zekhmet project - calling bugtesters and FDA folks! (NINE maps done)

[yakfak]

I've provided a new music pack and a resource pack here:

https://www.doomworld.com/applications/core/interface/file/attachment.php?id=82599

 

There's eleven new tunes - let's make maps to go with them! (check this thread for descriptions of them)

the resource pack contains many new amateur textures and flats along with new props and DEHACKED work to alter certain miscellanious behaviours.

There's a text file inside which should be helpful!

 

 

backstory:

Doomguy gets trapped on a world where it's permenantly autumn. A civilization has risen and fallen in secret and he's the first to explore it for centuries. no techbases.

let's brainstorm the specifics!

 

rules and map styles:

let's brainstorm the format we're gonna use but let's just say I don't wanna make something that excludes prboom+ and eternity users

As a player and curator I wanna see maps that are experimental and atmospheric! there's an eleven map limit so don't be afraid to make some bizarro masterpiece - I want your strangest ideas to shine through. if you have off-kilter opinions about how the game should play or how maps should be drawn then I want this to be your blueprint. If you like to make medium maps where you super shotgun your way through about a hundred and thirty acceptably-placed enemies (grounds for automatic refusal!) then team up with someone who might have ideas that clash with yours and see what results. I'm not gonna put up a table that says which map slots have been taken because it ain't that sort of project. Simply choose a tune you like out of the pack and let the music's influence combine with the radical Doom ideas you've been storing up. thank you!

 

MAPS WE HAVE:

https://www.doomworld.com/forum/topic/99910-zekhmet-community-project-lets-map/?do=findComment&comment=1862827

Prickled! by Dobu (uses map04 tune)

https://www.doomworld.com/forum/post/1869954

The world behind your chair by Benjo (uses map06 tune)

https://www.doomworld.com/forum/post/1883435

Palace of darkness by darkmaster (uses map05 tune)

https://www.doomworld.com/forum/post/1883770

Elefunky velvet groove by riderr3 (uses map07 tune)

https://www.doomworld.com/forum/post/1888039

Perplexed! by Dobu (uses map01 tune)

https://www.doomworld.com/forum/post/1921599

Enabler of final darkness by Benjo (uses map09 tune!)

https://www.doomworld.com/forum/post/1946260

Sacrificial Odyssey by NoReason (uses map11 tune)

https://www.doomworld.com/forum/post/2011979

Portrait of Moire's Sister by obake (uses map07's music... or map04's music? giggle)

https://www.doomworld.com/forum/post/2020760

Zekhmet's Gardens by finnthemapmaker (uses map05 tune???)

 

if yer not a mapper but you fancy a sneak preview then spontaneous FDAs and playtests are very welcome!

Edited April 24, 2020 by yakfak

[yakfak]

ps. the pack could still use three autumn skies, I'd prefer them to be made by the community rather than nicked out of hexen.wad, as much as I love hexen lol

we could also talk about what sounds from Doom 2 should be replaced - as I see it we definitely need to find alternatives for the plasma gun firing sound and the boring fffff level architecture moving sound.

Edited March 14, 2018 by yakfak

[Catpho]

The cp idea thread? lol :P

I wanna map for this so BADDDDDD, but i dont know how to map right now and im to busy to learn atm :(

The format should be just mbf btw, lots of compatibility without restricting to much creativity.

Anyway, will keep an eye.

Just eleven maps tho? Where will the others go?

Edited March 14, 2018 by Catpho

[Pegleg]

34 minutes ago, Catpho said:

The cp idea thread? lol :P

...

Just eleven maps tho? Where will the others go?

I suppose @yakfak can either just limit it to the first 11 mappers that want to contribute something, like the E1 Replacement Community Project, or those maps that don't make the final 11 could go in some sort of "Lost Levels of Zekhmet," like the Lost Episodes levels for DTWID.

[Nine Inch Heels]

What's the deadline?

EDIT: Are slaughtermaps allowed?

