Ice

Pretty chill guy
Welcome to... Abandoned Airbase Zone!
Prepare to die get lost...

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This is a level from SUGOI 2 (SUBARASHII), the one people might remember as the gigantic confusing airport. How has the level has been updated for 2.2? Let's find out!
  • More polish
  • Less confusing routes (hopefully)
  • A fancy skybox
  • An entirely-new secret path
  • EVEN MORE SECRETS
  • An emerald-hunt-style secret level - a preview of Act 2
  • Twelve emblems: 4 stat-based, 2 sonic-only, 6 global

This level is very special to me. Though it was included in SUGOI 2, its history stretches back a lot further. If you care to read further about the history of the level or the influences that went into it, or if you’re just in the mood for a text wall, feel free to read the spoilers below.

The idea for this level started a long time ago, in the 1.09.4 era. I was randomly browsing an empty server that had loaded an old multiplayer map pack when I came across a match level, Abandoned Mine Zone, with roughly this theme (see the influences section for details). I fell in love with that level. I tried and tried to make a singleplayer version of it, but I simply didn’t have the skill or the imagination to pull it off. After all, it was about the second or third full level I’d attempted to make after I completed my first map, Hidden Sanctuary Zone Act 1. I got as far as a tree in a square room with a cracking floor before giving up, thinking it would take too much tedious detail to make a base look like ruins.

The level basically remained as an idea - really more of a feeling - until SUGOI 2 prompted me to, well, shut up and get on it. By then I’d been thinking so much about what I would do that the level essentially poured right out of my head. The majority of it was made in one month, and I’ve been polishing it off and on in my random spare time in the years since then. I guess that’s the 80/20 rule for you. The majority (80%) of the level was made in a minority (20%) of the time. Even now I don’t feel like it’s "finished". If the engine and time would allow me, I would’ve had even more sprawling interconnected rooms branching out from the center, with secrets-within-secrets, more detail, more ruins, more polish. There are some themes I think I could work with indefinitely, and this is definitely one of them. But it’s gotta release eventually and I think it’s at a good point right now. I hope you agree.

I guess you could say that the main influence for this level is a feeling, one that’s hard to describe. This feeling has been represented in a variety of ways in my life so I included some examples below as an attempt to explain it:
  • This playlist I put together for the purpose of this post, especially the song Clocks by Coldplay: Abandoned Airbase Playlist
  • The old DSZ2 theme, obviously. I read a complaint that this is a water-level song but it's in an air level. But I think this song was actually composed with an air level in mind! (someone confirm me on that one...?)
  • Bright slanted rectangles of sunlight on an expanse of carpet in a brand new house
  • Concrete architecture on a crisp spring day
  • The first day of full sunlight after months of overcast. The kind that makes you want to reach your arms to the sky and soak it all in.
  • Wandering through random empty creative servers on Minecraft when the game was in its infancy, seeing the beautiful yet lifeless buildings. C418’s music is also a big source of this feeling.
  • BlueZero4’s 1.09.4 maps. The atmosphere in those levels influences me to this day.
  • Dark Souls. By god, Dark Souls. The interconnected world of that game revolutionized my philosophy of level design. On the chance that you played my few past levels, you’ll notice that they’re all incredibly linear and had little to no secrets. This one is the complete opposite!
  • The end of Nitric Citadel zone, especially the pillars and helipad motifs. It's amazing what those elements did to lift the mood of that level.
  • Last but not least: Abandoned Mine, an old multiplayer level from Some Dude’s multiplayerfusion levelpack from 1.09.4(mrtf_multiplayerfusion.wad). When you see this level, you’d be forgiven for thinking that all the previous influences are hogwash and that I’ve basically stolen my level idea from this map. And you’d be a little bit right. When I first explored this map as a kid, my jaw was on the floor. It was such a clear expression of the aforementioned “feeling” that it forever left an impression on me. I knew I HAD to make a singleplayer level with its theme. If I knew how to find Some Dude, I’d thank him profusely and ask him if I could include his level here as an unlockable or something. If you’re out there reading this, Some Dude, this level is dedicated to you <3

Here's a couple of screenshots from Some Dude's level. Opening up 1.09.4 again to play this thing left me a little underwhelmed. It's amazing how much 2.2 has raised the bar for content.
am1.png am2.png

Even with all these examples, there’s no way of guaranteeing that you’ve had this feeling in your life. To me, that’s the job of good art. It’s not even really about the level, it’s about the connection. The level is an attempt to deliver the same feeling to you. If you’ve had a similar feeling in your life, and if I’ve done a good job at infusing it into my level, then maybe we can share that feeling for a brief moment. And if not, then that’s fine too. Hopefully you can simply enjoy playing an open exploration-based level.

You’ll have to forgive me if this all sounds insufferably sentimental or artsy-fartsy, but I’ve been thinking about this stuff for a good portion of my life :P

With all that out of the way, I hope you enjoy the level as much as I enjoyed making it! I recommend your first playthrough with Sonic. All the emblems are obtainable by Sonic, and playing as him will make navigation a little easier.

Oh, and if you’ve never played the SUGOI 2 version before, I have a bold request for you - please record your first playthrough and post the video here if that's possible for you.

The level is notoriously confusing, somewhat purposely so, and even though I’ve worked at making it a little easier to navigate, maybe it’s still too confusing. If I see where you get turned around or frustrated then I can fix up any common pain points. At the end of the day, it's much easier for me to see where you got lost, rather than you telling me.



Thanks for playing!!!!!
 

