[pepsodent]

After that terrible fiasco in Vegas Duke was forcefully retired. Now living on his farm, with no cash to tip babes or buy more steroids he must find a new way of making dough.


Don't expect much out of this. Its a short side project I used to experiment on some things. A take on rural setting in my style, falls flat (literally) as I unfortunately run out of walls making tiny detail.



link: https://www.moddb.co...ads/e-i-e-i-doh

[ck3D]

This seems great, looking forward to playing it. Good surprise seeing a new release from you so soon. Colors in the second shot are really nice.

Fun fact I once tried recreating the first Simpsons comic in Duke as one of my first maps over twenty years ago, but never made it any further than the first bathroom because at the time I thought replicating the graphical style of the comic (which was supposed to be the exercise) was so hard. Plot of that one is Homer grows giant and starts destroying the city Godzilla style and so it would actually lend itself to Duke 3D pretty well, it's a coincidence the game would have all of the corresponding effects though as there was no way I was imagining destruction on that scale in Build at the time.

[pepsodent]

ck3D, on 02 March 2026 - 07:45 AM, said:

This seems great, looking forward to playing it. Good surprise seeing a new release from you so soon. Colors in the second shot are really nice.

Fun fact I once tried recreating the first Simpsons comic in Duke as one of my first maps over twenty years ago, but never made it any further than the first bathroom because at the time I thought replicating the graphical style of the comic (which was supposed to be the exercise) was so hard. Plot of that one is Homer grows giant and starts destroying the city Godzilla style and so it would actually lend itself to Duke 3D pretty well, it's a coincidence the game would have all of the corresponding effects though as there was no way I was imagining exploding anything more than just a single wall in Build at the time.

So soon? I started sometime when I was finishing up current version of Locked and Loaded, that was September, quite far away from now. Looking forward for your thoughts on it, since you werent testing it this time. Those colours were part of the experiment too, you'll see it when you'll play it, it turned out great.



The link is up now.

[Dr.Panico]

Just got done playing it.
Oooooooh boy, this was a tough one. Dumbass me didn't notice the manual over the kitchen table, so I got lost for a while. Outside of that, this level bombards you with enemies and you don't always have the right weapons by your side; forcing you to scramble and hope you can find some gear (or how to get to it, like with the Freezethrower). The last section in particular was a warzone.

But, overall, good map. Pretty original and the visual design is very well done - though the details can sometimes get in the way of the combat.

I've experienced some glitches playing it: I got a Pigcop stuck under the basement stairs, got myself stuck inside a telephone, and I manage to travel back in time by just submerging into a little pond.

[pepsodent]

Dr.Panico, on 02 March 2026 - 08:44 AM, said:

Just got done playing it.
Oooooooh boy, this was a tough one. Dumbass me didn't notice the manual over the kitchen table, so I got lost for a while. Outside of that, this level bombards you with enemies and you don't always have the right weapons by your side; forcing you to scramble and hope you can find some gear (or how to get to it, like with the Freezethrower). The last section in particular was a warzone.

But, overall, good map. Pretty original and the visual design is very well done - though the details can sometimes get in the way of the combat.

I've experienced some glitches playing it: I got a Pigcop stuck under the basement stairs, got myself stuck inside a telephone, and I manage to travel back in time by just submerging into a little pond.

thanks for playing! The anomalous pond is intended, its done so you dont miss any secrets!

[Merlijn]

Congrats on the release! I tried playing it, unfortunately my old ass laptop started lagging Could be due to the TROR layers, the intricate amount of details or a combination of both. But mostly just my laptop being old :\

I did get to see the first area and also looked around in mapster, the rural setting looks great! I especially like the farm house and the fields surrounding it. Funny how we both had the idea to use the potted plant as a "forest", yet here it looks quite different and closer to how it was implemented in Redneck Rampage. I like the combination of the wooden fences and the greenery, it works very well as a "border" . The indoor areas remind me a lot of Gambini's old work, especially Blown Fuses. Did you play that map or is it just a coincidence? Tons of intricate details that are fun to explore.

Anyway I wish I could say more, I'll try to play it again later.

[ck3D]

Merlijn, on 02 March 2026 - 12:23 PM, said:

Congrats on the release! I tried playing it, unfortunately my old ass laptop started lagging Could be due to the TROR layers, the intricate amount of details or a combination of both. But mostly just my laptop being old :\

I did get to see the first area and also looked around in mapster, the rural setting looks great! I especially like the farm house and the fields surrounding it. Funny how we both had the idea to use the potted plant as a "forest", yet here it looks quite different and closer to how it was implemented in Redneck Rampage. I like the combination of the wooden fences and the greenery, it works very well as a "border" . The indoor areas remind me a lot of Gambini's old work, especially Blown Fuses. Did you play that map or is it just a coincidence? Tons of intricate details that are fun to explore.

Anyway I wish I could say more, I'll try to play it again later.

