mizucc Posted May 3, 2019 (edited) check out my first map pack Im new to the doom community and this is my first post. I want to hear your opinion so I can improve my future maps more info in the read me file hellcastle.zip Edited May 3, 2019 by mizucc : missing texture and a helpful comment 6 Share this post Link to post
Misty Posted May 3, 2019 Hey, welcome newcomer. I suggest you to edit first post and include screenshots and mapping format which you used for your map, so people could easily choose required port. Here helpful thread: 2 Share this post Link to post
pcorf Posted May 3, 2019 (edited) ScreenShots. Edited September 18, 2019 by pcorf 4 Share this post Link to post
mizucc Posted May 3, 2019 20 minutes ago, Misty said: Hey, welcome newcomer. I suggest you to edit first post and include screenshots and mapping format which you used for your map, so people could easily choose required port. Here helpful thread: thx 0 Share this post Link to post
mizucc Posted May 3, 2019 20 minutes ago, pcorf said: ScreenShots. any feedback 0 Share this post Link to post
Loud Silence Posted May 3, 2019 Where is info about supported source ports, required iWAD? Eternity Engine is crashing while trying to run this wad. 0 Share this post Link to post
mizucc Posted May 3, 2019 2 minutes ago, Rimantas said: Where is info about supported source ports, required iWAD? Eternity Engine is crashing while trying to run this wad. i tested on gzdoom 0 Share this post Link to post
Pegleg Posted May 3, 2019 Welcome to Doomworld! 1 hour ago, mizucc said: i tested on gzdoom Does that mean your intended compatibility is GZDoom? Or was your intended compatibility level something else (limit-removing, Boom, etc.)? There are clearly some custom resources being used in your maps. Please provide the credit for these. You described this submission as a "map pack" implying there are multiple maps. How many are there? Yes, I know that all of this information is included in the text file, but it is polite to include them in the thread when you post as a courtesy to potential players, so that they can see the details about your submission at a glance. This will help, particularly since you're new here. 3 Share this post Link to post
Paul814 Posted May 3, 2019 Good job Mizucc, I enjoyed the wad map pack! 1 Share this post Link to post
Loud Silence Posted May 4, 2019 Since gzDoom is unusable for me, i used ZDoom LE to play this wad (Ultra Violence). Levels are very empty - big rooms/areas containing 2 to 4 monsters (rarely more). Some levels have interesting design ideas, but still only some parts. Too many big, simple and empty rooms/areas. Too few monsters. It's Doom - player must be in danger, have a challenge. For first maps - really not bad, i know you can become a great mapper. 2 Share this post Link to post
mizucc Posted May 4, 2019 36 minutes ago, Rimantas said: Since gzDoom is unusable for me, i used ZDoom LE to play this wad (Ultra Violence). Levels are very empty - big rooms/areas containing 2 to 4 monsters (rarely more). Some levels have interesting design ideas, but still only some parts. Too many big, simple and empty rooms/areas. Too few monsters. It's Doom - player must be in danger, have a challenge. For first maps - really not bad, i know you can become a great mapper. thx ill keep that in mind 1 Share this post Link to post
grrfield Posted May 4, 2019 On 5/3/2019 at 9:29 PM, Pegleg said: Welcome to Doomworld! Does that mean your intended compatibility is GZDoom? Or was your intended compatibility level something else (limit-removing, Boom, etc.)? There are clearly some custom resources being used in your maps. Please provide the credit for these. You described this submission as a "map pack" implying there are multiple maps. How many are there? Yes, I know that all of this information is included in the text file, but it is polite to include them in the thread when you post as a courtesy to potential players, so that they can see the details about your submission at a glance. This will help, particularly since you're new here. I don't understand your use of the word "impolite". I prefer "useful". He is starting and trying. Help him, and don't say he is being impolite. I understand your reasoning, but we all have a right to start "right" don't we? If you want really to be any help, stop patronizing this guy, but provide him with real help. 0 Share this post Link to post
SamuelNMEvander Posted May 4, 2019 (edited) I played your entire map pack in one sitting and I have an idea of your style. You certainly have a knack and work ethic for mapping. But you need to improve your style of level making. Most of the rooms feel empty and repetitive with textures. You need to learn to decorate your maps and apply lighting as well as giving your rooms a sense of identity. Don't just make a room, give it identity. Such as a sacrifice chamber, a dark catacomb, aqueduct tunnel.. stuff like that. The thing you seem to do is just make a room after room after room with little thought to variety or texture placement. Some of your sections are also too large and wide. Think about what you want to do with it if you want to use a large open space. For example, I've made open spaces in the past but I decided to do something with them, whether it was an open area with a hill or a lava river or a toxic valley with pillars coming out of them or even a large cavern tunnel, make them distinct and memorable. All in all, I want you to open up Doom 1&2, play them and make note of how the levels are made, how they're designed and how the textures are assigned. Also, download SLADE so you can name your map with MAPINFO text lump and apply music. There's lots of sites with free midi music and youtube tutorials to help you :) 1 Share this post Link to post
