Iacobus

@Walter confetti you forgot to swap the map tittles for the intermission screen on E4M5 and E4M7 (Edit: the strings in the DEHACKED aswell)

@Walter confetti the map included in the wad is the 1st version I made before all the feedback you guys gave me. Here is the most up to date version th128_beta_v1_12.zip Here are also 2 more variations of the CREDIT screen using the image posted by @NeedHealth. I can improve it and make the image sharper if you guys want to use it.

Thanks for the info and for the bump, @Capellan! The ogg was just a conversion from the original MIDI with a custom soundfont, I even mentioned it in the text to avoid rejection. I figured not everyone uses soundfonts and I wanted it sounding even for every player. The wad from the screenshot ended up getting uploaded, it was the first attempt that got rejected due to lots of junk files remaining from the original IWAD that at the time I didn't know could/should be deleted.

Always on and often louder than the in-game sounds. That's what gets me pumped to blast some demons in the first place and I can't help myself but instinctively gravitate towards wads with good soundtracks. Also, wads with bad/lacking/stock music makes me naturally more observant and overly critical of the gameplay itself.

Since I got my hands dirty again while mapping for the 128kb community project, I figure I'd go back to my first map and make it limit-removing instead of GZDoom only and polish a few things I wasn't happy about after the first pass. -

It`s actually quite trivial to do the puzzle on the automap, since it shows sector changes at the press of a switch, I even thought that was the intended way of solving it! Apart from the secret Chaingun, which feels mandatory for the good flow of the map, the only issue I found was that sometimes (happened twice for me) the Cacodemon uses the teleporter and gets stuck behind it in the crusher room. Just adding the tag `block monsters` to the teleporter can solve it. demo_infwharf.zip

I thought of that aswell but I thought people would just get upset with the idea. I even had a name and a banner in mind for the thread lol

The maps are fairly detailed and the ambushes well tought out, specially for being first time maps, but apart from the very first room and the last one in Map02, all rooms are in the same plane, making the maps look and the combat feels very flat. Adding height variation to your maps not only enhances them aesthetically, but makes combat more interesting and dynamic aswell. Also, adding loopbacks helps a lot with the flow of the map, to avoid repeating the <enter room> <grab key/press switch> <exit room> routine and give the player more options.

I merged your midi with Doomkid's and remaped some instruments to cut off a little of the edge of the synth bass and add that twang in the intro of yours that is missing from Doomkid's. As for the map, for the layout I changed one side to remove the symmetry, added pillars for cover, removed the doors, added some scape/chasing routes that also add some height variation, breaking that long corridor and connecting back to the main hub, changed the lift to fast and added a linedef trigger to lower it even faster. Basicaly you want the map to flow fast and smoothly and to give options for the player rather than just in and out of a room. You also don't want all your spawnpoints near each other, otherwise someone with a good weapon can just camp there and pick everyone off easily. Feel free to build off of that or take as inspiration to make changes. Also, watch that video posted by Dylan, it's pretty good! I found a BSP tear on the ceiling and a torch I forgot to raise, here's the v2 and the edited midi that I used. Deathmatch_v2.zip

Try this: Deathmatch2.zip Item placement and start points need to be tweaked still.

There're 2 potential softlocks in the map. If you decide to go back to the room with the first Cyberdemon you'll get stuck. I'm not familiar with UDMF but the linedef should be W1 instead of WR. I couldn't find a way back to the exit after jumping off from the ledge you're teleported in (to check the rest of the map). I also found no use for the Yellow Key. On top of all that, I'm disappointed I had to use the BFG to kill the Cyberdemons, I was expecting some finger action since you claimed it was a faithful recreation. It's also worth mentioning what port you tested and designed it for in the OP.

Here's one more for the pile lol Category : 1 Difficulty : UV Death : Map03 Time : 25:50 Kills : 48 Port : GlBoom+ fda_Tyrant_01.zip