Are you playing in classic or Polymost (which is default in game with EDuke these days)? In most situations switching renderers can be a solution, for instance I've heard that to most people Polymost is faster, but on my ancient PC is the other way around, can't even run Polymost at all and TROR in classic is fast, unless I try making insanity like all of the possible TROR a map can have in just one spot that can be rendered at once.

Isn't HYDROPLANT used as trees super old, could have sworn tons of 2000's maps had stuff like that, maybe even some of Maarten's. Wouldn't be surprised if done as early as 1996 by people, but I agree it's a cool way of making trees that isn't overused.

[pepsodent]

Merlijn, on 02 March 2026 - 12:23 PM, said:

Congrats on the release! I tried playing it, unfortunately my old ass laptop started lagging Could be due to the TROR layers, the intricate amount of details or a combination of both. But mostly just my laptop being old :\

I did get to see the first area and also looked around in mapster, the rural setting looks great! I especially like the farm house and the fields surrounding it. Funny how we both had the idea to use the potted plant as a "forest", yet here it looks quite different and closer to how it was implemented in Redneck Rampage. I like the combination of the wooden fences and the greenery, it works very well as a "border" . The indoor areas remind me a lot of Gambini's old work, especially Blown Fuses. Did you play that map or is it just a coincidence? Tons of intricate details that are fun to explore.

Anyway I wish I could say more, I'll try to play it again later.

Its probably TROR, the map sometimes stutters on me too, shame its completely unplayable for you. At least you got to see the goods in editor. Redneck Rampage was the big inspiration for Duke's farm and his house too, but I did play Blown Fuses while making it and Gambini's style is a big inspiration for me in general, though I never consciously took it as inspiration for that specific area.

[William Gee]

I only got some lag at the last fight, but only a tiny bit.

It should of taken alot less time cause I was using the wrong key for interact for ages cause Ive been playing a different game.

Anyways thanks for the map, I only died at the end, and quite a few times untill I worked out where all of the goodies were.
The change to blue pallet was really cool, and the seed puzzle! Gameplay was pretty enjoyable untill I got to the end then I died a few times then dnkroz to and look for the goodies then replay to find them and win.
Design was cool, best looking parts I Recognized from your screenshots like the path with the lake and house in the distance.

Attached thumbnail(s)

• 

[pepsodent]

William Gee, on 02 March 2026 - 08:23 PM, said:

I only got some lag at the last fight, but only a tiny bit.

It should of taken alot less time cause I was using the wrong key for interact for ages cause Ive been playing a different game.

Anyways thanks for the map, I only died at the end, and quite a few times untill I worked out where all of the goodies were.
The change to blue pallet was really cool, and the seed puzzle! Gameplay was pretty enjoyable untill I got to the end then I died a few times then dnkroz to and look for the goodies then replay to find them and win.
Design was cool, best looking parts I Recognized from your screenshots like the path with the lake and house in the distance.

Thanks for playing, glad you enjoyed the little quest. It was part of experiment and inspired by Spacetronic, I want to use that system more in my future maps. Apologize for going a bit over the top with some fights, especially at the end. I wasnt putting much effort into making the map enjoyable to fight, sometimes when looking back at it I think the map just works better with monsters disabled.

[lllllllllllllll]

Best looking powerlines I have seen to date I think.
Got a nasty surprise by a pigtank that fell into the pond.

Dr.Panico, on 02 March 2026 - 08:44 AM, said:

I manage to travel back in time by just submerging into a little pond.

lol

For the main task in the map,

Spoiler

I turned on what I think was the power source in the basement, put the green glowing thing on, and a second item I think was seeds, and from that point was stuck on what to do next.

[pepsodent]

lllllllllllllll, on 03 March 2026 - 12:19 PM, said:

Best looking powerlines I have seen to date I think.
Got a nasty surprise by a pigtank that fell into the pond.


lol

For the main task in the map,

Spoiler

I turned on what I think was the power source in the basement, put the green glowing thing on, and a second item I think was seeds, and from that point was stuck on what to do next.

A simple but elegant design, love em myself. Wish I had more walls to have them stretch into the horizon endlessly.
The tank in a pond was a common thing during testing, I think its because I made the underwater sector after placing all the enemies and forgot to make changes to enemy placement so there's always 1 tank trying its chances as submarine.

As for the spoiler

Spoiler

you have to pass time, in this case by taking a nap in your broken bed.

[Puke Fukem]

Thanks, cool map. I liked the nite coloring. Great style in general. Gameplay can be a PITA with the spawns but I guess it had to be like that.

[William Gee]

I forgot to mention the awesome details like the spinning magazine rack. (y)

[pepsodent]

Puke Fukem, on 03 March 2026 - 12:56 PM, said:

Thanks, cool map. I liked the nite coloring. Great style in general.

Thanks for playing! Happy you like the look of it.

Puke Fukem, on 03 March 2026 - 12:56 PM, said:

Gameplay can be a PITA with the spawns but I guess it had to be like that.

it really didnt have to be like that, I am sorry. There's only few enemies that I put consideration into when placing them, the rest is just random.

