Brain no workie.

Blah blah blah. More of my complaining. =P
Okay, you all saw the neat little deathmatch level I made for /new stuff 100. Grind.wad? Well sadly that's the best wad I've ever been able to make.
Usually several times a day, I set out to make something. Right now I have a circular room with four pillars and really symmetrical ceiling detail. Then in another wad, I have a dome-shaped room (ZDoom) with bars going going across it and a spike that goes down to a teleporter. Then in another wad I have boxes outside and a library area. And then I have a wad that's a single building in a large, outside, open area.
My point is, I never get beyond about two or three rooms with a level! I start off inspired, make a few rooms, and then my inspiration runs off with someone else. I've thought about combining the mini-levels, but that doesn't seem to work. And I've tried most of the 'defeat wad author's block' techniques, but they don't seem to work either.
Anyone else get this problem? Anyone know how to fix it? I need help here. =/

Nanami said:

Anyone else get this problem? Anyone know how to fix it? I need help here. =/

Join the club, man. At some time or another most DooM level authors run into this problem. For example, I am currently struggling to finish a map I started early this year. Sometimes it's a matter of lack of inspiration, sometimes it's laziness, sometimes it's just a lack of time.

Here are some methods (some of which have already been discussed in other posts) I use to help my maps along:

1. Play other people's maps. Most people implement standard design and gameplay tricks, but some people are innovative. Other maps may not be ground-breaking, but are great fun to play. I remember a map by Ola Bjorling called Venom. It was a simple but enjoyable map.

2. Play other games. Pick a game that parallels the theme of your planned level -- sci-fi, horror, real-life, etc. Play that game and pick up ideas for level design, architecture, and game-play.

3. Watch movies. Same as 2, above.

4. Take a drive downtown. Check out the buildings and structures, go inside when possible -- they could give you ideas for architecture.

5. Ask for ideas on these and other forums.

6. Doodle. Pick up a pencil and start drawing out rooms, buildings, structures, etc. on a piece of paper. Don't get disheartened if you don't come up with a masterpiece the first time around. (Fact: Leonardo DaVinci went through the design for his "helicopter" many times before he settled on the final.)

That little map you did was pretty cool. You used what people call "detail" without any silly details and without abusing size/proportion scales. I haven't played on it but it would probably be good for deathmatch, while not a usual circular-type map.

In my case I've discared many pieces of maps. I think it's not unusual, and people who release everything they do usually release a lot of nonsense, or take a long time on each map, insisting. Also, unreleasable or unreleased things are often productive, being usable later or as examples of what to improve or work around (as ReX implied.)

Nanami:
Okay, you all saw the neat little deathmatch level I made for /new stuff 100. Grind.wad? Well sadly that's the best wad I've ever been able to make.

You`re right THAT is SAD...

Just kidding =P

Okay, bad joke... anyway:
Maybe you should try making a sequel to Grind.wad (or another wad you think is good). Try to take elements/ moods you like and go from there. While working on it you`ll modify/ add/ delete stuff and in time "the sequel" will get a life of it`s own. With some luck/ inspiration it`ll evolve in it`s own direction without becoming a cheap clone of the original.

I get ideas just looking at screenshots of maps with different textures etc...Of course my problem is different..I have way too many finished or nearly finished maps and not enough time, and I haven't even built any of them.
When i get a computer that will change, hopefully all you can testplay my first released map, then I'll know if my advice is any good...but I get about 10 bad ones before i get a neat idea for a level.


Oh, and welcome to Doomworld, you are new aren't you?

so am i :)

Yeah, but MY problem is... I already do all that stuff! I check out local detail (my school has some nice architecture that I could probably never simulate). I play wads and either think "This is dumb," or "I could never achieve this level of detail," accordingly. One of the ones in newstuff 100 made me say the latter. Uh, what was it? CCT.wad. I don't know the name. I just download stuff and play it. Oh, Sargeant Mancubus was neat, too.
Anyway, yes, I was thinking about making a sequel to Grind.wad but I wasn't sure what else to add to it. That, and the rooms didn't really 'flow' together. It kind of goes from gray straight to brown brick. And then to wood. =P
But hey, maybe if I started on a new wad and mixed and matched ideas from all the good things from my previous levels, I could set out some betas and you guys could tell me what you like/dislike?
Hm, should I make it single player or deathmatch aimed?

Xanthier said:

Oh, and welcome to Doomworld, you are new aren't you?

Yep. I'm pretty new. I registered several months ago but only recently started using the message boards. ^_^

Nanami said:

Yep. I'm pretty new. I registered several months ago but only recently started using the message boards. ^_^

Why does that sound familiar?

Yeah, I reg. bout last year, now getting up to doing something. Good luck!

Warning- Fur and guns don't mix.