[EDIT] Gatehouse has been updated based on the useful feedback provided the D3W community. Go here at Planet Doom for the latest file while I work on getting the one at FileFront updated. You can also download the Gatehouse from FileFront (outdated), but it is outdated. I'm still trying to get a hold of someone there.

Some of the fixes/updates I made include:

- Improved the looks of some eyesore textures, including those outdoor trees and the ugly skybox.
- Reduced the number of encounters with pouncing imps.
- Reduced the total number of trites (ticks) during ambushes.
- Replaced a Hell Knight with monsters that can fit in the hall better.
- Smooth-clipped some torches and some other areas the player can get stuck on.
- Re-did the lighting in the Gatehouse and in some other areas.

It doesn't seem like a good idea to always update one single map all the time, so that's the only update I'm going to make. Anyway, here are some screenshots, the first one being an updated view of the outdoor area with all the changes made:

I could show more pics, but I think you'll have more of a blast exploring it yourselves. :wink:

Here's a prologue, for those who are wondering why there is modern technology littered throughout the gatehouse:

It appeared from out of the mist.

“Every century, it materializes under the full moon” says the inhabitants of a secluded European village. They say that a dreadful king of demons inhabits this mystical castle and that his curse is what allows this fortress to return every 100 years.

"Nothing but superstitious fairy tales." That’s what people would have thought the last time this anomaly appeared. But things have changed. Two decades ago, Mankind was nearly exterminated by an army of pure evil. This "curse" will not go unnoticed this time!

Mankind needed to act quickly. They did not waste time sending in a recon team to gather intel. Instead, a strike team was immediately dispatched to neutralize whatever threat is lurking inside this hellish stronghold. After all, we don’t want them (whatever is in there) to make the first move. It’s too risky.

* * * * *

Hello, Marine! You’ve been assigned to this crummy job. Your squad has set up camp in a secured Gatehouse at the castle’s main entrance. Service lights, beds, and supply crates cover the floors and walls of this ancient brick structure.

The past few days has been nonstop killing of any and all demons that lurk in the dark corridors of these looming structures. Most of the squad entered the heart of the castle. Only a handful of marines, including yourself, was left to guard the entrance, just in case the demons try to trap you all inside.

For the past few hours, you have sat out in the brisk canyon just shy of the drawbridge, listening to the radio chatter of gunfire and growls. Guard duty sucks ass.

Suddenly, you hear pistols firing off in the Gatehouse nearby—it was supposed to be secure! Get the hell back in there and help your squadmates! If these monsters are ever allowed to leave the premises, Humanity can once again face genocide. The source of this threat must be eliminated. Your mission is simple: kill without question. This place needs to be cleaned up before it becomes another Hell-Portal.

NOTE TO ALL MEDIEVAL MAPPERS:
I am giving full permission for everyone to use my media (textures, models, etc.) for their own new maps, as long as they credit my name in their own readme's. Should any of you need my custom assets, there are additional instructions in my readme file labeled "evilartist001.txt". You need to read ALL of those instructions, as it will limit confusion and complications in distribution.

I would like to thank eVolution and bladeghost for helping me find some suitable sounds for this map's ambience. Thanks, guys. You've been a big help.

There are other things I may be forgetting to mention, but I'll add them in later when I finally remember. My WIP thread is right here, just in case you're interested.

I wouldn't have released this in it's current state, but oh well, what can ya do =)

I plan making changes based on your suggestions, Zombie13. Don't worry.

I played it through, and will offer my own points:

Architecturally, I thought it was very good- captured the medieval feel well. I cut it some slack on the skybox front as, to be honest, I'm yet to see an impressive detailed skybox that wasn't taken straight out of Bryce.

Gameplay- I thought it was mostly good up until the point when you get the key, except for the repetitive sections with spiders (I think the spiders coming out of the holes was a good idea, just there was too many of them!). Strong sense of suspense in particular.

I didn't particularly enjoy the bit on the way back from the key, retracing my steps and fighting off lots of monsters that were teleporting in- it was predictable and repetitive. I'd suggest adding a few additional areas that open up, or maybe make the player go back a slightly different route, though I don't know if the map design would allow for this.

hellstorm27 wrote:

Architecturally, I thought it was very good- captured the medieval feel well. I cut it some slack on the skybox front as, to be honest, I'm yet to see an impressive detailed skybox that wasn't taken straight out of Bryce.

I had included two skyboxes with this map, one that's just the sky (which actually turned out fine) and the other that has the castle (which is a disaster). You guys think I should just lose the latter skybox and use the "sky only" box the whole way?

evilartist wrote:

hellstorm27 wrote:

Architecturally, I thought it was very good- captured the medieval feel well. I cut it some slack on the skybox front as, to be honest, I'm yet to see an impressive detailed skybox that wasn't taken straight out of Bryce.

I had included two skyboxes with this map, one that's just the sky (which actually turned out fine) and the other that has the castle (which is a disaster). You guys think I should just lose the latter skybox and use the "sky only" box the whole way?

Of the choice of the two, I would go for the normal sky.

As per your guys' suggestions, I made some updates to the map. I am now pretty satisfied with the map. I'm happy the way it turned out, and I appreciate the feedback you guys have given me. Any of it that I didn't apply to Gatehouse will no doubt be applied in my future maps.

The only problem now is that there doesn't seem to be any obvious way to send updated versions of my files to FileFront or to Planet Doom. I could've sworn I saw features to do that. Was it all just in my head?

The outside area really looks great now that I added more color to those trees. Originally, I assumed that the trees didn't need light because of how the moon was behind them. But, I had given it thought and now I agree that a decent green looks better than black. But, what to do about updating...I have yet to find an answer.

evilartist wrote:

As per your guys' suggestions, I made some updates to the map. I am now pretty satisfied with the map. I'm happy the way it turned out, and I appreciate the feedback you guys have given me. Any of it that I didn't apply to Gatehouse will no doubt be applied in my future maps.