[Paul B]

I haven't had a chance to fully play through the map. But I couldn't wait to upload it to the site what an awesome birthday present for me! AHAH! I wanted more pictures of the map online so here they are.

https://www.dukemaps.net/e-i-e-i-doh/

[pepsodent]

Paul B, on 03 March 2026 - 05:34 PM, said:

I haven't had a chance to fully play through the map. But I couldn't wait to upload it to the site what an awesome birthday present for me! AHAH! I wanted more pictures of the map online so here they are.

https://www.dukemaps.net/e-i-e-i-doh/

its an honour. Hope someone writes review on it too. A little nitpick about the story section, you included map's description there instead. I have a question, do you upload the map to your site or does the link take the map from original moddb download page? Interested in this because I like to see the correct download numbers my map gets over time.

Also, thanks for not spoiling the 2nd act of the map in your screenshots, as well as that Black Mesa facility inspired area

Also, Happy Birthday!

[ck3D]

Am playing now, found two important bugs, both related to the last phase of the level:

- it's possible to clip up the train (at least that version of it, not sure about the 'first' one), not too sure how (sprite clipping behavior, TROR layer, unblocked wall...) but I kept making it up there just trying to grab the RPG and not even jumping but just running into the Commander which would then lift me up taking off. Then once on top of the train it is possible to fall behind the scenery and possibly get stuck (but in my case the Commander managed to sneak back there too and so I could use it as a platform again);

- there is a sequence break where using the pond in the yard in that phase, and then emerging again takes you back to the first phase of the map which is super immersion breaking but also a really trippy way to catch some reprieve from the insanity at the end, plus you can still use the bed again and teleport back to phase two inside of the house where you can cheese a lot of the combat from until you run out of ammo (but I kind of love how then the gameplay becomes you under siege, even if by accident, there is potential).

Will edit (or repost) full thoughts once I have beaten the level, took 20 mins to reach the end boss but it keeps kicking my ass due to a bad save, I want to make it though, terrain is a lot of fun. Also, no lag for me.

[pepsodent]

ck3D, on 03 March 2026 - 11:00 PM, said:

Am playing now, found two important bugs, both related to the last phase of the level:

- it's possible to clip up the train (at least that version of it, not sure about the 'first' one), not too sure how (sprite clipping behavior, TROR layer, unblocked wall...) but I kept making it up there just trying to grab the RPG and not even jumping but just running into the Commander which would then lift me up taking off. Then once on top of the train it is possible to fall behind the scenery and possibly get stuck (but in my case the Commander managed to sneak back there too and so I could use it as a platform again);

A known bug, the roof of the train is made out of sprites and its easy to clip over them. In older versions it was even worse, but in current release there is a shitton of invisible blocking sprites that did a pretty good job until you broke it once again.

ck3D, on 03 March 2026 - 11:00 PM, said:

- there is a sequence break where using the pond in the yard in that phase, and then emerging again takes you back to the first phase of the map which is super immersion breaking but also a really trippy way to catch some reprieve from the insanity at the end, plus you can still use the bed again and teleport back to phase two inside of the house where you can cheese a lot of the combat from until you run out of ammo (but I kind of love how then the gameplay becomes you under siege, even if by accident, there is potential).

Thats intended effect! A teleport trick I saw in Blood Death Wish and read about when browsing infosuite, wanted to make it myself. Its done so you can switch between both areas at will and wont miss out on secrets, also works as a good breather from that hectic battle during the nighttime.

[ck3D]

Ah that's nice the water teleport thing is intended, was hoping it would stay as even if it were accidental is one of those things that indirectly adds a lot of timeless charm to a map or game.

About the train ceiling bug, assuming the train car is a free-floating sector (island in the middle of a larger one), what happens if you lower the parallaxed sky of that sector to the height of the sprite ceiling, wouldn't just that be see-through and block any taller collision altogether, and then you could declutter the map of the invisible sprites. Might be worth considering trying if you ever update the file, or keeping in mind for the next similar set-up. Again I didn't even try to break that part, it just kept happening with that Commander spontaneously pressing me against the stuff, but I did try and replicate it on purpose after that and noticed it wasn't so easy by just jumping.

I have quite a bit to say about this one, it's difficult to hold my thoughts for until I've gone back to the boss but in general I think it's a brillant map, I love the way the TROR is used in a practical way that is focused on serving layout and not just to show off as though we would be on a timeline where Quake never existed. I think TROR is at its best that way when put to use to embellish and push sector-over-sector driven constructions and not just to make little platforms. I have some minor issues with collision but not so much with the scale, most likely will expand on that later. You are underselling your placement of the enemies and weapons - it is all super well done until the last part that is just mayhem, but the pond trick remaining in indeed is a huge relief when one figures it out, and whilst I would have hoped for less chaotic combat as climax (maybe more oriented around the features of the terrain being affected by the passage of time similarly to what happens to the crops) it's also a valid step-up from the difficulty of the first phase, makes sense to go out hard. I think I would have been warier with enemy type diversity though; the first half of the map does it well with specific types reserved to distinct areas, and some clever spots too, for instance those two Enforcers on the train that can hitscan you from across the map are awesome and a real threat if low on HP. Goes well with the world building throughout that the level establishes but then at the end suddenly is fireworks cacophony, maybe could have done with one or two less enemy types (phase two tanks for instance felt a bit redundant and foreign and could have been replaced with greater numbers of one of the other encounters). Anyway that part reminded me quite a bit of my own Rural Nightmare map (super ancient one) except a better take on it, loved it.

