[Projects] C!: HoA + Heretical Beta, testers needed!

[Snarboo]

Hola there! After a bit of thinking, I've decided to change some things with HOA. I'll lay out the reasons below.

After working on the weapons portion of this mod, I decided I wanted to rename the project. Commandos!, for those that don't know, was an old EGDE mod I made. The idea was to create a set of new weapons for Doom that felt more like something that a Commando would use, while still feeling a bit vanilla. The weapons included silenced micro smgs and a tactical nuke launcher with mounted miniguns. It was a bit wild and is pretty dated, but it was a lot of fun.

Ever since then, I've been wanting to return to that. I thought about it, and I decided to rechristen the project. The weapons mod side of the project will simply be known as Commandos!, for now, while the level side of it will be Commandos!: Halls of Albion. There are some big changes that come with this.

First, the project is no longer collaborative. I apologize to those that were making maps for this, but I decided I would rather do this alone. If you still want to make maps, however, wait until I finish the weapons mod portion. I'm going to change and enhance some things, such as default monster behavior, and add new monsters. Second, it will no longer be a hub, but rather a few linear maps tied together with a loose plot. Think of it as a "mission pack" showing off the weapons and features. It will still be for GZDoom.

Right now the weapons mod portion is about 50% complete. It has almost all the new weapons, barring the ultimate weapon and the chainsaw replacement. The other half will be monster enhancements. If all goes well, I'm going to release the weapons portion of this when finished for people to try out.

Until then folks!

Update:
Posted information on Heretical. See last few posts for details.

I could really use some testers for this mod and the Commandos! weapons mod, so please post!

Beta Download:
Heretical - Latest Beta

[Snarboo]

The project name has been changed to Halls of Albyon to avoid confusion with the game Albion.

Screenshots of the hub have been added to the first post. The layout is very close to how it appeared in my dream even though it's rather preliminary. It needs a bit more detail and custom textures to finish it off.

[Onslaught Six]

I might be interested in this. What're the four levels like?

[Snarboo]

Pretty much any theme the author wants for their level! There will be a screencap texture in the main hub so people can see what the maps looks like. Currently there are placeholder textures where I plan to put the screencaps. I'm going to start work on my map to give other authors a good idea of what to expect.

I need to move the map over to Doom in Hexen format using Doom Builder. I'm currently using Slade but I don't know if it has that option. I tried moving it over to GZDoom but it complains that there is no behaviour lump(?) I'm not as comfortable with DB as I am with Slade but dem's da breaks.

The hub map has been updated with a set of custom textures I've chosen. I'm currently doing it the old fashioned way with a texture1 lump, but I'm going to read up on how GZDoom uses custom textures. You don't have to use them, but they are in the wad. I've also started work on the quadruple-barreled shotgun. It looks ridiculous but should be totally fun.

Screens of the updated hub coming in just a second.

[Onslaught Six]

Pretty much any theme the author wants for their level! There will be a screencap texture in the main hub so people can see what the maps looks like. Currently there are placeholder textures where I plan to put the screencaps. I'm going to start work on my map to give other authors a good idea of what to expect.

Then I may or may not be in, depending on if I get some ideas and decide to start up on this.

You actually wouldn't need to use screencaps of the levels as textures in the hub, though--you could just as easily duplicate the initial room of the map on the hub map, and then put a camera there instead.

The hub map has been updated with a set of custom textures I've chosen. I'm currently doing it the old fashioned way with a texture1 lump, but I'm going to read up on how GZDoom uses custom textures.

Put the textures between two lumps: TX_START and TX_END. Seriously, that's all you need to do, and then ZDoom will wise up and do the rest for you.

Traditionally, flats would work differently, but ZDoom doesn't recognize the difference anymore so you can just throw those in with the textures too.

[Snarboo]

Then I may or may not be in, depending on if I get some ideas and decide to start up on this.

A basic theme I was going with was a hellish take on something ordinary. My map is going to be a hellish factory. You could then go with anything from there, such as a hellish aquaduct.

