(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/AlbumArt.png)
Alex Mendez Presents Another Map Pack: AMP 2
"Change is good"
Produced by Alex "Bluebrawl" Mendez
Current version: 2.0 (Unreleased)
Features:
15 MM8BDM maps produced by one mapper
Kick-ass music from Fighter X, Danimal Cannon, and others
Crazy aesthetics. Your definition of "Crazy" will vary.
PROGRESS BAR:
AMP01 - The AMP Show: 100%
AMP02 - Glazgow Style Mile: 100%
AMP03 - Graffiti City: 0%
AMP04 - Night: 0%
AMP05 - Adjective Location: 0%
AMP06 - Let That Sink In: 0%
AMP07 - Spacecaps: 0%
AMP08 - Storm Drain: 0%
AMP09 - Shipping and Handling: 0%
AMP10 - Naturally: 0%
AMP11 - In The Air: 0%
AMP12 - Buried: 100%
AMP13 - Heat: 0%
AMP14 - Washed Up: 5%
AMP15 - Crescendo: 0%
AMP-MP 2.0 is in the works. Not much has been made, let alone tested, but what I can guarantee is that 99% of the gripes people had regarding this map pack will be looked over. The texture soup, the music, the gimmicks, and the horrible fact that some of these maps were so half-assed it wasn't even funny. The dick joke was kinda funny though, so nyeh.
No map will go untouched. No map will go unimproved. This is a promise I can make to you all, I will make sure that everything is just right for the players. Of course, I will still have full creative control over what goes into these maps, including the music, so I won't exactly produce a map pack made purely out of spoon-fed suggestions. This is meant to be the version of AMP that I can take full pride in. Thanks to all your feedback, I have a clear idea over what the hell will get chopped and what won't.
Proof of concept:
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160307_183659.png)
From AMP01: My Favorite Things
Keep it locked on this topic, as updates will come in the future. Also, there MIGHT be some ranting and tutorials involved.
Rejected layouts:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/offworldRevamp.wad (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/offworldRevamp.wad)
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/OffworldTake4.wad (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/OffworldTake4.wad)
AMP01 progress: http://www.cutstuff.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=4472&start=20#p327417 (http://www.cutstuff.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=4472&start=20#p327417)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160312_190411.png)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160313_182918.png)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/AMP01RoomLayout.jpg)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160316_160642.png)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160316_160652.png)
The steps are a placeholder for now
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160316_160703.png)
Still not sure what to do here (._. )
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160316_160712.png)
Another teleportation wall seen here
(http://i.imgur.com/GxplEfp.gif)
Gotta pay homage to my roots, yo
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160317_193227.png)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/AMP01.wad_AMP01.png)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160321_083648.png)
AMP02 Progress: http://www.cutstuff.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=4472&start=30#p327563 (http://www.cutstuff.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=4472&start=30#p327563)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/AMP02LayoutMarch23.jpg)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/AMP02LayoutMarch24at2AM.jpg)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/AMP02LayoutMarch24at10PM.jpg)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/AMP02LayoutMarch25ShopNames.jpg)
Still keeping it (http://emojipedia-us.s3.amazonaws.com/cache/1d/7e/1d7eeb96191ae694f175813b4f401c05.png) fam
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160325_224147.png)
Eastern half of the map, facing Glazty theatres
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160325_224200.png)
Second floor of the fashion store (http://emojipedia-us.s3.amazonaws.com/cache/5b/fc/5bfc7a8f1e05affe079ce03fe9aa771e.png)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160325_224206.png)
The first floor of the fashion store (http://emojipedia-us.s3.amazonaws.com/cache/5b/fc/5bfc7a8f1e05affe079ce03fe9aa771e.png)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160325_224219.png)
Ice rink, with northern end to the left.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160325_224234.png)
Food court, with kiosk up front
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160325_224242.png)
Elevator room in the southwest corner of the map
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160325_224250.png)
Another angle of the food court
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160325_224259.png)
Inside Rave And Busters, with minigames in the center and to the right. To the left is a little prize counter
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160325_224318.png)
One final view of the mall
AMP14 Progress: http://www.cutstuff.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=4472&start=30#p328009 (http://www.cutstuff.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=4472&start=30#p328009)
Influences:
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot%202016-03-12%2019.19.07.png)
FPS01 by Pik
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/102-MMWTHSH_MMWTHSH.png)
MMWTHSH by Shade Guy
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot%202016-03-22%2010.41.21.png)
SHA15 by Shade Guy
Proof-of-concept maps
Neo-teleporters (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/NeoTeleporters.wad)
Hoo boy, where can I start. Well folks, I hope you're ready to read, because I've got quite the story to tell.
Spoilered due to being a long read.
DTD wanted a bass medal for making a map pack. You remember those gray medals, back when everyone and their grandma had Megaman medals for doing just about anything? So, he named it AMP just for that medal. But then Mike said "lol no more bass medal" and DTD went "aw". The end.
Why do I keep it named that way, though?
My ego said it was a good idea.