It is interesting seeing you mention inspiration from Spacetronic - to me it feels a lot more like a BobSP map (which invented the 'motherboard' trick), or Domino (which I wouldn't be surprised to also be Bob's works seeing as it's now been established he uses aliases). Blown Fuses atmosphere also sensible (design-wise one of my favorite maps) but only so much, I would say this style would be closer to a unique mix of Gambini's and Alejandro's. Another oldie that instantly came to mind is Dave City 2 https://msdn.duke4.n...otdavecity2.php because of the general vibes of the environment (albeit the progression is nothing like in your map) but also the relatively narrow scale. Welp I guess this is the perfect transition so might as well mention the scale now; I've noticed you seem to enjoy building on what I would call the L.A. Meltdown scale that would be realistic to Duke's sprite dimensions (relative to doorways etc.), but from experience this works better paired with a smaller enemy count like the original maps themselves were designed to hold. Otherwise generally works better to inflate things a little, especially width of things if one is going to throw swarms of strong enemies in. Now, in this map that actually was never a problem outdoors at all because it isn't just open, but really well optimized for all of the quick footwork and jumps the player has to improvise in order to make it to the guns (because yes I didn't find most weapons including the shotgun for a little while but really enjoy when levels do that). It is indoors or in narrower nooks and crannies that now instead of decorating space, all of the detail sort of closes in on the player. Hotel in Weather Report had the same issue, and I remember people complaining about that in Locked and Loaded too (can't believe it is so many months old already) although personally it didn't bother me in that map, maybe because I expected narrow settings from the theme. Maybe gradually getting used to say making your interiors 20% the scale you currently make them would help playability all the while allowing you to keep all of your fine detail. I keep mentioning it these days but maybe you would enjoy and be inspired playing Mister Sinister's Death Drive episode for its efficient way of articulating tons of enemies: https://msdn.duke4.net/hotddrive.php

Design is mostly excellent by the way, bar the scale thing. You have a cool way of using fogpals that is the polar opposite from a lot of people's (from mine at least), which may be why you think they clash with the rest of the base palette, they are designed to be applied to whole regions of map with large scale dynamics but instead you use them in very fine ways to come up with precise color touches, not that no one's ever tried that before but I think most everyone who did promptly gave up (and went back to reserving them to big blocks, or not using them at all) and so that is an interesting particularity of your style.

Guess I'll get the collision complaint out of the way too; there are a couple of places where you can blow holes into walls but then can't throw pipebombs through those as the TROR seems to block the trajectory, and since those spots have enemies around that can be a bit frustrating. It really just ties back to the scale thing honestly, as in if the holes were higher and didn't look in reach of pipebomb then it wouldn't be a problem. Merely just noting that because it made me realize that that was a thing and I should be on the look out for it when making my own maps; would suck to design a whole complex puzzle around the idea if it may not work. Some normal windows also will block pipebombs a lot in spite of being open invitations, since they are so narrow and packed with sprites. Died a few times trying then stopped, but lamented it because would have worked really well. In general never a fan of plain invisiwalls to block unreachable areas (adding a little barrier, signage or justification never hurts) but only that one end of the road got me (perhaps it originally had sprite barriers the tanks blew up before I could see them). Some of the roofs blocked my jumps but somehow I still haven't found one secret IIRC so it is all the more intriguing where they might be. One aspect of the design that caught my attention was how relatively small and low the map was and yet felt so vertical because the entirety of the Z axis gets utilized when playing with no filler or gaps in space (which would be more typical for a big city to have, but not work so well here). Enjoyed having to dive through all of the barrels and trash cans for sustenance.

Done rambling for now but might keep going later, it really is a fun, fresh map, nice work and thanks for sharing.

edit - oh yeah, progression was rather straightforward, didn't remember the plot from that specific Simpsons episode and so the screen actually helped. I was a bit confused about where to insert the green tube at first, the machine is complex and originally I was trying to use the wrong sector for it (off memory, the one where the '!' marker is; if that's the right one, then a different one that looks like it could also be it). The power sign on the page also confused me because there is that one back alley with the same signage and broken switch and so for a second I went back there wondering if it would be relevant. Maybe it was and I didn't realize I activated something there? I did notice the electrical sounds, wasn't sure if ambient or cue.

