[Mister Sinister]

It's been quite a long time since I've released anything for Duke Nukem 3D and the time has finally come

Did you guys ever wonder what would happen if alien invaders took the whole "Kill Duke Capture Earth" just a bit more seriously? I for sure did.
That's partially the reason why I made a brand new episode called Death Drive.

So what exactly is DEATH DRIVE?
DEATH DRIVE is a 5-level action packed episode taking a lot of inspiration from classic L.A. Meltdown levels and a more recent release Metropolitan Mayhem yet with a twist of my own style and challenging fights of my own map "Slaughterfest".
Basically it's a huge battle from the very beginning till the very end if played on the intended difficulty setting. What makes it a bit different from the rest is the fact that every single map of this episode was made less then in 20 hours each.
I tried my very best to make them visually good and fun to play. It's up for you to judge whether I've accomplished my goal or not.
I had a blast while I was making this episode and I hope you will have a blast playing it.

Even though I did make this episode very hard I know that there are worse players than me so that's why I think you should read this:

- If you want your usual DN3D experience (Let's Rock difficulty setting) pick the easiest one available.

- If you want to be challenged but not too much pick the normal difficulty setting.

- If you really want some extra challenge which is comparable to Doom's Ultra-Violence pick "GET PSYCHED!". Beware: there is one basic principle which is "be fast and efficient or be killed".

Also please note that I did not involve additional betatesters so there may be bugs I don't know about. As far as I know the only annoying thing is that shrinkray sometimes have difficulties shrinking Octabrains due to bug in EDuke.

REQUIREMENTS:
Latest EDuke32
Render Mode: Polymost
Difficulty: GET PSYCHED! (intended experience)



Please report any found bugs!

I would also like to ask somebody to upload this on Steam Workshop and test it for Megaton Edition.

Thanks for playing and have fun!

EDIT: In case if you will have any wierd problems with GRP-file you can download extracted version of this episode made by Paul B (thanks a lot!).
https://dl.dropboxus.../DeathDrive.zip

Just Select Death Drive as the content folder in the Eduke launcher after extracting the .zip file to your Eduke Folder.

Attached File(s)

•  DDRIVE FINAL.rar (986.92K)
  Number of downloads: 480

[Jinroh]

Oh sweet this looks great, got a nice classic look to it.

Thanks for your hard work, this is a good way to start the weekend.

[Jblade]

Cool, I'll pick this up when I get my next day off

[Micky C]

Played the first 3 maps and it's pretty solid. There's a bit of an oversizing issue in places but it's not really a problem. I played on the easiest difficulty and the map times were 10, 10 and 15 minutes. It has a nice classic feel to it but some slightly unique texture choices in it on various surfaces to make it a bit different. First two maps being city maps were well done, although city maps have been done to death IMO so no matter what you do there's always a "been there done that" feel, although they're pretty fun. The reliance on pipe bombs helps set it appart from other city maps a bit as well. The third map not taking place in a city makes it more unique, and the use of pretty much only the shrinker made the gameplay fresh, while the map was surprisingly balanced. I was a bit short on ammo throughout the first map but less so on the 2nd map. The problem is that the 2nd map has a HUGE spike in difficulty compared to the first, which comes down when you get to the third map. It just feels like you're taking fire all the time from all directions which isn't a good thing for the easiest difficulty, at least for a 2nd map (maybe removing some more turrets on the easiest difficulty would have helped in that map since there's more than enough enemies not to mention the rocket turrets which you need to worry about). Had a quick look at the 4th map and that also looks like it'll be a refreshing change of scenery.

So overall, fun, good looking maps. Nice shading, detailing, layout, progression. A worthy release so far.

[faked]

Pretty good!

[Gambini]

This is something worth dusting off the good old Duke for!

[Micky C]

So I finished it. The outdoor terrain level was very well designed with lots of good terrain. Can't believe it only took 20 hours! Took me 17 minutes. On the other hand the first part of the final level was incredibly blocky which was a bit of a disappointment. Then the boss fight was incredibly hard because it was very easy for the rockets to hit the floor behind you and do lots of splash damage which was annoying.

However I recommend this to everyone. Definitely one of the better releases this year.

[Mister Sinister]

Hey, first of all, thanks for feedback! I'm really glad you ejoyed this one.

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The problem is that the 2nd map has a HUGE spike in difficulty compared to the first, which comes down when you get to the third map. It just feels like you're taking fire all the time from all directions which isn't a good thing for the easiest difficulty, at least for a 2nd map (maybe removing some more turrets on the easiest difficulty would have helped in that map since there's more than enough enemies not to mention the rocket turrets which you need to worry about).

