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Hcoop111

making a wad

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Hi im very fresh to this site ..and wads in general...i started playing a few the other day and its inspired me to try and make a wad as i have alottt of spare time...how would i go about this...links would be tops on tutorials and the like nothing to fancy just something super basic to start...thank you in advance :)

Edited by Hcoop111

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Well, first of all, for the map design you should try Doom Builder 2 before you go onto something like GZDoom Builder / UDoom builder, as those are just a more advanced, technical version. And it's also free, something things like DeePsea or WadAuthor don't have.

http://www.doombuilder.com/

It's rather intuitive, and the page has tutorials in the sidebar for most (if not all) of it's features. In case you can't find something or just find the lingo too complicated, the Doom Wiki has a ton of easy to follow tutorials on how to make doors and the like:

https://doomwiki.org/wiki/Editing_tutorials

If you want something even simpler, John Romero's level design rules are also really nice and apply even today!
 

[Video]

 

And that's mostly how I got started, also keep in mind that you should play around with the tools by yourself, when you feel inspired, to create your own style. Or, if that doesn't come to you, play other people's WADs! Those can be a great source of inspiration too.

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Ultimate Doom Builder and GZDoom Builder are just updated versions of DB2, they're certainly not something a beginner can't catch up with, in fact, it's easier to map with them. I recommend you go with UDB, for it's basically the best and most recent up-to-date editor right now, with many features to make mapping life easier.

 

For format, I recommend you go with with the regular Doom formats, or Boom, for something easy but still featuring many useful, easy to use advanced features. UDMF is the most advanced and modern format, but in exchange of being the most complex to learn and only being compatible with a single sourceport, GZDoom.

 

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35 minutes ago, Juza said:

Ultimate Doom Builder and GZDoom Builder are just updated versions of DB2, they're certainly not something a beginner can't catch up with, in fact, it's easier to map with them. 

 

"You look like a stupid!"

 

It's easier to learn in DB2 in my experience, but that's probably due to prior experience with the program and it being older and inherently more simple, and GZDB just kinda feeling... A bit too shiny? Dunno.

 

Quote

only being compatible with a single sourceport, GZDoom

Well, some of it's simpler features work on Zandronum and LZDoom (even tho the latter is a given) even in GZDoom format which I think is a pretty neat thing to know

 

Edit: don't actually use the gzdoom format to map for zandronum

Edited by tam

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4 hours ago, tam said:

And it's also free, something things like DeePsea or WadAuthor don't have.

 

This statement hasn't been true for quite some time. WadAuthor has been freeware for several years now, and DeePsea has also been available for free since at least 2018 if not earlier.

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4 hours ago, tam said:

It's easier to learn in DB2 in my experience, but that's probably due to prior experience with the program and it being older and inherently more simple, and GZDB just kinda feeling... A bit too shiny? Dunno.

 

Doom builder x is the same as Doom builder 2, but updated and with useful features like lua scripting, I'd suggest use that instead. 

I actually learned mapping with gzdoom builder, now I moved to Ultimate Doom builder(sounds like new achievement) and I rarely had problems. 

 

To op: try all presented builders and formats to find what's the most comfortable for you. I started with zdoom in udmf, but later moved to boom format as that was more easier to work with. Or maybe play more Doom stuff as they can serve as inspiration for your own work. 

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8 hours ago, Hcoop111 said:

links would be tops on tutorials and the like nothing to fancy just something super basic to start...

This is where you should get started. It's a step by step guide on how to make simple maps, and it explains everything in thorough detail:

 

If you want a builder that isn't bloated with features that really aren't relevant when you're starting out with making maps, look no further than doombuilder X:

"Ultimate Doom Builder" is basically a slightly improved GZDB(bugfix), with crap-tons of features you won't need any time soon. Compared to DBX, it's somewhat "heavy weight", and lot of the bloat in that builder isn't relevant when you are still learning the basics. In fact, it might just confuse you, rather than help you get something done. Use that builder when you've got a firm grasp of the mapping essentials, because that's when its features could come in handy.

 

SLADE is what you need if you want to replace music, and add/replace textures or sprites. For the most basic editing it isn't necessary, but the moment you want your favourite MIDI playing in a map, there's no way around SLADE: http://slade.mancubus.net/index.php?page=downloads

 

And there you have it. Grab DBX and SLADE. Check out the vanilla editing tutorial for the basics, and start mapping.

 

Before creating threads to ask questions, be sure to check out existing threads to see if your questions fit there.

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I can second SLADE for beginner mappers, not cluttered but still powerful. You need to download it anyway for lump management.

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ok i had a bit of a read of a few pages and i got to the stage where you make a small room then test it..however everything loads and works fine but i cant see the walls...o_o

Screenshot_Doom_20200121_101257.png

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5 minutes ago, Hcoop111 said:

Just the basic Doom.wad textures 

I’ve had that happen on a few occasions. The only way I ever got to fix it was delete sector and redraw it. I’m not sure exactly what causes the black walls but it happens from time to time.