[Paul B]

pepsodent, on 03 March 2026 - 05:52 PM, said:

Do you upload the map to your site or does the link take the map from original moddb download page?

Thanks for the B-day wishes. I've added your story from the Duke4.net forums to your map page. Your downloaded is hosted with with me at the site & the download totals aren't published on the public facing side of the site. But if you ever decide to contribute to the site you'll be able to see how many downloads there are =). I really enjoy your style of mapping, you have great attention for detail and design which really makes the level come to life.


P.S I think there are a few downloads at my site that point to the original source due to the size of the download. I figure downloads near 1 Gb are better served at the Datacenter than on my server using only my internet connection.

[ck3D]

FWTW I appreciate that you rehosted the file as a .zip (maybe was automatic) as that is the only version of the archive my computer would unpack, it struggles with .rars of a specific type, probably on me for not updating stuff and/or there is a stupid solution of some sort (e.g.. I should try renaming the broken .rars to .rar.zip); it isn't so common but I know I'm not the only one with that issue, seen other people complain about it before on here. Zip always works though and so it is thanks to your site that I could play.

[pepsodent]

Oh boy, thats a long read.

ck3D, on 04 March 2026 - 10:47 AM, said:

Ah that's nice the water teleport thing is intended, was hoping it would stay as even if it were accidental is one of those things that indirectly adds a lot of timeless charm to a map or game.

I know right? Maps benefit from such little touches, no matter how absurd it might look.

ck3D, on 04 March 2026 - 10:47 AM, said:

About the train ceiling bug, assuming the train car is a free-floating sector (island in the middle of a larger one), what happens if you lower the parallaxed sky of that sector to the height of the sprite ceiling, wouldn't just that be see-through and block any taller collision altogether, and then you could declutter the map of the invisible sprites. Might be worth considering trying if you ever update the file, or keeping in mind for the next similar set-up. Again I didn't even try to break that part, it just kept happening with that Commander spontaneously pressing me against the stuff, but I did try and replicate it on purpose after that and noticed it wasn't so easy by just jumping.

I cant touch the sky of that sector as its part of the massive TROR connection. With it the entire map would go down too. It is what it is, I dont consider it a big issue. Sprite clipping is just normal occurrence in the engine and I'm sure everyone who plays Duke or other Build engine games is used to it. I did try to minimize the chances of it so it doesnt get in a way too much.

ck3D, on 04 March 2026 - 10:47 AM, said:

I have quite a bit to say about this one, it's difficult to hold my thoughts for until I've gone back to the boss but in general I think it's a brillant map, I love the way the TROR is used in a practical way that is focused on serving layout and not just to show off as though we would be on a timeline where Quake never existed. I think TROR is at its best that way when put to use to embellish and push sector-over-sector driven constructions and not just to make little platforms. I have some minor issues with collision but not so much with the scale, most likely will expand on that later. You are underselling your placement of the enemies and weapons - it is all super well done until the last part that is just mayhem, but the pond trick remaining in indeed is a huge relief when one figures it out, and whilst I would have hoped for less chaotic combat as climax (maybe more oriented around the features of the terrain being affected by the passage of time similarly to what happens to the crops) it's also a valid step-up from the difficulty of the first phase, makes sense to go out hard. I think I would have been warier with enemy type diversity though; the first half of the map does it well with specific types reserved to distinct areas, and some clever spots too, for instance those two Enforcers on the train that can hitscan you from across the map are awesome and a real threat if low on HP. Goes well with the world building throughout that the level establishes but then at the end suddenly is fireworks cacophony, maybe could have done with one or two less enemy types (phase two tanks for instance felt a bit redundant and foreign and could have been replaced with greater numbers of one of the other encounters). Anyway that part reminded me quite a bit of my own Rural Nightmare map (super ancient one) except a better take on it, loved it.

Thank you! I knew you would like it, the crazyness of combat with that more open layout is similar to your Blast Radius maps, with occasional reinforcements of enemies every now and then. I wish I could do more with nighttime changes but the wall limit is very strict on me as I still trying to get a good feel of how much walls should I spend on this and that. Playing recent Cliffs of Dover really blew me away with how massive that map is but doesnt suffer from lack of detail or being too empty. In my map a lot of ideas had to be cut to fit 2 copies of same area into 1 file, though I managed to add some nice changes like destroyed barn or different angle to shading.
Enemy variety is interesting thing to consider, I'll take it more into account in the future.

ck3D, on 04 March 2026 - 10:47 AM, said:

