Aqua DM, Half done.

[Aqua Kitty]

This is a Vanilla compatible DM map pack I'm working on.

NEW Screenshots at WIP:
http://www.wadsinprogress.info/?a=listwads&wad=1642

So far there's 18 maps in this WAD and it's playable on all major source ports, even "good" ol' Doom Legacy if you want split screen DM.

Download:
http://www.filedropper.com/showdownload.php/aquadm_1

[Llewellyn]

Most of the maps in the screenshots are just small hall-way maps with a bunch of dead ends... those aren't DM maps.

[Catastrophe]

Im pretty sure Doom 2 has better detailing

[Aqua Kitty]

Most of the maps in the screenshots are just small hall-way maps with a bunch of dead ends... those aren't DM maps.

The only maps with actual dead ends are map04 (Several for spawn points) and map05 (weapon rooms), the rest is just how I took the screen shots, since I made sure that the maps didn't have unintentional dead ends. Map01 is meant to be a vague knock off of Doom II map01/Dwango5 map01

Im pretty sure Doom 2 has better detailing

That's cause I didn't focus a lot on detailing, just on the layouts and making sure it's playable in Chocolate Doom (and getting more maps done). As the thread prefix says, it's a work in progress. Maps are being expanded and detailed more as this is being typed.

Also when I made a new Map09, Maps 08 and 09 keep crashing in Chocolate Doom.

[Aqua Kitty]

Bump, 17 maps and counting. Older maps have been improved via my own discretion. Fixed the music in Legacy too, by converting all my MIDIS to MUS files.

I'll upload the WAD(s) anyway because the screenshots apparently make them look like they have a bunch of dead ends. I uploaded it to WIP, and it has been approved, so link to WIP is in the first post.
EDIT: Noticed Map14 was kinda bland compared to the other maps, so I added textures besides the METALs.

[Aqua Kitty]

Bumpdate. See previous post. ;)

[Qent]

Oh man, no Icon of Sin in MAP30. :P

I'm confused though: does MAP33 work in Chocolate Doom?

EDIT: Okay, I playtested most of the maps online.

General stuff

• You could afford more detail, but I'm guessing you were planning on adding that later, so I won't mention it any more.
• Hiding powerful items like BFGs makes them easier to get because people aren't shooting you.
• Using secrets (like fake walls) to protect powerful items in DM is a bit pointless, since after playing the map a few times, everyone knows the secrets.
• Putting a bunch of powerups in the same place is probably too much.
• Cells are actually powerful items on BFG maps.

MAP01

• The cell pack at the exit is probably too much ammo.
• Megaspheres are too tough.
• Blursphere+backpack+megasphere all together is too much; any one of those would be plenty there.
• Doors with walkover triggers should have use triggers too.
• Too many fake walls.

MAO02

• Too symmetrical.
• Not enough guns outside; I'm not sure what you want me to do with a chainsaw.
• The BFG is hard enough to get, but personally I would make the switches more obvious.

MAP03

• Chainsaw arena; good for a laugh.

MAP04

• Another okay jokemap; might be fun with more players (we only had 2).

MAP05

• Those tunnels are too tight for my liking, but as long as they are, maybe you could have some chainsaw/berserk action.
• Too many cells.
• BFG is too secret and too easy to get.
• Barrels are fun.

MAP06

• Nothing too remarkable; it could be a room of a larger level.
• Weapons on spawn would be nice; berserk isn't always there when you need it.

MAP07

• Way too many cells.
• Megasphere is OP.
• BFG is too easy again: you get to run away from the action to get it.
• You have Mancs/Arachnotrons, but no 666/667 tags? Maybe you could tie them into getting the BFG.

MAP08

• BFG is too easy to get/out of the way again.
• The fake wall for the BFG doesn't really serve a purpose.
• Thanks for the weapons on spawn.

MAP09

• Too big.
• BFG out of the way again, and again behind a fake wall.
• Too many cells.

MAP10

• Giant HOMs here, so it's probably unfinished?
• Invulnerability isn't good for DM.
• There's a stack of powerups on top of the invul; any one of those would probably be enough.

MAP11

• Too symmetrical.
• Megasphere is OP.
• The BFG is good.

MAP12

• This might be fun with all BFG spawns.

MAP13

• Way too big.
• That BFG is good.

MAP14

• Too many blurspheres; what would I even want with all those?
• I don't really like the huge stairs.

MAP29

• Too much health. You could maybe get rid of all of it.
• You don't need extra cells.

MAP30

• This one is pretty fun; add 4 more spawns for the SSGs.

MAP32

• Way too big.
• Running up to the BFG is kind of boring.

MAP33

• We didn't get to play this one, but some spawns are missing weapons.

[Aqua Kitty]

Map33 has visplane overflows in Chocolate Doom, however it does work.

I tried using the 666/667 tags in map07 but they don't work in Deathmatch, if I did this in Zdoom format this could be fixed with a script.

The giant HOMs in Map10 is meant to be an illusio-pit if you're referring to the center of the map.

