06/06/2005 @20:43:50 ^01:00:31

Oh dear it doesn't even have a name yet

New Doom projects are often met with ridicule. For every map that is released there are a dozen "INCREDIBLE NEW MEGAWAD!" ideas that never get finished, or indeed, started. On Doomworld this has happened so often that there is a forum extension which allows you to post the following helpful message with a minimum of keystrokes:

<NOOB>, before you start asking for help on your new mega-cool-and-whatnot project, make sure you have something to show first (screenshots, map downloads, etc). Keep in mind we've already seen thousands of upcoming projects that actually never got done.

With that in mind, I've started making a new set of maps.

What's done so far After two weeks, I have three maps finished in a theme I call "Dingy Techbase". Furthermore the girl has made a map and I also plan to do up Speed Villa a bit and put that in. So, there's about five maps.

Screenshots The maps I've done, in order of their construction: the first map, 1, 2; the second map, 1, 2; the third, 1, 2, 3. I don't know how long those links will last for but whatever.

If you would like to help I need beta testers and the more the better. I have a couple of people already, please join us on #megawad on irc.quakenet.org if you are interested.

Notes Doing Elixir taught me a lot of things about how not to make a map. For example, Doom is a game, so just make a map for a game and don't get bogged down by everything having to have a reason and be justifiable and whatever. Then last Christmas Speed Villa was made and the demos forum tore it to pieces. I realised that it's better to make a bunch of small, fun maps than some plodding behemoth that gets on everybody's nerves. You can make them look nice but don't sit up all night making complex machines and computer consoles that serve no purpose, etc.

In fact this is the result of seeing how well Speed Villa went and wanting to do more of it! I want it done for Christmas because I figure more people will play it if it comes out in time for the holiday season when people have time off.

The whole episodes thing is just to divide it up. Also, I can take the guns off the player after a few maps and not have to worry too much about making "balanced" maps. What I mean by that is a map that has just enough ammunition for every kill so that you never end up with too much.

I have a good way of forcing restarts which, although I worked it out independently, the famous megawad Scythe also does. The player teleports on top of a boss brain and a bunch of barrels, which kills him but also the brain which causes the level to exit. Since you are dead you get resurrected with 100% health and 50 bullets, the same way as when you press the use key when you die during normal play.

Stuff to do Make more maps, obviously. I should probably change the sky textures and do new title and intermission screens. Also name the maps and make intermission screen name graphics for them. Oh and name the whole project! The only name I have so far, which gets stupider every time I think of it, is "The Looks Like Arse Megawad"