FIRST BLOOD
CREDITS, COMMENTARY, and other INFORMATION


THERE IS A HALF-ASSED PLOT CONVEYED THROUGH TEXT SCREENS, but only 
work properly in GZDoom and probably other ZDoom-derivative source ports. 
Refer to the "firstb_story" text file if you're that interested.


PLAYTESTED IN ---
	- GZDoom v4.4.2 (primary testing port)
	- DoomRetro v3.6.? (lots of bugs)
	- PrBoom+ v2.5.1.7 (secondary, maps themselves weren't tested on this port originally)

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CREDITS ---

PhobosAnomaly for playtesting, advice, and general support. :)
Inkoalawetrust for advice and information on Doom and UDB
Clippy for his playthroughs on the original version
Everybody else who has helped and left their feedback. Thanks!


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Maps in order of when they were made:	Magical Thinking, Limb from Limb, Final Destination,
(several were created at the same time) 	Cacodemon Rhapsody, 
					Devil Went Down to Georgia, Lambda Complex [II],
					Out of the Casket, Hold Your Ground, The Fallen Arise, 
					Heavy Artillery!, The Shithole, Francis International, 
					Descendant, Encased Then Escapee Now


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MAP 01: ENCASED THEN, ESCAPEE NOW ---

Prior to making this map, I had looked up as much as I could about Doom level design. John Romero said he
made the first level of Doom last, because by doing so players can be presented with a good quality level at
the start. I took that philosophy into account here. Hope you enjoy this map, and you will keep on playing!

This map is a little crazy compared to the next couple levels, I will admit. But I'm sure breaking out of a
zombified prison with Hell breaking through and terraforming the place would be just as intense in real life. 
Good luck doing a UV-speed or UV-pacifist of this.

MUSIC: "Battle" from Final Fantasy 1 / Final Fantasy Origins - sequenced by Tim Wilson


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MAP 02: THE SHITHOLE ---
		
Brown. Brown EVERYTHING. With a few exceptions. One of the most unpopular colors of	
all time has become a trend throughout this area. Find a way out of this place that	
some unimaginative dickhead built some time ago with little regards for other colors...


MUSIC: "Adrian's Asleep" (Doom II - Map 25)


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MAP 03: DEVIL WENT DOWN TO GEORGIA ---
	
I realized that the maps I made up to this point were pretty complex and difficult in a
way, better suited as late-game maps. So I decided to relax a little and focus on a map that might fit
somewhere between MAP05-10 in a typical 30-map megaWAD. There are a couple higher-
tier enemies, but they can be easily defeated, not through conventional means or in the 
heat of a battle.

The first level in which I started using water, giving most of this level an underground works vibe
or whatever. What do they say nowadays?

Obviously, the title is a reference to the song of the same name, mostly popularized by Guitar 
Hero, another amazing game, as well as Clone Hero, the all-around-better shareware version.


MUSIC:	"The Demon's Dead" (Doom II - Maps 10, 16)


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MAP 04: OUT OF THE CASKET ---	

I originally planned to make the Descendant map here, but a wide open area didn't seem 
like a good idea, and I didn't really have plans for it just yet.

I'm sure people can agree that skies really open up the whole map, seeming like there's more
space and all. I planned this map to be something following you escaping from the UAC or
something, hence the title. I wanted to make another relatively-simple map, too. But who can
resist Hell Knight traps and Chaingunners in open areas? It shouldn't be too bad if you know
what you're doing.

The hellish building on the south side serves no purpose other than lost souls coming from
under it. I really wanted to step up my architecture skills in this one, with that building,
X platform...windows on the UAC building, and so on. This took about...7 or 8 hours to make?
I don't remember. All I know is that I'm quite proud of this map. And I seem to have a fondness
for mazes.	

This map was submitted for Round 2 of Decino's viewer submissions, but didn't make it in time.


MUSIC:	"Between Levels" (Doom II - Map 04) (unchanged)


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MAP05: MAGICAL THINKING  --- 		

This is the very first map that I created. One fairly-small experimental map, hence the title.
The layout itself took quite a while to finalize, as I was still getting the mechanics of Doom 
Builder and Game Configurations down, with a lot of texture problems in the way. This was 
basically a test map through the first room, first hallway, blue door room, and the nukage pool room.
				
The first room was inspired by the star-like design of E3M8 in Doom 1...the nukage room
was inspired by a similar cacodemon trap in Doom II's The Tenements... I first began work
on this WAD after finishing Doom 1, Doom 2, and Final Doom.
				
Of course, with your first few maps you're just throwing ideas out there, room after room.
So do expect some linearity and pisspoor basic room shapes, if you're that finicky.
The difficulty really takes a curve AS THE MAP GOES, too. Like an entire WAD in one map. 
Encounters on UV were built around not getting hit by too many projectiles, something I tend to 
savescum to if I get hit too badly. This map introduces the Revenants (and Mancubi on UV),
prominent in only the last few portions of this map.


MUSIC:	"Dark Halls" (Doom - E1M3)


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MAP 06: FRANCIS INTERNATIONAL ---	

The secret MAP31 is accessible in this one.

