[Stronghold] Final version 1.0 out!

[CaptainToenail]

Ok, just downloaded this today, twice (why is there multiple Skulltag servers, some using stronghold_rc1.pk3 and some using strnghld_rc1.pk3?

It's almost unplayable online, massive lag (might have been server's fault)

When you run out of lives you can't afford new ones, luckily going into spectate then rejoining sorts this.

Sometimes I'm not allowed to play the level at all if I join late, ending up stuck in a jail room. This is very annoying.

When you are in the intermission marine command area you still have your weapons. If you fire a hitscan weapon there is no bulletpuff, yet a decal still appears.

The Hellknights and Barons seem to bleed both green and dark red when shot. Also, you should probably use bloodcolor darkgreen, the neon green looks silly.

[Moti]

I can't talk to any of the NPCs in the Hub map! If it's intentional, then why do some have a "!" above their head?

You can only talk to NPCs that have a "!" above their head.

Is there any specific key to talk to them? I tried to do that and it doesn't work. I can't talk with any of them except for shops.

[TheDarkArchon]

I assume you've tried pressing <use>

[Kate]

When you run out of lives you can't afford new ones, luckily going into spectate then rejoining sorts this.

Unless you're playing single player in regular ZDoom. Then you're just plain screwed. The only way to get new lives is to cheat them.

That needs to be fixed. Badly.

[.+:icytux:+.]

That needs to be fixed. Badly.

yes, i have given out ideas on how to fix everything butthurtingly annoying as this on the development forum.

[Jimmy]

I have to ask here, and many will probably hate me for this, but:

What's wrong with saving your game?

We didn't implement the lives system with a view to it replacing savegames. We would have explicitly stated as such in the text file something to the effect that players should not save their game while playing Stronghold because of the new system, if we intended it to replace savegames (plus there would have been far more pushes from Torm to the devs of ZDoom to implement a savegame-disabling system ).

During the final testing phase, I played through this whole mod on Ultra-Violence, using savegames, and this way, not once did I drop below 1 life. Doing it this way added a dynamic to the gameplay that I've never seen in a Doom mod before - when you die you have the option to reload your last savegame or just respawn. Which do you choose?

I found that both these choices have a profound impact on how the rest of the mission pans out for you. In the time it takes you to respawn, the demons are moving ever closer to the objective (and sometimes you spawn quite far away from the action), so you have to high-tail it over there quickly, picking up whatever you can along the way. It's the riskier of the choices, and not the one I take that often when I'm playing.

Loading a savegame instead of losing a life respawning allows you to backtrack without allowing the demons any closer to you (or the objective), and also anticipate whatever it was that killed you in the first place. See? They do exactly the same thing to the game that they've always done, and since there's nothing to the detriment of your game in using them, there should be nothing to deter you from using them.

The lives system was put there merely to add a new twist to the gameplay, and was not meant to replace savegames.

(I know many people by now are already stuck by the bugged system. Please, remember to save your game, at least until we've got it all sorted out.)

[SamVision]

Quick suggestion: Make the pistol dead accurate in order to make it more useful. That things REALLY underpowered, especially in this super hard mod.

[Demolisher]

Has anyone noticed on overlord or whatever?

---

What. The. Fuck.
Seriously.

I killed that dumbass IN UNDER A MINUTE, and I didn't even get a bonus!

Also, If there is a reward for killing him without losing a tower, it is impossible. He wrecked a tower before I even took 3 steps.

Also, Time Attack mode. Is this impossible in SP? On some levels, the time it takes to send the next wave causes me to fail.

[DominicWhite]

While I do realise that the lives system is meant to be an alternative to loading a save game, might I suggest a somewhat more intuitive alternative:

When you run out of lives and return to the hub, treat it as if they just hit the 'Continue' button. Reset them back to starting stats - 3 lives, 300 credits, no inventory or upgrades. That way it hurts to run out of lives, but you're also reset to a position where you can make a comeback with a little effort.

Given the more arcadey nature of Stronghold compared to regular Doom, it would make sense.

