Popular Articles - Brutal Doom: Kickass Edition mod for Doom II

As the summary states, the Final addendum for Kickass Edition has Been released, It is so hard to believe that the mod's development has finally come to an end, but I'm happy and thankful for everyone who has shown their love and support for what was quite literally my first ever mod, I'm so glad that I stuck around with this mod, rather than leaving it on v3 (As I intended to do originally), As keeping myself working on this mod has been a stressful, but rewarding experience.

At this point, I think I've added so much shit, that I don't think I could add anything else to the mod, and if that doesn't tell you something about how much I've added in, then I don't know what will...

Good day to you all, Doomers!

@DarynS here, making this release post. @BarefootMapMaker has been slammed with work lately, but we have been able to make some tweaks and fixes to the maps that we did want to get out to you all.

Before we get to the changes, I'd like to make sure everyone is aware that Dragon Sector (The Remake) now requires the use of GZDoom 4.11 to work. This will prevent the crash that happens at startup on older versions of GZDoom. If you download just the PK3 file, you'll need to keep this in mind. However, if you download our Full Pack, this is included, so you don't have to think about it.

Other than that, this should be the last of the 0.5x series. I know we said that before, but there were a few bugs that crept in that we couldn't leave there. Plus, it gave us the opportunity to start sprinkling in the story cards throughout the maps. These should give you more insight as to what happened on this base. They are strictly optional. There's no items to collect, they're just messages left on computer screens for you to read.

We'd like to thank anyone who has downloaded the map set over the past few years, and we hope that you'll continue to stick with us as we learn and grow. We've still got a lot of fun and devilish ideas planned, so if you haven't already, give us a Watch on our main page.

Now then, here are the changes in version 0.53!

• GZDoom 4.11 is now required to run Dragon Sector. This is to avoid the crash when starting a new game.
• Tweaks to all of the maps to make the secrets a bit easier to spot.
• Changed the Supreme Fiend's BFG attack to a shattering projectile. The BFG made the encounter a bit too unfair.
• Added Brightmaps to the Supreme Fiend to make it easier to see when it goes into a darker area.
• Changed how the Friendly Security Bot and Drone work. They can no longer turn on you if you shoot them too much.
• The Security Bot, Drone, and Turrets no longer do damage to the player if they're caught in a crossfire.
• The Security Bot and Drone will stop moving is they are near the player, so it should be easier to have them follow you.
• Integrated CamTex's Flashlight Mod based on some player feedback.
• Started to add Lore to the maps. These take the form of Comm screens you can read, if you want to. We have always had story explanations for the map features we have. It seemed like a good time to start sharing those.
• Many minor bug fixes and optimizations to the maps.

As to the progress of Port Titan (Map 6), there isn't much to report. As I said, @BarefootMapMaker has been really busy with work, and working on a brand new map after a long day of driving is often the last thing on his mind. That said, we'll post some WIP screenshots when there's enough to show off.

Until then, we hope that this more polished version of the Map set will keep you all playing. We love to see your playthroughs, so if you do a video, link it in the comments!

We've also put together a Settings Guide for Project Brutality, which should help getting it set up for the best Dragon Sector experience.

Alright, enough waffling!

Rip and Tear!

@BarefootMapMaker & @DarynS

Hello Doomers!

It has certainly been a hot minute since our last update. If you have been following our blog posts, you’ll know that there has been stuff going on behind the scenes, though. Today we’d like to bring you up to speed officially on what is happening with Dragon Sector (The Remake).

Map 7’s concept has not been coming together. Instead of trying to force it, we’d prefer to have the idea, the main flow and the aesthetic in mind before we get going. BarefootMapMaker doesn’t want to put out a map he is not fully happy with and doesn’t enjoy playing, so for now, this release will only include the six maps previously released.

That isn’t to say that there is nothing new. All six of the maps have received substantial additions, rebalancing of both monster and item placement, and in some cases, completely new areas. So, if you’ve already played through them, it will feel much different now, especially given the recent changes to Project Brutality.

Unfortunately, this also means that savegames you made previously will not be compatible with the new version. So if you have a playthrough going, maybe finish it up before starting fresh with the new version.

There has also been a lot of work done to other aspects of the mod. Several of our monster variants have been tweaked. We’ve also added a new beastie to fight, the Behemoth. Thanks Amuscaria for that one.

Last, but not least, are the changes to the Security Bot. This is the initial implementation of inkoalawetrust’s KAI library. Now, the bot is much better at finding its targets, and much more reliable when it comes to following you around. No more spinning around like a top and veering off at random.

As we continue to move forward, more features will be added, and KAI will be implemented on other actors, like the Drone, or some monsters. It’s taken a lot of work and brain numbing trial and error to get here, but DarynS feels pretty good about what the bot is capable of now, and looks forward to improving it in the months to come.

Here is the full list (that we can remember) of changes to v0.65.

Fixes

• BFG Commando’s Shot now hurts the player again.
• Fixed an error that caused a lot of “Invalid Sound Position” errors with the turrets to appear in the console in Map 04.