When I was younger, I used to just open up a map and look at the monitor until an idea popped up. With these new maps I'm producing, I want to slow down the process a bit and do my actual homework before I just go and make stuff. So what I'm about to show is a bit of a palette room I have going for AMP-MP 2. The new map name hasn't been decided, although I'm kinda leaning toward "NuthettaNature". It really depends on how the map comes through.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP%20Testing/AMP15PaletteRoom1.PNG)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP%20Testing/AMP15PaletteRoom2.PNG)
HERE (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP%20Testing/Heisenberg%20Mexican%20version.wad) is the actual map, if you want to rip the textures and use them for your own map. Just remember to credit Gumballtoid for ripping the textures and Nemz for actually creating them.
The new approach I'm taking to getting these maps done goes like this:
-Research and ideas for sections/music
-Texture ripping and sampling ideas
-Palette room
-Tech demo of the sections
-Basic layout work
-Actual layout work
-Testing
-Aesthetic work out the wazoo (It's what I do baby)
-More testing
-More refinement
-More testing
-One last refinement
-One last test
-Store it in my hard drive until I give a damn about this project again
The main reason this map pack has been dead for the past year or so is because I never thought it was worth my time. I was too busy getting ready for college and doing schoolwork to care. Hopefully now that I'm done with this school year I'll have enough time and motivation to get back to this project again. I'm working with Glazty to produce 5 maps that really show off our potential as mappers. I think I planned to call it "Conceptual Fanatical", or maybe it was "Fanatical Conceptual". Either way, expect some actual progress over the next two months. I'm back baby.
Around this morning, I started working on a funny map. A few messages later, this turned into working on a REALLY funny map. This is a duel map that may or may not get into AMP. All I know is that it's finished. (http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/36381/)
OMFT.wad - One Map Made For Two (http://www.best-ever.org/download?file=omft.wad)
The music in the map is Anime Nic Cage by Wyatt Croucher (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy-7o7dLDEo)
Here's some screenshots if you're curious (by the way, you should totes press automap when you've roamed around the stage for a while):
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/V4A/Screenshot_Doom_20141026_121435.png)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/V4A/Screenshot_Doom_20141026_121449.png)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/V4A/Screenshot_Doom_20141026_121503.png)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/V4A/Screenshot_Doom_20141026_121525.png)
Hey Beed
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/V4A/Screenshot_Doom_20141026_112050.png)
Comment removed.
I'm kinda releasing these maps piece by piece to show that I'm still doing work on this project, although I haven't really made many new layouts myself. I'm just using Maxine's layouts for now while we brainstorm ideas for other maps. Here's one of the maps Maxine made herself for AMP. She did the weapon layout and the general layout, but I did a good amount of work on the aesthetics too.
AMP19 - FROSTED PANE (http://www.best-ever.org/download?file=amp19.wad)
Here's some screenshots:
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/V4A/Screenshot_Doom_20141125_135816.png)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/V4A/Screenshot_Doom_20141125_135842.png)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/V4A/Screenshot_Doom_20141125_135859.png)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/V4A/Screenshot_Doom_20141125_135932.png)
Also here's a preview of the next map I'm working on, which is codenamed "Project Ozai" for now:
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/V4A/Screenshot_Doom_20141123_113410.png)
Now that I have XSPv2 done I can come back and make new innovative maps for this project wheeeee
Possibly AMP04 - Offworld
(https://www.dropbox.com/s/vk7luxi0zwhfjsu/Screenshot_Doom_20141201_220525.png?dl=1)
We have a quite a bit left to do but with Mendez's AMP15 and his remake of my Wave Man and my AMP19 and stuff progress is looking pretty sweet
Everything up to this point has been scrapped and I'm starting from mostly scratch because it was getting far too messy for me to keep track of all the stuff I wanted to do. Like, there's 5 scrapped layouts, a dozen unused tilesets, and at least 3 good gimmicks that are still in the "proof of concept" stage because I've been too lazy to work on anything. If anyone wants to use the scrapped layouts for a map, contact me. Max's maps will not be used. This will be entirely on myself and I'll try to do as much as I can on my own. Here's the list of maps I want to make, and here's a list of tracks that will go with the maps.