mizucc Posted May 4, 2019 3 minutes ago, SamuelNMEvander said: I played your entire map pack in one sitting and I have an idea of your style. You certainly have a knack and work ethic for mapping. But you need to improve your style of mapping. Most of the rooms feel empty and repetitive with textures. You need to learn to decorate your maps and apply lighting as well as giving your rooms a sense of identity. Don't just make a room, give it identity. Such as a sacrifice chamber, a dark catacomb, aqueduct tunnel.. stuff like that. The thing you seem to do is just make a room after room after room with little thought to variety or texture placement. Some of your sections are also too large and wide. Think about what you want to do with it if you want to use a large open space. For example, I've made open spaces in the past but I decided to do something with them, whether it was an open area with a hill or a lava river or a toxic valley with pillars coming out of them or even a large cavern tunnel, make them distinct and memorable. All in all, I want you to open up Doom 1&2, play them and make note of how the levels are made, how they're designed and how the textures are assigned. Also, download SLADE so you can name your map with MAPINFO text lump and apply music. There's lots of sites with free midi music and youtube tutorials to help you :) this helped a lot 1 Share this post Link to post
SamuelNMEvander Posted May 4, 2019 Good luck, go make badass stuff! :) 0 Share this post Link to post
DynamiteKaitorn Posted May 4, 2019 So here's what I think of your work so far: Good Points - 1) Some architecture usage here is really neat! I do like what you can come up with whilst not being overwhelming with the details. Fine work my friend. 2) The textures here look like they could fit in doom very well. (not sure if they're your own or if from a texture pack but either way I like them). 3) I personally didn't find this to be too hard. A fine addition! 4) Enemy variety. Whilst not all enemies from DooM/DooM 2 were used, I do like what you had and you worked with them fairly well, that arch-vile trap was a pain in the arse but thankfully I had a rocket launcher. >:D and 5) The maps looped you back to the central point where the next key needs to go. Quite a nice level design! Though maybe hide them a little bit so they don't look like a possible doors? Bad Points - 1) Right angles galore. GOOD LORD does this map use 90 degree angled walls a lot. Sure the outside sections are fancy but most internal parts are very right-angled. Try to spruce up the maps a little. 2) Size. You DO realise the size of the DooM marine is 32x56x32 right? Maps that would be perfect to romp through as the spider mastermind is not a very good scale comparison. Try shrinking portions of the map. 3) Lack of threat. Despite the enemy spam I was able to jsut rush past everything with barely any monster holting me in the process, again due to how much room there was. 4) Lack of detail. Some walls are just long, plain and dull with not really any variety. Not many I'll grant but the ones that are there are a biiit too common. and lastly 5) The Cyberdemon boss room was no problem for me but for some DooM players out there that's quite the spike with how tiny it is, especially if they don't use mouse. Overall a fairly alright mod 7/10 2 Share this post Link to post
mizucc Posted May 5, 2019 13 hours ago, DynamiteKaitorn said: So here's what I think of your work so far: Good Points - 1) Some architecture usage here is really neat! I do like what you can come up with whilst not being overwhelming with the details. Fine work my friend. 2) The textures here look like they could fit in doom very well. (not sure if they're your own or if from a texture pack but either way I like them). 3) I personally didn't find this to be too hard. A fine addition! 4) Enemy variety. Whilst not all enemies from DooM/DooM 2 were used, I do like what you had and you worked with them fairly well, that arch-vile trap was a pain in the arse but thankfully I had a rocket launcher. >:D and 5) The maps looped you back to the central point where the next key needs to go. Quite a nice level design! Though maybe hide them a little bit so they don't look like a possible doors? Bad Points - 1) Right angles galore. GOOD LORD does this map use 90 degree angled walls a lot. Sure the outside sections are fancy but most internal parts are very right-angled. Try to spruce up the maps a little. 2) Size. You DO realise the size of the DooM marine is 32x56x32 right? Maps that would be perfect to romp through as the spider mastermind is not a very good scale comparison. Try shrinking portions of the map. 3) Lack of threat. Despite the enemy spam I was able to jsut rush past everything with barely any monster holting me in the process, again due to how much room there was. 4) Lack of detail. Some walls are just long, plain and dull with not really any variety. Not many I'll grant but the ones that are there are a biiit too common. and lastly 5) The Cyberdemon boss room was no problem for me but for some DooM players out there that's quite the spike with how tiny it is, especially if they don't use mouse. Overall a fairly alright mod 7/10 this information will come in handy 0 Share this post Link to post
