[ON HOLD] Depraved: A Doom II Megawad (Updated 2-11-2016)

[Nevander]

Definition - morally corrupt, wicked (adj.)


INTRODUCTION

Depraved is a simple vanilla-styled 32-level megawad for Doom II. One of the primary goals is fast-paced action! At the current time, 7 levels (out of 32) are complete to a state at which I feel they are completely playable and enjoyable (MAP01 to MAP06 and MAP32). I have finished re-designing the original five to my current level of mapping skill, and I'm now working on more maps.

It is designed to run in a limit-removing port (GZDoom recommended to avoid slime trails and for the more extensive features and PNG truecolor support; no vanilla I'm afraid) and it is being designed with non-jumping/crouching gameplay in mind. Jumping and crouching are allowed, but certain maps can be cheated in some places. Keep this in mind while playing. It is compatible with any gameplay mod. You can run it with SmoothDoom or whatever tickles your fancy. Keep in mind however, it was designed for vanilla Doom II gameplay with minimal modifications. It may be unbalanced whilst using other mods which change significant gameplay aspects.

Level design is pretty well detailed and is using the standard Doom II configuration. I have attempted to use UDMF and it was more complicated than I need it to be at this point. Most of what I want to do can be done easily enough with a standard configuration. I may convert to the Hexen format at some point later on down the line if I want to do more cool stuff. I am using Doom Builder 2 and SLADE 3 to create this megawad. The level of detail is simpler than most popular megawads (like Vanguard, Scythe, SoD, WoS, and more). I prefer simple details over overly detailed maps like what you'd see in KDizD. It plays perfectly fine in G/ZDoom. It is not being designed for play in vanilla, so it won't even run now in its current state and won't be tested with vanilla. Sorry vanilla purists!

Gameplay is decently balanced but some sections may be a little too hard/too easy or monster progression too fast, but the community should be the judge. The maps are being balanced as they are developed. When a new map is updated and released, it may very well be unbalanced. Future balancing will of course be made. Multiplayer and cooperative is not supported at this time, but I may come back and add multiple player starts for co-op. I do NOT plan to support versus multiplayer.

The story aspect of the megawad is simple: it takes place during events of both The Ultimate Doom and Doom II. You can read the story so far below. it will eventually feature three main sub-plots and themed areas of the game.

1. The first set takes place on Phobos, much like the original game.
2. The second set is planned to take place on Earth with Doom II-like areas and map design.
3. The final set will be an all-new theme that will feel similar to the original Quake.
4. The first secret level is still a secret, the word is out on MAP32.

THE STORY SO FAR

Life as a marine isn't always that great. You may be able to kick some serious ass, but that doesn't mean you always get to. Assigned to another sector of the Phobos moon base under the thumb of UAC, your new job began here. You were transferred here from Deimos because of a mix up involving a possible security threat. A few scientists had doubts about the inter-dimensional space travel research. You supported them, you got reassigned. Isn't life grand? Guarding a satellite station and communications base wasn't the most enjoyable way to serve the UAC, until...

It was just another day sitting at your guard post, watching the entrance to the secondary hangar complex on Phobos. Suddenly a rumble takes over the ground around you. It felt as if Phobos had just split in two! A radio call comes in from your CO: the base is under attack! Hell is unleashed! Evil has stricken! Your new orders: move your ass and restore communications between Phobos, Deimos, and Mars. It wasn't that boring anymore. It's just too bad you didn't bring your best gear with you that day...

DOWNLOAD (updated 8-1-2017)

Current download: http://www.mediafire.com/file/da22ormzx ... -07-16.zip

MAP32 "The D!ZONE" standalone single-map WAD and resources: http://www.mediafire.com/file/s92by1a24slein7/dzone.zip

Classic Edition (the ancient and bad maps): http://www.mediafire.com/file/6eyoyc31n ... lassic.zip


SCREENSHOTS AND VIDEOS (updated 2-7-2016)

---

MAP01: Phobos Hangar
A secondary hangar facility which is adjunct to the communications base.



MAP02: Dead Reception
Reception area for employees and guards for the communications base with a storage area.



MAP03: Ravine
Surface section that connects the elevator for the communications base reception area to the surface passage.



MAP04: Hybrid Satellite
The satellite station for the communications base.



MAP05: Volt Grid
Power grid substation for the communications base.



MAP06: Barren Pass
Canyon pathway between the power grid substation and military bunker.



MAP32: The D!ZONE
An unknown land in a distant universe no one ever thought they'd lay eyes on.





Album link: http://imgur.com/a/j14r7

Things to come...

CHANGELOG AND UPDATES

---

November 19, 2014

• 5-level beta published and this project thread posted.

April 10, 2015

• Post updated and project resumed (mostly).

May 25, 2015

• Final logo design updated.