Maplist:
AMP## - Name (Theme)
AMP01 - My Favorite Things (Aesthetics)
AMP02 - Glazgow Style Mile (Mall)
AMP03 - Graffiti Rhapsody (Streets/Rails)
AMP04 - Musique (Nightclub)
AMP05 - Adjective Location (Aesthetics)
AMP06 - Let That Sink In (Temple/Jungle)
AMP07 - Space Oddity (Moon/Base)
AMP08 - Storm Drain (Sewers)
AMP09 - Shipping and Handling (Factory)
AMP10 - SallyLandscape (Nature)
AMP11 - Airborne Emperor (Air/Castle)
AMP12 - In the Cave of the Ruby Queen (Underground)
AMP13 - Project Ozai (Fire/Lava)
AMP14 - The Cold War (Winter/Military)
AMP15 - Crescendo (Roguelike/Aesthetics)
Soundtrack:
Track_## - "Song" by Artist [Comments]
Track_01 - "Hypergiant" by Fighter X
Track_02 - "Aquarius" by Tappy
Track_03 - "Activation Theme" by Bit Shifter
Track_04 - "Love is Insecurable (Original Mix+)" by Chibi-Tech
Track_05 - "Now Rock" by Fighter X
Track_06 - "Cradle (Cover)" by 2Player [Originally composed by Graeme Norgate, Grant Kirkhope, and Robin Beanland for Goldeneye 007]
Track_07 - "Silver Surfer (BGM 1)" by Tim Follin and Geoff Follin
Track_08 - "Comme Il Faut" by USK/Fighter X
Track_09 - "Lo-Tek Resistance" by Fighter X
Track_10 - "Splicing" by Stad
Track_11 - "Indignant Divinity" by Flashygoodness
Track_12 - "Cure Lvl. 3" by Fighter X
Track_13 - "Epic Thunder (The Rage Within')" by Fighter X
Track_14 - "Good Journey (Don't Say Goodbye)" by Danimal Cannon
Track_15 - "Zone Ender" by Fighter X
Track_B1 - "Megaforce (The Afterlife Touch)" by Fighter X
Track_B2 - "Yukitake" by Stern Fucking Zeit
Track_B3 - "The Afterlife" by Fighter X
Track_D1 - "Doggtales - The Moon" by Madbrain
Actually, I just remembered that Ruby Queen was all finished so I guess that's 1/15 of the work done. Here's the work being done on AMP01 right now:
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160307_183659.png)
That's all for now, just wanted to let people know that I wasn't dead, and neither was this map pack.
Currently preparing for finals, but in the meantime I'm looking at the kind of textures I want to use for the map, and how I want the layout to flow. I already have a general idea of what I wanna do, but honestly what I want to do is provide a layout that feels new to people, and feels less like a collection of sectors and empty rooms. The coolest maps are the ones that blend rooms together in ways you didn't think about before, or have rooms that feel fun to move around in. I think one map that I gotta give credit to is Pik's ultra-massive but ultra-distinct FPS01. Like, a few of those rooms are honestly just fun to jump around in, especially this one:
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot%202016-03-12%2019.19.07.png)
I hope to craft a room as platform-centric without making it unplayable, but for now my main focus is just making the maps look pretty.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160312_190411.png)
Gonna put both of these screenshots in the 3rd post of this topic so you can look back at the progress. Expect updtes later.
Edit: Gonna reserve this post as a sort of progress report on AMP01, screenshots will be in the third post as always, but my insight and rants will stay here.
Yeah, I think the map might be a bit too brightly colored, but I really did wanna make a flashy map haha. Anyways, today's progress pic is a simple extension of yesterday's section, with Needle textures to provide a darker contrast to the super bright Astro textures introduced so far. I really don't like having tilesets that clash with each other, so I used a tileset that wasn't too dark but still fit the general palette I was going for.
Okay, that last statement was B.S. but it helps justify using my favorite tileset in the entire game. HSH comes close because the palette is so delicious, but it's not as... I guess, applicable to as many settings as the Needle textures are.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160313_182918.png)
In case you're wondering what's with the daily small updates, let's just say I'm fighting to beat my own version of "The Avatar Project (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IsDGYSjP8M)". By the way, I've decided to post the rejected layouts on the 3rd post too since I figured they could be of more use to other mappers. The layouts aren't that amazing, but they could serve as a nice template for other mappers to bounce ideas off of. Gonna post more updates when I get the chance.
March 14 update:
Have you ever had those nights where you're thinking out loud to yourself about certain things and end up with a desperate craving to scream "I still matter in this world" before suddenly being hit with a depressing realization that makes you consider- (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vd3BIb3rYXg)
Well I have those episodes from time to time, but to help me cope, I'm gonna start trying to teach the community my tricks to mapping in the hopes that I show how mapping can be simple, fun, and rewarding. Today's lesson will be on the thought process on map size/shape. When you first map, it's obvious that you have an idealized vision of what you want your map to look like. More often than not, however, you see maps that feel much larger or smaller than they need to be. This is why it's important to take note of the size of your rooms/corridors/paths so that the player doesn't get lost or feel hopelessly seperated from the action. The general rule of thumb I follow is to use more than 4,000,000 square units of space but less than 16,000,000 square units. Basically, make a map between 2000x2000 and 4000x4000. Of course, you shouldn't try to fit your maps in a square. In fact, I completely discourage that. Make your map shaped like a massive triangle, or like a big circle, or a bunch of large overlapping rectangles. What I've noticed a lot in maps these days is that we tend to fit all our ideas in a big rectangle, and rarely try to break away from that shape because then it feels harder to connect rooms together. This is why I'm a big fan of Shade Guy's MMWTHSH map, because it breaks away from a rectangular mold to produce a layout that is fun and unique to move around.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/102-MMWTHSH_MMWTHSH.png)
For my map, I took a few queues from MM3NEE and MMWTHSH to produce a layout that doesn't feel as rectangular as usual, with emphasis on moving between two corners of the map. Of course, my ideas still fit in a 2816x2624 rectangle though, so I guess I'm not great at following my own rules. I promise it will feel refreshing though.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/AMP01RoomLayout.jpg)
Final exams are finishing up tomorrow, so I likely won't make any posts until Wednesday at the earliest.
