Kiwi Farms Community Doom Mapping Project

[Laughing Muttley]

Name: Dilation Station 41
Sourceport: GZDoom
Format: DOOM2
IWAD: Doom 2

All contact with the distant outpost Dilation Station 41 has been lost, it's up to you to investigate. Be careful navigating the dilator's room and expect the worse.



Supports all difficulty settings, coop and deathmatch. 5 secrets to find including a pretty obvious map revealer in room before last, at @Judge Dredd 's request.
I may have gone over board a bit and ended up making a full map that's going to require a bit of doom knowledge on medium; hard dificulty settings are particularily evil (but still doable).

Probably vanilla definitely chocolate compatible.

 

[Not A Fed]

I've always thought about making a map but never tried before. Probably not enough time to bang one out before your deadline.

 

[The Bovinian Derivative]

Well I always wanted an excuse to sit down and do a Doom map so this is as good as any. Kept it simple to the "few rooms with corridors", difficulties are implemented. Secrets may trivialize upcoming encounters but I've made sure that the hardest difficulty is complete-able without finding any secrets. Not much in the way of KF references with the exception if a secret kiwi shrine.

Map Name: HRT Labs
Map Format: GZDoom/UDMF
Tested with GZDoom 4.10

Spoiler: Screens

 

[Pillar of Autism]

Don't know if I'll be able to get a full map done by the deadline. If not, can I submit some textures/sprites?

 

[Laughing Muttley]

I started playing some of the submissions already, and I love what you guys came up with.

Map Name: HRT Labs

Prime work. The architecture is simplistic, but the encounter and monster placement make it really enjoyable to play. Great job.
My only gripe is with the use of the end door texture, usually reserved for classic doors, not switch activated ones; but I'm very autistic about doom design language.

Uncle Jershs Day Out

Now that's some fantastic mapping on display. Lots of detail and very neat storytelling, I think you may have blown everyone out of the water with this one.
- My autistic mapper brain has 4 little issues to raise:
- Invisible walls are not very doomy, specially in the classic formats, plus I don't think you really needed it there.
- If you're using the door textures, I expect them to be operable, even if only remotely. For the small doors in the outdoors area, you could maybe use the white door that's usually never openable in classic doom. Finally, the switch to open the red key receptacle is maybe a tad too small/hard to see; but maybe that's a me issue.
- It's super easy to blaze past all the monsters in the final room. Maybe that's the way you intended it, but unless I'm going for 100% that very last room is as good as empty.
These are minor retarded points tho; I love what you did and the details and story you were able to pack in the map; amazing job.

YWNBAW

Big room with single enemy types are a bit boring, but you sometimes mix it up so it gets better. Fun Fatrick secret!

 

[Judge Dredd]

If not, can I submit some textures/sprites?

Best not. I'm adding Dull Pencils to the wad as they're mostly subtle enough to not ruin a map as replacements. There's not really a way for people to build maps around the new textures so close to the deadline.

If you want to create them for some future project, you can do that. But it's too early to say if there will be a sequel.

I started playing some of the submissions already

I've only played a few of the earlier ones so far. Do you have opinions on how any should be placed/ranked in terms of difficulty/progression? Still not sure on that hub map yet, so thought I'd ask if anything comes to mind.

 

[Midnight Cooking]

Map Title: Den of the Rat
Author: Midnight Cooking
Format: UDMF
Tested with GZDoom

This is my first time playing around with UDMF, I've only worked with Boom and vanilla previously. Don't play it with software rendering because I used a lot of 3D floors.
No difficulties yet. It has a MAPINFO lump already because I wanted a boss death trigger.
View attachment 5643651

Final update for Den of the Rat, I forgot to implement difficulty levels last time.

 

[The Bovinian Derivative]

Prime work. The architecture is simplistic, but the encounter and monster placement make it really enjoyable to play. Great job.
My only gripe is with the use of the end door texture, usually reserved for classic doors, not switch activated ones; but I'm very autistic about doom design language.

Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated. We'll see if anything else pops up and I'll post an updated version tomorrow night. I've already found a misaligned texture and a ceiling I forgot to set properly and my OCD will kill me if I leave it like that.

 

[Pierre D'Olnique]

Big room with single enemy types are a bit boring, but you sometimes mix it up so it gets better. Fun Fatrick secret!

Consequences of a meme layout, unfortunately. I nicked the idea from a Doom RPG level. Glad to hear the prison secret visually clear enough, all 4096 sectors appreciate it.

 

[Laughing Muttley]

Do you have opinions on how any should be placed/ranked in terms of difficulty/progression?

Difficulty rankings from easiest to hardest among the ones I played would be something like:
- HRT Labs (good introductory level)
- Uncle Jershs Day Out (not too hard, but longer; and you have to know you can essentially bypass the last room)
- Dilation Station 41 (a bit ball-busting compared to what we have so far, maybe I should make it a bit easier)
- YWNBAW (ironically the one I had the most trouble with, due to lack of geometry and monster infighting)

Still not sure on that hub map yet, so thought I'd ask if anything comes to mind.

Given that every map so far is using disparate formats (my fault too) I don't know how we could convert everything to then integrate them all into a single wad, with or without a hub. That would be fun to try, but that may be beyond my technical expertise given my limited free time this week.

 

[Pierre D'Olnique]

- YWNBAW (ironically the one I had the most trouble with, due to lack of geometry and monster infighting)

I tried to fuck with the potential player expectations and force them to "solve" the level, which is why you're given the BFG, soulsphere and armor at the very start. 3 packs are there on purpose to punish greed and waste 60 cells if you pick them up without thinking. After clearing the room of SS you should be left with 1-2 shots on the BFG, around 50% HP and 75% armor. The Pinky should be dispatched with the pistol, 2nd room you should 100% clear of imps before proceeding further which should leave you with ~25 shotgun shells. The chaingun you pick up should have plenty of ammo and it's supposed to be your main means of dispatching the Barons (believe me, I would have opted for Hell Knights if not for the warning to not use Doom 2 monsters). Naturally 200 bullets won't be enough to kill six of them, so you're supposed to backtrack to the starter room and replenish using the clips dropped by the SS.
Third room can be easy or a pain depending on how bad Cacos and Chaingunners decide to tear each other to shreds.
The blood room with the Cyberdemon inside can probably be a bit ballbusting, but the pillars are there to give you cover. If you're having trouble, look for a discolored wall at the upper side of the B, just make sure to lure CD as far away as possible.
The cemetery should be easy, unless you go in with like 20% HP. Nothing to write home about. Every grave which houses a shotgun dude has a candle on it, safe ones have pickups.
The brainy W should also be a cakewalk. The invuln in there might be an overkill, since the Mastermind melts very quickly. If you somehow can't kill it, middle upper section of the W could be of interest.
In the 4, simply shoot any barrel, or let a zombieman do it for you. The Cyberdemon should be weakened enough to be dispatched with what you have on hand. If not, destroy the spillage barrels and make love to the wall behind them.
1 is probably the most straightforward. Run and don't look back.
The % section is just there for fun. Not much you can do with two circles and a slash. You'd have to be braindead to die there.

 

[Kane Lives]

Shit. Deadline's approaching isn't it? Welp. No time like a last minute rush.

 

[Migraine Box]

Now that's some fantastic mapping on display. Lots of detail and very neat storytelling, I think you may have blown everyone out of the water with this one.

Goddamn, thanks for the glowing feedback. Glad y'all have been enjoying it, rough around the edges as it is in places. Really surprised nothing game-breaking has shown up yet, lmao. I'll try to address your points as best I can, hopefully solve a few things. (Spoilered for length)

Spoiler

- Invisible walls are not very doomy, specially in the classic formats, plus I don't think you really needed it there.

Yeah I agree, in the starting area I mainly put them up because how easy it was to boundary break behind the fence and it was a quick fix. The final room is...the final room. Bit on that in a sec. Those should be the only places with invisible walls iirc, if there were any more let me know, something might've broken again.

- If you're using the door textures, I expect them to be operable, even if only remotely. For the small doors in the outdoors area, you could maybe use the white door that's usually never openable in classic doom.

Fair enough. Was figuring out the texturing as I was going so I'll take note of that going forward. Now that I think about it, I definitely should've varied it up in the earlier apartment area to differentiate between openable and unopenable.

- It's super easy to blaze past all the monsters in the final room. Maybe that's the way you intended it, but unless I'm going for 100% that very last room is as good as empty.

Okay yeah the final room is supposed to be a total fake-out and can be skipped. I was toying with invisible walls to try and keep the monsters' attacks from actually hitting the player so it'll definitely be jank if you try and fight them.

Finally, the switch to open the red key receptacle is maybe a tad too small/hard to see; but maybe that's a me issue.

Unfortunately that area was a victim of me not understanding the map scale in UDB yet. The computer room was supposed to be much larger (there were originally two red Cray-esque supercomputers) and everything looked perfectly fine in Visual Mode...then I tested the map in GZDoom. Whoops. The hub area and nuke room were similarly under-scaled, but they were simple and open enough to not be nearly as affected, thankfully.

Definitely a bit of a learning curve, but it was a fun and enjoyable one at that. Can't wait to see what everyone else has been up to!

Given that every map so far is using disparate formats (my fault too) I don't know how we could convert everything to then integrate them all into a single wad, with or without a hub. That would be fun to try, but that may be beyond my technical expertise given my limited free time this week.

