Level creation workflow

Would like to return to level editing after a twenty-year hiatus (but it's all good, I was never any good to begin with.)

Do the tools for editing work well with this particular workflow?

• Sketch rough draft of map on paper.
• Create ugly version of map with rough room sizes - not worry about fine details or even if textures match.
• Play until it feels right.
• Finish up details/texturing/etc.

I guess my main worry is if going back to revise a rough draft of a level is a technical or logistical issue.

I would assume if you have a plan that work flow might work just fine. 

Reminds me of writing a paper. 
 

I'd so go with it and see what you can do. :)

Thats definitely a good way to do it.

Making levels for Doom is so fast and easy I can create a full level in the time it would take me to make a good looking room in another editor. Completely reworking a huge chunk of a Doom map is FAR easier to do than other games as well. There's still some quirks, but the speedy work flow makes up for it tenfold.

For me personally, I find it better to actually type all the ideas I have (like room layouts, battle encounters, or cool visuals I think up) and then put them in what I think is a good flow for a level.

Instead of sketching, I usually quickly map out whats in my head/the list and alter it right then and there. When I've tried sketching, I almost always get to a point where what I've drawn won't actually work or looked better in my head than how it turns out.

Others will just open the editor and start making stuff up along the way. John Romero does this and it totally works.

On 6/5/2019 at 11:24 PM, wheresthebeef said:

Thats definitely a good way to do it.

Making levels for Doom is so fast and easy I can create a full level in the time it would take me to make a good looking room in another editor. Completely reworking a huge chunk of a Doom map is FAR easier to do than other games as well. There's still some quirks, but the speedy work flow makes up for it tenfold.

 

For me personally, I find it better to actually type all the ideas I have (like room layouts, battle encounters, or cool visuals I think up) and then put them in what I think is a good flow for a level.

 Instead of sketching, I usually quickly map out whats in my head/the list and alter it right then and there. When I've tried sketching, I almost always get to a point where what I've drawn won't actually work or looked better in my head than how it turns out.

  

Others will just open the editor and start making stuff up along the way. John Romero does this and it totally works.

Glad to hear fixes/changes are easy. I've been playing Dungeons & Dragons for a long time, and what I posted is my general workflow for creating dungeons for my players. A lot of the same principles carry over I bet.

I have a rough idea in my head of what kind of environment I want, then I might do some broad details, then fill the rest in.  I may have visualised some section.

I allow the level to develop naturally, that is, I look at what I've done, and see what may be a logical continuation.  As I put details in, it creates inspiration as to how I can build the rest of the level.

Mostly an iterative process.  Build, view, evaluation, refine, add, repeat...