March 16 update:
This update isn't as massive as the others in terms of progress, but I do have some neat screenshots to show you. If anyone remembers the mall map Galaxy Sisbro (I still miss you fam) made years ago, and also remember the changes I made to it, then you'll probably remember the unique teleporters I made for them. They worked similar to the teleporters in Rozark's past/future map, but I would argue my teleporters felt more seamless than his. (https://static-cdn.jtvnw.net/emoticons/v1/170/1.0) In any case, I'm gonna start using those kinds of teleporters more often now because they offer less chances of telefrags and let the player keep moving after teleporting. For these new teleporters to work, however, the teleportation lines must parallel to each other. Otherwise, you gotta check some flags to ensure the player keeps their direction, and that causes the player to stop moving for a small second which practically negates the purpose for making these teleporters in the first place. I'll upload a map to the third post that shows the teleporter in action so you can see it and copy it (which I assume Rozark did when you notice the updated version of his past/future map (https://static-cdn.jtvnw.net/emoticons/v1/70433/1.0)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160316_160642.png)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160316_160652.png)
The steps are a placeholder for now
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160316_160703.png)
Still not sure what to do here (._. )
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160316_160712.png)
Another teleportation wall seen here
I'm stuck on the kind of layout I wanna produce, but hopefully by Friday I can get everything figured out. Then I can move on to item/weapon placement, and finally move on to the next map.
(http://i.imgur.com/GxplEfp.gif)
Gotta pay homage to my roots, yo
March 17 Update:
Finished up the layout for a room and finally got something super cool coded. Trust me, when you see it in action, it will be pretty trippy. It's gonna be for the southeast corner of the map, and it's gonna be about as pretty and bright as the northwest corner of the map.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160317_193227.png)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/AMP01.wad_AMP01.png)
Current layout of the map
The layout should be finished by late Friday or early Saturday. Then comes the items and whatnot.
Have you ever had those days where you feel super positive and relaxed before you're bombarded with a bunch of images on Imgur on Monday and you suddenly grit your teeth and remember- (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HT7v-orQLw)
Well, in an attempt to move on with the map pack, I'm currently producing a bunch of small sprites for use in the glazgow style mile. The next map will be styled like a mall and use the same kind of aesthetics previously seen in Glazty's version of the mall map. The map will also be partially based on the mall in my hometown since it has a pretty cool ice rink that I've never had the money/ice skating skills to use ): The layout is still being thought of, so don't expect any map screenshots until Wednesday at the earliest. In the meantime, I need you guys to give me ideas for shop names based on Cutstuff members. If you want to be immortalized with a cheeky shop name, just post in this topic. Here's some of the sprites I've come up with so far:
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Shopnames/BiktoriasSecret64.png)
Based on Victoria's Secret
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Shopnames/KDJewelers64.png)
Based on Kay Jewelers
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Shopnames/OrangeJucius32.png)
Based on Orange Julius
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Shopnames/GenoStop32.png)
Based on GameStop
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Shopnames/Rozz32Take2.png)
Based on Ross
Expect a picture/rant for Tuesday's update, and then I'll start making the map on Wednesday.
March 22 Update
So for everyone who was on Skype giving me ideas yesterday (especially Jax, FGG, and Raveman), I'd like to thank you guys a ton because I honestly would not have thought of most of these on my own and now the map will look several times more interesting than I had previously imagined. If you wanna see all the shopnames made so far, just check out this link. (https://www.dropbox.com/sh/57lak62axrfjx88/AADipKo2ccWXqqnFIoiIFSdja?dl=0) I've got 18 shopnames added so far, and I'll likely add a few more before finally importing them into the map and producing the layout. Speaking of producing maps though, someone recently asked me a good question on why I'm suddenly getting back into mapping and I'd figure I'd give an explanation.
[3/20/2016 6:49:06 PM] Rozark Kyouko: what made you reach the conclusion that things were getting stale?
[3/20/2016 6:49:19 PM] Rozark Kyouko: I've known that myself for awhile but I'm just curious
When you're coming out of a breakup, you see things with much more cynical eyes, so when I tried to get back into the game, I found myself only playing for five minutes and then leaving out of boredom. I guess it was when I started asking myself why I couldn't play for more than 5 minutes at a time, I started looking more critically at the maps that I was playing on. Honestly, the maps didn't feel stale. They felt static. Like, you see the map once and you already know what it's gonna look like the next time you play it. Nothing moves, nothing flashes, nothing changes, nothing catches my eyes, it's all nothing but a collection of rooms and corridors to me. Nothing changes except the mode you play it on, which means the only way you can keep a game fresh is by adding new toys to play with. The toyroom you play in never changes though. And the toyroom doesn't amplify your fun, it just houses it. So I really started asking myself "How do we make maps great again (https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cc93hL1W8AAC5am.jpg:large)?" Well, the best idea I came up with was to make moving around the map as fun as it could be. I think one of the most recent examples I can come up with would have to be SHA15, and in particular a single room where the player feels challenged to time their jumps properly. You all likely know the room I'm talking about, but in case you forget:
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot%202016-03-22%2010.41.21.png)
And so this is where I take a good moment to realize that this is one of the VERY FEW times in recent memory where a map has challenged the player to make a jump. But it's not even a hard jump either, and there's no major consequences for falling. Better yet, this jump is treated as part of the layout because it connects two areas together. It's one of those moments where I realize the reason that maps have felt static is because they've felt too safe and played it too careful because they fear the player would hate to be challenged by the map unless the challenge was a bunch of stairs. Screw that, I've climbed enough stairs in my life to know that's no fun. But SHA15 is fun. It's fun because I'm constantly kept on my toes by the jumps required to traverse the map. It's fun because those jumps are complimented by the silky flow of the layout. It's fun because this is the first time I could sense a custom map asking me "are you good enough to play on me?" and I smiled as I replied "Damn right I am". We've honestly forgotten that Megaman 8-bit deathmatch is supposed to be a marriage of shooting and platforming and that the platforming is what distinguishes us from 90% of other shooters. I'm hoping the next expansion gives me more of the creative platforming that's made it fun for me to play on the maps themselves and less of the baby toyrooms I get shoved down my throat on a near-endless basis. Experiment, change, evolve, adapt, remodel, innovate, do what you have to do. As long as you don't give me more of the same, I'll be happy. And we'll all be better for it.