Can't help but agree with this. It's really hard to make a challenging shrinker level since it's an instant kill weapon yet I thought that adding enemies like newbeasts and kamikaze drones would be going overboard. I also didn't want to give any other weapons because I had in mind this idea of unorthodoxal gunplay for the duration of the entire episode. It doesn't really justify the difficulty spikee but I just wanted to make things clear.
Oh, btw, you haven't seen the Gorestorm on a harder difficulty setting. That's where the hell begins

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On the other hand the first part of the final level was incredibly blocky which was a bit of a disappointment.

I am not completely satisfied with this level. At first I wanted the player to enter a alien corrupted fortress which was originally called The Flame Pit where you just push a few buttons and fight the boss. Then I thought of actually going down the pit making it a bit Abyss-like but I felt like I would drag things for too long and I also was not pleased with the looks of it (even though I still like the concept the best), so I've decided to go the Overlord way and make a short introduction and then a hard as balls boss fight.

I'll be waiting to hear more thoughts on this episode I would really like to hear what people think of the other difficulty settings since it's a different experience (at least I believe it is).

[Loke]

Just finished it on Get Psyched! difficulty as you recommended. A very fun experience throughout and it ranks up there as one of the hardest map pack I have ever played. Due to the high difficulty it felt quite fresh actually as most user maps tend to fall into the "easy category" for me so it was nice to get a really challenging "get your ass handed to you" experience.

The fourth map was the best of the bunch I think, it almost felt like it could've belonged in the Red series. Very impressive stuff. I also liked the prison map due to the Shrink Ray being your primary weapon (can't say I've seen that being used much to be honest). Only thing I disliked was the annoying abundance of Pig Cop Tanks (don't find them particularly fun to fight).

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Then the boss fight was incredibly hard because it was very easy for the rockets to hit the floor behind you and do lots of splash damage which was annoying.

I just circle strafed around the arena (in one direction) while the boss cleaned up all the minions and then I finished him off with the Devastator.

[Blue Lightning]

I cant play anything from the directory (don't know why), when I load the folder and go to directories it is there, but wont engage. So, I have to use my trusty GRPviewer and split the .map files up and play them seperatley. testing maps now.

[Micky C]

Blue Lightning, on 03 May 2015 - 07:37 AM, said:

I cant play anything from the directory (don't know why), when I load the folder and go to directories it is there, but wont engage. So, I have to use my trusty GRPviewer and split the .map files up and play them seperatley. testing maps now.

You shouldn't do that. There has been some rebalancing in terms of maximum ammo capacity and how much ammo pickups give you. If you play the individual maps with standard Duke, it's going to be seriously unbalanced, and the shrinker level becomes trivial.

[Mister Sinister]

Good point.
Technically he still can replace the user.con extracted from .grp but without the natural flow the level progression will be messed up since I didn't think too much about pistol start option.

Also, damage dealt by player and enemies has been modified.

[sergey808a]

Good old-style episode with MANY enemies. It has several bugs/glitches, but not seriously. Map with shrinker is very good idea, lot of fun. Thanks.

[Mister Sinister]

Hey, thanks a lot, pal! I'm really glad that people like the shrinker map, I was the most unsure about it, but it turned out okay, it seems.

By the way, would you be so kind and let me know what bugs have you experienced during the playthrough? I found a couple myself and I want to update the episode in the next few days.

[LeoD]

Dang, that was tough. I'm a slow, exploring player using DukePlus and I had to turn down the skill to the lowest.
I can't remember any noteworthy bugs.

[MetHy]

I started playing this on Get Psyched yesterday, played the first 2 maps and it was really good so far. Very challenging, but in a good way, clever enemy choice and placement with clever gameplay oriented level design.

[ck3D]

went through the first map on Get Psyched as suggested. playthrough was just as tough and enjoyable as expected, Slaughterfest was a way more memorable experience in general though, because of its open scale. here i found myself feeling confined within the same few streets on the main block in a more oppressive maneer and things got a little more repetitive with little sense of progression (but what can you do with a 20-hour map ? still managed to take me 15 mins, a commendable feat). liked the little nods to E1 (secret places and such). quit after dying several times in a row at the beginning of map 2 due to saving at a spot I thought was safe only to end up getting shot in the back everytime I reload, an irritating situation which warrants a little break. will keep playing and posting feedback soon.

