builders block?

Hi, I played Doom and Doom 2 when I was younger, but I never really made a serious map for it, thought it was a cool idea, but back then there didn't seem to be any easy programs for it. I came across Doom Builder a while ago and since have been working on one since its easier now, its interesting, but going slow for me. I keep making section by section at a time and overall I think it looks great for being my first map. I have no problems with Doom Builder really (except one, but thats a different story and doesn't matter anyways).

My issue is I keep getting tied up in trying to make it perfect the way I want it and im spending too long on things that are seemingly simple, barely crawling along, though I did screw around making with a few textures and this and that for fun. Im making an episode 1 style map, basic rooms and hallways and such, no hellish canyons and chasms and all that so it should be fairly straight forward for me. Maybe an odd sort of question for you guys, but I was wondering if anyone else experienced this when they first started making maps or do I just need therapy?

I took a few screenshots of the map just now to post, maybe you guys could tell me what you think or something, I threw a few nastys in just for fun when im testing my map so don't mind all the dead bodies.

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj318/FLiP735/Screenshot_Doom_20080303_074849.png
intersection after the start room

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj318/FLiP735/Screenshot_Doom_20080303_074901.png
this is the room slightly off to the left of the last pic, some kind of medical facilities i made

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj318/FLiP735/Screenshot_Doom_20080303_075058.png
a danky computer room that goes nowhere

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj318/FLiP735/Screenshot_Doom_20080303_075156.png
looks like a good place for spectres

I'm kinda guessing everyone gets the block at times, especially those who just started making maps (in around 1994 people experienced this problem somewhat less, but that was due to the fact that any map with more than one room was uploaded and anyone who made a map better than one he found on some ftp site or bbs before, was damn proud of himself - but of course, in those days, mapping for Doom was relatively new and anything custom was awesome anyway).

When you just start, don't look too much to some of the released masterpieces out there, but just 'scribble-doodle-map' a bit, get the hang of the editor and try out some texture/flat combinations. After a while, things will seem to go more naturally, more smoothly and you won't get 'blocked' for ideas quite as often (you still might, but not as quickly like, for example, over what flat to use with which texture).

I had this problem since 2005. Sitting down and thinking creatively before opening the editor really helps the process though

Looks pretty damn good for an first map, mappers block I had it for so many times it comes and goes and usually I get it after I finished an map its like my creative part of my brain is exhausted no ideas nothing.

I tried to force myself into starting on an new map straight away but usually I get frustrated and delete the whole thing, what I do is play some other maps or other games relax an bit leave doom builder alone for an while and after some time come back to it with an fresh new look (hopefully).

Good luck with the map it looks like an fun map.

I frequently have this issue when mapping. I'm pretty new to it, so I'm still getting to know what looks good and plays the best.

I tend to design my levels on paper before building them (does anybody else do this?) which is generally useful, but sometimes I encounter parts that looked good in my head but which I suddenly feel would suck when put into a level. This is when I need to stop and think a lot.

Yea, I [sometimes] draw my layouts on paper or in my head before I map, but that usually with just DM maps and the like. I'm sure it would work just as good for SP mapping too.

Anyways, I tend to have mapping blocks the same way Dutch Devil does, especially after finishing a big map. You just have to take a break and let your mind rest, then ideas will start coming to you again.

I fired up paintshop and made a rough drawing of the layout, but its turning out a bit different than I intended it to be, no matter though. I had a couple of cool ideas for traps and such, ones you can make it out of alive of course, not something simple like a slime pit you can't get out of or something. Im hoping I can make this map turn out kind of non-linear and signifigantly difficult.

I have builder blocks all the time. While I do make sketches on paper, they are just very rough sketches, for the basic layout. Nothing really detailed.
I'm working on my second map now, and I've deleted almost more rooms than I made. I made a forest first (complete with new textures and all), then decided I didn't want to go for real life realism like that (although it didn't look that bad) and deleted the whole thing. Now I'm working on some tech base ideas. I think there are enough gothic, old style maps out there, and the space base is a highly disregarded style. But, it's hard. Whenever I think of a new style or something, I just build it, because there's only one way to judge if it looks good or not: by making it.