Edited March 14, 2018 by Nine Inch Heels

[yakfak]

^slaughtermaps are allowed if they're peculiar and i like them (I adore God Machine)

enemyless maps are also allowed if they're peculiar and i like them

you don't have to trouble yourself keeping someone else's skill level in mind

although multiple skill settings would be received gratefully

the deadline is once there's eleven maps I like

ideally each of these maps use a different tune from the pack!

if nothing happens for a while i'll chase people up

anyone can start a map and if I reject it for not suiting the project, well, it's not like the file deletes itself! >:)

Edited March 14, 2018 by yakfak

[Nine Inch Heels]

Okay, that sounds quite alright so far. I'm not sure if I'll be able to get something done fast enough, especially since I have a bit of backlog going, but I'll see if there's a way I can contribute something.

 

As for the 11 map limit, would it really be such a bad idea to have more than 11 maps? I mean, is having the same MIDI twice such a big deal, really? Personally I could imagine it would be interesting to see how different people perceive a tune you made, and how it reflects in their maps. Not to start unnecessary debates about how you want this project done, just thinking out loud here.

[Kaido]

:c

[yakfak]

Just now, Nine Inch Heels said:

As for the 11 map limit, would it really be such a bad idea to have more than 11 maps? I mean, is having the same MIDI twice such a big deal, really? Personally I could imagine it would be interesting to see how different people perceive a tune you made, and how it reflects in their maps. Not to start unnecessary debates about how you want this project done, just thinking out loud here.

 

well, if this project really gets off the ground and receives a lot of good maps I'd certainly find a way to relax the eleven map limit! thanks for teh questions cos they help me arrange it in my own mind too

[rehelekretep]

@yakfak youre a legend. i have never mapped but i am eagerly awaiting the nonsense that comes of this project :D

[Tristan]

Good luck with this, I think the idea of a wad where the music is written first then maps made to match has been around for a long time now but I can't recall such a WAD being made so it's cool to see this happening!

[Uni]

I would like to snoop around that resource pack, looks interesting.

[Fonze]

I may try to make a speedmappy thing for this if I can find the time.

 

<3

[Catpho]

Paging @dobu gabu maru, @Xaser and @NaturalTvventy to this(and possibly @TimeOfDeath666?). Do it :D

[Scypek2]

Pretty cool resource pack, I can see it offering some possiblities! I think I'll try doing something with it. Some thoughts:

 

 - The new blocking objects (the tree and the owl) are pretty short, so you without infinitely tall actors you can just step on them. I guess that's the player's fault for not setting compatibility options, but if they were maybe 25 or 32 units tall, at least it wouldn't be possible to step on them from ground level.

 

 - You gave the gray stalagmite a new life, but you never shared the good news in the text file!

 

 - so, are we just not going to be using the Wolfenstein SS? If you just need some sounds, there's always DSSKLDTH and DSTINK.

 

 - and just a random idea, what about also altering the stats of the stealth monsters in some way? I'd make the stealth hellknight faster and with less health, to make it more dangerous yet give the mapper an excuse to place more of them.

[SleepyVelvet]

oh wow, nice.  I'll definitely put aside some time to make something for this.

[Breezeep]

The textures in here look really interesting and unlike anything I've seen in a doom wad. Might give this a shot, if I'm able to come up with an idea interesting enough to satisfy yak.

[yakfak]

2 hours ago, Scypek2 said:

Pretty cool resource pack, I can see it offering some possiblities! I think I'll try doing something with it. Some thoughts:

 

 - The new blocking objects (the tree and the owl) are pretty short, so you without infinitely tall actors you can just step on them. I guess that's the player's fault for not setting compatibility options, but if they were maybe 25 or 32 units tall, at least it wouldn't be possible to step on them from ground level.

 

 - You gave the gray stalagmite a new life, but you never shared the good news in the text file!

 

 - so, are we just not going to be using the Wolfenstein SS? If you just need some sounds, there's always DSSKLDTH and DSTINK.

 

 - and just a random idea, what about also altering the stats of the stealth monsters in some way? I'd make the stealth hellknight faster and with less health, to make it more dangerous yet give the mapper an excuse to place more of them.

 

hee you can tell I tested this in prboom+ only, I never thought about the idea of players using the props to climb on! that's actually puzzling to me since the stock grey tree and tall green pillar are also height sixteen, don't those block the player in zdoom either?

 

wolfenstein friendo I guess you could but I imagine they make strange owl sounds when they die now lol

or i could make the wolfenstein slot yet another stealth monster with attributes still to be decided upon

i think teh pack is a good starting point though!

