Oh my, indeed.
When I started on this map, I thought at first that I wanted to do a nod to "Dead Simple" from Doom2. Big, double-parted arena where it's fight or die, and if you die, you die hard. But...
We ran into a limitation with the GZDoom engine wherein 3D floors made into lifts, can't be made to crush. If something gets stuck underneath them, it just causes the 3D floor to stop at the height of whatever got beneath it. Which is also why I have damage-dealing floors underneath the lifts in map05. If a player remains beneath a lift while its coming down, it will just stop at the player's height - which will in turn, force the player to need to "noclip" out from underneath it. A immersion-breaking experience, if ever there was one.
All of that said, map06 was going to be this big indoor hangar, with a huge landing pad that came down, revealing more monsters, as the monsters were all taken out underneath it. But due to the lack of 3D-floor crushability, that idea had to be nixed.
So then, I did some thinking, and also went back and played some more classic Doom maps.
I always loved Knee Deep in the Dead, it remaining my favorite mapset from all of the classic sets done by the id guys back then.
I decided I was going to take inspiration from Command Control, from that original set. It was always one of my favorite maps from that set, so, I thought, "Why not? Yeah, I think I'll do this map, yep."
There's another reason for this. As I said in my previous blog, all of my maps either take inspiration from or give nods to maps from the original games. This is because my thinking is, "The UAC is the UAC. Why would they change the formula for their architecture? Tried and true works, right? So we go with the same basic layouts and same functionality."
It seemed reasonable to me, anyway! Also, it gives us old school Doom nerds a bit of a nostalgia trip, retracing old ground with things that feel so familiar! Also, it's fun having some idea of what you're doing, when you enter these maps - the ones from Dragon Sector, I mean. You get that feeling of, "I've been here! I know how this works! So yeah, let's go slay some demons!" In fact, often to the contrary, often frustratingly so, most player-made Doom maps are just these super complex puzzles. Sure, part of Doom is about puzzle-solving - it's fun! But for me, the bigger draw of Doom, is just the down-in-the-blood-and-guts, nitty gritty and often over-the-top demon massacring! There's an audience for puzzle-solving, absolutely, and I only hope you guys who love it, find Doom maps that give you the level of challenge you enjoy. But my maps?
They are about atmospheric immersion, and just plain having fun!
So. Map06.
So yeah. "Atmospheric Immersion", my fellow Doomers, just kind of says it for this one. Oh yes. This map will bring back those feelings of funhouse carnival rides. Of exploring haunted houses on Halloween. Of going to a great slasher or horror flick and sitting and quaking and biting your nails in your seat! This map, if you love those things, is going to take you by the scruff of your neck and whisper all nastily with dark amusement in your ear, "Oh, so you think you know what horror is, eh? Think you know what being scared is, do you? Well, if you dare, step into my domain and find out what horror really is."
Hah!
Simply said, this map is scary! You just get this feeling of apprehension. You won't want to play it in the dark. Your shoulders will hunch, getting these feelings that something is looming up behind you.
That's Doom!
Doom is fun! Doom scares you! It excites you! It gives you escape, catharsis and just plain getting to have fun! That is what Doom always was, and was always supposed to be!
The phrase has been coined, "Lightning in a bottle". Am I tooting my own horn a bit? Eh, maybe. But once you see map06, and play it, maybe you won't be so sure I am.
Look forward to it. Once you play it, you be the judge.
Oh, and vote, Doomers! We've been nominated for best mapset of 2023. So go to where you can download our stuff and put a vote there!
Yeah?
We'd appreciate it!
Doomers forever! Now go blast some demons!