[ck3D]

beat map 2. i found it a lot more open than the first one and now this one reminded me of Slaughterfest a lot more. I like how your maps have all those open areas that normally wouldn't be accessible in most traditional user maps, yet in yours the player can reach them and use them to their advantage (and in return, use the map layout to its own fullest potential). talking about the side streets, the section with the cliff and the like. those add a lot to the immersion and make for some really solid gameplay points as it's always a great feeling to find a previously undiscovered location to take cover from mid-bloodbath. dug this one a lot more than the first one which was already pretty good. weapon to monster ratio was wisely balanced with some great choices (ie. freezer against the battlelord instead of the way-too-commonly-used RPG), layout worked great, design was marvellous and the nods to E1 were once again a sweet touch.

[MetHy]

I just beat the episode on Get Psyched. I thought it was really good, maybe your best release.
Architecture and texturing may be simple at times but gameplay was always really good, although I thought map#2 might have been a little too hard at times (but starting the map at low HP didn't help).

There was a good sense of freedom and exploration throughout. My fav maps were the prison and the one after it (the wide open canyon area).

Gameplay was definitely a huge improvement over your previous releases. Your lasts releases either had no fight at all, or were considered too hard in an unfair way by a lot of people.
Here I thought balancing, as well as enemy choice and placement, were really well thought throughout the entire episode, and provided challenge in a way that is rarely seen in DN3D maps which reminded me more of Doom. It was so well done it made me forget DN3D's enemies were stupid compared to Doom's, and it made me forget that I know every enemy behaviour by heart (meaning that I was often very surprised by what was coming at me).

Now I understand the midi choices (Doom) : maybe because you took inspiration from Doom (and Doom2) for gameplay; although I thought those musics felt out of place with the maps themselves at times.

[ck3D]

just beat map 3, now that one was really good and a welcome break from the non-stop action from the former two (even though this one was quite action-packed as well, especially toward the end). one of the best examples of ammo to monster ratio and wise item placement i have ever seen. in some sections i even had to shrink some of the enemies in a certain order in order to progress, because of how their positioning in the room coupled with the timing of their 'shrunk' timespan and respective coded behaviors seemed to work all together, creating sequences that could either make me pass or get in the worst possible scenario depending on whether i'd get the pattern right, loved that, and don't ever recall seeing it in duke before either. incredible gameplay. design was solid too and the map was fairly long, hard to believe it was only made in 20 hours ! onto playing the next one now...

[Paul B]

Well... I tried to play this and couldn't.

Downloaded & extracted all the files into my Eduke Version: 20150607-5265 "folder" because an older Eduke32 version didn't work. I executed the Deadrive.bat to launch Eduke. Eduke loads to a still image custom demo screen at the start with no option to select any other episode other than the default vanilla episodes and default difficulty settings. Also, the main screen theme music was the original Duke theme. Any suggestions?

There doesn't appear to be any specific information about installation in the deathdrive.txt. I think i might be experiencing what Blue Lighting is going through. This release obviously works, because other people have managed to get it working somehow?

The only functional way to play this episode for me was to extract the entire contents of the GRP file using GRPviewer like Blue lighting suggested to a folder inside Eduke such as: C:\eduke32\deathdrive and to run Eduke manually while selecting the custom game content folder -> "Deathdrive" before loading Eduke. That resulted in the episode and everything working. Anyway, I'll try it on a few systems and see if I get different results.

I like the concept of using a group file to store and hide all the files, it's a neat way to distribute a custom package. I wish I knew about that when I was making my last map, it's just too bad that process isn't functional or consistent?

Well just tried it on two systems now with the same result. Unfortunately for the average user who just likes to play custom user maps and mods without troubleshooting, This [RELEASE] is not functional the way it is. So I have taken the liberty to fix the bug for people who just want to play a working Mod.

Here is the functional download for the [RELEASE] Death Drive Episode

https://dl.dropboxus.../DeathDrive.zip

Just Select Death Drive as the content folder in the Eduke launcher after extracting the .zip file to your Eduke Folder. Since the readme.txt file states that: "You MAY distribute this MAP file through any electronic medium, so long as you include this text file intact with no modifications." I figure I'm allowed to repackage it since nothing in the TXT file has been modified.

[Mister Sinister]

Hey there everybody. Thanks a lot for your feedback! It's very nice to see people enjoying this episode.

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Here I thought balancing, as well as enemy choice and placement, were really well thought throughout the entire episode, and provided challenge in a way that is rarely seen in DN3D maps which reminded me more of Doom. It was so well done it made me forget DN3D's enemies were stupid compared to Doom's, and it made me forget that I know every enemy behaviour by heart (meaning that I was often very surprised by what was coming at me).

Now I understand the midi choices (Doom) : maybe because you took inspiration from Doom (and Doom2) for gameplay; although I thought those musics felt out of place with the maps themselves at times.

