painloop - Doomworld /idgames database frontend

Title:	painloop
Filename:	levels/doom/p-r/painloop.zip
Size:	1.06 MB
Date:	06/07/24
Author:	slowfade
Description:	An E1 replacement for vanilla Doom 1, centering around a technical gimmick, which actually is just the way the enter-secret-map and exit-secret-map functionalities work in the original game. So, this does not modify any game behavior, and runs in doom.exe and ports that do vanilla. Use complevel 2 if your port allows it. No jumping, no crouching, no freelook -- it is Doom 1! Play on UV, this is designed for that and for that only. Pistol starts possible but not encouraged. You will see why.
Credits:	Almost all graphics from OTEX by ukiro. The few that are not from OTEX are by me. The scrolling messages were made using a C64 bitmap font by Cupid. The map name graphics were made with a Doom text generator by eevee.
Base:	New from scratch
Build time:	About 6 months (not counting the planning)
Editor(s) used:	DBX, Slade
Bugs:	None to my knowledge
Rating:	Log in at the Doomworld forums to comment.

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View painloop.txt

===========================================================================
Advanced engine needed  : No, works in doom.exe and all vanilla-accurate ports
Primary purpose         : Single play
===========================================================================
Title                   : painloop
Filename                : painloop.wad
Release date            : 2023-11-30
Author                  : slowfade
Email Address           : [redacted]
Other Files By Author   : Confusion Constructions (confcons.wad)

Description             : An E1 replacement for vanilla Doom 1, centering around a
                          technical gimmick, which actually is just the way the
                          enter-secret-map and exit-secret-map functionalities work
                          in the original game. So, this does not modify any game
                          behavior, and runs in doom.exe and ports that do vanilla.
                          Use complevel 2 if your port allows it.
                          No jumping, no crouching, no freelook -- it is Doom 1!
                          Play on UV, this is designed for that and for that only.
                          Pistol starts possible but not encouraged. You will see why.

Credits                 : Almost all graphics from OTEX by ukiro. The few that are not
                          from OTEX are by me. The scrolling messages were made using
                          a C64 bitmap font by Cupid. The map name graphics were made
                          with a Doom text generator by eevee.
===========================================================================
* What is included *

New levels              : 9
Sounds                  : No
Music                   : Yes, a bad soundtrack by me; maps and intermission
Graphics                : Yes
Dehacked/BEX Patch      : No
Demos                   : No
Other                   : No
Other files required    : None

* Play Information *

Game                    : Doom
Map #                   : E1M1 - E1M9
Single Player           : Designed for
Cooperative 2-4 Player  : No
Deathmatch 2-4 Player   : No
Other game styles       : None
Difficulty Settings     : Not implemented (but designed for UV)

* Construction *

Base                    : New from scratch
Build Time              : About 6 months (not counting the planning)
Editor(s) used          : DBX, Slade
Known Bugs              : None to my knowledge
May Not Run With        : Should run with everything
Tested With             : doom.exe (1.9), Crispy Doom (5.12.0), Chocolate Doom (3.0.1)

* Copyright / Permissions *

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. To view a
copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

You are free to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.
If you do so, you must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the
license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable
manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your
use. You may not use the material for commercial purposes. If you remix,
transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified
material.

* Where to get the file that this text file describes *

The Usual: ftp://archives.gamers.org/pub/idgames/ and mirrors
===========================================================================

* More Information *

This is a set of maps that utilizes a feature of the original game. Namely, its go-to-secret-map and return-from-secret-map functionalities. It uses
these extensively, creating a game loop where the player needs to return to maps where they have already been and complete them differently in
order to progress. What the player can carry from one map to another (health, armor, ammo) allows them to play the maps differently than they did
before. Nothing in the actual game code is changed/patched, this is utilizing pure vanilla behavior.

The episode is designed so that the player can fail at something, and by just playing more, can eventually reach the same point. Sure, it takes
time and effort, but it is possible, for those who want to experience the game without saving and loading. For those who do not mind saving now and
then, that is advised, because a death-related detour can be gigantic if you are in the last stages of the game...

I agree that this episode is probably too confusing and might not even be fun to play, but it is what it is. The fact that I have included a small
playthrough guide (see below) might be telling enough. In the hands of better mappers this might have become a more engaging episode.

There is no story whatsoever. Just an episode built around a gimmick.

* Playthrough Guide *

If you do not want to know anything, obviously do not read this.

Because of the nature of the mapset, it may seem quite disorienting. It probably is. So here is a step by step guide for beating the episode with optimal
play. Optimal in the sense that the player does not make mistakes. This is how I, who have played these maps again and again, can play this episode.

You will probably want to use saves. If you die during the cycle, all of your progress will restart. You can (and will have to) start again the process
that begins in map 4. If you are within the cycle but not in map 4 (for example, in map 5), you can get to map 4 by taking routes that do not require
anything but a little health. This guide, however, does not consider such situations. This guide tells the overall strategy, but knowing the fine details
is left to you.

Map 1: You begin here. Heed the warning of not wasting bullets. Complete the map. On to map 2.
Map 2: Beat the map. On to map 3.
Map 3: Again, beat the map. On exit, you will be entering the cycle. Exit takes you to a special map, Warp (map 9).
Warp: Collect health. Exit map. Moves you to map 4.
Map 4: Find some health, take the pain elevator, get an ammo clip. Now you should have 60 bullets. Take exit to map 5.
Map 5: Collect health, find exit to map 6. (Or go directly to Warp. But map 6 has some extra health.)
Map 6: Nothing to do yet. Take note of the route needing 61 bullets. Collect health, take exit to Warp.
Warp: Collect health. Exit to map 4.
Map 4: Get health, take the pain elevator, get an ammo clip -- again. Now you should have 70 bullets. Exit to map 5.
Map 5: Collect health if you need to, take the same route as before. Be sure to exit to map 6 this time.
Map 6: Take the route requiring 61 bullets (shoot at the orange panels). Get 200 health and green armor. Exit to map 7.
Map 7: Take a look around and exit to Warp.
Warp: Exit to map 4.
Map 4: Jump into the poison to take the green route. Run and follow the green markings. You should make it to a room where
       you will get 200 health and green armor. Take them and exit to map 5.
Map 5: Take the green route (jump into the poison). Again, run and follow the green markings to get to a room where you will
       get 200 health and green armor. Exit to map 6.
Map 6: Take the pain elevator to the first floor. Get 200 health and blue armor. Exit to Warp.
Warp: Exit to map 4.
Map 4: Take the blue route (again, in the poison). Run and follow the blue markings. Get 200 health and blue armor. Exit to map 5.
Map 5: Take the blue route (poison). Run and follow the blue markings. Get 200 health and blue armor. Exit to map 6.
Map 6: Take the pain elevator to the second floor. Get to exit, where you will get 200 health and blue armor. Exit to map 7.
Map 7: Take the pain elevator down. It takes most of your health and armor. Carefully get to exit. Exit to map 8.
Map 8: Once you are in map 8 it does not matter if you die and have to restart the map. You are out of the loop.
       Complete the map and take the elevator up. Be free, exit to complete the episode.

* Special UV-max rule *

Because of the non-standard way this set is played, UV-maxing is a bit different here. The player must defeat all the monsters in some instance of playing
a map. It does not have to be the last time the player visits a particular map. It can be in midst of the cycle, for instance. As long as it happens
at some point during the run. The maps have no marked secrets, so collecting secrets is not a concern. (And Warp is not a secret map here.) Oh, and
obviously the player should not die anywhere during the run.

Thanks for playing!
--slowfade

mong