[DEMO] Doom Happens - v0.4 Major Remastering, last Alpha

[Lycaon]

Version 0.4 Released.

TL;DR: Loads of changes, this is the biggest update I made so far and the last Alpha before the Beta version. No new map sections though, this is a visual and gameplay remastering.

Major remastering of the map. This will be the last Alpha before the Beta. I've done countless things to it: nearly total retexturing of most of the map areas, enhanced stealth system (enemies will have a hard time shooting at you when you stand in dark places) as well as gameplay changes to the Alpha zone to take advantage of this feature, more architectural detail pretty much everywhere, swinging and sliding doors, flickable light switches, resized textures for duke nukem and kingpin patches that looked gigantic (specially doors), new decal effects for blood and bullet puffs, loads of new props, new visual effects for explosions, slightly rebalanced difficulty, new sounds, improved weapon animation for the rifle, new fonts... I've done everything I could, but it's still the same length, all the new parts for chapter 2 are still in development, though I included a piece of it as "MAP01F" if anyone wants to have sneak peak at what I'm doing. Simply enter "map map01f" in the console. The reason why I did this is that I want this mod to look tight and polished and let you know that i'm taking this serious. I plan to add even more features in time. This goes to show that I do not intend this to be an amateur map pack, I'll do my best with it. I will keep improving this as I learn more about editing myself, since this is my first project and started it without even knowing how to script.

Tell me what you think about it. Have fun!

[Ozymandias81]

Hi Lyc! Finally I had a try with your project and it looks pretty!
The best part of what I've played so far was the base with small references to Dark Forces and Duke Nukem... and the room with the gas trick, that place was very detailed! Also I've discovered the nice secret too (won't spoil here np).

I have a couple of minor things to say to you:
1. Make the Fog actor deactivatable for players with PCs with lower specs, do it through CVARINFO (for a good example check inside Blade of Agony)
2. Try to arrange a bit the city part at the start concerning texture usage, games like Beneath a Steel Sky could give you some clues
3. Try to convert voxels into obj models then md3, you can do that through MagicaVoxel (voxel to obj) and Misfit3d (obj to md3, also good with Blender or MilkShape3d): this way you'll experience less lags

That's all for now, sorry to not going towards to the point but I really like this project! Keep up the good work!

PS: I love the Blade Runner reference though...

[Lycaon]

Thanks for the insight! still, I'm not sure i get what you mean in point 2, can you give me some examples?

EDIT: also, what are your thoughts in terms of gameplay? BTW, I never played Dark Forces, I only meant to make Duke Nukem references in that part, since you are in an EDF building (EDF is from duke nukem)

[Rifle Marine]

Thanks for using my pickup sprites!

[Ozymandias81]

What I mean here is to give to you suggestions for your map in terms of texture usage and buildings...
These are just nitpicks, but check this link and take a look to descriptions to understand what I mean.
Keep in mind that these are just a couple, there are plenty of these issues everywhere (but not always noticeable anyway).
For instance, BASS have a style that could fit even into a steampunk theme and it also looks obviously "Blade-Runnerish" imho, so don't separate tiles in a strange way or without a continuous theme/layer and try to get inspiration from it (always as a suggestion eh)

Gameplay? Well, I had a fast run just to check how's done this/that, personally I IDDQD-IDFA after some mins because I don't play so much and I've noticed that the start is really hard anyway... to not say of the horde fights encountered later... but maybe it's just my skill there that lacks a bit (I was a very skilled player in the past and if I play Doom and related games for a month pretty sure that "I'll be back" lol)

PS: I know the EDF thing, np

[Lycaon]

Thanks for using my pickup sprites!

Oh so it was yours then, I couldn't find who made them because I had those sprites from a long time ago. I'm sorry you are not in the credits right now, but I did acknowledge those weren't mine and that I was looking for the author, thanks for the heads up! And yeah, they are pretty cool and fit the "urban warfare" look of this map very well.

EDIT: BTW I already uploaded a new version with your name in the credits.

