Now here's an idea for a community project... (or not?)

I noticed recently that while I'm working on maps I tend to use a LOT of different textures, even when I'm using just doom2.wad. I find that my "texture pool" grows quite substantial in a short amount of time. Granted, I don't just stick textures anywhere, I do so in the most fitting (to me) places, but my maps always turn out quite varied in appearance - which I like a lot (and which I'm sure everyone else likes).

Anyways, I digress. I hit upon an idea for a community project that I think is quite simple, but could possibly turn out to be a really good set of maps if the idea is taken further.

The concept is:
All the maps must use every texture in doom2.wad except the buggy ones (AASHITTY and AASTINKY), skies, Icon of Sin textures and the ZZWOLF## textures.

I'm still unsure about the policy on flats, I tend not to use as many differents flats as I do textures...

Anyway, I realize the maps will probably be a massive undertaking, but they're bound to be interesting and (hopefully) quite nice-looking. And yeah, they might turn out to look very much the same as one another, but when designing a map of this kind, a mapper should still take themes into account. He isn't limited to using each texture in doom2.wad once, he can use one 100 times and the rest only once for all he cares, as long as the theme for his map is reflected in his texture choice. And yes, it might turn out that every friggin' map will have a techbase, a hell area, a suburb AND a canyon all in one. But... that's originality for you, heh. :P

What do you guys think?

I'd do it.

Oh god, the exact opposite of TEN...
This is even harder than it...i'm not going to participate...

I'm not sure if this idea would work out well, there are quite alot of textures to use.

Why not make an community project for vanilla doom, no custom resources allowed kinda like back to basics.Lets see how creative the community really is, if you take away the sourceports and leaving them only with the basic stuff.

I agree that we ought to try Dutch Devil's idea. I don't know how many people would be too eager to make a map with a dozen different themes in it. Probably what would happen is that the mapper would just make a map with whatever textures they wanted and put the remaining ones in some room outside the playing area for the sake of fulfilling the requirements, and if that's not allowed, just make a really obscure or unmarked secret room that houses all the remaining textures that don't fit their desired them. A "Back to Basics" project would probably meet with greater success, in my opinion. A bunch of people are forgetting how to map in vanilla format anyways, so it would be good practice.

I'd do that idea too.

On an unrelated note, I'm fairly certain that this is how James Cresswell makes maps.

Hmm, another oldschool Vanilla megawad?

Memento Mori 3?
Requiem 2?
Hell Revealed 3? (dear lord...)

Sounds like fun, but to be honest, I like mapping for high-concept community packs (32in24, 10Sector, Ten, C1024 [only a few of which I have actually done maps for, but that's besides :P] etc.) - restrictions/deadlines are really quite fun. :D

Jimmy91 said:
Memento Mori 3?
Requiem 2?
Hell Revealed 3? (dear lord...)

He said using stock textures. The MMs, Requiem, and the HRs use many non-id resources. Sticking to the standard engine using stock stuff is a restriction, anyhow. I think restrictions vary according to what they do. The 1024 is kind of meh because maps are either small or cramped, ten sectors and speed mapping are better, though. A vanilla stock WAD could certainly produce cool stuff, but has a lot to stand to. A set by fewer skilled mappers would produce better (and more even) results.

How about a community project that uses no standard monsters and only beastiary monsters instead, preferably a fairly large handful to choose from. Seems obvious enough but I havn't seen any wads like that at least. I like encountering new monsters but don't know how to make them or even use them in a wad myself. (if I could make monsters I'd totally make a cyberdemon waist down only that runs backwards and lunges at you with its ass mouth).

I dunno, I assume every map will have nothing new to offer besides gameplay and number of sectors. There will be no real 'style' to any of the maps since they will include every single texture and lack any form of unique texture theme. Im just not looking forward to a megawad full of Brown brick startan grassy castle urban cave starport hell themed maps

It would be better if there were a list hand picked textures preselected for each map, and whoever chooses that mapslot is restricted to using only those textures assigned to the slot. It would be kinda like that 10 textures wad, except they have the 10 (or more) textures picked for them, that way we can see if mappers are good at mapping with textures they are not normally accustomed to.

JohnnyRancid said:

It would be better if there were a list hand picked textures preselected for each map, and whoever chooses that mapslot is restricted to using only those textures assigned to the slot. It would be kinda like that 10 textures wad, except they have the 10 (or more) textures picked for them, that way we can see if mappers are good at mapping with textures they are not normally accustomed to.

This idea = EPIC WIN! That sounds like so much fun. =D

How would such a project work, though? Would there be a texture lottery, where a member is given a texture set from a random draw, or would the textures be chosen at random? And what if the textures clashed, were too similar (imagine getting ten silver textures), or the author was already skilled using that texture set?

It's not a bad idea, though. I had a lot of fun working on a map for the Ten project, and I definitely think limits make for good maps.

A wad containing 32 variants of florzoo1.wad isn't something I'm likely to look forward to playing. It would be more interesting to see how mappers cope with a subset of stock textures that aren't normally used together.

gggmork said:

I'd totally make a cyberdemon waist down only that runs backwards and lunges at you with its ass mouth).

WTF - what are you going to call it - an assmuncher?

JohnnyRancid said:

that way mappers can become good at mapping with textures they are not normally accustomed to

Fixed. :)

whatever it is, I am in as long as it doesnt have to be too big.

JohnnyRancid said:

It would be kinda like that 10 textures wad, except they have the 10 (or more) textures picked for them, that way we can see if mappers are good at mapping with textures they are not normally accustomed to.

I was going to do such thing for a DM megawad but no one was interested. In this case, I would've painted the 10 unique textures for each level