quakis

Will do. Also as some friendly forum advice please try to avoid quoting entire posts especially if they're long, in future consider trimming down the quote to the portion you're specifically replying to, it otherwise causes too much unnecessary clutter. Cheers.

Great additions and tweaks since the betatest, congrats on making it to release! It's still a joy taking a stroll through the base just to to admire the fine texturing and doomcute visuals on display.

Congrats! Moved to releases.

I'd honestly like to attempt a second map for this, if you're okay with that.

Based on what I've learnt mapping for 25+ years, both through my own discoveries and lessons taken from other mappers across different mapping communities, some much later in my journey than I'd like to admit, here's some advice that can be boiled down into two very key points: Focus Focus Focus; I believe it's fine to have a few projects to alternate between in general, but this can cause a lack of focus as your attention is constantly being reset going from one mindset into another. Consider the main project you wish to see reach the finish line and put all your efforts toward it without other work distracting you, but do take breaks often to revitalise your creative energy however long needed. Plan out the major broad strokes what you want to achieve with the level, consider an end goal for both the player and yourself. Understand what the major beats you want to execute leading up to that ending. Starting location can wait. Everything else in-between can occur during the mapping process via iteration or by returning to the planning process once the initial building blocks are in place. Setting deadlines to work toward can also help keep focus. 100% Execution; Don't waste time loading up the editor and staring at a blank grid muttering to yourself "now what should I do?". Time spent in the editor should preferably be execution. Create something based on the plans you've got in mind, or experiment with a gameplay idea, or simply bugfixing that one broken sequence from the other day. Don't just start projects from a singular whim, instead consolidate multiple ideas together and iterate upon the level with those in mind. If progress slows down or you lose steam, go back to planning and thinking about the level outside the editor. Take breaks. Play other games. Do other hobbies. Just give the mind time to rest from mapping. Only return to the editor once you have a plan of action you want to execute. It's still perfectly fine to load up the editor and casually go with the flow to see where that will take you. I like doing this as a way to relax and experiment with design or gameplay. If you do find something that works well but reach a point not knowing where to continue with the project, don't give up on it, you can save these scraps for later. I've got many lying around over the years I've repurposed into finished and current projects. All of my released projects and contributions to community efforts have been the results of following the advice outlined above, otherwise they can often linger around with little progress being made due to a lack of focus and meandering around pointlessly in the editor. I've been making good progress on projects these days after understanding these flaws in my workflow and how to avoid them. Don't make the same mistakes I’ve made for years. I honestly don't recommend doing this, it's a quick way to burn out and grow to hate the creative process. Never force yourself to map without some plan of action before loading up the editor. Sometimes a little self pressure to prevent laziness might be necessary to get something done, but don't simply force out creativity. Alternatively if mapping more often is desired, speedmapping might be a healthier creative pursuit. Join up during one of the speedmapping jams around here, those typically have clear goals and limitations to follow and may become good practise to develop skills with other mappers to communicate with.

Added to the tracker as requested! However I'd like to add; While this project seems to be focusing most of it's development via Discord, please remember to consider updating the opening post occasionally with map slot claims and other status changes to make tracking the progress easier for everyone visiting the thread. Starting next year I'll be getting more strict with community projects lacking news updates and seem inactive regarding their inclusion to the tracker, just an early heads up for anyone reading this. More details on that at a later time.

Updated MAP21 again, came across a few issues and finally included a custom midi track that I think works well. v3 Changes: Two Barons during the final fight weren't difficulty flagged properly causing two pinkies to get stuck. Assigned the Barons to hard as they should have been Slimetrail visual glitch around the curved room fight and other minor visual anomalies Improved the skybox visuals around the starting location to look a little less boring and matches other parts of the level COOP starts were haphazardly placed in my prior updated, those have been readjusted. COOP is untested. One Revenant on the lift assigned to hard, forgot to do this initially Added two Medkits at the exit for continous players Included a midi track Download: map21-uturn_v3.zip Midi Track: Darkess.mid by pcorf

