These are maps I created. Enjoy.
Version: beta
Number of levels: 3
Format: Boom: Doom2
Difficulty: TNT Evilution, with much higher monster density and difficulty ramping up. Platforming skills are rewarded but not crutial for
progressing till the end of map 3. Tuned for all 3 difficulty settings (easy, medium, hard).
Cooperative 2-4 Player: Not implemented.
Jump: Not Allowed.
Crouch: Not Allowed.
Editors used: GZ Doom Builder, Slade.
Build Time: about 4 weeks per each map.
This WAD exists because decino plays Doom. -- Thank you man, you rock!
These are my very first 3 levels for DOOM 2, in order. The WAD started as a practice exercise, but eventually a whole story grew out of it to tell. I realised that it could easily become a mega WAD with at least 3 episodes to tell the whole story. I purposefully restricted myself to not using UDMF format, only the vanilla DOOM 2 features were allowed for making the maps. This meant no scripting, only the vanilla linedef events, and apart from a custom skymap I created using publicly available images and software, I forced myself to use only vanilla textures and graphics. And vanilla music, too. Creating music for this WAD will be another project on its own.
I learnt a lot during almost 3 months of development, but the results are still a beginner's first maps, and of course I'm not entirely satisfied with them. I put this project aside for a while now, but based on my other ongoing projects' development and outcome, and feedbacks (if there will be any), perhaps I'll pick this project up again and finish it.
Until then, I hope you enjoy these maps.
Timeline: before Doom 2016 and Doom Eternal
UAC's search for a renewable energy source for the betterment of mankind has led to the establishment of a base, then
later, a colony on one of Mars's moons, Phobos. The colonists discovered remnants of artefacts burried under the moon's
surface, which suggested ancient signs of distant deities and realms. Eventually, these colonists founded a new
religion based on the archeological findings. UAC allowed and followed the unfolding of these events carefully, until
one day its employees reportedly made a successful contact with an intelligence from the far edges of our Solar System.
All communications ceased working with Phobos mining base immediately after the incident.
A ship was sent to Phobos colony with a crew of UAC enforcer personell to investigate the anomaly. As you boarded
the spaceport alone for scouting it, you found signs of heavy firefight on the station, but no signs of life. Radio and
video connection with your ship and crew broke, and you decided to figure out what happened with the colony.
6735 Vertices. 7869 Linedefs.
13 secrets.
Enemy count
| Ultra Violence | Hurt Me Plenty | I'm Too Young To Die / Hey, Not Too Rough |
|---|---|---|
| 534 | 379 | 235 |
You enter the first digsite of Phobos Colony, where things escalate quickly and hell break loose.
The first map sets the gameplay expectations: Take advantage on in-fighting to save ammo, get comfortable with occasionally manouvering and controlling enemies in tight spaces and at choke points, and explore long sequences of secrets. Platforming is rewarded, and secret rewards are often not safe at all. You can adjust difficulty by progressing faster or slower.
Two of the areas are either mutually skippable, or can be mutually cleared from both directions, depending on which weapon you want to unlock. Clearing either or both of the two areas rewards you with one or two supercharges for the final fight.
7771 Vertices. 9401 Linedefs.
9 secrets.
Enemy count
| Ultra Violence | Hurt Me Plenty | I'm Too Young To Die / Hey, Not Too Rough |
|---|---|---|
| 738 | 521 | 317 |
You keep purging the evil that befell to the colony, and the way forward leads to an amphitheatre that was excavated by the community for unknown reasons. Reasons you will soon find out.
The second map focuses on a main arena, and exploration and cautious gameplay are rewarded again.
When you enter the amphitheatre, buckle up, because the dance starts!
12299 Vertices. 14188 Linedefs.
20 secrets.
Enemy count
| Ultra Violence | Hurt Me Plenty | I'm Too Young To Die / Hey, Not Too Rough |
|---|---|---|
| 884 | 670 | 441 |
Leaving behind that unholy amphitheatre you find yourself near the colony's cemetery, which turns out to be established next to an ancient tomb. There's no turning back now. You descend to scour the evil out of that moon once and for all. Or die trying. Which is also plausible.
The third map is a linear loop of descend and ascend, and skills like spatial awareness, in-fighting usage and platforming are put to the test. Every area can be approached and cleared multiple different ways, and secret hunting is at peak in this third map. Patience and caution are rewarded and safer, but clearing the arena below can be approached differently and the difficulty can be raised dynamically based on your tempo and insanity.
As decino would put it, this map is not difficult, but it's easy to die here. -- Really easy.
Only after finishing and testing the map did I realise that the ending of the level should be at the end of the last arena. I apologise for the strain the platforming and the very last section puts onto the player, those will be cut out and lifted to the next level in future development.
Thank you merkaba48 so much for testing the map and providing feedbacks!
Currently the wad might have some gameplay issues with using PRBoom+. It was tested and should work properly with GZ Doom:
- Purchase the base game (e.g. via Steam)
- Download a source port (e.g. GZ Doom)
- Put the downloaded WAD next to your DOOM2.WAD file, and start the game.
- Copy your DOOM2.WAD and the custom WAD into your GZDoom folder, next to gzdoom.exe.
- Open a command line and navigate to your GZDoom folder, then start gzdoom with the following command:
gzdoom ExcavatingEvil.wad- Select Doom 2 in the IWAD list and play the game!
- Copy your DOOM2.WAD and the custom WAD into your PRBoom+ folder, next to glboom-plus.exe
- Open a command line and navigate to your PRBoom+ folder, then start gzdoom with the following command:
glboom-plus -iwad doom2.wad -file ExcavatingEvil.wad- Play the game!
If you happened to like playing these maps, you can buy me a coffee or send whatever small amount you see fit via Paypal
to @fazekasistvan. You don't need to, of course, but if you
do, I very much appreciate it! 🙏
Thank you!