March 23 Update
I got about 1/4 of the layout drawn out, and it's probably the most complex part of the layout since it involves the use of 3d floors on top of regular floors. The map is looking to be about 3500x3500, which is really stretching the limits of map size, but my plan is to use line teleporters/fast escalators/the ice rink to make travelling convenient. Expect more of the layout to be drawn tomorrow.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/AMP02LayoutMarch23.jpg)
Fun fact: The bottom portion is based on GBT's piece for the PB jam and the western portion is based on Smashbro's piece for the same jam. I think I gave an earlier version of this layout to Freeman before deciding that I wasn't gonna be able to finish the map on time, so technically what I'm making is a jam map.
March 24 Update (2 A.M.)
Can't really sleep so I'm just drawing whatever parts of the layout I feel certain about. Finally got the ice rink drawn which is nice. Gonna get some sleep and then start adding some stores and thinking of little games to put into Rave & Busters south of the ice rink.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/AMP02LayoutMarch24at2AM.jpg)
March 24 Update (10 P.M.)
Still drawing the basic parts of the layout I'm feeling certain about, but honestly there's this biiiig empty space in the eastern half of the map that I might just cut down on so we'll see how it goes. Here's another important lesson for all aspiring mappers out there: Give every space a purpose. I think it's easy to cover up meaningless space with complex routes and cover, but when you're playing on other maps next time, take a good look at where people go and how often you use certain rooms or routes. If the map is at least above decent, you'll see people using a route or room more than once. Sometimes though, I see there's spots that get avoided altogether because they have nothing to offer or feel too hard to reach. I could cover up the empty space with kiosks and plants, but honestly I'd prefer to have cover only if it benefits the people on the first floor. Now that I think about it, the second floor barely has any cover. Ugh, I really should just replace the second floor with a movie theater or something. Or maybe give the second floor some more plants and cool paths. Or maybe get rid of the department store in the north end and put it in the east end, make some connections to paths on the second floor, put a cool jewelry store somewhere, and then add plants and kiosks to the second and first floor. Don't expect this layout to look the same tomorrow, I'm gonna cut a lot of empty space tonight and hopefully have the layout done by tomorrow.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/AMP02LayoutMarch24at10PM.jpg)
March 25 Update
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/AMP02LayoutMarch25GOODSHIT.jpg)
YO REAL TALK, i HEAR ALL ABOUT "COMMUNITY DYING" AND "Y'ALL A BUNCH OF ASSHOLES" BUT Y'ALL SEEM TO FORGET THE ONE WHO WAS HERE BEFORE 95% OF YOU MOTHERFUCKERS EVER EVEN HEARD OF THIS GAME. YOU REMEMBER WHEN THERE WERE ONLY 2 MAPS AND ONLY 1 SERVER TO PLAY THEM ON. DIDN'T THINK SO. NOW YOU WANNA BE THE VOICE OF THE COMMUNITY WHEN I AIN'T EVEN SEEN YOU IN A SERVER FOR MORE THAN 10 MINUTES? haaaaah?! YOU GUYS FEELIN' ALRIGHT? Y'ALL FEELING OKAY? BECAUSE I WON'T LET IT BE THAT WAY, CHECK IT.
