(Update/Fix) Dark Encounters 32 map MegaWad

[Payload4367]

Dark Encounters (Update/Fix). A 32 map single player/co-op Doom 2 MegaWad for GZDoom. Built with GZDoomBuilder.

 

5-21-2019:

Decided this weekend to fix some bugs (some game-breaking, some just annoying) on Dark Encounters. Also added all
 difficulty settings so you can gun through the maps without some of the grind that is present in HMP and UV. Focused a lot on the
 co-op for Zandronum. See more details below.

 

  Thanks to all that played and reported bugs and provided other feedback. Sorry it took so long. If there is anything else
 that should be fixed, please feel free to let me know.

 

 All links have been updated.

 

Download links

idgames : https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom2/Ports/megawads/drkenctr

dropbox:  http://www.mediafire.com/file/vrx99vx8zzm0sxa/drkenctr.zip

 

===========================================================================
Primary purpose         : Single play and Co-op
===========================================================================

 

Fixes/Changes:

Spoiler

Included all difficulty settings.
 Replaced all "thing" actions with linedef actions or scripts for better compatiblity with mods.
 Fixed issues with co-op players becoming stuck behind closing doors/walls etc. Any lock outs/ins where the player
  has no other way out/in will be on a reasonable timer.
 Adjusted/added monster and ammo count for co-op and, to a lesser degree, in single player.
 Map01 chainsaw secret now recognized by mods that did not trigger it.
 Map06 Removed several burning barrels that were causing performance issues with some mods.
 Map09 Yellow Key no longer triggers lowering sector twice, trapping the player.
 Map13 Red Door is now set as repeatable action.
 Map20 removed some invisible blocking lines that impeded player movement.
 Map26 moved shootable switch as players were often getting stuck here.
 Map31 added more monsters to final battle as it was underwhelming.
 Increased font size on HUD messages.
 Mouse look is REQUIRED for a few secrets and shootable switches. (This was incorrectly listed as "mouse look recommended")

 

 

 

Wad info:

Spoiler

 

Title                   : Dark Encounters
Filename                : drkenctr.wad (available end of Oct. 2017)
Release date            : 00/00/17
Author                  : Paul Dechene
Email Address           : pdechene@live.com
Other Files By Author   : Test Subject 43 (testsb43)
                                     Dark Invaders (drkinvds)

Description         Dark Encounters - 32 Map MegaWad for GZdoom
                           "I knew they would come back some day...The leaders and generals of the
                          world were content with their victory...my victory...heh. Never been much for
                          parades, so I slipped back into my role as a good-ole space marine. I argued for
                          a time about the potential for another invasion. Like before, they said their "new"
                          technology would handle any threat. Yeah...sure it will...
                                I...knew...they...would...come...back..."
                          ***Please see text file for gameplay information.***

                          In This Wad...
                          No jumping, mouse-look encouraged.
                          Gameplay is in the style of the original Doom 2.
                          Difficulty is slightly harder than Doom2 with encounters
                          of varying difficulty thrown in through-out the maps.
                          Survival will require accuracy, agility, ammo management, spacial
                          awareness, and the following...

                          ****On Hurt Me Plenty****
                          Employ at least ONE of these approaches to avoid running out of ammo, or
                          use them all to have ammo-a-plenty.
                              1.Find the secrets (most are not hard to find)...or
                              2.Explore the entire map...or
                              3.Use the berserk/chainsaw on targets of opportunity (my personal favorite).
                          ****On Ultra Violence****
                          Employ at least TWO of the above approaches to avoid running out of ammo, or
                          use them all to have ammo-a-plenty.
                          ****On Pistol Start****
                          Employ ALL THREE of the above approaches to avoid running out of ammo.

                          For best effect use dynamic lights, but sector lighting is implemented
                          for better performance.

Additional Credits to   : iD Creators of DOOM & DOOM2. GZDoom. scifista42 for
                          Grasstex - Doom textures with grass tops. GZDoombuilder.
                          Eradrop for the sky textures. Cakewalk. Sonar LE recording software.
                          Slade3. DoomWorld. Orangefreesounds.com, Free-loops.com,
                          Freesoundeffects.com (for ambient effects). All the great mappers
                          and modders out there who never cease to amaze and entertain me.
                          All music composed, recorded and performed by Paul Dechene.
                         
