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Project Status, Daily report. This section is devoted to track the progress of "Against the Clock" through two different reports: one big and general project status and an informal collection of daily reports. While looking at the project status may be enough, the daily reports are there for the most curious and also to mantain a record of what´s being done. This is a heavy-reading section (as if the site itself hadn´t enough words on it :P) so if you´re willing to get as much information as possible you could take a look around here. Progress page Index: Here you can know about the status of "Against the Clock" in terms of completion. The whole project is divided into several small areas and what´s done and what´s to be done in each one of them you can see below. This status is not absolute: if the 100 percent has been reached in a field and suddenly I feel that I could do something more I will... For example, when maps are completed there´s still the regular testing by other people and some revising left. As a little historical note, in the old site this was made to cheer me up while I was starting to work on this but as soon as the "Daily Reports" appeared this was less and less updated. I will try to keep it up to date this time with a frequence of, let´s say, a week.
When it appeared in the old site, this section was called "Currently
working on" but I´d always call its contents "Daily reports" so
this is the name it will have in this new site. For those of you who
don´t know what´s this, think about it as a weblog where
I´m storing what´s being done about the project each day I
write something down.
In the old site each report consisted in
only one pharagraph to keep it nice at sight and to avoid using the tab
key... This may not be the case anymore. New reports are likely to be
clear and organized. In fact, they´re organized by date now!!!.
Please, note that the older reports are posted below and the newest are
always at the upper part (just as the opposite of the index below). As you can assume, this is a potential
spoiler so skip it if you don´t
want to know details about the levels of the mod. Still, if
you´re curious and want to learn the few things I drop about the
Levels this is the place you should go. Don´t expect great
giveaways and enjoy reading!. Per-date reports index:
December, 31th, 2005: Tweaking world 1-4. In this last day of this year I have been, as expected, doing some work on "Against the Clock". I did a bunch of changes late at night, including massive playtesting and, today, I have done several other changes and additions and some playtesting too. What can I say?. I love the way this map plays and works!. To begin with, the map has some sounds now that create a nice atmosphere. Most of them happen only once or twice in the map, but help to difference what´s happening and where. There will be some others that will be present during the whole level in certain places, but those are still to be added... Anyway, I don´t know why I didn´t start with this whole sound issue before since the levels are much more inmersive this way. About the playtesting, I have the feeling that "Against the Clock" won´t be that hard anymore... The chance script provides the possibilty to win some like (like even 20 seconds in some places) and that makes possible to finish the map playing in a more relaxed fashion. Too relaxed, I´m afraid. I will be surely doing a lot of work on balancing this until I get the right amount of "Chances" for each level and it will be up to the players´ wit to know when it´s a good idea to drop into a death pit to respawn with some more time than was available before... Of course, there´s the whole health issue: now the player will be forced to be more conservative with health and I should take a few health packs from here and there to keep the whole thing on the edge. Finally, last night I was wondering a little about the ending and I think I have a concept for it. I have not the script with the things that will happen there, but have some kind of idea and it shouldn´t be too hard to make it true. Revealing some things, depending on the difficulty level you play in, you will get different endings.... Well, not exactly different endings, but different interpretations and degrees of revealing of almost the same facts. It seems like a nice idea to me and for players that won´t cheat, it could be an incentive to play again and again in harder levels until they get all the endings. And that´s almost all for today. Hope you have a nice entry in 2006!!!. December, 30th, 2005: Tweaking world 1-3. As expected, it didn´t take much time to finish this map... Actually, I have been working on it in and out and not continously but in the end most problems are solved easily. Not only did I solve the horrible texture bleeding in software mode but I also added more ambient sounds than planned that seem to work great with the map. I´m almost sure that there is nothing more to be done with this map until playtesting time comes so I´ll be moving on to World 1-4 when I feel like working on "Against the Clock". So far, the "To do" list for World 1-4 is small... There are two random crashes in the list and the rest is just a question of navigating and doing small visual fixes. Then, of course, there´s the whole sound issue that I don´t know exactly how to manage this time given the particularities of this map. I´m sure I´ll be needing some lava sounds, some water and soft wind too but, what else?. Yeah, creeping fire would be nice too and in the very same fashion I could use some magical "Schwooosh" sounds and stuff... As could happen with the rest of the maps, only playtesting time will be telling if something has to be added to the gameplay and, now that I mention it, I almost forgot about the checkpoints!!!. This map is fairly linear so I won´t be having much problems setting them. In other order of things, a common item in all the "To do" lists is to fix the "Chance checkpoints" effect. Currently the chance script does only display a number on the screen with no sound or anything. I´m thiking about the possibility of adding some sound effect and some visual stuff (maybe a HUD picture is enough for this) so the player fully notices that he can drop himself into a death pit in that moment :P. If this was a 3rd person arcade I could use some spiral math with OpenGL coronae but that´s not the case (software compatibility and 1st person... sorry!)... Anyway, the spiral thing seems interesting now that I mention it. Maybe I could get a hold of some Heretic sparks for this. December, 27th, 2005: Tweaking world 1-3. I hoped that I could update sooner but real life is always on the way but, anyway, there are some news regarding the development of "Against the Clock". As you can read above, tweaking of World 1-2 is completed... Things were added and little scripting was modified until things worked the way they should but I never got to test the difficulty settings properly: I prefer to wait until all levels are tweaked and done until I get to this... So, well, once World 1-2 was finished it was about time to get World 1-3 going. At first sight, this world needs no tweaking on the visuals so they´ve been left almostt untouched (little alignments and things like that) but some other parts of the level needed of massive tweaking: ambient sounds have been added (they seem a little poor but will feel better when music is done), new graphics have been inserted, scripts have been corrected along with some bugs and, well, the map seems more alive now than before... Of course, the "To do" list keeps on growing as testing goes but sometimes it takes much more to write down items on the list than to add them or fix them ;)... Right now, the "To do" list is made of four items and only one of them (a massive texture bleeding in software mode) is really relevant while the rest are little details that I´d like to fix so we could expect this level to be done (again) soon. I´m sure I´ll like to tweak and change some little things before getting to work on World 1-4 (in wich there´s a lot of work regarding the "chance" script) but it won´t take long before I move on... Now that I think of it, there are still two levels (the ending and the secret level) to be done so I should start working on them as soon as I finish the current polishing of things... Maybe I could release a "testing-beta" of this levels so they can be tested in terms of difficulty and gameplay while I make this two last levels. Time will tell. Tweaking world 1-2. It has been a long time since I´ve been away from Legacy Editing but today I finally got to it again after finishing my "New Doom Community Project" map fixes and getting some spare time (still have to work on the "NewDoom Wad Reviews"!)... Getting back is strange: I didn´t remember what was I doing and what was left to be done... In fact, I finished what was left of World 1-2 rather quickly adding some ambient sounds, scripts and the "chance" script to it. I have been reconsidering about the "Chance" script during the process and surely the current method ain´t the best work that could be done on implementing... I am thinking about a different way of looking to it. Currently maps are regarded as a "tube" with this script and I´d prefer a more wide look in case I come with other kind of maps... First steps have been taken on this and now, for example, the player can trigger the very same checkpoint as much as he wants. Since the checkpoint doesn´t give any extra score or time there´s no problem with it :). Another thing that has been puzzling me during the work on this map today has been its difficulty. I didn´t remember the UV setting being so damn wild and hard!. The time limit doesn´t seem fair or tight, it just seems impossible!. Maybe I have lost some practice in navigating through these maps but, hopefully, I will be able to have some objective betatesters that will be able to tell me if the maps are playable or not. Future plans?. Well, most work on this map is done (in fact, the "to do" list only tells about problems I don´t even remember) so I guess I´ll take some plays through it to ensure everything works fine and start to work on the next one... The three maps that are left will only need the "chances" script and some other minor tweaking to them, since I consider their visuals to be on par with the rest of the maps. Does that mean that "Against the Clock" is drawing near?... Well, no nearer than Legacy V2.0, I guess :P. November, 9th, 2005: Detailing, fixing and tweaking world 1-2. I think I´m near the end of this detailing process so soon I can start adding the stuff related to gameplay and the "To-do" lists... The main cause for it is that I don´t think I can get much further without going insane so I´ll better stop than obsessing over detail. The second excavation has ended up being a nice place as well as the third (yes, it´s already done) so I´ll be polishing the ending area, adding the checkpoints and tweaking the gameplay real soon. When I look at this level now I don´t think the changes are as noticeable as in World 1-1 (except in a few areas) but mostly I´m satisfied with it. Isn´t it a big irony that I´m worring that much about the looks of something that is meant to be played fast?. At least there´s always the tourist mode to take a look around but, you know, the next project I start won´t be having any time limits and stuff like that: if I want to concentrate on a part being creative I would like people to notice it and enjoy it as it is instead of in a rush!. Well. Regarding current changes added there are new visual elements (lots of lighting, some crates, cracks and rocks here and there, a small garden with a basic well, tweaks on secret areas, columns, borders...) and some gameplay ones like traps, additions to secret areas or new monsters. I think that with these changes the level with be unbalanced so I will surely have to run through it again until it feels right again. The future plans for this level (apart from
ending it as soon as possible!!) include adding some details into the
last area (maybe even some secret area hidden among the rocks
accessible only by jumping) and start to think about the checkpoint
system: it will have to be scripted due to the "triple fork" structure
of the level but I don´t think I will be running into a lot of
problems. There´s also a problem in where to add them. I´m
almost sure of the location on the first excavation (in the line that
clearly divides the areas) and in the third (it´s small so will
only have one in the beginning) but I don´t know where to put
anything in the second (fork into fork structure) and I think they will
be most needed (at least in a particular section)... The last thing to
add will be the ambient sounds. This will also be hard since I have
only some basic ideas and I would like this level to aurally come alive
as the first does. To sum up, I don´t think I will be done with