Yea, I started out with classic episode 1 style textures from doom2.wad because it seemed easiest, maybe i'll add a few more later. That reminds me of a question, importing textures into your map.wad lets the game recognize they are there so your map doesn't have any extra wad file requirements right?

Flip, I've also just finished one map at this point, and my building process was identical to yours, by the sound of it. I made it a piece at a time and spent way too much time fussing over every little detail - layout, textures, etc. When I have enough spare time to start another project I'll definitely try to do more planning on paper - I find it very hard to start drawing rooms without a very specific idea of what I want.

Wouldn't it be nice to have started mapping in '94? There weren't any standards then! Now, we're actually expected to make maps that play well and aren't eyesores. Ah well.

To add more textures to your wad file you'll need to download XWE, if you haven't already, and add the patches and textures through that program. I don't have the energy to explain the intricacies of XWE and the texture format right now, so... good luck!

Back in and around 94-95 or so I used to play Doom for SNES, didn't even have a computer then I don't think, but I remember thinking how awesome it would be to make my own levels, I even used to draw them out in my notebook during school. Although im not really a kid anymore unfortunatly so it doesn't seem as fun as it would have been back then. When I got my hands on a computer was after Doom 2 came out, I was busy smoking herbs at that time and level editing was troublesome back then, so needless to say im just now getting around to it lol.

No need to explain, im not as dumb as I sound. I've acually already made a few textures, I used doom2.wad textures as a base for some of them though and some are similar to textures others have made, e.g. red and yellow versions of LITEBLU4 and such, would it be considered lame if I used and released them in my map.wad?

Just for the record, there's already red and yellow versions of LITEBLU4 in TNT. :P

Anyway, using existing textures as a base for new ones is perfectly reasonable in my opinion. Especially if you use them alongside the original textures. I'll probably end up doing the same thing in future projects.

Here are a few ways to combat mappers block.

http://www.doomworld.com/vb/search.php?action=showresults&searchid=241600&sortby=lastpost&sortorder=descending&pagenumber=2

Builder's block? There's at least a billion ways to solve this problem and I'll list a few of them:

- Play a variety of PWADs, Alien Vendetta, Equinox, Kama Sutra, Scythe I & II, HR, EPIC, and a bunch of others. There's no shortage of ideas coming from the Doom mapping community.

- Study the architectures. You don't need to take extensive college courses to appreciate the high ceiling of the Saint Peter's Basilica or the Dome of the Rock, just look up the seven wonders of the world and branch out from there.

- Study the arts, take a look at the works of Bernini, Michaelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Frank Gehry, Dali, and beyond. The arts is not just limited to paintings and statue, they also encompass music and history too.

- Study the... wait... I shouldn't use the word study... it might scare ya! ...Enjoy literature, there are some scenes from Beowulf and Tolkien that translates extremely well into Doom. It will not only help you with your Doom mapping, it'll also expand your mind as well.

- Play thinking games. Scrabble, chess, checkers, even other video games, it'll improve your spatial-visual abilities, an important quality in a mapper.

- Physical activity. The explanation is beyond the scope of this thread, but trust me, it'll help, trust me on this.

- Take a break from mapping, do stuff outside of mapping, or even Doom in general. Ideas come from all over the place, like looking at real life buildings or taking a hike in nature to find terrains that can be translated into Doom. You'll come back and apprieciate how much your mind have expanded.

I myself have the opposite problem of Mapper's Block: I have too many ideas for projects and not enough time! I could go on and on about how to breed new ideas in Doom mapping using the tips given above and then some more!

Just map when you feel like it, and don't map when you don't feel like it. Don't force it, map when you're fresh and ready.