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Still a bit on the confusing side, though I do enjoy the puzzle concept. Welcome to Releases!
 
i like that you revived one of my favorite levels in sugoi 2 it is the most nostalgic in my opinion by the way this forum had it a long beautiful story :D
 
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I like how you took the time to fit the hexagon texture to linedefs (to give the appearance of them having depth), there are a lot of little graphical details that just makes everything better.

The very idea of a zone with no badniks and not even spikes, but just puzzles and figuring out where to go is an idea that appears to be rare here. A spoiler below tells more.

The last part with using the bouncy mushrooms to get to a zoom tube is not straightforward at first, as zoom tubes in 2.2 are a little bugged at times and it's not clear the edges of the mushrooms are bouncier. Not a fault in the level, because it seems fixes to the game's code might be needed to really resolve them.
 
i'm so, so happy to see this level back again and ported to 2.2, this was easily my favorite level from SUBARASHII, really nice having it back ^^, i might put more of my thoughts once i replay it
 
Cool level! I got 4 of the total emblems and plan to get all of them. I like the flow of a level with no enemies, but all puzzles. Pretty fun!
 
I was honestly surprised at how well it felt like an abandoned airbase- you really nailed that feeling of wandering around an abandoned area!
 
This is a very nice level! As Solid SOAP mentioned, the complete absence of enemies makes the level very unique. The texturing is great, and the old DSZ2 music and the skybox add a lot to the atmosphere. So far I've gotten 3 emblems.
 
I'm waiting for Chernobyl to be a level,anyways,nice level








edit:this level is so hard,i give it a 9/10 for being too freaking hard
 
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All I'm missing are the record attack emblems. It's a fun little level that rewards players with a keen eye, and I enjoyed it a fair bit. Good work!
 
i adored the original stage, i'm happy to see this bad boy returning in 2.2 with a new fresh coat of paint, i really liked playing this as Pointy, can't wait to do that again soon
 
SRB2 v2.2.3 fixed/changed emerald hunt spawns, I don't think Sonic can reach this without falling into the abyss.
 

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SRB2 v2.2.3 fixed/changed emerald hunt spawns, I don't think Sonic can reach this without falling into the abyss.

The file has been updated to v2.1 to fix this. However, I haven't had time to install v2.2.3 yet, so can someone verify that those emerald spawns are fixed? You may have to reload the map a few times to see all of them, since there are 6 total spawns :)

I will try to verify it myself as soon as I can, but it may take a few days.

EDIT: I've verified them in my lunch break :P The emerald shard spawns seem to be corrected! Thanks GamingReloaded for verifying as well :)
 
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Oh man, I'm so happy to see this map back new and improved for 2.2! This was easily one of my favorite levels in SUBARASHII!

EDIT: Okay, now that I've finished playing it, I'd like to say, this level is just as beautiful as ever, and the little touch ups you've done are just that cherry on top. I still absolutely adore the atmosphere you've created, it really feels like you're wandering through some place that's been lost to time. I can't say too much about the level's direction since I've already memorized where to go from playing it in 2.1, but I don't think it's too intimidating if you just take the time to enjoy exploring the level, and man, is it fun to explore.

The new pathway to the secret level was also a delight to find. Once I noticed the entrance, I actually paused my normal playthrough of the level to search around for unlocking it, and I was rewarded with an enjoyably quaint new pathway, and it was just so satisfying.

(Also, yes, from what I've played, the emerald hunt still works in v2.2.3.)
 
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This was my first time playing this, and wow. It's been a really long time since I've seen this type of exploration-based level, and it was amazing to play through it. As requested, have a video.

I don't have a whole lot to say, as this level was mostly about the feels for me, but here's some random thoughts:
  • I vaguely recall the multiplayer fusion map you were referencing, but what this really reminds me of is Nuclear Sunset 2.
  • NSZ2 did however have a more or less direct path you could take to the finish - it's easily conceivable that someone could get through it and not even notice there was a secret hunt going on, while this level does force you to explore in a less linear way. I don't know that either approach is more effective, but something interesting to think about.
  • That point also reminds of Jonathan Blow's The Witness. I won't elaborate on that for the sake of not spoiling that game for anyone who might want to play it.
  • The architecture in this map is fantastic. It feels like a very real world with a history.
  • That said, the visuals overall do feel very final demo-era - is that what you were going for? This didn't bother me at all, but it does make the map feel out of place in today's environments.
  • I love the use of physics in exploring this area - that's something a lot of similar final demo maps didn't really interact with at all. Of course, you have the benefit of slopes being in the game, but things like bouncy FOFs and lower water gravity have been around forever, underutilized.
  • However, some of the physics puzzles were a little bit janky - the underwater fans in particular were very inconsistent. It was a little bit frustrating in that I knew what I had to do, but it felt like luck whether or not a particular jump would work out or not.
  • The cutaway camera when a door opens broke the immersion for me, and didn't particularly help me either as I couldn't immediately recognize those areas by sight. IIRC NSZ2 used texturing to indicate which button went to which door? Though I don't know if that helped me back then either! Not really sure what the best way to go about this, heh.

Again, terrific map. Thank you for making it.
 
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Oh, I don't know if you're aware of this ancient Doom Engine trick, but the bars blocking the exit can be glided through. (I've yet to successfully glide through both sets of bars)
 

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Actually, that looks like the gap is 32 across, which is the exact size of the player. It's hard to pull off, but at exact size you can indeed sneak through the gap. If you want the player to be unable to squeeze through, the gap needs to be 31 or less.
 

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