QUERY: level editor aid to complete single player levels

[andrewwan1980]

Doom games are perfectly fine and easy to play through. Each level is self-contained. There's no way going back to a previous level, or hop back and forth. The whole gameplay is straightforward (as in progressing through each level in one direction).

Hexen on the other hand is totally different. It was the first FPS to use inventory, jumping, and classes (with attributes, strength, etc). But the biggest difference is the level hopping (not level skipping cheats). Basically, Hexen levels contain huge puzzles that require several levels to complete, so you find yourself going back and forth between 3 levels or so, just to flick some switches and grab a key.

I found Hexen puzzles quite big and find myself getting lost. So I was wondering if anyone knows Hexen speedruns or recorded demos? OR if there's map editors that highlights doors that get activated when you hover over a linedef (and vice-versa - you hover over the sector/door and it highlights the linedef required to activate it). It's okay if both linedef & sector are contained in the same level. The problem lies when they are in separate levels.

I remember Edmap does some linedef/sector highlighting. Same with Doom Builder. Any other good ones which can help show me how to complete Hexen?

[andrewwan1980]

I've tried virtually all possible Hexen level editors:

DeePsea - highlights HEXEN's linedef (switch) with sector (door)
Doom Builder - highlights HEXEN's linedef (switch) with sector (door)
Slade
WadAuthor - highlights HEXEN's linedef (switch) with sector (door)
ZETH - highlights HEXEN's linedef (switch) with sector (door)

DCK, DEU/WinDEU, DoomCad, RHEU wouldn't run under DOSBox.
DETH, DMapEdit could recognise Hexen and have Hexen configs but map01 comes out garbled.
Edmap, WADED doesn't do Hexen.

None of them does any Hexen AC script interpreting. I know they're just level editors, but it would be useful if I could hover over a linedef and the editor parses the script, and highlights any sectors it references in the script.

Does anyone know if any editors do this?

[jake250]

Absolutely NO editor will even do this. Scripts are on their own, completely individual.

When something runs a script, the editor really has no idea whats it going to do, and certainly won't highlight things for you. This is part of its complicated process.

With Doombuilder, you can see the scripts and you'll have to understand them, plain and simple. That, or you should just actually... play the game and find out where to go?


I could do it as a child. If you are stuck, check a walkthrough. Just be patient and search a bit more. Don't kill the fun out of a game while you still have it.

[andrewwan1980]

Yeah, Doom Builder seems to be the only one with viewable scripts. Slade has an option to view scripts, but no script is loaded.. and can't seem to load any at all.

I can understand "80 - H Script Executable" with params (script no., map, args...). I then look at the script 9, etc. and it's Door_Open(const:18, 16)... which I assume means raise sector tag 18 to height 16. I then use Find Sector tag and woala! found the door!

"74 - H Teleport To Map" is sometimes used for portals.
"121 - H Line Identification" is used for portals in map02 (seven portals), which I don't understand.

[andrewwan1980]

omfg, this is driving me round the bends. Just figured out about H Line Identification:

script 43 OPEN
{
mapvar5 = 0;
mapvar6 = 0;
setlinespecial(1, 80 /*ACS_Execute*/, 39, 0, 0, 0, 0);
setlinespecial(2, 80 /*ACS_Execute*/, 40, 0, 0, 0, 0);
setlinespecial(3, 80 /*ACS_Execute*/, 41, 0, 0, 0, 0);
setlinespecial(4, 80 /*ACS_Execute*/, 42, 0, 0, 0, 0);
terminate;
}

So a linedef has line ID 1 or 2 or 3 or 4, which executes script 39 or 40 or 41 or 42 respectively....

[Aliotroph?]

That script is referring to at least four separate linedefs. The OPEN at the top means it runs that when the map starts. It's just setting some scripts to be activated by those four linedefs. You should be able to use the editor to find those linedefs and if you look at those four scripts you can figure out what they do.

Slade should work as well as Doombuilder for any of this type of thing, in case it matters. DETH and DEU would never work for Hexen anyway, but there are Hexen versions of the same, appropriately named things like, HETH, or ZETH for ZDoom. Old stuff though. Best to stick with new editors and not DOS ones if you're not already into them.

[andrewwan1980]

PlanetHeretic is atrocious! Who updates that site? I want to take over that site and maintain it myself then... adding more Hexen material, pictures, walkthroughs, maps, etc. Hexen is a well damn hard game and I think it's one game overlooked.