Doom 64 for Doom II - v1.4 released, /idgames link is up

[Average]

I tried to load it up in Chocolate Doom latest 3.0 branch and 2.3.0) but I get this error:

 

R_InstallSpriteLump: Bad frame characters in lump 2970

 

Am I doing something wrong?

[Mechadon]

Yea, you gotta use -merge in place of -file, otherwise the wad won't load properly.

[Average]

Ah, of course!  Cheers.

 

Been a while since I've used anything other than GZDoom and ZDL. :)

[Megalyth]

I've been doing some work on my map over the past few days, mostly fixing some dumb-ass texturing mistakes and cleaning up the auto-map. I'll be playing around with some DM and co-op settings today, but I have no way to test anything in that department, so I'll upload a new version as soon as I can.

[TwinBeast]

Just started testing it... Noticed there's a secret exit in the void level.. used it and player is back to the same level again. There were also 4 imps on pillars that were too far for autoaim to hit them, though the rocket explosion damage can kill the ones on the lower pillars. The higher pillars need player to lure the cacodemons to infight them. Rocket also pushed one of the revenants down from the pillar.. perhaps have block monsters flags on the lines there?

 

Map01 was missing 3 barrels!

[Dexiaz]

Another one bug (Chocolate Doom):

Spoiler

 

 

[Dexiaz]

Update. Final maps' bugs:

Spoiler

Elevator with HOMs

 

 

Here Doomguy can be trapped forever (small hole):

 

 

[_bruce_]

Thanks - I already updated the visibility issue regarding the rocket ammo. The automap no/draw will be fixed next.

[Mechadon]

Thanks for the bug reports DeXiaZ and TwinBeast!  I'm getting ready to add them to the bug tracker, sorry for not getting around to it sooner.

 

I was thinking about doing the next build release about a week from now if everything goes well.  How does that sound to you guys?

[TwinBeast]

Here's some updates to Hectic... Fixed some tuttifrutti in the step textures below exit signs, added a secret for disabling the damage floor at the start, made the arachnotron rooms a little longer, changed the brown bricks to gstone, texture changes in the soulsphere and blue armor alcoves, added some coop nightmare imps into the first platform room, invulnerability available on all skills, added some monster block flags into the second platform room and moved deathmatch starts around the level.

 

http://www.mediafire.com/file/30r9tpchf6lrunf/TwinBeast_Hectic_v005.wad

[Mechadon]

Hey thanks for updating your map TwinBeast!  I've got it in the latest build now :)

 

So guys, if you want to get your map(s) updated in the next release, I was thinking about doing a v6 build release this coming weekend.  However I can delay this if you guys would like, so please just let me know.  I'm hoping to do a proper full playtest of the map on my own soon, so I might have some feedback to leave.

 

Also today I had an idea for a statusbar graphic, so I decided to try and create it.  At first I thought it might just be a one-off thing not aimed at a specific project.  But I thought it might look pretty good for this, so I've tossed it into the build.  Here's what it looks like:

 

 

It's based off of the STAR* textures.  I don't know why but I thought using the little grey screens on those textures would be neat for some of the displays.  I added some fleshy bits so it would have a bit more going on (though maybe its makes it too busy...).  Also I don't know if if matches the project all that well given that there aren't too many tech maps in the set...but maybe that's not a problem.  I'd be interested in hearing what you guys think.  Here are download links to the test wads (there's a widescreen version too):

 

http://mekworx.the-powerhouse.net/mekastuff/wads/D64D2/gfx/d64bartest.wad

http://mekworx.the-powerhouse.net/mekastuff/wads/D64D2/gfx/d64bartest_ws.wad (widescreen version)

 

Oh, there's also a little graphical hiccup that appears on the arms display in Chocolate Doom.  I feel like I've encountered and fixed this bug before, but at the moment I can't remember what causes it :P.  So if anyone can shed some light there, I would appreciate it.

Edited December 13, 2017 by Mechadon

[Da Werecat]

Nice! I'm not sure about the flesh part either, but the rest looks great.

 

6 minutes ago, Mechadon said:

Oh, there's also a little graphical hiccup that appears on the arms display in Chocolate Doom.  I feel like I've encountered and fixed this bug before, but at the moment I can't remember what causes it :P.  So if anyone can shed some light there, I would appreciate it.

You're seeing the FRAGS panel through the holes in the number. The solution is: make the ARMS and FRAGS panels as similar as possible. Or you could make it so the numbers lack any holes.

 

Edited December 13, 2017 by Da Werecat

[Nevander]

I like the flesh part and the bar in general but the words like AMMO, HEALTH are hard to read.

[D1m3]

I think AMMO,HEALTH,ARMS and ARMOR will look better with standart Doom hud font,these ones is not very visible

[Da Werecat]

I don't know, I really like the new bumpy look. AMMO is the only one barely readable because of the blood. Maybe the rest could use more contrast, but that's about it.

[Dexiaz]

To be honest, this HUD is really good, but I don't like to see it in Doom64 for Doom II. I know we're doing "classic" version of Doom 64, but I'll prefer the classic HUD style. Like in Doom/Doom 2. Possibly with some changes, but similar to the original one.

