Lippeth Posted December 16, 2012 I'm so very new to wad editing, and have so many questions. But for now I just want to share a play through of the first two levels I've ever created. I spent about two weeks on each one. If anyone has the energy, I would love a few words from you on how to improve my level design, enemy placement, etc. I'm also new to MIDI editing, so thoughts on the music are welcome as well. Be brutal, I can take it. My main idea with these maps was only to make 'cool' levels that are fun and engaging, and learn the programs so I can make better maps in the future. Good or bad, it's still a fun hobby and I'm glad that Doom communities are still alive! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0wC0kX42Jk EDIT: Here's the link for the wad http://www.mediafire.com/?fzz2d2msm8zhfzz 0 Share this post Link to post
Memfis Posted December 16, 2012 Looks cool, can you post the wad? I'd rather play it myself than see someone else play. 0 Share this post Link to post
Acid Posted December 16, 2012 Please upload your wad/maps as it's much easier to check things out in an editor than to watch a playthrough video. 0 Share this post Link to post
Lippeth Posted December 16, 2012 Sure, I wasn't sure of the protocol around here. Let me take a few screenshots so I can post it in WIP, or is there another place where I don't need screenshots? 0 Share this post Link to post
Lippeth Posted December 16, 2012 Okay, this was the only place I found where I could upload the file.... EDIT: Scratch that. I'm still looking for a place to upload. 0 Share this post Link to post
Acid Posted December 16, 2012 There are literally hundreds of other websites, such as: http://mediafire.com/ http://speedyshare.com/ etc etc Are you sure you uploaded the correct file? 0 Share this post Link to post
Lippeth Posted December 16, 2012 Turns out, someone else had a wad with a similar name and I didn't check the dates. I'm a chaotic mess sometimes. Here's a better link: http://www.mediafire.com/?znk0bwsdox14knm 0 Share this post Link to post
Acid Posted December 16, 2012 Ok, there are many things you could learn about texture alignment for one. For random walls like this that don't match together, you could align them in visual mode with your arrowkeys or check "lower-unpegged" that usually solves all your vertical alignment problems. There are many things you can solve (not all) with Shift-A (auto-vertical alignment) and A (auto-horizontal alignment) when using visual 3D mode. http://i.imgur.com/EfHpw.jpg vs http://i.imgur.com/dzpwo.jpg and http://i.imgur.com/x7DnO.jpg vs http://i.imgur.com/nG6xN.jpg I see that you've used a border design, which is standard and adds alot to the detail, but it'd look better with a secondary texture. Granted the one I used in the example was used in the room right beside it, but you get my point. http://i.imgur.com/CYH6h.jpg http://i.imgur.com/XLpfC.jpg Here, your texture transition with the startan just sort of...crashes against each other. A simple metal column solves this and adds aesthetic appeal to it in general. Without: http://i.imgur.com/pCbMW.jpg With: http://i.imgur.com/3dk5y.jpg Similar thing here, with your lights. LITE3 is 32px long and doesn't align too well on non-orthogonal walls. You can either do (like here) and add other textures to reduce the light fixtures, or split the linedef down the middle and elongate the light. Lights don't just cut off D: http://i.imgur.com/eprzU.jpg http://i.imgur.com/KSUkd.jpg Oh, and the random marble room at the end was random and didn't make much sense there. If you were aiming for a temple-y look, the base transition to the exit should be replaced with marble. Your outdoor-cave area was done pretty well, with the general architecture looking good. I can't comment much on the layout since I myself am having some issues with it, so I'll let someone else do the c&c. 0 Share this post Link to post
Lippeth Posted December 16, 2012 Thank you for taking the time to analyze my map! I'm excited to clean it all up now. It is my first map ever, so I went from knowing nothing, to having a map with mixed knowledge. Thanks again for the advice! 0 Share this post Link to post
Memfis Posted December 16, 2012 Fun creative levels with nice music. I'd love to see more maps from you.Tested With : Chocolate Doom 7.0 And you didn't notice that S1 actions with zero tag fuck up the maps completely? :) 0 Share this post Link to post
Acid Posted December 16, 2012 Lippeth said:Thank you for taking the time to analyze my map! I'm excited to clean it all up now. It is my first map ever, so I went from knowing nothing, to having a map with mixed knowledge. Thanks again for the advice! It was a decent map, though everything sort of...attacked from the front. There wasn't really any threat where you had to check behind you to manuever. Try some backend monster closets or teleport ambushes to spice up the challenge. Also, the abundant amount of random barrels eliminated a good portion of the enemies for me. Explosive barrels can be used, yes, but when they're too many of them, it reduces the difficulty. 0 Share this post Link to post
Lippeth Posted December 16, 2012 Oh, did you check out the second map in the wad? There are a few teleporty spots and back attack areas. But, remove some barrels, check. More attacks to the rear, check. I feel like I'm getting more information now than the whole time spent learning Doom Builder. Thank you! 0 Share this post Link to post
Lippeth Posted December 17, 2012 Memfis said:Fun creative levels with nice music. I'd love to see more maps from you. And you didn't notice that S1 actions with zero tag fuck up the maps completely? :) Thank you! And no, I guess not. This is the first time showing anyone what I have done besides my girlfriend, and she's only played doom once because I made her. So I have no reference to what works other than tutorials, which I'm so glad learned people make tutorials so I can at least learn in the first place. It took me too long to figure out why linedef directions matter and why my doors and tripwires didn't work:/ I've only been at this for a month after playing "No Rest For The Living". I saw something really cool in the first level, and immediately felt a wave of magic, shut off my ps3, downloaded Doom Builder, and got started. 0 Share this post Link to post
Lippeth Posted December 17, 2012 BloodyAcid said:Ok, there are many things you could learn about texture alignment for one. I'm looking at it all again.....It's so horrible and jumbled and I overlooked it all to continue with the level. Yikes, I have more work than I first realized. I almost just want to leave these as a piece of personal history and work on new maps that are a bit cleaner off the bat. But it's just so fun. 0 Share this post Link to post
djvero Posted December 17, 2012 Lippeth said:I'm looking at it all again.....It's so horrible and jumbled and I overlooked it all to continue with the level. Yikes, I have more work than I first realized. I almost just want to leave these as a piece of personal history and work on new maps that are a bit cleaner off the bat. But it's just so fun. I have too little knowledge myself as well to give you any advice on your maps, but if I were you I'd start with new ones so that you can see in one year time how much you've grown in map making by comparing these maps with your newest maps, which is really super-cool!! 0 Share this post Link to post
darkreaver Posted December 17, 2012 Lippeth said:the first two levels I've ever created Very nice. I expect to see some awesome stuff from you if you continue mapping =) 0 Share this post Link to post
esselfortium Posted December 17, 2012 Yeah, it'd probably be best to just keep working on new levels and learning/experimenting as you go rather than agonizing over the same ones forever. :) 0 Share this post Link to post
Lippeth Posted December 17, 2012 Thank you everyone, for your praise and criticism! I spent about an hour cleaning up the first map and righting the wrongs. I even added an extra odd-placed monster closet which is not quite finished, and I'm not sure about keeping it. EDIT: Fixed the closet. Here's the updated map. http://www.mediafire.com/?fzz2d2msm8zhfzz 0 Share this post Link to post