August 21, 2015

• Old levels updated, new version released, new screenshots

January 26, 2016

• New version uploaded, MAP06 added, MAP06 screenshots

February 7, 2016

• New version uploaded, MAP32 added, MAP32 screenshots
• Classic Edition added

February 11, 2016

• MAP32 standalone WAD added

CREDITS

---

//--- Level Design
Nevander

//--- Music
James Jimmy Paddock
Gerbs
gaz

//--- Sounds
SRFIRE -Perkristian, id Software
RCFIRE.ogg -Epic Games
BCSHOT.ogg -Unknown, Mechadon
BCFIRE.ogg -Unknown, Mechadon

//--- Graphics
INTERPIC image -LayoutSparks
M_DOOM logo design -CoolText
Ultimate Doom skies -id Software
Wide STBAR sections -id Software
Some weapon flashes -id Software, recolors by Nevander
D!ZONE logo texture -WizardWorks
D!ZONE weapons -ravage, agaures, Blox, osjclatchford, HazeBandicoot, and Raziel236
SKULL1 and SKULL2 -Nevander
STBAR and STARMS -PSX Doom
Various textures -Community Chest 4 texture resources (see cchest4.txt for full credits)

//--- Editors Used
SLADE 3
Doom Builder 2
Doom Writer
MS Paint

//--- Credited Testers
Ixnatiful
Mav3rick
Endless123
Lippeth

//--- Special Thanks
Doomworld Forums
ZDoom Forums
DRDTeam
id Software
Realm667

//--- Other Credits
Inspiration from Ultimate Doom, Quake and Quake II, and Nerve's NRFTL
WizardWorks for the faked D!ZONE screenshots to give me inspiration to make it real
id Software for E1M1's map concept
TinyUpload.com for hosting my files
Imgur.com for hosting my screenshots
Various other WADs for learning DECORATE
Gez for lump advice
NightFright for STBAR help

CONCLUSION AND HOW YOU CAN HELP

Besides simply testing the maps and providing feedback, areas to improve, future suggestions, and bug reports; there are a few other areas the community could assist me. Currently I am still very invested in simply completing the maps themselves. Right now, there isn't much in the way of custom menu graphics and such including the titlepic, interpic, and more. I'd like to replace all of this eventually. I've tried on my own but my attempts have been somewhat ill conceived.

I figure most of it will be easier to make once the overall theme of the project is captured by having most of the maps complete. Music is also another aspect I'd like to have done. I've contacted someone already about this, and we will see how that goes in due time. Please PM me or post in this thread if you could possibly help me with my project in these regards.

Also don't be afraid to open my WAD file and look for specific errors in MAPINFO or any other file. You can tear it to pieces, just as long as I know what could be wrong.

So in conclusion, thank you for checking out my project and I hope you can enjoy it as development continues. Please remember we all have our own lives and schedules, so if the project seems to die off it simply means that I'm busy with other things or life is catching up with me. I am now planning to finish it sometime next year, before 2017 if possible. As of now, the final release date is "when it's done." I hope to continually update this project thread and provide new updates to the mapset when I can.

Enjoy!

[Mav3rick]

Hey im on map 4 and so far i like it
The only problem is that need some more health pick ups and less bonus, fix the enemies, come on level 2 and a baron? if this will be progressive it will need make the monster come as you go deeper, cant have a cyberdemon in level 6 is tooo soon.

Oh and the secret in map 3 at the end... a bonus pick up? lol something better plz

so far look and play good but yeah lower the kind of enemies and will be more fair

[Nevander]

Hey im on map 4 and so far i like it
The only problem is that need some more health pick ups and less bonus, fix the enemies, come on level 2 and a baron? if this will be progressive it will need make the monster come as you go deeper, cant have a cyberdemon in level 6 is tooo soon.

Oh and the secret in map 3 at the end... a bonus pick up? lol something better plz

so far look and play good but yeah lower the kind of enemies and will be more fair

Thank you for the feedback! I shall credit you in future updates for testing and such.

I completely agree with what you have said. Since I only have five maps, the map-to-map balance isn't perfect yet, as you have noted. As I get more maps made, I will go back and re-balance the previous ones. The reason for a Baron on level 2 was because with this megawad, I'm aiming for Plutonia-level difficulty more or less, but I will tweak it out more and more as I go.

The secret on MAP03... well let's just say I did have something better in there, but there is the Megasphere behind yellow key door which most people would get last and be 180-200 HP/Armor at the end. Plus I find secrets like that funny at times like what you'd see in Serious Sam games.

