So i looked more into the sky transfers issue, and @NoisyVelvet you might really just have to use another port or "update to" DSDA. Literally any other port i'm aware of allows for sky transfers under doom 2 compatibility, prboom+ probably doesn't just because it's so old and abandoned.

@Cuppykeks Really awesome ideas! I especially like the middle eastern, tower and tree house ideas.

As for the map I started, it could go in a few possible directions. Just made a couple combat scenarios, including a combat puzzle designed around pushing gaspods, and started making a central area. As of right now, I'm thinking it'll be an interconnected town-style map with gothic architecture. Want to also make it perched high up in the mountains if I can pull that off, but not sure since the sky has to be at/above player level to avoid getting wonky.

I also had some ideas for a magic-themed map set in a wizard's tower/library, including an area with portals to strange and varied settings.

I had a partially done map for this sitting around, and I decided to finish it up in the hopes it can get included.

crescent_cliffs.wad

Map Name: Crescent Cliffs
Map Slot: MAP23 (for the MIDI)
Music: whatever was in MAP23 of the resource
Tested with: DSDA Doom 0.25
Difficulties: implemented
Multiplayer: coop starts placed, additional multiplayer monsters and ammo, DM starts placed
Play time: likely 30-45 minutes
Notes: This map leans more on exploration and incidental combat; it's the TNT to Lucky Clover's Plutonia. It still has a few combat setpieces, but everything is more free-flowing and less tightly choreographed.

doom14.png doom13.png doom11.png doom10.png doom09.png doom07.png doom01.png

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first use of donut linedef action in (almost) 30 years

@kvsari You can ignore those. The sprites are from the Heretic sprite fixing project. I might actually remove those, at least for the time, since it is pretty annoying to see every time the editor is opened. The errors that show up is one of the reasons I went ahead and merged the resource WADs.

Does anyone want NPC textures? If you want to write a lot of text but don't want to align each letter then use c.eev.ee/doom-text-generator/ to generate your words as a single graphic and include it with your map when you need it. They'll be from here. Feel free to look for anything else you want from that pack as well.

Also MUSINFO works with Crispy Heretic so we can have more than 1 episode with unique music so problem solved there!

Another picture from the same WAD :S

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Chaingun, easy. It's DPS is low, ammo capacity is low, and to me it's always been an odd choice to give a marine a chaingun over a battle rifle. Maybe because T2 came out a couple of years before Doom was released? IDK The only reason I use it is sniping or a low shotgun ammo situation. It and the pistol need better DPS options, like dual wielding pistols, and a high RoF less accurate SMG and similar RoF but more accurate Carbine as replacements in the 4 slot. But yea, finding a freakin' chaingun and then realizing it's only capable of ever so slightly more damage per second than a pump shotgun, while that shotgun gives you way more damage from a full ammo pool, that's a real letdown moment.

Edited because I don't proofread well.

Important info regarding the Firemace:

Heretic's Firemace only has a "~75%" chance of spawning in total at one of several Firemace spawn points placed on the map. Even then you can only place a maximum of 7 spots for the mace to spawn. When the MaceSpotCount reaches 8 the game has an error. In deathmatch, the firemace will always appear, but there will still be only one on the map.

So the Firemace weapon pick up doesn't work the same as the others as it's not guaranteed to spawn in, even if you only have 1 Firemace spawn. It's coded this way to be a rare weapon as with the Tome of Power it kills all non-boss enemies in one shot being extremely powerful.

Thank you to @SilverMiner, @lobo, and @zedonk for the information.

Testing a bit I'm not sure just how random it is which mace will spawn out of several 😵

Map 33, 34 and 35 to hold overflow maps for all ports, and xINFO to provide access to them in modern day ports

As I wanted to take a break from Tartar, I have fixed some of the known and newly reported bugs in Bernewfie, and am now comfortable with sharing the latest build (HEX.7Z below), resource WAD (BERNEW.WAD below) and some extras taken directly from Gerwin's MBF.

HEX.7z BERNEW.wad FROM_MBF.7z

For those who wouldn't check the README here's how I normally start it:

bernew.exe -hires -show_fps -mlook -quick -ravpic -maxsound -use_vsync -page_flip -extra BERNEW.WAD

In the hindsight, I wish I had spent my time on a similar hack for Heretic instead, but it is what it is 🙂

PS. I actually also listened to the OPL card playing music with the IBK timbers loaded and to the vanilla playing music on the same card, can say that while the IBK does not make the sound match vanilla, it is sounds much more interesting in my opinion than pure Allegro FM music.