this level until, at least, the next week. November, 8th, 2005: Detailing, fixing and tweaking world 1-2. It seems like I finally got the hang of the second excavation and little is left to be done: some paintings on the wall, fixing a HOM in a couple of windows and the rest is a question of wanting to add extra detail or not. Surely I will... I don´t know if there will be segments left to work on the second and third excavations though since I´m reaching the 20.000 linedefs and in the moment I do that I tend to stop to avoid problems (now that I think of it, I reached 26.000 in some other map, the one that crashed so maybe there´s still hope :P)... Let´s be positive and say that I still have 6000 sidedefs to work with so maybe I will be adding some more areas to the third excavation. Today´s work has been about detailing and finishing the new section and then switching to tweak some stuff. For example, I changed a crusher trap to a pit one (that looks fairly nice with those spikes) that also has an scripted trap near (that I have to script) and that adds a some variety to the section. I´ve also figured out how to add a rotating blade trap (like the ones seen on the Prince of Persia games) and make it work properly (I tried to do it when I did this level but never succedded) but I don´t think I´ll be adding it on this map: I think I have better places to set them up in some sections of the other two maps... The biggest problem with this trap is that is uses a lot of 3d floors and sectors and it may slow down the rendering. Thinking about it I´ve come to an option that does not use any 3d floors but middle textures. The visual quality of it is much poorer but would work faster and I could set lot of them in a row :). Well, still I have a long way to go on this but I feel like I´m finally getting nearer :). November, 7th, 2005: Detailing and fixing world 1-2. Finally I succeded in getting a proper idea on what to do to the second excavation... I haven´t detailed a lot there but there has been a considerable boost in the level´s numbers since I tried to simulate a cave and it takes a lot of lines... I´ve also added the first change in the gameplay. It´s a rather simple "switch-door" puzzle action but it has some jumping added and also it´s required to acess one of the challenges on the level. Adding this has given me the opportunity to add even more tech to this map (and this is something I enjoy a lot). Having outlined the main purposes in detailing there´s not a lot left to do than detailing and fixing. Surely I will be looking for some new textures to help creating a nicer look and I´ll be doing some lighting work too. Other than that I´ll detail an area with crushers and then will move on to the last part of this excavation... Bear in mind than the second excavation has two main areas and only one of them was quite hard to detail. The other one is just some brick and that´s always easy :). Now, even a single look at the editor can tell that this map is much more detailed and looks a lot better than it did before. That´s not the primary purpose of this project but I´m sure it will be a welcome addition... Anyway, when this excavation is done there will be little work to be done on this world regarding details. I will be adding some stuff to the third excavation and to the final area, but that will be done within a couple of days. Then I will be adding the "checkpoints" and finally I will be able to move on to Worlds 1-3 and 1-4 to add this very same features. When the moment comes the road will be open to keep on advancing with the project into the ending and the secret level :). Detailing and fixing world 1-2. I feel like I am not working a lot on this project lately. Maybe it has to do with the new "Newdoom Reviews" project I´m on (wich requires a lot of time to set up things as well as to play and write reviews) and, of course, it deals with real life but sometimes, when I have some spare time, I sit down and continue working on this project. To be honest, the task of detailing already made levels is starting to be complex and somewhat boring since sometimes you just don´t know what to do with an area. Right now I can say that I have finished working on a section of the map: the first excavation. It has now some nice improvements on it´s look though no changes on the layout (I´ve specially worked on lights and on creating a new decorative and non accessible area that I doubt anyone will ever notice) and has taken some time to finish since Doom Builder is acting quite strange lately. Just a while ago I started working on the second excavation: the bare cave I was reffering to in the previous report... It has taken some time to finish a decent looking entry room (still it´s not anything special and looks quite messy) and I can´t imagine how much it will take to do the rest... You know, I don´t even know what I´m gonna do with the rest!!!. The area´s ceiling is quite high and that makes specially difficult to make anything to it so surely I will be lowering all ceilings except the one that surrounds a tower in the center of the area and then I´ll add beams, crates and tech stuff to give the sense that something has been happening there. Besides that, I must be careful since changes in the ceiling on this part can greatly affect the gameplay but there´s no problem if I outline what I´m gonna change first. When I´m done with this area I will start with the third excavation that, right now, looks nice enough, so it will be easy to finish it and move on to the final touches here and there. October, 31th, 2005: Detailing and fixing world 1-2. Having finished (or reached the limit) what was to be done in World 1-1 it´s time to move on to World 1-2... I don´t think this is gonna be as hard as the previous one since I have ideas on what I exactly want to do... I don´t mean exact ideas but rather concepts. Also I´m sure it will be morally easier since it´s divided into five different areas and I´m sure to get a sense of accomplishment as I´m done with them. Right now I´m working on the second area (the first excavation) since I don´t think I´ll be adding much to the first... Detailing here is easy and fun: there´s a lot of tech stuff and you can add nice lights, cables and wiring everywhere. Also it gives a chance to use transparent textures and coloured lighting in small bits here and there.... To sum up, I don´t think it´s gonna take much to finish this section. The second excavation will be the harder of them all (the third looks good enough and the exit zone is small and easy): I´d like it to look like an excavation, a cave or something and right now it´s the barest thing to be seen on the level. When the moment comes I´m sure that the sector and segment count will be boosted a lot here... Luckily I´ve got a little experience on those things so I don´t face this completely unarmed. Finally, some other stuff will have to be
added to the level like the new "Chance" checkpoints involving some
scripting, new scripts and maybe new gameplay elements... The best
thing of this is that when this level is done the others won´t
need of a "look" update but only of the checkpoint and maybe gameplay
stuff. I´m gonna take this easy and slow and when done I will
abort the "hold" and start working again. October, 28th, 2005: Detailing on World 1-1 and Various things. The rest on "Against the Clock" continues but that hasn´t stopped World 1-1 from being fully detailed... I´m quite proud of the result but still I find that somethings could be done. I´ll explain myself: some areas don´t look the same anymore and nice details have been added until the segments are almost two times what they were. I´ve been adding details as the map goes but in the latests areas I found that the limits were about to be hit to I had to start adding less details and do it more carefully resulting in the final areas looking more similar to what they were. Anyway, it´s not like the whole map looks different but new gameplay elements have been added and new architecture will make it look nicer to the eye... This work has taken a lot and I presume that the very same work on World 1-2 will take it´s time too. You know, it´s really fun and satisfying when you go over something you´ve done and can make it look much nicer with new textures and tricks you´ve learned :). But not only detailing has been added to this level: the master script has been updated with the "Chances" script that Psyren suggested and that allows players not to die instantly when they fall into a death pit but, instead of that, they teleport to a near checkpoint. The script is wonderfully simple and so it is the implementation on the maps themselves: to set the checkpoints in World 1-1 only took five minutes :)... But with this change in the scripts also have come others: for example, the restarter no longer takes the player to the beginning of the map with full health but to the last checkpoint he passed... Also, the script that adds score at the end of each level depending on the time and ammo left must also be modified so points are given with "Chances" left too (and also by items left too!!). The only drawback I see on this (nothing some scripting can´t fix) is that it may not work with fork paths if you set checkpoints on them and this will make some things specially challenging in World 1-2 (I´ve thought of a script to fix them anyway). It seems to work with backtracking though :D. Along with this, several things have been added to the "To do" for their inclusion when Legacy v2.0 is out :). October, 21th, 2005: Various things. As promised, I´m taking a rest from "Against the Clock"... I´m still doing work on it and so on, but usually I use small periods of time and detail only some things here and there. During the last days I´ve been working mainly in World 1-1 (yes, we´re back again) since it had some "To do"´s that I wanted to solve (and to find an efficient way to solve!!!)... After some work I could say it was O.k, but when playing I thought it did not look like I wanted to. Back when the map was done and finished the aesthetics of the levels were not that important (or maybe I just lacked an habit of making things look nice... maybe it was just my skills) but when I replayed World 1-1 I found that it played rather nice, but looked really bland compared to the rest of the levels, specially to the last ones. Wouldn´t it be nice to have the levels also to look good?. Definitely it would so I have come to the conclusion that all maps will have to go under some face wash. This will affect (in a rather dramatic way) Worlds 1-1 and 1-2 (World 1-3 can´t take a segment more and the other two look nice enough to me) but I will try that it won´t affect their gameplay settings and feel. Work on World 1-1 has already begun and the first area is almost finished (maybe I´ll add little things here and there, but nothing important)... In the next days I will be slowly working on the other areas until I think the map looks good enough. Then it will go under playtesting and additional fixing... Surely it will be a good moment to have the "Chances" script added then. I will try to post screenshots of the areas as I go so I can both enlarge the picture database and show the results... Stay tuned :)!. October, 16th, 2005: Various things. I figured out I could never take a rest so easily so here I am again, doing even more work on this mod each day. Having finished World 1-5 already I could think that my main goal is to move on to the next level but there´s one thing that tells me not to do so: the "To do" list. As I take a look at it I find that there are several things to be done and I think that most of them would be better fixed in various stages depending on the difficulty and nature of the task. For example, adding the "Chance" script that would allow players to survive death pits is a difficult task that could easily take several work session while fixing some minor stuff regarding difficulty levels can be done in one session that I can also use to fix up things in other levels... And that´s what I´ve done. I improved a little the "Master Script" and got to work in World 1-1 just to see things fixed and new things appear. It may be me growing more demanding with each level, but I see a lot of work to do in this very same level. I fixed some moving platforms, some scripts and then added ambient sounds that make a lot for the map but while testing I saw that more things could be added and, well, they´re on the "To do" list now. I´m planning on fixing (and adding more stuff) to the "To do" for each of the levels and in the meantime I´ll also work on general things (like the "Chance script") so almost all functionality is implemented when I begin working in the next level... This is somewhat a rest from mapping but not from the project and, as stated before, I would like to take some of my time to work on other things too!. Guess it´s just a question of hitting the "pause" button and starting to work on anything else, but I don´t feel right when I have things left to be done... I´m mostly to take a rest when all of these "To do" are fixed, and it´s gonna take some time. October, 15th, 2005: World 1-5: The hall of white light. Finally all pieces for this level have fallen into their place and the puzzle is complete. After fixing all gameplay and scripting problems I´ve been able to play and finish a nice experience... This boss battle is somewhat like the ones in the old games where you got to see different patterns the more you get into it and, well, I think it captures the spirit of the mod pretty nicely. All difficulty levels and their time limits are balanced now and work as expected: you could even finish the "Easy" level in your first try (no strange jumps, no head-ache provoking puzzles, no tight time limit, no senseless running to get hourglasses) since this is a boss fight but then try in "Hard". It will take some time until you get used to the position of the ammunition in the level (you´ll really need to have your weapons loaded!) and even then you can get killed by the boss or his minions if you let your guard down for a moment!!!. Anyway, I´ll update the project status right now and, as promised, will try to take a rest from "Against the Clock" but, who knows?. Right now I feel the urge to start fixing the "To do" stuff in other levels!!!. October, 14th, 2005: World 1-5: The hall of white light. Everything is going all right, or so it seems... After some work I managed to reduce the "To do" list to only one item (redoing a big script that I don´t think is exactly elegant, efficient or clean). In order to do that I messed with some more architecture, little alignments, scripting and things like that... In the way I found a bug related to the "Master script" that I had to fix (one entry of the resource file changed and caused a "Segmentation violation" error each time you´d finish a level) and another related to Legacy that it´s even more annoying. Remember when I said I set to work a score counter that would be able to hold up to 9.999.999 points?. It doesn´t seem that´s accurate anymore since Legacy would crash when reaching 40.000 points. I can circumvent it but I´d prefer to wait until Legacy v2.0 is out ´cos it may have fixed the math error that caused this... Right now, each time you reach 39.000 points you get an apology message and your score gets reset to zero again :P. Anyway, as said, there´s only a script to do and then only extensive playtesting. The script itself doesn´t affect the gameplay at all so I can say that playtesting began when the map had an "Ending" to it. So far I´ve been able to finish it in "Tourist", "Easy" and "Normal", almost made it in "Hard" but died in a trap (it´s stupid to die in a trap you set yourself, isn´t it?)