Maze Mapping Challenge

I'm developing a new map called "The Impaler's Labyrinth", and I thought that it would be an interesting idea to create a mapping challenge with that theme in here.

Guidelines (EDIT):

I. It must have a relatively simple design (Which means, more linedefs and less sectors. The walls can be more round, but can't be like in those Tech wads, with tiny sectors of detail on them.)
II. It must have repeated sectors with repeated details, with little variations to fool the player's mind.
III. It must be "frustrating" Ad Infinitum (By frustrating I mean that it needs to be confusing, and not because it needs to be boring).

The more frustrating, the more "Mazy" it would be.

If the idea gets foward, we could even create a bigger wad filled up just with irritating mazes. What do you think about it? When I finish my map, I'll post it here, and I'll post the maps of the other ones too.

MAPS UNTIL NOW:

Map01 - The Impaler's Labyrinth (Map and Soundtrack by Tellerstein).
Map02 - ?????????????????? (General Rainbow Bacon).
Map03 - Pipedreams (Pottus).
Map04 - ?????????????????? (GreyGhost).

This could be real easy to make a map actually since all you would need to make is a set of modular map pieces then copy/paste the shit outta them :P

This maze megawad might be inspiring: 32.wad

Pottus said:

This could be real easy to make a map actually since all you would need to make is a set of modular map pieces then copy/paste the shit outta them :P

I agree. But, giving the simplicity, it could be very hard to create an original and clever maze (Using switches, for example, that activate things hard to notice that had been activated).

TimeOfDeath said:

This maze megawad might be inspiring: 32.wad

Thank you very much! I'll play it!

EDIT:

I've played the Map01 and I found it good. But my map is very different, I'm thinking in something different. This WAD has a "traditional" Maze style, but I want the meaning of "confusion" and "desoriantation" from the word "maze" (And not popular thought of leaf-endless-walls.)

This thing with countless doors is a little boring. My map has no doors so far. I'll do my best to create an interesting Mazy-Map.

I'll make a maze for ya! It probably won't be until later next week tho, really busy right now.

General Rainbow Bacon said:

I'll make a maze for ya! It probably won't be until later next week tho, really busy right now.

Ok! I shall wait for it anxiously :).

Love the concept. Some simple ideas:

1) Make all the linedefs on the entire map 'hidden,' so the player can't access their automap. At least not without being a filthy cheater. This would make it much harder for the player to recognize if he's walking around in circles or not.

2) Silently teleport the player to add to their confusion. For instance, I imagine a long, featureless hallway that splits into a T-bone at the end. If they go right, the hallways in front of them is identical to the one they just went through, only half-way through it teleports them back to the first hallway. So if they keep going right (the simplest would-be maze-escaper's trick), they will keep being brought back. Only by going left can they hope to progress on to the next maddening obstacle.

Oh don't worry, I have plans. :D

Very good ideas Schwerpunk. I've did a lot in my map already, I'm trying to innovate in it, creating a different kind of confusion in it. The hidden linedefs idea is really excelent.

When I've read your word "hidden", I remembered of a Tale by H.P Lovecraft with Kenneth Sterling, called "In the Walls of Eryx". That some kind of "Marine" gets himself trapped in an invisible Labyrinth in Venus. That would be a bloody perfect map (In the walls of Eryx).

Yeah, that's a great tale. You should read it if you haven't everyone.

tellerstein said:

I. It must have a simple design (Almost in a Wolfensteiner way).

Why waste opportunities? Wolfenstein mazes are boring in Doom. Try instead to make multistory mazes -- tunnels at many different heights, connected together by pits and lifts (kinda like Snakes and Ladders). Possible in vanilla Doom, maybe even with limits.

I wish that instead of making annoying and frustrating mazes, better would be to make scary mazes where you feel stalked and hunted. But alas, the Doom monsters are too stupid and noisy to have any effectiveness...

printz said:

Why waste opportunities? Wolfenstein mazes are boring in Doom. Try instead to make multistory mazes -- tunnels at many different heights, connected together by pits and lifts (kinda like Snakes and Ladders). Possible in vanilla Doom, maybe even with limits.

