ROFL, nice anonymity there.

But anyway, the mod sounds typically crap and pointless as almost all do.

No more long battles where your yawning, "Geez, when will they die already." You have a killer package of nasty massively powerful weapons to play with.

Oh yes, that was ALWAYS a problem in Quake deathmatch...

UGH. 

Oh yes, that was ALWAYS a problem in Quake deathmatch...

It is when you're playing against Frib. 

If you want I can tell you all about this mod. It's quite funny if you have a sadistic humor directed at stupidity. :)

Painful otherwise... 

it's obvious it sucks when they ADD MONSTER_SNAKEMAN, THE SHITTIEST CUSTOM MONSTER EVER, TO A FUCKING MOD CALLED 'ULTIMATE DEATHMATCH' 

Don't dig deeper, for your own protection. :) 

Go get this game, right now. Well don't -- if you've got a sickly stomach, or can't take the suspense of being in a game that is basically The Warriors, The Running Man and Straw Dogs all bundled up into one great big wad of nerves and gore. Otherwise, hell yeah -- go for it! As for me, I've got a stash of painkillers nearby, and I've actually got a clean spot on the Love Bludgeon that could easily accomodate some more brain tissue... 

The final week in our megatheme is here, Speedmap event number 58 is this Saturday at 4pm est on irc.gamesnet.net channel #speedq1! Emailed maps are always welcome, Scampie@spawnpoint.org. I'll take maps until mid Sunday when I'll pack and release then. (yes, this is an attempt to get anouther SM map from metlslime.)

The week's theme is Episode 4, the Elder world. How do you make a episode 4 map you ask? SIMPLE! First, you throw away all those runic and idbase textures, and you think 'bricks, wood, and demons'. Next, you use as little light as possible, we're talking dark and scary! Third, you design your maps with HUGE open ended layouts... Sure the exit is right next to the start, but first you'll have to travel through the whole map a few times, and rarely being told which way to go. Fourth, Powerups are candy, pass 'em out like a pedo in the playground. Fifth, Spawns. Lots, and lots of Spawns. And finally, traps galore.

Episode 4 is meant to be a scary place, and it is. Totally darkness and tons of secrets, exploration, and monsters appearing out of nowhere. The setting is mostly in dark, damp temples and 'underneth' areas. Structures are built mostly with stone with wooden supports. Metal is used very little. A bit of trim here and there, and for some simple mechanisms and traps.

The Gloom Keep (e1m5), which I had originally called an episode 2 themed map, it accually a lot closer to an episode 4 map. Traps, open ended design, temple theme, stone textures.

Episode 4 also features a graveyard bit, almost like the secon map of Zerstorer. So if you wanted to make a zombie killer map, it'd be perfectly acceptible, but perhaps it'd be better expanded to a temple of unspeakable horrors under the graves.

Brick maps (damaul7, warfare) are also perfectly acceptible. Stained glass windows should be featured heavily in these maps.

I would suggest people take a quick gander through episode 4 and get some ideas for their maps. In terms of mapping skill, they're sub-par, but in terms of their atmosphere and enjoyable exploration based layouts, they're big winners. Plus Sandy Peterson threw in enough secrets and extras (Healing pool, destroying alters as door switchs, moving walls), that these maps are worth coming back to.

Hope to see a bunch of great maps again this week! 

dm1 and dm5 are both also good examples of episode 4 style maps.


also, I was thinking about after this megatheme is finished, I promised to make up a pack of all the best and distribute that. Well, after seeing all the good maps in the past weeks, I'm considering just packing ALL the speedmaps from the last few weeks together, rather than try and cut away some of the better ones. Any opinions on this? 

some of those maps before your release the megapack, then it may be better to only pick a few.

If you're just planning on repacking without modifying, then you may as well include all.

Personally, I'd like to see modified, more complete maps rather than then being in the speedmap form that they're in now. 

Thanks for the Episode 4 summary.

