Protoslayer

Protoslayer Release 3.1 (Release Candidate 3)

Protoslayer is my first official Doom Mapset release. The idea is that I wanted to make what felt like a natural extension of Doom 2's plot as two additional episodes, so this features Ultimate Doom's 9 level (8 levels + 1 secret level) format. Additionally, Due to Serosis' AWESOME musical talents, Protoslayer also acts as a PLAYABLE METAL ALBUM. Sweet, right?

WHAT IT ADDS:

2 New Episodes
- Apotheosis
- Judecca
5 New Weapons
9 Modified weapons!
- Slayer's Fists (Fist variant that heals you up to a sub-max cap. Block Alt fire that reduces damage received from the front for 1 second and thrusts you backward)
- Slayer's Chainsaw (Now benefits from the berserker pack, sawing faster and refunding armor up to 200!)
- Slayer's Pistol (Fires more quickly and accurately and has a flashlight alt-fire. No longer consumes ammo.)
- Slayer's Shotgun (Fires more quickly and accurately and has a flashlight alt-fire.)
- Slayer's Coachgun (SSG replacement) Primary fire unchanged, new sprites, altfire sacrifices 2 additional shells to load slugs, a pair of ripping projectiles that are very accurate and penetrate through enemies.
- Slayer's Chaingun (Fires more quickly after a short windup, has a flashlight altfire, and features an expanded ammo capacity!)
- Slayer's Rocket Launcher (Primary fire unchanged, Altfire fires 4 Smart Rockets in very quick succession.
- Slayer's Pulserifle (Plasma Gun replacement), Primary fire unchanged, altfire fires a 3 shot semi-auto burst of explosive plasma.
- BFG9500 (BFG9000 replacement), Primary Fire now also generates additional explosions as it travels.)
7 Additional Inventory Items!
- Placeable and Retrievable Sentry Turret
- Rebreather Hazard Suit
- Summon Sphere (Featuring Friendly Boney Bois)
- Jump Jets (Modified Jet Thrusters)
- Nightvision Goggles (Don't you hate when you trip on Lightamp Visors and you IMMEDIATELY equip them? Yeah, me too.)
- Field Medikits (Portable medikits. Yes, like that one from those BUILD engine games.)
- Spring Mines (now shootable AND can be picked up after placement with your use key.)
7+ new Pickups!
- Doomsphere (RIP AND TEAR)
- Spreadsphere
- Blursphere 2 (Also affectionately referred to as the Bluesphere)
- Marine Helmet (+10 armor up to 300)
- Salvaged Armor (50 Armor, will not replace Green or Blue Armor)
- Blood Orbs. (+30 HP up to 300) (Really? You're going to drink that?)
- Various edible pickups.
- Booze!
A ton of new enemies
Overhauled Classic Enemies!
New Bosses!
New Mechanics!
Vehicles...that look pretty but otherwise do nothing.
Nostalgia!
Breakable things!
Interactable things!
Health and Rage systems!
Ambience!
Atmosphere!
Plot!
Voice Acting!
A New (Mostly mandatory) Class!

Did I mention KICKASS MUSIC? https://serosis.bandcamp.com/album/protoslayer

System Requirements:

MINIMUM:
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: 64-bit Windows 7 / 64-Bit Windows 10
- Processor: Intel Core i5 @ 3.3 GHz or better, or AMD Ryzen 3 @ 3.1 GHz or better
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti (4GB), GTX 1060 (3GB), GTX 1650 (4GB) or AMD Radeon R9 280(3GB), AMD Radeon R9 290 (4GB), RX 470 (4GB)
- Network: N/A
- Storage: 1 GB available space
- Additional Notes: ( 1080p / 60 FPS / Low Quality Settings )
- Additional Software: GZDoom 4.9.0 or newer , A legally obtained copy of Doom 2
RECOMMENDED:
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: 64-bit Windows 10
- Processor: Intel Core i7-6700K or better, or AMD Ryzen 7 1800X or better
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB), NVIDIA GeForce 970 (4GB), AMD RX 480 (8GB) Or Better
- Network: N/A
- Storage: 1 GB available space
- Additional Notes: ( 1080p / 60 FPS / High Quality Settings ) - *On NVIDIA GTX 970 cards Shadowmaps should be set to low.
- Additional Software: GZDoom 4.9.0 or newer , A legally obtained copy of Doom 2

Important Note:

Protoslayer runs best with the Hardware Rendering mode (and Software Lightmode). Without these settings enabled, many parts of the mod will not function correctly, and your gameplay experience will suffer.

