Along with writing and a few other interests, I’ve discovered an interest in creating new level maps for ID Software’s classic 1990s FPS, Doom (or more accurately, its sequel, Doom II). As it seems a shame to let them disappear completely, I’ve added them here for your enjoyment.
Doom and Doom II are, naturally, rather old now and unlikely to run on modern PCs without a lot of effort. Fortunately there is a better way – download and install a modern engine. I’d recommend GZDoom, which provides full support not only for the classic Doom games but also a number of other games from the same ilk (including Hexen and Heretic). It also supports a lot of new features that modern level creators have embraced and which don’t work on the classic games.
You’ll need to find a copy of the main DOOM2.WAD file, however, which contains all the level data and content for Doom II. Your best bet, if you don’t already have a copy, is to buy it for pennies at somewhere like GOG.COM.
Download the relevant ZIP file and extract the WAD file from it. Check the instructions for GZDoom or whatever engine you’re using to launch the WAD.
In June 2003 I submitted my first ever Doom maps to an annual online event known as RAMP. They were reasonably well received for beginner maps. These are both entirely “vanilla” and should run happily even with older, classic versions of Doom II.
Quarters – my first map, and rather ambitious. Despite a number of misaligned textures and other errors, I’m still rather proud of this one. I’ve fixed the most glaring problems before posting it here but I’ve decided to leave everything else alone. It’s a little rough around the edges but fun.
Easy As Pie – I had some time left to submit another map and I threw together this one fairly quickly. It’s something of a gimmicky map and it could become very irritating if you don’t figure out the pattern. Once you do, it really is easy as pie.
For June 2024 I submitted three maps to the annual RAMP project. All three of them use GZDoom features and need to be run in that engine. All three also require some textures from OTEX 1.1, which needs to be loaded at the same time, and can be obtained here.
Cacoroids – early experimentation with ZScript saw me creating a bunch of custom versions of the Cacodemon, one of Doom’s most recognisable monsters. Given how spherical these demons are, I was reminded of a much older game; “Cacoroids” is a portmanteau of “Cacodemon” and “Asteroids”. Shoot them, and they’ll split up into smaller versions! There are six waves of different type and increasing difficulty. Can you survive them all?
Pain – a much more adventurous effort into ZScript, which saw me adapting a number of custom monsters and weapons from Realm667. I even ended up making a simple “weapon” of my own from scratch! Your mission is to find and destroy Zagreus, but all the weapons at your disposal are powered by your own health. Make every shot count, and collect all the health bonuses you can! Many thanks go to A Handsome Fridge for his music, and thanks also go to Mark Sheeky for the use of some of his artwork.
Roulette – I wasn’t intending to make three maps, but I had some time left and I was curious about using portal redirection. This map is a collection of six different “zones”, each with a different key, and you need to beat them all to open the exit door. The order of these zones is randomised at the start of the map, so it’s different every time.
Outpost Theta – my first map to use the newer features available within GZDoom, so it may not work on other engines.
Bounty Hunter – largely built as a project to try out ACS scripting. Again, will probably need GZDoom to run. In order to buy new weapons and more ammunition, you’ll need to hunt down monsters. Can you find the three skull keys and defeat the tyrannical Cyberdemon? Thanks go to Emperor S P O O N for the town area’s music.
Barrelling Along – a more “vanilla” format (MBF21) map that will work happily in GZDoom and many other emulators. This was built as a challenge map that had to fulfil at least three restrictions from a list. This particular map has four of them: 1024 x 1024 map size, 1 monster type (Imp), 3 textures and 3 flats, including a bunch of explosive barrels. It’s a short and relatively simple map to play, but it turned out rather well. Thanks go to Emperor S P O O N for the map’s music, “Zero”.
Demonic Pub Crawl – born as an experiment with some ACS scripting to simulate the player being drunk, I ended up turning a simple looping map into a detailed mini-level. Every loop around, the effect grows worse – can you get past the obstacles and shoot your targets when you can’t even walk in a straight line? Built using UDMF format, so requires GZDoom.
Demon Incursion – not a single map but an entire episode (eight regular maps plus a secret level), built in MBF21 format (so should be compatible with anything Boom-supporting). You’ve been called in to a military base in trouble and find it invaded by demons. Can you stop the incursion? This was mostly assembled during October 2024 for NaNoWADMo, but I ran out of time and ended up finishing it in December and January.