That was a great solid map with very little complaints from my side, enjoyable experience with plenty of action to feel satisfying on UV. Didn't have any ammo or health problems along the way and had plenty to work with for the finale, only found 1 secret before that to help out. The pacing and combat generally feels nice as it escalates in rapid succession while remaining varied, and you weren't kidding about those Imps. I also liked that trap setup when you grab either the Bluesphere/Plasma Gun. My only minor complaint would be converting a couple doors to OPEN STAY for better flow of major combat beats, forcing the players hand so to speak; one of those I have in mind particular is that door leading "outside" toward a yellow skull key, just to trim back a little on potential door camping where it matters. I like the overall use of space within the logo which allows for all sorts of different room shapes and sizes, along with the varied visual/textures schemes going on while still retaining cohesion. I really enjoyed your MAP03 entry here and this one is another great showcase, honestly looking forward to seeing what else you'll create with Doom going forward.

Definitely fills in a small gap that was missing on UV, the double Archie really punishes players rushing ahead recklessly. I tried and more often I'd find myself blasted into the blood pool. While one is charging up a blast the other can join in moments after to really mess with your timing moving from point to point. It especially creates panic when an enemy up ahead blocks your path forward, having to quickly dispatch them or pull back. The Cyberdemon continues to punish players standing still in one place for too long inbetween the Archie windups so his presence is still felt to cover for them. I also like the Revenant placement near the end to block an easy escape to the exit. I quite like this version personally, it's still remains a fast paced level but some of the concepts presented here now have some time to breathe.

Ah, that Archvile. I must have ran past just as he spawns in, I was not even aware of his existance honestly. I tried out a few tests in the editor, I think moving that Archvile spawn just below the Cyberdemon on his own circular platform adds some much needed extra pressure across the arena on UV without causing any infighting between them (floor is at -80). I also set the trigger point for him to spawn in much much earlier, right after grabbing your weapons which gives him time to breath. Players can still finish fairly quick but slowing down gives enemies more chance to hone in. Try playing around with a setup similar to this and see how you feel about it:

Apologies for not elaborating further in my earlier post. The layout as it stands in MAP31 can be simplified as a singular linear corridor leading to the exit point, with the only roadblocks being enemies that pop up along the way to physically stop the player's progression. However, defeating a few or side stepping passed them won't distrupt the pacing much and reaching the exit can potentially become effortless. The level has some good ideas going for it, however those don't have the proper time to get cooking; The central Cyberdemon can serve as a constant pressure point to be concerned about and the incoming swarm flying into the area can potentially distrupt any flow the player has during battle on foot. However players can reach the exit in about 20 - 30 seconds at a brisk pace and yet none of these scenarios have much chance to take root in the level's current form. However I'm not certain it's would be just as simple as adding more roadblocks or buffing up the difficult will solve things because I'm having trouble thinking up useful solutions with the current space that's available without some form of expansion being made. It also depends both on what your end goals with the level are and how much you're willing to modify the current level as expanding upon the geometry might be required in some cases. The more I understand the better suggestions I could provde, but for now I'll ramble some ideas; For a minimalistic approach, considering that MAP31 is on a secret level slot you could also get away with approaching more experimental gameplay by honing onto a particular gimmick. If the player speeding through the level is chosen to be an intended part of the experience that you're perfectly fine with allowing, that's a viable approach you could expand upon further, like for example how Scythe's infamous MAP28 is also all about speed by pressuring the player forward with a death timer. Higher difficulties could experiment with a sadistic Archvile placement or two that forces players behind cover for moments or risk being blasted off the edges if their timing is off; Or as a safer option there could be certain platforms along the path that constantly raise/lower to add timing elements into the mix, a missed opportunity forces the player to defend themselves. If you're aiming to stick with a more traditional type of level progression, then perhaps exploiting the central Cyberdemon as a core feature to focus gameplay around, which by itself could increase the overall challenge. This could be approached from many angles, off the top of my head; Having instances where the player is forced to deal with problems along their journey that leaves them open for attack from the centre and being forced to avoid rockets while solving these problems before moving forward; You could also reuse the existing space after traversing the first loop by requiring the player to run back in the opposite direction with several changes/additions/new challenges added to the path - with an optional, tougher third loop to access the MAP32 exit; Another approach could involve removing all the other enemies entirely and leaning into a player vs Cyberdemon level that focuses more on slower paced puzzle and/or navigational challenges - just have a few Cybies in reserve if one were to die and crush them later. If geometry expansion is neccesary, having some dilapitated marble ruins following the general shape could have a nice contrast alongside the rocks and blood to break up the visuals and serve as points of interest.