If you need additional assistance, I'm available for questions at my personal discord:

The Hellywood Theater

Title Art by Sieg

Episode 1 Screenshots

(click to magnify)

Installation and Operation:

As of Version 3.1, Protoslayer has been recombined into a Pk3 courtesy of EmptyCell. Thanks, EmptyCell!

Simply unzip this zip file into its own folder and drag the pk3 onto your favorite GZDoom launcher!

FAQ

1. Why haven't you swapped to a spotlight for the flashlight instead of the current implementation?

2. Why did it take you so long to fix the Jump Jets?

3. Why are your recommended video/display/light settings so strict and specific?

4. You could detail some of these maps more, why haven't you?

5. Why don't you just use BUILD/RAZE?

6. Why did you remove the tutorial episode?

7. Is Arlene Sanders based on Major Arlene?

8. When is Episode 2 coming out?

Because there are so many physical interactions with the flashlight (enemies that take damage from the flashlight, triggers that activate when exposed to light damage), and my understanding of Zscript isn't advanced enough yet to translate these features to a spotlight. If my understanding of Zscript improves to the point that I can make this work, I will. My priority is gameplay, and I like these functionalities more than just a pretty flashlight.

When I started adding new assets to Protoslayer (the goal wasn't originally to make it into a partial TC), my understanding of DECORATE was basically nonexistent. I taught myself everything I know about DECORATE by reverse engineering assets from Realm667, and the "Jump Jet" (Jet Thruster) was one of these. I recently updated the functionality of the Jump Jet because I finally learned how to do it better.

My goal first and foremost is to use as many of the tools that I can from the GZDoom toolkit, and that means that my use of lighting is key to making some of these scenes as pretty as Protoslayer needs to be. As a result, in order to play it optimally, these settings are the best possible way to experience the mod. I am not saying I won't make an effort to make lower spec versions of Protoslayer, but these are secondary to the intended experience, and might require me to employ help from some advanced modders.

My mapping style in GZDoom relies very heavily on lighting, and I actually really enjoy this sort of post-Quake 3 level of detailing. I'm sacrificing time I could spend on detailing on managing lighting and atmosphere. There are many players and mappers who might disagree with these decisions, but I like the results.

Because I like Doom.

The tutorial episode was made as a knee-jerk reaction to a specific streamer getting frustrated with a very early beta version of the game, and in subsequent playtesting sessions, players felt that this episode was tonally disconnected from the rest of the Protoslayer experience.

After a long period of self-reflection, I determined that they were right, and the tutorial episode is now archived. I might release it later as a novelty, but I'm not super proud of it.

No. However, Arlene Sanders is based on the same character that Arlene based her handle on. The two have no actual connection whatsoever.

When it's done. Soon™️. Update 12/24/2022: Nevermind, it's out!

ENEMIES

Nightmare Imp:

This bulkier member of the imp family has a stronger, faster attack and a chance to teleport short distances when wounded. You can easily identify them by their black skin and glowing magenta eyes, as well as their fading afterimages trailing behind them.

Necropile:

Necropiles are piles of corpses that generate zombies and lost souls until they die. They take double damage from fire and have a very small chance of summoning a Revenant. Don't let their status as a literal pile of corpses fool you, if you get too close you might be adding your own arm to the pile!

Soul Swarm:

Sometimes when a soul drifts listlessly in the depths of Hell, it will coalesce with nearby souls, forming a single collective consciousness. These spectral monstrosities spit out 2 lost souls at a time and collect souls as they take damage. When they die, they explode, releasing the explosive remains of these souls.

Hardhat Zombie:

Ever wondered what happens to everyone else whenever these disasters strike? Weak and dumb, but incredibly fast, these fodder zombies are extremely deadly in packs.

UAC Android:

Left behind when the invasions started, these argent-powered sentinels still roam abandoned facilities. When the Hellwave erupted during the invasion, they stopped responding to signals. Brass assumed they were destroyed, so no effort was made to retrieve them. While not particularly tough, their photon rifles are fairly accurate, and they explode when they die, so avoid being near them when they expire.

UAC Turret:

Littered throughout former UAC outposts, these turrets have gone haywire, shooting UAC personnel but sparing Hell's denizens for unknown reasons. Their laser packs a nasty wallop, use cover where possible.

Relentless:

Tiny skeleton anklebiters that play dead and have a chance to resurrect when they die. If that chance fails, there's an even SMALLER chance for them to multiply and get back up. Killing them with fire damage weapons such as the Flamethrower, Heavy Mortar, and Rocket Launcher will permanently kill them.