[Doom 2 community project] Tribute Quilt II - collectively making one big map out of entirety of Doom II [Beta 2 release (hotfix edition)]

I've been playing the first Tribute Quilt, and I'm wondering if you are going to establish a progression like you did in the previous one. I'm having a lot of fun, but the start was tough as nails without a lot of armor or weapons to use. Will there be a playtesting phase? Also, why is map18 red in the spreadsheet map diagram?

14 minutes ago, DoomGappy said:

Also, why is map18 red in the spreadsheet map diagram?

As to my understanding:

• Coloured font = segment contains key of that colour
• Coloured background = area only accessible with the respective key
• Coloured line = door/bars requiring respective key

PS: I wonder if the segment with green background is meant to be the starting segment. I would have assumed to start in segment 1, just for the familiar look of it.

3 hours ago, ViolentBeetle said:

Oh damn it, I didn't realize it was something. It all makes sense now. Unfortunately, I think this is the best place for your segment, so "West" is now to the east.

Can you supply me with "East" symbol instead so I put it there?

Update: Oh wait, West was the destination? Then currently teleport leads to the south.

 

Just to make it clear, this is how it is right now:

Here's the new version
DJOGA-TQ2-MAP22-V3.zip

1 hour ago, Grizzly Old B said:

 

As to my understanding:

• Coloured font = segment contains key of that colour
• Coloured background = area only accessible with the respective key
• Coloured line = door/bars requiring respective key

Oh, what an honor! Alright, that makes a lot of sense.
 

1 hour ago, Grizzly Old B said:

PS: I wonder if the segment with green background is meant to be the starting segment. I would have assumed to start in segment 1, just for the familiar look of it.

In the original you start in E1M2, so it might be that we now start on map03. 

Pretty sick this is coming together! Ironic my little Grosse segment is surrounded by so many dense maps, heh. Also cool the player will have to enter it through the side opposite the Cyberdemon, like in the regular Grosse. I debated making a Betray segment with one entrance/exit just a little half-hearted joke, like "do what you want with this ig lol", I only didn't because I remembered what Betray looked like, and well it seems like you have enough on your plate.

@Grizzly Old B

You understood everything correctly.

While I see merit in starting at the Entryway, I also think major part of appeal is to stumble on a segment and gradually realize what it is. This is why I chose not to start at the iconic starting location both here and in the previous one.

@DoomGappy

I expect this quilt to be easier in general due to inevitable early chaingun, and generally larger number of fodder, compared to the first quilt. I will make sure to keep player well supplied.

@SCF

I had some time to reflect and I think you make a good point. I will swap MAP10 and MAP07 segments. It still won't ensure player passing through every way, but nothing will.

@NiGHTS108

I'm not sure enough people would recognize Betray to appreciate it.

By the way, here, have progress report

I will now go through individual rooms placing pickups. After a few iterations, it will be refined enough for releasing a beta.

That looks absolutely awesome!

Here's the update with my proposed changes, inspired by the northern door requiring the red key:

Tribute_Quilt_II.MAP24.Grizzly_Old_B.V4.zip

In my opinion they would add value to the segment, but if you think that's too late now, that's totally okay.

Changelog:

• broke up long ledge in northern section to make Sandy Petersen homage letters S and P stand out more
• connected middle part of ledge to northern exit, as it was a bit awkward having to jump from the ledge to another small ledge directly in front of the door (this change also makes fighting the north-eastern enemies a bit easier)
• on the newly created platform, placed a “colour-locked door” marker, just like it is used in the original map (except it's blue there)
• changed texture inside troll invuln lava pit to match that in the original (not yet seen on below screenshot)
• changed items/item placement in the pit a bit to fit the new geometry

Images:

41 minutes ago, Grizzly Old B said:

In my opinion they would add value to the segment, but if you think that's too late now, that's totally okay.

Yeah, I think this works. I have replaced the segment with a new version.

Small progress update: I have made it through about 300 monsters before I stopped to make some tweaks. So now I'll have to do it all again, but it's going fairly smoothly so far. Smoother than the first one in any case.

28 minutes ago, ViolentBeetle said:

Small progress update: I have made it through about 300 monsters before I stopped to make some tweaks. So now I'll have to do it all again, but it's going fairly smoothly so far. Smoother than the first one in any case.

What about some nice little mapping live stream? It would be a welcome break to my tedious gardening work ... 😅

9 hours ago, Grizzly Old B said:

 

What about some nice little mapping live stream? It would be a welcome break to my tedious gardening work ... 😅

Alas, I tried streaming before and my connection isn't good enough for any consistent quality.

Oh dear, look at the time, it's beta release o'clock.

Check the OP post for the beta.

I did finish the map, though I didn't 100% it. I did some changes after testing, but it shouldn't introduce any new issues.

Enjoy.

This comment has been deleted.

1 minute ago, Grizzly Old B said:

Starting a petition here to rotate segment 18 anti-clockwise 90° so that is entered through its classic shootable switch entrance. 😁

I can't really rotate it, it would be too disruptive, but maybe I should add shootable walls on both entrances, I'm not sure.

1 minute ago, ViolentBeetle said:

I can't really rotate it, it would be too disruptive, but maybe I should add shootable walls on both entrances, I'm not sure.

Haha, you started answering my comment faster than I could delete it again! 😅

I am really liking this but damn I think Im showing my stupid. It took me seriously forever to find the yellow key. I went through everywhere at least 16 times before figuring out I could go there. Now Im next to stumped looking for tge blue or red keys... guess Ill go back through everything another 16 or so times. Good stuff everyone!

