Hell On Mars Demo

[Flesh]

Hey I just wanted to let you guys know that i just finished a wad. Based on if people like the Demo or not ill Continue to map for it so download it and let me know what you think. Thanks

You can get it here:
http://www.mooload.com/new/file.php...8/HOMDMUSIC.rar With music 9.86mb


http://www.mooload.com/new/file.php...HOMDNOMUSIC.rar no music 2.82mb

Here this is much faster im gonna have to find a different place to host my files. http://www.megaupload.com/?d=23N8ENEB

[ace]

Use the edit button please, instead of double posting! Saves space and prevents delicious spiced ham. ;)

As for the wad: before I even got this I can't help but think it isn't wise be planning the way you are. Keeping the mentality of "If people like it I'll keep working on it, and if people don't like it I'll drop it," isn't necessarily a good thing to go by. Rather, I think a good thing to do would be to listen to what people do not like about it specifically, and then use that information to improve upon what you already have. That way, rather than giving up on something that possibly has potential, you could improve upon it and tweak it until it's good.

But on to the actual critiquing. The first thing that annoyed me was not the size of the file itself, which is actually small considering some of the mods I've bothered to download in my time, but the percentage of that size that is made up by the music. About 75% of the entire thing was made up of music, though you made the right choice in making it optional. I'm all for the PSX music (awesome for sure), but considering its size having it as an entirely separate file (without maps/graphics included) may be wise.

And with enough digressing, the actual demo:


Graphics:
Speaking here of course of the Doom64 sprites. With these, I personally think it's all or none (excluding of course the chaingunner seeing as he wasn't in D64), because the Doom64 monsters really, really don't mix well with their PC counterparts.

The other thing I didn't like was the lack of reloading frames for the SSG. It just doesn't make much sense to me.



Sounds:
The PSX sounds/music are awesome, for sure. The problem is that they don't mix well with others; just as the D64 sprites don't mix with the Doom.exe ones, the PSX sounds don't mix well with the sounds added to replace the zombie deaths and the player pain sounds. The Quake II pickup sound is nice but again doesn't mix well.



Maps:
And of course here's where the most work is put in. The maps themselves, architecture-wise, are basic but probably pleasing enough to people who care more about gameplay/innovation anyway. The problem with them, however, is that they don't follow any distinguishable theme. Changed theme between maps is one thing, but changed theme in a single map is difficult to pull off nicely, especially dealing with tech/hell/mix. One may be able to pull off a tech map transitioning from tech to hell/gothic once, but doing it back and forth with no real border between the two is usually not pulled off well.

It also seems as if detailing was focused upon in some areas and neglected in others. This is a very difficult thing to avoid (even for me), but despite the time consumption and possible mappers' block, taking the time to keep that level of detail consistent is important.

Then there's MAP03, which has two big problems in my eyes: one is the lava pit right from the start. For one, it looks like it's scrolling at 300mph. And for another, even though it is scrolling so quickly, nothing is moving along with it. A scrolling flat should definitely be accompanied by carring things with the current.

The other problem with it is the E1M1 section. While everyone loves a classic reference, copying and pasting it for Doom2 is just inches over the legal/illegal border. I would consider rebuilding it from scratch and adding some things to it and changing it up a bit as well, so the reference is a bit more subtle and the level of detail is once more consistent, because again the rest of the level is much more detailed sheerly because nothing's been added to that section.



Gameplay:
Nothing wrong here. The gameplay was challenging, fast-paced, and never boring. Good job on that. Not sure what that fake cyberdemon is doing in MAP01 though. :p



So yeah, this doesn't need cancellation, only improvement. With enough practice this could become something really good. As it stands I see potential in its current state. Just keep working at it.
[/another large review-type thing]

[Flesh]

Thank you allot, you gave me allot of good feedback and with the sprites and stuff im just toying around to see how people react. But because of you i will work till its finished.

PS. Could you give me some ideas of what i should do with the sacrifice area in map02?

[hawkwind2]

I realise this is a zdoom map but the music does not play in Risen3d. I noted above that the music is from PSX Doom. In what format was PSX doom done in ? I'm guessing mp3.

[Flesh]

I think so.

[ace]

Come again?
http://img395.imageshack.us/img395/705/psxmusic8cv.png
They look Doom-compatible to me... which explains why I was able to listen to them in Vanilla before I ever got into the port business. Keep in mind PSX doom is OLD, after all it dates back to '95, as old as the console itself...

PS. Could you give me some ideas of what i should do with the sacrifice area in map02?

I don't know what you should do with it (I'm not one for ideas oftentimes), but it's really up to you anyway. ;)

[Logan MTM]

Hey Mr. !!!
Error 404 *cry*

[Flesh]

http://www.freewebs.com/midwestdons/WADS/HOMDNOMUSIC.rar

I dont know why the moouploads arnt working. The same links are working on doom world so i dont know what the deal is

[Logan MTM]

Well... Ace said everything !
I really like of your sense of details. The only thing i didn't like was the
confusion between the textures.
Metal with Marble, Wood, Stone, Metal again !!!
Anyway... I Liked.
Nice Gameplay . :D

[hawkwind2]

Come again?
http://img395.imageshack.us/img395/705/psxmusic8cv.png
They look Doom-compatible to me... which explains why I was able to listen to them in Vanilla before I ever got into the port business. Keep in mind PSX doom is OLD, after all it dates back to '95, as old as the console itself...

Come again ?

The version I downloaded was for Doom2 , not Doom1, and the larger 10meg music one.

It contained d_stalks, d_countd, d_dm2int and d_runnin

[Flesh]

Im totally confused

[ace]

Come again ?

The version I downloaded was for Doom2 , not Doom1, and the larger 10meg music one.

It contained d_stalks, d_countd, d_dm2int and d_runnin

I wasn't talking about the version from his site, I was talking about the PSXmusic resource wad (found here (http://www.doom2.net/~doomdepot/doommisc.html#mwads)) that's 48 megs and contains every PSX songs for both Doom I and II.

But it doesn't matter either way, IIRC the ones in the wad he had were MUS lumps as well, and there's a very good chance they came from the PSX music wad anyway.

And I do believe they have to be Doom compatible, because with ZDoom music volume control is either managed from "midi music volume" or "other music volume," with the latter controlling MP3, OGG, etc. The volume of the music changed with the midi volume control, not the other.

[rustyslacker]

Before I download your map, I have a comment on the title: "Hell on Mars"?? You mean like...original DOOM? :p

In other news, this is my 10,000,000th post. Yay for me.

[Flesh]

Hey i finally found a fast and reliable host for my files. This link http://files.moddb.com/2487/downloa...rs-demo-wmusic/ is for my Demo with the music. Downloading it here in a minute beats having to download it from freewebs and wait for 15mins +. Anyway i posted this for anyone intrested