This map started out as a tragedy. A random room-after-room layout with little idea of anything in mind.
Until PhobosAnomaly came by and gave me some feedback on the rough draft after doing his usual
blind playthrough. I then made an outside area and connected as many areas as I could.
I love this map, because THIS is where I figured out how to use conveyor belts (carrying sectors) in 
Boom-compatible source ports. From here, I could go back and really spice up the other maps, too...

Monster counts, as fascinating as they may be, usually mean nothing. There could be 30 archviles or 
1000 imps in a map. With the kill count, you are still never really sure of what to expect. And I think this 
map really enforces that. Some more monsters get introduced here in the form of a Dead Simple-esque 
map, and after that it kinda delves into some nonstop push-forward, arena-like combat that I always 
enjoy with classic Doom. Plenty of room, plenty of ammo, and plenty of monsters to massacre has always 
been the kind of Doom I like to play. There will be another map similar to this, but with a sense of 
progression and more awesome music.

Hope you enjoy this one!

Side note: This is probably the only map in which, later on, I pimped up a bit for deathmatch.


MUSIC:	"Kaon" from Half Life 2 - sequenced by William Ascenzo


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MAP 07: THE FALLEN ARISE ---
	
This map came together after a sudden problem with the nodebuilders across all Doom Builders	
I had, which was causing them to crash upon trying to do Save Map Into with any PWAD.
After getting that resolved, I decided to make a map that would "introduce" the Cyberdemon,
after you get some other stuff done in the level. 
So, first half done. Good job if you've made it this far...but this is really where it gets challenging...


SPOILERS AS YOU READ BELOW:


I figured out how to make it so you can see the Cyberdemon, but he can't see you and you can't
shoot him - like a display on the podium. The Plutonia Experiment did this a lot.

The problem is, the room is so vertically large that it takes a while for the sector surrounding the
Cyberdemon to lower completely, so I had the player get lost in a little switch-puzzle-maze-thing 
before being able to get back outside and fight.

But wait...there's more! I'm sure millions of WADs and games have done this - you fight one big
boss, but then you have to fight two of them at the same time...Doom Eternal does this with its
first boss battle, and Doom 2016 does this with its second boss battle.

Also, this is where I figured out how to make the player start the next map via pistolstart, as this 
is the last map of the first half of the WAD. Don't worry about the Romero Head in the map, it's
just for this reason, and doesn't mean anything special.


MUSIC: 	"Into Sandy's City" (Doom II - Map 09)


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MAP 08 : LIMB FROM LIMB ---
	
So I showed my younger brother (9 years-old at the time) Doom and the whole mapmaking
ordeal. We decided to make a map together. I had planned for us to do a "Shots Fired" map
(I wrote down a list of map names to use), but we quickly deviated from the idea. 
He came up with the idea for the layout, I put the items down and did the lighting. 
He placed the enemies (sort of) and I balanced it out.

This map, as if it isn't clear enough, was heavily inspired by Doom II's Barrels o' Fun,
and shares the same music from it.

HINT: If going from a pistol start, the chaingun is your best friend as you run straight through 
everything. Do not bother trying to fight everything...until you get to the last room 
and you want 100%...


MUSIC:	"Bye Bye American Pie" (Doom II - Map 23)


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MAP 09 : DESCENDANT --- 		

This is the official introduction to the BFG9000, even though it was pretty accessible
in earlier levels...I'll say no more. But also our favorite and most unique enemy in the franchise.
Why not go a little berserk in this one? ;)

This level was originally Lambda Complex I, taking place around the actual lambda symbol from 
Half-Life, then the following map would be Lambda Complex II. But I decided to replace LC1 with
this map - LC1 was the second or third map I made, and it sucked. Too big, too empty...enough to
cause the all-ghost glitch. (ex. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Sh2Okl9zLI )

This map was also originally called BFG Division as an obvious reference to the BFG and the track 
we all know and love, but I decided to change it for a better reference.
The music for this map is called Climb, but in the beginning you descend into the action...

I will admit, most of the rooms I just pulled out of my ass when I was bored and had little ideas.
Oh well, this one still turned out pretty good.


MUSIC:	"Climb" from Quake II - sequenced by Jay Reichard


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MAP 10 : LAMBDA COMPLEX --- 

[Insert Fair Use disclaimer here]

This map was originally Lambda Complex II.
With the large open areas in the older MAP09 came a good difficulty. So I had to be sure to carry 
that mindset into this one. Starting off with a Helltrap (just now came up with that name) and 
2/3/5 Hell Knights. It could be either easier or tougher if you go for the secret in this first room.

This is the first map in which I started using Archviles throughout, as annoying 
as they may be. Most of them are NOT, I repeat, NOT, thrown in a tiny open room for you to
fend off by yourself. There will be stuff and some cover for you to fight them efficiently.
Or look around for a non-conventional way...
But if all else fails, well...keep trying. I don't know.

I also started throwing in some architecture and doodling here and there. There's that, I guess.
Have fun with this one.

MUSIC:	"DOOM" - (Doom II - Maps 05, 13)


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MAP 11: HOLD YOUR GROUND ---	

I'm sure you can guess what the main objective of most encounters are in this map.
		
