My (short) first map!

About a week ago I downloaded SLADE so I could have a go at some map editing. I would like to get some feedback, betatesting etc before I upload it. Like the thread title says, it is pretty short, and there isn't a huge amount of detail either. I'll probably add some more detail before uploading it to newstuff, so could any testers please tell me where it's most needed? I'll also give it some different music because MAP01's music isn't really that good. I also replaced the sky texture with Doom's E1 texture because it fit better. Thanks!
Download link: http://www.speedyshare.com/200853193.html
Screens:
http://i40.tinypic.com/2l2oaq.png
http://i44.tinypic.com/21kjgjt.png
http://i43.tinypic.com/kcdq89.png
http://i39.tinypic.com/hx2k3d.png

It's short and ugly but it works, and the gameplay is pretty good.

What parts in particular were ugly?

Pretty good first level. couple things;

Revenants in the beginning were a bit much, as were the chaingunners. Having the chaingun also softened most of the monster fights later on. That archvile also was a bit much, luckily the worst it could res were chaingunners at that point. Might think about leaving out the SSG there but leave the armor in, would make it much more challenging.

Next there is a small HoM after the archvile in the brown room with imps and a pain elemental. One of the ledge edges ... You should also make ways to get out of the slime pits. Possibly add a railing to the mancubus pit and make it impassable.

The theme of the map was pretty good, I'm not really partial to crates but it was done pretty well. Rooms could do with some more detailing but that comes with spare time.

Really a good first map ... not that it really means much coming from me with 2 maps uploaded and neither reviewed on /newstuff.

ArmouredBlood said:

Pretty good first level. couple things;

Revenants in the beginning were a bit much, as were the chaingunners. Having the chaingun also softened most of the monster fights later on. That archvile also was a bit much, luckily the worst it could res were chaingunners at that point. Might think about leaving out the SSG there but leave the armor in, would make it much more challenging.

Next there is a small HoM after the archvile in the brown room with imps and a pain elemental. One of the ledge edges ... You should also make ways to get out of the slime pits. Possibly add a railing to the mancubus pit and make it impassable.

The theme of the map was pretty good, I'm not really partial to crates but it was done pretty well. Rooms could do with some more detailing but that comes with spare time.

Really a good first map ... not that it really means much coming from me with 2 maps uploaded and neither reviewed on /newstuff.

Thanks! I'll swap out the renevants for shotgun guys or demons, take out the SSG or maybe place it in the brown room(thanks for the heads up about the HOM btw) and swap shotgun gurs for the chaingunners. I'm going to replace the slime room with the red key for a more extended area(think beginning area or E1M3) to make it a bit longer.

arrrgh said:

Thanks! I'll swap out the renevants for shotgun guys or demons, take out the SSG or maybe place it in the brown room(thanks for the heads up about the HOM btw) and swap shotgun gurs for the chaingunners. I'm going to replace the slime room with the red key for a more extended area(think beginning area or E1M3) to make it a bit longer.

whoao whoao, let other people comment too before making gameplay changes. What I find challenging or easy could easily be reversed from others. Put down what you think would work, test it a few dozen times and see how it stacks up with what other people think. If it's too dramatic a difference then ya you might want to change it, but I wasn't pushing hard on removing the revenants and chaingunners, just pointing out that you should fit them in better.

And removing the SSG will change the map's style quite a bit, maybe add some more 2nd tier enemies to keep the action up.

Something I forgot to mention, that slime trench in the room with the mancubus cage pretty much keeps the player behind the door. Putting a lowering wall between the player and the monsters and having a switch to activate the door on that side could make the action more intense.

Ignore those comments about revenants, chaingunners and the archvile, they definitely weren't too much.

The gameplay was ok, not great but not bad either. You could use "unpeg upper" for the monster closet doors to keep the wall textures from screwing up.

Keep them coming. :)

Jodwin said:

Ignore those comments about revenants, chaingunners and the archvile, they definitely weren't too much.

Listen to him, I have a thing against revenants ;D Soooo many in scythe 2 maps 22-25 if I remember correctly ... not that I really want to.

I think I'll keep the renevants in, but I'll add more room to maneuver and another crate or two to hide behind.

Generally speaking, in regards to difficulty, as long as you yourself can beat a map you can be pretty safe that it's not "too hard." If you'll take part in some community projects then there might be some general difficulty-related guidelines that you ought to follow, but when working on your own personal projects, as long as you can beat the map the way you intended it to be beaten, it's not too hard.

Whether it's actually fun or frustrating, though, is an other thing...

I found the gameplay to be the highlight of this map, if you want to make it easier implement some skill levels (Revenants/Viles on UV, wimpy stuff on HMP, etc.)

Great first map. I thought the revenants and chaingunners in the beginning were fine. The area through the blue door with the demons seemed a little bit too easy, as all I had to do was back around the corner of the door and let them all kill each other before I walked in. Besides that this is as good a first map as any.

All these first maps are inspiring me to map more...

Well, something went wrong and the map got corrupted, including the backups because I saved again after it got corrupted without knowing it was corrupted in the first place. I could download the map, but I've decided to move on to another map, a map in E2's style but less spooky and more bright and outdoorsy - there will be a garden area and lots of holes in the roof(for lack of a better word.) It's quite a way off finished, and it'll be much longer and more detailed than my other map. Here's some screens of the bits completed:
http://i40.tinypic.com/16m7xp4.png
http://i41.tinypic.com/rgxilf.png