Opinion: When people say they like “non-linear” maps, they actually mean something else

[Mordeth]

"Non-linearity" for me entails that the player can have a choice in how to tackle that map's progression.

 

The most obvious example is an exit requiring a red and blue key and those keys being held in two separate buildings, giving the player the choice where to go first. But even in cases where the progression roadblocks are fixed (eg: red key first, that gives you access to blue key, etc) you can still give the player multiple paths to go about it. A good non-linear map does so without the player obsoleting (major) parts of such a level after choosing an approach option.

 

[Polri]

On 8/15/2019 at 4:13 AM, Nine Inch Heels said:

I am a bit stumped by the notion that non-linearity has anything to do with exploration. In my opinion it has nothing to do with exploration at all.

 

If I put you in a map that starts with 3 teleport pads that lead into 3 different fights, and at the end of each fight you gain access to a teleport to the exit, you effectively "explored" fuckall, besides a fight in an arena for example, and that isn't what people mean when they say "exploration", at least as far as I can see. It would still be a non-linear map, though.

 

I completely agree with you. My point was never that non-linearity equals explorability. What I wanted to say is that my feeling is that many people who say thay want "non-linear" maps actually mean that they want to play explorable maps.

 

Let's compare two "non-linear" maps: E2M6 Halls of the Damned (Ultimate Doom) and E5M4 Pats of Wretchedness (Sigil). On the face of it, both are maps with the same objective: collect the three keys in any order that you like and proceed to the the exit.

 

However, they play completely differently:

• Paths of Wretchedness has three very distinct paths right from the start, each path is manadatory and strictly linear, there are barely any optional rooms (except for small secrets) and the only exploration you can do is try out each path and see which one makes the most sense to take first.
• Halls of the damned is a weird maze in which 3 keys are hidden. On a first playthrough, you encounter a blue key exit door, enter the maze, find the blue key relatively easy, return to exit the door, find out that "damn, apparantly I also need to find a red key" and from there on you have to explore "deeper and deeper" in the maze to find the 2 other keys. Depending on how you explore, along the way you will find a lot of optional rooms and even a fake exit. There are no scripted paths towards the keys, you have to explore until you find them.

The difference between both levels is not in their linearity (they are both "non-linear"), but in their explorability, and I believe that for many players, this is a more relevant distinction.

[Maximum Matt]

When people say "non-linear", they usually mean "not utter shit".

[Doom Marine]

The most nonlinear map I know of, is my own DVII Unholy Cathedral.

To progress to the final fight, you must hit any combination of 9 of 16 nodes.

 

 

Starting out, you can choose three areas to operate, with the ability to interweave between them at certain depths in the branches.

The possible route combinations from start to exit are dozens, if not hundreds.

If I could map out the route, it would resemble a social network graph:

 

 

In my book, maps have three degrees of non-linearity:

 

Linear maps are linear.

Branched maps have predetermined routes, usually 2 or 3, like Romero's E5M4 Path of Wretchedness.

Braided maps like Doom2 Map08* or DVII Unholy Cathedral do not have well-defined routes, characterized by the possible routes interweaving one another.

 

*Doom2 Map08, despite sequential events like red key -> yellow key, you are responsible for exploring the extra rooms to gather resources for the upcoming fights.

Edited August 17, 2019 by Doom Marine

[Jaska]

Here is some non-linearity:

Map04 & map20 are the most nonlinear.

 

[deepthaw]

With the discussion at the start of the thread about how power-ups are often metagamey, in that if you get a berserk pack, you know you're going to need it. Get invulnerability, there's probably a dash through lava. Etc.

 

Has anybody ever done levels where you get choices of which power up to take, and the other one becomes inaccessible? Do you take the invulnerability to guarantee success in this room or the megasphere for the longer lasting effects? The BFG is always welcome, but you only get a few shots and ammo is low and that backpack looks pretty nice... That would let players cater the level to their own play style.

[Andromeda]

15 hours ago, deepthaw said:

With the discussion at the start of the thread about how power-ups are often metagamey, in that if you get a berserk pack, you know you're going to need it. Get invulnerability, there's probably a dash through lava. Etc.

 

Has anybody ever done levels where you get choices of which power up to take, and the other one becomes inaccessible? Do you take the invulnerability to guarantee success in this room or the megasphere for the longer lasting effects? The BFG is always welcome, but you only get a few shots and ammo is low and that backpack looks pretty nice... That would let players cater the level to their own play style.

As an example, MAP04: Ratamahatta of Memento Mori II has a section where you have to choose between an Armor, Backpack or Computer area map, you can only pick one as the others become inaccessible.