[NightFright]

The flesh part on the left side of the statusbar looks good but doesn't provide sufficient contrast for the ammo counter to be read properly. I also think the "Ammo" and Health" labels should be more visible, even though we all know which stats to expect there. Maybe just reduce the mud/rust effect on the left side. In general, it's a pretty nice statusbar with a cool "worn" look, though.

Edited December 13, 2017 by NightFright

[Devalaous]

that status bar looks a lot like TNT2 Devilution's status bar, from when I was testing it anyway.

[_bruce_]

Besides the flesh part, the new status bar looks really great - props!

Graphics and their perceived relief are really tricky... I even would go as far as flatten the graphics out a bit meaning that the perceived depth between the Star-tiles is lessened giving it a more single-piece like appearance. Instead of the blood you could try a very faint slime stain.

[Mechadon]

Thanks a ton for the feedback on the statusbar guys!

 

17 hours ago, Da Werecat said:

Nice! I'm not sure about the flesh part either, but the rest looks great.

 

You're seeing the FRAGS panel through the holes in the number. The solution is: make the ARMS and FRAGS panels as similar as possible. Or you could make it so the numbers lack any holes.

 

Ah, so that was the problem.  I feel like I've known that at one point in my life :P.  I've got it fixed now, thanks for your help!

 

Anywho, here's an update for the bar.  The fleshy stuff was kind of getting in the way and made the bar a bit too busy I think, so I removed that.  The ammo and health labels are easier to read now with its removal, but I also upped the contrast a bit on all of the labels.  I added a few minor details and touch-up in places, but it should all be more subtle than the flesh stuff.  And finally the arms number glitch was fixed.

 

 

http://mekworx.the-powerhouse.net/mekastuff/wads/D64D2/gfx/d64bartest_v2.wad

http://mekworx.the-powerhouse.net/mekastuff/wads/D64D2/gfx/d64bartest_ws_v2.wad (widescreen version)

 

11 hours ago, DeXiaZ said:

To be honest, this HUD is really good, but I don't like to see it in Doom64 for Doom II. I know we're doing "classic" version of Doom 64, but I'll prefer the classic HUD style. Like in Doom/Doom 2. Possibly with some changes, but similar to the original one.

I agree with you in principle.  At one point someone had tossed in the PSX hud in one of the older builds, and I didn't want to include stuff like that (ripped directly from other versions of the game).  Going further, I would really like to have from-scratch recreations of all the graphics instead of using ripped/altered D64 stuff.  However I'm always for adding new graphic content if it matches the vanilla art style and tone of the project.  That's why I made sure to make the bar out of an existing vanilla texture (same as the original bar).

 

Now whether or not my bar matches the tone of the project is another thing entirely :P.  Like I said, I wasn't sure if it would work well with this, but I'm interested in hearing what more people think.  If its deemed to be no good, then I'll definitely remove it.  My original idea for a new bar was to make something similar to the vanilla one, but darker.

[Da Werecat]

I vote yay for the current version.

[StalkerZHS]

Frankly, I'd love it if you could have the left side of the status bar be base-themed and the right side be hell-themed

[Brewtal_Legend]

1 hour ago, StalkerZHS said:

Frankly, I'd love it if you could have the left side of the status bar be base-themed and the right side be hell-themed

I concur. I think that would fit well with the theme of D64. Dark-tech into hell themed. 

Edited December 14, 2017 by Brewtal_Legend

[Da Werecat]

I don't see a point.

[DANZA]

I love the current hud, the first was too visually busy. This one is simple and readable.

[Mechadon]

17 hours ago, StalkerZHS said:

Frankly, I'd love it if you could have the left side of the status bar be base-themed and the right side be hell-themed

That's kinda-sorta what I was attempting with the first version of the new statusbar.  But the idea for the fleshy stuff came to me after I had almost finished the main bar, and I think that's why it ended up looking not so great.

 

If I have the time before the project is released, I might try to make an extra bar just for fun that would have a tech/hell motif.

Edited December 14, 2017 by Mechadon

[Saint_Guy]

It's a good looking HUD I would like to see it in another project, I just don't think its a good fit for Doom 64.

Doom 64 only has a total of 10 tech base maps (11 in this project) The majority of the game takes place in hell.

I don't think the HUD fits thematically with the majority of the map set, I believe the classic status bar fits doom 64 better.

generic stone/concrete is more universal than a HUD based on a specific tech base texture.

I'm not against a new HUD but it should be more generic.

[Da Werecat]

You know what else is at the bottom of the screen at all times? Weapons. And there are no hell-themed weapons in the game.

 

BtSX E2 is set mostly in temples, but it has a futuristic status bar.

[Saint_Guy]

You have a point about there not being hell weapons.

 

But btsx e2 shares the same HUD as btsx e1 (except it has yellow lights instead of blue)

ep1 was entirely tech bases while ep2 was mostly temples but had tech areas and tech influences in alot of maps.

I know nothing of btsx ep3 but i'm going to throw out and random guess and say that its hell themed and has no tech influence.

That would mean it follows closely to classic dooms structure.

ep1 tech, ep2 unnatural with tech influence and ep 3 hell.

 

doom 64's tech doesn't make it into ep2  there is no transitional period. It just stops at ep1.

[Da Werecat]

There's always a tech influence because you're a guy who came from a tech world. You're not an elf or anything.

 

The only problem there might be is that the textures in question are very recognizable and their usage in a status bar may evoke a very specific setting, but, personally, I wouldn't overthink it.