That's a very pleasing thing to hear. I believe that level design possibilities in DN3D are not used to it's maximum and there is a lot of room to explore in terms of how gameplay and level design can work together to create unique DN3D experience. That's basically what I was trying to do in Death Drive.
Also, you are right about Doom influence. Most of it comes fom the essense of the game: I think Doom is a game about movement rather than shooting and so is Duke to some extent. That's what inspired level design in this combined with interconnected map layout which was present in almost every original DN3D maps. Music choices are aimed to support the feel and atmosphere of the level, like map#2 Gorestorm is very dark and moody, map#3 Caught and Butchered is very arcade-like and etc.

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just beat map 3, now that one was really good and a welcome break from the non-stop action from the former two (even though this one was quite action-packed as well, especially toward the end). one of the best examples of ammo to monster ratio and wise item placement i have ever seen. in some sections i even had to shrink some of the enemies in a certain order in order to progress

That's cool. As I said before I tried to make this map very arcade-like and I kept in mind games like RoTT. I was really unsure abouth this level, and I think without the whole shrinker gimmik that would've been an average level. As for balancing, if you didn't find any secrets you can miss 10-15 times I think. I've provided just enough ammo to complete the level and still have ammo left.

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The only functional way to play this episode for me was to extract the entire contents of the GRP file using GRPviewer like Blue lighting suggested to a folder inside Eduke such as: C:\eduke32\deathdrive and to run Eduke manually while selecting the custom game content folder -> "Deathdrive" before loading Eduke. That resulted in the episode and everything working. Anyway, I'll try it on a few systems and see if I get different results.

That is something that never happened on either my PC and my laptop. I honestly have no idea what's going on. It's working for other people, so I don't know, really sorry about this inconvinience. I'll update my OP with your download link and instructions just in case, thanks man.

Anyway, really glad you guys like it!
Also, can anyone take the liberty to test this episode for Megaton and upload it on Steam Workshop? I would be very thankful.

[Paul B]

I just want to say I'm into level 4 right now. I chose the 3rd difficulty setting and I'm getting my ass handed to me. But I'm making it through. This is a very challenging episode and it is taking me a while, probably about 1.5 hrs or so per map. The secrets are also challenging to find. The gameplay really pulls me into the game and i forget about time. =)

I REALLY and I mean REALLY love the style, design and layout of each map. It's totally a classic Duke design. You've done an amazing job! I'm on the edge of my seat when I play this, saving constantly not knowing what's going to be thrown at me next. You also managed to place health and ammo perfectly. Meaning you don't really give the player any extra to spare. On each map all items get well used and its just enough to keep forward progression without being a burden. I also like how you restrict the player to certain weapons per map. It really makes the player consider wisely when choosing which guns to use for what AI. It's hard to believe you can pump these maps out in under 20 hrs when they are so intricate.

I think for the most part, my progression is based on a lot of luck. But I really appreciate what you have done! This episode really gives the player a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction once a level is completed.

[NightFright]

Dropping by to leave my heartfelt thank-you to Mister Sinister for giving his kind permission to include this episode with the update for my EDuke32 addon compilation (coming later this year). Haven't had the time to check out the levels yet by myself, but as soon as I have the opportunity to do so, I'll see if my minimal skills are enough for the lowest difficulty setting.

[Max Payne]

I played it and it was pretty fun now i dont know much bout mapping but to me it just wasnt that good here not trying be cruel just my opinion. did not see anything spectacular and the enemies are over whelming :/ wasnt bad though. thought one of the maps was much better then others like i said not horrible but nothing new and overwhelming enemies i used codes to beat

[Mister Sinister]

Hey, there is nothing cruel about what you said, it's all just a matter of opinion Some people will like this quite a lot, some less: I'm fine with that.

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It's hard to believe you can pump these maps out in under 20 hrs when they are so intricate.

Hey, thanks a lot for your feedback, sorry you had some difficulties running it on your PC.
As for 20h limit all I can say is that I have developed a very efficient way of making maps really fast
It's very simple actually: all of my more recent maps come from sketches. I usually draw map layout very briefly on paper and then transfer it into mapster, which is mostly a matter of skill. The hardest one to make was the prison mp, because I suck at making indoor locations.

[Paul B]

Okay, so i've managed to make it to the last level. Rage Pit. This is a really frustrating episode and what's even more frustrating is people review this map without even actually playing the maps. Much like the review at MSDN. First off, its humanly impossible to survive through these maps without dying more than 4 dozen times per map. But as Mikko stated "I never died more than three times in a single map" This is bullshit, because there are some parts of the map such as the final level which just kills you, I've died so many times in just teleporting that i'm losing interest.