IF I HAD A NICKEL FOR ALL THE GOONS
WHO SAID FOR SURE WE'RE ALL DOOMED
THEN I'D FLASH MY DIAMOND RING
AND SAY "Y'ALL DON'T KNOW A THING"
CUZ THIS OG CUTSTUFFER
WITH DIGITS FROM ALL YOUR MOTHERS
IS LIGHTING UP EVERY CHAT
WITH FIRE BARS AND ALL THAT
Back to our regularly scheduled program, the layout for the map is now 99% done. I managed to fit every shop into the map and locate them according to similarities and assumed preferrences, so basically everyone has shops that are right next to their friends or peers and all that jazz. If you want me to move your shop closer to someone else's, just let me know. Here's the proper version of the image you saw just above you.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/AMP02LayoutMarch25ShopNames.jpg)
Still keeping it (http://emojipedia-us.s3.amazonaws.com/cache/1d/7e/1d7eeb96191ae694f175813b4f401c05.png) fam
Now I think the biggest question on your mind would be what all those lines and sectors translates to. Well, here's a series of images to explain how the layout will look.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160325_224147.png)
Eastern half of the map, facing Glazty theatres
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160325_224200.png)
Second floor of the fashion store (http://emojipedia-us.s3.amazonaws.com/cache/5b/fc/5bfc7a8f1e05affe079ce03fe9aa771e.png)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160325_224206.png)
The first floor of the fashion store (http://emojipedia-us.s3.amazonaws.com/cache/5b/fc/5bfc7a8f1e05affe079ce03fe9aa771e.png)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160325_224219.png)
Ice rink, with northern end to the left.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160325_224234.png)
Food court, with kiosk up front
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160325_224242.png)
Elevator room in the southwest corner of the map
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160325_224250.png)
Another angle of the food court
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160325_224259.png)
Inside Rave And Busters, with minigames in the center and to the right. To the left is a little prize counter
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160325_224318.png)
One final view of the mall
Tomorrow will be focused on making all the map gimmicks functional, and then comes the SUUUUUUUPER tedious task of texturing everything so that it all looks (http://emojipedia-us.s3.amazonaws.com/cache/5b/fc/5bfc7a8f1e05affe079ce03fe9aa771e.png)
March 29 Update
So there's three reasons I've been unable to update for the past few days, and 2 of them have to do with the map itself while the last reason is related to failing to take over the 8bdm dev team college classes starting again. So, remember when I said that I would make the map gimmicks functional? I've kinda pushed that to the side because I realize that would be more tedious than texturing the whole map. I decided to use some tilesets given to me by the 8bdm dev team for King 1 (The texture set should be posted in the 3rd post) and tried applying them to the mall so I can have a bright friendly look. This is the result so far:
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160329_225032.png)
So it looks nice imo, and it may look a bit too plain now, but the plan is to make each shop as colorful and distinct as possible to add more variety and life to the map. The reasoning behind using King 1's tileset is because I needed a bright but simple palette that didn't draw attention to itself, similar to how most of a mall's walls are painted a plain color so that the shops can stand out even better. Obviously, though, I didn't want to spam a single color across every part of the map so I'm using a mixture of Tengu and Wily Tower 2 textures to add a bit of diversity. We'll see how decorating the shops goes later, but for now my main focus is just getting everything but the shops looking spiffy.
March 31 Update
After a super exhausting day of classes and exercise and home cooking, I'm back to work on texturing the map to my liking. The process is a bit slow because right now I'm working on the flagship stores (Ivo, Jax, Rave&Busters, Glazty Theatres) and it's hard thinking of a distinct palette for each one. For Jax/YDMaxx, I went with the same palette seen in AMP01 with Wily Tower 2 textures mixed with light grey and light blue.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160331_142156.png)
Rave & Busters is also done, which leaves Ivo and Glazty Theatres. The plan for Ivo is to use museum textures along with pictures of some of Ivory's maps scrolling along. For Glazty theatres, it'll mostly have a red carpet and darker textures and a golden concession stand, along with whatever comes to mind as I continue working. The gimmicks are still not functional except for the escalators, but that's fine by me as long as the map looks nice before the programming is started. The biggest concern is how... plain the food court looks to the rest of the map, but I guess I just haven't added any detail to the restaurants there which causes me to worry about the aesthetics more than I should. More updates and work is expected for tomorrow since I don't have lectures.
April 1 Update
It looks like I'm on track to have the map ready by Sunday afternoon, seeing as how decorating the shops isn't as tedious as I previously thought. I've got about 3 of the 18 side shops done: Blaze M.C. Pizza, Smashburger, and Forever 28. I'm not sure if I should change the colors of the signs to match with the textures, but who knows. Each shop will use a certain stage's tileset, so obviously Stardust's will use Time Man's green and brown tiles. Mike will go with a wily tileset, Shadidas will get Darkman, etc. Here's the progress done so far:
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160401_151811.png)
Expect me to finally get to programming the gimmicks tomorrow, and (hopefully) we can all test it on Sunday or Monday at the latest.
April 1 Update (Part 2)
Got another batch of shops done, I'm happy with how they're turning out although it's pretty tricky for me to add much detail when I have only about 192-384 pixels of free space to work with, so the most I can do for each shop is a few pillars, something overhead, and doors. What's keeping me motivated though is a really cool song that I've had looping for the past hour, I hope you guys like it (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Tdu4uKSZ3M). In the meantime, here's a screenshot of the batch of shops I finished detailing.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160401_181849.png)
I know the crocs sign looks a bit off, but I already removed the white pixels scattered around the border and plan to replace it before testing begins.
April 2 Update
I spent last night fighting a rough cold, but it's mostly gone now so I'm decorating the last 6 shops before finishing off the decorations for Ivo and Glazty Theatres. After that comes the programming for the two minigames in Rave & Busters and the elevator in the southwest corner. I told a friend that I'd hang out with him today though so just enjoy this screenshot.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160402_095915.png)
I may or may not remove that pool, but I know I wanted to add something there so we'll see what happens.
