Mapper's Block

Hello. I've been into Doom since I was very young, and have been playing it ever since. Around 2004, I discovered something called "The Internet" and found my way to many user-created wads which I have been playing to this day, but I've always been fascinated with making my own maps. When I discovered Doom Builder, I've been making horrible pieces of crap, and I am starting to give up. Out of the 50 or so wads I've created, hardly any of them have finished levels. I had many creative ideas to start off, but my editing skills severely lacked. As time progressed, my editing skills increased but my inspiration faded. Currently, I know how to work around Doom Builder quite well, but I cannot create anything worth playing, my ideas severely lack and my levels are bland, with unpleasing monster/ammo placement. I can't make anything original and entertaining, and I am usually stumped on a map and give up at one point.

The link below is a folder containing 90% of all the wads I've created, most of which are incomplete do not have working doors, but a few have finished levels and some with slightly aesthetically pleasing features. Only notable one worth playing is "malforianV2"

http://www.mediafire.com/?o12myzmm1zn (some wads use texture resources, credit goes to the authors)

Getting to the point, are there ANY possible ways for me to find the inspiration to create something original and somewhat entertaining? I usually just create one map in a wad before giving up and starting something else, rinse and repeat. All of my levels have this very bland feeling to them, and it's never going to get any better, regardless of the years I've been creating maps. I've read around the forums about similar subjects, but nothing has really helped me so much, so maybe there is something I haven't seen yet, or I am just not capable of making maps no matter how hard I try.

I wasn't entirely sure what forum to put this under, and I'm sorry if this post has no importance whatsoever and will probably be sent to Post Hell. I'm not sure where else to go at this point, and I'm willing to do anything at this point, even if it means looking like a complete idiot asking for mapping advice.

Some of the architectural work is awesome, like in the BaronKeep.wad. About inspiration, i mostly just start doing something from scratch not thinking about how it would look like, then test it and change the things i don't like, later detail it etc. Sometimes i start doing something based on a real thing, and just go on with my own ideas. One more recommendation, if you use custom textures, just merge the texture resource wad with your own in XWE, that way, a regular player can see them without having to own that same exact custom textures containing wad file.

TheUltimateDoomer said:

Some of the architectural work is awesome, like in the BaronKeep.wad. About inspiration, i mostly just start doing something from scratch not thinking about how it would look like, then test it and change the things i don't like, later detail it etc. Sometimes i start doing something based on a real thing, and just go on with my own ideas. One more recommendation, if you use custom textures, just merge the texture resource wad with your own in XWE, that way, a regular player can see them without having to own that same exact custom textures containing wad file.

I'll try writing down some ideas and creating them in Doom Builder, sounds like something that might work out. About the textures, I'm highly aware of this now, but wasn't back when some of these wads were created. This issue is only in crahi.wad I believe, which was my first wad.

I`m going to quote myself from the "How do you map?" thread:

I`ve just started drawing ideas and areas on paper before I even open Doombuilder, and I have to say: this is the way to go for me from now on!

When I draw on paper, the ideas just comes to me one after another. When I`m messing around in DB without any general idea I`m totally blank, and RARELY anything comes out of it.

Maybe that is something to try out? I certainly worked for me! When I start mapping it out in DB, new ideas and changes pops up, and I take it from there.

About the "...make something original", well, thats a though one these days :P

For me, there are several ways to overcome mapper's block.

That is usually the time to learn something new.
Look at the (ACS) specials and I bet you will find one or two which you had not used before.

Or use something new like Boris' stair builder plugin.

Let Oblige build you some levels and I'm sure you can think of ways to build them 'better'.

Make some new textures or sprites and envision them in various game situations.

Or, if none of those suggestions tickle your fancy, take some time off from mapping, to let time regenerate your dooming imagination.

Download some megawads and play some random maps. That usually gives me ideas. Make sure you play the maps on Hey Not Too Rough too so you are not consistently getting impaled while you try to study the shapes of the maps.

Thanks for the replies, I'll keep this all in mind and hopefully it will set me on the right track.

If you can't seem to work something in you wanted to do, I always consider making something different entirely, and usually it works out.

I've started to get mapper's block while making DM maps (and I have 30 odd left to do). What I find helps the most is to simply play other wads for a while. You'll soon start picking up ideas.

Cutman said:

I've started to get mapper's block while making DM maps (and I have 30 odd left to do). What I find helps the most is to simply play other wads for a while. You'll soon start picking up ideas.

What you could try doing is reusing the same basic layouts, (but still starting from scratch) just reorganize the ammo and weapon placement, and try a different texture theme. I think the best way to make a deathmatch map, especially since the doom guy runs so fast, is to make it similar to a race track, with one or two large 'fight areas' that all the hallways dump into.

I take some time out of mapping to think things over and I do one MAP AT A TIME, not building multiple maps at different stages of construction.

cool! i've played it too all my life and i didnt find out about the internet before 2005. (17 years old now 2010)

but, if you got a structural idea, use a squared paper, and have the scale: 1 square = 64*64 pixels in doom builder

that will keep sense :) beacuse u can place teleporters easeily

I manipulate random shapes and "force" myself to work so to speak when I am a little stuck. I can then get inspiration from what I did there. Or set a speed mapping session of 30 mins or so and just constantly draw and see what happens. Worse case scenario from that is I make something I'm not so happy with, so I delete the area and try again with nothing lost.