Doomworld Mega Project 2015 - Now on /idgames

[Memfis]

I'll try to deal with the texture stuff right now. Of course I wasn't expecting that lava replacement to stay, it isn't even used in the map. I just hope my entry will end up in a slot with a hellish sky (if you take requests).

[Memfis]

Ok, here is the version with unused textures removed and proper names: http://www.mediafire.com/download/gfg8uxqegb5l74q/bastards%282%29.zip

I opened the wad in Notepad++ with a HEX mode plugin and used the "Replace" function to rename the graphics. At first it broke my wad, but then I realised that you should only replace strings with the strings of same length so I tried again and now everything seems fine.

Also fixed texture alignment in one place.

[scifista42]

Awesome, thanks! Interesting workaround on the texture names, too.

[Walter confetti]

take a play to GregLafitte map, it was a nice experience, pretty fast gameplay, an insane "my house" from the depths of 1994 editing, with a pinch of zdoom features in it, overall it was ok...

[GregLafitte]

Thank you for the feedback Walter :-)

[scifista42]

@GregLafitte: Your map was distinctly amateurish, but everybody starts somehow. Pay attention to texturing. It looked like a mess and was very ugly, completely disregarding alignment of seams and tiling of patterns, as well as unreasonable color and/or pattern combinations (some were highly unfitting, like marble and Wolf doors). Your map was somewhat surreal, but I had to look away from its ugli-ness first, which kind of spoilt the impression. The way how you created doors was pretty ugly as well, normal way is to make a rectangular sector, put lower-unpegged flag on its sides (to prevent them from sliding up when the door raises) and applying textures.

Layout and monster placement were more random than anything (which didn't give a good impression), and balance wasn't perfect, but OK-enough to be playable at least. Enemies were easy to skip (run past without actually fighting them), making their presence redundant - specially the outdoor enemies. Generally, the efficient way to create gameplay is: Place each monster with a purpose to challenge the player, but allow the player to kill the monster within a reasonably short time - that helps to make the gameplay fun without frustration (shooting gallery of an endless wall of enemy meat) or demotivation (skipping fights and running to the exit).

Anyway, feel free to continue mapping, perhaps get inspired by looking at other mapper's work to see how to make pleasant aesthetics and gameplay. And thanks for contributing to this project!

[GregLafitte]

@scifista42 I respect your opinion, I am glad to contribute to your project and will try to follow your advice to better my mapping skills.

[FireSeraphim]

I think I'm going to have to drop out of this project. I have quite a few things on my plate already. But then again, I might be able to find some free time later on in the year to get back in.

[scifista42]

As you wish. But it's a shame. You have the whole rest of the year if you ever decided to rejoin, mind you.

EDIT: Seems like I had forgotten to put you on the list of participants back when you had posted, anyway.

[FireSeraphim]

I might get back in later on in the year. So don't quite count me out just yet.

[scifista42]

Here is my failed FDA on joe-ilya's map "Key to Happiness", recorded in Chocolate Doom 2.0. First thing to mention, the green armor couldn't be easily grabbed in ZDoom-based ports (required either jumping, or a quick run from the raised grass nearby), whereas in classic ports you just walked to it and grabbed it. The map was fun, I did slightly mind its linearity, but I liked the map on the whole. It looked OK, flowed well, and kept coming up with ideas all the way along, even if simple ones. Good work.

[tomatoKetchup]

Hey, I might give it a go too! It'll change me from working on my wad. ;)

And it'll allow me to get some feedback and see if I'm worthy of this community. ^^

[tomatoKetchup]

Hi, is that project still on the pipes?

[joe-ilya]

tomatoKetchup said:

Hi, is that project still on the pipes?

It is, there just too much time, so everyone takes it.

[Omnistar]

Hey guys, I started mapping sometime last year and I made this map several months ago. Please post feedback and let me know what you think or what should be improved. I'm willing to go back and make changes. Note: I set this to be map28.

Map Name: Land of Erebus
Link: http://www.mediafire.com/download/9mtxi0mn5nj2cvr/LandofErebus.wad

[gaspe]

I just started working on mine, here's a very bare screen, is it gothictx an official texture pack right?

[Breezeep]

What format is the wad in?, Omnistar?

[scifista42]

@gaspe: It is.
@Omnistar: Please tell us what your map is compatible with (vanilla, boom, g/zdoom, etc), then I'll play it with the proper port / compatibility.
EDIT: I've opened your wad in SLADE3 and the contents are odd, there are redundant map lumps (marked blue) + a graphic lump outside of any graphic markers (marked black).

[Omnistar]

The map is Boom compatible as well with ZDoom and GZDoom. I don't know about Vanilla Doom though since I never use it. I'm more of a ZDoom person anyway.

@Scifista42: I looked over those lumps you pointed out and I'm not sure how those got in there. I was going to use an allBlack text but wasn't sure how to integrate it into the wad without giving me that weird tile text instead. I removed the redundant lumps/allblack text and seemed to work fine. Maybe I saved them all when didn't mean to. Thank you for pointing that out!

