Favourite level themes?

[The Ultimate DooMer]

I always wondered what everyone's favourite level style/theme was, and AFAIK it hasn't been posted here before, so here we go:

[DooMer 4ever]

I don't really care about themes, the main think is that the level is good. And I like it more if there are real-life places, not just halls and corridors.

[Fredrik]

A colorful combination of all.

[myk]

I can't vote since I see that many of the themes overlap, and we'd have to disciss what each is. Also, it's not really the themes that matter, but how they are implemented. Many of those themes have great maps as examples, as well as crap trying to emulate them.

I'd generally define DOOM into four themes: Hi-tech (bases, spaceships), Earth (urban areas), Hell (fire, blood and flesh) and Gothic (castles, mansions, crypts, temples.) Even these overlap, and some secondary themes could be added, like tunnels or caves (map29?) but those are usually sub-themes.

[Grazza]

Any of those themes, as long as it is done well (and I agree with myk that there can be overlap between those listed).

I actually voted for Weird and Wonderful, because of the lack of good levels of that type (I recall a few in HacX, but not many others). The theme that I think is most overused is the "Phobos base" type.

EDIT: HR map26 must also count as weird and wonderful, and I don't recall any other maps that are remotely similar to it.

[myk]

I don't think the "phobos base" theme is overused, if you look at the mass of maps produced, but it is true that lately it has been a trend, which has made some great new maps as well as some not-so-good ones. As for weird and wonderful, that isn't a theme. It just means an unrealistc map. some of those can be cool, but it is hard to make such maps because DOOM's lack of curves tends to make then hard to do.

[DooMBoy]

Heh, I really like the hi-tech space base or Phobos base themes. I also like the Hellish tech base or straight Hell themes.

[Sphagne]

Any of them if made the right way. Maybe a little bit toward hightech and gothic ones.

[DOOM Anomaly]

DOOM Anomaly tends to like all types of themes, depends of teh atmosphere for DOOM Anomaly.

[Little Faith]

I remember when Bricks and Metal was the trend. Every new map was B'n'M style and if anyone dared make a tech-base level they only got mediochre reviews.

There was a green marble trend too.

I also remember once that making deathmatch levels was a trend. Making SP maps was a little looked down upon, serious mappers made deathmatch maps. Then people realised that no-one cared to play all their spiffy deathmatch maps, sticking to the tried and true ones.

[Use]

Sprawling city maps and industrial ooze filled maps are my favs (like Hell's Kitchen in MM and The Abandoned Mines from Doom2). I also love the hell themed maps from Doom2. For the poll i picked city themed maps, cause that's such a broad spectrum of mapping styles.

[sniper joe]

The sky may be is weird. But i dont think it's wonderful

[Spike]

What can i say? I'm a Hell-Whore.

There's just so much scope - mountain ranges, blood/lava rivers, demon-hives, fortresses, underground catacombs. Also, it's extremely flexible from a mappers perspective - as long as you keep with the massive amount of hell-textures available, almost anything goes.

It's, like, boss!

[Kid Airbag]

REALISTIC

[myk]

Little Faith said:

There was a green marble trend too.

Heh, there's bunches of old maps that are nothing but green marble. It got quite annoying eventually. Those are among the most "gothic" textures in the original DOOM. Eventually tan stone themes from DOOM II and later Quake and Heretic-inspired (e.g. gothicdm) textures added some variety to the theme.

[Lizardcommando]

I like city themed levels. Maps set in real places are fun, if it's done right. (Hoover Dam, for example). I'd like to see more jungle themed levels.

[The Ultimate DooMer]

Lizardcommando said:

I'd like to see more jungle themed levels.

That's probably cos jungle/forest maps are quite difficult to do. I've made a forest as part of the map I'm doing at the moment, and it's not a bad attempt, but it would take special textures (ie. more than the grass one from DooM 2) to make it work properly.

It works well in Duke, though. (I've got a few decent forest/jungle maps there)

[Ichor]

I tend to prefer the medieval type maps (not so much gothic types, unless they're down in the dungeons), but that's because I'm working on Hexen maps and not Doom maps.

[Epyo]

Super tech base! I love 37 colored sectors on the screen at once!

[Ichor]

37 colored sectors...

Disco theme, heheh.

[Grazza]

Ichor said:

Disco theme, heheh.

DSV4 Map31 was disco themed. Kind of cool.

[Fletcher`]

Does theme matter? As long as it plays good, it's fine.

[Cacodreams]

First of all: Tech-bases!!!
Second, hmmm... hell theme is nice, too.

Little Faith said:

I remember when Bricks and Metal was the trend. Every new map was B'n'M style and if anyone dared make a tech-base level they only got mediochre reviews.

Heh, I have just started building a map in B´n´M style. It´s gonna be in Richard Wiles´ Slayer map09 style. Pretty cool! I love it!

[Fredrik]

Archvile46 said:

REALISTIC

Yeah-eah, in DOOM, right!

[DOOM Anomaly]

Grazza said:

DSV4 Map31 was disco themed. Kind of cool.

Ohhhhh Yah! Bitchin' level, and teh worlds most best tunes to it. It one of me favourite levels. :D

[Little Faith]

Cacodreams said:

First of all: Tech-bases!!!
Second, hmmm... hell theme is nice, too.


Heh, I have just started building a map in B´n´M style. It´s gonna be in Richard Wiles´ Slayer map09 style. Pretty cool! I love it!

Actually, I have nothing against B'n'M levels. It just got a bit too much at moment.

[Insomniak]

I would very much like to see a level start out with the high-tech look, and slowly make its way to a complete "blood 'n guts" ending.

got any wad recomendations for me?

[Submerge]

I'm making something like that.

Hell maps are my fav. especially point dreadful in AV (fuckin' creepy! and the only one I ever managed to beat without cheating.

[Disorder]

I like the Citythemes very much, although they don't look that realistic. It makes me imagine I'm walking in an existing city or a town nearby. It makes the idea itself more realistic and easier to imagine.

[Kid Airbag]

Fredrik said:

Yeah-eah, in DOOM, right!

I dunno, I think it's quite possible. I tried with DOME1M3 and that didn't come out half bad. Freedoom Map 10 also takes a stab at realism and is coming along pretty nicely...