                         
===========================================================================
* What is included *

New levels              : 32
Sounds                  : No
Music                   : Yes
Graphics                : Yes
Dehacked/BEX Patch      : No
Demos                   : No
Other                   : No
Other files required    : None

* Play Information *

Game                    : Doom 2
Map #                   : MAP01-MAP32
Single Player           : Yes
Cooperative 2-4 Player  : Yes
Deathmatch 2-4 Player   : No
Other game styles       : No jumping, mouse-look required.
Difficulty Settings     : All.

 

* Construction *

Base                    : New from scratch
Build Time              : 10 Months (Jan 2017- Oct 2017)
Editor(s) used          : GZDoom Builder Doom2 UDMF
Known Bugs              : None
Tested With             : Zandronum 2.0, Zandronum 3.0, GZDoom 1.9, GZDoom 2.1, GZDoom 3.0, GZDoom 3.7

 

 

Edited May 21, 2019 by Payload4367
added idgames link

[Misty]

Using this thread as reference would easier than copy paste your map text file. Anyway, I saw this on fb already. Cool stuff. I wonder how this it will turn out in reality when I'll play it.

 

[Walter confetti]

Looks cool, waiting for play!

[Nate River]

This looks nice judging by the trailer and description. For atmospheric survival levels like these I really like the concept of making ammo sparse and rewarding exploration.

Though I haven't seen that style work out as well in Doom maps as in other FPS games, the additional options of GZDoom look most promising to me when it comes to more complex and atmoshperic maps, so I'm looking forward to seeing how they're being used for this project.

[Payload4367]

Thank you Walter. Hope is as fun to play as it was to make.

 

[stonedbaroness]

Im impressed and eager! is it compatible with Zandronum 3.0 at the least? Death and Decay might play out really well with these maps..

[Payload4367]

I honestly don't know. I have zero experience with Zandronum. No reason, just never got around to trying it.

 

[stonedbaroness]

Can't miss out on multiplayer doom, man.

 

Go and snag a copy, why don't ya?

https://zandronum.com/

[stonedbaroness]

Its the 30th! One more day!!

[Payload4367]

Halloween release is imminent!

 

[Terminus]

Can hardly wait. Link up anytime soon?

[Payload4367]

It is currently awaiting Doomworld/idgames screening. It could be anytime now. I will also post a link as soon as possible.

[Payload4367]

Available now on media fire. See top post for link. I'll provide idgames archive link when it is available. Thanks everyone. Enjoy!

[grrfield]

On 16-10-2017 at 1:36 AM, Payload4367 said:

I honestly don't know. I have zero experience with Zandronum. No reason, just never got around to trying it.

 

I'm currently hosting this wad on a Zan3.0 server. It is just great in terms of design and gameplay.

 

However some maps appear to be broken, i heard from some visitors. I have not been able to pin down the problems/maps. Maybe It's just because it has not been designed explicitely for MP or it can be broken cause it uses features that are not available in GZDoom.

 

eg. in map 6 there is a problem with some stairs not going up for some reason (just from hearing not actually experiencing/playing)

[Nems]

First impressions so far (I'm about 10 - 12 maps in so far):

 

I'm absolutely in love with the level design. Just enough modern/GZDoom mapping tricks used to enhance the levels without going overboard. It feels like just the right amount of slopes, 3D floors, and scrips are used to make for an experience that still feels vanilla while not being vanilla, if that makes any sense. :P

 

Gameplay is pretty tough but that's because I refuse to play on anything below Ultra-Violence (even if I am a nub). It has more of a survival horror feel versus the usual run-and-gun action I'm used to when I play a megaWAD, which is a welcome change.

 

Overall I'm pretty impressed and personally I feel like this is Cacoward material. I'll share my full thoughts once I beat it. :D

[Payload4367]

On ‎11‎/‎2‎/‎2017 at 5:41 AM, grrfield said:

I'm currently hosting this wad on a Zan3.0 server. It is just great in terms of design and gameplay.

 

However some maps appear to be broken, i heard from some visitors. I have not been able to pin down the problems/maps. Maybe It's just because it has not been designed explicitely for MP or it can be broken cause it uses features that are not available in GZDoom.

 

eg. in map 6 there is a problem with some stairs not going up for some reason (just from hearing not actually experiencing/playing)

Thanks for the insight and thanks for playing. I should probably familiarize myself with Zandronum and a few others.