Easiest solution (for now) might be to distribute similar to Master Levels, i.e. all the wads together with associated readmes. May be a bit of a hassle to close and re-launch the game for each map, but eh, could be worse. Save the more complicated interconnectivity for the next community mapping project, then go bigger and better

 

[Dull Pencil]

Easiest solution (for now) might be to distribute similar to Master Levels, i.e. all the wads together with associated readmes. May be a bit of a hassle to close and re-launch the game for each map, but eh, could be worse. Save the more complicated interconnectivity for the next community mapping project, then go bigger and better

Nah, no one is going to play them one by one. Better to merge, and if necessary add a MAPINFO that forces pistol start for each map.

 

[Laughing Muttley]

Easiest solution (for now) might be to distribute similar to Master Levels

I dig that way of doing it quite a bit; just like old times when shovelware CDs always had a doom directory filled to the brim with random wads scavenged from usenet and bbs' with no regards for licensing, attribution or even basic quality and playability. Unironically good times.

 

[Dull Pencil]

I'm about to finish my map, but I kinda need the resource file with the added textures. I want to use my textures but it's hard when you can't see them in game, and I don't think you want me to add them to this wad, so could you please post it here @Judge Dredd?

Also, you didn't answer my questions.

 

[The Bovinian Derivative]

I'll post an updated version tomorrow night

True & Honest to my word I've made some changes based on feedback from Muttley and my autistic need for perfectly aligned textured. Basically I just refurbished the last room and added an exit sign over the switch to make sure the player knows this'll end the map, and spent some time realigning textures that I swear to God I fixed 3 times already.

 

[Judge Dredd]

I'm about to finish my map, but I kinda need the resource file with the added textures. I want to use my textures but it's hard when you can't see them in game, and I don't think you want me to add them to this wad, so could you please post it here @Judge Dredd?

Also, you didn't answer my questions.

Textures are going to be replacements. So use the stock textures and they'll appear as yours in game.

After all the maps are put together, we will do some testing and balancing right?

Will there be a credits level?

How's the title screen going? You said you had some ideas for me.

I'll do basic testing, making sure they work, etc. Each map should be completable, and preferably 100%able.

Credits level? Likely not since each level is credited when loading. Can edit the credits page to credit you for textures though.

Title screen I've not done yet. What I'm currently planning on doing is either nothing, or just using the freedoom title screen with the slobber-mutt edited over the faces. Something jank like that.

 

[Dull Pencil]

Textures are going to be replacements. So use the stock textures and they'll appear as yours in game.

Ok, which one will be replaced for the sneed dog? I didn't make that one as a replacement.

Credits level? Likely not since each level is credited when loading. Can edit the credits page to credit you for textures though.

Ok, that's good enough. But name everyone for their contribution I think. Redundant, but it looks cool.

What I'm currently planning on doing is either nothing

Unacceptable!

or just using the freedoom title screen with the slobber-mutt edited over the faces. Something jank like that.

Sounds good. If you wish, I can help too.

 

[Laughing Muttley]

Had the time to play more maps. I'm amazed by the quality of the maps on offer, but I'm also worried if our dear feeder in chief attempts to play most of them since he admitted to never having ever played doom before.

Map Title: Server Suicide
Author: Point Man
Format: UDMF

Simple mapping style but using all the fancy modern port features! You really made it your own thing and it's a joy to play, with a clear narrative and fun set-pieces! My only (very minor and autistic) gripes are, in no particular order:
- some unpegged door tracks,
- not using proper door textures for some doors (and conversely, using door textures for things that aren't doors)
- the inconsistent consequence of falling off platforms (sometimes instant death, sometimes you're just fine)
- some of the doors seem a tad too slow too
- in some cases, the fight against the cyberdemons and spider mastermind can result in not being able to reach the yellow key, possibly if the spider mastermind gets killed by a cyberdemon (but not 100% sure about that)
- exit could be more clearly marked

Map Name: Retard War
Map Format: Boom

Absolutely classic mapping style fitting right in the style of a classic Doom 2 map; I'm very partial to that style and I absolutely love it. I know you chose the Boom format but I'm not even sure that was necessary. Great job. Few autistic comments:
- hall of mirror effect in the skybox over the blood cascade in software renderer
- some sectors you created as teleport destinations can have their linedefs hidden so they don't show on the map once revealed
- exit could be more clearly marked

Map Name: Festering Axe Wound
Map Format: Vanilla
Music: Super NES Double Dragon - Mission 1 Casino

It feels very modern doom mapping but in pure vanilla, super classy and a show of skill, incredible work. Not too hard for experienced doom players I'm sure.

Map Title: Den of the Rat v2
Author: Midnight Cooking
Format: UDMF
Tested with GZDoom

That level of detail is absolutely insane and the gameplay is super tight. Feels very modern doom mapping too, but there's a total control of the combat scenarios. It's going to be harder for people who are not already super familiar with doom 2. Requires hardware acceleration to have the skybox working properly.

i made this map, but its probably too crappy, patrick tomlinsons intestines

Bullet hell style map in the dark, good on you for sticking to enemies with projectiles! I had fun! Maybe make the exit more obvious in some way (lights, different colored torches, different texture...)