riderr3 Posted May 7, 2019 (edited) @mizucc The map with marble and flesh pillars looks like a good concept, though I think this can be much better with more height variables and extra flat variations. As a long time mapper and speedmapper I can say about important things in mapping - make sketches first. It's not necessary to make one room and waste time on detailing it. It's better make a sketches of few rooms and then connections between them. Also add an outside area, or two. Then adjust the height of sectors. Later, choose the textures, items/monsters, adjusting brightness, actions, e.t.c. Sure, you can pick another order, but I'm offering my option. Add windows, balconies, interconnections to spice up map design. Player must see what he is striving for. As example red key not just hidden in closet, but are visible through windows/cages, and player must find another way to reach it. Hide monsters between crates, behind corners/columns and in unexpectable places (not just in front of player's face). Roaming monsters is always interesting, so map layouts can be made to help enemies to do that. It is better to put flying monsters somewhere behind the cliffs or behind sector objects, so they are can fly over and create nice effect. Grab any ideas how to make interesting names for maps and episodes, because for the 25 years of dooming words "hell", "castle", "death" become too often used and uninteresting. It's impossible to create unique and interesting encounters on purely symmetrical maps, because they do not allow the most efficient use of monsters, so your encounters and traps should influence the layout of the map from the start. Try taking one half of that symmetrical room and reshaping the vertices to create something asymmetrical. Some of the best gamespaces I ever created were a result of just dragging vertices around. Never underestimate the power of splitting linedefs. Figure 1 : quick example of plain, symmetrical room design Figure 2 : quick example of improved, asymmetrical room design Also check out the hotkeys of map editor, they can improve building a lot. Still, the maps is fairly good for the very first mapset. Though the design, texture usage and monster placement can be improved. 1 Share this post Link to post
mizucc Posted May 8, 2019 I newer thought I wuld get help this detailed 1 Share this post Link to post
mizucc Posted May 8, 2019 11 hours ago, riderr3 said: @mizucc The map with marble and flesh pillars looks like a good concept, though I think this can be much better with more height variables and extra flat variations. As a long time mapper and speedmapper I can say about important things in mapping - make sketches first. It's not necessary to make one room and waste time on detailing it. It's better make a sketches of few rooms and then connections between them. Also add an outside area, or two. Then adjust the height of sectors. Later, choose the textures, items/monsters, adjusting brightness, actions, e.t.c. Sure, you can pick another order, but I'm offering my option. Add windows, balconies, interconnections to spice up map design. Player must see what he is striving for. As example red key not just hidden in closet, but are visible through windows/cages, and player must find another way to reach it. Hide monsters between crates, behind corners/columns and in unexpectable places (not just in front of player's face). Roaming monsters is always interesting, so map layouts can be made to help enemies to do that. It is better to put flying monsters somewhere behind the cliffs or behind sector objects, so they are can fly over and create nice effect. Grab any ideas how to make interesting names for maps and episodes, because for the 25 years of dooming words "hell", "castle", "death" become too often used and uninteresting. It's impossible to create unique and interesting encounters on purely symmetrical maps, because they do not allow the most efficient use of monsters, so your encounters and traps should influence the layout of the map from the start. Try taking one half of that symmetrical room and reshaping the vertices to create something asymmetrical. Some of the best gamespaces I ever created were a result of just dragging vertices around. Never underestimate the power of splitting linedefs. Figure 1 : quick example of plain, symmetrical room design Figure 2 : quick example of improved, asymmetrical room design Also check out the hotkeys of map editor, they can improve building a lot. Still, the maps is fairly good for the very first mapset. Though the design, texture usage and monster placement can be improved. Thx its good to hear edvice this detaild from a regular mapper 1 Share this post Link to post