... Surely I will get to finish it in "Hard" sometime soon while I rewrite that script... And you may be asking yourself, how does it play?. Quite good in my opinion. I like the fact of this being my first "Boss level" and I think it works nice. It´s not exactly hard until you get to the second half of the level and it´s not tight on time (you get a big amount of seconds to do the job since I wanted the player to have some margin to fight)... Ammo is another matter: you should not have any problems in "Easy" or "Normal" but beware of "Hard" snice you´ll have to know where ammo is and try not to miss too much shots if you want to be able to finish this map... Some "Ballet-style" gameplay again, free formed but with a choreographic feel. To sum things up, this map is about to be finished soon so the body of World 1 would be done. After doing that I´m most likely to take a rest from mapping and spend some time in other things. When back to work again I´ll be working on the rest of the levels (they have "To do" lists too...), fix as much "To do" as I can in the "Master script" and then get to work on the tutorial level again or the secret level since I´ll leave the ending for the moment everything is done. October, 13th, 2005: World 1-5: The hall of white light. At this state I can say the level is finally playable!!!. It has a nice balance in difficulty levels I´ve played and though the time limit hasn´t been set yet I don´t think it will be much trouble to add it. Surely this map could be done by now if I wasn´t taking small rests from the project here and there but well, real life concerns exists and so it does getting tired of something. Right now I´m a little tired ´cos the "To Do" list for this level is the biggest of all. Not all items on the list require of excessive working (some of them are playing existing sounds) but I´m feeling a bit lazy now. Surely I´ll go work on some of these items once I finish writing this and leave the bigger deals for later (like, for example, rewriting a whole script) or align some 3d architecture. And well, there´s not a lot to say about this that what I´ve just done. I hope I can finish this map soon so I can take a bigger rest to get back with new energy to the project!. October, 9th, 2005: World 1-5: The hall of white light. I have been playing this world for about half an hour (getting killed, trying it again, making some small improvements) and I have to say I like the results so far. I´m currently playing in Hard mode and it´s equally challenging and rewarding to go through the different parts of the level (I won´t say anymore)... I´ve been fixing different problems with the scripting and the ammunition and I´ve also made a path that the player can finally take to get to the end of the level... It´s true that the player can´t reach that in the current state of things (there´s not enough ammo) but it will be a nice touch for the end of the map, fitting with what is seen in the others. In a sense, the level is not enough since I don´t feel it intense enough. That is likely to be about the ambience and sounds. This map is very special and must rely a lot in acoustic stuff to have the proper feel. It´s not only about the ambience but also about making the experience more enjoyable and playable since certain sounds can be signs of things happening or soon to happen. I won´t stop working in this map until it feels really intense but I´m sure that after this map is finished I will take a break from mapping to get new ideas for the two parts that are still to be done. October, 8th, 2005: World 1-5: The hall of white light. We almost have a winner here!!!. All scriptings for the final boss are in a fully-functional state and all to do with them is either change them, improve them or leave them as they are but in all cases, nothing really susbtantial. Other scripts for the map are working as well and at the time of writing there´s only two three things left: first of it all, there´s working on objects and balance (with may involve some scripting too). Second, the end of the map is still to be done: there´s no end and no way to lead the player there, so a little (but very little) bit of architecture and some more scripting will have to be done before the map is "Fully playable". Then there´s only testing and more testing to do, seeing if it crashes, fixing gameplay problems and making it as balanced as possible (usually by messing with scripts, since this is a heavily scripted level). So well, right now we can consider "Against the Clock" nearer than ever (well, each step is a step nearer but hey...) or, at least, we can consider a non-full version (no v2.0 stuff, no ending, no secret level, no music, no new sounds...) done. This could be used for betatesting while the rest of the work in music and sounds and optimization is done but surely I´ll prefer to have a full version to test it. So, well, there may be new screenshots coming soon (about some things of this World 1-5) and also a surprise talked about before. Then surely I´ll take a small rest, work on Psyren´s Blood map and in Adz´s project map too. Until Legacy v2.0 is out I can´t say I´m in a hurry!. October, 7th, 2005: World 1-5: The hall of white light. Seems I finally decided to settle for a title... It´s more a question of it being written in the script itself than me being completely convinced but, anyway, it sounds good enough for me. This is the first part of the level itself beginning to look like it finally will in World 1. And I must add I´m very satisfied with it!. I haven´t done much to World 1-5 today that doesn´t involve typing things and doing schemes of scripts. So far I have been able to make some ambient sounds that add mood to the place. I´ve also managed to make the player be able to get out of the first area and move from there to the last one where the script for the boss if halfway done. Actually, there are two different scripts, one for the boss itself and other for it´s life gauge. The first one is still in development and the second we could say it´s done... O.k, it´s somewhat messy, not in the way that it looks strange and without order but it´s rather big and doesn´t depend directly on the boss health. It´s like that ´cos I wanted to avoid problems with players cheating and well, I´m still trying to figure out how I can make an elegant script that will manage what happens when the boss recieves too much damage (of a weapon not present in the level itself). Anyway, the biggest problems will come caused by the first one. I´ve played it as it stands right now and it´s a rather easy boss. I haven´t still added some aditional minions that could help it on the fight but I´ll have to come with some things more if I want to make this challenging enough. Hopefully I´ve got some tricks under my sleeve :P. October, 6th, 2005: World 1-5: The hall of light (I just don´t know which one sounds right). Another day with small but worth day done: mainly I´ve been avoiding crashes that appeared in software mode from nowhere, making new textures and doing some new architecture with detail to consume segments... Right now the map is not precisely big but takes a lot to build the nodes; I guess it´s about time to stop detailing stuff and moving on to gameplay, isn´t it?. I´ve played around (nah... Actually walking around) the layout and have find a couple of areas where I could use some detail and where I should make some new textures to finish the look but apart from that there´s only a little architecture to do (the exit) that will be done when the time comes. I´d say that all that it´s left to do is the gameplay itself with all it´s scripts and some texturing. About the gameplay and scripting, what can I say?. This is going to be a complicated map and I want it to be really memorable for the feeling and sensations. To implement it all I will need a decent number of scripts running but luckily they all will be short and easy to do except a few. If I had to talk about the current state of the map I´d say that it´s unplayable now since you can´t get out of the first room without cheating... The method I´ll use from tomorrow to complete the map will be to slowly work on everything the player has to do. From example, I will start with the possibility of getting out of the first room and then on all the events that lead towards the end. As said in some other post, I don´t expect to complete the mod real soon but this map will be done soon enough :). By the moment this map is done I will start working on a small surprise. I´m not revealing any details but if everything goes all right you will know about it. Anyway, enough work on Doom for today. October, 5th, 2005: World 1-5: The hall of white light (remix revisited). Today I´ve tried to get as focused in real life tasks as possible (and also I´ve taken a nap... Usually I map during nap times) and that results on small work done in the project. Of course, the work has been more than enough and much more than I expected. Aside from some texturing (nothing special, just a ugly filler for the chair) I´ve managed to almost finish the copy and paste section in a very satisfactory way. This main seem trivial but the usage of 3d floors there makes it more complicated than it seems!!!. Anyway, you´ll get to know when you play. One thing that is troubling me a lot is how I get crashes in software mode with this map. I´ve already discarded some ideas that came during the process of making the map and still I´m getting more crashes due to the architecture. It´s a real problem when it happens in this area I talked about. This area is key to the rest of the level and the whole mod and I don´t feel like deleting it and making something that doesn´t crash... It usually takes a work of deleting sectors individually (as I explained in some other entry) before you actually find where´s the root of the problem. While doing that I always feel that the problem is the whole idea :( but most of the time I can always find where the problem is and solve it (sometimes by deleting some elements that were particularly nice)... Anyway, that´s the price for wanting both renderers to work. As said before, this a much more work than I expected and leaves little architecture to be done: some scenery for the boss fight (you knew about the boss, didn´t you?) and a way to lead the player towards the end. Then it´s all about scripting (wich embodies most gameplay), balance and some graphics here and there. Suddenly I see the end near, but I know the scripts for this particular level are not to be done within a single day but, who knows?. Maybe I´ll manage to do it when the time comes. Anyway, I know for sure that there is even more work to do in the main script, as well as in previous maps, not to mention the secret map and the ending and then all music and sounds and such so "Against the Clock" isn´t precisely near. It´s even less near considering it will run under Legacy v2.0 and it ain´t out yet!... October, 4th, 2005: World 1-5: The white light hall (just doing remixes). Before getting to work today I though about what was exactly needed to get the map going. I can go on adding small details forever until the linedef limit eats Legacy whole but surely there were some things missing that were absolutely crucial to the map. It took about two seconds to answer "Textures". So today I have done little linedef work and a lot of work on textures producing around five or six new textures. May seem a small number of them (and two have been discarded) but since I´m still learning how to work with graphic tools I´m quite satisfied. I specially like the mosaic textures that feature writings in esoteric characters. These are used in some places of the map, sometimes as borders and are a nice touch of ambient. They don´t look as good as the ones in Heretic (I love the wave mosaics there) but they´re o.k and surely will look better as I get more experience with texture making. I´ve also done some sides for staircases as well as a piece of a throne (you know now that there´s some chair or throne in the place) and well, as said, a whole lot of textures. Right now there´s only a few textures left to do before I can continue on mapping. And mapping wise there´s little left: almost everything can be done with copy and paste and the biggest work will be to apply the Legacy effects, but that won´t take more than a day or two. When done I can finally get to gameplay and scripts