The only problem now is that there doesn't seem to be any obvious way to send updated versions of my files to FileFront or to Planet Doom. I could've sworn I saw features to do that. Was it all just in my head?

The outside area really looks great now that I added more color to those trees. Originally, I assumed that the trees didn't need light because of how the moon was behind them. But, I had given it thought and now I agree that a decent green looks better than black. But, what to do about updating...I have yet to find an answer.

Good to hear. One thing for future releases, take your time, and don't feel like you have to get something out on release because of something, that way you can avoid having to update a final release over and over

Just give pappy-r a nudge, he's a handy guy.

Evil, I really enjoyed this map. There were several parts that scared the shit out of me, and if anyone can do that in a DOOM 3 map I'm very well pleased. The overall design is awesome, the castle is very nicely built and had a nice atmosphere to it. I felt as if I was playing a newly designed Quake level on the DOOM 3 engine, again nicely done.

I did notice in one part of your map that there was some Z-fighting, not a big deal as it was one small area. It's right at the beginning when you go into the room to grab your first shotgun and the marine is trapped inside a small cage. I can't post a picture as I'm not at home, but if you can't find it I'll gladly post one later tonight.

As mentioned before, the castle skybox is a little distorted and I would stick to the original sky (if this hasn't been applied to your update already). I would love to play your updated map and I will definitely send this to a friend of mine. I've saved your map and it's going into my personal DOOM 3 favorite maps folder.

Thank you so much for the honorable mention, I greatly appreciate it.

Keep up the awesome job, I'd love to see a sequel to this level.

Zombie13 wrote:

Good to hear. One thing for future releases, take your time, and don't feel like you have to get something out on release because of something, that way you can avoid having to update a final release over and over

I started out taking my time back when I started in August, but the recent pressures in my outside life have forced me to put more effort into releasing my map, which unfortunately turned into reckless rushing. I won't do that again. But, I would like to state for the record: I won't be updating "over and over again," as my recent effort to do so seems to imply. That's the only update I'm going to make. Any faults that I have neglected to address will definitely be remembered the next time I make a map.

Zombie13 wrote:

Just give pappy-r a nudge, he's a handy guy.

Yeah, I've been corresponding with him via PM.

eVolution wrote:

I did notice in one part of your map that there was some Z-fighting, not a big deal as it was one small area. It's right at the beginning when you go into the room to grab your first shotgun and the marine is trapped inside a small cage. I can't post a picture as I'm not at home, but if you can't find it I'll gladly post one later tonight.

Crap, I missed that one. :shock:

Oh, well.

eVolution wrote:

Thank you so much for the honorable mention, I greatly appreciate it.

Anytime, eVo.

As for the sequel part, you're not the first person to ask for that. Unfortunately, I'm a little tired of medieval stuff for now. I just want to take a break from that and do something for Quake 4. Sorry. But hey, there's a whole new texture and model palette available for you now. Try 'em out. I'll admit that some of the textures suck, but just check and see how I use them in gatehouse.

evilartist wrote:

eVolution wrote:

I did notice in one part of your map that there was some Z-fighting, not a big deal as it was one small area. It's right at the beginning when you go into the room to grab your first shotgun and the marine is trapped inside a small cage. I can't post a picture as I'm not at home, but if you can't find it I'll gladly post one later tonight.

Crap, I missed that one. :shock:

Oh, well.

Here's the link to the image of what I found. It's probably hard to see but its in that first room right at the beginning.

http://img409.imageshack.us/img409/8853 ... ingjy9.jpg

evilartist wrote:

eVolution wrote:

Thank you so much for the honorable mention, I greatly appreciate it.

Anytime, eVo.

As for the sequel part, you're not the first person to ask for that. Unfortunately, I'm a little tired of medieval stuff for now. I just want to take a break from that and do something for Quake 4. Sorry. But hey, there's a whole new texture and model palette available for you now. Try 'em out. I'll admit that some of the textures suck, but just check and see how I use them in gatehouse.

Hey, not a problem.

I'll be glad to try and see what kind of map I can come up with. I'll be sure to get your input if I need some help/ideas.

I really enjoyed the level, very nice! Great atmosphere and unique scenery. It was also cool to have some story bits through the PDA mails. Many mappers ignore these storytelling possibilities so I was happy you made some use of it, it adds a lot IMO.

Combat was good in general, and the side area branching off in the lower parts of the castle made the level a little less linear, which is great.
The custom ambient sounds are nice, but the music loops are a bit overdone IMO. They repeat too much and wash out the ambient sound.

The spider Ticks confused me, I first got the impression you included some endless respawn clip because they were so damn many (thankfully not!). So after the 10th spider I tried rushing past them only to get wasted... The fight against the Hellknight on the spiral staircase felt a bit awkward (well it´s at least somehow historically accurate because defenders used bottle necks like that to fight off intruders...). But apart from that, really good!

One thing I found unnecessary was the restrictive level design, with doors sealing off the areas you previously explored. It´s such a cool scenery to explore, so it´s a bit sad that you don´t let the player walk arround freely. For example, the death of the final monster could trigger the previously locked doors unlocked, to give the player a chance to stock up on health and look for secrets (are there any?) before continuing to the next level. Also the level exit wasn´t clear, which is as well an unnecessary restrictive element.

Thanks for the nice level, and also for the cool medieval custom models and textures!

Very nice map with a great layout. I didn't think the castle sky box looked too bad apart from in the cinematic. It felt a little cramped in some areas especially the stairs and it needs an ending. That apart, excellent

I updated the map for those of you who couldn't stand looking at black trees and getting pounced on by many imps. See the very first post for the link a list of updates.

love the update, Evil. I recorded a small video of it over on YouTube, I posted your map link up for download so it can grab some attention. Let me know when you get those other sites updated, I'll be sure to post the links on YouTube as well.

Here's a HQ video of Gatehouse that I recorded earlier this week.

nice trailer- I'm usually pretty lazy about downloading maps, but the youtube video sold me.

