[WIP] Vela Pax - Beta #2 is out!

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Mechadon
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[WIP] Vela Pax - Beta #2 is out!

Post by Mechadon »

Image

Vela Pax is a work-in-progress map set for Doom 2 consisting of 6 very large, detailed maps made for single and COOP play. The maps will be compatible with PrBoom+, ZDoom, and Eternity (and any other port that supports the Boom-compatible, strong limit removing support with ZDoom's extended node format).

The 6 maps will be split into 2 mini episodes, with each episode representing an overarching theme. The first episode will be human-constructed themes (techbases and similar) and the second episode will be gothic and hell themes. The maps will be playable from pistol start and the gameplay will focus on non-linear flow, exploration, generally paced gameplay, and mild difficulty. Map gameplay length will likely range from 2-3 hours per map.

The maps will make use of Doom 1 and 2 texture resources with some of my own edits and updates thrown in where I see fit (based off of stock Doom resources). However there will be brand new, 1024px wide sky textures which will not be derived from stock resources. In addition there will also be some new sprites, a few new objects, a few enhanced weapons, new music, some new graphics including a new font set, a tweaked COLORMAP, possibly a new boss monster, and maybe even a big secret or two!

My goals for this project are to gain some experience with singleplayer mapping and also to explore how to create large, non-linear maps that are fun and interesting to play and explore. I also want to find interesting ways to use the stock resources as well as see what sort of cool scenes I can make.


Questions and comments are always more than welcome!

Releases:
- Vela Pax Beta 2 [19mb] (be sure to check the readme!)
- Vela Pax Beta 1 [18mb] (this is old; see beta #2!)
- Time Lapse Doom Builder video - #1
- Time Lapse Doom Builder video - #2 (Part 1)
- Time Lapse Doom Builder video - #2 (Part 2)
- Vela Pax MAP01 - Zerkin' Around
- Jimmy Stream Part 1
- Jimmy Stream Part 2
- Jimmy Stream Part 3
- Gif of MAP01 line construction (courtesy of Revenant and dmvis)


Testers:
Jimmy91
esselfortium
Vader
waverider
dannebubinga
Seele
Super Jamie
Cage
dew
Touchdown
Wartorn


Progress:
MAP01: Excella - Done
MAP02: Substruct - Done
MAP03: Pinion - Not started
MAP04: Faxanadu - Layout/Detail 60% : Lighting 5% : Gameplay 0%
MAP05: Apollyon - Done
MAP06: Dreamsnake - Not started


Screenshots:
Clicky here!


Links:
Mekworx page
Last edited by Mechadon on Fri Jun 19, 2015 6:52 pm, edited 44 times in total.
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Phobus
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Re: [WIP] Vela Pax

Post by Phobus »

Looks very impressive, although I'm rather dissappointed to find that you're not that far in yet :( I'd rather hoped (when I saw that MAP05 shots) that you'd be roughly 5/6ths of the way there!

Still, with this level of perfectionism at work, it should be worth the wait :)
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Killar
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Re: [WIP] Vela Pax

Post by Killar »

The last pic of map03 looks like a head :P
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Grymmoire
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Re: [WIP] Vela Pax

Post by Grymmoire »

Wondering why it took so long for this to get here, considering it was sitting on the ST Forums for a while... :P
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Mechadon
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Re: [WIP] Vela Pax

Post by Mechadon »

Yea I know, sorry it took so long to make this thread here. I hesitated making one over at Skulltag for a simliar reason. But then I saw non-ZDoom projects posted here and Phobus said it would be a good idea, so here we are :)

@Phobus: I know, I was hoping I would be farther along myself. It's entirely my fault too :P. MAP05 turned out to be completely freakin' massive and it took me a long time to finish it. Which is one reason why this project is now in need of a port with support for ZDoom's extended node format. Thank goodness PRBoom+ got support for it because that was the initial port I was aiming for. The two maps that are done will likely be the largest in the entire pack so hopefully I will keep myself in check for the remaining maps. My goal at this point is to be halfway or more done with the mapping by the end of Winter.