and, then?. Then I have a little problem ´cos I have to create an ending for this first world!!!. I don´t know if I will make another map that correctly scripted will serve as ending (surely) or if I´ll use this very same map for it (maybe). I think that a blend of the two would be very nice. Anyway, I never counted on doing the ending and now I see that it has a lot of work too so I will add it to the status report!. October, 3rd, 2005: World 1-5: The hall of light (I like this title). In days like this I think I have done a lot of work but when I look and imagine the work that is to be done it´s seen as something really small. But it ain´t really small. Today´s work has been all about details and the degree of satisfaction I got has made me take three more screenshots and upload them to the media section... And well, there´s a lot of detail added so the place does no longer look bare but without looking excessive. I´d say that all detail blends the architecture really well and I´m quite proud of the results. But not only details have been done, but also textures. Among the many new textures (with some modified ones, of course) I could say that there are two specially worth the work. The first is a brick arch to be put in some doorways that looks quite good to have been done by me. The second is a big stained glass texture that is set now where it has to: in the front of the main building. A glimpse of it can be seen on one of the new screenshots but the quality of the image is poor. Along with this, more things have been added to the "To do" list. I´m starting to be afraid of this list since sometimes it says of adding even more textures and other media that may make the size of the file increase a lot. Currently the file is about 4.5 mb zipped (against the 3 mb of the previous version) and I´m sure it will grow a lot more before I finish this project... I think I should resign anyway. I will put the mp3 music files in a separate download for those who want it so I can take some size out of the mod but I´m afraid I won´t hold the size of this below the 6mb. Still, these are future concerns that will be discussed when the time comes. World 1-5: The hall of light (just switching titles again). We´re into a new month and we´re not exacly nearer the end of the map. More and more progress is done, more textures are added (mostly modified doom ones, to be more exact, I recolor them :P), more details added, more architecture done but well, that doesn´t move us towards the end ´cos the end is nowhere to be found still. Wherever I look I like what I see but I know it could look a lot more better if I used some new textures here and there and that means a lot of graphical work I don´t feel like doing right now... Anyway, now when I look at the map I think it would be a nice moment to take back the "grandious" look of World 1-3. I promised to never do such a "prone-to-slowdowns" map again, but I could take some of its look and ideas... The screenshots depicting this World 1-3 have got some good feedback and I can´t think of nothing better for the great finale now. Anyway, only architecture is being done. Some architecture inspires some ideas that could be scripted (like differences in gameplay depending on the gate the player chooses to enter the center hall) but we´re not near the end, as said before. Maybe, when I look at it and don´t see it as "plain" I will stop with the look and start with the gameplay and scripting. Still, I think it will take some long time to finish the map due to do facts: the first one is that I don´t work a lot on this project these days (as I have real life things to do). The second is that there´s a long queue in the "To do" list that keeps growing. Let´s just be positive and think that some new screenshots may be available soon :). September, 28th, 2005: World 1-5: The white shrine (working title). The change of the working title means nothing, I mean, the concept of the map hasn´t changed and it´s not being rebuilt or something like that: it´s just that after thinking about it I came with a nice title I forgot, so I just wrote whatever came to my mind. As you can see, the work on the map carries on and now it has been carrying on quite fast!!!. Several details and changes to the main area have been made so now it makes much more sense and it´s more exciting to play. The planned gameplay elements have also been changed so they fit this new shape and I think it will be much better this other way. So, what has been done exactly?. Height changes, lots of height changes, stairs, two underdetailed 3d bridges (that I will surely make much more better), some water here and there to host mini gardens... You know, small details. I´ve also finished all balconies (yes, it has some of them) and added some texture work. Now this is starting to look like something I could take a screenshot to!!!. Other than that I don´t know if the development will continue that quick or if I will get stuck when looking at it and not having a clear idea of what I´m going to do. Wait to the next report so you can know what´s gonna happen!. September, 27th, 2005: World 1-5: The white hall (working title). After two days investigating, deleting and recreating some parts of the level I´ve finally come to something that I could consider more stable in what is the main side of the center building of the map. It´s nothing horribly complicated but has taken several tries to get the feeling right. By looking at it now I can tell that I will be needing more textures to create some kind of contrast in the existing architecture but as textures take their time to be made I will wait until I have more parts done so I can work on all textures needed at once. That´s for my main problem. I´ve also added architectural stuff to a large wall that, obviously, needed something in. The result is quite interesting, ranging from arabic resemblances to classic european gothic ones. Of course, it has a lot of copy and paste and is not precisely complicated but once I add some light dimnising effects it will look much better. In the level there´s also a 3d bridge I finished to model just yesterday. I´ve tried (again) combinations of elements in several ways and the current layout is the most balanced of all since it´s functional without covering some areas the player must see!!!. If I ask myself how much it will take to finish the architecture I can ask by talking on the planning: the first part (or the entrance) is not finished yet and needs lot of light and decoration work. The second part (or the passage) is mostly done, small, almost naked in a sense, but feels good. The third part (or bridge) has a lot of things to be added until I think it looks like it should (Doom never shows things the same as you imagined them!!!) and the fourth part (or the white hall) is almost outlined but I´ll surely add some garden stuff to it so it looks much more alive. The rest will be solved much easily and since the scripting is outlined too I´ll only have to use my imagination :). September, 25th, 2005: World 1-5: The white hall (working title). I´ve been working in this map a little more based on some sketches I did just to find that it wasn´t as I imagined, so I just did another sketch to map from... To be more concise, I was working in the entrance to a hall that had to be impressive... It was impressive when finished, but somewhat naked, dull and with no connection to itself so it didn´t fit really well. I´m thinking that maybe a smaller entrance may do the work much better. Surely that means that I´ll have to change a few things in the hall that lies beyond, but if the sketch is accurate it will look both clean and impressive without the feeling of being empty that I got. I´ve also worked on some music. I got problems with my music software when it comes to work with real audio (it lags real bad, never happened before!!!) so I´ll have to take a look at it before I continue... Midi has no problems at all. A small piece to be used as the title music has been done and it´s available in the "media" section... It will have to wait until I do a full mp3 version!!!. And that´s all the work that has been done today. Not a real lot, but there are a lot of things to be done here and a lot of things to do in real life!!!. September, 24th, 2005: World 1-5: The white hall (working title). To be honest with everyone that is reading I haven´t been mapping a lot during these days. I tried to catch the drift again tonight and came up with some interesting architecture (since it´s what matters the most in this map, in a certain way) at the cost of completely destroying existing sections of the level. That´s not a big problem to me: sometimes you come up with an idea that requires of heavily modifying some part of your map and well, you could as well start the thing from scratch... When I test this map I realise how much is to be done: some small textures that will add only detail, big problems with empty spaces that I never imagined empty, the sector tag chaos... On the top of all sits the menace of me not liking the results once it´s done... And back again. This level is much harder to model than what I imagined. The first draft is revealed now as infinitly dull and lifeless so it´s being improved a little each time. Surely I will spend a lot of time making textures for this map (and for others) thanks to some links Psyren sent me with resources for them... Anyway, the more I map, the more I convince myself that "Some custom texture there could look incredible". This map is gonna take long, real long to finish!!!. But well, as far as I go, I am pleased with the results. Surely I will be seeing the solutions to the problems as the map testing goes, but I can´t help feeling some "This is not what I imagined" sindrome... But well, it somewhat happened with the previous level and everything went fine. Why would now be different?. September, 20th, 2005: World 1-5: The white hall (working title). Today has been one of those days when you work a lot on a thing... I guess this kind of dedication won´t last forever and soon I´ll be taking care or lots of real life issues so let´s take advantage while we can!!!. Well, today (actually last night) I started working in something for World1-5 that I imagined when saw first the map in a 3d view... It had to be delayed a little since I had to rebuild a whole section of the map but when done I got my hands on my sketchbook and then on the paint programs. As you can read, I´ve been working on textures, nothing really hard but I think you´ll like them a lot when you first see them, they´re sort of surprising (surely there won´t be screenies of it)... Anyway, I´ve been working a lot on textures today, much more than on architecture. Psyren also contributed with one of his home-made textures that are as bright as always and add a nice effect to the main area. Some Legacy bug prevents it from beeing seen as it should really be, but the results are quite nice as they are. The rest has been adding stuff to the main layout I had, some of them details, some of them ideas... The map is nothing really big, but has a lot of room for different things and when scripting is implemented (that is gonna be a big headache!!!) it will be really, really surprising. Finally I´m concerned with the scripts. The hard part of them is already done but I have to figure out some creative ways to prevent them to crash with the map´s layout. As you can see, I´m not giving any details... Well, just one, the script is about this first world´s boss. September, 19th, 2005: World 1-5: The white hall (working title). Yes, you read right!. Yesterday I finished working on World 1-4 until I was able to finish it in "Hard". There´s a part that will be damn hard and require lots of tries, but after doing it once you can do it forever, sure :). Anyway, this level is also ready for public comsumption and thus, the next level has to be started. Surprisingly, guess what?. The layout for it is done!!!. O.k, it´s not precisely a big map but now I have a guide to work on and some of the details are already added... These are great news for me. To finish the map I will need, once again, the help of Psyren and his textures so I´m waiting for his reply to my mail in order to know if I will be able to get them soon... But there´s even more: not only the layout has been completed but also a big part of the script that will give sense to the whole map!. As you read it, thanks to the maths that Darkwolf taught me (or better, to the copy and paste that he allowed me to) I´ve been able to recreate what I thought for this map!. I´ve also learnt a few tricks that will come quite handy and well, this may be the most memorable map of the whole project!. Still I´d want to go slow. Much of the stuff that I want to put in is to be done slowly and carefully so I won´t do this level in a rush. September, 18th, 2005: World 1-4: High Citadel. Along with small structural changes (adding a pillar here, removing some very low ceiling there, changing some lines to"impassable" or "block monsters") the work of balancing the items in "Hard" setting continues. I think I´m not far from finishing this map since I´m able to get to the middle of the map before I get killed (note, get killed, not run out of time). Of course that sometimes you won´t even get to the first checkpoint if the shotgunners are accurate enough, but that´s the price to pay for playing in "Hard"... Anyway, this map is much more kind than the others when played in "Hard": there´s a sense of doing what you should when you should, but there are more combinations and a time limit margin quite generous in some parts. This is the result of a conscious work on it since yesterday this was much more