The green of the trees/foliage still looks out of place- you should desaturate and dim it until it matches the color scheme of the rest of the scene- since it's nighttime you might even put some silvery/cool blueish purple tones into it.

Haven't played doom3 in a while, so I found myself audibly cursing very loud at the screen when I was getting surprised and I had to resort to cheats halfway through to make it. Are there difficulty settings?

About the ticks: having ticks/trites pounce from out of nowhere at that close of a range will have me screaming obscenities at my PC screen quicker than ANYTHING in Doom3. I ABSOLUTELY HATE trites/ticks with that much passion,.

LinuxDoomer wrote:

Haven't played doom3 in a while, so I found myself audibly cursing very loud at the screen when I was getting surprised and I had to resort to cheats halfway through to make it. Are there difficulty settings?

About the ticks: having ticks/trites pounce from out of nowhere at that close of a range will have me screaming obscenities at my PC screen quicker than ANYTHING in Doom3. I ABSOLUTELY HATE trites/ticks with that much passion,.

LMFAO, I know what you mean. I do the same thing with the chaingun zombie/commando. Every time he pops out of nowhere and runs, I curse the screen until he's dead, he's the only zombie I despise.

eVolution wrote:

LinuxDoomer wrote:

Haven't played doom3 in a while, so I found myself audibly cursing very loud at the screen when I was getting surprised and I had to resort to cheats halfway through to make it. Are there difficulty settings?

About the ticks: having ticks/trites pounce from out of nowhere at that close of a range will have me screaming obscenities at my PC screen quicker than ANYTHING in Doom3. I ABSOLUTELY HATE trites/ticks with that much passion,.

LMFAO, I know what you mean. I do the same thing with the chaingun zombie/commando. Every time he pops out of nowhere and runs, I curse the screen until he's dead, he's the only zombie I despise.

I forgot about that, the chaingun zombies make me do that too.

eVolution wrote:

love the update, Evil. I recorded a small video of it over on YouTube, I posted your map link up for download so it can grab some attention. Let me know when you get those other sites updated, I'll be sure to post the links on YouTube as well.

Here's a HQ video of Gatehouse that I recorded earlier this week.

Thanks, eVo. Much appreicated.

LinuxDoomer wrote:

Haven't played doom3 in a while, so I found myself audibly cursing very loud at the screen when I was getting surprised and I had to resort to cheats halfway through to make it. Are there difficulty settings?

Sorry. No Difficulty Settings. I'll keep it in mind next time (after I figure out how to play a custom map without the default "Normal" settings :lol:

)

eVolution wrote:

LMFAO, I know what you mean. I do the same thing with the chaingun zombie/commando. Every time he pops out of nowhere and runs, I curse the screen until he's dead, he's the only zombie I despise.

Huh? Are you talking about the commandos that run up and melee you, like the one the Archvile spawns? Or do you mean the ones with chainguns at the end of the level? I personally like them. Plus, I made it easier to avoid their attacks by making them teleport while you're still up on the bridge. Plenty of cover that way.

[EDIT] Gatehouse has been updated based on the useful feedback provided the D3W community. Go here at Planet Doom for the latest file while I work on getting the one at FileFront updated. You can also download the Gatehouse from FileFront (outdated), but it is outdated. I'm still trying to get a hold of someone there.

Some of the fixes/updates I made include:

- Improved the looks of some eyesore textures, including those outdoor trees and the ugly skybox.
- Reduced the number of encounters with pouncing imps.
- Reduced the total number of trites (ticks) during ambushes.
- Replaced a Hell Knight with monsters that can fit in the hall better.
- Smooth-clipped some torches and some other areas the player can get stuck on.
- Re-did the lighting in the Gatehouse and in some other areas.

It doesn't seem like a good idea to always update one single map all the time, so that's the only update I'm going to make. Anyway, here are some screenshots, the first one being an updated view of the outdoor area with all the changes made:

I could show more pics, but I think you'll have more of a blast exploring it yourselves. :wink:

Here's a prologue, for those who are wondering why there is modern technology littered throughout the gatehouse:

It appeared from out of the mist.

“Every century, it materializes under the full moon” says the inhabitants of a secluded European village. They say that a dreadful king of demons inhabits this mystical castle and that his curse is what allows this fortress to return every 100 years.

"Nothing but superstitious fairy tales." That’s what people would have thought the last time this anomaly appeared. But things have changed. Two decades ago, Mankind was nearly exterminated by an army of pure evil. This "curse" will not go unnoticed this time!

Mankind needed to act quickly. They did not waste time sending in a recon team to gather intel. Instead, a strike team was immediately dispatched to neutralize whatever threat is lurking inside this hellish stronghold. After all, we don’t want them (whatever is in there) to make the first move. It’s too risky.

* * * * *

Hello, Marine! You’ve been assigned to this crummy job. Your squad has set up camp in a secured Gatehouse at the castle’s main entrance. Service lights, beds, and supply crates cover the floors and walls of this ancient brick structure.

The past few days has been nonstop killing of any and all demons that lurk in the dark corridors of these looming structures. Most of the squad entered the heart of the castle. Only a handful of marines, including yourself, was left to guard the entrance, just in case the demons try to trap you all inside.

For the past few hours, you have sat out in the brisk canyon just shy of the drawbridge, listening to the radio chatter of gunfire and growls. Guard duty sucks ass.

Suddenly, you hear pistols firing off in the Gatehouse nearby—it was supposed to be secure! Get the hell back in there and help your squadmates! If these monsters are ever allowed to leave the premises, Humanity can once again face genocide. The source of this threat must be eliminated. Your mission is simple: kill without question. This place needs to be cleaned up before it becomes another Hell-Portal.

NOTE TO ALL MEDIEVAL MAPPERS:
I am giving full permission for everyone to use my media (textures, models, etc.) for their own new maps, as long as they credit my name in their own readme's. Should any of you need my custom assets, there are additional instructions in my readme file labeled "evilartist001.txt". You need to read ALL of those instructions, as it will limit confusion and complications in distribution.

