PSX Doom: The Lost Levels - New Pre-Beta Available courtesy of Salahmander2

[Gez]

Split some of these linedefs to insert SKIN02 (pentacle etched on skin) and SKIN03 (cut veins) in places to break the monotony. Translucent veins might look odd, but the pentagram should work well in the corridor. And veins shouldn't be tiled vertically but they can work above the doors I think. :)

[NoneeLlama]

To be honest, I like the green color (at least that what comes to my mind when I think of a slough). But here's some shots from the start position with different sector colors, so you can tell me wich one looks better.
http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/8106/prettycolours.png

[ComicMischief]

NoneeLlama said:

To be honest, I like the green color (at least that what comes to my mind when I think of a slough). But here's some shots from the start position with different sector colors, so you can tell me wich one looks better.
http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/8106/prettycolours.png

Bottom-center looks the most authentic (read: like a PSX map) but bottom-left looks the most atmospheric.

[BaronOfStuff]

Gez said:

Split some of these linedefs to insert SKIN02 (pentacle etched on skin) and SKIN03 (cut veins) in places to break the monotony. Translucent veins might look odd, but the pentagram should work well in the corridor. And veins shouldn't be tiled vertically but they can work above the doors I think. :)

Okay! Let's see how this looks!

I've had to cheat a bit and add a secondary sector for upper textures around the column, but given the result I don't think this is any bad thing:




The walls along the inside, after some almost underhanded one-pixel-wide sector splitting (not very PSX!), look a lot better though:




And I pissed around with the exit a bit, but not in any major way, it just causes seizures with a strobe light now:

[Devalaous]

Dis looks truly amazing. Pun not intended.

It looks BETTER than the original! (not that thats a hard thing to achieve :p)

[BaronOfStuff]

Well here it is for testing, all 30 seconds of it.
http://speedy.sh/V3mE4/psxdis.wad

If there's anything broken, let me know. Uses MAP93 slot; I think this add-on project should be compatible as an expansion to the TC (a new episode on the menu) as opposed to replacing the standard PSX maps.

[Coolster]

Dis really looks great and yeah i agree with baron, this should be an addon for the TC

[NoneeLlama]

Here's version 2 of Hell Keep: http://www.mediafire.com/?3ss12r6y3jscrkm
Fixed the unpegging errors. I'd say it's pretty much ready.


I tried out Dis, and it looks good. Didn't encounter any bugs (although there's not much that can go wrong in this map).

One suggestion I have, is to put Dis after the remaining E4 maps (when they're done of course), since leaving a boss map for the 3rd level yould be silly (and this way, the remaining Ultimate Doom levels would form an episode).

[BaronOfStuff]

Now that Dis is largely over and done with unless something ugly regarding the map rears its head (and yes it probably should be shifted to a later slot after the E4 maps), I'll throw my hat in again and have a go at PSX-ifying Gotcha!, Wolfenstein and Grosse over the next few weeks/months (I also wouldn't mind trying my hand at Fear -- is this going to be a secret map?).

And this brings me to a point; how on earth are we supposed to convert the two Wolfenstein maps anyway? I've got some ideas for generally reworking the map aesthetics entirely, but the lack of ZZWOLF or anything even close to in the PSX resources means that they will barely resemble their original incarnations as far as texturing goes. Is this going to be a problem?

[fenderc01]

I don't really see a point in recreating Wolfenstein and Grosse.
I agree with making this an addon episode.

[Shadow Hog]

Maybe just add the Wolfenstein textures as custom textures (or just use them if DOOM2.wad is a required file as-is), and argue that if they were gonna include the Wolfenstein levels, those textures would've been included anyway? Otherwise, I don't think you should even bother.

[BlueFireZ88]

Ok, here's my two-cents on some recurring thoughts.

1.I agree that Lost Levels should be an addon expansion for the TC, and not override the original levels.

2.The level order for the Ultimate Doom segment is gonna need work. Dis should come towards the end, but what about levels like Warrens and Fear,which are both secrets?

3.Wolfenstein and Grosse should remain, but maybe we should try something different, like new textures, enemies, and sounds. Basically update the resources.

[jute]

I think Betray and Sewers are better choices than the Wolf3D maps.

[Dragonsbrethren]

BlueFireZ88 said:

Ok, here's my two-cents on some recurring thoughts.

1.I agree that Lost Levels should be an addon expansion for the TC, and not override the original levels.

2.The level order for the Ultimate Doom segment is gonna need work. Dis should come towards the end, but what about levels like Warrens and Fear,which are both secrets?

We could throw a secret exit into Warrens and make Fear a "super secret" level, but honestly I'd rather throw the exit to Fear into one of the Master Levels or early TNT (maybe even late Doom 2) maps, to space them out a bit more. (I think the exit to Warrens being in Slough of Despair would be great, but I'm not sure if others would agree with having a secret exit in the second map.)

BlueFireZ88 said:

3.Wolfenstein and Grosse should remain, but maybe we should try something different, like new textures, enemies, and sounds. Basically update the resources.

If we went this far, why not just replace those levels entirely? I figure we should either cut the Wolf3D stuff or do the bare minimum work on it (darkened lighting, maybe colored lighting in the "Doom" areas), loading textures and sprites from the iwad.

---

Dis plays good. Shame the only way for this map to have any challenge is to play it from a pistol start.

Nonee, you should do Warrens too. Updated the Hell Keep link in the OP and adopted the new name.