unplayable: I´ve added time items, removed enemies and facilitated ways to kill them from even the other side of the map XD!. I´ve also added teleports that make sound so you know enemies will be coming... This doesn´t mean that this map is gonna be easier than the others but being larger (not exacly in time, since it could be as long as World 1-3... Larger in what the player has to walk and the challenges he will face) than the others I guess there must be a larger margin of error. Also and out of the scope of World 1-4 I had a mail exchange with Psyren about "Against the Clock" in wich he suggested me a real nice idea: plataforming can be highly frustrating for some playes so in order to keep "Against the Clock" at their reach I could add a new "Checkpoint system" that prevents the player from dying when falling into an "instant death" pit and takes them to the last checkpoint with a time (or chance, wich would be a new HUD item) penalty. I like a lot this idea but I´m not quite sure if it should be implemented in all difficulty settings. The script itself wouldn´t be really hard to do (in fact it would be damn easy!) so I´m adding this, but still don´t know if it will be on all gameplay settings and such. The idea that most seduces me now is to give the player a number of chances (depending on the difficulty setting he plays on) per level. When chances are out and the player falls into an "instant death" pit it is the end of the game. Anyway, I´m surely implementing this when all levels of "World 1" are done. September, 17th, 2005: World 1-4: High Citadel. This particular report is exciting: it´s the first one that is being done directly in my computer to be uploaded later and also is the first to be done for the new website. As you can guess, the website polishing and bug fixing (yes, I also commit mistakes making websites XD!) as taken a lot of my time so I haven´t been able to devote myself to maps. Also I´ve started a map for Psyren with the classic "Blood" resources that, along with the other map I´m working on (Vanilla Doom, for Adz123) will fill some of my time (I´ll also say that Adz and me have talked about making other maps) some expect a little slowdown in the development. Don´t get me wrong, this is my main project, but since all that´s to be done is testing World 1-4 in Hard and starting a new level the progress seems even slower!!!. Anyway and back on topic (noticed?, I used another paragraph and tabulations, this is something new on these reports!!) I´ve been testing World 1-4 in "Hard" for about an hour. It´s more like "play-get killed-bug fix-balance difficult-start again" but I´ve been doing it and I was right on fearing it: I´m lucky if I reach to the first quarter of the level!!!. Maybe this level is long enough to be a little forgiving with the difficulty so I may drop a few items around since it´s frustrating to run out of time when you reach an area you´ve been trying to reach for half an hour!!!. I suppose this all will be much clearer when I play all the levels in "Hard" again, it´s the only way to get the real feel for it!. Plans for the inmediate future? (another pharagraph!. God, this is insane XD!) have some rest on my eyes from the screen, finish the Adz´s map and working in both the "Blood" map and on "Against the Clock". September, 15th, 2005: Various things. Today I´ve been working on "Against the Clock" both directly and indirectly. Directly ´cos I´ve been assembling another alpha (or beta, or whatever) but just before I´ve fixed the "To Do" list on worlds from World 1-1 to World 1-3.... As a result, more bugs have appeared, but they´re written down and will be fixed the next time I do the thing... One annoying bug I found in the process was a massive HOM effect in World 1-2 that appeared only in software mode... Well, it was wise to test the levels in software and play them in hardware... That was directly. Indirectly I´ve been working on the new site. I don´t know if you´ve read that, but in the main section of the news it´s told that we´re moving to www.teamhellspawn.com hosting!. Anyway, it could be up in the net at any minute... In fact, it seems weird but all this text I´m writing in Freewebs will be soon copied to another place!... And that´s been all for today, much more work than it seems. September, 14th, 2005: World 1-4: High Citadel. Hmm, today hasn´t been the brightest day of all but I managed to do some work on "Against the Clock"... It´s not much, but I could say that the "Normal" or "Medium" level is finally finished. Remains playable with an intense feeling of rush and it´s as difficult as it can be without being too hard. And that´s for me, who knows the level, so I guess it will be harder for anyone playing it!!!!. I also modified some flats of the level to create an interesting effect, modified some scripting and witnessed the appearance of the very same crash that I corrected yesterday!!!. It hasn´t shown up in the last plays, maybe I fixed it finally!. Other than that, it´s just to finish "Hard" and take a look at the "To do" file, in case I wrote down something I missed... And speaking of files, I just started writing down in notepad a small part of what could be the "Hints and tricks" part of "Against the Clock´s manual and player reference" to be included with the mod. As said, small work, but work after all. September, 13th, 2005: World 1-4: High Citadel. Again, I´ve worked more on the master script than in the map itself, but it has been worth!!!. I´ve cleaned the master script a lot, embedding some functions into others and making whatever I could come with to save on scripts like, for example, the script that triggers the "Secret Bonus" graphic. Also I renumbered them ´cos it´s easy to implement new stuff from 255 and backwards than from 1 (since scripts on all maps start on number 10)... Regarding to the map itself I corrected a graphical and structural glitch that could cause a crash in software mode, also keep on testing the "Normal" gameplay and found it quite difficult compared to the "Easy" setting, sort of what happens in the other Worlds... So, well, everything is going according to plan. Some stuff for World 1-5 has been drawn and I´m already thinking on concepts for the secret world and other possible worlds to make "Against the Clock" bigger. September, 12th, 2005: World 1-4: High Citadel. Back on working on this level after adding some more things to the ones added before (for example, score points are given when secrets are found... It´s linedef based, but works and shows a picture) and experimenting with Legacy´s level names (better not to do that before v2.0 is out)... What has been done today is little: I´d say that "Easy" is now completely done: I´ve removed a few time items (there were a lot), added more "Holy assistance" for some tight moments, revised the monster catalogue... Well, I know I said it was done a few days ago, but after replaying the other levels I´d feel like doing it again. "Normal" is what I´m currently doing, and it´s not easy!!!. It´s quite different from the old "Easy" and the time items and initial time have to be carefully measured since it must not feel easy, nor incredibly hard (let´s leave that for "Hard" if I´m ever to betatest it XD!)... So well, it will be some more time until this level is ready, or relatively ready; I´ll explain myself: the "To Do" list is growing and all levels will have to be revised again before they´re completely done. Not to mention a v2.0 conversion that will take place later... At this point I´m in the doubt about using the Hexen format. I think I can make the score doesn´t reset between levels with a little trick, thus I wouldn´t need a global variable. Also, I don´t know about ACS and Hexen editing... On the other hand, Hexen has the polyobjects but also has a 255 sector tag limit... As you can see, it´s not easy to choose!. September, 10th, 2005: Various things. Surprising enough for you?. That "Various things" doesn´t mean that World 1-4 is finished, it means that today I´ve been working on in several things related to "Against the Clock" as I´m getting new strenght to carry on from the assembled testing wad :). So far I´ve created something that I was planning to do when Legacy v.2.0 was out: the score system. If you´ve read the features page you´ll know about the mod featuring a score. Well, it´s done: up to 9.999.999 points can be represented there and you get scores for picking up skulls and hourglasses (of course, when v2.0 is out, monsters will also give points when killed :D) and at the end of the level you get a new screen in wich the seconds left give you more points along with the remaining ammo, health and weapons :). It has taken a lot of work, but I´m really satisfied with it and I can´t wait to push it forward... Also, a "To do" file has been generated to keep track of bugs and glitches so I can fix them and try to deliver the best quality possible. It has several things, some of them related to optimizing the way gameplay relates to the master script, some others to graphics and some others to gameplay itself. I´ll try to fix them all when I´m done with all worlds, but surely I´ll be doing it on the way. And that´s all, a great leap for me :). September, 9th, 2005: World 1-4: High Citadel. 8 minutes and 11 seconds. That´s the time it took me to run through World 1-4 in "Easy" mode, meaning that this difficulty setting is ready to be played and that I must move to "Normal". There´s not that lot to do since I already know the map and the better positions to place stuff, so it´s all a matter of betatesting again and again. Small things on the World have been changed, like some new scripting to make things easier and coloured sectors here and there. Some new monsters and items have been placed for "Easy" mode only and some others for other skill levels. Other work on the mod includes some "Normalizing" of functions of the mod, like the "Extended time" one, now with its own graphics and stuff. The difficulty settings text has also been changed to fit those of the mod and, by the way, "Tourist mode has been added" :). Other than that, I´m now assembling a small wad with the first four worlds and the tutorial level, just for my playing pleasure and for "Normalizing" and betatesting purposes... It weighs about 10mb unzipped. Not bad!. September, 8th, 2005: World 1-4: High Citadel. More ideas seem to come to mind as I´m testing the gameplay of the map. Sometimes there is too much time but you don´t want to take away some hourglasses (in that case, you put a fight there :P), sometimes there´s little time and little space to put hourglasses on (so you have to rely on checkpoints...)... And the more things I put into it, the more challenging it is to me and also more fun!!!. This is a world with more challenges and puzzles than the others, has more checkpoint that the others and is longer in gameplay than the other worlds... Anyway, there is a small part of the World left to be habited and tested in "Easy", then moving on to "Normal", then to "Hard" (this time I´m real scared!!!). Speaking of things another than World 1-4, I´ve also started to work in "Against The Clock´s" music :). Now I´ve only got a few sketches of two pieces but if everything goes well it will be an Mp3 soundtrack with a track per world and maybe something more. I can´t tell a lot about it now, but surely it will feature extensive use of guitars :P. September, 7th, 2005: World 1-4: High Citadel. It has been hard, but bugs have been traced and fixed!!!. What has to do a room in a corner of the map with another in the other corner so it crashes when you see the first?. I don´t know, this probably evidences my total ignorance in the Doom engine internal functions, but hey, I fixed it!. Along with this deadly bug I´ve fixed some things in the scripts that didn´t work exacly as I wanted to. Also added new scripting stuff to make the experience better and fixed some texture issues here and there. Now it all works. In this very same moment I´m starting to put objects into the map and to test different time limits which is gonna take a long while since the map is sort of long compared to, say, World 1-1... Sum this and the fact that I don´t seem to be able to finish the map in my first try (jumps, jumps... Let´s see if there is not more work on scripts to do...) and the result is a long balancing period before starting to work in World 1-5... Speaking of this other world, I´ve found some conceptual problems that I will try to fix as I go, but I don´t know how much the original idea I thought of can be done. We´ll see later. World 1-4: High Citadel. I just decided I´ve taken a too much too long rest in the development of "Against the Clock". The regular Doom2.exe map I was doing is almost finished and only thing placement and some bugs are left to be worked... So well, I´m back to bug fixing and to see again and again this "Segmentation Violation Error" screen!. I´m trying to guess what causes it in a big open area so you can tell it takes a lot of time!. As far as I´ve done today I think that there are at least three pieces of architecture (sectors or linedefs, who knows?) that will cause a crash. I´ve also played with the possibility of the segments being too much for the Legacy Engine but I´m not done with them yet so there must be something in the map.... But well, as I do this testing once and again I think about the concept of the next map... There are some things I can tell about it right now: it won´t be big, it will feature a lot of scripting (I´m already searching the web for help with maths :P) and will feature the end of this first World. Of course, there´s the secret level, but that´s another story... So, well, back to bug tracing!!!.
