Making traps interesting

I'm looking how to make traps a bit more interesting rather than my use of monster closets and teleport ambushes. It'd be nice to mix things up in my Maps of Chaos Overkill edition so any ideas or suggestions would be helpful.

Unfortunately there isn't a whole lot of choices outside monster closets and teleport ambushes. The only thing that comes to mind is monsters rising out of floors, or descending from a floor from the ceiling. A combination of these basic trap scenarios + shutting doors behind the player so he can't easily escape or doorway camp usually works.

I know how to do the insta-rise (action 19) with no lower texture to give the illusion of just normal ground but I how does one do insta-drop? I make sure I use limit removing compatibility for the modified mapset as well.

I have used the closing door trick a few times before but not enough.

You can make them less predictable. Instead of ambushing player when he picks up a key, ambush him when he's just casually collecting health potions in a corner. But after creating 5 maps with non-trapped keys, suddenly make the second key on Map06 trapped and that will be a good surprise.

You can make them weird/funny. But a big fat reward on a pedestal, decorate the room in a highly menacing way, then when the player picks it up you open some closets with green evil eyes instead of monsters (maybe he will feel like he did something wrong and now the sentinels are watching him or whatever).

You can make them avoidable. Leave some clues and give the player a chance to figure them out. If an attentive player notices that stuff he will be rewarded with less dangerous stuff to fight.

A slight alternative to the previous: you can place some secrets that allow the player to peek into the monster closets beforehand and maybe kill some monsters through windows.

Of course traps don't always have to be about fighting monsters. Crushers, chains of exploding barrels, or floors that suddenly turn into lava can be very interesting too.

For the teleporting monsters stuff it would be fun to find the "Teleport Ambush Central" in the level. They have to come from somewhere, right? Why do we never get to see the inner workings of monster teleporters? So show a place where they are standing in line, divided in sections or whatever. And at the top there is an arch-vile observing the hall, making sure that everything is working right.

Often monster closets are a lot more interesting when stuff doesn't open in front of the player but rather somewhere far away, maybe even without him knowing anything. Monsters wandering all over the level or just waiting in a dark corner can nicely catch him by surprise.

Usually stuff is interesting when there is not too much of it. So avoid making traps where possible.

Glaice said:

...but I how does one do insta-drop? I make sure I use limit removing compatibility for the modified mapset as well.

You can use "XX Floor Raise to Lowest Ceiling" actions to make insta-drop in limit removing compatibility, such as action 64(SR) or action 91(WR). You need to make a connected-dummy sector which has a ceiling with goal height.

Back on topic with interesting trap. By using DeHackEd, How about replacing Wolfenstein SS to ordinary-looking former human with rocket launcher or plasma rifle?

Glaice said:

I'm looking how to make traps a bit more interesting rather than my use of monster closets and teleport ambushes.

If those are your "natural" traps, you might be able to make sufficiently interesting traps just by playing with the abovementioned kinds of traps. Feel free to combine, exaggerate, subvert or invert them. Make empty monster closets open around the player and then monsters teleport into them. Make empty monster closets open around the player and then monsters teleport everywhere except into the newly opened closets. Make a really large open area without any monsters, but after pressing a switch in the middle of this area, the area shapeshifts into a much more cramped one and with monsters teleporting in. Make monsters teleport in, but immediately teleport elsewhere, due to monster-only walkover teleport lines in the room. Make monster closets inside monster closets inside monster closets and so on, just make each new closet look and play differently than the previous one, to prevent boredom. The possibilities are unlimited.

antares031 said:

Back on topic with interesting trap. By using DeHackEd, How about replacing Wolfenstein SS to ordinary-looking former human with rocket launcher or plasma rifle?

I'm not planning on modifying any existing enemies.

@scifista: I haven't thought of the monster only teleport to make fights unpredictable.

+1 for changing the environment as well. Instead of revealing new monsters in the same environment make a trap where the player teleports or drops into a new area that is the trap. Or as above introduce new geometry or damaging floors/lighting changes to make the new scenario more than just extra enemies.