I'm contemplating making some time-lapse videos of MAP01's creation. Someone did something similar to that...was it Icytux? It was an idea I had though I wasn't sure if I could pull it off. But I think I'll give it a try.
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Xaser
 
 
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Re: [WIP] Vela Pax

Post by Xaser »

Do it, I say. ;)

Also, you mentioned module music. Do you already have some picked out? I'm kinda tempted to try and do something if not.
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Ænima
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Re: [WIP] Vela Pax

Post by Ænima »

I may have already said it in the Skulltag thread, but hell i'll say it again: Freaking amazing.
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Cyanosis
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Re: [WIP] Vela Pax

Post by Cyanosis »

Mechadon, your mapping is like no other.

Looking forward to it, granting my comp won't kill itself.
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.+:icytux:+.
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Re: [WIP] Vela Pax

Post by .+:icytux:+. »

Mechadon wrote:I'm contemplating making some time-lapse videos of MAP01's creation. Someone did something similar to that...was it Icytux? It was an idea I had though I wasn't sure if I could pull it off. But I think I'll give it a try.
Yeah, do it, its fun and challenging :P (need to reupload mine and continue on it, because it was taken down because of copyright issues with the music)
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Pedro vc
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Re: [WIP] Vela Pax

Post by Pedro vc »

Map03 screens looks awesome. For some reason, i don't like the TEKGREEN/STARTAN combination on MAP01 first screen.
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Viscra Maelstrom
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Re: [WIP] Vela Pax

Post by Viscra Maelstrom »

Looks fucking awesome.
By the way, does Vela Pax mean something, or is it just a cool name?
Gez
 
 
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Re: [WIP] Vela Pax

Post by Gez »

"Sails peace" from my meager knowledge of Latin. So I guess the story is about a peaceful cruise on a sailboat?
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Mechadon
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Re: [WIP] Vela Pax

Post by Mechadon »

Actually the name doesn't really mean anything...or rather I didn't intend for it to mean anything. I just intended it to sound cool. There's a very small connection to the name, the last map, and the Vela Pulsar which I came up with after the fact. I guess you'll all see what that connection is once I start working on the last map. Other than that, don't read too much into the name :lol:
Pedro vc wrote:Map03 screens looks awesome. For some reason, i don't like the TEKGREEN/STARTAN combination on MAP01 first screen.
I guess it is sort of an odd combination. The green STARTAN would probably look better with it but I wanted some color variation in there. Originally the TEKGREEN bits were METAL* bits but I have plans to use the METAL* texture set very extensively in MAP02. So I experimented with the TEKGREEN and I liked what I saw. I'm using the TEKGREEN as more of a supporting texture but there will be areas where it's used extensively.
Xaser wrote:Also, you mentioned module music. Do you already have some picked out? I'm kinda tempted to try and do something if not.
I do, but like everything it isn't exactly final. But holy crap some Xaser musics for this would be outstanding! My goal was to find something that feels similar to the Doom 64 tracks but not entirely ambient. The tracks I'm making use of right now are the closest I could find to fit that feel. But as it turns out that genre of music is really hard to come by for free use so I didn't have much choice. Another thing that I have to consider now is music that works well when listened to for 2 hours or more because these maps are pretty lengthy. Would you be able/interested in putting together something like that? I know I'd be ecstatic to have pure custom music :D

I'm really flattered by the response you guys have given. Thanks a lot! I'll try to keep some steady updates going in here. And I guess I'm going to attempt some time-lapse video footage. Not sure how it will come out as my focus tends to wander around when I'm mapping...but we'll see.
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Dynamo
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Re: [WIP] Vela Pax

Post by Dynamo »

(As I think I've already said on the ST forums, ) great stuff!
Askaxarus
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Re: [WIP] Vela Pax

Post by Askaxarus »

I love the screenshots. I'm really excited to play this when it's done :D
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