UDMF newbie training: E1 Replacement

I mean i'm not much of a newbie with the format of UDMF, however utilizing everything inside this format can be very... Challenging. 

This isn't a community project. (Though for those who just want to take a shot at it are welcome.)

Though instead, this is like a day to day tracking on this project I'd like to release in the near future. This for me to get out of my shell and try making maps with the flexible UDMF format. The only involvement I ask is for your criticism (Well anything really, i just really want to push my skill set and learn new things with this format that I've used lots of times before.) I need you guys to tell me whether I do it right or not or give tips on how to do it better. I've come up with a story line for this E1 replacement with some level ideas in mind. The twist here is, that it isn't an entirely new plot, but rather based around the same time of the incident of the Doom 1 we all know and love, You may even get to revisit those levels to in their Broken down conditions.

Story so far: You take the role of a UAC server manager in some off grid outpost, not too far from any of the main buildings in the Phobos crater. You come to this outpost every so often to make sure things have been working right. You take the elevator down to the main computing rooms, where you discover that something is really eating up the connection, something unknown. You do your routine check up to see if any luck could do restore the connection to normal. You open up some of the ground plating to check if anythings wrong within the Tek of the server room. A few shots are fired suddenly, as well as a small earthquake, which cause the systems to glitch up. You get up and check around, thanking yourself coming prepared with a sidearm in your hands. No luck for finding the source of the problem, though you soon discover what happens when that door opens right up..

Levels:

E1M1: Server management

E1M2: Outpost Thirteen

E1M3: (unknown)

E1M4: (Unknown)

E1M5: (Unknown)

E1M6: (Unknown)

E1M7: (Unknown)

E1M8: Hangar Showdown

E1M9: (unknown)

Screenies: 

E1M1:

Download link: (none yet, check back soon!)

I don't mean for this to be a selfish project or anything, I just want the help of you guys, the Community, to help encourage me or provide general knowledge of what do when making a map and how to spice it up. 

1 hour ago, UAC-Janitor said:

I mean i'm not much of a newbie with the format of UDMF, however utilizing everything inside this format can be very... Challenging.

Why would you even want to use 'everything'? That's really not the point of all those features.

Well I like the story and the screens look pretty good. Good luck with this and look forward to playing it. :o)

Needs more non-right angle rooms and architecture.

8 hours ago, Glaice said:

Needs more non-right angle rooms and architecture.

Agreed, I'm going back and fixing it up  a bit, though maintaining just a bit of the squarish design for a more realistic look, just need to find a way to spice it up. Im not exactly trying to copy E1's design, but just use what Doom offers in textures and use the flexibility of the UDMF format to make something while only using Doom 1 textures. Thanks for the critique though! Alpha styled cramped corridors aren't always the best approach to levels..

22 hours ago, Graf Zahl said:

 

Why would you even want to use 'everything'? That's really not the point of all those features.

Well, not using everything, but using what it offers effectively. I kinda took inspiration from a forum post you made about how you people should use UDMF more often as it really is a flexible mapping format that offers a lot.

12 hours ago, UAC-Janitor said:

Agreed, I'm going back and fixing it up  a bit, though maintaining just a bit of the squarish design for a more realistic look, just need to find a way to spice it up. Im not exactly trying to copy E1's design, but just use what Doom offers in textures and use the flexibility of the UDMF format to make something while only using Doom 1 textures. Thanks for the critique though! Alpha styled cramped corridors aren't always the best approach to levels..

If you want some ideas, advice, critique for Alpha styled levels, I would get in contact with @nicolas monti. He's done a couple of Alpha texture style mapsets before.

Neat idea, neat story, neat screenies. Good luck with this!