It is interesting seeing you mention inspiration from Spacetronic - to me it feels a lot more like a BobSP map (which invented the 'motherboard' trick), or Domino (which I wouldn't be surprised to also be Bob's works seeing as it's now been established he uses aliases). Blown Fuses atmosphere also sensible (design-wise one of my favorite maps) but only so much, I would say this style would be closer to a unique mix of Gambini's and Alejandro's. Another oldie that instantly came to mind is Dave City 2 https://msdn.duke4.n...otdavecity2.php because of the general vibes of the environment (albeit the progression is nothing like in your map) but also the relatively narrow scale. Welp I guess this is the perfect transition so might as well mention the scale now; I've noticed you seem to enjoy building on what I would call the L.A. Meltdown scale that would be realistic to Duke's sprite dimensions (relative to doorways etc.), but from experience this works better paired with a smaller enemy count like the original maps themselves were designed to hold. Otherwise generally works better to inflate things a little, especially width of things if one is going to throw swarms of strong enemies in. Now, in this map that actually was never a problem outdoors at all because it isn't just open, but really well optimized for all of the quick footwork and jumps the player has to improvise in order to make it to the guns (because yes I didn't find most weapons including the shotgun for a little while but really enjoy when levels do that). It is indoors or in narrower nooks and crannies that now instead of decorating space, all of the detail sort of closes in on the player. Hotel in Weather Report had the same issue, and I remember people complaining about that in Locked and Loaded too (can't believe it is so many months old already) although personally it didn't bother me in that map, maybe because I expected narrow settings from the theme. Maybe gradually getting used to say making your interiors 20% the scale you currently make them would help playability all the while allowing you to keep all of your fine detail. I keep mentioning it these days but maybe you would enjoy and be inspired playing Mister Sinister's Death Drive episode for its efficient way of articulating tons of enemies: https://msdn.duke4.net/hotddrive.php

Spacetronic is mentioned as inspiration because thats where I got the trick to make quest items from, the design between mine and that map is very different. Those other maps you mention, I havent played them so I got to fix that at some point, thanks for recommendations.
I like making realistic spaces but there is a big issue in all my 3 maps so far with them being a bit too cramped in places. It mostly comes from my maps being built looks first and combat second, unless its some specific combat setup like it happened in some areas of Weather Report. I will defend it a tiny bit by saying that there is toggle run option in Duke, and my maps feel much more 'atmospheric' when you explore them at slower pace or with enemies turned off by cheats. Speaking of enemies there is another common issue in all my maps is that I try to make them longer by spamming enemies everywhere, I am sorry. I am trying to learn from mistakes and hopefully in the future these issues wont be as common.

ck3D, on 04 March 2026 - 10:47 AM, said:

Design is mostly excellent by the way, bar the scale thing. You have a cool way of using fogpals that is the polar opposite from a lot of people's (from mine at least), which may be why you think they clash with the rest of the base palette, they are designed to be applied to whole regions of map with large scale dynamics but instead you use them in very fine ways to come up with precise color touches, not that no one's ever tried that before but I think most everyone who did promptly gave up (and went back to reserving them to big blocks, or not using them at all) and so that is an interesting particularity of your style.

yeah something I learned from making Locked and Loaded is that fogpals are great to set a specific additional colour to a texture without turning it monotone with default pals. A green EDF ammo box can have blue or red hue and without those terrible stray pixels that plague most textures when affected by palswaps. I didn't use it much in this one, don't remember anything with fogpal at all, but I wanted to use blue fog pal for the nighttime act. It didnt look natural so I went with pal1 instead and despite some textures having those corrupt pixels it turned it fantastic.

ck3D, on 04 March 2026 - 10:47 AM, said:

Guess I'll get the collision complaint out of the way too; there are a couple of places where you can blow holes into walls but then can't throw pipebombs through those as the TROR seems to block the trajectory, and since those spots have enemies around that can be a bit frustrating. It really just ties back to the scale thing honestly, as in if the holes were higher and didn't look in reach of pipebomb then it wouldn't be a problem. Merely just noting that because it made me realize that that was a thing and I should be on the look out for it when making my own maps; would suck to design a whole complex puzzle around the idea if it may not work. Some normal windows also will block pipebombs a lot in spite of being open invitations, since they are so narrow and packed with sprites. Died a few times trying then stopped, but lamented it because would have worked really well. In general never a fan of plain invisiwalls to block unreachable areas (adding a little barrier, signage or justification never hurts) but only that one end of the road got me (perhaps it originally had sprite barriers the tanks blew up before I could see them). Some of the roofs blocked my jumps but somehow I still haven't found one secret IIRC so it is all the more intriguing where they might be. One aspect of the design that caught my attention was how relatively small and low the map was and yet felt so vertical because the entirety of the Z axis gets utilized when playing with no filler or gaps in space (which would be more typical for a big city to have, but not work so well here). Enjoyed having to dive through all of the barrels and trash cans for sustenance.

