Soft Permadeath v7.1 - "MENUS!" (Now on GitHub)

Projects that alter game functions but do not include new maps belong here.
Forum rules
The Projects forums are only for projects. If you are asking questions about a project, either find that project's thread, or start a thread in the General section instead.

Got a cool project idea but nothing else? Put it in the project ideas thread instead!

Projects for any Doom-based engine (especially 3DGE) are perfectly acceptable here too.

Please read the full rules for more details.
User avatar
Snarboo
Posts: 2599
Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2005 4:37 am

Soft Permadeath v7.1 - "MENUS!" (Now on GitHub)

Post by Snarboo »

Grab Version 7.1! GitHub Repository Here. Latest build required

Over the last week, I've been working on a permadeath system for ZDoom! Initially I programmed a hard permadeath system that would force you to restart the entire game by killing the player if they loaded a savegame after dying. I won't go into how I did it so no one else attempts this, but after some advice from NeuralStunner, I instead opted for something less destructive: soft permadeath!

The mod now supports customizable permadeath and respawning! For example, if lives are enabled, you have a limited pool of lives. Dying drops one of your lives, which can be recovered if you happen to find your corpse. By default, dropped lives disappear the next time you respawn, but this can also be disabled. Otherwise, you can respawn endlessly. Lives and respawn penalties can be disabled entirely with another CVAR.

Also added is a reward system which can be disabled. Complete a level with no deaths, and you get an extra life! But don't worry, if you beat a level with no lives left, you get one as a consolation prize. Hub based games work a bit differently: you only get an extra life the first time you enter a hub level.

I likely won't take this further since implementing features such as weapons or ammo dropping requires that I support specific games or mods. I do plan on creating a mod that can be loaded on top of this one, however.
Spoiler: Features
Spoiler: Lé FAQ
Spoiler: Bugs
Last edited by Snarboo on Fri Nov 07, 2014 9:53 pm, edited 25 times in total.
User avatar
Somagu
Posts: 684
Joined: Fri Nov 22, 2013 8:56 pm

Re: Proof of concept: Soft Permadeath

Post by Somagu »

Nice! I like this idea a lot, definitely would like to see this idea bloom. On a related note, how feasible (or, indeed, related to any wizardry here) would it be to add a lives system to zdoom's multiplayer, so I can screw around with mods in co-op without infinite lives? That'd be just lovely.
User avatar
Snarboo
Posts: 2599
Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2005 4:37 am

Re: Proof of concept: Soft Permadeath

Post by Snarboo »

I'm not sure how feasible lives are in coop. There's no real way to prevent a player from respawning, but one option might be to transform the player into a harmless ghost if they run out of lives. Then again, they could just quit and rejoin to get around that!
User avatar
Somagu
Posts: 684
Joined: Fri Nov 22, 2013 8:56 pm

Re: Proof of concept: Soft Permadeath

Post by Somagu »

Well, Hideous Destructor has a functioning lives system, but I was hoping for something I could use with other mods (namely those that don't work in Zandronum) that I might give death a little more weight, to keep players from just throwing themselves at obstacles blindly. I imagine you'd run into problems when different player classes (as assigned per mod) come into it, maybe. Just wishful thinking on my part, so far.
User avatar
Snarboo
Posts: 2599
Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2005 4:37 am

Re: Proof of concept: Soft Permadeath

Post by Snarboo »

The mod is actually player class agnostic! :) I use an enter script to give the appropriate power up to the player, then check against that. I also used named scripts, so this shouldn't affect mods with heavy ACS usage too much, but I can't be certain.
User avatar
IMX
Posts: 791
Joined: Sat May 11, 2013 9:20 am
Location: Frogland, Mexico
Contact:

Re: Proof of concept: Soft Permadeath

Post by IMX »

Is it possible to show how many times you died in the intermission screen?

