We have a closer look at the demonic sewer level of Doom II: Annie - Episode 2.

Posted by SergeJaeken on Jul 9th, 2019

It’s starting to look good for the second episode of my Doom II: Annie project. There has been made a substantial amount of progress and the episode is really starting to take shape. Let’s have a look at what we’ve got so far and explain the general theme so you know what you’re getting into once it’s released.

After defeating Annie for the first time in episode 1, the player is thrown in a new hostile planet, far away from Earth. Once ruled by an evil civilization, The UAC has left its mark on the world and established a number of facilities. Not every characteristic of the previous inhabitants was lost during the conversion however. This is well defined within the levels by a combination of ancient and modern structures.

The new texture pack I will be using contains mostly well-detailed textures, eliminating the need to go on an excessive sector detailing rampage. Combined with the UDMF format and the features of the GZDoom engine, there are a huge amount of possibilities to keep the layout relatively simple while still providing varied and interesting scenery.

Consistency, as in most projects, is key. I’m aiming for a general theme and setting throughout all 4 levels in the episode without getting repetitive in terms of layout and design. Each map will look different but will still have a feeling of familiarity compared to the previous one. There will be some custom monsters and a new skybox to complement the style of the levels.

Dynamic lights and 3D-floors are one of the most powerful features GZDoom has to offer. It allows me to create these beautiful environments which would otherwise look fairly dull without the need to do crazy things in the editor. The best part is that it is extremely easy to accomplish. I want the player to have the feeling that he’s on an intimidating world and partly translate that by keeping the edges a little rough in my levels.

There’s still lots of work to do in this map but we’re getting there. Once the episode is completed, the experience you had compared with episode 1 will be different but feel familiar at the same time.

If you're interested in more updates, you can check out Sergejaeken.com