ZDaemon

Cybershark · Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 9:09 pm Post subject: ZDS #113 - Tricks and Treats!

Got a gaggle of PWADs in my goodie bag this weekend for all you trick or treaters!

First up - the main event, the maps! Now I'm always on the lookout for new stuff popping up in the serverlist. Sometimes I'm excited, other times just morbidly curious what I'll find when I grab something. d2reload - 'Doom2 Reloaded' - was a WAD I saw up on Knightmare's 'Blast of the Past' server and I figured it'd perhaps be some terrible remixy maps so I was highly pleased to see I was wrong! It's kinda like a better looking Doom2, using custom gfx from places like the AliensTC to craft much better looking tech bases, Earth locations that actually look like they could be, etc.

And look! Here's a video of it!

So that's the meat of the this ZDSandwich, but what do we have for garnish and dressing?

Well there's a patch which chews up the Doom palette, sucks out all the colour and spits it back out with added blood. The result is kinda more 'Sin City' than silent-horror-movie but it looks very cool.
Then we have the epicness which is the PSX Doom music! This spooky, ambient soundtrack beats Doom's cartoon MIDI tunes hands down. NOTE: This is about 20meg so you might want to make sure you grab it before the actual session.
Finally there's some improved sounds, but when I say that I don't mean these are the usual goofy sound replacements. See when iD released Doom they wanted it all to fit on floppy discs so compression was paramount, the author of this patch went back to the source files for all the sounds and so here you get to hear what Doom should've sounded like Smile

Oh and I almost forgot to mention - we're finally giving the Survival gamemode a ZDS outing! Truly this is going to be some hardcore halloween hell!

Didn't quite finalise settings yet and I don't have time now but I wanted to post this up tonight.

TO BE CONTINUED...

qwaszx- · Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2009 8:46 am Post subject:

Never heard of this before, but sounds interesting. I don't want to spoil the fun, so I'll just wait for the session to see it all.

Cybershark · Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2009 1:33 pm Post subject:

Now where was I?

Oh yah, SURVIVAL! I didn't want to run it before now because it's kinda not what ZDS is all about. We want as many people as possible playing as many maps as they can every Saturday, not having to wait 15mins while the remaining players clean up a map after they die. But the d2reload maps are all a moderate size so there should never be too much cooling of heels.

after

Lives: 1

HumanBones · Boner! Joined: 01 Jun 2004 Location: Shangri-La Dee Da

Sounds like fun! I'll be in this weekend with an ear AND a sinus infection, so maybe if I'm not busy dying I'll try and catch a game or two!

TheCupboard · Generic Title Joined: 25 Feb 2007 Location: USA

I might not make it, but I think the atmosphere is going to be wicked with that palette upgrade. Twisted Evil

Jad · On a Rampage! Joined: 14 Jan 2007 Location: Heck

I haven't seen any other ZDS hosts yet this week, so I've got two servers running for you guys. I'll try and catch ya on the US sesh.

64.244.60.135:10672 - server 1
64.244.60.135:10673 - server 2

unfy · Posting Spree! Joined: 08 Feb 2009 Location: Omaha, NE

Unfy servers should be good to go. I might be at a 'ween party tho ...

[FEAR]Tobi · Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 6:07 pm Post subject:

This proved that Survival can make Coop actually fun again.
I might steal the settings from ZDS once more.

qwaszx- · Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 8:21 pm Post subject:

First time I play Survival, it is good if there no cyberdemons in map. I have also added this wad to my favorites list. I will make a SP run when I feel like it.

unfy · Posting Spree! Joined: 08 Feb 2009 Location: Omaha, NE

Wow, my server was still packed 3 hours after ZDS started... impressive.

Cybershark · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 12:11 pm Post subject:

Yeah, we were in there longer than usual. Definitely some really slick maps which are a great size for survival, and the mods really improved the atmosphere. I think the only problem was that Barons and HellKnights look the same. Anyways, thanks for the excellent host-age. RCON FTW when we hit some harder later maps and I wanted to add SG starts Smile

And thanks Jad for the backup servers Smile

[FEAR]Tobi · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 7:18 pm Post subject:

Not only the Barons and Knights.

TheCupboard · Generic Title Joined: 25 Feb 2007 Location: USA

D2Reload is highly recommended. It's a pretty classic-feeling level pack with new textures and level design that feels close to Doom 2's atmosphere and game pace.

I played a bit at the Euro party. It was a moody gameplay experience. Smile

The Ultimate DooMer · God like! Joined: 30 Aug 2004

Empyre · Unstoppable! Joined: 13 Dec 2006 Location: Texas, USA

I like the atmosphere this generates. I am going to borrow these mods for my server when I change it next friday.

Cybershark · Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2009 12:33 pm Post subject:

Yeah atmos was what I really wanted last week, and the mods used provided buckets of it. I hope people will give d2reload a chance without the palette mod too though!

In other news, it came to my attention after the ZDS that servers were hanging up after people played through map30. I looked into this and it was down to something in the MAPINFO which I'd not noticed needed patching. At map end the server was being told to go to one of the DoomII end sequences - obviously this wasn't going down too well on Zdaemon Laughing

So for Empyre, Roland, Tobi and anyone else who wants to carry on running this then please use this fixed version of my patch instead:
http://wadhost.fathax.com/files/psxdoom4d2reload-.zip

Empyre · Unstoppable! Joined: 13 Dec 2006 Location: Texas, USA

I will be running this with my maps, so I plan to use the psxdoom patch for Doom2 (I think it is called psxdoom4doom2), and MAP30 is not included, so no problem there anyway.

Ronald · Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2009 12:43 pm Post subject:

Really enjoyed playing through all these maps. Some very creative maps there, interestingly detailed. That plus the new palette providing the proper atmosphere, made it a fun and worthwhile Zdaemon Session for me.

Oh, and although this part of Zdaemon Sessions seems to have been forgotten about, here's a screenshot for old times sake! Wink

Cybershark · Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2009 2:25 pm Post subject:

Ah yeah, we were just talking about screenies last week too Smile

[FEAR]Tobi · Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2009 9:28 pm Post subject:

In case you liked this, HorizoN is running it now.