You actually wouldn't need to use screencaps of the levels as textures in the hub, though--you could just as easily duplicate the initial room of the map on the hub map, and then put a camera there instead.

I thought of that but I'm completely new to mapping for GZDoom so I'll have to pick it up. Thanks though. :D

Put the textures between two lumps: TX_START and TX_END. Seriously, that's all you need to do, and then ZDoom will wise up and do the rest for you.

Yeah, I looked it up real quick. I'm not sure if Slade will recognize it, so I'm probably going to have to give DB a go.

[Onslaught Six]

Then I may or may not be in, depending on if I get some ideas and decide to start up on this.

A basic theme I was going with was a hellish take on something ordinary. My map is going to be a hellish factory. You could then go with anything from there, such as a hellish aquaduct.

Ehh. I tend to lean more towards E1/techbase crap, although I've been meaning to do some hell stuff. We'll See.

I thought of that but I'm completely new to mapping for GZDoom so I'll have to pick it up. Thanks though.

S'really not that hard. Eheh.

Yeah, I looked it up real quick. I'm not sure if Slade will recognize it, so I'm probably going to have to give DB a go.

It should, but if it doesn't, ditch the newbie and go to DB--it's what I use, and it's the best Doom editor I've 'ever' used. (I tried to use DeepSea a few years ago. I had nightmares for weeks.)

[Snarboo]

After a couple hours of work I was able to get Slade to work with the TX lump. It took a lot of dirty work retexturing the map and making sure everything worked, but I can finally start this project the right way. :D

Screenies still coming. :3

Edit:
Started on the quadruple-barrel last night and I now have a few frames. Here's the idle at 2x size:

---

I know it's just the super-shotgun with a second set of barrels pasted on, but it's the best I can do for now. The animations I'm making for it should give it a bit more oomph and it's going to be a lot of fun to use. :)

[Snarboo]

The first post has been updated with screenies from the updated Hub. It now includes a sexy skybox (courtesy of Problem Child from the skybox thread) and a bunch of custom textures. I almost want to consider Paul an honorary member of the project given how many textures I've taken from his Corporation packs. :D

Also showing off some screenies of the hub entrance to level 3:

---

A nice view from just outside the door


Where does the exit leave? Nowhere for now

That should give you a good idea of the theme I'm going for with my map. I'm half tempted to make the player have to turn the pipe wheel to open up the exit, but that's currently not implemented.

[Onslaught Six]

I know it's just the super-shotgun with a second set of barrels pasted on, but it's the best I can do for now. The animations I'm making for it should give it a bit more oomph and it's going to be a lot of fun to use.

At first look, I actually couldn't even tell it was supposed to be quad-barreled. What stood out to me was the awesome new wood stock--that's seriously kickass, and I'd totally use it for my Currently Untitled In-Progress Weapons Mod with a different set of barrels for the SSG.

[Tormentor667]

Nice stuff so far Keep it up

[CaptainToenail]

Nice! I always liked the quadbarrel shotgun from Chaos Mod, keep up the good work!

[Snarboo]

Thanks guys. :) I'm currently working on getting some of the weapons in the mod and starting work on level 3. More to come soonish.

[Nightmare Doom]

After a couple hours of work I was able to get Slade to work with the TX lump. It took a lot of dirty work retexturing the map and making sure everything worked, but I can finally start this project the right way.

Screenies still coming. :3

Edit:
Started on the quadruple-barrel last night and I now have a few frames. Here's the idle at 2x size:

---

I know it's just the super-shotgun with a second set of barrels pasted on, but it's the best I can do for now. The animations I'm making for it should give it a bit more oomph and it's going to be a lot of fun to use.

Maybe you could do a PSX Final Doom version of that quadruple-barrel which can be found in this thread...

[Snarboo]

I thought about that, actually. I don't think I'm going to use that for the main mod, but I might make a seperate version.