Improvements

• Initial Implementation of inkoalawetrust’s KAI Library for the Security Bot.
• Security Bot is now much better at following you and navigating around the level.
• Pressing “Use” on the Bot will make him stop firing at whatever it is fixated on and look for something else to target.
• The bot’s eye now follows the player and targets.
• The Item Magnet’s range has been increased.
• The Item Magnet’s Upgraded Range and Speed have been increased.
• The Item Magnet operates a lot more intelligently than it did before, it now only pulling items that have direct line-of-sight to the player.
• Poison Resist powerups now stack.
• The VitalSphere and related powerups now bestow bonuses based on selected play difficulty.
• The Roach is now quite a bit faster. He also does more damage and regenerates a lot faster. He is now a pretty decent challenge, some weapons much better than others at defeating him, and some not very effective with him at all. Especially when he is encountered in packs!

Map Changes

• Map 01 - Executive Complex
• Ammo increases to help better balance of gameplay.
• Removed the “Magnet” powerup, moving it to map 02.
• A few structural upgrades.
• Added a few monsters in key and in new locations.
• Removed the need for the Blue Key to release one of the security drones.
• Map 02 - Resources Reclamation
• Ammo increases to help better balance of gameplay.
• Reworked the secret reservoir area to add a significant structural upgrade.
• Map 03 - Skyway
• A good number of structural improvements - many decorative but also many functional.
• Ammo increases to help better balance of gameplay.
• Changed some powerup locations to make them make more sense as to placement and relevance to progression of play.
• Map 04 - Fuel Refinery
• Added structure to some areas to make secrets a little less obvious.
• Added strategic elements to some areas of the map’s/play areas’ structure, to help the player make better use of the map’s features for the purpose of dealing with monsters.
• Final area can now be drained, with the addition of a lift that can access the bridge from the area’s floor, after the drawbridge has been raised.
• A new monster added to this map - the Behemoth, which replaced the Mancubi which were there before.
• Map 05 - Nuclear Station
• Changed the monsters that emerge from the portals in the secret area where the blue key is found. This increases the area’s challenge while also giving the player decent chances at additional pickups.
• Reworked the “Boss Encounter” number of pre-fight pickups.
• Map 06 - Facilities Support
• Changed the hoard of monsters that come out of the closed alcoves in the later part of the map, from just Zombie Fodder to a larger variety of monsters.
• Filled the “Void” within the turn of the stairs. It features a large structural set of features and is now the method for gaining that level’s special powerup - The Damage Enhancer.
• Added a larger number of Core Tentacles to the hub area, to make that area of the map a more engaging challenge.
• Reworked the final “Boss” encounter, in addition to adding a significant structural feature to that play area.

Thank you all for your support and for playing and enjoying Dragon Sector (The Remake). We’re far from done, so keep an eye on this mod page and on our ModDB blogs.

Those of you who have made content featuring the mod, with the amount of changes and improvements that we’ve made, you might find it worthwhile to revisit the mod.

That’s it for now. Download and let rip!

BarefootMapMaker & DarynS

Hello again, everyone!

We're back today with another release. Version 0.52 also brings with it some changes to the requirements. Due to the scripting functions we are using, Dragon Sector (The Remake) now requires GZDoom 4.10 or above. Because of the crash bug we found in the last release, we're recommending using a 4.11 Development build, which as of now, has the crash bug fixed.

We realize that this is an inconvenience, so for the Full Pack we have bundled the current Dev Build as well as the current build of Project Brutality to make things easier. We hope that as we continue to evolve this project, that you'll continue along this ride with us. We did our best to try to retain legacy compatibility, but to do what we wanted to do and to not crash when you begin a game, it just wasn't possible.

This release should be the last of the 0.5x series, unless we run into another showstopper that needs to be addressed. Now, BarefootMapMaker has started work on Map 06, Port Titan. It's still in its early stages, but you can probably infer something from the name. We look forward to showing you how it's coming along, once it's fleshed out a bit more.

In the meantime, we'd like to thank everyone for the support, and for playing our maps.

Right then! On to the notes!

Improvements This Update:

Fixed a lot of performance issues with map05 - Nuclear Station.

--All monsters in monster traps have been set to dormant, only activating when called upon by player actions. This prevents a lot of CPU bogdown, as monsters only activate when they are needed. There are over 600 monsters in this map, and it was causing a lot of CPU overload. Which, as said, has been fixed.

Security Drones and Bots have been significantly improved. They now do line-of-sight checks, to make sure the player isn't going to be hit by their fire. This prevents a lot of unnecessary fragging by these assets, and it helps them to be used a lot more intelligently and with a lot more confidence. Special thanks goes to inkoalawetrust for his help with these improvements! We're still working on the Drones and Bots. The more we learn, the better they'll get!

