Sucker Punch for Doom II: Post-mortem

Sucker Punch is my first multi-map WAD for Doom II. It's available to download now from the idgames archive, where there is more information on supported ports and where feedback would be gratefully received.

Back in April, I wrote at length about my initial forays into mapping for Doom-engine games: at the time I felt that I would not try to complete Sucker Punch, which had been released in early 2016 with just three maps. However, such is the lure of Doom that I was eventually drawn back in, and the finished 9-map version of the WAD is the result.

In this post, inspired by one on Matt Tropiano's site, I'll go over my design process for the WAD and explain how these nine maps eventually came about.

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Initial Brief

The concept for Sucker Punch was only decided upon once I had designed what was to become MAP01. I'd made dozens of abortive maps before, routinely installing Doom Builder 2 in anticipation and then uninstalling it in frustration. On two occasions I'd made maps which ended up in released community megawads, but "Maintenance Run" was the first map I was truly happy with.

I decided that I would try to make two more very small, clean "techbase" maps using the Community Chest 4 texture set. "Maintenance Run" would serve as a simple introductory map, with green detailing, while the second and third maps would use yellow and red detailing respectively as difficulty increased. I hoped that if I could make three maps in this theme, I'd try to make another three in a new theme. From the start, I was thinking only about single play and designing for limit-removing ports.
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Maps 1 - 3: Techbase

MAP01​ is very much a standard Doom techbase in miniature: clean detailing, linear progression, and very standard use of textures. I consciously tried to use simple shapes that were easy to detail, without falling back on a lot of squares. The title of the map, "Maintenance Run", comes from the sequence of switches the player must hit to find the blue key, which in testing felt like a mundane maintenance task - albeit with the addition of demons.

Similarly, MAP02 is also a standard miniaturised techbase. I tried to add distinctiveness with the "basement" area steeped in dirty water, which is where the main setpiece battle takes place. This had to be modified after playtesters found that the key could be grabbed without triggering the ambush. The title "Attrition" comes mainly from the need to gradually cut down monsters resurrected by the first archvile near the start room.

The final level of the techbase "episode" and designated with the red colour, MAP03: "Those Who Wait" had to be a step up in difficulty. I chose to do this with a pure arena battle - a designer's choice which makes map geometry much simpler, but issues like timing and balance much more prominent. The map uses descending floors to time the warping in of several waves of monsters. These had to be fine-tuned over many playtests to correctly judge the difficulty - it's probably still easy for experienced Doomers due to the wealth of armour and soulspheres made available.
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​Maps 4 - 6: Gothic

In early 2016, after receiving good feedback on the initial release of Sucker Punch, I set about making three extra maps in a gothic theme. Of the maps I abandoned at that time, only MAP04 remains recognisably in this new release. Given the title I'd chosen for the WAD as a whole, the inclusion of a Tyson map was basically mandatory. It's not always a popular style, and can be very challenging in certain ports, so I used damaging nukage and a single radsuit to ensure that the map didn't drag on - it can be completed in around a minute.

Originally, MAP05 was intended to consist of three arena fights separated by teleports and playable in any order. This proved very challenging to balance, so the idea was scrapped. Instead, the most promising arena was used for three fights in turn: eventually, I chose to make the map a showcase for the chaingun and hitscan enemies. Making good use of a blur sphere helps complete the map, as does being careful to scavenge bullets from fallen enemies. The title "House Full of Bullets" comes from a song by Joe Satriani.

MAP06 is named "Rev-olution", after the sight of a dozen revenants infighting with a spider mastermind. Finding a way to incorporate the boss enemy into a small map was the guiding challenge of MAP06. It's arguably the most difficult map in the set, not so much due to the spider mastermind but due to the intensity of the climactic ambush and the limited space for maneuvre.
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Maps 7 - 9: Brick

I'll be the first to admit that the final episode of maps has a less than inspired or distinctive theme, and they can be overly similar to maps 1-3 at times. MAP07 is a return to the style of the first two maps, albeit with a more industrial and less tech-oriented look. I'm most proud of the way the eastern section loops back on itself in an unexpected way. This map is also the first to feature a small outdoor area, and the only map in which there are any spectres.

The result of an effort to include more outdoor areas, non-linearity, higher-tier enemies, and powerful weapons, MAP08 is very likely the strongest in the set. A base with a mixture of indoor and outdoor areas which gives the player three possible routes from the start position, it's heavily based around the rocket launcher and has three interconnected secrets. There are almost no lower-tier monsters and the various possible routes mean monsters can attack from multiple angles - it's also the only map in the set with a genuinely non-essential, optional area where the BFG is found at the risk of releasing an archvile and a mancubus.

MAP09: "Hardpoint" is essentially a riff on MAP03, in that it is a pure arena based on waves of teleporting enemies. The differences are that at least one cyberdemon is present (dependent on difficulty setting), the waves are of mixed monster types, and the combat is fully BFG-based. The relative lack of cover and supplies could make this more difficult than MAP03 for certain players, and hopefully it makes for a fitting end to the set.

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Although Sucker Punch consists of small maps and should take only around 30 minutes to complete in full, I wanted to give it the feel of a fully-fledged release. For that reason I took the time to learn how to use SLADE 3 and Doom Writer to implement custom level names, music, and a title pic. Hopefully these give players the impression that the WAD is a labour of love for me, as it has been - to see this WAD become completed and released despite my abandonment of it over two years ago has been a thrill.

My enthusiasm for Doom has been reignited by this process, and I'm confident that I'll be making further maps in future - perhaps by contributing to community projects or by making single maps released individually. In the meantime, I hope Doom players download, play, and share with me their thoughts on Sucker Punch.