(Closed Playtest) Ashes Afterglow- DEFCON 1

[Vostyok]

Sometime in the last century, a one-megaton blast annihilated the city of New York. Subsequent explosions rippled across the globe, triggered by an unknown aggressor. The face and nature of the world was changed forever. Out of the ruins have emerged bizarre and twisted monsters, strange, otherworldly phenomena and a people driven by savagery.

In the desiccated heart of old America, settlements struggle to survive the eerie wastes, mutated lifeforms... and each other.

You are a scavenger. Stalker. Junker. The names are many but the profession remains the same - discover the lost treasures of the old world and get back home in one piece.

But the world before will not easily give up its secrets, and even now new powers are emerging, also keen to claim their share.






What is ASHES: AFTERGLOW?
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Ashes: Afterglow is the belated second episode of the Ashes post-apocalyptic Doom total-conversion.
You can find the previous thread in all it's lengthy glory here:
viewtopic.php?t=47573


The Story So Far
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Following the events of 2063, Afterglow finds the scavenger recovering from the battle within The Spire. Things in The City have taken a turn for the worst, and it looks like you'll be needing to leave town... before they throw you out. Unfortunately, transportation is another issue entirely. You'll need to hurry though. Events have been set in motion that affect the fate of mankind itself. And a mysterious voice from the past returns, promising to remake America... at any cost.

Gameplay Guide

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Difficulty modes:
Ashes uses it's own difficulty settings, giving a choice of different play styles as well as different challenge level.
Easy - Basic beginner setting, but will throw you a curve-ball later on. Reduced enemy numbers, better supplies, normal damage. Good for exploration, touch/vr play.
Normal- Regular difficulty. More enemies but still a decent supply of ammo. Standard HMP difficulty.
Hard - Ultra-violence equivalent. For a populated apocalypse. Enemies come in hordes so be careful with your supplies.
Survival - Special difficulty. Adjusts play for less ammo/more damage. Reduced enemy numbers for a more atmospheric/story based experience.
Survival Hardcore - Same as above, but more enemies. You'll have to really count your rounds or find those secrets to get by here. STALKER-lite experience.
APOCALYPSE - Balance goes out the window. Your enemies are numerous, tough, and hit like trucks. Good thing you got a little more ammo. Action-movie mode.

Scavenging:
Be on the lookout for any supplies. Check in cardboard boxes, trashcans, inside vents, behind corners, hidden behind bookshelves, inside dust bins. You'll never know what you might find.

Mobility and hotkeys:
ASHES takes after Build games or Hexen more than regular Doom. You'll rarely need to make a jump or crouch to finish your mission, but make sure you have those keys bound.
Don't forget to bind a key to both RELOAD, SECONDARY FIRE, and ZOOM. The uses of which are in the equipment guide.
Also, some items can be held and used later. Don't hoard your items. Sell them or use them, you might not get a second chance.

Weapons & Items Guide

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Melee Weapons (1 Key)

Crow-Bar
A hefty length of metal, designed before the collapse for hitting things. A versatile weapon, it can also be used for breaking through obstacles. An iconic badge of the scavenger's profession.
Primary fire is a series of quick, horizontal strikes. Secondary fire is a slower but more powerful vertical strike, perfect for sneak attacks.


Jackhammer
An old, gasoline-powered construction tool. Not exactly practical or sensible in a world with dwindling fuel supplies. Also loud as hell. Still, it is pretty fun though.
Primary fire gives a rapid pounding. Secondary fire charges up a more powerful 'hammer blow'. Both rapidly use up the limited fuel tank.

Pistols and utilities (2 key)

.45 Revolver
Your trusty sidearm. Accurate and with a decent amount of stopping power, with a design that has endured for over 200 years. It won't let you down... unless you forget to reload it.
Primary fire is a single shot. Can be rapidly fired with multiple clicks.


9mm Autoloader
Faster than your revolver, with more rounds in the magazine. It's not quite as precise or powerful, however. Pretty useful if there is nothing else around.
Primary fire shoots one round. More if held down. Simple.


Boot Knife
There's not much more worrying than pulling the trigger and hearing only a click. It's even less fun when there is a slavering mutant up in your grid. Press the bootknife key when using any weapon to quickly teach someone the benefits of personal space. You can even draw your knife if you get caught reloading.


Solar Lantern
Now these things are really useful. They light up the surrounding area with a blue-ish glow. It even recharges itself in sunlight! Careful though, you're not the only fool who can see the light.
Pressing the ZOOM WEAPON key with any pistol or the crow-bar equipped brings up your lantern. When standing in bright sunlight or any UV source, the battery will automatically refill. However, it does make reloading a bit trickier. In 2063, you'll need to find one of these before you can use it. In Afterglow, you'll start with one already in your possession, although it's starting to show it's age a little...

Shotguns (3 key)


Pump-action
Humans and mutants alike all respect the power of a shotgun. With most fights taking place within the cramp quarters of ruins or tunnels, most fighters prefer short barreled, simple designs.
Primary fire triggers a single shot with a tight spread. Secondary fire unleashes a quick melee attack, although not quite as fast as your knife.


Sawed-off
What's better than one barrel? This double-headed hand-cannon is perfect for the closest of close quarters. The wider spread is also great for fast moving or smaller targets.
Primary fire shoots one barrel at a time. If both chambers are loaded, your altfire key shoots off both barrels at once, hitting harder but with a hell of a kick.

Automatics (4 key)

Machine Pistol
Considered excessive even before the war. Amaze your friends as your enemies and ammunition disappear before their very eyes! Uses the same 9mm ammunition as your autoloader.
Primary fire rapidly fires bullets with considerable recoil and violence. Secondary fire overcomes gravity for extra carnage, but makes the weapon even more difficult to control.

Heavy (5 Key)

Master Blaster
What's worse than a mutant with a lead pipe? One with a jury-rigged napalm launcher. Who keeps giving this stuff to them?? Thankfully, you can sometimes find one in your size.
Primary fire launches an explosive glob of fuel that causes severe full-body incineration. Secondary fire is a flamethrower.

Explosives (6 key)

Pipebombs
Home-made explosive devices that pack a serious punch.
Primary fire throws a pipebomb on short, slightly erratic fuse. Hold down primary to throw further - just remember to let go at some point. Secondary fire places them as trip-wire activated traps. Don't worry, most of your enemies are dumb enough that they won't notice them. Just be careful you don't run into one that someone else has placed.
Pro
tip: If you place a pipe-trap, or find one in the wild, press USE on it to disarm and pick it up! Just don't, like, get too close.

Rifles (7 key)

Junker Musket
For the biggest of Big Game. Wasteland gunsmiths often ponder on how best to bring down the worst horrors of the apocalypse. One way is to fire hand-loaded, solid slugs from a long distance.
Primary fire is a single, accurate shot that can down a mutant. Secondary fire zooms in with a scope, if you are lucky enough to have one fitted.


Military Rifle (Afterglow only)
Now we're talking! Military issue weapons may be rare these days, but they offer more firepower, precision and efficiency than any civilian or jury-rigged option. Weapons like these are hard to find and even harder to keep working, but are often seen as symbols of prestige and power among the baddest of the wasteland's warlords.
Primary fire is a burst of three rounds rapid, while tapping primary allows single shots. Secondary fire is... non-existent. At least at first. Maybe you can do something about that...

Super-Heavy Or Jury-rigged (8 key)

?????
Could be a grenade launcher. Could be whatever this thing is. Find the right pieces, and you might even get the chance to make your own unstoppable death-machine.


Twin. 30 cal Machineguns
Fast firing, belt fed, hit like trucks. Can lay down a curtain of deadly accurate fire. The problem is, they weigh a hefty 34lb unloaded - each! So what the hell are you supposed to do with two of them?


Modifications

Workbenches
Not a weapon as such, but the path to a better one. You've learned a thing or two by watching a legendary gunsmith at work. You can now spend scrap at any marked benchspace to improve your weapons in a variety of exciting ways. How? You'll just have to see what you can come up with. Just make sure you can afford it... only the finest junk will do.


Health items include painkillers, food and drink. Painkillers restore health by 15%, up to a maximum of 100. Food and drink boosts your health by 2% per item, over your maximum. Most towns also sell hot meals and cold drinks to replenish health at larger rates. You'll also come across medical kits that can restore 25% of your lost health, and can be carried and used when most needed.


Armor comes in two sizes and protects against damage at a fixed rate. Leather or sports padding grants 100% armor. Larger metal suits give 200% armor. You can also reinforce your armor with scrap pieces for a 2% increase, up to a maximum of 200.


You'll need something to carry all this stuff, right? A backpack will increase the amount of ammunition you can carry at once. In Afterglow, you'll start with a backpack already, but can still collect Duffle Bags of ammo in certain stashes, that will give you a small amount of ammo of every type.


Stims are game-changers. Some regenerate health, some boost your reactions and dexterity, others grant you increased resistance to radiation. In Afterglow, look out for super-rare, super secret stims of military design.
Warning: Side-affects can include dizziness, insomnia, increased appetite, heart palpitations, or a rapidly reduced life-span. At least, that's what the label says.

Afterglow only:

Keep an eye out for super rare items such as collectibles and other goodies. Night Goggles are fabulously rare and expensive, but can turn pitch darkness into a ghostly green. The batteries usually only last a few minutes, so switch them off when you aren't using them.

Mod Kits are a special item, only found in regular Doom or Doom 2 maps. Can't find a workbench in Hell? No problem! Customize your guns on the fly, by picking up one of these. Caution-one use per kit, results may vary, no refunds or exchanges accepted.

Enemies Guide

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Raiders, bandits, gangers. You know them, you hate them. The fraction of humanity who, when faced with a crisis, revert to murder and theft to get what they want. The best thing about fighting other humans is that a gunshot will usually put them down pretty quickly. The worst thing about fighting other humans is they are more than capable of doing the same to you. They usually prefer to pack a mix of pistols and shotguns, and will often run away if a fight looks like it's going badly.

Afterglow only:
Marauders and Bosses lead the larger packs of thugs into battle. They don't scare as easily, and can pack anything from dual revolvers to machine-pistols to assault rifles.


Whatever effect the war had on the world, it is most noticeable in what it has done to human beings.
Cannibals are ruddy skinned monsters with a taste for fresh meat. Much tougher than a human, they can range in size from slightly taller than a man to huge Masters that are more than twice that height. They use whatever they can find as weapons, and almost never flee from a fight.

Some speak of hideous, incredibly rare Warlords that can reach truly enormous sizes, often packing crude but effective weapons of devastating power. Considering how vague these rumors are, they clearly leave few survivors.

Another race of humanoid mutants, known as Trash Hags or Lurkers, can sometimes be found among the junk piles and ruins of the old world. Unrelated to the cannibals, they are sadistic and vicious, fond of both traps and anything that shines. Thankfully, these subterranean horrors rarely venture above-ground.

Afterglow only:
It is becoming clear that we have vastly under-estimated how organized and intelligent the cannibal bands truly are. Larger groups are sometimes seen being led by such hefty creatures as Overseers, who are lucky enough to have been spawned with both brains and brawn. If their human prey puts up enough resistance, they will even sometimes called on the aid of armored Manslayers. Both can be found using powerful and improvised weapons, and take a hell of a lot of firepower to put down.
Finally, if even that isn't enough, the cannibals can call upon Destroyers to hunt down any particularly troublesome threats. If you are unlucky enough to find one of these hideous creatures on your trail, know that you have been marked for death...


It was not only human beings who have been corrupted by the energies unleashed during the collapse. Pit Fiends, otherwise known as "Bug Dogs", are all that remains of domesticated dogs. They move fast, gob chunks of corrosive slime, and can give a really nasty bite. Both humans and mutants often use them as guards or weapons of war, but they have an erratic temperament, and will often turn on their former masters at the slightest provocation.

Gasbags are especially weird. These floating sacs of flesh and air are often content to just hover around aimlessly- until they smell organic matter! When their primitive senses detect possible prey, they charge. Victims are quickly broken down by powerful acids, becoming hosts to the spores of a new generation.
Protip: If you don't fancy using up all your ammo on these things, try sneaking past them!

Afterglow only:
When a spore colony finds enough material in one place, such as a decent sized corpse, they can often reach enormous sizes. Eventually, the entire colony may develop enough power to lift the entire mess off of the ground - corpse and all. At this points, these Gasbag nurseries can take a much more... aggressive role in finding new hosts.
Be especially careful when trudging around in the decaying forests north of the city, you might come across a Matango. Described as a cross between a carnivorous plant and... something else, rumors suggest they are new to the region. They seem to have either been recently introduced, or somehow escaped from whatever lair they evolved within. Neither prospect is an encouraging one.


Some things you might discover out in the wastes defy explanation. Ghostly whispers over the radio, echoing voices, terrifying Rad-Storms. Haunts are one such phenomenon. Most people don't believe in ghosts, but then most people haven't had said ghost try to boil their brains inside their skulls. It's not entirely clear what these things even are. Are they a new kind of mutant, an actual ghost, or something worse?

As you leave the borders of The City and head into the badlands, be prepared to face even stranger and more deadly creatures. Tales abound of horrors unknown in the coastal regions.

One such tale might merely be a rumor, but seems to pop up with alarming frequency all over the region. Mothers can often be heard warning their children to be good, for Laughing Tom will get them if they don't. Perhaps this is merely a folk tale... except that some older scavengers will get extremely quiet and uncomfortable at the mere mention of this name.

Whether this creature actually exists is a mystery, and descriptions of its appearance and abilities vary wildly. Perhaps it is just a story, after all...

Final Warning: Keep an eye out for anything not on this list. The wastes are vast and what is common in one area may be rare in others. There are rumors of powerful new factions arising, though some may be more new than others. Toxic waste pools, poison gas, radiation storms and other environmental effects should also be avoided if at all possible.

Planned Features
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*Expanded enemy roster - Currently there are only a couple of new enemies. Expect more to discover in the final build, with new attacks and some weird new abilities.
*New ways to kill - Find yourself an old Military Rifle, for extra old-world firepower. If that isn't enough, the brave or the foolish might find the parts to build themselves... "The Killer P.I.G".
*Weapon Modifications - Improve your weapons. Most of your weapons can be modified at a workbench or by finding special parts. Two tiers of modifications will be available, and vary widely per weapon - slap on a laser sight, extend the barrel, improve the firing mechanism, fit a suppressor, even find a more efficient way of delivering those pipe bombs! Experiment!
*More Npc's - And most are more animated as well, including new conversation animations. It is planned that almost all of them will be susceptible to gunfire this time, but I'll have to see if it is worth the hassle.
*New soundtrack - As well as a few tracks you may have heard before, John S. Weekley has kindly composed some brand new bangers. The wasteland never sounded so good!
*Improved mechanics - The lantern lasts longer and doesn't flicker anymore. Weapons can be reload-cancelled. Pipe bombs can be placed but now also defused (watch out for a few that you didn't put down!). More things to buy in the shops.
*Improved bike controls - This is heavily work-in-progress. You might find something else to ride as well.
*New locations - Your adventure will take you across an entire chunk of The City, and beyond. Indulge in some Laser-Tag! Watch the big game! Go on a desert safari! Mountain climbing!
*And the feature you have ALL been begging for - I've finally gotten around to making those toilets destructible! With multiple stages of porcelain punishment! Triple-A budget feature!

As promised, the second episode will be taking things much further than before. Please stay tuned for more information on the project and what it will include.

RELEASE DATE- TBC, but aiming for this year

DEMO FILE
Please note - the above demo file is no longer being updated. Many features are missing and several bugs remain. Does not reflect final product.
http://www.mediafire.com/file/adtkm6alr3iyd1m/AfterglowDemo1.zip/file
(requires a copy of Doom2.wad or Freedom2.wad to play. Runs through the GZDOOM port. Tested for version 4.4.2. Will attempt compatibility with LZDOOM.)

Credits included. Many items placeholder. Feedback and criticism welcome. And read the damn instructions

-V

[Vostyok]

THIS POST SEALED UNTIL 2063

[ReformedJoe]

Here's where I'll aggregate stuff from my end of the project.

Here are some other videos:



And some shots of my stuff:

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WIP!

[undeadmonk354]

Brilliant, but I have a question. Does Ashes Afterglow include episode 1 and new graphics for the enemies, including the boss of episode 1?

[Detraumatized]

IT'S HAPPENING.

[Toberone]

Oh man you made the weapons look extra sweet, I can't wait.

[Ferretmanjcdenton]

Having played this in it's current state, I cannot say enough good things about it.

If you liked Ashes episode 1, Afterglow is going to blow your goddamn mind.

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I may be slightly biased since I'm helping with the project
I put these up in the last thread, and they're a little out of date, but here's a snippet of what I've been working on for Afterglow:
WIP!

You played it already??
How ?

I want too

[Ferretmanjcdenton]

This is one of the most amazing mods ever created

I am so ABSOLUT in Love with everything end time or apocalypse related ..zombies ,nuclear war aso...

I read hundreds of books ,play and played hundreds of games and I can't get enough of this shit ...

Pleaaaaaase more

[CyberneticPhantom]

Oh hell yes, this looks so sick I can't wait to get my hands on it. Been following this for a while now and the wait for episode two is almost over!

[Captain J]

Alright, let me put my sunglasses on, bring some popcorn, sit down and then wait for the flash.

[Jarewill]

Spare gas mask filters, check. A few doses of antirad, check. Enough ammunition to take down a Master, check.
I don't think I can be any more ready.
Time to sit back, relax, inhale some radioactive air, and wait to smell the Ashes.

[camper]

The video looks more gray and darker than in the first part, which is great!
Dreaming of a sad acid rain...

[Pachira]

Hell yeah, can't wait to be a Wasteland Gunsmith!

[Vostyok]

Brilliant, but I have a question. Does Ashes Afterglow include episode 1 and new graphics for the enemies, including the boss of episode 1?

They will be separate downloads. I'm planning to update the original episode with some of the improvements made during Episode 2. I'll try to release that 'Remaster' just before the second episode is uploaded.


And thank you for all the comments
This mod has driven me mad, but I am determined to finish it. I'll upload some more info soon.

[pagb666]

Yay! Can't wait!