Jimmy Posted June 6, 2017 (edited) Broke a spate of complete creative inertia suddenly. Hoping I can keep it up for a while so I can play catch-up with some projects. Comments welcome. I need to add multi stuff still. Progression may not be 100% finalized and I may have missed some sequence breaks/oddities. It was kind of a nightmare in the end. (v2) Dropbox mirror Powerhouse mirror Name: The Molehill Map Format: Boom Ports Tested: Pr/GLBoom+, Q/GZDoom, Eternity IWAD: Doom 2 Map(s): MAP01 Music: Level 4-1 (The Wall) theme from Turrican 2, seq. by Chuck Dodgers Gameplay: Single play/co-op Difficulty Settings: Yes Multiplayer Placement: Yes Build Time: 3 days Textures: From jimmytex Requirements: No jumping, no crouching, freelook permitted Edited June 8, 2017 by Jimmy 20 Quote Share this post Link to post
Fuzzball Posted June 6, 2017 (edited) It's very brown! Awesome Turrican music too! :D Edited June 6, 2017 by FuzzballFox 2 Quote Share this post Link to post
Benjogami Posted June 6, 2017 Yo, here's a skill 4 FDA: https://www.dropbox.com/s/0u0qowdewi2r7pt/themolehill_fda_benjogami.lmp?dl=1 Cool map! Only found one secret, after I found the exit. I got a bit lost: didn't notice that door between the PEs. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post
Paul977 Posted June 6, 2017 (edited) Fun and simple map, enjoyed. Difficult is on the easy side but I guess it's intended Edited June 6, 2017 by Paul977 1 Quote Share this post Link to post
Phade102 Posted June 7, 2017 Awesome map. just wondering, were the stair textures in the first screenshot meant to be unaligned? looks awesome though, really impressive use of grey and brown. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post
GarrettChan Posted June 7, 2017 (edited) Spoiler This stair case doesn't work properly on GLBoom+, mostly. Sometimes it works, but I have to use a very specific angle and moving speed. I don't whether is my problem. Backpack should be eliminated for humanity... wait... It's a little bit overkill to have a backpack, just that. Really nice music! Edited June 7, 2017 by GarrettChan 0 Quote Share this post Link to post
ShoDemo Posted June 7, 2017 (edited) Just played it and it is a cool map. I 100% it with full secrets and I can say that those were well hidden. And the music is a nice touch. I guess I will play Turrican 1 and 2, sometime in the future (only had Turrican 2004 in my Siemens mobile, many years back and it wasn't that great, compared to the Amiga ones or basically any other version). Its music, as a game, is just incredible (loved the The Desert Rocks track). Edited June 9, 2017 by ShotgunDemolition 1 Quote Share this post Link to post
pavera Posted June 7, 2017 Looks great Jim! I'll check this one out after work. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post
Jimmy Posted June 7, 2017 @Benjogami Thanks for the demo! I was a little worried about the conveyance of that rising staircase, but I'm not too sure how to address it. My inkling is that if I just let the player explore the level, since there's not really much map overall to wander through, they'll happen upon the solution eventually. @Gothic While this was done pretty speedily, it wasn't really done in speedmapping conditions. :P @Phade102 I don't see those stairs as misaligned, because the texture's dark contours are lined up neatly with the edges of the architecture. If I were to lower-unpeg the textures there, they'd run together, but would loose their sense of uniformity with the architecture, I feel. @GarrettChan Have addressed the jimmyladder. Will be included in the /idgames release. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. )b 0 Quote Share this post Link to post
Phade102 Posted June 7, 2017 6 hours ago, Jimmy said: @Benjogami Thanks for the demo! I was a little worried about the conveyance of that rising staircase, but I'm not too sure how to address it. My inkling is that if I just let the player explore the level, since there's not really much map overall to wander through, they'll happen upon the solution eventually. @Gothic While this was done pretty speedily, it wasn't really done in speedmapping conditions. :P @Phade102 I don't see those stairs as misaligned, because the texture's dark contours are lined up neatly with the edges of the architecture. If I were to lower-unpeg the textures there, they'd run together, but would loose their sense of uniformity with the architecture, I feel. @GarrettChan Have addressed the jimmyladder. Will be included in the /idgames release. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. )b Thats actually what I figured you were going for. with the way they are, they look appropriate, like they're holding up the actual platform. I was just wondering, since a lot of people dont do stairs like that =D Its an amazing map, really. 0 Quote Share this post Link to post