Gave the beta a go. Here's some comments:

- I like the title screen, and medley you used for the soundtrack

- Starting off with a blue armor gives you a big buffer to get through the early parts. Maybe even a bit too much, but better than the opposite for sure.

- The Citadel: I noticed that both exits are accessible from the moat area, so the inside of the citadel is completely optional. With that in mind, the reward should make it worth exploring, and a supercharge feels a little underwhelming (especially since the Tricks & Traps segment next to it has two supercharges)

- Underhalls: I almost missed the SSG here, maybe that alcove could be highlighted a little more (e.g. with the same computer panels the original has).

- Bloodfalls and The Pit are right next to each other and both have a blue armor (although I didn't know how to get the former one)

- Barrels O'Fun: the archvile is stuck in his starting position

- The Catacombs: I couldn't find a way out of the pit with the baron in the bottom-right. The switch doesn't seem to be doing anything.

- There's a couple non-hidden linedefs in the teleporter closets north of the Icon of Sin that show up when you get the computer map.

This is everything I'd found when I reached the Icon of Sin (I went back for some of the segments I skipped afterwards)

7 minutes ago, SCF said:

The Catacombs: I couldn't find a way out of the pit with the baron in the bottom-right. The switch doesn't seem to be doing anything.

Author of the Catacombs segment here. The switch was supposed to raise the gray platform, and it was connected to the higher floor sector outside the map, so I guess sectors became disjointed during the assembly.

While I am still on this, @ViolentBeetle please make the imp teleporter sign visible on the automap and lower the south gate to the segment by 8 map units.

Whoops, I messed up the map names, the stuck archvile is on Barrels O'Fun, not Gotcha. The one inside a small alcove supported by chaingunners.

Gonna leave a playthrough comment as well
Got softlocked in the Industrial Zone segment
 

1 hour ago, SCF said:

Whoops, I messed up the map names, the stuck archvile is on Barrels O'Fun, not Gotcha. The one inside a small alcove supported by chaingunners.

Ohh, hm, he is stuck initially, but if you shoot him, he activates.

@ViolentBeetle Fixed version of Barrels o' Fun: https://doomshack.org/uploads/MAP23-DoomIIquilt-v2.wad

• Made arch-vile alcove a bit wider so he can now move.
• Made that same area taller, so you can't just run into there. Also removed the damaging floor in those alcoves.
• Added some stimpacks in the blood floor area.

3 hours ago, ViolentBeetle said:

I can't really rotate it, it would be too disruptive, but maybe I should add shootable walls on both entrances, I'm not sure.

If you want, I can redesign the room a bit based on how it goes now.

I've played a decent amount of the map so far, and I'm really liking how everything is coming together so far.  The one thing I might change about my submission is to add doors on the sections that connects to The Focus and The Underhalls.  I had left the red and blue fire texture in place since I didn't know what would be surrounding my section.  

Finished playing the beta. Took 2 hours to get to IoS and 30 minutes to look for the secrets I missed.
So I found some things that caught my attention:
- As mentioned earlier, I got softlocked in Industrial Zone

- You can open a door inside the Citadel from this far

- Misaligned door texture in Bloodfalls

- The cyberdemon in Gotcha! can get stuck at the edge and be pushed off of the platform

- My segment felt a bit too easy, so I am gonna make it worse
DJOGA-TQ2-MAP22-V4.zip
Overall the beta is pretty good, looking forward to the updates.

@Insaneprophet

I should probably improve visibility for key pickups somewhat. Knowing where they are influenced my perception.

@Djoga

I've fixed your segment, however I had height variation because I didn't want to abruptly change the floor flat on either side or change heights. I might think of a way.

@SCF

Thanks for the feedback, I'll make sure to go through it and adress what needs adressing.

@DoomGappy

At this stage replacing a segment is a major pain in the ass, I'm satisfied in how it works right now, I'd rather keep it.

@Chariot Rider

Myabe. I'll explore the idea of a door on another pass, or at least improve sound passing so monsters in Focus don't wake up prematurely.

@Djoga

I don't think your segment needs to be made worse, tbh. It's also really inconvenient to cut out and replace a segment in the middle at this stage. But I'll take a look at what you did and maybe carry some things over.

Monsters being bumped into an illegal position is a compatibility issue, correct compatibility (Or even, like, default on DSDA which is now MBF21). I'll adress other reports.

6 minutes ago, ViolentBeetle said:

It's also really inconvenient to cut out and replace a segment in the middle at this stage

The layout wasn't changed, it's just more monsters 

9 minutes ago, ViolentBeetle said:

@DoomGappy

At this stage replacing a segment is a major pain in the ass, I'm satisfied in how it works right now, I'd rather keep it.

Alright then, leave it like that. 

I've updated my map

8 minutes ago, ViolentBeetle said:

 

@Chariot Rider

Myabe. I'll explore the idea of a door on another pass, or at least improve sound passing so monsters in Focus don't wake up prematurely.

 

Do whatever you think is best.  I did whip up a quick set of doors on the area, as well as removing a few hard mode monsters since some people found the UV version of this map way too cramped and exposed for the number of monsters.  Feel free to change the textures on these doors if you'd like, if you think it might help them better connect to the connected areas.  

MAP15 Industrial Zone v6.zip