Presentation - It's the difference between "look what I did in the editor, tell me how good it is" and "I'm here to offer you a solid experience", and I'm not referring to 'my first wads' specificaly. You can tell how much effort and passion the person put into the project just by the way it is presented in the forum thread. Not all well presented projects turn out to be great but all great projects tend to be well presented. It doesn't affect gameplay directly but surely can help setting the mood and willingness of the player towards it. Does it have custom tittle screen, custom music? What the first room looks like? These all give you a cue on how experient the author is and help buliding trust in their design skills right way. Cohesion - Anything that feels off sticks like a sore thumb, glues onto the player's mind and have a lasting effect during gameplay and afterwards on the judgement the player will make of the map. It goes from aesthetics and use of sounds/music/assets to gameplay. Something simple and totally vanilla can have a lot of charm and appeal, the mapper has to actually put a lot of effort into making something ugly, annoying, off-putting or unsettling in a bad way. When it comes to gameplay, it involves anything that hinders progress or confuses the player for lack of communication or breking rules previously set, pointless rooms or combat setups that don't lead to progress and are there just to punish or confuse the player, etc . Gameplay - It's a mix of layout progression and combat. Dull combat dumbs down the whole experience no matter how good the layout is and a confusing/flat/cramped/empty/too-long-for-its-own-sake layout can make combat feel like chore and grindy even when monster placement is well thought out. Clear goals with variety in combat and interesting layouts is what in general keeps players on their toes with a high level of engagement and a good feeling of progression. In short, a good presentation helps to drag attention to the project, allows the players to know what they're in for, and shows the amount of care and thought the author put into it. A cohesive experience helps keeping the player engaged and in the zone, without getting lost or stuck. A well matched layout/combat combo with clear goals is the bottomline to offer a decent gameplay experience and a rewarding sense of progression to keep the player interested.

I'm not that great with compliments, not because I'm incapable of acknowledging talent and a well done job, which's the case here, but because my mind always go towards self-improvement and constructive criticsm. Well, let's say your style of mapping is exactly what I'm striving for. The use of texture, the intricacy of the layout, the use of space, the visual composition of each area, the way combat flows naturally and don't feel overly scripted. Everything feels it belongs to where it is. I wish I had left a comment when you posted the first version, but I was kinda burn out by the type of interaction you commonly get on gaming forums. I know from what I've seen from you so far that you wouldn't mind at all whatever I had to say, you're experienced enough to know well your craft, I just didn't feel like posting too much. Skipping all the praises, here are some of my thoughts while playing that I thought were worth mentioning: - I had no issues with progression and the only time I got stuck was because I didn't pay attention to the wall openning behind me. I ended up finding the secret right way and it took my attention away from it, as you can see in the first FDA I sent. - It might be just a matter of playstyle and a design choice, but I tend to seek cover and cheap enemies down from a distance until I learn the map and am aware of how far I can push. I was rewarded every instance where I played safe and was punished everytime I tried to be ballsy and in no moment I felt pushed into combat. - I felt the battle on the last stretch intuitively easy to avoid, given the proximity of the switch to the exit area, the fact you are teleported right next to it and there're only 2 Imps guarding it on UV. Both points about combat here though are mere observations and by no means I see these as issues in need of addressing, the combat is very enjoyable as it is. I always assume these visuals glitches are on my end, but at least for me the pit that raises with monsters on the left after you flip the switch has only backwall textures and it's possible to reach it before it's fully raised. I found this issue while trying to speedrun the map after the FDA, but it's quite possible players will run into it naturally while playing for a second or 3rd time, specially on lower difficulties. Other than that, teach me your ways :p Edit: Almost forgot the FDA of the new version 128KB_CH_03_fda_v2.zip

It is precisely the level of intricacy/connectivity of the layout that dictates the overall pacing and flow of the map, what type of combat certain areas will have and what gives the main distinction from a map to another, keeping things fresh and interesting. Form IS function. Detailing is an afterthought once you have a 'functional form', usually to convey a theme and set the mood for the player. Watching videos like @HAK3180's can give a lot of insight on what makes DOOM combat fun and be aware of other perople's playstyles and there're tons of content about level design in general regarding layouts and how to keep them varied and interesting to explore and advance through. Since creative flow is something that varies from person to person, it is impossible to create a 'recipe' for map making that suits everyone. 3 things I find extremely usefull though is always have combat and progression in mind when designing layouts, run through the map without monsters a couple times to test the overall flow, and feedback, lots and lots of them.

Name: Unearthed Wrath Slot: E4M7 Difficulty settings: HMP, UV Tested with: PrBoom, PrBoom+, GzDoom, Crispy Doom (crashes on Chocolate Doom) Download: th128_beta_v1_12.zip This is the beta version for playtest until close to the deadline. I'm quite pleased with the core gameplay, flow and layout and would like to thank those who offered suggestions and sent FDAs, specially BoxY, that for staying on my case ended up rubbing a bit of his slaughter appreciation into this map, with monster count increasing 1.5x. For the final version I'll be finishing texturing, implementing all difficulty settings, balancing ammo for all of them, adjusting all things placement where needed (I might replace a few monsters with Warimps), as well as any eventual bug fix. I'd really appreciate if @Walter confetti could at any time provide a FDA on HMP for me to compare with the previous one to help balancing ammo/monsters/difficulty for the final version on this setting. Here are all the FDAs I haven't yet posted, @Roebloz, @Fryuko, @Super Mighty G, @DynamiteKaitorn, @Walter confetti, @Chris Hansen, @Weird Sandwich. The blind runs are tagged as FDA and the second runs as 2nd. 128k_fda.zip