I would like to thank eVolution and bladeghost for helping me find some suitable sounds for this map's ambience. Thanks, guys. You've been a big help.

There are other things I may be forgetting to mention, but I'll add them in later when I finally remember. My WIP thread is right here, just in case you're interested.

I wouldn't have released this in it's current state, but oh well, what can ya do =)

I plan making changes based on your suggestions, Zombie13. Don't worry.

I played it through, and will offer my own points:

Architecturally, I thought it was very good- captured the medieval feel well. I cut it some slack on the skybox front as, to be honest, I'm yet to see an impressive detailed skybox that wasn't taken straight out of Bryce.

Gameplay- I thought it was mostly good up until the point when you get the key, except for the repetitive sections with spiders (I think the spiders coming out of the holes was a good idea, just there was too many of them!). Strong sense of suspense in particular.

I didn't particularly enjoy the bit on the way back from the key, retracing my steps and fighting off lots of monsters that were teleporting in- it was predictable and repetitive. I'd suggest adding a few additional areas that open up, or maybe make the player go back a slightly different route, though I don't know if the map design would allow for this.

hellstorm27 wrote:

Architecturally, I thought it was very good- captured the medieval feel well. I cut it some slack on the skybox front as, to be honest, I'm yet to see an impressive detailed skybox that wasn't taken straight out of Bryce.

I had included two skyboxes with this map, one that's just the sky (which actually turned out fine) and the other that has the castle (which is a disaster). You guys think I should just lose the latter skybox and use the "sky only" box the whole way?

evilartist wrote:

hellstorm27 wrote:

Architecturally, I thought it was very good- captured the medieval feel well. I cut it some slack on the skybox front as, to be honest, I'm yet to see an impressive detailed skybox that wasn't taken straight out of Bryce.

I had included two skyboxes with this map, one that's just the sky (which actually turned out fine) and the other that has the castle (which is a disaster). You guys think I should just lose the latter skybox and use the "sky only" box the whole way?

Of the choice of the two, I would go for the normal sky.

As per your guys' suggestions, I made some updates to the map. I am now pretty satisfied with the map. I'm happy the way it turned out, and I appreciate the feedback you guys have given me. Any of it that I didn't apply to Gatehouse will no doubt be applied in my future maps.

The only problem now is that there doesn't seem to be any obvious way to send updated versions of my files to FileFront or to Planet Doom. I could've sworn I saw features to do that. Was it all just in my head?

The outside area really looks great now that I added more color to those trees. Originally, I assumed that the trees didn't need light because of how the moon was behind them. But, I had given it thought and now I agree that a decent green looks better than black. But, what to do about updating...I have yet to find an answer.

evilartist wrote:

As per your guys' suggestions, I made some updates to the map. I am now pretty satisfied with the map. I'm happy the way it turned out, and I appreciate the feedback you guys have given me. Any of it that I didn't apply to Gatehouse will no doubt be applied in my future maps.

The only problem now is that there doesn't seem to be any obvious way to send updated versions of my files to FileFront or to Planet Doom. I could've sworn I saw features to do that. Was it all just in my head?

The outside area really looks great now that I added more color to those trees. Originally, I assumed that the trees didn't need light because of how the moon was behind them. But, I had given it thought and now I agree that a decent green looks better than black. But, what to do about updating...I have yet to find an answer.

Good to hear. One thing for future releases, take your time, and don't feel like you have to get something out on release because of something, that way you can avoid having to update a final release over and over

Just give pappy-r a nudge, he's a handy guy.

Evil, I really enjoyed this map. There were several parts that scared the shit out of me, and if anyone can do that in a DOOM 3 map I'm very well pleased. The overall design is awesome, the castle is very nicely built and had a nice atmosphere to it. I felt as if I was playing a newly designed Quake level on the DOOM 3 engine, again nicely done.

I did notice in one part of your map that there was some Z-fighting, not a big deal as it was one small area. It's right at the beginning when you go into the room to grab your first shotgun and the marine is trapped inside a small cage. I can't post a picture as I'm not at home, but if you can't find it I'll gladly post one later tonight.

As mentioned before, the castle skybox is a little distorted and I would stick to the original sky (if this hasn't been applied to your update already). I would love to play your updated map and I will definitely send this to a friend of mine. I've saved your map and it's going into my personal DOOM 3 favorite maps folder.

Thank you so much for the honorable mention, I greatly appreciate it.

Keep up the awesome job, I'd love to see a sequel to this level.

Zombie13 wrote:

Good to hear. One thing for future releases, take your time, and don't feel like you have to get something out on release because of something, that way you can avoid having to update a final release over and over

I started out taking my time back when I started in August, but the recent pressures in my outside life have forced me to put more effort into releasing my map, which unfortunately turned into reckless rushing. I won't do that again. But, I would like to state for the record: I won't be updating "over and over again," as my recent effort to do so seems to imply. That's the only update I'm going to make. Any faults that I have neglected to address will definitely be remembered the next time I make a map.

Zombie13 wrote:

Just give pappy-r a nudge, he's a handy guy.

Yeah, I've been corresponding with him via PM.

eVolution wrote:

I did notice in one part of your map that there was some Z-fighting, not a big deal as it was one small area. It's right at the beginning when you go into the room to grab your first shotgun and the marine is trapped inside a small cage. I can't post a picture as I'm not at home, but if you can't find it I'll gladly post one later tonight.

Crap, I missed that one. :shock:

Oh, well.

eVolution wrote:

Thank you so much for the honorable mention, I greatly appreciate it.

Anytime, eVo.

