Nikki @mno@gamemaking.social

sprite comic's on hiatus while I figure out life stuff

I just discovered clickteam lets you use the exact same variable name multiple times on a single object and I need to lay down

I'm going to be taking a break from Doom mods and talking about them for a bit, because after playing through all of this mod and getting very invested (there's like, 50 levels, and each is ~15-20 minutes long!), I feel unable to simply return to "normal" Doom!

I hope ya'll have been enjoying my tiny reviews though, and even more, if you'd like to chat about design on any mods I've talked about, I'd love to hear y'alls thoughts!

I don't have much to say about it as a review because I don't think I can describe it adequately, only suggest that people try it out.

it does have some faults I want to note, though. it can be tedious at times, especially if you try to get the three collectable coins in every level. but even without that, the platforming, especially early on, can be very frustrating with instant death consequences.

despite that, I recommend giving it a look, because there's nothing else like this out there!

#mastodoom I just finished playing through The Golden Souls 2 https://www.moddb.com/mods/doom-the-golden-souls-2

it is by far the best gzdoom-focused mod I have ever played. it's setup is a cross between Super Mario World and Doom, in that you have a SMW style world map hub to wander through, but the levels themselves create their own unique world.

what engages me so much about it is the charm and style each level concept is built upon. the new weapons, custom textures, updated monsters, and sound design are wonderful

after scurrying for two days and trying to harvest fruits and vegetables to sustain myself during the hardships of "game development", I have managed to finish a short, browser playable tribute to the most important real frog, The Loveland Frog!

https://skirtdingo.itch.io/the-loveland-frog

whenever I start a new game in clickteam I'm like "wow it'd be great to make this compatible with the html5 exporter, so anybody can play it online!"

whenever I actually try making a game that is compatible with the html5 exporter I'm like "wow this sucks!"

I'm very interested in how this game uses a computer to arrange the cutscenes. I've never seen anything like it, and the entire setup has no real relation to the rest of the game!
https://youtu.be/jwfQ5AeYjuE?t=115

I saw this picture this morning and I was immediately inspired to make a game about helping them cross the road. so I'm jamming on that rn

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loveland_frog

I've been working hard today on simplifying the absurdly convoluted clickteam-event-driven (yeah) scripting engine I used in my most recent game (which, to be clear, is coming out next week- idk what tense to use for it!).

despite how ridiculous it has been to overhaul it to suit my own needs, it still is very powerful and I want to be able to reuse it, in a more modular way, in future games. hence the work!

running my brain over clickteam logic for a few hours makes me want to take a nap lmao

#mastodoom Reconstruction/Decomposition (rc-dc.wad). A short, but verrry spooky, map set aboard a derelict spaceship.

It makes full use of custom textures, creating a space that is simultaneously alien to both the doomguy, and players who are well acquainted with the look of the original game.

it feels like a hostile environment from the beginning, especially due to the creepy ambience music. the slow build-up is paid off by a dramatic twist in tone halfway through... but I won't spoil it :)

The Lost Episodes of Doom v2 may seem daunting to play through due to the sheer number of maps, but they are actually quite brief! The pacing helps prevent the sometimes wonky designs from feeling too frustrating.

I estimate the playtime at around 2 hours, which is definitely more than one sitting, but not too much of a commitment for a whole four episodes. So, give it a shot!

The fourth episode is pretty awkward, as it makes a dramatic shift from Doom 1 to Doom 2-orientated levels. The tone is pretty inconsistent, but that isn't surprising as the levels weren't made to be an episode. Works for Doom 2, though!

The final map is the most unique. It's also by far the shortest, being intended to mainly tie the whole story together. It was made by BlueFireZ88, who put together this re-release. It's a fun twist on a classic Doom 2 level... You'll have to see for yourself!

In contrast, the second half of the original trilogy, by Bob Carter, is much more comprehensible. The two designers seem to have influenced each others style, with obscure button effects, excessive powerups, and bizarre room duplicates appearing throughout the trilogy.

Despite these common design threads, Carter's level concepts are easier to grasp! They usually feel like they have concrete goals for a setting, rather than just being a series of abstract rooms. Though, they still get weird.

The release was tied to a book, which included a novel, walkthrough, and level design comments. Despite the alleged research into Jupiter to make the levels more realistic, they're pretty chaotic. To be fair, this is normal for early Doom mapping.

The first half of the original trilogy, and almost all of episode 4, is by Chris Klie. These levels are the most confusing, but are still interesting to explore and experience. Klie's levels feel imbued with a sense of humour, which I love to see.

#mastodoom The Lost Episodes of Doom v2 https://www.moddb.com/games/doom/addons/the-lost-episodes-v2. This is a revival of a commercial, floppy disk release, with the goal of making it more accessible, and hopefully bringing new attention to it.

The original Lost Episodes are a three episode series, following a different marine than the doomguy, who fights demons around Jupiter, rather than Mars. A new fourth episode has been added, compiling other maps from the original authors, set on Earth shortly after the events of Doom 2

plot twist!! the skeleton was... just a skeleton?

#mastodoom Wonderland (WL_1_0.zip). A brief 6 maps meant to evoke the doomguy having a nightmare. this is not a new concept by any means, but as is often the case with doom mods, it has a unique approach!

I found the difficulty so extreme, I played most of it in god mode. I am glad I did, for puzzling over the levels is so much more interesting than slogging through the absurd battles. my favourite part was map 4, which features a puzzle of revealing and shooting several "braincore" switches!

I had to redo this one because I somehow didn't include the screenshots. sorry for any annoyance!