I kind of beta tested this map. I didn't have time to do it in a lot of detail, but I tried to find any major flaws and I didn't really find any serious problems.

The secret involving the biosuit is convoluted and I did suggest that it be changed.

I also thought the grenade launcher/slime/sinking ramp/shambler combination (on hard/nightmare) was a little too much, at least at that point in the progression through the map.

When I played through the beta version on nightmare skill, I had to reload saved games a lot, but on normal I was able to finish without ever saving on my first ever play through. The final map was changed from the beta version, and to me it seemed to be a bit harder on normal.

This is a very nice map, but on hard it is really hard and that's perfectly alright with me. I usually play other people's maps on normal anyway, because I'm generally more interested in looking around and exploring than I am with killing monsters 

I can't remember the beta version having enough variance between skill levels. I did try and change it up a bit, plus I added 3 more secrets from the beta version to offset some of the later difficulty. Plus I put you and the other testers in the credits of course. :P

I'm kind of annoyed that a couple of bugs re-surfaced that I had squashed before I sent out the beta. That bloody hole (that isn't really a hole because the map didn't leak!) in the silver key room in particular has pissed me off because I thought I fixed it. (that and the disappearing columns) 

Oh, I wasn't complaining or anything. It wouldn't have been a beta if nothing was changed :)

I think it was good that the final version was a bit harder on normal, other than a couple of parts I actually thought the beta was too easy on normal. 

I changed the easy/normal versions so that it's easier at the beginning and slightly harder at the end based on what I saw on the play-throughs. The easy version replaces the green and yellow armour with yellow and red.
For the hard version I made it much harder all around and bumped up the ammo and health a bit.
Plus with the addition of the 3 extra secrets I think it feels more action-y if you find/do everything 100%. I'm surprised at how many people missed secrets that I tried to give visual hints and such. A few players came so close to discovering the secrets it wasn't even funny when they didn't.
I didn't change up the convoluted slime secret because I couldn't figure out how to make it feel, to use Drew's phrasing, substantial.

@RaverX
There is a secret button in the slime pool where the biosuit is.n :P 

But is there any point re-releasing something that is tantamount to a couple of small(ish) graphical glitch fixes?

Maybe if I quietly released a quoth version with the fixes...

Or should I move on from this map? 

Spirit isn't into that, but I have no problems with a second release if you think its in the interest of having a product out there you're happy with. EG Sock.

If you feel 'done' with it then let it go. It can't be perfect, and all that.

But if there are a few things that will always bother you in retrospect, I'd say make a quick 2nd edition or whatever.

I'm tired. I don't know. I love the map as is. 

I didn't want to piss off spirit, that was the main concern. I think without tweaking the gameplay and items a smidge more it hardly seems worth it (though knowing I have a version right here on my drive that is fixed might drive me crazy). 

As far as I can tell, most issues with fesp1 are pretty trivial and the average player will never notice.

When I was making Polygon for Quake back in 1997 a basically "early beta" version, that I had sent to a few people for testing, somehow magically appeared on a number of websites and spread from there.

That "beta" version had a number of errors, was not well tuned, and was never intended for general release, but there it is. Both versions are available at Quaddicted, and I posted a message there years ago pointing out the difference. You can't make these things go away though. 

if its so trivial that a regular player miht see it 1/3 times, not worth it. 

As i see that Spirit hasn't uploaded it yet, i do think you can upload it. The idea of using Quoth (or other mod) it's OK and is a good excuse for having a v2. It's not that important to release a new version with those bug fixes but ... more importantly, if you think it's worth and want to do it, DO IT. If not you''l be left with bad aftertaste.

Now that you fixed it, what was the problem with the columns below the biosuit and how you fixed it? I'm curious, i never encountered that besides in leaks, and it is the only bug i saw, apart from that i needed r_novis 1 if i set r_wateralpha to 0.x. 

Was that the brushes are func wall entitys and the vis was making them disappear. I simply ran water vis option so that its always visible. As for the big hole it was a matter of making 2 edges touch together to remove a small face. 

If Spirit hasn't got it on Quaddicted yet, maybe you should try to intercept it and get the fixed version uploaded there. I still wouldn't worry about it too much either way. 

"Unhandled exception error" - now where have I seen that before ;-) 

Good design, amazing detailing, was constantly looking around at everything. Ace secrets, really fun to find. I liked the broken computer. Gameplay was mostly good varied fun, nice Enforcer ambushes and a fine final battle that was kept fair by allowing the player out of the room.

Only couple of issue was that it was a bit too dark in the shadows (minor), and that the first two Shamblers were cheap / brutally hard / overwhelming / a little too much (major), in that they required having picked up the right items (nail ammo / sng secret) and/or running in specifically the right direction (hard to know first time). More player options there would have been useful.

Other than that, spot on. Please make more!! 

Where do we upload teh demoz? 

Actually if you end up staying in the room and cowering behind the crate near the computer, it's also pretty cool. 

It's uploaded but just not in the db yet, perfect opportunity for a fixed release even though I &#@$%&*# &%#@!... have fun with people wondering about demos bring weird because they have the new version. 

just add a note in the readme. 

@spirit
I will send the new version in a bit when I get back from work. Plus demos are more for the mapper than for everyone else. I have a website now so I will compile the same versions together for ease.

@sleepwalkr
I thought you would love that ;) 

Ok this is really really really the final version now. I have fixed the bugs that annoyed me and I have slightly altered some of the late encounters for easy and normal difficulty. Hard mode remains almost entirely unchanged except for the addition of a health pack near the jailed shambler.
The text file is altered to indicate that this is a new revision).

The link is below, can an admin please alter the original post? Thank you kindly!

https://anonfiles.com/file/bf5663f349eb992b91330b980525cf78 

Here be a demo. Skill 2, Fitzquake Mark V, ZEEEEERO secrets. Not entirely a first-play... I had already tried the first version of the map and got killed by the GL/slime shambler. (Maybe more accurately, killed by the ladder.) This is me starting over on map version 2.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/11690738/temp/fesp1_jl.zip

I need to learn how to fight shamblers up close.

There were indeed some overly finicky movement spots (even aside from the ladders), but I think for me that was offset a bit by having a sort of familiar layout. Which was neat.

More weapon variety would have been welcome I think; maybe I just missed out because I was crap at seeing the secrets on a quick runthrough, but IMO one shouldn't gate a good part of the arsenal behind secrets.

Fun times though! I am super glad to see these new SP maps still popping up. 

 

Someone get to it.

BTW the two "bad" shamblers were the gold key pit one and the slime pit one, the cage one was very easy of course. 

http:\\members.upc.nl\verorber\fesp1.rar

might be on the old version though

3 routes,first was most fun.2nd is quickest, and i think last route can be just one or 2 secs faster when done perfect but is the hardest by far 

I loved watching your playthrough. I know, personally speaking, that it can be done without having to rely on secrets and it's reassuring to see another player manage it on hard.

I'd love to see a speedrun video, I have a few ideas on how it could be done. (this is why quake needs a par time like doom!)