As for the sequel part, you're not the first person to ask for that. Unfortunately, I'm a little tired of medieval stuff for now. I just want to take a break from that and do something for Quake 4. Sorry. But hey, there's a whole new texture and model palette available for you now. Try 'em out. I'll admit that some of the textures suck, but just check and see how I use them in gatehouse.

evilartist wrote:

eVolution wrote:

I did notice in one part of your map that there was some Z-fighting, not a big deal as it was one small area. It's right at the beginning when you go into the room to grab your first shotgun and the marine is trapped inside a small cage. I can't post a picture as I'm not at home, but if you can't find it I'll gladly post one later tonight.

Crap, I missed that one. :shock:

Oh, well.

Here's the link to the image of what I found. It's probably hard to see but its in that first room right at the beginning.

http://img409.imageshack.us/img409/8853 ... ingjy9.jpg

evilartist wrote:

eVolution wrote:

Thank you so much for the honorable mention, I greatly appreciate it.

Anytime, eVo.

As for the sequel part, you're not the first person to ask for that. Unfortunately, I'm a little tired of medieval stuff for now. I just want to take a break from that and do something for Quake 4. Sorry. But hey, there's a whole new texture and model palette available for you now. Try 'em out. I'll admit that some of the textures suck, but just check and see how I use them in gatehouse.

Hey, not a problem.

I'll be glad to try and see what kind of map I can come up with. I'll be sure to get your input if I need some help/ideas.

I really enjoyed the level, very nice! Great atmosphere and unique scenery. It was also cool to have some story bits through the PDA mails. Many mappers ignore these storytelling possibilities so I was happy you made some use of it, it adds a lot IMO.

Combat was good in general, and the side area branching off in the lower parts of the castle made the level a little less linear, which is great.
The custom ambient sounds are nice, but the music loops are a bit overdone IMO. They repeat too much and wash out the ambient sound.

The spider Ticks confused me, I first got the impression you included some endless respawn clip because they were so damn many (thankfully not!). So after the 10th spider I tried rushing past them only to get wasted... The fight against the Hellknight on the spiral staircase felt a bit awkward (well it´s at least somehow historically accurate because defenders used bottle necks like that to fight off intruders...). But apart from that, really good!

One thing I found unnecessary was the restrictive level design, with doors sealing off the areas you previously explored. It´s such a cool scenery to explore, so it´s a bit sad that you don´t let the player walk arround freely. For example, the death of the final monster could trigger the previously locked doors unlocked, to give the player a chance to stock up on health and look for secrets (are there any?) before continuing to the next level. Also the level exit wasn´t clear, which is as well an unnecessary restrictive element.

Thanks for the nice level, and also for the cool medieval custom models and textures!

Very nice map with a great layout. I didn't think the castle sky box looked too bad apart from in the cinematic. It felt a little cramped in some areas especially the stairs and it needs an ending. That apart, excellent

I updated the map for those of you who couldn't stand looking at black trees and getting pounced on by many imps. See the very first post for the link a list of updates.

love the update, Evil. I recorded a small video of it over on YouTube, I posted your map link up for download so it can grab some attention. Let me know when you get those other sites updated, I'll be sure to post the links on YouTube as well.

Here's a HQ video of Gatehouse that I recorded earlier this week.

nice trailer- I'm usually pretty lazy about downloading maps, but the youtube video sold me.

The green of the trees/foliage still looks out of place- you should desaturate and dim it until it matches the color scheme of the rest of the scene- since it's nighttime you might even put some silvery/cool blueish purple tones into it.

Haven't played doom3 in a while, so I found myself audibly cursing very loud at the screen when I was getting surprised and I had to resort to cheats halfway through to make it. Are there difficulty settings?

About the ticks: having ticks/trites pounce from out of nowhere at that close of a range will have me screaming obscenities at my PC screen quicker than ANYTHING in Doom3. I ABSOLUTELY HATE trites/ticks with that much passion,.

LinuxDoomer wrote:

Haven't played doom3 in a while, so I found myself audibly cursing very loud at the screen when I was getting surprised and I had to resort to cheats halfway through to make it. Are there difficulty settings?

About the ticks: having ticks/trites pounce from out of nowhere at that close of a range will have me screaming obscenities at my PC screen quicker than ANYTHING in Doom3. I ABSOLUTELY HATE trites/ticks with that much passion,.

LMFAO, I know what you mean. I do the same thing with the chaingun zombie/commando. Every time he pops out of nowhere and runs, I curse the screen until he's dead, he's the only zombie I despise.

eVolution wrote:

LinuxDoomer wrote:

Haven't played doom3 in a while, so I found myself audibly cursing very loud at the screen when I was getting surprised and I had to resort to cheats halfway through to make it. Are there difficulty settings?

About the ticks: having ticks/trites pounce from out of nowhere at that close of a range will have me screaming obscenities at my PC screen quicker than ANYTHING in Doom3. I ABSOLUTELY HATE trites/ticks with that much passion,.

LMFAO, I know what you mean. I do the same thing with the chaingun zombie/commando. Every time he pops out of nowhere and runs, I curse the screen until he's dead, he's the only zombie I despise.

I forgot about that, the chaingun zombies make me do that too.

eVolution wrote:

love the update, Evil. I recorded a small video of it over on YouTube, I posted your map link up for download so it can grab some attention. Let me know when you get those other sites updated, I'll be sure to post the links on YouTube as well.

Here's a HQ video of Gatehouse that I recorded earlier this week.

Thanks, eVo. Much appreicated.

LinuxDoomer wrote:

Haven't played doom3 in a while, so I found myself audibly cursing very loud at the screen when I was getting surprised and I had to resort to cheats halfway through to make it. Are there difficulty settings?

Sorry. No Difficulty Settings. I'll keep it in mind next time (after I figure out how to play a custom map without the default "Normal" settings :lol:

)

eVolution wrote:

LMFAO, I know what you mean. I do the same thing with the chaingun zombie/commando. Every time he pops out of nowhere and runs, I curse the screen until he's dead, he's the only zombie I despise.