What I mean here is to give to you suggestions for your map in terms of texture usage and buildings...
These are just nitpicks, but check this link and take a look to descriptions to understand what I mean.
Keep in mind that these are just a couple, there are plenty of these issues everywhere (but not always noticeable anyway).
For instance, BASS have a style that could fit even into a steampunk theme and it also looks obviously "Blade-Runnerish" imho, so don't separate tiles in a strange way or without a continuous theme/layer and try to get inspiration from it (always as a suggestion eh)

Gameplay? Well, I had a fast run just to check how's done this/that, personally I IDDQD-IDFA after some mins because I don't play so much and I've noticed that the start is really hard anyway... to not say of the horde fights encountered later... but maybe it's just my skill there that lacks a bit (I was a very skilled player in the past and if I play Doom and related games for a month pretty sure that "I'll be back" lol)

PS: I know the EDF thing, np

Most of those places in the screenshots aren't playable or reachable, you could see them only because you entered IDCLIP or went into visual mode in GZDoom builder. If you stick to what is accesible for the player without any cheats, there are no textures that look that way. Most of those buildings are meant to be seen from a distance in one particular perspective, and will be finished when those places of the streets are accesible in the last part of the map (when the quarantine is lifted)

Still, I have to admit i'm not quite satisfied myself with how it looks right now, but believe me, it used to be much, MUCH worse in the previous versions, so i'm trying to get there lol. Now that you mention it, that switch has been there since I started this map and got so used to it that I didn't even pay attention to it. It used to fit with the previous textures, but yes, it looks horrendous now. Thanks for pointing that out!

EDIT: The point in the map is to play like a scavenger, a survivor, so if you wonder around every pile of dirt you'll find advanced weapons and lots of ammo and health that will make it easier, but if you go just grabbing what is there at plain sight you'll have a really hard time. You have to take advantage of barrels and all kinds of covers as well. It isn't intended to be an easy map, that's for sure, but it should be at least forgiving

EDIT 2: I'm already working on those advices for the EDF palace. I hope I can achieve that, since I have to reupload the file to include Rifle Marine in the credits, I'll include that change as well (also changed the ugly switch guarded by the UAC bot)

[Lycaon]

I applied your suggestion for the EDF building. How do you think it looks now? It could still be improved, but I think this is more or less what you said in those screen commetaries

[Ozymandias81]

I applied your suggestion for the EDF building. How do you think it looks now? It could still be improved, but I think this is more or less what you said in those screen commetaries

That looks much better now imho, but keep the gray texture from the basement only near the door and turn the whole thing into something more rusty metal... and if you can add some nice steam spawners coming out from manhole covers here and there in the city, they'll surely do a nice trick (and more steam-punk-eish lol).

[Lycaon]

I stayed until 2 am looking for a rusty metal texture I liked for the base but couldn't find any lol. They all looked too "plain" and undetailed, and try to give every wall in the city at least some details like graffitis and stuff, but they wouldn't look good on this particular building. have you got any suggestions? Any particualr texture you have in mind?

[Lycaon]

Does anyone else have any critics for the demo version? I'm halfway through episode 2 and will release the full first map aproximately in july (chapters 1-3), so i'd like to improve the map based on feedback

[Ozymandias81]

Damn the new main OP looks great! Sorry for not reply you for such long time, you know Blade of Agony and real life...
Anyway concerning that texture issue: I think you can go for Daikatana textures as a base, or at least Heavy Metal FAKK 2 (check realm667 / Forums / Textures).
Then try to rework them, maybe it's possible to obtain a specific frame that could match a modern city rusty theme.

[Lycaon]

Yes, as a matter of fact I'm looking for replacements for most of the duke stuff, i've been told they don't match the city parts so well, and it's true, because duke's textures are a lot brighter for some reason. Another solution would be to edit the isometric values of duke's textures, but I don't know how to do that. It wouldn't hurt to learn though, everything in this project has been done from ignorance, looking for tutorials and by trial and error lol