[scifista42]

If you've used Boom-specific and/or generalized actions in your map, then it's Boom, if not, it might be limit-removing. I think you've used a translucent line, so let's say your map is Boom.

Here is my FDA, recorded in PrBoom-plus -complevel 9 (I hope you know how to view demos :D). I've noticed several visual errors: A bugged floor in the marble cathedral, and a bugged fire window with lost souls next to a switch. They're probably unclosed sectors, and you might need to redraw the sectors to fix them, and if it doesn't help, delete the sectors + its surrounding sectors and draw them again. To prevent this bug in the future, keep in mind that you should never delete any 2-sided linedefs between 2 different sectors. Always Join/Merge the sectors before you delete linedefs between them.

The rooms were mostly too large. They looked OK. Ripoff of "MAP28: The Spirit World" texturing theme is not that great thing, but forgivable. My main gripe about the level is overabundance of monster meat in contrast with insufficient (too weak) weaponry. It's not fun spending time shooting into a wall of lowly-threatening monsters that all approach you from the front side. At the same time, outrunning hordes of random enemies and leaving them behind is not so great fun, either. There's little motivation to do any combat at all, which is wrong, because (balanced) combat is one of the most fun aspects of Doom. The level is generally too oversized to use monsters any efficiently to threaten the player while allowing him to kill them fast/comfortably enough.

[Omnistar]

Thanks for the feedback and bringing up the sectors and what not. Meh, I guess some of the areas were a bit too big than they should've been and maybe having monsters in some weird, hard-to-shoot areas does get a bit annoying after awhile. I did intend to make a modified version of the Spirit World map anyway so that's why I stuck to the Doom2 texts instead of using custom ones. But again, I'm just starting out and I'll be making more (and better) maps in time. Thanks again!

Unfortunately, I don't know how to play a demo and don't know what a "FDA" is. Sorry if I sound like a noob. :/

[scifista42]

FDA = First Demo Attempt (demo of my first playthrough of the map). Demo (.lmp file) = a recording of my playthrough, which you can view on your computer if you have the exact same version of the wad that I've played (which you should have, since it's yours). Put your wad and my demo in your PrBoom-plus directory. Then launch the demo by double clicking it. Associate the .lmp suffix with PrBoom-plus, then it will always be launched in PrBoom-plus. Alternatively, launch the demo from a command line (or batch file) using this command:

prboom-plus -file LandofErebus.wad -playdemo loefda.lmp

Note that advanced ports (like ZDoom) are not compatible with demos recorded in classic ports, and vice versa. They would desync (=desynchronize, not play properly) if you tried to run such demos in them.

[GregLafitte]

I will replace my other map with this one instead: https://www.mediafire.com/?cln5a5dl0lo3l5m

It is called "Trail of the Renegade" It was made in doom builder under Zdoom in Hexen format and is made for Zdoom and GZdoom, jumping and crouching are enabled but not needed

[scifista42]

Here's some feedback (standard attempt at a review, don't take it as ranting, please): This map was no better than the previous one. There seemed to be more effort put into texturing / detail, but only in some areas, and it didn't turn out as particularly impressive either. Layout was blocky and ugly for most of the part, vastly oversized up to feeling underwhelming. Death trap was completely uncool, it's just another way to alienate players. I dislike stealth monsters out of principle, they tend to be annoying - at least they were somewhat bearable in the way you've used them. The blue key room was a ridiculous spam of inefficiently placed monsters, easily avoidable, specially thanks to Invulnerability - please, don't intentionally break balance like this. All monster encounters were basic, monsters always came from the front side and they were avoidable, they didn't challenge the player well enough.

The start door looked glitched out in Zandronum: http://i.imgur.com/xuSUj8c.png. You should understand how it works: Textures with non-power-of-two heights cannot tile properly, only ZDoom (and GZDoom?) inplemented a fix recently. Generally, don't use non-power-of-two-tall textures on taller walls than the texture height is, don't change their Y offset beyond the safe dimensions of 1 untiled texture, and don't use lower-unpegged flag on the linedef if you Y-offset them or use them as a lower-texture on 2-sided wall.

[GregLafitte]

Thank you for the feedback. If you want I can update it later without the death trap.

[scifista42]

I would prefer if you did so.

[GregLafitte]

https://www.mediafire.com/?74i5lbacklxuqz7

I got rid of the death trap and replaced it with some enemies and I also got rid of the invincibility sphere as well. Again thank you and I will try to improve by next years Project.

[Impboy4]

scifista, don't be doing quality control now. (it defeats the purpose of the rule "any map is allowed")

[The_MártonJános]

^ I must agree. Early reviews alienate mappers the same degree as death traps do it with players.

[GregLafitte]

This may sound like a dumb question but will all the maps that get submitted be in the final release or will there be exceptions? Just wondering if quality would play a role in it or not.