Huh? Are you talking about the commandos that run up and melee you, like the one the Archvile spawns? Or do you mean the ones with chainguns at the end of the level? I personally like them. Plus, I made it easier to avoid their attacks by making them teleport while you're still up on the bridge. Plenty of cover that way.

evilartist wrote:

Huh? Are you talking about the commandos that run up and melee you, like the one the Archvile spawns? Or do you mean the ones with chainguns at the end of the level? I personally like them. Plus, I made it easier to avoid their attacks by making them teleport while you're still up on the bridge. Plenty of cover that way.

Yeah, I don't like the commandos that run up and attack you. I don't know why but they scare the shit out of me. I think it's the fact that they're the only zombie that literally runs after you. The first time I encountered one I was cussing so bad the bitch had me in a corner and almost killed me, lol.

OK I tried the new version and I have to say it was a huge improvement visually and the gameplay was quite a bit more enjoyable - good job.

The only thing I really had a comment on was cinematic cameras. When you cut from the game to a camera to show something to the player, try and include the player in that camera shot so he knows exactly where it is, sometimes it can be a bit confusing just having a camera and showing something, not knowing how to get there.

Looking forward to another map

bravo good sir, bravo on this map.

Finally got around to installing and playing this level.

I really liked the design and feel of the level, had me on edge most of the time. The monster placement post sword retrieval seemed cheap at times (imps and maggots in alcoves), and the Lost Souls in small spaces are annoying, but other than that I enjoyed the combat. I will admit to jumping down off the bridge after blowing away the chaingun commandos, so I can't comment on anything you're supposed to encounter after that, except being confused as to why I couldn't pass through until the Hellknight spawned on top of me.

[EDIT] Gatehouse has been updated based on the useful feedback provided the D3W community. Go here at Planet Doom for the latest file while I work on getting the one at FileFront updated. You can also download the Gatehouse from FileFront (outdated), but it is outdated. I'm still trying to get a hold of someone there.

Some of the fixes/updates I made include:

- Improved the looks of some eyesore textures, including those outdoor trees and the ugly skybox.
- Reduced the number of encounters with pouncing imps.
- Reduced the total number of trites (ticks) during ambushes.
- Replaced a Hell Knight with monsters that can fit in the hall better.
- Smooth-clipped some torches and some other areas the player can get stuck on.
- Re-did the lighting in the Gatehouse and in some other areas.

It doesn't seem like a good idea to always update one single map all the time, so that's the only update I'm going to make. Anyway, here are some screenshots, the first one being an updated view of the outdoor area with all the changes made:

I could show more pics, but I think you'll have more of a blast exploring it yourselves. :wink:

Here's a prologue, for those who are wondering why there is modern technology littered throughout the gatehouse:

It appeared from out of the mist.

“Every century, it materializes under the full moon” says the inhabitants of a secluded European village. They say that a dreadful king of demons inhabits this mystical castle and that his curse is what allows this fortress to return every 100 years.

"Nothing but superstitious fairy tales." That’s what people would have thought the last time this anomaly appeared. But things have changed. Two decades ago, Mankind was nearly exterminated by an army of pure evil. This "curse" will not go unnoticed this time!

Mankind needed to act quickly. They did not waste time sending in a recon team to gather intel. Instead, a strike team was immediately dispatched to neutralize whatever threat is lurking inside this hellish stronghold. After all, we don’t want them (whatever is in there) to make the first move. It’s too risky.

* * * * *

Hello, Marine! You’ve been assigned to this crummy job. Your squad has set up camp in a secured Gatehouse at the castle’s main entrance. Service lights, beds, and supply crates cover the floors and walls of this ancient brick structure.

The past few days has been nonstop killing of any and all demons that lurk in the dark corridors of these looming structures. Most of the squad entered the heart of the castle. Only a handful of marines, including yourself, was left to guard the entrance, just in case the demons try to trap you all inside.

For the past few hours, you have sat out in the brisk canyon just shy of the drawbridge, listening to the radio chatter of gunfire and growls. Guard duty sucks ass.

Suddenly, you hear pistols firing off in the Gatehouse nearby—it was supposed to be secure! Get the hell back in there and help your squadmates! If these monsters are ever allowed to leave the premises, Humanity can once again face genocide. The source of this threat must be eliminated. Your mission is simple: kill without question. This place needs to be cleaned up before it becomes another Hell-Portal.

NOTE TO ALL MEDIEVAL MAPPERS:
I am giving full permission for everyone to use my media (textures, models, etc.) for their own new maps, as long as they credit my name in their own readme's. Should any of you need my custom assets, there are additional instructions in my readme file labeled "evilartist001.txt". You need to read ALL of those instructions, as it will limit confusion and complications in distribution.

I would like to thank eVolution and bladeghost for helping me find some suitable sounds for this map's ambience. Thanks, guys. You've been a big help.

There are other things I may be forgetting to mention, but I'll add them in later when I finally remember. My WIP thread is right here, just in case you're interested.

I wouldn't have released this in it's current state, but oh well, what can ya do =)

I plan making changes based on your suggestions, Zombie13. Don't worry.

I played it through, and will offer my own points:

Architecturally, I thought it was very good- captured the medieval feel well. I cut it some slack on the skybox front as, to be honest, I'm yet to see an impressive detailed skybox that wasn't taken straight out of Bryce.

Gameplay- I thought it was mostly good up until the point when you get the key, except for the repetitive sections with spiders (I think the spiders coming out of the holes was a good idea, just there was too many of them!). Strong sense of suspense in particular.

I didn't particularly enjoy the bit on the way back from the key, retracing my steps and fighting off lots of monsters that were teleporting in- it was predictable and repetitive. I'd suggest adding a few additional areas that open up, or maybe make the player go back a slightly different route, though I don't know if the map design would allow for this.

hellstorm27 wrote:

Architecturally, I thought it was very good- captured the medieval feel well. I cut it some slack on the skybox front as, to be honest, I'm yet to see an impressive detailed skybox that wasn't taken straight out of Bryce.