A collision issue was not something I saw during testing. There's only 2 destructible walls (actually one of them is a sprite to save on walls) and I didnt experience such issues with pipebombs, it could be the duke jank and weird throw angle. The windows are too tiny to hit through but there is not many aliens in Duke's house for it to be a problem though. Invisiwalls had to be done for roofs because looking from high up players would notice more unfinished far away scenery and TROR glitching out, also wall limit again being a pain in the ass. The road does have explanation for blocking, but those RV's are bit farther away then the block lines. If only you'd knew how much time I wasted trying to figure out how to block out the map... That weird train is all I could come up with it.
Also if you looking for secrets it might be the one on the roof of Duke's house. Normally you cant just jump up there but during testing I found a funny clipping bug in the chimney that teleported you up there, I kept it in as a secret because I found it funny. This roof secret and another one are double counted, since you can get them again during nighttime. The freezer is a secret too but you can miss the trigger in the hole of the barn.

ck3D, on 04 March 2026 - 10:47 AM, said:

Done rambling for now but might keep going later, it really is a fun, fresh map, nice work and thanks for sharing.

edit - oh yeah, progression was rather straightforward, didn't remember the plot from that specific Simpsons episode and so the screen actually helped. I was a bit confused about where to insert the green tube at first, the machine is complex and originally I was trying to use the wrong sector for it (off memory, the one where the '!' marker is; if that's the right one, then a different one that looks like it could also be it). The power sign on the page also confused me because there is that one back alley with the same signage and broken switch and so for a second I went back there wondering if it would be relevant. Maybe it was and I didn't realize I activated something there? I did notice the electrical sounds, wasn't sure if ambient or cue.

Thanks for playing!

For quest items you need to insert somewhere the respawn sprite spark is used to show 'you can place something here'. So you pick an item and then a sprite will appear near the device ,as I repeatedly call it in manual, to show you where to put it. The power step of the quest doesnt have these visual cues because I couldnt figure the right way for it and was limited by vanilla effects. In the barn there is a blinking light and a power line going back to your house, when you flip a switch in the basement the lights in the barn stop flickering and thats it. Couldve been explained better but there is enemy reinforcements coming in after you flip a switch to show that you did something important.
The thing in the back alley is just decoration, and there is no broken switches there last time I checked. It has sparky noise for ambient and I wanted that sound to play near all other such broken sprites, but to make the sound I need a dummy sector which costs 3 walls each...

[ck3D]

pepsodent, on 04 March 2026 - 01:19 PM, said:

I cant touch the sky of that sector as its part of the massive TROR connection. With it the entire map would go down too.

Ah I was hoping it wouldn't have been built like that, I would need to look at other people's maps in the editor more to make sure but I feel like different mappers all have different ways of, and habits for making their TROR (also depending on their renderer of choice), I know some do a gazillion cuts to make sure nothing can ever glitch and some others are more lax with sector splits and stacks/bunches. Seeing as top of the train seems to match where I imagined one of the sector stacks would be, I was picturing there may be a matching sector on top in the upper TROR that you could have independently moved down and that would have worked.

pepsodent, on 04 March 2026 - 01:19 PM, said:

Thank you! I knew you would like it, the crazyness of combat with that more open layout is similar to your Blast Radius maps, with occasional reinforcements of enemies every now and then. I wish I could do more with nighttime changes but the wall limit is very strict on me as I still trying to get a good feel of how much walls should I spend on this and that. Playing recent Cliffs of Dover really blew me away with how massive that map is but doesnt suffer from lack of detail or being too empty. In my map a lot of ideas had to be cut to fit 2 copies of same area into 1 file, though I managed to add some nice changes like destroyed barn or different angle to shading.
Enemy variety is interesting thing to consider, I'll take it more into account in the future.

It didn't really remind me of Blast Radius so much except perhaps the adventurous nature of the Peru or Croatia map just the size of a more traditional Duke 3D level, having the player having to collect weapons and face cinematic waves is something I love to see and make but also nothing I invented. Process of making your map actually sprung as a question to my mind as soon as I reached the second phase (and past that super cool 'what just happened and where am I' moment that really feels like waking up from deep sleep after a rough time), I was wondering whether you had actually planned it to use 8000 walls in one part tops that you would then double up, from the start. That also reminded me of another old map of mine called Hibernal Solstice (don't have to look it up, it's not so good and funnily enough overscaled) which had 4 alternate versions of the same city block, but was DOS-sized and so limits weren't so much a concern (IIRC; was long ago).

Enemy placement works the same as detail placement in the way you can use them (and where/when/how they are set up) to contribute to world building, but you're already doing well at that. How Blum's Freeway never used Assault Troopers is a common but timeless example of how much work restraint can do on its own, that or Pigcops only showing up at the end of E1L1 (classic examples but really Duke 3D did that a lot in subtle touches). It's actually cool to have tons of enemies too, just less immersion breaking when Pigcops don't break in at the same time as Newbeasts spawn, Commanders shoot and Octas rise from the toilet. The enemies in Duke 3D have tons of character, each type deserves its moment to shine, I like to imagine them as actors in your interactive movie or play that you're making and not just mindless fodder with thematic roles that overlap.

pepsodent, on 04 March 2026 - 01:19 PM, said:

I will defend it a tiny bit by saying that there is toggle run option in Duke, and my maps feel much more 'atmospheric' when you explore them at slower pace or with enemies turned off by cheats. Speaking of enemies there is another common issue in all my maps is that I try to make them longer by spamming enemies everywhere, I am sorry. I am trying to learn from mistakes and hopefully in the future these issues wont be as common.