Pretty cool PoC by the way; I had kind of a similar idea not too long ago but never did actually something about it.
User avatar
Snarboo
Posts: 2599
Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2005 4:37 am

Re: Proof of concept: Soft Permadeath

Post by Snarboo »

IMX wrote:Is it possible to show how many times you died in the intermission screen?
Depends on how deaths are kept track of! If you track it with a [wiki=Classes:ScoreItem]ScoreItem[/wiki], it should be possible to show it both on the HUD and during the intermission. Otherwise I'm not sure if the intermission screen can show ACS variables or CVARs.
User avatar
Snarboo
Posts: 2599
Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2005 4:37 am

Re: Proof of concept: Soft Permadeath v2

Post by Snarboo »

Mod has been updated! Check the first post for latest features. :)

Edit:
A quick bugfix release to fix the broken reward system, as well as re-enable Hexen and Strife support, has been released. Be sure to update if you play those games!
User avatar
Big C
Posts: 2839
Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2010 3:24 pm

Re: Soft Permadeath v3 - "Bugfix Boogaloo"

Post by Big C »

How much you want to bet someone will try to make this compatible with Hideous Destructor, for that true roguelike difficulty experience? :P
User avatar
Snarboo
Posts: 2599
Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2005 4:37 am

Re: Soft Permadeath v4 - "Less Broken Edition"

Post by Snarboo »

Another bugfix release, this version fixes a bug that would cause the player to respawn endlessly when playing on a difficulty outside the defaults (ie 0 - 4), as well as force the respawn marker to appear in cases where it normally wouldn't.

Edit:
This new version allows you to turn on and off the permadeath system at will, and changes how the lives system works so obituaries show properly!

Edit 2:
Quick hotfix released that fixes difficulties below normal being broken. Also added a nice light to the extra lives!

For the next version, I plan on adding CVARs to disable the lives system, rewards system, and possibly even the punishment system! Once those are added, that should be the definitive version assuming no more bugs pop up.
User avatar
Big C
Posts: 2839
Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2010 3:24 pm

Re: Soft Permadeath v5 - "Even Less Broken Edition!"

Post by Big C »

It's not a 'bug', as nothing is *technically* broken, but if you run this with Hideous Destructor, and you die either from bleedout or while bleeding, you'll remain bleeding when you respawn.
User avatar
Snarboo
Posts: 2599
Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2005 4:37 am

Re: Soft Permadeath v5 - "Even Less Broken Edition!"

Post by Snarboo »

There's nothing I can really do about that since that's a specific feature of Hideous Destructor. I'd have to remove the relevant actor that causes the player to bleed upon respawn.
User avatar
Snarboo
Posts: 2599
Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2005 4:37 am

Re: Soft Permadeath v6 - "Revenge of the CVARs"

Post by Snarboo »

A new version has hit! I also quickly applied a hotfix, so be sure to redownload if you downloaded this mod within the last 30 minutes. :)
User avatar
Legend
Posts: 158
Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2010 12:32 am
Location: Antioch, CA

Re: Soft Permadeath v6 - "Revenge of the CVARs"

Post by Legend »

This is a pretty cool idea and I like it. It would go great with scoredoom I think if only scoredoom had a local high score leader board.

My only niggle is that a free life for every level without dying seems like a bit much. I think a 1-up for every 3 levels without dying would seem a bit more balanced.
User avatar
Snarboo
Posts: 2599
Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2005 4:37 am

Re: Soft Permadeath v6 - "Revenge of the CVARs"

Post by Snarboo »

Yeah, I'm not really sure how to handle the rewards system as of yet, but that's not a bad idea! Might throw in another CVAR for that. :p

New release, this time with a fancy-schmancy options menu!

Edit:
Quickly pushed out another build based on Legend's suggestion! You can now set how many levels you must beat without dying before you receive an extra life. You can also disable the pity life given to you if you have no lives left at the start of a new level. Be sure to redownload if you downloaded the previous build within the last 30 minutes. :)
Post Reply

Return to “Gameplay Mods”