[RELEASE] Earthless (v1.1) (2025)

The demons have stolen the Earth, leaving humanity... earthless.

Go on, then.Get it back already.

Name: EarthlessMap Format: DoomComplevel: 2 (with an asterisk - see "Compatibility" section in this post)Ports Tested: Chocolate Doom, CRL, Crispy Doom, DSDADoom, Woof!, Nugget Doom, Eternity, GZDoom, DOOM + DOOM II.IWAD: doom2.wadMaps: MAP01-32Music: From all IWADs + Legacy of RustGameplay: Single play/co-opDifficulty Settings: YesMultiplayer Placement: YesBuild Time: 4.5 years (on and off development).Textures: jimmytex.wad, id1.wad, misc editsRequirements: No jumping or crouching (enforced). Freelook allowed.

Download "Earthless" v1.1 (5MB):
Dropbox Mirror

Powerhouse Mirror

"EARTHLESS" is a 32-map vanilla-compatible* megawad for Doom 2, and the spiritual successor to my Ultimate Doom megawad Deathless, which was released in 2018. This mapset has taken four and a half years of on-and-off development to put together.

The campaign is divided into 6 episodes, Scythe II-style. These are selectable from the main menu if you use a UMAPINFO-supporting port.

• Episode 1 - "CONTACT: LOST": Stone facilities in an earthy setting.
• Episode 2 - "THE HANGED GARDENS": Heaven/Garden of Eden setting, with aerial military bases thrown in.
• Episode 3 - "REALM OF THE WEEPING": A sombre borderworld of sickly green, evoking the same feel as 2018's Griefless.
• Episode 4 - "THE MAD MOON": Lunar techbases and treacherous underground systems.
• Episode 5 - "ENDURANCE OF DECAY": Brown, volcanic settings and evil cities;Legacy of Rust-adjacent.
• Episode 6 - "LAST THROES": Hell itself.

Compatibility:
earthless.wad requires -complevel 2. The DEHACKED file is included in the ZIP and inside the WAD.

*The megawad is playable from start to finish with Vanilla source ports, but has a handful of known issues.

Run in Chocolate Doom or CRL at your own risk.

• For Chocolate or CRL, you must use -merge instead of -file to run this set via command line.
• Savegame buffer overflows will occur. Disable this Vanilla condition if you're a Chocolate Doom player and want to save your game on: MAP05, MAP10, MAP13, MAP20, MAP21, MAP23, MAP24, MAP25, MAP26, MAP28, MAP29, MAP31, or MAP32.
• Sprite limit overflows occur in MAP20, MAP21, MAP26 and MAP29 during large fights, rendering many enemies invisible.
• There are one or two seg overflows present in the maps but these have been deemed negligible due to occurring in inaccessible areas, or in near-impossible-to-reproduce settings. Full runs of the set have been completed without ever practically encountering these errors.
• Please avoid running with mods as there is DEHACKED present in the set:
  • lost souls' health is reduced to 60;
  • the spider mastermind is more dangerous, with slightly more health/speed, much lower radius/painchance, and halved windup before its attack;
  • a "power core" replaces the hanging Commander Keen;
  • a "death exit" object replaces the Wolfenstein SS, allowing for fast and efficient insta-kill death exits between episodes;
  • a new torch replaces the extra "bloody mess" decoration.

Additionally, I have used UMAPINFO to customise skies on a per-episode basis, and to implement text screens after each episode is completed (every 5 maps).

For best results, I recommend: Crispy Doom, Nugget Doom, DSDADoom, or Woof!.

Playlists:

Here's a treat!

earthless.wadcontains its own "definitive" soundtrack embedded in itself,comprising the Doom and Doom 2 tracks by Bobby Prince, some from TNT, a handful of Legacy of Rust tracks by Xaser, and a few SIGIL II offerings by myself.

However, in light of me agonising for many months over the exact music selection to go in the final product and changing my mind several times, I have prepared a series of alternative soundtrack WADs(or "playlists")for you to listen to while running through the campaign. (Secretly hoping this concept catches on with future wad releases. :P)

Currently each playlist contains musicby one sole author. Credits/track listing are embedded in each WAD's "PLAYINFO" lump.

"Jimmy" playlist- An alternative selection of MIDIs of mine, if the default music isn't your cup of tea.

"Bjørn Lynne" playlist- A selection of slightly more relaxed but expertly-craftedtunes by Norwegian sound engineer and composer Bjørn Lynne.

"AD_79" playlist- A selection from @AD_79's complete catalogue of work from 2019-2024. Lots of heavy MIDI metal in this one.

"Psyrus" playlist- A selection from @Psyrus's catalogue of MIDIs. Mostly uptempo electronic tunes.

"Mark Klem/David Shaw" playlist - A selection by Mark Klem and David Shaw, taken from Requiem, STRAIN, GothicDM, and the Memento Mori wads.

Credits:
@Jarkfor MAP32!
@Fuzzball for the palette, skies and sprites!
@zmodder for the base UMAPINFO.
@Xaser for the music tracks in episode 5 and 6.

@MTropfor creating DoomTools/DECOHACK, plus technical help and support.

The Beefwhistlers, for their help with multiplayer testing!

Playtesters:
@Baratus
@Major Arlene
@Bridgeburner56
@Tarnsman
@RiviTheWarlock
@KeaganDunn
@Lazorical
@kevansevans
@Alper002
@Remmirath
@SanyaWaffles

@Dragonfly

Map list:

Screenshot collage!

Edited Tuesday at 10:45 PM by Jimmy²: v1.1 released.