 

i know most people won't have started to map yet but here's a general statement: feel free to post your map in stages in this thread, don't have to sit on it til it's done if you don't wanna

[Scypek2]

1 hour ago, yakfak said:

hee you can tell I tested this in prboom+ only, I never thought about the idea of players using the props to climb on! that's actually puzzling to me since the stock grey tree and tall green pillar are also height sixteen, don't those block the player in zdoom either?

 

Oh yeah, ZDoom redefines the heights of all those blocking decorations but doesn't account for people messing with dehacked. I guess you could make a decorate lump with extra definitions specifically to accommodate ZDoomers.

 

Anyway, if you want to see stuff in progress, here's my thing:

888888888888.zip

It's on level 8. Not sure if I can call it "in progress", it's mostly trying out the resources and messing around with ideas, but maybe you'll find it interesting. It's far from what I'd want from a finished map, but I still made it completable.

 

EDIT: I edited a photo I took at the beach. It's unpalettized and stuff but it makes a quirky sky? If we get three other skies it can always be the fourth.

Edited March 14, 2018 by Scypek2

[Memfis]

You should make a GZDoom Builder config. Having to look up object numbers in the text file is not fun.

[Benjogami]

I will try my best.

[yakfak]

10 hours ago, Scypek2 said:

Anyway, if you want to see stuff in progress, here's my thing:

888888888888.zip

 

this is kinda fun :)) like a modern day Nirvana in the way it involves teleporting between short scenarios and running out of ammo

this sort of thing would probably need more involved architecture for me to accept it into teh project but I know you're just trying out ideas at this point

i'll keep the sky in mind too, thanks!

 

ps. i have no idea how to make a GZDB config haha

i'll see if i can work it out

[Obsidian]

Don't suppose we could make this in EE? I've been toying around with it for a little while and it really deserves more love than it's getting.

 

Plus I'd like to see the crazy shit you could do with portals, heh.

[Scypek2]

I thought about making a less techbase-y version of DOORTRAK and the locked door borders, and then got carried away.

newthings.zip

I ended up completely replacing the keycards. Would this make a good addition?

[Xaser]

I wanna see that collage of things added to the resource as a midtexture. 8)

[riderr3]

Cool stuff!
Boom-compatible I suppose? The rules should be more clear list.

[bioshockfan90]

strongly considering turning a *very* recent speedmap layout into something for this project, textures look like a lot of fun. mark me down as a "maybe" please! :)

[yakfak]

@Obsidian: I'm not sure about Eternity, I'd like to hear other mappers' thoughts on it. i certainly want the project to be compatible with Eternity but some of its features seem a little out there :))

@Scypek2: I giggled at the new patches, they are sweet. not gonna mess with the main resource pack until we have a couple of people actively mapping and having opinions on it but thank you for teh enthusiasm so far

@riderr3: well I'm still trying to get people's thoughts on the compatibility but it has to be at least Boom being as there's a BEX patch and .IT music yes

 

Oh! Has anyone met with any problems with the volume of the new music? every time I put a new version of the pack out I made it quieter and quieter

it's still not as quiet as Doom 2 MAP02/12 or anything like that, I just wanna know if it's at a sane level now

 

(I think I'll start a map of my own for this too and post screenshots now and again, but not until I've finished my megaproject map cos the ideas for that are fresh in my mind.)

 

Edited March 16, 2018 by yakfak

[Scypek2]

Yeah, they all seemed pretty quiet to me. I had to lower the non-music sound volume to 75% to hear it properly, and they still sound kinda quiet to me.

[yakfak]

21 hours ago, Scypek2 said:

Yeah, they all seemed pretty quiet to me. I had to lower the non-music sound volume to 75% to hear it properly, and they still sound kinda quiet to me.

how irritating :))

 

do you reckon that's down to zdoom's IT playback peculiarities? in prboom+ with music volume equalling sound volume I think the music is slightly louder than Doom 2's MIDIs, IE you can always hear them unless you're firing the plasma gun or standing next to many arachnotrons. starting to think that this project will have to be aimed at prboom+ cl9 or 11 cos it's hard to get many other people to test the pack, and when they test it it's totally different from what i had wanted!