Dominus Diabolus - Episode 1 released (updated 5/18)

[Bofubutt]

Episode 1 complete!

I've been a Doom fan since the game first came out on shareware, and I've played around with level editors before. But I got the dumb idea in my head to try to make a mapset all by my lonesome despite never having released a single map. Well, so far, I've got exactly two of them down, and I figure before I sink any more time into it, I should stop and get some feedback. These are my first complete levels, though I may touch them up a bit as I continue working on the mapset.

DOMINUS DIABOLUS is a pretty ambitious project with the goal of making a complete, complevel 2/9 megawad with original music.

Difficulty is meant to be somewhere between Doom 2 and Plutonia, and the goal is to provide a genuine sense of progression, with a gradual ramp up in difficulty that doesn't quite reach slaughtermap proportions but does challenge the average player. (Up for a real challenge? Try beating the par times on UV.)

Each map also supports Cooperative and Deathmatch, and backtracking is always possible in case you missed a secret for you completionists out there.

SCREENSHOTS:

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DOWNLOAD: LINK

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See the WAD CREDITS lump. Featuring music by Bofu and Lee Jackson.

I hope you enjoy it, and I appreciate any constructive feedback you may have. Let me know if you run into any gross graphical issues or gameplay-breaking glitches, too. This is my first time making maps, and while I like to think I have some idea what I'm doing, this is also the product of several sleep-deprived days, so who knows what little surprises I've left in there without knowing.

[Bofubutt]

Updated with the following:

• Added MAP03 - Rage
• Additional textures from Doom 1, courtesy of SargeBaldy
• Each map now has original MIDI music
• Fixed important items not spawning on easy/medium difficulties (o o p s)

Let me know if you think MAP03 is too mean. Sometimes when I play through it on UV, I scrape by with almost no health or ammo, but other times, it feels like nothing even scratches me.

[kalensar]

I just played it through on HMP for a quick test drive. That was pretty good! The music was good too. Your monster placements are really good quality. I basically fell for every trap and did die a few times. The one that got me the hardest was actually right at opening the yellow door on map03. excellent use of Pinkys all around. The SSG secret in map03 was hilarious too. I couldn't tell ff that open box was deliberate or not, but suffice it to say that I'm glad that I always play as limit removing style.

[Bofubutt]

I just played it through on HMP for a quick test drive. That was pretty good! The music was good too. Your monster placements are really good quality. I basically fell for every trap and did die a few times. The one that got me the hardest was actually right at opening the yellow door on map03. excellent use of Pinkys all around. The SSG secret in map03 was hilarious too. I couldn't tell ff that open box was deliberate or not, but suffice it to say that I'm glad that I always play as limit removing style.

Thank you for your kind words! That trap is pretty nasty, though I didn't want it to feel unfair or be easily cheesed. Sometimes, RNG is kind and lets you run by the enemies and activate the lift without getting trapped, but that's pretty rare.

I'm glad you like the music, too. I plan on having a variety of styles in there, and right now, I'm making the levels and the music alongside one another. I find it helps me iron down the theme of the level, too.

In other news, I'm probably going to be requiring at least PrBoom+/Crispy Doom going forward since there are some things I want to do with textures that aren't completely supported in pure vanilla Doom, but I do plan on sticking 100% with vanilla-compatible linedef specials/sector types.

[Bofubutt]

Map04, "Demolition Zone," is done! A building nestled in the mountains has been claimed by Hellish corruption, and the UAC forces there died before they could destroy it. You'll need to make it go up in flames if you're going to get out alive. Check out the updated download link above.

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Other changes:

• Imported Doom1 textures and added some new animated textures.
• Adjusted a secret in MAP02 to be slightly less frustrating.
• Added a demo lump for MAP03 (recorded using Crispy Doom).

[Bofubutt]

Added Map05: The Depths. A UAC mining and refinement facility needs to be cleared out. In addition, I've made some adjustments to previous levels, added new tracks, and replaced some graphics.

[kalensar]

Thank you for keeping on working on this. You are a treasure of a map maker.

[Bofubutt]

Thanks a ton! I'm going to end up renaming the project because someone else already has a WAD with the same name.

Also, if you warp to MAP31, you'll see some super shotgun zombies in place of Wolfenstein SS, but I don't like how the Dehacked doesn't cooperate with gameplay mods, so consider that a trashed gameplay idea.

[Bofubutt]

Added MAP06: Gun 'N Run. Let me know what you think. Also rebalanced a few other maps and redid the title screen since I found out someone else had released a map with the same name this year, whoops.