August, 22th, 2005: World 1-4: High Citadel. Seems this level is gonna take much longer than expected to finish!!!. Though it works in terms of architecture and scripting I came with a very bad thing when adding monsters and items to the map. While in hardware mode, certain sections of the map bring out the horrible "Segmentation Violation Error" and crash Legacy. As I´m doing as much as I can to make this mod compatible with both graphic modes I´m trying to find which parts of the map cause the error to fix them. So far I´ve been able to track and fix an 8 unit border that caused an error. It seems that (as far as I can go into the map without crashing) another section with some cave stuff also causes the same error. As you can expect, the process is slow since requires to test, change the player start position in the editor and his angle, test again, make some guesses, back to the test... Then it´s the part of fixing the thing without screwing the original idea and purpose... Anyway, another factor that counts into this map taking longer is that I´m working on a regular doom2 map for a guy in www.newdoom.com called Adz123. So far this other map looks good and it should be finished in some days. Then I´ll be back into fixing. August, 19th, 2005: World 1-4: High Citadel. After some work on them the whole scripts of the map seem to work, that is a good achievement for me since I didn´t know how I was going to script some stuff when I finished the architecture of the map. Playing it to test them gives me the fun feeling that it´s quite surprising, beautiful and complicated (though linear!). One thing I love about it it´s that all detail seems to be focused in small things and bits of architecture but it does not look bare or empty, it just has a nice balance in my opinion. Right now I will start to add things, play it and balance it until it has the exact difficult I want it to have. I have no doubt that other scripts and things will come to my mind while I´m doing that, so the map has still some more work on it. Anyway, I expect to finish this within days so I can start to map World 1-5: the last of them apart from the secret one. The completion, once again, seems nearer and nearer :). August, 17th, 2005: World 1-4: High Citadel. At the time of writing I´m just consiering the architecture of the whole level completely done. If something is to be added it will be done while testing and adding scripts and things. Thus, all that´s left is "only" to add the scripts to the map, a few 3d floors that shall work with them, things and then the process of betatesting that is starting to frustrate me even before it has started ´cos this map sure is the longest of World 1 (or so it seems). It´s way bigger than any of it´s predecessors and also has a lot more of challenges and stupid quests as has been stated on previous reports. The layout seems fun enough for me to play and has been done for some days; what I´ve been doing lately is some bug correcting to ensure it works in software mode and also detailing, here, there but a lot in the end. Sure it won´t be appealing but a close look at the editor screen could say that the detailing is easy, but time consuming :P. Anyway, I´m not doing anymore work in this map for today. Next thing I´ll do will be to start scripting the whole thing, so I can navigate it around before adding the things. I´m sure it will take a while since a lot of scripts are needed in order to provide a nice and coherent experience... I just hope the effort is worth :). August, 11th, 2005: World 1-4: High Citadel. Today I did an hour more of work on World 1-4 and was really worth it. I came with some small puzzles and tests that could be really fun (and frustrating, of course... I hope Legacy doesn´t screw when saving :P) as well as with new little areas to complete the linearity of the map. Details to the bare areas I just added yesterday have been polished and well, in terms of numbers, the map doesn´t look impressive at all but will surely outdo all the other maps I´ve done for World 1... About this, I noticed that the numbers of the maps are growing, first starts out small and then they reach higher and higher points... Anyway and back to the map, right know is something between a time trial (it has more strange jumps and parts like that than any other map of this first World) and a crazy Marble map, guess that enemies will have to be added with special care since a monster in certain spots really does the difference in this map... Also, I´ve been filling gaps and cleaning the map of unused tags and stuff like that (yes, there were even more, and I think there are a lot more!!!!) so I can have more room to map. Anyway, another step towards completion of the map has been taken with the addition of the last puzzles and switch hunting. I can´t tell when will this be ready, but I´m sure it will take some more time!. World 1-4: High Citadel. The more work is done in this map, the more the end seems to be escaping me. It´s strange since it´s structure is quite simple, but I guess I took some holidays and forgot a little about this project... Anyway, new things have been added to the map so it´s finally heading towards it´s end. The way it is now could perfectly fit the way it has to be played but I want to add more things to make it more unique, not only details, but also new areas, hidden bonuses and such. To start with, three new rooms have been added and they are key to the completion of the map. Also, a lot of cleaning work has been done since I discarded an effect that needed massive sector tags almost everywhere (imagine cleaning around 100 tags around the wad)... Some areas have been also sketched, but are left to be textured and detailed. Right now the map looks quite strange... I´m sure I like it but I don´t know if it´s aesthetically interesting besides from playable. Maybe it lacks the character of previous maps, but I´m sure it´s adquiring one of it´s own, with a lot of ambiance and mood... And well, that´s all for now. Expect more later!.
July, 17th, 2005: World 1-4: High Citadel. The name has been chosen and the map is progressing little by little. I don´t want (as always) to give away much of it, but you can find some screenshots of the editor in this thread in Newdoom (look for them around page 29)... As for in-game screenshots, I think it´s a little too early for them, since I would like to have around a half of the map done before doing more of them. This map seems like it´s going to be easier than World 1-3 and something more like World 1-1 in terms of gameplay, with action, easy jumping and small puzzles. As for the concept of it, well, all that I can say is that the title of the level seems to be adequate for what I´m doing. July, 11th, 2005: World 1-4: (Untitled). With little time and even less to come (just two more days...) I´ve been able to draw something that actually has something to do with the map... Also, just before doing so, I reconsidered the whole concept and thought I can make it more interesting and coherent with the rest of the maps if I change something on the main idea. And it has changed, of course. Now the map is much simpler than it was when conceived, but surely will be a lot more playable (which is good after World 1-3). It still hasn´t the shape of the map, but will be surely shaped like a big square XD!, it´s just what I need for the idea to work. That said, I´ll go to my duties again. World 1-4: (Untitled). It´s been some time since the last report but almost nothing has been done. You know, when you finish a level like World 1-3 you feel a little tired and don´t want to plan another one... Today I´ve been trying to lay out in paper some of the stuff to be seen on the new map from a good concept I got but I´m so tired and can´t put it into practice right now (just drawing it makes me feel a little dizzy :P)... What´s fun about this is that a few sectors have been drawn for this map. These are sectors that have nothing to do with the main idea but, you know, in the art of making things, sometimes you just have to start doing something until you come with the right idea... I foresee the development of this map to be quite long but behind it there´s only the last level and the secret one. In a sense, we´re almost there!.
June, 30th, 2005: World 1-3: Watch towers. Finally it´s over and done. The whole map works, there´s a crash issue if you do certain thing in a certain sector, but works in any difficulty setting. I´ve just finished the map playing in "Hard" and well, after a few runs (read... a lot of runs) I got to know what to do in each moment, always with a nice degree of freedom to improvise around. There´s a particularly tight spot, where you´re attracted to get some goodies and find yourself almost trapped, with few seconds left and not much ammo, but can be solved with bravery... So, the "Hard" has turned out to be hard but less choreographical that I initially thought it would be. You can pretty much solve situations in one or either way, you can choose to run a lot and skip enemies or to take your time to land accurate shots on those imps, but in the end, you always end up having hard moments in the map depending on what you´ve done before. Ammo is surprisingly scarce and plentiful, since you can have your backpack full an in a moment spend a lot of ammo to fight some monsters... So well, when this finally get released I guess this map will be popular for being hard and causing slowdowns, forcing people to play in Software mode. Other than that, I tell you, it´s really enjoyable if you don´t mind to start over the map each time you get killed, discovering it´s secrets and particularities slowly. June, 27th, 2005: World 1-3: Watch towers. In a couple of hours I took to rest and relax, I found quite relaxing to run Doom Builder and do some work on the map... The result is that I finished balancing the "Normal" level of difficulty, so now there´s only "Hard" to be done. Playing in "Hurt Me Plenty" is a nice experience, not easy, but not impossible if you know the map. There´s a fair amount of time to kill a lot of monsters and collect items, but if you make a lot of mistakes or remain still too much, you won´t make it to the end of the level. Nothing has been added in terms of architecture to the level (if I remember correctly) so unless I want to change something for "Hard", the shape of the map will remain as it was in the last update. I´ve also been thinking on my way to do things in real life about the concept behind World 1-4 and it´s somewhat outlined... It won´t have to be a very big map with wide open areas, like this one, but will feature open air moments, inner passages and well, a lot of fun stuff I want to do :). June, 21th, 2005: World 1-3: Watch towers. I´d say that the "Easy" level is ready. It´s something between five and seven minutes of playing, quite fast, some monsters there that can give you trouble (because of their placement) and some locations where you can take good advantage to fight and hide(shame the time is somewhat enough, but not much more)... So, well, things keep on being modified as this work carries on. I expect more things to be added when I work on the "Normal" setting and when "Hard" comes I will have a lot of stuff to work with so I wouldn´t tell the map is gonna change a lot now... It looks fairly different than in the screenshots, somewhat more fuller and colorist, there are also architectural details that are new and decorations here and there... Still, it´s detailed but looks quite sober, must be the brick texture :P. If I weren´t that busy with real life I´d start to draw a little of World 1-4 that, I foresee will be a real hard map (since World 1-3 is quite difficult... Very difficult in Hard, I tell you!) ´cos it´s near the end or the first World. Could it be that I will be really finishing this?. June, 