I wish that instead of making annoying and frustrating mazes, better would be to make scary mazes where you feel stalked and hunted. But alas, the Doom monsters are too stupid and noisy to have any effectiveness...

Feel free to do so :). I didn't understood quite well what I've said until I played that "32.wad" that TimeOfDeath indicated. By simple, i meant more that it's necessary to "repeat", otherwise is hard to get the proper confusion.

Creativity rules, "maze" can be really abstract.

Screenshot of the WAD I'm creating:

From reading the description, this is really a wasted opportunity. The rules make it all but certain that the resulting design is going to be uber-dull. The "make it maze-like" restriction can be put to far more interesting use given varying heights (as Printz mentioned), non-orthogonality, and creative use of sector movement. The guidelines posted do not allow for any of this.

Also, "frustrating Ad Infinitum" should never be a requirement for anything ever because being "frustrating" is never, ever, ever a good thing, as the term implies a lack of enjoyment. "Disorienting" is the word you're looking for here.

Brings up an interesting point: how capable is ZDoom with changing game mechanics? What kind of RPG crossover attempts have been made? I'd love to see something like the below in a Doom setting.

Bucket said:

Brings up an interesting point: how capable is ZDoom with changing game mechanics? What kind of RPG crossover attempts have been made? I'd love to see something like the below in a Doom setting.

The mechanics are really different, and there's no editor that do such things (I think), I really have no idea if that's possible. But I must say, I would just love an "Elder Scrolls" by IDSoftware. A RPG version of DOOM. That would be just fantastic!

Speed mapped a maze for the hell of it.

Map Name: Pipedreams
Map Format: ZDoom
Settings: Turn infinite ammo on, Jump, Crouching
Objective: Find all 6 keys to open the exit

Imps will be spawning all over the place!

http://www.mediafire.com/?4khv0923oivyp89

Bucket said:

Brings up an interesting point: how capable is ZDoom with changing game mechanics? What kind of RPG crossover attempts have been made? I'd love to see something like the below in a Doom setting.

I had an idea about doing a similar mod for a different (much better, but very old) game called might and magic 7 a few years ago, but I didn't really commit to it. Perhaps the biggest challenge I could think of at the time was the inventory screen. heretic/hexen/strife used a very simple menu for secondary items, but this just doesn't work for such an in-depth rpg. Unless someone can code in a similar inventory screen into the engine itself, I don't see any rpg getting much farther than something like phocas island 2. Special weapon classes or armor pickups, spell effects, different mobs and basic scripted behaviors (I think) are all possible, but the damn inventory screen is what really stops it. And that's an integral part of what separates something like legend of grimrock from being a medieval fps and into being an rpg.

/offtopic

I agree with xaser on topic, but I'll look into what happens.

Behold - 30,000 rooms! (sneak preview)


(1280x800 - 198k)

Not sure this meets the challenge guidelines. It's my Plan B map for another project in case I can't get Plan A to work satisfactorily. Still a work-in-progress, all the rooms are there (3,000 - after a while it'll feel like 30,000) it's now a matter of laying out the maze.

Wow Grey Ghost I admire your consistency lol

I've enjoyed your map Pottus, and I've found it creative too. I'll put it over there.

Grey Ghost, it seems to be very interesting.

Bucket said:

Brings up an interesting point: how capable is ZDoom with changing game mechanics? What kind of RPG crossover attempts have been made? I'd love to see something like the below in a Doom setting.

I was able to make a switch in vanilla Doom that, being pushed repeatedly, would release monsters of increasing difficulty (by teleportation). Eventually it would open your way to the artifact you sought. I brought this up because this setup was inspired from a Baldur's Gate 2 dungeon (probably Spellhold, which was also dubbed as labyrinth).

Besides, isn't rf` already working on such a mod (Cursed) for Heretic?

I've just finished my "The Impaler's Labyrinth" WAD, I've post it up there. I would like you to play it and judge my labyrinth. Thank you very much!

Settings: Turn infinite ammo on, Jump, Crouching

Damn, should've read this first.

I'm working on SCP-413 themed map. It isn't going to be a surreal maze - level takes place in a parking garage. But... it's SCP-413.