I had included two skyboxes with this map, one that's just the sky (which actually turned out fine) and the other that has the castle (which is a disaster). You guys think I should just lose the latter skybox and use the "sky only" box the whole way?

evilartist wrote:

hellstorm27 wrote:

Architecturally, I thought it was very good- captured the medieval feel well. I cut it some slack on the skybox front as, to be honest, I'm yet to see an impressive detailed skybox that wasn't taken straight out of Bryce.

I had included two skyboxes with this map, one that's just the sky (which actually turned out fine) and the other that has the castle (which is a disaster). You guys think I should just lose the latter skybox and use the "sky only" box the whole way?

Of the choice of the two, I would go for the normal sky.

As per your guys' suggestions, I made some updates to the map. I am now pretty satisfied with the map. I'm happy the way it turned out, and I appreciate the feedback you guys have given me. Any of it that I didn't apply to Gatehouse will no doubt be applied in my future maps.

The only problem now is that there doesn't seem to be any obvious way to send updated versions of my files to FileFront or to Planet Doom. I could've sworn I saw features to do that. Was it all just in my head?

The outside area really looks great now that I added more color to those trees. Originally, I assumed that the trees didn't need light because of how the moon was behind them. But, I had given it thought and now I agree that a decent green looks better than black. But, what to do about updating...I have yet to find an answer.

evilartist wrote:

As per your guys' suggestions, I made some updates to the map. I am now pretty satisfied with the map. I'm happy the way it turned out, and I appreciate the feedback you guys have given me. Any of it that I didn't apply to Gatehouse will no doubt be applied in my future maps.

The only problem now is that there doesn't seem to be any obvious way to send updated versions of my files to FileFront or to Planet Doom. I could've sworn I saw features to do that. Was it all just in my head?

The outside area really looks great now that I added more color to those trees. Originally, I assumed that the trees didn't need light because of how the moon was behind them. But, I had given it thought and now I agree that a decent green looks better than black. But, what to do about updating...I have yet to find an answer.

Good to hear. One thing for future releases, take your time, and don't feel like you have to get something out on release because of something, that way you can avoid having to update a final release over and over

Just give pappy-r a nudge, he's a handy guy.

Evil, I really enjoyed this map. There were several parts that scared the shit out of me, and if anyone can do that in a DOOM 3 map I'm very well pleased. The overall design is awesome, the castle is very nicely built and had a nice atmosphere to it. I felt as if I was playing a newly designed Quake level on the DOOM 3 engine, again nicely done.

I did notice in one part of your map that there was some Z-fighting, not a big deal as it was one small area. It's right at the beginning when you go into the room to grab your first shotgun and the marine is trapped inside a small cage. I can't post a picture as I'm not at home, but if you can't find it I'll gladly post one later tonight.

As mentioned before, the castle skybox is a little distorted and I would stick to the original sky (if this hasn't been applied to your update already). I would love to play your updated map and I will definitely send this to a friend of mine. I've saved your map and it's going into my personal DOOM 3 favorite maps folder.

Thank you so much for the honorable mention, I greatly appreciate it.

Keep up the awesome job, I'd love to see a sequel to this level.

Zombie13 wrote:

Good to hear. One thing for future releases, take your time, and don't feel like you have to get something out on release because of something, that way you can avoid having to update a final release over and over

I started out taking my time back when I started in August, but the recent pressures in my outside life have forced me to put more effort into releasing my map, which unfortunately turned into reckless rushing. I won't do that again. But, I would like to state for the record: I won't be updating "over and over again," as my recent effort to do so seems to imply. That's the only update I'm going to make. Any faults that I have neglected to address will definitely be remembered the next time I make a map.

Zombie13 wrote:

Just give pappy-r a nudge, he's a handy guy.

Yeah, I've been corresponding with him via PM.

eVolution wrote:

I did notice in one part of your map that there was some Z-fighting, not a big deal as it was one small area. It's right at the beginning when you go into the room to grab your first shotgun and the marine is trapped inside a small cage. I can't post a picture as I'm not at home, but if you can't find it I'll gladly post one later tonight.

Crap, I missed that one. :shock:

Oh, well.

eVolution wrote:

Thank you so much for the honorable mention, I greatly appreciate it.

Anytime, eVo.

As for the sequel part, you're not the first person to ask for that. Unfortunately, I'm a little tired of medieval stuff for now. I just want to take a break from that and do something for Quake 4. Sorry. But hey, there's a whole new texture and model palette available for you now. Try 'em out. I'll admit that some of the textures suck, but just check and see how I use them in gatehouse.

evilartist wrote:

eVolution wrote:

I did notice in one part of your map that there was some Z-fighting, not a big deal as it was one small area. It's right at the beginning when you go into the room to grab your first shotgun and the marine is trapped inside a small cage. I can't post a picture as I'm not at home, but if you can't find it I'll gladly post one later tonight.

Crap, I missed that one. :shock:

Oh, well.

Here's the link to the image of what I found. It's probably hard to see but its in that first room right at the beginning.

http://img409.imageshack.us/img409/8853 ... ingjy9.jpg

evilartist wrote:

eVolution wrote:

Thank you so much for the honorable mention, I greatly appreciate it.

Anytime, eVo.

As for the sequel part, you're not the first person to ask for that. Unfortunately, I'm a little tired of medieval stuff for now. I just want to take a break from that and do something for Quake 4. Sorry. But hey, there's a whole new texture and model palette available for you now. Try 'em out. I'll admit that some of the textures suck, but just check and see how I use them in gatehouse.

Hey, not a problem.

I'll be glad to try and see what kind of map I can come up with. I'll be sure to get your input if I need some help/ideas.

I really enjoyed the level, very nice! Great atmosphere and unique scenery. It was also cool to have some story bits through the PDA mails. Many mappers ignore these storytelling possibilities so I was happy you made some use of it, it adds a lot IMO.

Combat was good in general, and the side area branching off in the lower parts of the castle made the level a little less linear, which is great.
The custom ambient sounds are nice, but the music loops are a bit overdone IMO. They repeat too much and wash out the ambient sound.