MBF_D2GM.7z

32 midis from Windows, the link is in the video's description:
https://youtu.be/tCeJ3CKbxMM

Here's some of my favorite wads that left such a strong impression on me you can see their influence in my stuff to some degree or another depending on map:

Sunder - Every map has the progression, ambience, scale and music of a final showdown, something that inspires me greatly. Going to Hell - WIP megawad that never got finished that i'd describe as "BTSX E1 without the cookie cutter level design". Paradise - Has combat, aesthetics and music that inspire me like nothing else. To me it almost felt like playing a whole new game. Lost Civilization - Gigantic explorational lush levels that make you feel like you're in a real place, without sacrificing the fun of gameplay. Hurt - This is the only one of these that is one single map, and despite that it feels like something special. Even from looking at the screenshots you can tell that.

There's many others i'd recommend like TNT Revilution and Eviternity, but i think those above are on a whole other level. They felt like whole unique experiences for me.

@dmslr 😑 it's not really bad, but i think there will be better places.

For me, Death's Bells was unlike all the other tracks back when all I had was the four Doom IWADs. All these rock midis, spooky midis, then there was this one midi unlike all the rest that was just plain enchanting and powerful, and also situated on Wormhole, one of the most atmospheric maps. I remember that my PC at the time had a specifc soundcard in it that made that midi really awesome, and source ports and upgraded PCs later on never captured the original feel.

There was also a neat remix of it on OC Remix that was...haunting.

Into the Beast's Belly is notable for being loud and a perfect action map midi, and it fits the final map so damn well, to the point that when I was working on TNT2 with Kyka, I asked Bucket to make a track that used the opening notes of it as a callback, as at that point in time, the first map of TNT2 started in front of the dead broken IoS from Last Call. This was lost in translation in Revilution, when we inherited that midi, but Jaws threw out my plan of also starting at the IoS (We were going to make it start at the blue-eyed IoS seen in the BOSSBACK for Evilution), but ive heard that the opening notes of Beasts Belly energise most players and get them in the mood for TNT, so I definitely did SOMETHING right asking for that!

@Cuppykeks said in Stupid things in maps that bother you:

Wait what's the pushback against UV? Do they put an inaccessible monster on UV only or is it something even weirder?

Stuff like the drama over Magnolia, with Ribbiks sabotaging his own wad and making you submit demos of HMP to get the un-cut version, as well as offering bonus maps to the first lucky people, due to his longstanding grudge against 'UV only', then there was the weird conversation on DW where a bunch of elite modders were plotting ways to screw over UV max players, whole thing just really comes across as exceptionally rude to me. Like, why be so weirdly hostile to your userbase? I just dont get it. Maxing out the items, kills and secrets has been part of the game for almost 30 years, and people have been playing on UV for almost as long.

On other subjects; one thing I forgot to mention was widescreen stuff. We live in 2022, in an age where pretty much every TV and monitor you'll ever see is 16:9 minimum. Even Doom and Strife's official rereleases have everything in 16:9 now. It baffles me that 99% of the Doom community hasnt adapted, and that some of the bigger ports like Eternity STILL dont support widescreen, when the 'shitty Unity port' does. It makes me a tad grumpy that even with the widescreen asset thread and the IWADs all being nicely WSed on GZDoom courtesy of Nash, people arent budging in the slightest. Is it really so hard to start your new assets in widescreen THEN reduce them to 4:3 for older ports? You futureproof it that way.

Yes, im picky and cantankerous, I know 😛 Its one of many side effects of working in a video game industry firsthand, changes how you look at modding. Theres a level of efficeincy and forward thinking you get used to, at least, where I worked.

@KUBA18i Super late to respond to this (I think I hesitated from trying to check the credits error way back when) but yeah thank you for playing and for the review! Glad you found my puzzle map very palatable!

@Devalaous Yeah, I agree, an IOS ending is lame and underwhelming after playing 29 maps, IOS's place nowadays, if any, should only be in the middle of the set as a mid-boss.

I know the project is over, but I really wanna say this because I didn't have time to do it earlier - this was a really awesome idea for a project and I wish I could have contributed. It reminds me of this old map, and honestly, maybe it's better I couldn't contribute, because I probably would have made something in a similar style in order to troll people 😄

A new release of RZDoom (3.2.0)

This is a rather small update.

Reverted to FMODEX for audio from FMOD Studio due to Studio's lack of support of various audio backends and channels that were causing issues.

I wanted to add some bells & whistles from my newer weapon packs long time ago... Updated bulletholes, since they now gonna be really hot and get cold from time to time. Updated impact VFX for bullets. Enjoy some sparks and dust clouds, I guess. Added tossed linkers for UKM-2000. Added decorative empty mags for TT, Saiga-12, AKM, SVD and UKM-2000. Yay! More junk to the battlefield! Added distant sounds for explosions of PG-7V missile and grenade. Wait, what? Added ability to quick kick. I suggest key [Q]. With berserk you gonna one-kick Imp with 100% probability. Added ability to quick grenade toss. I suggest key [G]. From start you can carry 5. With backpack you can carry 10. Search for it near single PG-7V missiles. It has 10% chance to appear.

Here is a link to the latest version...