[Payload4367]

9 hours ago, Nems said:

First impressions so far (I'm about 10 - 12 maps in so far):

 

I'm absolutely in love with the level design. Just enough modern/GZDoom mapping tricks used to enhance the levels without going overboard. It feels like just the right amount of slopes, 3D floors, and scrips are used to make for an experience that still feels vanilla while not being vanilla, if that makes any sense. :P

 

Gameplay is pretty tough but that's because I refuse to play on anything below Ultra-Violence (even if I am a nub). It has more of a survival horror feel versus the usual run-and-gun action I'm used to when I play a megaWAD, which is a welcome change.

 

Overall I'm pretty impressed and personally I feel like this is Cacoward material. I'll share my full thoughts once I beat it. :D

Thanks Nems, you've described pretty much what I was aiming for in terms of gameplay and design. Thanks for giving it a try.

[grrfield]

6 hours ago, Payload4367 said:

Thanks for the insight and thanks for playing. I should probably familiarize myself with Zandronum and a few others.

Guess i was not really honoring the superb qualities of this mapset by putting only one line to say how good it was and 3 other with some complaints/remarks.

 

Protip: change the name of the topic of this thread: This is no longer a teaser/trailer. It is there to be played, rly. I'm really confused for the little amount of attention this effort gets.

 

You should learn some "shameless self promotion" skills, cause recognition for this work would be well earned:

 

Cacoward +++++

 

just to be complete: i can't find anything that does not work in zan3.0 as of now.

 

 

[Tezz]

This wads the best thing since tetley teabags!

 

Bravo good sir!

[Payload4367]

Thanks everyone, for over 160 downloads and counting. Looking forward to any feedback. Have a great weekend!

I also added the idgames archives link for Dark Encounters in the top post. Thanks again.

[JohnnyTheWolf]

My only criticism so far is that the menu splashscreen should not just be a random screenshot of a map with a clearly visible fullscreen HUD at the bottom. Also, I do not like the music, but I guess that is more of a matter of taste.

 

However, I spotted a typo in one of the quit messages:

 

"retreive the ammo from your fallen enemies."

Edited November 4, 2017 by JohnnyTheWolf

[Urthar]

Having a blast playing this with Brutal Doom 21 at the moment,  great stuff.

[Payload4367]

1 hour ago, JohnnyTheWolf said:

My only criticism so far is that the menu splashscreen should not just be a random screenshot of a map with a clearly visible fullscreen HUD at the bottom. Also, I do not like the music, but I guess that is more of a matter of taste.

 

I agree 100%. Thank you for pointing this out.

 

1 hour ago, JohnnyTheWolf said:

However, I spotted a typo in one of the quit messages:

 

"retreive the ammo from your fallen enemies."

...doh! :P

[Bryan T]

I'm only on map10 but this is brilliant so far.  Lots of 3d floors!  The levels flow really well, promoting run and gun play.  I'm not a huge fan of the music choices but it's not bad.  The music changing mid-level is a nice touch.  UV is a real challenge, I decided to stick with HMP for the time being.

 

Overall, a very advanced mapset showing what can be done with gzdoom.  You did a fantastic job with this.

Edited November 4, 2017 by Rowsol

[Payload4367]

21 hours ago, Rowsol said:

Overall, a very advanced mapset showing what can be done with gzdoom.  You did a fantastic job with this.

Thanks Rowsol, really appreciate you taking the time to play and comment.

[Bryan T]

A bug to report.  In map13 you can only open the red door once.  https://youtu.be/-E6CF1Lc91o?t=38m57s

 

[Payload4367]

7 minutes ago, Rowsol said:

A bug to report.  In map13 you can only open the red door once.

Yeah, the door is scripted to lock you outside and then open again after some time. From your video, I can see how this could be a problem that I didn't consider. I'll assign a repeatable action to that line. Thanks, and great video.

[Payload4367]

I sincerely appreciate the kind words (and criticisms) I have received for this project that I put so much effort into (loved every minute of it). Thank you anyone who has played and/or reviewed it. Almost 300 downloads and counting. Now, on to a follow-up. :) ...if I could only figure out deHacked....and decorate...etc.lol

Edited November 12, 2017 by Payload4367
typo fix

[grrfield]

pity you never joined on the zandronum servers i host (grrfield). We had really fun with your wad. You could have learnt something about your wad and to see people enjoying your creation.

 

but anyway. Happy mapping in the future. Looking forward for other great stuff from you...

 

[Payload4367]

I apologize and, yep, I missed out. Life and stuff... But anyway, thanks for hosting it and I'm glad you had some fun with it. If you can think of any issues or suggestions with the wad, overall, I would still love to hear it. Always want to improve.