Speedmapping

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note: Sorry I couldn't appear in #zdoom in person this week, but a minor emergency cropped up meaning I've got to go out for some time. In the vein hope that someone will think to check this page, here's this week's theme. Send it to nick@frad.org by 20:40 GMT and I'll get the results together and upload it ASAP.

"Design a level set inside the remains of a giant demon. This means lots of flesh textures, but perhaps a demonic outpost or even a small human base could have been set up inside it for some reason."

"Prepare for deja vu! Your job is to create a level that uses at least five recognisable rooms/pieces of architecture from the official Doom levels (i.e. Doom, Doom 2, Evilution and Plutonia). The twist is that none of it must seem out of place (i.e. you'll probably have to use different textures and flats than the original). Oh, and you can't use more than one room from one level."

"This week the term 'speed mapping' takes on two meanings, because your task is to design a looping race track ala ZooM. The archictectural style of your level should resemble either episode 1 or 2 of the original Doom (or both!)

You don't have to bother with enemies, weapons and power-ups (but obviously you can if you want to), as the idea is simply for the player to get from the start of the lap to the end in the quickest time possible. For that reason, there's no need for an exit either.

If you would prefer to make a more standard single player map, remember you could do something like place lowering/raising bars or a door behind the start which only lower once the player reaches the other side. Just as long as the level loops, almost anything goes.

As a special bonus, this week you're allowed to use ZDoom features, e.g. slopes. But only if you want to."

"This week's task is to build what you imagine a city in Hell would look like. Be creative, but at the same time remember to make it look evil and scary.

Include some kind of small temple/palace in the centre of the city. The level exit should be located here."

"Design a really ancient looking brick/stone dungeon filled with all manner of nasty traps. Typical Doom level traps such as lowering/raising walls revealing lots of monsters, enemies teleporting in, crushing ceilings, etc are okay, but innovation is encouraged. Voodoo dolls and conveyor belts used to achieve multiple effects are definitely welcome. Let's see what you can come up with in 100 minutes!

Some examples of non-typical traps are having pressure plates that do stuff, flooding rooms (even this could be done in two ways - the water/lava/etc rises up, or the room sinks into it), spike pits, walls exploding, and rocks erupting from the ground."

"Your job this week is to build a mansion (lots of PANx and WOODx textures, but of course others as well). Whether you want to set your mansion in the past, the present or the future (with computers and stuff) is entirely up to you"

"Your task is to create a Doom episode 4 style level. In other words, lots of marble, metal, lava, and the odd bit of wood. However, this week, the finished speedmaps will all be joint together by me.

So that the resulting level is balanced, the player will visit each area in a specific order, and your area will be assigned a place in this order by me. This means you'll have to bear the following in mind:

1) Place an (unopenable) door at the start of your area. This will be the link to the rest of the level.

2) Remember your area's place in the order. For example, whoever's doing the first area shouldn't go overboard in enemy numbers and types - limiting this area to just the former humans, Imps, Cacos, Demons and Spectres might be a good idea, and only the shotgun and chaingun for weapons. The person doing the second area can have more/tougher enemies and perhaps the rocket launcher. The person doing the last area can use anything within reason (i.e. don't make it Hell Revealed hard, or have millions of BFG's lying about ;) )

3) Depending on your place in the order, and the number of contributors, you will be asked to put either a switch or a skull key at the "end" of your area. However, this shouldn't be the real end of things, as you need to remember that the player's job is now to return to the start of the area. Feel free to have new doors opening (or even closing if you want to be REALLY mean and force the player to find a new route back:) ), monsters teleporting in, and so on.

4) The maximum size of your area is 2048x2048. This serves two purposes: it allows you to make a nicely detailed area, and it allows me to easily paste together the results."

Downloads: ntspd007 - 07 levels / nb_spd08 (unfinished entry by myself - completable, but absolutely no items whatsoever)

'Several years ago, UAC established a small base in the very heart of hell. The purpose of this base, whether it was built for research, as some kind of stronghold, or for some other reason, was never made clear, even to most of the staff who worked there.

Of course, the native inhabitants of hell weren't too happy about the base, it was quickly invaded (as usual the UAC failed to provide adequate security precautions).

Recently you, one of the few survivor of the attack, were contacted by the military. They want to use a dimensional gateway they've somehow got their hands on to send you to the over-run UAC base in hell.

The reason for this is that an important item is hidden somewhere there, and they want to prevent it from falling into the hands of the hellspawn. Your job is to find this item, get to the base's dimensional gateway, and escape.'

1) This is a human base, but it's been left abandoned in hell for several years, so it should be extremely evil looking.

2) Don't neccessarily make a Doom episode 2 style level; while there should be both tech base and hellish elements, what exactly these are is completely up to you. For example, the hellish elements could take the form of either marble, skin or volcanic rock.

3) Remember to include the 'important item' and the dimensional gateway that you will use to escape.

"This week is chain speedmapping, and because of this the session will last slightly longer than the standard 100 minutes. Work on a map for 25 minutes, then pass it on to someone else. Repeat this twice.

"Design a tribute to (not a remake of) your favourite level in either Doom 1 (excluding episode 1, e2m8 and e3m8) or Doom 2 (excluding map01, map07, map30, map31 and map32)."

"Make a gothic style map that is suitable for both single player and deathmatch, using the nb_smgth set."

Credits: Fredrik Johansson (the brick textures are very, very, very slightly based on some of his)

"Create a human base set in an Arctic environment, using at least three of the new textures/flats in the nb_cold set."

1) All entries should be sent to nick@frad.org, unless it has been stated otherwise.
2) You will normally have 100 minutes to create your entry.
3) Anything sent more than 20 minutes after the deadline will be disqualified, unless there is a very good reason.
4) Levels should be for Boom and compatible ports.
5) New music, textures and flats will normally be accepted (as long as the latter two are non-replacing).
6) New sounds, sprites or DeHackEd patches will NOT be accepted.