DoomGuy II - Difficulty Test Ready

[Zippy]

Hey, difficulty sample is available. There's a text file that has just about all you need to know, but you might want to read the post on the third page anyway. I'd be most appreciative if some people could play it and give me feedback.



Progress update. Some screenshots of Poison Cacolich's map, now more or less architecturally complete. Other maps have some very basic layout stuff started. Moving at a steady pace.

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Also, the name for the project that I'm settling on is "DoomGuy II", since it fits the theme and is better than the old MegaDoom II.





ORIGINAL POST
Hey everyone,

As I'm drawn back and forth between doing different things, I turn on and off to Doom, both playing and creating. When my last round with development finished sometime last year, I only spent some time continuing to practice on other development related things and trying different stuff out. I didn't stick around on the forums too long because forums just aren't really my thing.

Now I'm back again, because I've started working on something new and have made some reasonable progress:

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The direction of this one should be pretty obvious to most people.

The project has no official name as of yet, but whenever I need to refer to it internally I just call it "MegaDoom 2" or "MD2". What's done so far is really what's shown. The "system" is set up. Nice looping titlemap, and the first map let's you pick your boss of choice, complete with the standard boss dance animation. When you come back to the first level again, whoever you've slain is absent and their level can't be returned to. Defeat all eight, and the center open up to allow you passage to the castle levels.

...

That actually makes it sound like more is done than actually is. Mapwise what's done is that first "choose the boss" map is totally complete and the title map is complete, though the logo will probably get updated (and there's a few stub maps I have in to test... they don't count.) Weapons-wise, all the weapons have preliminary versions done except one.

So there's actually a long haul ahead in terms of, you know... doing all the maps and organizing the boss fights. It's not going to be long until that starts, I just have a few more things to finalize. But there is ONE thing...

I don't hold myself in too high esteem when it comes to general mapping. I enjoy assembling this weird stuff, like the cinematic titlemap and boss selection screen, but I find I'm rather slow at general mapping and what comes out is average at best. I think it's highly possible I may begin to seek mapping assistance with this project after the mapping gets started. More specifically, I'll probably seek co-authorship. It would be one thing if this was more of a practice type project. Then I'd do it all myself just because I wouldn't be too concerned with how it came out. But I think this has the potential to be something more, so I don't want it to suffer having poorly layed out/designed maps just loaded with whatever scripted doo-hickies I can come up with.

For the time being mapping isn't starting just yet, since I'm finishing up a few more things. However I just want to put out what it's likely to come to, so perhaps anybody who thinks they may want to work co-operatively on a slightly different project can have some time to think about it, and also so I have some time to get some feedback from you guys.

Once I finish a few last things I'll put a demo wad of it up, where you can watch the titlemap, play with the boss selector, watch the boss dances, try out the weapons, etc. Personally, I think watching the boss dances is the best.

EDIT 5/03: Updated first two screenshots.

EDIT 5/07: Sample wad available here (Link removed since there is a more up to date sample available.) More detailed description on second page of thread.

EDIT 5/23: Updated with progress and new screenshots

EDIT 6/13: A difficulty sample is available. There's more information in the text file that comes with it and in a post on the 3rd page. Play it and tell me what you think.

[Shadelight]

Heh, Megaman styled stage selection, this looks pretty cool so far though.

[Giest118]

Awesome.

[Jimmy]

Lookin' good there, Zippy!

Looks like one of those old-fashioned arcade games. When can we see a beta?

[Giest118]

Looks like one of those old-fashioned arcade games.

It should. EVERYTHING that was shown in those screenshots is Doom-ified Megaman II.

[Da Spadger]

Hmm, the zombie doesn't look too tough compared to the other ones. Sure, he has a chainsaw, but is he as hard to defeat as the other ones?:P

[Jimmy]

@Giest118: Megaman II? Oh THAT Megaman II! lol

@Da Spadger: If I know my video games (except Megaman), I think you'll find that every character has the same amount of health, attack power and speed, despite their sizes.

@Zippy: Is that centre character the Icon of Sin? Or a demon that looks like a floating Icon head? Or is it a slot for a character that isn't available at the start of the game?

[Zippy]

Hmm, the zombie doesn't look too tough compared to the other ones. Sure, he has a chainsaw, but is he as hard to defeat as the other ones?:P

The idea will be to bolster every boss with scripting to make each battle different and unique. All the bosses will have some significant amount life.

When thinking about the chainsaw zombie, I can help but think back to the "Chainsaw Hedgemaze" levels from "Zombies Ate My Neighbors" on the SNES, so I think that's probably the approach I'm going to use. Cramped maze like quarters, where he can come at you from any direction and saw you up.

@Zippy: Is that centre character the Icon of Sin? Or a demon that looks like a floating Icon head? Or is it a slot for a character that isn't available at the start of the game? Wink

In most Megaman games, the center slot is closed off until after all 8 of the robot masters have been beaten. It's the same case here. It starts as a greyscaled Icon of Sin image, but when you defeat all 8 bosses it becomes colored and you can select it to go to the castle levels (in fact, it's the only thing you can select, since you can't revisit old stages, and you would have already beaten all the other ones.)

[ggg]

The marine in that second shot looks like Nick Nolte.

[solarsnowfall]

LOL, true.

[DoomRater]

When thinking about the chainsaw zombie, I can help but think back to the "Chainsaw Hedgemaze" levels from "Zombies Ate My Neighbors" on the SNES, so I think that's probably the approach I'm going to use. Cramped maze like quarters, where he can come at you from any direction and saw you up.

You HAVE to use the music from the SNES game.

[Zippy]

When thinking about the chainsaw zombie, I can help but think back to the "Chainsaw Hedgemaze" levels from "Zombies Ate My Neighbors" on the SNES, so I think that's probably the approach I'm going to use. Cramped maze like quarters, where he can come at you from any direction and saw you up.

You HAVE to use the music from the SNES game.

That's actually kind of weird... because I do have the music. You see, one of the things I drew up possible plans for before this project was a one map test of implementing the same idea as "Zombies Ate My Neighbors". I never got around to it, aside from just getting the music and a text file with the writeup and a little knick knack or two. Since it would've been just a test level a though, I was going to just settle with temporary graphics, so it would've been "Zombies Ate My Nazis" with the Wolfenstein SS as the people you have to rescue.

I dunno about the music though. I'm not sure it would fit too well as boss combat music.

[DoomRater]

But... that's what they USED as boss music! >.> But yeah, it is a bit cheesy now that I listen to it again. What would work better? I can't think of anything that has the same scare factor of someone jumping out through the bushes and sawing like half of your life away.

[Kinsie]

This looks utterly fantastic, and I look forward to it!

[spoone]

This looks cool you know if you want a beta tester any time soon i would gladly be one.