[RELEASED] Tomb of Omhotep for GZDoom

[Rhino_66]

Well, I finally got everything converted over from JDoom. All the scripts and effects are done. The lighting works. The models work.

This is a 5 level Doom 2 wad with a few new textures, 3D models, a couple new sounds, and some new sprites. Not a lot of scripting or complicated effects, but I'm proud of it.

This wad absolutely requires GZDoom because of the lighting. It WILL look awful when run on standard ZDoom. I wrote this one to work with GZDoom v1.0.29, but there's none of the effects that caused crashes with newer versions. It does work with v1.0.32, so compatibility isn't an issue.



Love it or hate it, at least let me know.

http://rapidshare.com/files/86094616/om ... z.zip.html



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[Enjay]

Initially it didn't grab me as being too special. The opening map was crying out for some texture variation and some slopes to make it look a bit more natural. In fact, the whole thing would benefit from some more custom textures. There were some "interesting" decisions too - like making obelisks with steps instead of slopes. It's nice to see models being used but mixed with sector based structures (like the statues outside the tomb) I'm not sure that it worked very well, especially with so much of the mod using standard textures. There were other odd decisions - like the floating translucent ball thing that, I assume, is supposed to look like a light source, but doesn't. It would also have benefited from some custom music. The Doom2 tracks simply didn't work with it.

And I think I may be forced to commit some sort of violent and apparently senseless crime as a result of that maze! You have found a new way to make Doom mazes even more annoying than before. I salute you.

But there were good things about it. There was some cunning use of structures. Despite some special effects and features not sitting well with the pixely-low res standardness of a lot of it, the whole thing did have a fairly consistent feel to it and I found myself getting drawn in. It was too clean for an old tomb but somehow I did find the neatness and relative emptyness quite atmospheric and appealing. Ultimately, by the time I finished it, I was disappointed that there wasn't a bit more to play.

So yeah, I enjoyed it but style-wise I find myself thinking it was neither fish nor fowl. So much of it was made with standard looking doom features that you could easily have made it for any port, certainly for Zdoom, and dispensed with some of the hi-res/hi-tech features. Alternatively, you could have gone all out and made it a GZdoom eye-candy fest. Both would have worked well, IMO, but something sits quite awkwardly about the halfway house approach you took.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that I really like the keys. Small point I know, but they just kind of grabbed me.

[Rhino_66]

Initially this was built for JDoom, so slopes were not a possibility with the original map. I seriously considered using slopes in the opening map of the rewrite, but wanted to get it released. With the obelisks, I played with slopes for the tops but every rewrite promptly crashed and locked my pc. I'll have to play with that a little more.

I had problems with the floating ball on map03 and could not get the transparency colors to work out properly. So, yes, that could look much better with some rework. With JDoom, the floating ball is an OpenGL light sphere that actually looks like something acting as a light source.

As far as the maze... In the RPG module that this was based on, the connecting sections are "filled with a mist that clouds the minds and causes loss of the sense of direction". The only way I could get that effect was to create the void sectors.

This is only the second map I've ever released (technically 3rd because I already released a JDoom version). Once I get more of the ACS scripting figured out, I may get a little more creative... It took me FOREVER to figure out how to recode the locks, and get the decorate working properly. The wiki helps, but there are a LOT of little details left out. I had to pull apart a couple dozen other wads to see how people had done certain things.

Thanks for the input. I'll see what I can do with map01, the obelisks, the floating ball and the other items you mentioned.





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[Rhino_66]

I just read a post about an issue with a trap in the maze. The key is now accessible.

A fixed version was uploaded in place of the original file.

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[Tormentor667]

No Screens = No Download!

[neoworm]

That maze reminds me the mummy labyrinth from Duck Tales game.

[wildweasel]

No Screens = No Download!

Geez, get all elitist why don't you?

[Phobus]

Ah, you have obviously forgotton that a map obviously needs to look really good from screenshots, as that tells you all you nedd to know about the map, as it is always really obvious from a screenshot full of linedefs that the gameplay will obviously be amazing, obviously

[Snarboo]

No Screens = No Download!

Don't post if you have nothing to add to the discussion. I'm going to have to download this now out of curiousity. :D

Edit: I have a quick question about the dynamic lighting: are most of the lights supposed to be a bright white color? Otherwise, I think there's something wrong with the light definitions. I'm using the latest version of GZDoom, 1.0.32, and I have dynamic lighting turned on. I'll post a screenshot if necessary.

I'll post my opinions later. :)

[Amuscaria]

Downloaded, will try when I have more freetime. Just a question of curiosity, though. "Omhotep" is that a word pun on the electric unit of Omhs (thats how it's spelled right) and Imhoptep (Egyptian archetect that was reveared as a living god)?

[Rhino_66]

Here are some screens...









Dynamic lights... In the Doomdef lump, I changed the short and tall red torches to a very pale yellow (almost white). The RGB equivalent is 255, 255, 204. Since there is very little sector lighting, the original setting for the red torches was too dark and didn't look right. I tried a little more yellowish tint, but it didn't look right either.

As for the name... I just didn't want to call it "Imhotep". Imhotep is a well known and revered individual with an actual historical background. This wad is supposed to involve a lesser or relatively unknown figure.


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[Snarboo]

It's something on my end because it's way too bright and washed out. Everything is almost blinding white and I can heardly see the textures. I'll tinker a bit and see if I can fix it.

[wildweasel]

It's something on my end because it's way too bright and washed out. Everything is almost blinding white and I can heardly see the textures. I'll tinker a bit and see if I can fix it.

Perhaps your dynamic lights are set to additive instead of multiply?

[Snarboo]

That was the problem. I had "Force additive" on in the dynamic light settings. I thought additive was the best, but I was obviously wrong. :)

[Enjay]

I've looked at the glowing ball things and I suggest that you change their DECORATE code to something like this:

---

Code: Select all

ACTOR Sphere1 10287
{
  height 10
  radius 10
  Renderstyle Add
  Alpha 0.3
  +SOLID
  states
  {
  Spawn:
    SPHR ABCB 5 Bright 
    loop
  }
}

ACTOR Sphere2 10288
{
  height 10
  radius 10
  +SOLID
  +NOGRAVITY
  +SPAWNCEILING
  Renderstyle Add
  Alpha 0.3
  states
  {
  Spawn:
    SPHR D 10 Bright
    loop
  }
}

Then make sure you remove the translucent flag from them in the editor as this overrides the DECORATE translucency and additive effect. You may want to tweak the alpha value to your tastes.

Oh, and purely from a tidy housekeeping point of view. You have two lumps in your WAD called decorate. It is better practice to give them different names and them use the #include function to load them all. eg, if you called one of them DECSFX then put the line #include DECSFX in the lump called DECORATE (usually right at the start) then both the decorate lump and the DECSFX lumps will be loaded.