18th, 2005: World 1-3: Watch towers. I´m having very little time those days to do any major work on the map... As you may have read, I´ve been working on gameplay lately... To be more specific, today I started with the "Easy" difficulty setting, that implies putting things, monsters and testing it once and again until I find the map to be balanced. Then you add the time limit and start adding the hourglasses, putting checkpoints and rebalancing it all again through endless testing (always trying to play slow, like someone playing in "Easy" could)... The results are nice: the map is coming around to be fun (or I found it fun) with all the tracking and backtracking. The time limit seems enough but always manages to keep you on the edge and well, there are some things to polish (the kind of thing you find when you play, like "This monster shouldn´t be here") that are being worked on... I also found to be a lot of ammo on the map (direct consequence of having shotgunners, so I may put them out of reach), enough to shoot like crazy around, something I don´t like and will fix. When done, there´s only "Medium" and "Hard"... Jesus, I´m afraid when the "Hard" testing comes since there´s a jump that drives me mad!!!. June, 17th, 2005: World 1-3: Watch towers. Seems we´ve got a definitive title there!. I like it. It´s not a lot like the map, but sounds really epic so it´ll stay this way. During the time I devoted to this project in the last two days I did little adjustments to World 1-3. Now it´s something you can play a little more without any sense of balance on it. I´m really surprised about the actually difficult that is to make this map fun to play!. I think I´m making it right by taking a "rush all over" approach to it. Jumping has also been fixed and now it´s more difficult with each difficulty level you go up... Monsters, ambushes and some sense of action has been also added, along some new architecture here and there to fix the holes. Other work in the project has been thought through, like the new splash screens for each level, the nature and placement where the secret level will be... I´ve also betatested this map a little in software mode. There are glitches there. Two nasty glitches: one in the sky and the other on some textures... I don´t know how to solve this right now, but I guess I´ll pick it up later, once the map is fully playable. June, 15th, 2005: World 1-3: Watch towers. In my spare time again, I took some more steps towards finishing the map. Things have been added to the map (mainly monsters, ammo and weapons, what else do you want?), then I´ve been testing it and modifying what was too dificult (damn jumps), adding some easy ambushes with no sense at all (really, I don´t know why I did them, this map is no place to put teleport ambushes and teleport pads look a little lame :P) and some others that are a little bit cooler. My little contribution to the Legacy team (making linedefs test maps for the upcoming version of Legacy, me and Nuxius are involved in that) has teached me a lot of things about linedefs I didn´t know about and opened me some ways to use them, so there´s a lot of linedef action in the map now... As the map stands now it´s somewhat playable, doesn´t look quite like the screenshots and it´s hard (without a time limit... I fear I will have to work a lot on this!) but playable. Slowdowns are a nuisance in them, but it´s something I´ve got to cope with and use software mode ;)... One last think for today, I gotta add a secret map to World-1, don´t know where the entrance will be, but make sure I will make it :D. June, 14th, 2005: World 1-3: Watch towers (new day, new title!). I just can´t believe how fast things come sometimes!!. I had a couple of spare hours today and I devoted them to the map resulting in a great, big advance!!!. The main scripts that carry the weight of the map are just done, as well as all secrets are added, working and, in my opinion, fun to look for and reach!... That said, I tested the main scripts for this map and they worked flawlessly, just as I wanted them to!... So, what´s left?. Mainly object placing and difficulty balance, as well as small details or modifications as I play the map and see fit. I may throw in some new scripts, just for the sake of it and to add new but minor challenges to the map, but it´s not necessary... I wanted this map to be quite linear, to reach from point A to point B in a period of time, full of jumping around and I got an almost linear map, with few jumps (mainly two... is that too little?) and good places to have quick fights. It´s not exactly what I expected ´cos I let the graphical details guide me through the process, but it´s Ok... Oh, and I forgot, I have to do a little balance on one of the main scripts, as I want it to work differently in different levels of difficulty. That said, I see the end of this map much sooner than I had thought of :). June, 13th, 2005: World 1-3: Seaside tower (at least for now). Finally, all the architecture is done!. What a piece of work for me, bugs, texturing problems (some of them live on in software mode :( ), 3d floors issues... But well, the place in which the gameplay will revolve is done. Minor changes can be added, like a switch here and a switch there, some more amounts of detail during betatesting or even some stupid obstacle to jump (or one of those traps where thousands of monsters wait behind a wall, muhahahaa! :P)... Also, the first script has been added: it´s the one that shows the title of the current level, as well as a very small introductory sequence, something like what is seen in World 1-2... The rest is to be done. I´ll start with scripting as soon as I can, and I can tell that some of the scripts will require changes or additions to the architecture (nah, nevermind)... I can only think of two scripts that will give me some problem, but I won´t rush into the matter, mainly because I have things to do in real life... So, well, when this map is finally done, more than the 50% of the maps for this project will be ready, time for a prealpha?... Also, when playing it I came to realise a little detail: sounds, I need lots of custom and ambient sounds... And music, I will need to create some music for this!... Surely that playing the maps with a pencil and a piece of paper will reveal which sounds I need the most and will bring some ideas for music too!... But well, done for today :). June, 10th, 2005: World 1-3 (Nearer now...). I had only a few spare minutes to work on the map, but I managed to throw in an extension to the map (where the exit could be) and also some decorative stuff that looks nice seen from the main scenario (there´s even some detail there :P, the map doesn´t look like the screenshots now). Also made up some ideas for the playing of the map, like some surprises happening here and there. I guess all I have to do is some more detailing on decorative stuff, the final area and then move into the gameplay itself. I´m worried about the fact that I´m getting big slowdowns in OpenGl now, focused on one section of the map. I wrote about this two reports ago, but now it´s getting really bad, I even considered not releasing this map in the pack!!!... But well, since I did it for World 1, I guess it must be thrown in despite of technical problems... I tried with smaller resolutions, texture filterings and so, but it doesn´t work. Now there are two solutions here: wait for the new renderer to appear and hope it will manage these areas better or playing this map in software mode (that runs real smooth, at least in my computer) if the slowdowns make it unplayable (you can play it, but it runs more or less like Doom 3 on my computer or Ebola´s "Phobia" on a slow one). I must really try not to make more maps like this that can ruin the gameplay experience, this could be bad for the project but I hope players to understand and try solutions... That said, the map is going well, but a lot of scripting waits for me!. June, 9th, 2005: World 1-3 (Untitled, but the title is near). Finally, it seems like this map finds some rest, some point where I can say "It´s almost done, I know what I got to do now and what´s left to be done"... That´s because 8500 linedefs and 16000 sidedefs seem to be telling me "Stop before you leave something half-done"... Anyway, I should not get used to say about these numbers, I don´t like the way it feels... Where was I?. Oh, yes, the limits. Since I calculate that what´s left to be done can get me in bigger numbers than I should, I will be finishing this map soon. There´s work to do in the bridge, something behind, something surrounding (that could look really good) and detailing an area or two. Then done it starts the scripting, the "objecting" and the leveling of the whole thing. June, 7th, 2005: World 1-3 (Untitled). And will probably remain like that (untitiled) until I finish it, since I don´t know where it will finish: 7000 linedefs and 13800 sidedefs, still going and slowly approaching the dreadful limits!!!. But let´s get with the "Working on stuff": there´s has been some work in the map, for example, the first segment is complete, the second segment (with it´s infamous gardens) is almost completed, I´ve only have to add something to one area, put something inside the towers and create the big gate with it´s bridge (if the limits allow me... I feel they will crack when I´m doing the bridge)... There has been work in non architectural stuff like, for example, a way to make the map playable and enjoyable!!!. I don´t want to give anything about it, but I came with a way to enlarge it´s duration and make it fun!... What more... Oh, yes, Legacy is starting to give some slowdowns... It´s natural considering the map is almost a big open area, but I fear for players with slow computers. They could use a smaller screen or software mode (by the way, I see serious bugs in software when it comes to textures with transparent parts!!!) but it´s not fair, I think. Maybe it only happens when playing in windowed mode. And well, I feel the map is slowly evolving and I´d consider it half done :). June, 2nd, 2005: World 1-3 (Untitled). It has been more of the same work: the garden area. It´s taking an entity, as if it wanted to be the most significant or remembered part of the level and the more I work on it, the more I think that some little detail here and there would be so great. I added some parts that aren´t hard but boring to do (some bridges with beams, a balcony with 3d floors, some decorations with middle textures...) and started to think about the next segment of the garden area itself. Since the map is coming quite linear and without any obstacles I´ll add some jumping, maybe just one jump over a cracked or ruined part of the main building, but something that keeps the interest instead of running, shooting and looking at the place... Now that I think about it, I´m doing something wrong with this map. As I´m experimenting with some eye-candy stuff, I´m leaving the playability behind so the result could be my most spectacular map to date, but also a little boring map, just a place between other two. I´ll have to start wondering not only about what to add, but also about how to make this map memorable. World 1-3 (Untitled). Well, I replaced one of the screenshots with a more up-to-date look of the garden area... It shows it from far but also shows everything I´ve done for it... I don´t know if I must continue with this gardenish chaos a little more, just to give players something you can´t see on screenshots. The plus of it it´s that looks nice, creates atmosphere and gloom. The bad is that it consumes a hell of a lot of linedefs!!!... Anyhow, I´m still working on the third segment with its gardens and stuff, and all thanks to Psyren from NewDoom.com who kindly sent me a set of vegetation textures. Thanks a lot Psyren, they´re really useful :).