Played through the current entries and here's some of my initial thoughts and experiences with each level. Eternity Engine UV & Pistol Start MAP01: Arachnophobia It's a simple enough introduction to the concept that's also not afraid to throw out heavy hitters like Chaingunners and Arachnotrons early on to take advantage of tight, close quarter combat. Didn't get much use out of the RL during this run, but the Berserk was a life saver after eating some plasma. I like how the second leg of the "A" is required to unlock its upper portion before exiting. MAP02: Baby Beelzebub's Bastion Good use of the layout to create some flow and initiate various ambushes upon the player within it's limited size. That Mancubi spawn was absolutely cruel. The Archvile didn't pose much of an issue however, maybe he'd be more effectively position by helping out the other group of Revenants or perhaps serve to block access leaping across the pillars, maybe with a few imps up there he can revive to keep him busy. As it stands, he's simple enough to take out through the side fences without any concern of retaliation or consequences. MAP03: Cuckoo for Cacodemons Great level and use of layout, flows really well and enjoyed this one a lot. It's double layered using "rooms" within the shape while allowing traversal along an outer rim, mixing it up with open and tight skirmishes. Having the entire area surrounding the letter opened up works really well for a later fight once the Caco swarm is freed, allowing ranged enemies to attack from across the map or float around the centre to cause problems. Also effectively ties together its design and atmosphere. MAP04: Destined to Die in the Distilling Plant of Doom Hot start gets the momentum going, but the level is open enough where the majority of fights don't pose too much hassle as long as we keep moving. Involves a bit of supply acquisition and dealing with early ambushes before moving beyond the blue key barrier. The imp onslaught with incoming double Archies took several attempts to find the correct rhythm, usually without doubt being toasted before having a chance at taking them down. Creating some distractions like imp corpses near their spawning zones helped create a window of opportunity here. The second lot of Archies during the finale turns the openness of the level against players where cover is minimal, forcing target prioritisation while dodging Revenant rockets as a Cyberdemon closes the distance. Fun romp. MAP05: Emergency Explosive Entitlement It's an easier and simpler level primarily using hitscanners to die by a thousand cuts if care isn't taken to dispatch them quickly. Both upper and lower wings of the E layout hold keys required to progress into the exit, a concept that can actually work really well on its own but it's honestly under utilised in practise here. There's not a whole lot going on before or after snatching up the prize, even something like a simple puzzle, platforming sequence or combat ambush using the surrounding space could help to make their acquisition feel a little more earned. At the very least I think UV needs a more bite in general. The double Archie behind door number one however can be a nasty surprise first time round relying on reaction speed before they gain an upperhand, as there isn't much cover besides a nearby crate to work with, but I don't hate this trick being pulled after a long false sense of ease up until this point. MAP06: Fear Factory Neat techbase involving tight quarter fights, making full use of its layout to reuse the available space. I love the sense of movement from crushers to scrolling walls, feels like machines busy working on something. That little ambush after snatching the yellow key plays a little on decision making; push past the crushers to risk having an imp block my exit or stay back dealing with both the turret Imps and nearby PE? If you want to be sadistic, change the slimefalls beyond the yellow door into non-solid midtextures so Revenant rockets pass right through - might be a little too cruel though. MAP07: Bowl of Dead Simple Gruel Dead simple indeed, sadly not much to say about this one but I actually quite liked the implied visual style through its texture scheme, created a surreal sensation trying to parse exactly where or what we're exploring. Level is otherwise linear with progressing enemy tiers, nothing out of the ordinary. Bonus points on not having Mancubus on a MAP07 slot at least! MAP08: Half And Half Loving the split themes between each wing of the H layout, started along the techbase route first before tackling the other side. Combat heavy level involving a fair bit to retreive one of the two required keys to exit, several neat moments throughout. That hallway with the lights turning off got a little spicy only because I was at low health due to earlier recklessness. Those surprise Cacos during the blue key fight also made for an "uh oh" moment to pick up the pace. Many later fights during the left portion also got dangerous due to me running low on supplies, forcing me to push forward during