[Bofubutt]

Now up to MAP07, and also added some miscellaneous fixes to other maps!

MAP07: Simplicity is the most challenging level in the mapset by far, clocking in at over 330 enemies on UV, though true to its name, it can be beaten via a relatively straightforward path.

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you don't need to go into any buildings with a red light by the door to beat the level, but you will need to clear out these areas if you want to 100% it.

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A building burns in the distance as the player fights demons on the street.


The player fights their way through the entrance to a hydroelectric facility.


Killing Mancubi is necessary to progress, but this is far from a Dead Simple clone.


What's this gothic, hellish building doing in the middle of sprawling downtown?


The demonic corruption has spread through some of the buildings here.

[Bofubutt]

I haven't been keeping up with this thread, but I'm all the way up to MAP10 now.

This changelog only reflects the most recent changes, but suffice it to say there has been significant progress on this project.

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Maps

• MAP01: Removed the switch from the blue key area and just made the other side of the door blue key locked; various cosmetic improvements; made changes to the automap.
• MAP02: Various cosmetic improvements; added a few more enemies; made changes to the automap.
• MAP03: Made some secrets a little more obvious; various cosmetic improvements; increased ammunition supply; added a few more enemies; made changes to the automap.
• MAP04: Various cosmetic improvements; increased ammunition supply; added a few more enemies; moved SSG out of a secret area and made secrets slightly more apparent; made changes to the automap.
• MAP05: Removed a potential softlock in the bathroom; added a few more enemies; made changes to the automap.
• MAP06: Various cosmetic improvements; simplified the armor/backpack secret; made the rockets secret easier to trigger; made changes to the automap.
• MAP07: Made changes to the automap.
• MAP08: Made changes to the automap; adjusted the positioning of some pillars in the final area to fix it; fixed a bug that could cause a softlock on complevel 2.
• MAP09: Various cosmetic improvements; made changes to the automap; removed cheese from the final encounter; removed the invulnerability sphere since it trivialized certain combat encounters; removed some potential cheese from the courtyard fight; did not remove some opportunities for timeskips because they're cool; tweaked the cavern puzzle to allow the player to leave the first room and try to figure out the pattern again; made changes to the automap.
• MAP10: Added map "Tunnel Vision." The UAC teleportation research facility where the demonic invasion is coming from is now well within reach, but if you think the demons are going to make it easy, you're in for a rude awakening.

Graphics

• Added a modified sky texture courtesy of Mek.
• Brand new title pic, intermission background, and menu pic.
• Added a subtle black outline to the menu text and font so that the text wouldn't blend in so much with the title pic.

Miscellaneous

• Changed the par times to my personal UV-Any% pistol start best times. Good luck.

Latest download is HERE.

[JohnnyTheWolf]

Interesting project! But could you update the download link in the OP, as well?

Anyway, how do I get the final secret in MAP01? I got the Armor and the Backpack, but what about the last secret?

[Bofubutt]

Interesting project! But could you update the download link in the OP, as well?

Anyway, how do I get the final secret in MAP01? I got the Armor and the Backpack, but what about the last secret?

Should be updated (I think it already was updated in the OP, actually, when I added the new screenshots, but I made sure)

Thanks for the feedback! As for the secret you're missing in MAP01:

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In the brick room to the southwest with the zombiemen that contains lamps built into the wall, open the small door to the area where the switch to open the tall door is located. Activate the lamp nook (it's a different lamp from the other similar nooks nearby, and the sector is glowing), and a nearby wall will temporarily lower containing some resources.

[JohnnyTheWolf]

Thanks!

In MAP03, I was able to get the Soulsphere inside the tube-shaped hole in the starting area by just hugging the wall. I have no idea how to get it legitimately.

Also, I am not sure how to access the secret staircase that leads to the two caged windows.

Finally, the secret Berserk Pack does not seem to register as a secret.

[Bofubutt]

Thanks!

In MAP03, I was able to get the Soulsphere inside the tube-shaped hole in the starting area by just hugging the wall. I have no idea how to get it legitimately.

Also, I am not sure how to access the secret staircase that leads to the two caged windows.

Finally, the secret Berserk Pack does not seem to register as a secret.

That is how you get the Soulsphere, completely intended.

The berserk pack indeed is not marked as a secret - good catch, I'll fix that in the next release. Thankfully, it still counts as an item for 100% completion.

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To get the secret staircase, after grabbing the keycard that reveals a trap, look along the hexagonal wall patterns near the lift for a mismatched texture. Activate it to open a switch.