Doomworld Maximum Project 2024

On 1/8/2024 at 10:05 PM, AnArchaicApparatus said:

'Got a notification from Stochastic commenting in here (You only started mapping last year? Good stuff.)

 

Sign me up! My level shouldn't take too much time, since I'm using stuff I worked on from years ago as prefabs to give the Warrens treatment (and make it up to par with what I like to make/play nowadays, and make something I wouldn't think of today or back then alone.)

 

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Idk if this would land in the ZDoom category or not, but given that DSDA recently got UDMF support, I thought I may as well resurrect some Threshold of Pain and PSX inspired stuff I was working on almost a decade ago (as a teenager) but didn't finish because... uhh... I didn't finish anything back then, and am still kinda struggling to finish something I started a year later from then that grew out of control, and am working off/on on it.

 

Anyways, the current map is a combination of two separate PSX inspired levels from different WADs - which I plan to release unmodified as a bonus when/if I get this frankenmap ALIIIIIVVVEEE!!!! Here's a few unsorted notes about whatevers:

- Both of these WADs had snatched PSX sounds and a bit of basic dehacked, which are obviously not gonna be in the final compilation level

- Both WADs also had custom textures which were mostly uncredited Skulltag.pk3/IWAD textures that I added sharpening to, so the ones that were basically just IWAD textures (or are easily replaced again w' stock) have been replaced, and any useful textures that I would rather not lose entirely are gonna be replaced, probably with stuff that I re-crap-out myself for a good bit of them. This way my level fits a bit better w' everyone elses visually, and it doesn't hog space needlessly.

- Since it was PSX music for the levels, obviously that's either pushing or beyond the 2mb limit, so I'm making my own custom MIDI in its place, which is turning out to fit much better.

- Don't expect that many ZDoom-isms.

  > I don't plan on using that much decorate assets if at all, but if I do it'll probably be Nihility esque ambient sounds and some other similar non-gameplay-altering stuff, and see what I can do with default monsters and weapons.

  > I almost always use an old version of Zandronum from about a year since I worked on the original WADs for playing anything, but I plan to test this in DSDA if I can. There's still gonna be 3D floors and stuff since that was in the levels I made initially, but I'm still trying to make it work w' infinite height monsters and so on.

- I'm not really changing that many geometric or visual things that were already unless it's stuff that's needed to make the levels work together/as a final piece, or if something's otherwise new.

- I'm not sure if this idea was or wasn't kinda jumpstarted by Hebonkys new level or not (go check it out btw,) or if it's just from the kind of design gameplay style I've been working towards in my currently-private-playtesting-only work, (still go check out Hebonkys thing,) but here's my current plan for how I'm reworking this into:

 

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        I think both the levels are surprisingly good on their own, and even though I'm getting a nack for harder stuff now I still have a really squishy soft spot for low-tier DOOM 1 leaning quick-snack combat, so I'm not really gonna change much of what's there in the pre-made sections other than maybe adding a few more dangerous monsters and so on.

 

        However, with the yellow card being visible pretty early, and the yellow door leading to what was gonna be the exit, my new plan is to have the RedemptionDenied.wad chunk (circled in green below) be a completely optional, but very, very helpful side-section. A lot of useful resources and weapons are gonna be down there, though stuff like the Rocket Launcher and Plasma Rifle will be accessible later, though with less options being presented and overall more challenge.

 

        After what is now the exit, I'ma have that lead to an entirely new section, with challenge fights, probably combat puzzles, and a lot of higher-tier guys; In other words, a massive spike in combat style for the rest of the level. Not impossible by any means w'out the extra resources, but would need more cautious play and resource management.

 

 

EDIT: I said in the above bit that I'd aim for UDMF support in the level and related stuff... yeah the DSDA UDMF support ain't there yet lol. Gonna just ignore it from now on and keep on with ZDoom testing and keep some of the quirks.

 

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I have good news and bad news on my map.

Good news: The map is getting some pretty good progress, and just needs a few more relatively simple areas & doing finishing touches on a few of the current last areas.

Bad news: Even though it's a pretty low-detail level map, and the resources are pretty sparse and don't take up much room, turns out I'm just fucked unless I for some reason am bestowed an exception to the 2mb rule, or waste a bunch of time having to learn basic ACS and painstakingly recoloring each sector that way to keep the PSX effect (which it looks like I'm gonna have to do.) I didn't check the file size the whole time working on this, and apparently either UDMF maps bloat the file size a stupid amount, or I somehow did something that screwed it up royally.

Anyways yeah I'ma probably do that last thing - if not now, then later after I got the map ready for playtesting in UDMF. I was having such a good time too, sheesh.

TLDR: Uhhh I guess dont use UDMF format for ya maps if ya have a tight file-size budget.

Next time I post in here will likely be the initial release candidate/playtesting majig.