This was heavily inspired by Danne and Ribbiks' hard-earned Sunlust megaWAD. In fact, this 
whole WAD might be inspired by it. The insane architecture (mainly MAP30: God Machine) 
and the "holding out until the lift lowers" in some of the maps greatly inspired me for this map, 
not only to keep up the architecture and lighting, but also up the ante in difficulty and
implement some more creative and puzzle-like fights (not just in this level). Check out their 
Sunlust WAD. They worked hard on it and it's beautiful...but also absolutely brutal.
https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom2/Ports/megawads/sunlust

Funny enough, the lower part of the main area is a face if you look at it right...I never 
noticed until a friend pointed it out, and it's weird as hell. We dubbed this "the face map". XD

There is a bit of slaughter put into this, mainly in the wide open 2-minute holdout. But at 
least there's plenty of room for you to move about and plenty of resources...


See, the problem with making structures and all sorts of cool stuff is that you have to
compensate gameplay with design. When playing vanilla Doom, you can't
look up or down and take a good look at everything. And what about that 100% kills thing?
It's gotta be possible one way or another. There should always be a way to reach most areas,
and always be a way to access that BFG that you put a teleport linedef trap in front of.
You can be a dick to players, but only to an extent.

Aside from Heavy Artillery, this map is one of the longest that took me to take, especially in
finalizing. One of those bigger, open maps. Have fun!


MUSIC:	"Message for the Archvile" (Doom II - Maps 20, 26)


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MAP 12: CACODEMON RHAPSODY ---	

There's probably more story for this than any other map: You've stumbled upon the ultimate
lair of the cacodemons, their own personal home in Hell. Their leader resides somewhere 
on these islands. Find a way out of there or fight them all off, for these are the last remaining 
cacodemons you're going to see.

So yeah, if you don't like being in a wide-open area with 102/192/273 floating tomatoes and a damaging 
floor, hey, it could be worse! I could make this map Elemental Rhapsody instead!

ADVICE: But really...your best bet is to not linger in one place or return to it immediately after. 
Avoid getting swarmed if at all possible and keep moving forward. There are plenty of resources
provided throughout the map for you to take them out...if you really want to...

This map was a lot of fun to make and playtest, but also brought forth some challenges for
me to learn and take from building this.
This is the first map in which I used a sky, which proved to be more difficult to work with
when it came to doors and ceilings, as well as a more rocky, rugged landscape rather than
the typical (and VERY common) indoors maps.
The problem is, if the player has enough health, they can run through the entire map on
the damaging floor and take a later teleporter...I had to accomodate for this and have as
many as I could revert you to the main island or the colored key doors...as frustrating as 
that might be.

Later on, I decided to improve on the whole "personal lair of the Cacodemons", now knowing
how to use the sky properly, by creating some nice buildings around the place. I like it. 
What do you think?

The name of the map comes from a popular video of the same name: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrCQtlFUjZs


MUSIC: 	"Shawn's Got the Shotgun" (Doom II - Maps 07, 19, 29)


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MAP 13: HEAVY ARTILLERY! ---	

Be aggressive. Be vengeful. Be on your toes and focus, for this is the final stretch before your
encounter with the leader of the demons. The storm before the calm. It will soon be all over,
after you fight through these monstrosities he keeps throwing at you, without mercy or hesitation,
and enter his complex chock-full of his last few guarding monsters.
This had better be worth it. There will be blood, sweat, and tears...but only from the demons. 
YOU will keep on fighting; until there is no more.

HINT: There is a secret fight near the end that, while tough as nails, yields a lot of supplies.


MUSIC:	"Into the Beast's Belly" (Final Doom: TNT Evilution - Maps 08, 27, 30)

				
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MAP 14: FINAL DESTINATION ---	

Well...your friend has finally gone off the deep end. He's gonna have to
lay off those drinks and stop luring you into random buildings full of demons...
But despite him, you have found the hell-leader's location. His presence has
never been this strong...all that's left is to face him.

HINT: Sometimes all it takes is a single sacrifice.

Thank you for playing.



SPOILERS BELOW!!!

So, a little bit of storytime to close out the set. I've heard that the Icon of Sin is a widely-hated 
and very trivial boss, simply consisting of nine textures on a wall and a hole in its head to get 
up to and shoot rockets into.
"Honestly the most fucking obnoxious boss fight I have ever, EVER played!" -RockyRockhead
So I thought, why not make an Icon of Sin map, but with a completely different concept, making
a better use of the spawn cubes? (Somebody's probably done this, but I haven't seen it yet and
I am still new to Doom mapping.)
				
I was mainly inspired by the vanilla MAP30 music, "Opening to Hell". It sounds very eerie and
gloomy for the first two minutes, so I thought why not make a dark little maze to open up the
map and capture that feeling?
(EDIT: It definitely does provide a break for the player after the previous map. Saying this as I'm
making that one.)
Even if the Spectres do kinda ruin it, it is meant to make the player nervous about what is to 
come. What's with the piles of dead demons? Who came before, and who killed their own kind?


MUSIC:	"Opening to Hell" (Doom II - Map 30)