Map13 is meant to be large but it could go down to like 3/4 of its old size.

The jokemaps are because this WAD started off as a jokewad taking a jab at tourneyfag play but evolved into this mess. A lot of this WAD is messing with my own ideas.

Otherwise, back to the drawing board with the current maps, as you implied.

[Frits]

Played this with qent yesterday.

- Maps lack detail, but I don't care about that so much.
- BFG's are too easy to get and once you got them you can dominate every map with all those megaspheres and cellpacks
- You're avatar map is the worst
- Too many blurspheres
- Almost none of the maps have any flow, just random blocks connected.
- Not all maps are bad some are good, see qents post.
- Maps are too big (you're never going to get 20 players, be realistic)
- Invuls in dm, ugh.
-focus on improving your current maps instead of adding more ones.

[NachtIntellect]

When I first saw this thread I thought it was going to be an actual underwater based deathmatch, my dreams have been crushed but I guess I could work on my own while finding ways to cancel out the death script for being under water for too long (or as a lazy way could make land for players to get up and catch their breath), then again I don't have the right tools as I am not on the computer that has all my editing tools on it.

[Ænima]

You can adjust how long players can hold their breath on a particular map via MAPINFO.

[NachtIntellect]

You can adjust how long players can hold their breath on a particular map via MAPINFO.

That's probably what i'll do when I get my computer back, start a project based on underwater deathmatches and try to come up with the most detailed/beautiful underwater maps and when I have enough to go on post them here.

[Aqua Kitty]

Played this with qent yesterday.

- Maps lack detail, but I don't care about that so much.
- BFG's are too easy to get and once you got them you can dominate every map with all those megaspheres and cellpacks
- You're avatar map is the worst
- Too many blurspheres
- Almost none of the maps have any flow, just random blocks connected.
- Not all maps are bad some are good, see qents post.
- Maps are too big (you're never going to get 20 players, be realistic)
- Invuls in dm, ugh.
-focus on improving your current maps instead of adding more ones.

I'm focusing on improving the maps at the moment, particularly weapon balance (In hindsight it wasn't such a good idea to have secret BFGs and overpowering health/armor).

The thread title was a reference to the filename (AQUADM.WAD), but I've done an "underwater" DM level before but that was for my skulltag Plutonia DM project that's been canned, and before that it was a remake of a Midi Maze/Faceball 2000 map I was making for a Midi Maze remake.

After a simple Dehacked pistol/plasma tweak, a Midi Maze remake sounds plausible.

Also if somebody would like to donate a better MIDI of "Zero the Hero" by Black Sabbath for map13, that would be appreciated.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that if you find megaspheres or blurspheres overpowering, there is an option to curb that by making it so they don't respawn in ZDoom based ports (ex. Zandronum), but otherwise they're less overpowering now. Maps have been touched up as far as item balance and size goes, and I replaced that crate building around the BFG in map13 with a Stucco/wood hut with a table, with a catwalk to the megasphere in the chair, and the other crates have been redone. Brick textures replace the gray stone walls around the Stucco buildings; These changes are to give the map a slightly more urban feel (in the Doom II sense anyway). The maps aren't designed towards jumping being that the original Doom engine did not support jumping.

I'll work out balancing issues in these maps, since the two main goals of this WAD are gameplay balance and variety; detailing work is minimal, as in enough that it doesn't look like I just drew a few boxes and called it good, because imo extravagant detail isn't essential in a map, especially taking into factor that maps with too many visplanes can crash vanilla Doom. Many of the poor design choices were probably under the influence of alcohol and/or pot, and some of the maps are intended to be symmetrical (Map02 and map11 are intended to be both symmetrical and similarly themed), but thanks for the advice Qent and Frits, I'll apply these to future maps after I work on the old ones.

[Aqua Kitty]

I've worked on my old maps and added a few more map ideas (Wolfenstein-style map31 and ice map for map15). For some reason adding map15 made the WAD break Chocolate Doom so I decided to move it to limit removing ports, meaning it'll play on anything that doesn't get Z_CheckHeap errors. I plan on releasing this after I finalize what I have.

Progress:

Map01 - Removed a bunch of those rooms and cut down on the size a little.

Map02 - Detailed rooms, added variation in heights outdoors.

Map05 - Moved some items, added new room for plasma rifle, some changes to existing rooms

Map06 - Weapon Spawns

Map07 - Rearranged. Considering experimenting with using the 666/667 tags again

Map08 - Removed fake walls

Map09 - Removed BFG room, put the BFG at a teleport location to add risk of telefragging into getting the BFG.

Map10 - Crusher trap for BFG, Power ups nerfed

Map11 - Power ups nerfed

Map12 - All Plasma rifle spawns, BFGs, cells, and megaspheres now.

Map13 - Completely new and smaller map

Map14 - Changed textures and detailing so that it resembles some kind of laboratory. BFG nukage trap.

Map29 - Removed cells and health items.

Map30 - More spawns

Map32 - Made significantly smaller, no more BFG climbing

Map33 - Weapon spawns

Edit: Almost forgot - Map16 shot