Jimmy Posted June 8, 2017 (edited) v2 ready. Dropbox mirror Powerhouse mirror Changes: Text file included Rudimentary multi placement Thing placement rebalanced slightly Different sky Entire map's light level dimmed by 16 Automap cleanup More texture variation Less busy light effects in places Varied up the "natural" architecture a bit more A little more detail in general FDAs still welcome. :) Edited June 8, 2017 by Jimmy 2 Quote Share this post Link to post
Guest Unregistered account Posted June 8, 2017 Just played it - holy heck, I love it! The idea of storming a mountain base is executed perfectly, and with that awesome music, I really felt empowered! Did you make that MIDI, by the way? It's amazing! Hit me as soon as I started. I actually died at the exit, but eh, I BASICALLY beat it. Wonderful design, very playful and feels bigger and grander than it is! 0 Quote Share this post Link to post
Jimmy Posted June 8, 2017 14 minutes ago, Kapanyo said: I actually died at the exit, but eh, >:) Thanks for the review! The music is not mine (its origin/sequencer is in the OP), although I loved it enough to include it here. Found it in an unfinished map included in Ultimate Simplicity, and have long wanted to hear it in a complete map. 0 Quote Share this post Link to post
Veinen Posted June 8, 2017 Nice map Jimmy. FDA for v2 in the attachment. The map is no doubt pretty easy but that's alright since I got the the feeling that you were going for something more relaxed rather than a challenge. Still fun, and the over-abundance of cell ammo that I experience in the FDA is intriguing from a speedrunner's point of view. Overall there's probably a bit too much ammo in any case since I was swimming in cells and shells by the end of the map. Exit trap is pretty classic heh, I was not very surprised to see the pillars drop and an AV appear. molehill_FDA.zip 1 Quote Share this post Link to post
leodoom85 Posted June 8, 2017 My review of the map: - First of all, I liked the ambience used for this map, like it was ambiented in near night or something. - It reminds me of another of your map, Mercury Rain for some reason... - I noticed that there are groups of 3 barrels in several parts of the map. Coincidence? - Nice start of the map with some imps and zombies, building slowly the action with those well placed barrels... - Chainsaw and the berserk pack is obviously a great help for saving ammo. In fact, I used the plasma gun where that couple of pain elementals appeared and that's it. Also, the rocket launcher was...unnecessary, because I haven't used it at all. - The secrets were well hidden. Still, I managed to do a 100% playthrough. - I even used the fist (with berserk) for the final part with those revenants and that archie. - The layout of the map was not confusing, straight-forward gameplay with a few switches here and there. I like that. - Overall, a solid and fun map. Not difficult at all, good gameplay flow. Thumbs up!!! 1 Quote Share this post Link to post
Mechadon Posted June 8, 2017 This looks pretty awesome Jimmy! I'll definitely give it a spin and maybe record a demo for you too :) 1 Quote Share this post Link to post
pavera Posted June 8, 2017 Played V1 last night. I liked it! I had a little trouble with the progression of the map though, but it was short enough where wandering until I found an unvisited area was viable as a strategy. I was also pretty tired when I played it. Guess I'll gear up for V2 tonight. :) 1 Quote Share this post Link to post
Fuzzball Posted June 8, 2017 (edited) For the uneducated in wonderful game music- You know now I'm curious how a Jimmy take on this piece would be like! Edited June 8, 2017 by FuzzballFox 2 Quote Share this post Link to post
GarrettChan Posted June 8, 2017 (edited) The stairs are working probably in V2 on PrBoom+, nice. It's a totally not linear map with open area. Lost Souls can be a little bit annoying from time to time (personal reference). There are way too much ammo lying around, so it's very relaxed map to enjoy. Therefore, I went for some UV -Fast action here. Don't treat runs (or walks) seriously, just blindly run around doing nothing, bitten or hit or penetrated by something :) I guess some of the cells could be replaced by shells, or exchange the position of the rocket launcher and plasma rifle. Probably force the player to take some risk in dealing with the Pain Elementals ;P BTW, I found that those steep stairs in Plutonia Map13 and TNT Map19 are using the same texture... Is that a tradition? Just curious. molehill-UVmax448.zip molehill-UVfast550.zip Edited June 8, 2017 by GarrettChan 2 Quote Share this post Link to post
Psyrus Posted June 9, 2017 In my search for a way to the chaingun, I tried to deal with those hell knights with only 11 shells and no berserk. Then I ran into the mancubus. Got 98/97/100 on my second run though. :) 1 Quote Share this post Link to post
Jimmy Posted June 9, 2017 (edited) 14 hours ago, GarrettChan said: BTW, I found that those steep stairs in Plutonia Map13 and TNT Map19 are using the same texture... Is that a tradition? Just curious. They are indeed a thing I do quite often, hence the given name "jimmyladders". :P I try to avoid doing them now because they are a bit gimmicky, but in some instances I feel like a lift would be pointless and a shallow staircase would still confine maneuvrability. They serve as a nice functional thing imo. Thanks for the demos! The fast one was particularly entertaining. Wow spectres and lost souls are a pain. :D I too felt there were possibly a few too many souls in some cases (the PEs definitely contribute to that on fast, geez) but I didn't really feel like thinning the soul hordes too much, as they provide a bit of miscellaneous fodder pretty much all throughout the map, due to the open layout and how much they can potentially travel through it. --- So, I think the general consensus is that the ammo is too plentiful, so I'm gonna see if I can reduce that a bit to present more of a challenge. The map is supposed to be a "relaxing" one-off for sure, but I don't want the player to feel handheld through the whole thing by the sheer amount of supplies. As I said in the "worst part of Doom mapping for you" thread, thing balancing, as a process, can kind of go to hell. <:D Edited June 9, 2017 by Jimmy 1 Quote Share this post Link to post
PsychoGoatee Posted June 9, 2017 Kudos on the release, looks terrific! On the ammo thing, if they were playing on UV could always leave the extra ammo around in HMP, but balancing is nutty, like you said. I myself never find shotgun shells or bullets too plentiful, in any map. I just like to have them, like pants. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post
GarrettChan Posted June 9, 2017 @Jimmy Pain Elementals on fast is crazy, and that's why I had to hide from them. I don't know why when you talking stairs, I think making music with staircase waves and have a staircase feeling (what?) could be an interesting one ;P Lost Souls are just my personal preference, but it's actually quite good to use in open areas like this map. That's why I said switching the placement of Plasma Rifle and Rocket Launcher could be fun because players may blast their faces off by an unexpected Lost Soul ;) Also Plasma Rifle is a nice counter to Pain Elementals. 0 Quote Share this post Link to post
Searcher Posted June 10, 2017 17 hours ago, Jimmy said: So, I think the general consensus is that the ammo is too plentiful, so I'm gonna see if I can reduce that a bit to present more of a challenge. The map is supposed to be a "relaxing" one-off for sure, but I don't want the player to feel handheld through the whole thing by the sheer amount of supplies. As I said in the "worst part of Doom mapping for you" thread, thing balancing, as a process, can kind of go to hell. <:D I Quite enjoyed this map. Nicely done and a comfortable sort of relaxing feel to it. Nice to not have to go into terror mode looking for supplies. It is a "one of" map, I intend to play it many more times. Newer players might really enjoy the UV Experience on the map, hell I know I did, I was taking a break from some of the harder maps I have been playing lately. It was a really nice change of pace and comfortable play, a breath of fresh air. Nice job. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post
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