Regarding packaging up all the maps: Maybe you could make two or three episodes? And either divide them up into themes (idbase, medieval, runic, and Lovecraftian episodes � la original Quake) or go with the episode-1 idea and have each episode comprised of one map from each theme (like you were originally planning, except have two or three episodes instead of just one). TBH, some of the maps aren't worth including in the pack for one reason or another, so I believe there should be at least some filtering. I would also like to see special editions of the included maps so we could have properly balanced and completable maps with skill settings -- maybe throw some secrets in, too. 

would be take the 3 or 4 (or more, if they deserve it) best maps from each pack, and go the e1 maps, e2 maps, e3 maps, e4 maps. for a total of under 20 maps. Some of the maps I've seen so far are great, but some aren't really worth playing again in an episode. If you make an episode of the highest quality speed maps in a row, in order of E1-E4 theme, I'd think that would be almost as good as a real episode that takes months to create. 

vote for best maps ? 

The week's theme is Episode 4, the Elder world. How do you make a episode 4 map you ask? SIMPLE! First, you throw away all those runic and idbase textures, and you think 'bricks, wood, and demons'. Next, you use as little light as possible, we're talking dark and scary! Third, you design your maps with HUGE open ended layouts... Sure the exit is right next to the start, but first you'll have to travel through the whole map a few times, and rarely being told which way to go. Fourth, Powerups are candy, pass 'em out like a pedo in the playground. Fifth, Spawns. Lots, and lots of Spawns. And finally, traps galore.


Dear God! 

And what about making the start map session next week (sm59), as someone said here? I think it will be funny. And the best start map will be included in the megapack. 

ok. I guess we'll do the vote thing like I originally planned. My thought to throw them all in a pack was going to be 'ask everyone who mapped to put an four or so of polish on their map if they wanted, and I'd include that'. See, the biggest 'problem' with going either way is that CZG dominates the pack, and I don't want to push a bunch of extra work onto him.

So I guess what we'll do is include the favorite 3-4 from each pack. We'll play it by ear and get a good amount from each. I'll make a discussion thread for voting and debating after Saturday's speedmap.

Also, I'll be making the start map. Just simpler logistically to have me do it so I can link to everyone's map I include. 

"ask everyone who mapped to put an four or so of polish on their map if they wanted"

obviously I meant, an HOUR or so... early morning here... :D 

just out of curiosity, will you be using the same textures (green brick + wizmet) for the start map, in keeping with the original theme? Would seem logical to do so. 

Why should anyone download a new pack if all they get is a startmap?
The maps must be polished and if needed expanded if it should be worthwhile to get a new pack. 

...be happy to spend another evening or so expanding my e2/e3 maps into more proper affairs with better gameplay. I'm not sure they'd totally fit with the other maps however...

In fairness though, I think we need another shot at E1... there were only 4 maps total and only two of them I'd say were worthy of being remade into episode maps.

For E2 though.. i reckon these maps in order would work:

sm56_RPG - would start it off well
sm56_hrim - would need slightly easier gameplay though, 4 shamblers on the 2nd map is a bit extreme!
sm56_czg - again, slightly easier gameplay
sm56_pulsar - has some nice arena style battles
sm56_scampie - needs a bit of architecture refinery but would be good for an end battle

(am kinda happy with my map but it wouldn't fit in with the style)


And E3:

sm57_rpg - take the shambler out though
sm57_pulsar
sm57_xen
sm57_distrans - but replace those gazillions of knights in the end battle with a smaller amount of more powerful monsters, like fiends
sm57_hrim - with a harder end battle would be a great finisher map

(czg's was also great, but I personally don't think it would fit again, and he'll probably already feature in the other episodes)

Any comments on those? 

5 maps total in sm55. I can't count.

All seemed a lil bit lacklustre though, apart from maybe CZG's. 

It could have a really corny ripoff name, like Quake Mapped Quick :D 

it could... 

It'll be on my download list for sure. It'll be a very nice distraction from evil college homework.

Good luck with the speed mapping, all! 

speedmapping sucks!

/me continues his hidden agenda and evile propaganda 

Xen: It will not be ordered. Maps will link back to the start. Speaking of which, is start.bsp hardcoded for players to lose their weapons? or is that something I can set up in a player_start? Never investigated, but I'd like for each map to remain as a single shot deal and not have other map's weapons effect them.

As for sm55, I think czg's, metlslime's, and starbuck's, each with maybe a bit of work put into them, would be perfect. Again, we can debate all this after episode 4 is done.

QuestionMark: The maps are being packed together to be a nice, easy to get selection of maps for speedrunners and other Quake players. I doubt the average Quake player even grabs the regular packs. And all the maps I can convince mappers to improve for the pack, will be. Beyond that, I could care less if you download the pack or not, I'll make it availible for anyone who wants it anyway.