Suitepee Posted May 14, 2019 https://www.twitch.tv/videos/424889104 I playtest this at 1 hour and 48 minutes (1:48:05) into this livestream. Needs more monsters in the large rooms, but not bad for a first set of 5 maps. 1 Share this post Link to post
mizucc Posted May 16, 2019 On 5/15/2019 at 12:20 AM, Suitepee said: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/424889104 I playtest this at 1 hour and 48 minutes (1:48:05) into this livestream. Needs more monsters in the large rooms, but not bad for a first set of 5 maps. Im working on a new 5 or 6 map pack so if you want look out for that and i promise its not as nooby 0 Share this post Link to post
nrofl Posted May 17, 2019 (edited) Good mapset. Got through it in 15-20 minutes. Pros: You seem to know simple scripts You know how to properly make a secret All of the textures seem aligned (I saw a couple custom ones too!) Impressively, in the first map I saw a polyobject Encounters are generally good Cons: Level design & texture are bland There are no lighting changes throughout the whole wad Some encounters have yet to inspire me The length of the time It is a valiant effort. And not awful, which is what I thought it would be. In fact I kinda liked it! The levels feel like the first level outta Vilecore, (Kind of a bad thing) but then again, most first maps are usually a lot worse. I think you have potential @mizucc, your knowledge in the mapping with scripts and polyobjects puts you far above most others. Keep it up! 1 Share this post Link to post
mizucc Posted May 17, 2019 5 hours ago, Rhebiz said: Good mapset. Got through it in 15-20 minutes. Pros: You seem to know simple scripts You know how to properly make a secret All of the textures seem aligned (I saw a couple custom ones too!) Impressively, in the first map I saw a polyobject Encounters are generally good Cons: Level design & texture are bland There are no lighting changes throughout the whole wad Some encounters have yet to inspire me The length of the time It is a valiant effort. And not awful, which is what I thought it would be. In fact I kinda liked it! The levels feel like the first level outta Vilecore, (Kind of a bad thing) but then again, most first maps are usually a lot worse. I think you have potential @mizucc, your knowledge in the mapping with scripts and polyobjects puts you far above most others. Keep it up! this is some helpful stuff and also thx for the kind words 1 Share this post Link to post
Egg Boy Posted May 17, 2019 Alrighty, tried it out, and I have a few notes. First of all, there is hardly any lighting variation, every map looks flat and boring, especially in GZDoom, which I suppose is the intended port (wouldn't even boot in PRBoom). The mapset is also very easy. Like, ridiculously so for the small amount of maps there are. This isn't a big deal, easy maps aren't bad, but pretty much all the encounters were extremely rudimentary. I can't remember one time where there were enemies behind me, or any sort of pressure forcing me to deal with a fight carefully. Health, while not plentiful, should never drop below 50 considering the amount of space you give even the most inexperienced circle-strafer. Shrinking the levels twofold, I theorize, would actually improve the gameplay and reduce the amount of time running down straight hallways with no obstacles whatsoever. Every map shares a basic wheel and spoke-like design, with little in the way of variation. Even if I seem a bit critical, the map pack isn't bad, it's just bland. I would highly recommend tightening gameplay and trying to make encounters that engage the player, rather than bore them. Also, the demon last supper was adorable. Thank you for reading, I look forward to your future maps. 1 Share this post Link to post
mizucc Posted May 18, 2019 13 hours ago, Egg Boy said: Alrighty, tried it out, and I have a few notes. First of all, there is hardly any lighting variation, every map looks flat and boring, especially in GZDoom, which I suppose is the intended port (wouldn't even boot in PRBoom). The mapset is also very easy. Like, ridiculously so for the small amount of maps there are. This isn't a big deal, easy maps aren't bad, but pretty much all the encounters were extremely rudimentary. I can't remember one time where there were enemies behind me, or any sort of pressure forcing me to deal with a fight carefully. Health, while not plentiful, should never drop below 50 considering the amount of space you give even the most inexperienced circle-strafer. Shrinking the levels twofold, I theorize, would actually improve the gameplay and reduce the amount of time running down straight hallways with no obstacles whatsoever. Every map shares a basic wheel and spoke-like design, with little in the way of variation. Even if I seem a bit critical, the map pack isn't bad, it's just bland. I would highly recommend tightening gameplay and trying to make encounters that engage the player, rather than bore them. Also, the demon last supper was adorable. Thank you for reading, I look forward to your future maps. thank you for helping me get better 0 Share this post Link to post