargeant or something.

Once that and the other issues I mentioned are fixed, it'll be perfect.

[purist]

Hellbent said:

If the difficulty can be increased while keeping the map feeling like an authentic original doom map, then I'm open to it.

Nightmare or -fast/-respawn modes can always be used to the up the difficulty if need be. Also, extra monsters can be added in co-op, which players can play alone to increase the challenge.

I keep nosing in on this intriguing project and I'd like to have a go but I don't have a lot of time to map and there's always something to do on Progressive Fiction.