Creaphis
I will deliberately take a contrary position just for the sake of writing incredibly long arguments
Posts: 3991
Registered: 10-05 |
Cjwright79 said:
And Creaphis I insist you show me your demo. :)
Here's my first-attempt demo. I recorded it with GZDoom 1.4.3, because I know that you usually test your wads in GZDoom and I figured that was the intended playing field - but I just now noticed that you recorded your demo in PrBoom+! (I avoided watching your demo before recording mine, so that I could go into the wad knowing as little about it as possible.) Our difference in port choice means I might have had a slight advantage over you (eg. with the BLOCKMAP bug fixed in GZDoom more of my hitscan attacks met their targets), but it hopefully didn't make too big a difference.
Anyways, my stats for the demo are:
100% 100% 100%
About 18 minutes running time
0 deaths
It's a tricky level - I suffered some very close calls, mostly because of all of the archviles that sneak up behind you. It's mostly quite fun and challenging, but gets repetitive at the end, and see: this is the point I'm trying to prove. A sufficiently skillful (and cowardly) player can defuse virtually all of the hostile situations in your wads by forcing monsters to gather in choke points, and by hightailing it back the way he came whenever he triggers a trap. Using this same tactic over and over becomes boring. While it's true that I was suffering just a bit too much damage during my play-through to become bored, if I were to play it again I would find it boring as I already know where all the archviles are hidden, and would beat the level with the simple reapplication of run-and-hide tactics.
So then, how does one design a level to please this skillful player, who is bored of slaughtering random mixes of monsters in flat rooms, and of hiding behind doors, and of run-and-hide traps? By constructing maps around complex and unique encounters. This produces maps much like the favourites that have already been mentioned in this thread. Architecture becomes much more complex and varied, so that monsters can be placed more creatively and variably, thus creating new and interesting gameplay situations. Also, architecture becomes more compact overall - if all opponents are pushed closer to the player, then the player is under greater threat, and will be more interested in the challenge. This, unfortunately, comes at the cost of the "free running" which you hold so dear. While large, open spaces can still exist in "mainstream" wads, gameplay will usually still be designed so that every inch of those spaces are necessary to hold the monsters in their complex configuration, and to give the player just enough room to dodge and fight. No space is wasted.
I'm sorry, Cjwright79, but you are not this skillful player, and it is because you are not this skillful player that you still find maps like the ones you make so enjoyable. You have not discovered some hidden apex of Doom mapping. Rather, you have stubbornly sat down at the side of the path of aesthetic development. Most of us have also come to the point on this path, where you sit, peddling your wares, but we kept going. We're still traveling. You could begin traveling again, if you so wish. As your skills improve, you'll also start to find it dull to clear monsters from large, flat spaces and to shoot under doorways. You'll crave something meatier. You'll hungrily consume Scythe 2, Alien Vendetta, and other challenging wads with complex architecture and fight choreography that is creative, varied, and tight as a drum.
If you're feeling moved by this and actually want to work on your player skills then I have to suggest deathmatching. Nothing trains your aim and movement skills better than the most dangerous game.
Cjwright79 said:
That said I don't think the original DOOM2 maps are that great either.
This statement surprises me. I've been trying to think of maps similar in style to yours and some of Sandy Peterson's maps, such as Suburbs, are not too different. Another thing his maps have in common with yours is that they are not universally loved.
A map with wide-open spaces that manages to get good reviews is Run Buddy.
EDIT: Alright, I watched your demo now, and while your aim and movement are clumsy, they're not really what's holding you back. Rather, you need to work on your observation and spatial awareness, so that first you see every danger that surrounds you, and that second you can mentally keep track of where all those dangers are, so that you don't suddenly get killed by an enemy you forgot about. You also need to work on "shepherding." While Doom monsters won't always cooperatively get into a nice herd for you, what you can do is kill outlying and isolated monsters (the strays) first so that all remaining monsters can be seen all at once, and will thus be more safely dealt with. Related to the above, you need to work on target prioritization - I notice that you have a harmful tendency to fixate on particular monsters while other, more dangerous and more mobile monsters are still alive. Kill the most dangerous monsters first, then clean up the little guys and outlying targets, and leave the slow ammo drainers like barons and cacodemons for last. Finally, have some prudence about how you proceed through a map. You barge into a new trap while you're still dealing with the old one. Play carefully, and remember: skillful play isn't playing like a cowboy. It is that which produces victory.
Last edited by Creaphis on 02-08-10 at 01:40
|
02-07-10 20:18 