I need you guys to give me ideas for shop names based on Cutstuff members.
And thus, countless names were mercilessly butchered :
Blaze M.C.Pizza (Blaze Mcp[Blaze Yeager's old name] + Blaze Pizza)
Blews Martini (Blews + Blue Martini[restaurant])
Badz Works Mtn. Spa (Badz + Body Works Mtn. Spa[day spa])
Brokerstone (The_Broker + Brookstone [gadgets/gifts])
Caprizio (Caprice + Capezio[Footwear])
COPShow Frozen Yogurt (CopShowGuy + CUPS Frozen Yogurt)
Dr.Freeman's Vision Works (Dr.Freeman + Doctor's Vision Works)
FTX Video Game Exchange (FTX + FX Video Game Exchange)
Galactan Theatres (Galactan + Galaxy Theatres)
Gummi (GummyWormz + Gucci[clothing, accessories, footwear])
GBTI (GBT[Gumballtoid] + GITI)
Hombre & Cook (LlamaHombre + Home & Cook[kitchen])
Ice L (Ice + I Cell[cellular])
Ivory's (Ivory + Ivar's [seafood])
Jax Relax (JaxOf7 + Just Relax [day spa])
Kapusland (Kapus + Capland[hats and accessories])
MW Knux (Knux + MW Tux[Formal wear])
Lego Sea Food (Lego + Legal Sea Food)
Magnet Dood's Ice Cream & treatery (Magnet Dood + Maggie Moo's Ice Cream & treatery)
Mendez Express (Mendez + Mandarin Express[chinese rautaurant])
Maxine Orient (Maxine + Max Orient[Chinese/Asian restaurant])
Musashi Knoll (MusashiAA + Mulberry Knoll)
MedalCare Now (Medal[IamaMedalHunter] + MedCare Now[health care])
Pita PLT (PLT + Pita Pit[restaurant])
Rozark's Fitness Center (Rozark Kyouko + Rezults Fitness Center)
Stardust's Coffee (Stardust + Starbucks Coffee)
Sonyc Fam. (SonicFam + Sony)
Stone-Funky River Steakhouse & Grill (Stonefunk[Emmanuel] + Stoney River Steakhouse & Grill)
SuperJustin & Bros (SuperJustinBros + Justice & Brothers[teen clothing])
Tails MK4 Outlet (TailsMK4 + Tates Menswear Outlet[men's clothing])
Thunderono Canyon Brewery (Thunderono + Thunder Canyon Brewery[restaurant])
Zard Creations (Zard + Zapf Creations
Yeah. You asked or it. Although I'm sorry for the slaughter, I really like the names I've given to Blaze's, Blews's, Jax's and Stardust's shops :3 .
You didn't do me? Forshaaaaame
We actually did a WHOLE lot in skype last night right after he posted this.
Though he did Rozark in the first set, you came up with the exact same thing Stardust did for himself.
Mendez surprisingly didn't come up with one for himself, unless he just hasn't shown us yet.
Here is the list of everything that got suggested, many were between Stardust and me (+my fiancee onlooking) coming up with stuff
Stardust Coffee = Starbucks
GOS TOPIC = HOT TOPIC
Abercrombie and Knux/Pizza Knux = Abercrombie and Fitch/Pizza Hut
Korb Stone = Cold Stone
Ivory Armani = Giorgio Armani
max fashion -> jax fashion
kfc -> kc
mango -> mango (uses mango's colors)
home depot -> home legot
baskin robins -> baskin llamas
levi's -> celevi's
Ken's Warehouse
Rave and Busters
McDoodl's = McDonald's
Blazko Bell = Taco Bell
Best Buy -> Mess Buy
Crocs -> Crocs (in Lego/Russel's colors)
Reebok -> Myrok
Samsung -> Sam
Dollar Free = Dollar Tree
Petsmash = Petsmart
Forever 28 = Beed28
toys r us -> toys r mus
We interrupt this story about a lonely young man overcoming the fallout of his preventable breakup with his first love and his search for atonement (https://youtu.be/KeZt5IGJ1T8?t=79) to tell you the story of his friend, who after several years now feels ready to depart and move on from the community he's grown attached to.
Okay, now that we got that overdramatic crap out of the way, this next map is going to be based on water and ruins, using MWS and Centaur textures to produce a gloomy and torn aesthetic that hopefully goes well with the stage gimmicks we have in mind. By the way, I'm making this map with another person since they've been insisting on working with me for some time. Right now, we're gathering ideas for stage gimmicks to give off the feeling of a stage that's slowly falling apart as you play on it. So what that means is having 3d floors that can collapse and cause players to fall toward the bottom of the stage. Before I even begin imagining the layout, I always like to do "proof-of-concept" maps first that show my idea is possible. This was the case with more innovative maps such as High Tide and Ruby Queen.