May, 31th, 2005: World 1-3 (Untitled). The reason for the map to be still untitled is that I don´t know how far I might get into it... I might as well call it "The tower" than "A walk in the park" so I prefer to wait how the limits behave :P... Let´s get to the point, what´s being done?. Well, the garden area is under work. It´s part of the third segment, being the second still incomplete (I don´t know how but I got the feeling I will see it clear when I can see the third segment from the second)... Four trees are done that don´t look good but don´t look bad, as well as a little arch-building that looks nice until you realise it´s made of middle textures... Some textures will have to be fixed ´cos they display strange in OpenGl and well, some others display wacky in software (!!!) but I hope that when they´re done the whole thing will look better (as happens with trees) and be worth looking at... I found myself in trouble here since it´s not easy to make or find good tree textures (still I don´t know what to do with bushes!!!), guess I will have to make some myself using excerpts of leaf photographs and stuff... The garden area will take it´s time to look like I want it to do, but I hope I can throw some screenies of it to replace the ones in the screenshots page soon. May, 30th, 2005: World 1-3 (Untitled). Still untitled, but with a little less work to be done... Or a lot, it depends on splitting or not the map. Also depends on detail, of course. I don´t think detail is what defines a great gameplay but it helps you wanting to go on playing the map... And as you might know, the Doom engine has some problems with details on large open areas. Most of the areas look still a little bit naked although details has been added so I wonder if I should make new textures with windows and broken bricks to add details better than relying on adding details manually... Anyhow, currently I´m working on the second and third segments of the first part of the map. The second segment has only one walkway to be done, but the third has a lot of challenge since I´m trying to make some gardenish-recreative area with streams of water, arches (of course, done with middle textures), bushes (which I don´t know how to do... Maybe middle textures too) and trees (this would also require of middle textures... I wonder where to grab a nice pack :P). The third segment promises to take a long time to complete. May, 27th, 2005: World 1-3 (Untitled). I don´t feel like giving a name to the level still. As I draw lines here and there doing the sketches in the map editor new ideas come and it´s hard to stick to the original plan... For example, I was doing the tower where the map begins (not your average tower, I hope) and I started adding new things here and there that weren´t in the original plan. No doubt it adds life to the level but also takes a lot of time and (oh no!) linefdefs... I´m at 5000 and only the beggining of the level is done. I´m afraid I will hit the limit and have to cut the level and separate it into World 1-3 and World 1-4. I don´t like the idea but when you do open areas they tend to look plain and you tend to consume linedefs trying to add detail... So, well, where am I now?. Drawing the last part of the tower that is starting to look like something and planning it´s internal details so they are somehow original. Where will I be next time I map?. Probably at the same point since it´s going to take some time (actually I´m doing the third segment while the second ain´t done!)... What´s beyond the tower?. More work like a bridge, caverns, cliffs, constructions... And then there´s the scripting, the texturing and detailing, objects balance... I think that only a small 5% of the map could be done. May, 27th, 2005: World 1-3 (Untitled). This world has evolved a little... Now it´s made of two rooms and some staircases with a fake 3d floor. It´s not a big deal of work (but it worries me a little that is has taken 2000 linedefs... Legacy´s limits have tricked me before) but it´s the beggining of it. The best part is that I´ve finally decided how the level will be. It will be a linear trip from point A to point B and the player will be visiting a tower, some World 1-1 style cliffs, caverns and more... Actually it´s gameplay will be simpler than World 1-2 (or so I hope) but it will be much bigger (if Legacy´s limits allow me), with wide outdoor areas, nice indoors and such :). Only the layout is drawn on paper (a little sketch of what it could be, with anotations on architecture of some places) so the main battles, jumps and stuff are yet to be decided (there´s plenty of time though). Screenshots of the work in progress for this map will be coming soon :P. May, 26th, 2005: World 1-3 (Untitled). As you can see I have been away of this for a few days. Just studying and keeping myself from mapping since I have other things to do. But as you can see too, the work on World 1-3 has begun... Now it´s merely a sketch of a room (well, not much of a sketch since the architecture is nice... Still untextured) but I hope it to evolve into something coherent in the following days. After playing World 1-2 I´ve come to the conclusion that it´s quite complicated, I mean, somewhat strategic... Therefore I´m trying World 1-3 to be more focused in jumping, running and shooting old-style (a bit more like World 1-1 could be). The first room is inside but I´m planning it to have two parts: an inside (the style seen in some parts of World 1-2) and an outside (much more like World 1-1, more linear and with a small sense of landscape)... I´m currently thinking about how these parts will be structured, just one and then another or some kind of trip alternating both of them. I´m also thinking on how the map itself will be (what challenges there will be there) so there´s a lot of work to do!. May, 21th, 2005: World 1-2: The excavation. Now I feel satisfied with the level!!!. It packs a challenge in Normal and total madness in Hard levels :)... Well, maybe there is something to fix in there as it could be in World 1-1 but I won´t see it until I do a slow run checking everything. Still, at the speed you´ve got to do it there´s nothing to fix... So, well, maybe I´ll add some decorative stuff here and there while I think in World 1-3, since I consider World 1-2 100% complete and playable :D... Now that I think about it, no statue of the Guardian of Time works, but since I want to add some "Offer" system for it to work and it won´t be available until V2.0 of Legacy is out, there´s nothing to worry about. Sure I will have to add some of these "Offerings" in the levels, but that won´t take much. May, 19th, 2005: World 1-2: The excavation. I feel I´m near of completing this level!!!. I finished doing the balance of the Easy difficulties (not exacly easy, but no a real challenge once you get to know the layout), fixed bugs here and there, added some items to balance the whole thing and starting balancing and improving the Normal setting... Now, that´s a challenge even if you know the layout ;), since it allows you to commit some minor mistakes here and there you´ll have to stick to a serious knowledge of the level. I have been able to finish each excavation with enough time to finish the other until I got killed by a trap in the last one, so I suppose you can finish the whole map if you try. Still, I would like to add some extra seconds for the players here and there ´cos it can be quite frustrating (and some egos won´t take playing in Easy :P)... So, this Normal balance is still to be finished. When I get to it again I will play World 1-1 in Normal again, just to get the grip of it and add changes to World 1-2 if I find it quite hard (I don´t want levels to be too unbalanced)... In fact, some of the stuff in Normal could belong in Hard (Hard requires some choreographic knoledge to do it XD!) so there´s work to be done here. You know, now that I think of it, when it comes the real betatesting (with other people instead of me) maybe I will have to do this work again!!!. But well, I could stick to "I finished it, you can!" or "That´s the way it´s meant to be!" if I don´t want to :P. May, 18th, 2005: World 1-2: The excavation. Finally I have found some balance in the Easy levels... Now you can play it, get killed a lot of times but you can also make your way through the puzzles if you learn the basics... It´s not like an easy level, sure!. I like a lot the fact that you can choose the order of the excavations so playing it three times (supposing you get killed or run out of time) you may get a chance of seeing the whole level. There´s not a lot of armor, which I should add, but there is a lot of hourglasses, granting plenty of time. Also, if secrets are discovered there are great rewards (a good use of the special items in this level can get you an extra minute!!!)... Oh, yes, I did that texture I needed and also added a "Safe Zone" where player is teleported each time the view is switched to a camera... So my next steps are playing World 1-1, work a little more on the easy levels and move on to normal and hard. May, 17th, 2005: World 1-2: The excavation. All three excavations seem to be working on Easy difficulty levels... Well, it´s not exacly like that: all items are placed but the testing is taking place now and it´s damn hard!!!. First I had to set a higher time limit and scatter more hourglasses around since there was no human way of finishing the map without running around like crazy (I assume that´s not for easy difficulty levels), I also had to dismiss some monsters, add ammunition and, to be honest, I´m still on it. My goal is to make the level playable and I haven´t achieved it yet. Getting a nice difficulty balance is one of the hardest things to do in mapping: bear in mind that savegames are somehow forbidden in this mod during the levels so it must be done step by step, trying to guess what the player would do... But well, also there have been minor architecture and decoration changes and I´m thinking of adding a "Safe zone" where I can teleport the player as intermission scenes go on. That´s more scripting work :P... So, what´s left?. Testing and setting up the rest of the difficulty levels and of course, add something to the exit area and make that texture I´m lacking. When done, I can move on to World 1-3. May, 16th, 2005: World 1-2: The excavation. All right!!!. The first excavation is almost set up for Easy difficulty levels. Things are placed, scripts are working, traps work wonderfully, monsters are lurking... The amount of time given to the excavation is more or less fair, in fact, after playing it a few times you can set your ideal route since it´s quite linear :). It shouldn´t take much time to set all the pickups, monsters and decorations for other difficulty levels (for this particular part of the level) but surely it will be harder to adjust the time. The second excavation should be quite easy in terms of objects and timing and the third could be somewhat harder since I want to make an interesting battlefield (you know, like monsters that pop up here and there where they weren´t before) and changes to the architecture could be needed to make it less straight-forward. Also, I need a new switch texture badly but I´m lazy enough not to spend some minutes doing it :P. May, 15th, 2005: World 1-2: The excavation. The whole architecture for the level is complete which means that I won´t have to add more sectors, linedefs or whatever unless I want to get some extra detail in some area. I´ve just played through the whole thing and I must say I liked it a lot. There are no monsters and all the script that was to do yesterday is still to do today but well, these are matters that somehow I found easier than doing the map itself. As I played I found new spots for items, monsters and such that weren´t in the original level plan so maybe I´ll play a few times more, to see if I can see more hidden stuff. I just hope that the difficult adjusting process won´t be long and boring. May, 14th, 2005: World 1-2: The excavation. The third excavation is completely done and functional :). All that´s left to finish the layout of the map is to design an interesting exit area, do some detailing here and there (I don´t like the way the second excavation looks for some odd reason... I don´t know what can I do about it!) and finish the scripting (the scripting for the first excavation traps is to be done)... I guess World 1-2 could be done in a week or two (done is understood as fully playable and ready to release) as all things are placed and first testing is done. As far as I can play it, the level is quite tricky. There are some traps that can quickly kill you if you´re not focused and well, some jumping is also there ;). By the way, I just noticed another bug... If you save and load enough times, Legacy will crash. There´s another reason to play each level from scratch XD!. May, 13th, 2005: World 1-2: The excavation. The third excavation has been completely sketched and there´s a clear sense of what´s to be done there. As expected, in ended up being something more than a battle area and some jumping and equilibrium dances have been added :). It looks good if you ask me, but I think I´ve still got to detail some of the walls so they don´t look plain. The whole architecture isn´t done yet, but I expect it to be soon as there´s not much to add. When the third excavation is done I´ll move to the exit area and then to complete the scripts, place all things and finally, the most complex part of them all: to test the map until it plays fine. May, 12th, 2005: World 1-2: The excavation. The main sketch of the third excavation is done and has begun to go under detailing here and there. I´m not sure why but it looks a lot like those Heretic citadel levels... Some problems have been found while drawing it due to a poor planing of the map (in fact, World 1-1 was much more planned than World 1-2) and have forced a rearranging of stuff here and there. Currently I´m into finishing parts of the architecture of this excavation and figuring out what challenge I could put there that is not a battle with more and more monsters. Don´t get me wrong, there´s nothing wrong with a nice battle but I think that the terrain I´ve done is not adequate for that. May, 10th, 2005: World 1-2: The excavation. The second excavation is also done and its scripts have been improved. Some architecture and detailing are being fixed. Currently I´m into sketching the third excavation, which somehow I´d like to be related to the other two in order to create an uniform feeling (since excavations one and two are very different!!!). The rough draft of it´s gameplay it´s thought about: a regular battle place. Still, more things may come into that third space. World 1-2: The excavation. As the name says, the map is an UAC excavation so there´s
UAC tech stuff and ancient marble and stone settings. The map is comprised
of five places. One of them is the main area, other the exit area and the other
three are parts of the excavation you must go in order to reach the exit area.
The architecture of the first excavation is done. Still I must place some
scripts there in order to make things happen. Part of the architecture of the
second excavation is also done and it´s scripts are working. The exit area and
the third excavation aren´t done yet.   |