My first level, kind of finished!

After years of Duke Nukem 3D map making, I've finally made my first Doom level. Are there volunteers here to test it? I especially have doubts about the number of things, monsters, weapons etc. I tend to focus on architecture...

I know some parts might look a little bit like something you've seen before, but what can I say? It's my first level. I got inspired :)

So, if you want to test it, great! Any comments on playability, design, layout, whatsoever are welcome.

Download here: http://www.pinxten.net/doom/mp01.zip

Thanks a bunch!

I haven't played through all but so far I like it. It reminds me of middle era wads TO ME. I like the way you make machines look more 3d by varying their depth i'll have to remember that in the map I am making.

That was mostly fun. The beginning had a nice design. Here's stuff i noted while playing.
maybe remove switch inside 1st secret super shotgun because it looks like something you're supposed to trigger (instead just switch the door itself)

i at least find it confusing/annoying sometimes when those switch/face textures are just textures and not switches

below in acid where 2 imps + barrels are, maybe raise that jutting ceiling cuz it can snag you

maybe put a grate at red key so obvious you can't walk out

some enemies are put too close together or too near a wall causing them to stick there helpless and can't attack: some demons and mancubuses.

shellbox on those 3 rising platforms could maybe be at a better place (i had 43 shells there so it would have been wasted unless passed over, then forgotten about)

That was very good. Lots of variances in gameplay, and it looked very solid too.

As gggmork pointed out, there's some minor problems. Quite a number of enemies are bunched too close together, and can't move. (For example, the six pinkies at the end.)

There didn't seem to be any health at all through-out the midway point of the map either, so I was dangerously low for quite a while.
Same with ammo for the early section. (Though maybe I missed a box shells or bullets somewhere.)

Still, excluding some minor tweaks, this is really solid work. Gets my thumbs up. :)

I agree with the above suggestions, although to me there were lots of parts to the level, especially at the start, that would be nicer if they were a little less cramped (for the player, monsters and aesthetics).
Also I was looking for something to shoot me and to shoot at while waiting for those three raise/lower platforms, otherwise they're just an irritation...or maybe I'm just impatient.
And yeah definitely put some (more) health in the middle sections there.
Otherwise a good start to Doom mapping, some very interesting and imaginative stuff in there!

I enjoyed it. Great first wad ! I look forward to more.

But ...

I couldn't get the secret at sector 924 without cheating. Even looking at the map through DB didn't shed any light.

This resulted in not getting to sectors 921, 737 and 727. A bug or am I missing something ?

hawkwind said:

I couldn't get the secret at sector 924 without cheating. Even looking at the map through DB didn't shed any light.

This resulted in not getting to sectors 921, 737 and 727. A bug or am I missing something ?

You're missing something. Focus your attention into the room south of there, were the Cacodemons come out. ;)

@Nuxius - Ah! Linedef 3321 ! I did miss that. Thanks.

This is a really nice map - thanks for making it. Height differences, interconnection, open design, lots of forward glimpses drawing the player onwards, all that good stuff that keeps a level interesting.

As others have mentioned there are a few monsters placed too close together; things 179/413 (spectres) 230-232 (demons) 236-238 (mancubi) and 362-367 (more demons) in particular. Maybe others, those were just the ones I remembered.

While there was plenty of ammunition I felt it was quite unbalanced and needs redistribution. In particular when you jump down into the slime area with the pain elemental you basically have no ammunition left at all unless you've been really careful, but by the end of the map you have more ammunition than you know what to do with.

The four perpetual lifts (sectors 274,281-283) were pretty annoying especially if you dodge fire from the hellknight (thing 141) while standing on the ledge, fall off, and have to run all the way back round again.

Finally I think the design of the final monster teleporter could be tightened up a little. Monsters can fail to teleport out and end up milling around in the front of the holding area (sector 930) and take an age to emerge.

I like it. Didn't find all the secrets first time around.
Just needs a bit of fine-tuning to give the /newstuff reviewers something to look forward to. Maybe change the switch that lowers the soulsphere to a button?

I found your map very enjoyable Cybermaarten. =) Here's the things that I noticed that you might want to look at to improve your map design.
-Monsters are stucked together, like many others have mentioned
-The hell knights and imps can't fire over the wall at the end, which isn't very exciting
-The level seemed too dark overall; let us see your wonderful level design =)
-The soulsphere secret was annoying being a 1-time only switch. I didn't notice that it didn't lower all the way down to the floor when I jumped and it was irritating to see that I didn't get a second chance.

Otherwise, this is a well-designed map. I had no trouble with health or ammo (though I'm quite good at this game =P) and completed the map 1st time around with 100% kills and secrets, though sadly I didn't get to pick up that soulsphere after the secret trigger...

Thanks for the comments guys! This is exactly what I needed! The architecture of map was a piece of cake, due to my experience with map making, but distributing ammo and enemies was hard, especially for the different skill levels.

I'm already working on the changes. I'll keep you posted on the final version!

I tried it a bit and let me tell you the map design is cool...but i second what death-destiny have said...the mosters are indeed stuck together.But otherwise the level is awesome keep up the good work.

RjY said:

Finally I think the design of the final monster teleporter could be tightened up a little. Monsters can fail to teleport out and end up milling around in the front of the holding area (sector 930) and take an age to emerge.

What do you mean exactly, RjY? I've been looking at it, and can't figure out how monsters could get in front of the teleport line, and not teleport... Could you explain please? Thanks!

It happens because monsters won't telefrag themselves (except for Map 30). So what happens is that one monster (A) crosses the line too soon after another (B) does, and since (B) hasn't moved out of the teleporter destination yet, (A) will just cross over the line and not teleport. Due to the way Doom's AI works, (A) will hug the outer wall of the pin closest to the player, and takes forever to go the opposite way to cross the teleporter line again.

I *hope* that makes sense (heh).

A way you can combat this is to add some north/south teleporting lines in the little east most section of the monster pin.

Just played it, vary good, better then most first maps i have played, keep it up ^_^

Yay, it's uploaded to /newstuff!

Thanks for all the testing and comments guys!