That is fair if you want environments the player would want to toggle run mode off for (conceptually anything to do with altering pacing in some way tends to feel fresh), but then I think it should be signified just because of the reality that is the game is so old, very few people never got used to Run Mode Off by default (but some also never got used to Run Mode On). By that I absolutely do not mean signifying by recommending walk mode in the .txt or in a viewscreen in the map, but by having the environments reflect that they should be explored with Duke on the tip of his toes, maybe build up anxiety with narrow ledges or darkness, death pits, deliberate claustrophobia. This will also make sure that all of the great detail that you put in shines best, since the player won't be tempted to just run past it all the whilst dodging half a dozen hazards and looking for the next +30 health. As of now it's pretty clear that technically you're ready to build pretty much anything and, in addition to that, you have a fantastic eye for presentation and so your goal should be to eventually make both meet in a specific direction to be defined, but you are progressing at an almost alarming rate in general so no doubt you will just get closer and closer to the perfect mix.

Enemy cat and mouse game style is fun, again. And in this map works super well outdoors (until the end where it becomes too saturated). Just has its place, including in the same level as something more intricate if so one wishes but then maybe that just means there should be a stark border and shift in design depending on the intent for each region, whereas for instance here the smaller spaces are too tightly interwoven into the bigger space and so can't really break away and that is what does not work (to an extent). I did really like that the map made me run and jump and storm through shit a lot, though, and that there was so much eye-candy in the tiniest corner.

And yeah by broken switch I meant decorative broken electrical transformer thing from E4, which isn't a switch but sometimes people use to mask secret activations, you used it next to the Shrinker. Because of the sign that I later saw again on the computer, and of the short circuit zaps I was hearing (always a nice touch too) I wasn't so sure if it actually did a thing, but anyway progression was smooth, may have gotten stuck without things I had 'accidentally' read in this thread but not for long.

[pepsodent]

ck3D, on 04 March 2026 - 01:57 PM, said:

I was wondering whether you had actually planned it to use 8000 walls in one part tops that you would then double up, from the start.

I did, but the first part quickly went out of proportions and ate 9k walls, so when I copied it to another map with free space and there was a lot of trimming going on, Changing some areas between the maps like barn and silo that also double points on 2nd TROR layer, different shading angle all around the area, flooded basement that now has flat water flooding over some small sector detail, these all freed a lot of walls.

ck3D, on 04 March 2026 - 01:57 PM, said:

Enemy placement works the same as detail placement in the way you can use them (and where/when/how they are set up) to contribute to world building, but you're already doing well at that. How Blum's Freeway never used Assault Troopers is a common but timeless example of how much work restraint can do on its own, that or Pigcops only showing up at the end of E1L1 (classic examples but really Duke 3D did that a lot in subtle touches).

I never noticed there is no Troopers in Freeway!

ck3D, on 04 March 2026 - 01:57 PM, said:

That is fair if you want environments the player would want to toggle run mode off for (conceptually anything to do with altering pacing in some way tends to feel fresh), but then I think it should be signified just because of the reality that is the game is so old, very few people never got used to Run Mode Off by default (but some also never got used to Run Mode On). By that I absolutely do not mean signifying by recommending walk mode in the .txt or in a viewscreen in the map, but by having the environments reflect that they should be explored with Duke on the tip of his toes, maybe build up anxiety with narrow ledges or darkness, death pits, deliberate claustrophobia. This will also make sure that all of the great detail that you put in shines best, since the player won't be tempted to just run past it all the whilst dodging half a dozen hazards and looking for the next +30 health. As of now it's pretty clear that technically you're ready to build pretty much anything and, in addition to that, you have a fantastic eye for presentation and so your goal should be to eventually make both meet, but you are progressing at an almost alarming rate in general so no doubt you will just get closer and closer to the perfect mix.

Enemy cat and mouse game style is fun, again. And in this map works super well outdoors (until the end where it becomes too saturated). Just has its place, including in the same level as something more intricate if so one wishes but then maybe that just means there should be a stark border and shift in design depending on the intent for each region, whereas for instance here the smaller spaces are too tightly interwoven into the bigger space and so can't really break away and that is what does not work (to an extent).

Thanks again for all the feedback, dunno what to else to say here. A good tip on setting the slower tone of the map there, will help me sometime later.

ck3D, on 04 March 2026 - 01:57 PM, said:

And yeah by broken switch I meant decorative broken electrical transformer thing from E4, which isn't a switch but sometimes people use to mask secret activations. Because of the sign that I later saw again on the computer, and of the short circuit zaps I was hearing (always a nice touch too) I wasn't so sure if it actually did a thing, but anyway progression was smooth, may have gotten stuck without things I had 'accidentally' read in this thread but not for long.

oh thats why you were so confused. I made the manual a day before release while everything else was sitting done for a month on my drive, so I forgot about that specific symbol, didnt take into account that it might confuse players.