some encounters, in turn causing more trouble for myself. Great effect with the faked red sky and tons of Doomcute details. MAP09: Ignited Irony Pressure heavy scenarios that can potentially get out of hand quickly, a nice change of pace for combat which has mostly in my control up till now. The middle fight in particular was tough until upon realising a side room had always been accessible withholding a Supershotgun. The red key fight otherwise can fluctuate from being in control to losing control fast based on how quick those Archviles can be, if and when they choose to come into your hiding space or be forced into theirs. Tough little gauntlet but I enjoyed my time here. MAP10: Juxtaposition Short and sweet with two notable tough encounters, primarily starting the encounter that favours your own position taking advantage of the explosive barrels to deal extra damage when the action kicks off, took several attempts to succeed in either fight. Not much cover in the first encounter all about evasiveness, while the second area does have cover it's more likely to create a deadend choke point if care isn't taken. Personally not a fan of the final Archie horde, wasn't difficult in particular because they're restricted to this one room and involves some basic rocket or BFG spam. If there were less of them, provided free reign outside and a switch to lower an exit portal back in the previous room this could be an evil little setup that can grow out of control. Alternatively creating a physical link back to the starting room to an exit point could also work out well to utilise the letter's layout in full. Leaving behind that single Archvile during the beginning can then have consequences for later. Having the BFG on hand should balance the scales and might create a final skirmish that's just a little more interesting. MAP11: 'Kay, Then Another short and sweet level that starts off rather cruel, potential to lose a lot of health early in and use up the available healing options just based around how the opponents behave. Had one attempt where everyone kept shooting me knocking off a huge chunk of health before grabbing the stimpacks. Another attempt had me avoid taking fire and surviving with plenty of health. Don't have too much else to say beyond this point however as the progression forward remains simple. Pull two switches to access another for the last door and deal with the incoming swarm. Serves as a nice breather from the prior level but didn't do too much with the letter's layout. MAP12: Lowly Limbo Linear level with a partial E3M1 homage that would suit the start of an episode for its chill combat and open areas. Doesn't do too much with the shape of the letter besides providing a straight path toward the exit with enemy encounters along the way. My only critique is that there's a fair amount of space but it's a very flat experience overall which could probably benefit from using some height variation to spice up the progression or enemy placement. Connecting some of the areas by reducing the room -> door -> room could also improve flow from one point to another. MAP13: Military Complex Similar thoughts as the previous level, so I don't have much feedback to provide otherwise. It's very similar in progression except space is tighter but not exactly any more threatening since the many doors can hold back the enemies from pushing forward. If anything, almost caught a rocket in my face after fighting the Mancubus duo when a spectre popped in via teleporter. MAP14: Nothing Special Linear use of the layout but it makes good use of it through varied encounters and challenges using different enemy compositions and even a small platforming sequence. Couldn't quite figure out how to reach one of the potential secrets in an upper niche, but did find the Megasphere. It was quite hilarious how often enemies were hiding behind pillars at the start, as if they're trying to hide away from the player rather than ambush them. Did come across this bleeding ceiling here though: MAP15: Out of Order The level being based around an ascending loop is a nice twist on what could otherwise been a much more simpler concept, especially with having to do a second run if you grabbed the yellow key. Those PE's got a little out of hand I opted to just run away by that point. Level is otherwise a fun, combat heavy romp that gets trickier during the second time round due to dwindling resources. Minor improvement could be marking both end portals with an "Exit" sign to differentiate them. MAP16: Powering Up Tough on UV, definitely didn't feel like I had enough rockets to finish up the initial fight and following swarm, encouraging a risky play to push past onward beyond the spawning hordes to open up that blue key door. Of course there's a Cyberdemon right behind it guarding a cache of ammo along with additional meat walls. Should I now further risk shooting to awaken the new enemies or lure the Cybie in to help clean up while keeping silent until I've grabbed the supplies? There's also another door beyond that containing more goodies guarded