Bugs-wise, I've been keeping my eyes open. It looks like all the major ones (backpack not working aaaaargh) have been covered, though. I did notice a couple of minor text goofs. The 2-5 mission (Tier 2, Stage 5) has a bit of inconsistency - the planet name in the mission description doesn't match the billboard or tutorial text in it.

There's also one enemy type listed in the holo-info-screeny-thing that has 'Tutorial Mission' or similar right at the bottom of its info page for no reason whatsoever. I assume that's a typo or a mis-copy-pasted line.

While cheating around and warping to Map 35, I also found a problem - I fell off the bridge in the underground tunnel into one of the little gaps with lava at the edges. Problem is that the lava doesn't do damage, so I just had to sit there, unable to do anything. Either seal that hole, or make it deadly!

I'll post more findings as I make them. I want RC2 to be as shiny and polished as possible. Wouldn't mind if it could silence some of those 'classic doom forever' purists, too, but I know some things are just impossible.

[Gez]

(plus there would have been far more pushes from Torm to the devs of ZDoom to implement a savegame-disabling system ).

Some brave souls have ventured forth to request this. No one knows exactly what happened, but shrill cries were heard, and they were never seen again.

[Kate]

I have to ask here, and many will probably hate me for this, but:

What's wrong with saving your game?

Essentially what you're saying is this:

“Hey guys the game crashes when I die!”
“LOL just use god mode.”

It makes you sound [censored word], and it doesn't help the fact that it's still a bug and it still needs to be fixed.

Edit: Never mind, I see now that you're just recommending saving as a temporary workaround. In that case, it helps to word your post to make it obvious that you're suggesting it as a workaround rather than devolving into a horrible flame. You're PARTIALLY excused. =P Ranting in such a terrible manner is inexcusably insulting and generally aggravating to read (and 90% of the time I won't even bother sifting through most over the first few words). Let's try simple sentences, like:

“We know it's a bug. It's being worked on. Just use save games in the meantime.”

And not a 2-page insulting rant asking why saving is so rare (this is doom).

Edit 2: There we go. That's much better.

[Phucket]

This mod is incredibly hard, even on some of the lighter difficulties

You're kidding right? I'm guessing you've pretty much ignored everything I said about entry points on Doomworld. Most of the maps are way too too easy because there's only one path or one entrance for the enemies to use. I've pointed this out several times. Look, here's a pretty picture.

http://img413.imageshack.us/f/screensho ... 08151.png/

This is the only spot monsters spawn from on the map Orbit and that bridge is the only path they can take to the player's base, and even then they have to walk completely around the base just to get in. The player can literally fend off every single wave with just a couple of turrets and land mine spam. If there were other places the demons came from, yeah it would be a bit more challenging. Maybe add a couple of monster spawn points on the other side of the base, or have cacodemons fly in from the flanks. As it is right now, it's pretty much just a matter of camping that bridge.

That's not the only map that suffers from that problem either. Swamp suffers from pretty much the same problem. http://img571.imageshack.us/img571/8493 ... 008151.png On this map the demons spawn from three different islands and need to cross bridges to reach the base. Again though, these bridges all converge at one single point, and once again the demons need to cross that one single bridge to reach the base meaning once again, there's only one spot that's even necessary to defend.

The grey armor seems like it provides way too much defense as well. I could understand if it absorbed a shit load of damage, but the fact that it absorbs all of it makes it way too easy to get the bonus for taking no damage. That's pretty much how I got the 54k you see in that screenshot.

[Jimmy]

Sorry Phucket. Even on those maps I often found it very difficult to beat the waves of monsters with what I had, especially on UV. It has to be said that I'm not a seasoned player, and I'm sure there are people who are better at beating these maps than I am.

Also, as a member of the quality control team, I'm naturally taking in everything that is said as feedback (that includes your gripes about the layouts and spawn points, so please don't assume that I just plain ignored that). I'm merely speaking from my own personal experience when I say this is an incredibly difficult mod. I'm sure some others will agree.

[Kate]

It's not hard until Belial is complaining. Then you can say it's hard.

Don't worry though, if you're bad at Stronghold, you aren't bad at Doom. You're just bad at video games in general. ...=P

[Jimmy]

I now see what you meant on IRC about ripping posts apart.