If the maps are going to be made this difficult at least make sure the game play is feasible. It's obvious that the first few maps started off with better planning and game play but the further into the game you go the less focus there is on game play and the difficulty just becomes an insane crap shoot.

My first time entering the Rage pit i died from the teleport. I thought I had fallen for a trap and wasn't suppose to go down that way. After scouring the area I noticed it was the only way to proceed. Flukely, I made it through the second time but every time I die in the pit I still go through the struggle of not knowing if my saved game before the teleport will let me back into the pit or if it will just kill me. The more times I try to enter the pit the more times it just kills me. No matter how i enter the pit it keeps randomly killing me. So i checked it out in Mapster and sure enough the destination teleport sector isn't the same size as the original teleport sector, so you get killed immediately upon teleporting.

Of course if the reviewers actually played the game to the end they would have made note of this since the teleporting death happens over 50 percent of the time and there is no way a player can just drop into that pit and survive on the first play through.

I'm disappointed with the way this final level turned out and feel a bit cheated after playing through this episode without some sort of relief at the end of it all. If this was my episode I would have spent a bit more time polishing the end level and providing more cover for Duke while he goes up against all hell.


P.S - Level 4 was really well designed in terms of layout but a bit over populated with tanks and other AI.


To prevent insanity for those who play it:

I would recommend crouching into a corner before dropping into the Rage Pit. This prevents fall damage and doesn't always kill you on teleport. A second tip for those who've made it to the end level on Come Get Some. Forget the goodies in the rage pit and go straight for the steroids and let the AI for the most part kill itself while running around collecting med packs.

I've finished the Rage pit map with a total time of 2 minutes 20 seconds and 110 AI killed.

[Mister Sinister]

Hey there again!

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First off, its humanly impossible to survive through these maps without dying more than 4 dozen times per map

It depends. I personally can blast my way through 1st and 3rd level without dying once (without picking up any of the secrets), but, well, I am the author of this episode so that comes as no surprise I think.

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If the maps are going to be made this difficult at least make sure the game play is feasible.

They are actually, I playtested every map on Get Psyched! difficulty. Every map was designed in such manner so that player will always be able to manage the fights with given weaponary and enviroment like say in map#4 players can climb up the cliffs and bomb bastards from above or take their time to recover or explore to find ammunition and health. Even though you will end up in a fight one way or another there are some really good spots up there you can find. Also, as I said before, every map had a plan

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My first time entering the Rage pit i died from the teleport. I thought I had fallen for a trap and wasn't suppose to go down that way. After scouring the area I noticed it was the only way to proceed. Flukely, I made it through the second time but every time I die in the pit I still go through the struggle of not knowing if my saved game before the teleport will let me back into the pit or if it will just kill me. The more times I try to enter the pit the more times it just kills me. No matter how i enter the pit it keeps randomly killing me. So i checked it out in Mapster and sure enough the destination teleport sector isn't the same size as the original teleport sector, so you get killed immediately upon teleporting.

Now that is something that should not be happening. I think I wanted to update the episode with a few bug fixes including this one, but then my hard disk got screwed, so I couldn't access my PC. Really sorry about that :\
As for gameplay aspect Rage Pit is a bit rushed, however its not like I didn't have a plan. Almost everything in Rage Pit is symmetrical, but I overlooked the fact that players won't know anything about the item placement. It's really hard to make a challenging boss fight in DN3D with bosses this dumb.
The key to success in Rage Pit is figuring out the item pattern and using it to your advantage, as well as rendering monsters harmless via your weaponary or boss. I personally find it very effective to make 2 full laps around the area and then go straight for goodies in center.

Anyway, thanks for your detailed response! I'm glad that you enjoyed the levels to some extent, sorry you didn't like the last one that much!

[Paul B]

Mister Sinister, on 22 June 2015 - 07:54 AM, said:

Anyway, thanks for your detailed response! I'm glad that you enjoyed the levels to some extent, sorry you didn't like the last one that much!

Oh I enjoyed the Episode, probably a bit hard for me on "Come Get Some" based on my skill level. Anyway, I did managed to finish the levels it just got my blood pressure up! LOL! =)

[NightFright]

Small thing I noticed while integrating this episode into the addon compilation: Looks like you were using EDuke32 demos (.edm). Seems you recorded these with an older EDuke32 snapshot, resulting in the demos going out of sync pretty much instantly if you use a more recent build.

To fix this issue, I hope you don't mind if I remove those two demos from the groupfile. It would be too bothersome to always record new demos that work with recent snapshots, anyway, so it's better not to include such files from the beginning.