Edit:

Bloodsea Keep is more of less finished, I just keep playing with the lighting. I'll probably put a link up to it later, going to claim another of my favorites, The Living End.

[Gez]

Re: Hunted - I think the PSX would have been able to handle the arch-vile if it were the only monster in the level! It certainly doesn't use more frames than a baron + a revenant together.

Re: Wolfenstein levels - if they had been included in the PSX port to begin with, the Wolfenstein textures would have been imported too; quite obviously.

NoneeLlama said:

To be honest, I like the green color (at least that what comes to my mind when I think of a slough). But here's some shots from the start position with different sector colors, so you can tell me wich one looks better.
http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/8106/prettycolours.png

Top center and bottom left are both much too dark.

Of the rest, I like top left, top right, and bottom center. I think bottom center is the most PSXish, but I like how moody top right looks.

[Dragonsbrethren]

Yeah, I agree with Gez on Slough of Despair (completely forgot to comment on that in my last post).

[Coolster]

I see no point in doing the Wolfenstein levels, never really liked them that much to be honest and SS Guards would require new sound effects, i still wonder what you guys will do with Arch-viles. In short Betray and Sewers PSX-fied are much better options (i would also like to see No Rest for the Living PSX Style, then again they're not lost levels).

[NoneeLlama]

My thoughts:

1. Making this an add-on: I thought this was obvious one, yet everyone keeps mentioning it. But while we're converting the maps, I don't think it's a problem to use the older slots as placeholders.

2. Wolfenstein levels: as much as I like them, I wouldn't mind if they were left out. Without the SS guards and the Wolf textures, there's no point in keeping them.

3. Fear and Warrens: They should both stay secret levels, and one should lead to the other (as a super secret of sort). Also, you can write my name down for Warrens, Dragonsbrethren.

4. Slough of Despair: I think I'm gonna go with the top left (green) color for now. We can still change it after the first version of the map is released if most people don't like it.

[fenderc01]

Maybe the red brick wall in Hell Keep should have a little depth added. I know it was like this in the original, but I think it would look better.

[BaronOfStuff]

NoneeLlama said:

Fear and Warrens: They should both stay secret levels, and one should lead to the other (as a super secret of sort). Also, you can write my name down for Warrens, Dragonsbrethren.

Good idea. And I have a half-decent idea of where to put the secret exit in Warrens (it's pretty obvious too when you think about it).

Wolfenstein levels: as much as I like them, I wouldn't mind if they were left out. Without the SS guards and the Wolf textures, there's no point in keeping them.

Because I have too much free time lately (sort of), I'll work on converting them anyway using only the PSX resources, even if the result ends up as Wolfenstein/Grosse in name only. I think the novelty of having the layouts is enough reason to include them, but if they're still shitty maps and don't make it in, then so be it. It'll be something of a learning experience anyway.

[Devalaous]

Another thing to consider with Wolfenstein is the sounds of the Nazis and the music of the levels.

[BaronOfStuff]

Eh, I was just going to replace them entirely.

I mean if BFG Edition's release of Doom II can get away with a load of half-assed editing when removing all Nazi references, I can at least try and make something reasonable out of it while following the same stipulation.

[Avoozl]

I'd like to help out with this, I was thinking of working on "And Hell Followed" and "Open Season", I will probably use UDMF format if that's okay.

With music I was thinking of using PSXMUS13 for "And Hell Followed" and PSXMUS16 for "Open Season", unless the tracks to be in order per each map.

[BaronOfStuff]

So here's what Grosse looks like from above:


I figured that it wouldn't be worth keeping the original size, as it's going to be one ugly map no matter what I try*. This conversion is actually proving to be reasonably tricky by default considering what it is, but I don't mind trying to overcome that problem too much.

*Well there's that, and the PSX would probably shit itself and explode looking at such a huge sector.

[fenderc01]

I will work on They Will Repent.

[BaronOfStuff]

Fuck it, here's a couple of screens after some tweaking to show what it looks like without any Wolfenstein stuff:

[Mattfrie1]

I'm loving what I see so far on this project, The fire sky feels right at home with Hell Keep and Dis.

I've always wondered what PSX Doom and Final Doom would have been like if they were released later in the PSX's lifespan. Keep in mind, PSX Doom was one of the first games released for the Playstation, so I wonder if Williams Entertainment were able to use the PSX Hardware to the most of it's ability. If only there were some way we could test these "Lost Levels" on an actual PSX (for maximum authenticity I guess).

[Avoozl]

Edit: Nevermind, I got it to work with a .bat file instead of cmd.exe.

I'm trying to use udmfconvert but I keep getting the error: "Error opening file 'doom.wad'", I'm kind of lost at this point.

[Dragonsbrethren]

I'd love to test this stuff on the actual engine if anyone ever writes a converter.

BaronOfStuff, you're starting to sell me on these Wolfy edits.

I've added everyone who claimed maps recently to the OP.

Edit: Avoozl, I've never used udmfconvert. Are you sure you don't have to use it on a wad containing a single map?

[Avoozl]

I just remembered PSXDoom didn't have the E4 maps with the firesky theme, they were just done the same as the original E4 maps with the orange sky, should I stick to this or can I make it with a firesky theme?

Dragonsbrethren said:

Avoozl, I've never used udmfconvert. Are you sure you don't have to use it on a wad containing a single map?

It just converts the original map info into a text file needed for the textmap.lmp which I also need to change the format manually in the text file from "doom" to "zdoom" for the UDMF format support before adding it to the map wad I made.