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hm just redrew it and same thing no walls... it happens on all builders..just tried it on gzdb doom builder and doom builder x 

 

 

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Try flipping your line defs maybe? (Hilight the walls and press f in doom builder) when you select the line def does it show what texture you used for it?

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20 minutes ago, stinkfist said:

Try flipping your line defs maybe? (Hilight the walls and press f in doom builder) when you select the line def does it show what texture you used for it?

Can you flip linedefs if they are touching the void?

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Very pleased so far with my progress i have learnt a chunk of useful information so far from the vanilla walkthrough ..its very thorough and to the point...at around.. Part 5 almost 6 ive been having small breaks and taking things slow and redoing them so everything sinks in nicely ....i never knew so much work went into making a wad o_o...i swear this lvl editor could be like a course lol for real itd be great to teach people with..may have a break for few hours go to town then get back into it👍

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16 minutes ago, Hcoop111 said:

Very pleased so far with my progress i have learnt a chunk of useful information so far from the vanilla walkthrough ..its very thorough and to the point...at around.. Part 5 almost 6 ive been having small breaks and taking things slow and redoing them so everything sinks in nicely ....i never knew so much work went into making a wad o_o...i swear this lvl editor could be like a course lol for real itd be great to teach people with..may have a break for few hours go to town then get back into it👍

Glad that you are getting into it and getting the hang of things. It's such a great feeling of accomplishment once you get a map done, no matter the quality of it. We all start out pretty much the same. All I gotta say is keep it up, but don't push yourself past your comfort zone. Like you said that you may have a break for a while, that is a great idea. Soon you will have a creation of your own that you can be proud of!

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On 1/20/2020 at 11:52 AM, Juza said:

only being compatible with a single sourceport, GZDoom.

Technically UDMF isn't exclusive to ZDoom family. There's also Eternity.

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Did you guys ever get to a stage when you first started learning to make wads where you went..screw this its to hard and you follow everything to a T but it doesnt work out for you? I myself feel sad and a little disappointed in myself atm...halfway through the tutorial and im already cracking a shit lol  sigh ...maybe im just not meant to make wads and should stick to playing them? At the least i gave something a shot that i had never tried before right?😔

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Just now, Hcoop111 said:

Did you guys ever get to a stage when you first started learning to make wads where you went..screw this its to hard and you follow everything to a T but it doesnt work out for you? I myself feel sad and a little disappointed in myself atm...halfway through the tutorial and im already cracking a shit lol  sigh ...maybe im just not meant to make wads and should stick to playing them? At the least i gave something a shot that i had never tried before right?😔

 

It's all part of the learning process. In my first released map I couldn't figure out how to have an outdoor area with a techbase entrance sticking out of the rockwall so I said fuck it and threw in a teleporter. Maybe try making some stuff, rather than following a tutorial, and referring to a tutorial/guide when necessary?

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Don't worry about that, mate. In many talks I've had with other mappers, we've all laughed at how it took us hours to learn how to make functional, basic doors.

 

Spoiler

I would recommend not to go with DBX... Don't wanna turn this into a discussion on mapping tools, but personally I think that one is just lacking in basic features, like selecting multiple walls and textures at once in the 3D viewer, which I find essential to use when experimenting with textures. Saves loads of time.

 

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10 minutes ago, Hcoop111 said:

Did you guys ever get to a stage when you first started learning to make wads where you went..screw this its to hard and you follow everything to a T but it doesnt work out for you? I myself feel sad and a little disappointed in myself atm...halfway through the tutorial and im already cracking a shit lol  sigh ...maybe im just not meant to make wads and should stick to playing them? At the least i gave something a shot that i had never tried before right?😔

I’ve hit LOTS of walls starting out, even now I’ll get a few rooms into making a map and just delete it and start over. WAD making is something that requires more patience than most people have. It’s an art form, it takes lots of practice, trial and error, failures and retries. Sometimes you think you have a really cool idea, but when  it comes to putting it to paper, it doesn’t turn out the way you imagined. Id made Doom 2 in 11 months, but they had several mappers and multiple games of experience. You just have to keep a steady pace, don’t push yourself and take breaks. If you try too hard or push yourself you will burn out. Take some extended breaks and play some PWADs and even Final Doom. Open up some IWAD maps in the editor and look at all the stuff. See how everything flows. I suggest keeping a notebook for jotting down ideas for maps, or for topics you aren’t sure how to make in a map so you can ask someone with more experience. It might seem better to quit, all you gotta do is take a step back and look at what you really want to do. If you wanna keep pursuing mapping, you gotta take it easy. Sometimes you may not fully know what you want, in those cases, take an extended break to focus on other important things and don’t let anything else clutter your mind. We all do this for entertaining, making things complicated is far from what you want. If you take a look at most of the people here, I’m sure you’ll find out we all started the same way.

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