The spider Ticks confused me, I first got the impression you included some endless respawn clip because they were so damn many (thankfully not!). So after the 10th spider I tried rushing past them only to get wasted... The fight against the Hellknight on the spiral staircase felt a bit awkward (well it´s at least somehow historically accurate because defenders used bottle necks like that to fight off intruders...). But apart from that, really good!

One thing I found unnecessary was the restrictive level design, with doors sealing off the areas you previously explored. It´s such a cool scenery to explore, so it´s a bit sad that you don´t let the player walk arround freely. For example, the death of the final monster could trigger the previously locked doors unlocked, to give the player a chance to stock up on health and look for secrets (are there any?) before continuing to the next level. Also the level exit wasn´t clear, which is as well an unnecessary restrictive element.

Thanks for the nice level, and also for the cool medieval custom models and textures!

Very nice map with a great layout. I didn't think the castle sky box looked too bad apart from in the cinematic. It felt a little cramped in some areas especially the stairs and it needs an ending. That apart, excellent

I updated the map for those of you who couldn't stand looking at black trees and getting pounced on by many imps. See the very first post for the link a list of updates.

love the update, Evil. I recorded a small video of it over on YouTube, I posted your map link up for download so it can grab some attention. Let me know when you get those other sites updated, I'll be sure to post the links on YouTube as well.

Here's a HQ video of Gatehouse that I recorded earlier this week.

nice trailer- I'm usually pretty lazy about downloading maps, but the youtube video sold me.

The green of the trees/foliage still looks out of place- you should desaturate and dim it until it matches the color scheme of the rest of the scene- since it's nighttime you might even put some silvery/cool blueish purple tones into it.

Haven't played doom3 in a while, so I found myself audibly cursing very loud at the screen when I was getting surprised and I had to resort to cheats halfway through to make it. Are there difficulty settings?

About the ticks: having ticks/trites pounce from out of nowhere at that close of a range will have me screaming obscenities at my PC screen quicker than ANYTHING in Doom3. I ABSOLUTELY HATE trites/ticks with that much passion,.

LinuxDoomer wrote:

Haven't played doom3 in a while, so I found myself audibly cursing very loud at the screen when I was getting surprised and I had to resort to cheats halfway through to make it. Are there difficulty settings?

About the ticks: having ticks/trites pounce from out of nowhere at that close of a range will have me screaming obscenities at my PC screen quicker than ANYTHING in Doom3. I ABSOLUTELY HATE trites/ticks with that much passion,.

LMFAO, I know what you mean. I do the same thing with the chaingun zombie/commando. Every time he pops out of nowhere and runs, I curse the screen until he's dead, he's the only zombie I despise.

eVolution wrote:

LinuxDoomer wrote:

Haven't played doom3 in a while, so I found myself audibly cursing very loud at the screen when I was getting surprised and I had to resort to cheats halfway through to make it. Are there difficulty settings?

About the ticks: having ticks/trites pounce from out of nowhere at that close of a range will have me screaming obscenities at my PC screen quicker than ANYTHING in Doom3. I ABSOLUTELY HATE trites/ticks with that much passion,.

LMFAO, I know what you mean. I do the same thing with the chaingun zombie/commando. Every time he pops out of nowhere and runs, I curse the screen until he's dead, he's the only zombie I despise.

I forgot about that, the chaingun zombies make me do that too.

eVolution wrote:

love the update, Evil. I recorded a small video of it over on YouTube, I posted your map link up for download so it can grab some attention. Let me know when you get those other sites updated, I'll be sure to post the links on YouTube as well.

Here's a HQ video of Gatehouse that I recorded earlier this week.

Thanks, eVo. Much appreicated.

LinuxDoomer wrote:

Haven't played doom3 in a while, so I found myself audibly cursing very loud at the screen when I was getting surprised and I had to resort to cheats halfway through to make it. Are there difficulty settings?

Sorry. No Difficulty Settings. I'll keep it in mind next time (after I figure out how to play a custom map without the default "Normal" settings :lol:

)

eVolution wrote:

LMFAO, I know what you mean. I do the same thing with the chaingun zombie/commando. Every time he pops out of nowhere and runs, I curse the screen until he's dead, he's the only zombie I despise.

Huh? Are you talking about the commandos that run up and melee you, like the one the Archvile spawns? Or do you mean the ones with chainguns at the end of the level? I personally like them. Plus, I made it easier to avoid their attacks by making them teleport while you're still up on the bridge. Plenty of cover that way.

evilartist wrote:

Huh? Are you talking about the commandos that run up and melee you, like the one the Archvile spawns? Or do you mean the ones with chainguns at the end of the level? I personally like them. Plus, I made it easier to avoid their attacks by making them teleport while you're still up on the bridge. Plenty of cover that way.

Yeah, I don't like the commandos that run up and attack you. I don't know why but they scare the shit out of me. I think it's the fact that they're the only zombie that literally runs after you. The first time I encountered one I was cussing so bad the bitch had me in a corner and almost killed me, lol.

OK I tried the new version and I have to say it was a huge improvement visually and the gameplay was quite a bit more enjoyable - good job.

The only thing I really had a comment on was cinematic cameras. When you cut from the game to a camera to show something to the player, try and include the player in that camera shot so he knows exactly where it is, sometimes it can be a bit confusing just having a camera and showing something, not knowing how to get there.

Looking forward to another map

bravo good sir, bravo on this map.

Finally got around to installing and playing this level.

I really liked the design and feel of the level, had me on edge most of the time. The monster placement post sword retrieval seemed cheap at times (imps and maggots in alcoves), and the Lost Souls in small spaces are annoying, but other than that I enjoyed the combat. I will admit to jumping down off the bridge after blowing away the chaingun commandos, so I can't comment on anything you're supposed to encounter after that, except being confused as to why I couldn't pass through until the Hellknight spawned on top of me.