How to make a good wad??

[Sunflowerite]

I have been struggling lately to make a wad without giving up on it or getting stuck in a block of creativity when I make the spawn in area. Can anybody give me some ideas and ways on how I can improve the looks of my wads and how they flow? I currently use GZDoombuilder and I am experienced with how functions in the program works and how to program linedefs, but I just suck at making levels as a whole. Please give me some ideas!

 

[Dexiaz]

Close the editor. Take a paper. Take a pencil. Imagine and draw a map.

[Sunflowerite]

13 minutes ago, Deⓧiaz said:

Close the editor. Take a paper. Take a pencil. Imagine and draw a map.

Good start! I guess planning should have been my first idea. Thanks dude!

 

[Asking4Id]

I think drawing a test map within the editor would work fine. This could (or could not) give you a good idea. Some people would swear by this and even save their test map, eventually completing it. 

[Misty]

I'd suggest play your favourite maps for inspiration or think about general idea you want try, but never dared to execute, from specific gimmicks, puzzles and ending to texture themes.

[Scorpius]

Here's what I do when designing maps:

 

1) Play Doom WADS, and gather inspiration for maps.

2) Write a list of ideas and styles of maps to make and use.

3) Draw a quick sketch based on ideas and styles from the list.

4) Design something with that sketch into consideration.

5) Let the mind and hand do the rest of the map!

        a) Choose mapping format (vanilla, boom)

        b) Choose the level of difficulty and challenge (av)

        c) Choose textures that suit the chosen style (metal)

        d) Choose source port to test map (crispy doom)

        e) Learn from it and have fun with it!

 

Remember, practice makes perfect!

[Morpheus666]

there is no bad wads, just strange design choices- Dr. Pinky

[JadingTsunami]

One way I've used in the past to break out of a "mapper's block" is this. YMMV.

 

Start by identifying a feeling you want the player to have when they play your map. It can be anything -- scared, lonely, powerful, intimidated, sad, awestruck, etc.

 

Now, think of the last time you felt that way. Where were you? What happened to make you feel that way? How might you re-create that experience for a player?

 

Write out the first few things that come to mind on a piece of paper. Try to imagine how you would translate that into a map form. Some won't be easy, and some may not translate at all. Don't get discouraged; just keep writing.

 

Now, consider some encounters that would fit into that narrative structure. Continue to build those out until you have a map. Then, open the editor and start constructing.

 

As always you want to build a little, play-test, build a little more, and so on.

[Juza]

4 hours ago, Deⓧiaz said:

Close the editor. Take a paper. Take a pencil. Imagine and draw a map.

 

1 hour ago, Misty said:

I'd suggest play your favourite maps for inspiration or think about general idea you want try, but never dared to execute, from specific gimmicks, puzzles and ending to texture themes.

 

This.

[4everDoomed]

Not the best advice and probably won't work for everybody...

but sometimes it helps me to open a new blank wad when I'm really stuck and then I just draw anything without even thinking. It could be some randomly placed linedefs, shapes or whatever. Then, in 3D mode, I'll play with heights of sectors until I see something useful. 

 

example:

I made a room and I wanted to fill it out with something. But with what? So I drew a couple of rectangles and squares without even knowing what the hell it could be.

 

 

in 3D mode, I lowered and raised a few sectors here and there until I got something like that: 

 

Yeah, that could be something like a loading or docking bay in which crates get lowered down by a crane, I thought. So I put textures on. From then on I had my own ideas, and they kept flowing. I suddenly thought of an additional warehouse with many, many crates in it. Mindmap- "Warehouse"...a bit mazy, lifts, ambushes...secrets! Yep, it's done. Hmm, since it's kind of a logistics center, what do we need else? Offices, of course !! A couple of stairs will get you to the upper section, in some of those bureaus, between a dozens of monitors and lights could be a map and a key hidden and well defended. What is in those crates anyway ? Weapons?? Why not... make an armory and a high security tract as well! Another idea busted. The layout for rooms, monsters, weapons, even little details appear automatically in front of your eyes once your brain is cooking. What if UAC had some secret experimental shit going on ? Yeah, I also create a big fucking Umbrella -like testlab, very deeeeep underground. I see cages with monters in it, some of them might break free if you hit the wrong switch, water tanks and experimental "playgrounds", leaking pipes with poisonous liquids in it, maybe even an abandoned Clive Barker-ish torture chamber somewhere in the cellar that connects to a spiral staircase, leading you to a dark, rotten, foul smelling sewer section flooded with decomposing corpses of the forgotten victims of the past .... *SLAP* ^{Enough of that you sick freak !} XD

 

Even writing about that stuff gets me more ideas. 

But seriously, try to experiment a bit.

 

On a piece of paper: 

That's very cool,  too. I often needed to do so because an idea arrived out of the blue due to an impression and I didn't want to forget that. Since I don't carry my notebook everywhere and all the time, paper is the best choice for making notes and sketches that you can translate into "Doombuilder language" afterwards.  

 

 

 

Edited February 17, 2020 by 4everDoomed

[Egg Boy]

I'll get back to you when I make a good wad.

[Doomkid]

In my experience, to make "good" wads, I had to first make many, many terrible ones..

 

Just throw down some rooms, see what comes to you, and play other wads of course to get ideas and inspiration. Sometimes just forcing yourself to make stuff, whether or not it is good, can help you generate ideas.