by another trap. MAP16 is a tough decision making and evasiveness challenge set piece that plays well with its limited space and high monster density. Can be frustrating when enemies don't perform according to the script you've presented, but as is the nature of trial and error to discover a working solution to this combat puzzle. MAP17: Qaverns and Qorridors Neat linear romp that escalates over time split into a slower paced crawl before approaching a series of enemy gauntlets blocking passage forward. Good atmosphere during the first half with the hellish warped tech base and dark lighting. There were some tough Archvile encounters during the latter since you'll need to cover a good distance around the curve to avoid being blasted, which the gives him time to revive or allow other enemies to push forward creating a wall. Glad a Berserk was provided since ammo got a little short toward the end, but enough to finish up without issue. MAP18: Rocket Frenzy Cyberdemon & Rocket Launcher set piece with some barrel and crusher traps to potentially use against him. Not an entirely difficult premise that mostly revolves around avoiding spash damage from either side's rockets and not getting caught in the blast radius of barrels exploding. The Megasphere and Invul make this a breeze though, I would consider removing the Invul for UV/Hard difficulties. Some external turret enemies outside the main arena serving as a distraction could also spice things up but not a necessary inclusion. MAP19: Silent Castle There's a reliance on the age old room -> door -> room progression while engaging enemies only from a frontal approach that don't play to their strengths. Having several manual doors with the odd walkover trigger forcing one of them open was a good attempt at catching a player off guard, but would benefit from a more aggressive push of enemies. Because of door overuse, the final Cyberdemon pulled back his punches a lot making him susceptible to an easy Supershotgun kill. Also see my thoughts for MAP12 as it can apply here too. MAP20: Trickier and Trappier Excellent twist on the tricks and traps formula, some great ideas at play here that add a decent chunk of variety. Difficulty can be determined based around the order of chambers completed, such as dealing with the maze Archie might not be feasible without grabbing some heavier firepower beforehand or getting some good Berserk punches in before taking too much damage yourself. Favourite scenario was the southern Archie tube room, following each cable to find the correct switches based on the action you want to perform. It was fun just seeing the different results anyway. The rocket arena with area specific barrel explosions to manipulate as neat, too bad I'd already cleared the waves before playing around with it. There's also a nasty platforming segment with Blur Spheres utilised as power-downs, projectiles becoming erractic and harder to avoid. Tough level with a great concept executed well. MAP23: Wit's Wicked Doom Reminds me of MAP20, being another puzzle orientated level, this time focused around navigation and platforming challenges all about pressing switches and touchplates in sequential order while manipulating enemy attacks to get through these areas. It's a strange level with surreal presentation, a little too dark at times but quite fun in execution. Had some minor gameplay annoyances like Cyberdemons blasting me off ledges while using Invul or Archviles not lining up their attacks properly so I jump correctly. Switches are marked with their purpose, hints are provided and texture schemes are consistent with certain behaviours. Good stuff here and nice change of pace. MAP24: eXterminator Having each spoke of the X as its own segment is an obvious choice to following along with but works as a nice way to break up the level leaving the central area for a Spider Mastermind to control, who in my playthrough managed to knock a significant amount of health off leaving me on the defensive going forward. Action is otherwise fairly tame due to open spaces, only with the added worry being shot in the back while focused on other threats. It would have been neat seeing a little more done with each spoke but that might also boil down to UV lacking some extra pressure. Also found a bleeding lava sector here: MAP25: Yesteryear Claustrophobic and atmospheric, tight skirmishes and honestly just a good romp overall. The layout takes advantage of its space and flows well across the level, reusing earlier space with additional fights before the exit is reached. Plenty of extra supplies hidden in nooks for such a small playing field. Also quite liked that fireblu poking beneath a window. MAP26: Zurburk Berserk/Tyson style level against some large forces pouring into the scene, can get out of hand fast and health is frugal at best. I don't mind the occasional challenge like this one, it's pretty densely packed against the player for such a small sized level, small annoyances with punches not landing. Went through a portal and a Pinky on the other side beelines toward me