[Lippeth]

The things that I notice right away are the lack of variation with lighting and that almost every tech area is very cramped and uses way too many key cards. The outdoor areas are great and and almost redeem the cramped interior by contrast, and there are some really cool spots set up to fight in like the room with the two Fattys and rocket launcher, as well as that spot with the archvile. There's some very interesting architecture and overall I really enjoyed these levels. I guess my main feedback is that I'd really like to see the indoor tech base areas open up and use way less doors with switches and key cards. Even if you were to simply remove 3/4 of the doors and leave them as archways it would open up the levels exponentially. And my main nitpick other than lighting is that using all the key cards for each level really takes away from the exploration and adventure, because instead of really taking in what the next area has to offer, I see a blue door and immediately switch mental gears to start searching for a key. That's not always a bad thing because it pushes the level forward and gives you a small objective, but when it's overused it can make the level feel too restricted.

All that being said, I really like your style and am very excited for more!

[Endless123]

My only complain about those 5 maps is the lack of enemies. I've played the maps without mod first (which was a good challenge for me at UV - usually the good old "Hit me plenty" is hard enough for me ) but my second playthrough with my predator mod and my 3rd one with Kontra's Aliens UDTC wasn't really hard even at UV. The reason for that is there is not much enemies on each maps and some areas feel empty. Of course you don't have to spam each area with hordes of enemies like in some joke wads but a little more enemies would help enhance the challenge.

Other than that i think the map design is really good and fun to play so keep up the good work

[Nevander]

Houston, we have an update!

There's still only 5 maps but I've finally redone them and improved them all and got it all together. Please let me know how they look in comparison to the old maps. The old maps can still be downloaded. I'll keep that up for now. I'm going to hopefully be working on the rest of the maps now. I've been off and on but I reeeeeaaaally want to finish my megawad. It will take time no doubt, but do remember we all have lives, I think.

[Silentdarkness12]

Sounds interesting, although I might wait until the second episode is done before I give it a genuine playthrough. So is this going to be all tech-base? Or will it be in the Doom 2 format? That being Techbase, then Urban, then Hell?

[Endless123]

Good improvements on each maps. My only complain is there is too many enemies in many areas even at lower difficulty levels.

Other than that it's a really good 5 maps and i can't wait to play more

NOTE : Tested without mods and with my AvP mod.

Keep it up

[Nevander]

Sounds interesting, although I might wait until the second episode is done before I give it a genuine playthrough. So is this going to be all tech-base? Or will it be in the Doom 2 format? That being Techbase, then Urban, then Hell?

First twelve maps will be tech-base/outside areas on Phobos. Maps 13 to 20 will be Doom 2 format. Maps 21 to 30 are Hell type themed, although the style of Hell is going to be quite different and will remind you more of Quake I than Doom's Hell. Both secret maps are going to be very unique, and one for sure is bound to be the favorite level of the whole megawad.

Good improvements on each maps. My only complain is there is too many enemies in many areas even at lower difficulty levels.

Other than that it's a really good 5 maps and i can't wait to play more

NOTE : Tested without mods and with my AvP mod.

Keep it up

Thanks for the feedback. And yes, it may seem like a mini-slaughter map at times on easier settings. Like I said in the OP, as I make more maps, I will go back to older ones every once in a while and re-balance them.

[Endless123]

It's ok don't worry

[Silentdarkness12]

So basically, it will be the old Doom 2 format. Except Quake hell instead of Doom-hell. oki doke.

[Matt]

The final version will have jumping and crouching disabled. It is compatible with ANY gameplay mod.

These two sentences contradict each other.

[Nevander]

The final version will have jumping and crouching disabled. It is compatible with ANY gameplay mod.

These two sentences contradict each other.

How so? Jumping and crouching is completely independent of a mod like SmoothDoom or anything else since jumping and crouching is something that is designed around the maps, not any mod you could choose to play it with.

[Matt]

Any mod with, say, an aerial attack that is typically triggered by jumping, or the ability to brace your weapon against the ground, or starts with a taller player pawn where it is explicitly intended that they'd need to crouch to get through some areas, loses those functionalities.

By design it's easy enough to circumvent, but it is an annoying and unnecessary hindrance.

The mapset itself looks beautiful, but it's better to just jump/crouch-proof any route you don't want the player to take rather than messing with the player's settings.

[Nevander]

Any mod with, say, an aerial attack that is typically triggered by jumping, or the ability to brace your weapon against the ground, or starts with a taller player pawn where it is explicitly intended that they'd need to crouch to get through some areas, loses those functionalities.

By design it's easy enough to circumvent, but it is an annoying and unnecessary hindrance.

The mapset itself looks beautiful, but it's better to just jump/crouch-proof any route you don't want the player to take rather than messing with the player's settings.

I see what you're saying, I will re-word that section in the OP. As for jump/crouch-proofing areas... sometimes if you want a particular map flow but don't want it to be too easy to break a level, you have to keep those disabled in the mapset. I know being able to jump and crouch is nice, but it depends on how you want to build a level. Most areas of my maps can't be skipped with it but there are those areas that can. I'd have to change significant parts of some maps to allow jump. But like you said, it can be circumvented for those who really want to.