We added a nice collection of “Materials” textures to our texture assets. Just tastefully added stuff, to help set the maps off more, without changing the overall feel of the maps. It is a noticeable improvement. Special thanks to Chilvence, KuriKai, Jacob Østergaard - email address(freelanzer@gmail.com), Reinchard, Tea Monster, Ron Goode, for the DHTP, to AndrewMRX for the displacement shader, and DraugraK & Berzerk Doomer for the PBR pack.

We compressed our entire texture library. This helped reduce the size of the pk3 by about 200MB and it helps significantly with texture load during play. Everyone should notice a significant uptic in performance. It is still recommended that everyone precache textures, however, as this always helps with performance when loading in large texture sets.

Made a few minor texture changes across all of the maps. Nothing earth shattering, just stuff changed here and here to help make the maps all look a little better.

Changed how the Rebreather works. It now only lasts for Five minutes instead of twenty. However, the rebreather's battery only depletes when you're using it. There is now also a timer on-screen to let you know how much time you have left. Picking up multiple rebreathers will still add to its time.

Gameplay Changes:

• Map01:
  • changed the Blue Armor to Green Armor in the acid room of the Morgue. The Blue Armor is now in a secret area.

See the tutorial for instructions on how to get up and running.

Rip and Tear!

BarefootMapMaker & DarynS

Hello again, good Doomers!

It’s been about a month since the last update to Dragon Sector (The Remake), but we haven’t been sitting idle. There have been a lot of things that we felt needed refining, and we’ve taken that month to do exactly that.

Along with the fixes has come a total rebalancing of all of the maps. They aren’t so stuffed with ammo now, which will make finding the base’s assets and using them to your advantage more worthwhile.

We have also laid the groundwork for Cooperative play. Currently there are 5 player starts per map. We have tested this briefly, and it does work over LAN, but our results were mixed when playing with Project Brutality. Still, if you fancy playing our maps with a friend, let us know how it goes, and we can always work from there.

Here are the changes for this release:

Fixes

• Adjusted the Perspective so your POV no longer appears stretched vertically.
• Fixed an issue with the Aracnorb Queen and Aracnorb that caused them to drop a stream of items if they fell from any height.
• Fixed a bug that could sometimes make Grell corpses block player movement.
• Fixed the Poison Damage on the Grell and CacoLich projectiles so they now actually poison the player.
• Grell, Cacolich and a couple of other monsters, now slowly vanish after being killed.
• Fixed a bug with the Agathodemon, where it can become unshootable in some instances, when stealthed.
• Removed our Flashlight. Project Brutality now includes one, so we removed our implementation to prevent possible conflicts (activation key will need to be rebound).

New Additions

• New Plasma Turret Model. Replaced the old Plasma-Gun-pickup model with something that looks far better.
• New VitalBoost Sphere. This adds 100 to your Health, with no ceiling on maximum health.
• Integrated m8f’s TargetSpy addon. With it, you can see monster, ally, and boss health, with crosshair passover. You can customize the way it displays, or disable it entirely in the TargetSpy options. Options for the addon are found at the very bottom of the Main Options screen.
• Replaced all Voodoo Dolls with Invulnerable, self-propelled custom actors.
• Added support for 5 player Cooperative play. Consider this a proof of concept. Item and Weapon spawns may need to be adjusted in the future.

Improvements

• Rebalanced placement of Items and Monsters in all the maps to be more of a challenge.
• Reduced the Railgun Arachnotron’s Health.
• The Railgun Arachnotron’s (and map 6 boss’) shot now knocks the player in a direction relative to the projectile’s angle, instead of just directly backwards.
• Pre-scaled resolution of the Camera Textures, to help improve performance.
• More Lore Panels have been added.

Map Specific Fixes

• Map 01 - Executive Complex
• Reworked many of the low-tier monster placements.
• Map 02 - Resources Reclamation
• Reworked many of the low-tier monster placements.
• Reduced the number of exploding barrels in the first areas.
• Flooded corridor can now be drained from the Control Room.
• Set all of the Flood Control doors (those big ones that lower) to stay lowered once opened. The two in the corridors only remain opened when switched from the Control Room. The three around the reservoir entrance stay open at their respective switches.
• Reworked the final encounter in the main reservoir area. It is no longer just a “Caco swarm”.
• Map 03 - Skyway
• Removed the odd looking and not very useful scrolling floor from the first Skyway segment.
• Security station received significant reworking.
• Reworked and improved the lighting throughout all of the outdoor areas.
• Changed out a few monster placements and added some others.
• Map 04 - Fuel Refinery
• Reworked many of the low-tier monster placements.
• The final flooded area can now be drained.
• Map 05 - Nuclear Station
• Replaced the damaging sectors in the first large area with randomly occurring electrical arcs.
• Map 06 - Facilities Support
• Reworked the boss encounter.
• Changed out the music for a new track.
• Removed the bots and drones from the final area. Replaced the bots in their alcoves with powerups.

We hope that you enjoy this new update! As always, we want to thank everyone for the support over the years, and we look forward to bringing you more Dragon Sector in the not so distant future.

All the best!

BarefootMapMaker & DarynS