and not a single punch would collide, possible game or engine quirk. Otherwise health was the main concern taking too many minor cuts during a long sequence, but I'd have to check later to see if lower difficulties ease up on that. Probably fine for UV/Hard. MAP27: El Ñoño Va y Viene An unforgiving composition of enemies that exploits the player's positioning so that starting out takes some effort to get going without being completely torn apart. The chaingunner trio is difficult to avoid while grabbing the Supershotgun and elevated Imps are nuisances throughout this little segment. Other enemies serve as high priority distractions and the Archvile placements are a disadvantage. Wasting too much ammo here might make the northern ~ area tricker to break through. I do like the return trip making environmental and navigational changes to grab the blue key. Tough romp but I liked figuring out a method to this madness. MAP28: The European Onion Leaning on a simple corridor romp that slowly escalates the enemy tiers over time, a fairly easy affair but does have some nice ideas. It's good that the surrounding non-playable space is opened up to expand the visual scale of the area but also plays well with the incoming Caco swarm giving them a decent amount of roaming space. The final Archvile didn't pose much of a threat though but could have instead been utilised to create additional pressure alongside the Cyberdemon, something along the lines of denying certain areas that make it easier to tackle the Cybie or maybe pushing more toward a pincer attack type ambush to prioritise one or the other. MAP30: Malapetaka Ending on this level is a good choice, an enjoyable romp through many homages to the original levels, condensed and merging into one entity, all limited inside a layout spelling out the word "DOOM" with special attention to replicate the logo itself. Even the midi blends various parts of the recognisable tracks as if it's unsure what the proper music choice should be, bleeding rhythms together or throwing a temporary moment in the background. The level flows well, has several big and small battles and ends with beating up the three major bosses one last time. MAP31: Ohm a God Super short level that pressures players to force their way forward because of the Cyberdemon taking up the central area and constant harassment from other enemies as they appear on site, all while Cacos and PEs slowly creep onto the scene to disrupt the pace. It can be beaten fairly quickly though as nothing in particular really seems to hold you back at any point from proceeding forward and perhaps I lucked out by following the correct rocky path that lead straight up to the exit without many concerns. MAP32: How Did You Get Here? Intriguing, haunting and miserable that I enjoy in concept but playing it was a little on the tedious side. Dark, easy to get caught up in the trees and hard to avoid being blasted when out of ammo and trying to put distance, especially when returning to the cabin. I'm sure this was all intended and does exactly what it needs to do. Not a personal favourite though in its current iteration. The midi choice is perfect however, an absolute lie as there's no tranquillity here. Assuming it doesn't entirely ruin the vision, some faint light sources near ammo/health caches in the forest might help with scavenging supplies while still adding to the creep factor. This could help reduce the tedium without resorting to fumbling around blind as getting caught up in the trees and awkwardly squeezing back onto the correct path just wasn't very enjoyable in the long term. This can all be alleviated with improvements if I could physically see something to work towards however, perhaps some small clearings where light can pass through, additional distinct landmarks that silently guide the way and take opportunities for any subtle environmental storytelling up until the red key.

@aRottenKomquat Apologies, but I only just now realised I'd forgotten to include coop starts which was part of the project guidelines. Updated the download link into my previous post and also available here: map21-uturn_v2.zip

Sorry, took a little longer than intended to get this up including and some last minute bug fixes, but here we are. It's a gimmick level focused entirely around fights using only the Rocket Launcher. Main feedback concerns regard combat flow and balancing. All difficulties implemented but it could be finetuned further. No new midi included yet, I hadn't got around looking for one and don't want to delay this any further. May update later while I have more time to explore options. Map Slot: MAP21 Map Name: U-Turn the Tables Mapper Name: quakis Download: map21-uturn_v2.zip Automap: Screenshots:

Quick update for MAP21: As my entry deadline inches to a closure, I've still got some gameplay balance to tinker with and finish up the design in a few spots. I should have an upload either much later tonight or early hours tomorrow at the very latest. Haven't even got around to looking at a MIDI choice yet. Here's a screenshot for now: