Story-based WAD?

[WeDemBois]

I've got a lot of free time right now and I want to get back into making wads. I wanna try my hand at making a wad with a story, instead of "You're in a UAC facility. Shoot demons and get to the exit." I want to make a full story-line, with different locations and settings. I don't know much about creating a story in a doom wad (Other than text walls in Slade) and i'm not sure if people would play a wad with a story. Any ideas of Settings, locations, and motives, or some map making advice?

[ketmar]

You will prolly need to use alot of ACS. there are some story-driven wads out there. for example, GooberMan's Space Station Omega, Deathmatcher's DTS-T, Paul Schneider's Unloved, and more. there are people who loves story-based wads, of course.

 

the only problem with such wads is usually the replayability. once you finished it, playing it second time may be somewhat boring, especially if you have some objectives to complete. so you may want to use non-linear progression with objectives that can be complete out-of-order, or some other tricks.

[Misty]

I would recommend play DTS-T only as thing how to not make story driven wads. Quick plot summary:

 

Spoiler

DTS-T is an example of a poor, boring ass story trying to make up for poor, boring ass gameplay.

What's the plot, exactly? The uac built a time machine that can reach into other universes, and the demons stole one, so you hage to go find it and bring it back or destroy it.

So, they sent dudes ahead who never came back, so instead if remotely destroying it, they decide you need to bring it back,

because the machine can track its brother, but not with any amount of accuracy?

And it turns out that demons use the other one to attack the base, I guess, so you have to go kill Mr Exposition who you have no reason to care about?

So, yeah, don't be like that.

[ketmar]

yeah, i didn't said that the wads i mentioned all have a great story and progression. but they have a story, and OP can check out how it's done and such. and find out how good story creates immersion, and average-to-poor story just annoys the player. but which one is which is for OP to decide. maybe they're all ok after all. ;-)

[baja blast rd.]

Going Down. 

 

Whether you want to use text and advanced scripting or not, it wouldn't hurt to study wads that get a coherent story across strictly through design, and Going Down certainly qualifies. 

[Spectre01]

Echelon has intermission text after every map. Considering the brevity of the maps, sometimes the text takes longer to read than the actual map before it.