Here is the concept map in case you wanna see what I'm talking about (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/CONCEPT1.wad). So far, I've got good news and bad news regarding the proof-of-concept for collapsing floors. The good news is that floors can collapse just fine. The bad news is that players who get caught under the collapsing floor get stuck and become unable to move until the floor has passed through them or stopped moving. Now, the best remedy I can come up with is making the floors collapse quickly enough so that the player doesn't feel stuck for more than a quarter of a second. That still leaves the issue of getting the floor to rise again, since it's hard to get the invisible bridges to sync up with the non-solid 3d floors. I've tried using a scaling factor so that the bridge and 3d floor can fall at the same speed, but that didn't seem to work very well either. If anyone wants to suggest anything, then please post some ideas in the topic. Right now, the plan is just to get the concepts working together before putting them to use in a nice layout.
Also, here's the music chosen so far for the stage. (https://rushjet1.bandcamp.com/track/far-sight) It's not exactly as exciting or raw like the other tracks, so I'm planning to replace it when I find something better. I just need a track that sounds sober but also a bit invigorating. Like "yeah this is my last map and the last time I'll see the community, but at least let me go out on a high note before I go" kind of music. Oh well, this might take a while.
April 13 Update
University and uncertainty has been eating up my time, but I'm slowly forcing myself to learn just enough DECORATE to make the stage I've thought about doing for a while now. So, the name has been changed because the aesthetic/themes of this stage remind me a lot of Brian Wilson's song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87x6WEC_kQk). In my head, since this is the second to last map in the pack, I wanted to go for a more somber and reflective tone with a stage that crumbes around me as I watch my memories and ideas literally breaking before my very eyes. So what does this mean? Earthquakes like in Ruby Queen, walls that can be destroyed, and statues of all my old friends that can be destroyed, along with flooding like in High Tide so it looks like the stage is being submerged. Now earthquakes and flooding is totally doable for me. Destructible statues is something I'm learning to do right now. The really annoying part is making walls that can be chipped down. If you want to know what I'm talking about, here is a map that shows the concept I'm going for (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/CONCEPT2.wad). And if you don't have GZDoomBuilder, here's a screenshot:
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160413_204641.png)
So with projectile weapons, the walls work exactly as intended. The walls flash white for a second, their ceiling is raised a bit, and you basically carve a nice little path for yourself. Now, getting the wall to detect explosive/AOE damage like with Crash Bomb/Rain Flush is where the concept falls flat on its face. I need an invisible object to detect the explosive/aoe damage and call on the script that raises the ceiling, but that's pretty much impossible unless I want a shootable actor with a 64-pixel radius, and that is way too fat for my liking. I'm trying to see if it's possible to make an object that is 8x64 pixels with a 192-pixel height so that it can be used against the wall without a problem. For now though, I gotta ask everyone: Would you be fine with a wall that only breaks from projectiles? Or should I go the extra mile to include explosive/aoe damage as well? All the other gimmicks should be ready for use soon, and the layout shouldn't take too long to produce. This is pretty much the only thing holding me back from starting the layout right now.
Also, before I forget, here's some of the statue sprites I plan to use soon:
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/AMP14Statues.png)
Elec for Saviorsword, Colton for myself
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/AMP14RDebris.png)
Some debris once the statues are destroyed
April 15 Update
I'm looking at the concepts I want to use, and I've settled on earthquakes and floods. I'm sorry, but making destructible walls that look nice is almost impossible unless I want to settle for retextured oil canisters. Of course, this is fine for me because the last 5 maps are meant to be about changing environments without player intervention. What that means is the stage changes around you, and you have to adapt to it. So with earthquakes, I'm changing up the formula from Ruby Queen and having terrain that rumbles and changes its height at random to provide cover/steps/walls/peus to keep the stage consistently fresh. To help demonstrate, take a look at this map I've posted on dropbox. (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/CONCEPT3.wad) What you'll see is a flat surface at first, followed by a sudden shift that creates new and unique terrain that can used for many different things. They could be the steps to a new path, they could be a wall that forces you to take a new path, or they could be a new path being cleared after a previous earthquake. Here's some screenshots to show what I mean.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160415_205606.png)
Initial state
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160415_122048.png)
Variation 1
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160415_122039.png)
Variation 2
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11603985/AMP2/Screenshot_Doom_20160415_122029.png)
Variation 3
With my two stage gimmicks figured out, there's still the question of creating destructible statues like I mentioned earlier. The good news is that all the sprites have been produced and the only part left is coding. Here's a dropbox link that shows the statue sprites I plan to use. (https://www.dropbox.com/sh/83rr07u78b4ro4d/AAAnn-UTMQg_6vD6Lab-lG5sa?dl=0) They're different robot masters or old skins that remind me of old friends, and the idea is that you have to destroy these statues in order to get a powerful item or pickup. Yes, the Hard Man statue will be hard to destroy. Yes, it will hide a very nice reward. Yes, it means something to me. Yes, I'm learning to just let go already, stop pestering me.
Expect me to take a break for Saturday as I celebrate my 21st birthday with drinks and friends, but expect a sign of work on Sunday as I finally work toward laying down the first sectors that will make up the penultimate map in this pack.
By the way, I changed the name of some maps because I wanted more names that reminded me of songs. For example, I'm naming my map "What Would I Want? Sky" after an Animal Collective song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSmuzEzeAeY).