[RELEASE 1+] That Amazing Space Amazon... (by RSL)

[Ed the Bat]

The idgames version (and by extension, the pilot release) contains several different files. Loading them in different combinations provides a custom configuration (to a point) of TASA. Each configuration had a different player class, with distinct name, graphics, etc. (In some cases, two classes), so what I did essentially amounts to making these choices available to the user via in-game menus (character class, options menu CVARs...), so everything can be run from one package, and the need to unpack and swap around files at loadtime is eliminated.

Quick fun fact: I was almost done with my work, before going to check if I was using the latest official build of TASA. Turned out I was using the launch version, not the final (idgames) version, so I went back over and squeezed all the new stuff in. I believe this was the cause of my error with the HUD sprites for the Valkyrie.

The Footnotes section of the readme text provides the nitty-gritty to how these choices were set, before I repacked everything:

---

Footnotes:

(1) The suggested commandline for launching the modification is the following one
(assumes that the modification has been decompressed in subdirectory 'RSL' of your (G)ZDOOM directory):

(g)zdoom.exe -iwad <IWAD_PATH>\<IWAD_FILE> -file <CUSTOM_LEVEL_PATHNAME> RSL\rslamaze.pk3

(if under GZDOOM, add option '+gl_nogl 1' to disable hardware rendering)

>>> enables Sheila Doe, T H E S P A C E A M A Z O N V 2 (full arsenal of 7 weapons)

(2) Do not forget to bind a key for MechSuit-ejection under 'Options > Customize Controls'
in (G)ZDOOM.

(3) Similarly, you might want to bind a key to toggle automatic 'Hydra' rearming after fire, always
under 'Options > Customize Controls' in (G)ZDOOM.

(4) If the provided special effects happen to excessively tax your system resources,
use the following commandline to enable a lighter explosive barrel / teleportation effect /
gore system in place of the default ones:

(g)zdoom.exe -iwad <IWAD_PATH>\<IWAD_FILE> -file <CUSTOM_LEVEL_PATHNAME> RSL\rslamaze.pk3
RSL\FXTamer\rslamaze-FXTamer.wad

(5) If a reduced set without the starting 'Unicorn' rifle is preferred, extract 'rslabase.wad' and 'rslamaze.wad'
from the .PK3 package and adopt the following commandline:

(g)zdoom.exe -iwad <IWAD_PATH>\<IWAD_FILE> -file <CUSTOM_LEVEL_PATHNAME> RSL\rslabase.wad RSL\rslamaze.wad

>>> enables Constance/Anna Lingus, T H E S P A C E A M A Z O N (arsenal of 6 weapons)
or Tomaza Turbado, T H E S P A C E P I R A T E S S (faster and fragile)

(6) If the base set only is to be used together with its own coordinated HUD sprites,
extract 'rslabase.wad' from the .PK3 package and adopt the following commandline:

(g)zdoom.exe -iwad <IWAD_PATH>\<IWAD_FILE> -file <CUSTOM_LEVEL_PATHNAME> RSL\rslabase.wad

>>> enables Peta Röthen-Köhl, T H E S P A C E V A L K Y R I E (arsenal minimally reduced to 4 weapons)
or Maria Tihocan, T H E S P A C E H U N T R E S S (slower and resilient)

(7) To obtain the complete set of weapons and/or carriable items for quicktesting
without breaking the weapon set at your disposal, type 'rsl' in the console.

(8) The modification is compatible with the following IWADs: The Ultimate DOOM, DOOM 2, Final DOOM.

[rsl]

The DECORATE-esque dissertation between the two of you was very interesting.
In this connection, if Ed the Bat determines that a few cuts have to be done on certain parts to improve performance, I'd say: go absolutely ahead

As for the classes cut, no problem anyway - the more you can keep, the better!
The only thing I'd still fell suggesting, would be to have the class selection screen skipped (with classes still switchable through the dedicated "Player Options" menu), and the player defaulting to AmazonV2. What do you think

I also have to correct myself on the 'Hydra' bug - ammo consumption does not really matter here.
What I actually experience with the weapon, is that after I fire a single shot, another left click does not trigger the pumping animation, but instead causes the weapon to fire again immediately. Could it be related to management of the 'Automatic Hydra rearming' part?

As for the multitude of TASA files I admit I ended going a bit overboard with that. But it was fun experimenting with many 'styles' and wacky names, and combining them together. And I probably wouldn't have had Ed the Bat joining for the fixes otherwise!

As soon as I get back home today, I'll be happy to try your latest build!

[Ed the Bat]

I think I may go with Vaecrius' suggestion and trim down the blood actors. I'll play around with that tomorrow afternoon.

I suppose the class menu could be skipped, but personally, I would vote to keep it. Setting classes in the options menu gets a little finicky sometimes, for some reason...

What you're seeing with the Hydra is, indeed, linked to the Automatic Rearming. It only occurs when it's off (I had it on, and didn't notice), and is most definitely unintended. I must've made a mistake. I'll fix that tomorrow when I'm working on this.

Even though I didn't make the many classes, I feel like what I did was 'unlock' them, especially for those who may not have even realized how much was in there, so I'm still quite happy with what I did. In fact, my first time through, I hadn't noticed all of the subtle nuances, such as different skin tones on their hands, and so I then did a little DECORATE trickery on the weapons so that they reflect their owners properly.

Also, I just remembered there was one thing I meant to implement but forgot to: the way the hostage marines get rescued could use some tweaking. As it is now, it looks like they're being killed when rescued (as they grunt and bleed), and indeed it injures them so that a fatal attack will kill them more easily if they've been partially untied. Likewise, literally injuring them (without killing them) brings them closer to being untied. I already have some ideas in mind to make this a little more believable, so I'll get to that tomorrow too.

[rsl]

I suppose the class menu could be skipped, but personally, I would vote to keep it. (...) Even though I didn't make the many classes, I feel like what I did was 'unlock' them, especially for those who may not have even realized how much was in there, so I'm still quite happy with what I did.

Absolutely agree! As a last nitpick of mine, if only you could render their names with a smaller font, that'd be really perfect.

In fact, my first time through, I hadn't noticed all of the subtle nuances, such as different skin tones on their hands, and so I then did a little DECORATE trickery on the weapons so that they reflect their owners properly.

Hmmm, this sounds really cool! I need to try that, I was such in a hurry that I hadn't the time to appreciate this feat.

Also, I just remembered there was one thing I meant to implement but forgot to: the way the hostage marines get rescued could use some tweaking. As it is now, it looks like they're being killed when rescued (as they grunt and bleed), and indeed it injures them so that a fatal attack will kill them more easily if they've been partially untied. Likewise, literally injuring them (without killing them) brings them closer to being untied. I already have some ideas in mind to make this a little more believable, so I'll get to that tomorrow too.

<becomes curious>

[Matt]

The class menu looks exactly as you would expect for a ZDoom mod and I think it'll slow people down even further by not letting them rely on usual expectations. Make the Amazon the default and it's just one more mash of the Enter key before the game starts.

[Ed the Bat]

I've updated my link with a few changes. Following Vaecrius' lead, I've changed up most Zygo blood actors with SonicLite actors, and performance seems significantly better without harming the visuals too much, as far as I can tell. There's still plenty of room to play with this, though, if anyone has input/suggestions.

I also rearranged the order of the classes, so more 'advanced' classes are higher on the list, with Sheila Doe (Amazon V2) at the top. As Vaecrius said there, though, the layout of the menu is fairly fixed. The only real control we'd have over that font is if we chose to replace the whole BIGFONT (do I have the right name?) with something more elegant, which is certainly possible, but would change all of the menus. Small side note: the text in the New Player menu does change to a smaller font if there are 8 or more choices (including Random), but not with fewer, and it also removes the player portraits, to my disappointment.

I believe I've fixed the Hydra bug, and also went ahead and provided similar code updates to the rest of the weapons, to be safe. I also implemented the system I mentioned for rescuing a hostage marine. It uses an inventory check to let him loose when he's been hit with the equivalent of 300 damage from the tazer, except it's not actually hurting him; it uses its own counter. Now, his injuries no longer affect how close to being untied he is, and vice versa. He also no longer cries in pain when being tazed, and I went ahead and made the tazer a bloodless attack, so he (and all monsters, for that matter) won't spray blood when getting zapped.

Um... oh yeah, real quick while I remember, one change I implemented but forgot to mention before: ejecting from a mech can now be done with the Use Inventory button, so binding an Eject key is optional (but still works just the same).

If I missed anything, or if you guys (or anyone else) has something to point out, let me know!

[Artand Misserys]

i am the only one wanting that Radar for an addon?

[Ed the Bat]

i am the only one wanting that Radar for an addon?

It requires custom monsters, as the only way to check things in ACS is with ThingID's, and those have to be given manually, as is so with the custom enemies in this project.

[Artand Misserys]

i am the only one wanting that Radar for an addon?

It requires custom monsters, as the only way to check things in ACS is with ThingID's, and those have to be given manually, as is so with the custom enemies in this project.

[rsl]

Just tried the latest beta, and it feels really satisfying. The new gore effects you implemented are undoubtedly much nicer on my machine too!
I also tried the new hostage marine "liberation" system, and I'd say that now it's much improved in terms of tactics (i.e. you need to struggle with your tazer, you can't 'cheat' anymore by freeing him quicker with the Phoenix rifle).
I'd add that the character selection screen is fine as it stands now -- moving the main class on top is a nice touch. Thanks to Vaecrius for the suggestion!

As for the radar being optional, hold a sec!
I would've come up with an idea - or a hack, to be more precise - but I'd like to discuss it with you first.
Basically, it would consist in drawing the radar with two distinct ACS routines. One is already in the code, and gets called when the radar is toggled.
The other one references null equivalents of the radar graphics (these might be easily obtained by copying the original graphics and turning them into all-transparent PNGs of the same size) and gets called whenever a certain menu option is triggered.

Very inelegant, I know - but what do you think of it? Do you believe it would be feasible?
Not meaning to dump more work on you - you've already done incredible stuff IMHO!

[Ed the Bat]

You're suggesting we make the radar turn on/off with a user toggle? I think that should be relatively simple to implement, assuming I understood correctly.

EDIT: Done! Download it again and check the Options menu.
I also took the liberty of fixing what I feel was a bug/oversight. Nazis now appear on the radar!

[rsl]

How... Fast... Are... You...

Sir?!

DLing now!

[Ed the Bat]

Ah, I must apologize. I was a bit sloppy with adjusting the blood, and now some monsters don't bleed at all when shot at. I'll work on that and reupload it sometime tonight.
EDIT: Alright, I fiddled with the blood a little more. Now, as far as I can tell, everything bleeds when it gets shot. Hopefully the effects are still to your liking? This is where it starts to shift away from a science and towards more of an art form, and I was never much of an artist. Of course, you and Vaecrius, or anyone else, are more than welcome to propose changes (or enact them yourself), if you'd like.

[DOOMERO-21]

Is very interesting the DuduKrazy´s radar script and only i know the 30% of the lines, was a little hard at the beginning to understand. Anyway i was making some experiments with this script and i create another radar for another project using the same line. Is a aliens colonial marine radar for ACM (Deimos anomaly project). I was trying to found a way for detect the monsters without a specific tid, and was a waste of time. I really need to test if this works good on multiplayer. Anyway i want to use this for various wads (obviously giving credits).

Here how looks the radar

[Endless123]

Really fun mod my friend

I really love the radar, it's A GREAT idea I don't know how you did it but it's working perfectly and it's adding a little AvP gameplay into Doom without spoiling the usual Doom universe. Very well done

Only one minor downside - i had 14 errors when i loaded the FXTamer.wad along with your mod but your mod works flawlessly without it.

As i said it's just a minor problem since your mod runs great without it anyway.