What inspired you to be a doom mapper, mod maker and midi composer.

[xScavengerWolfx]

8 hours ago, Kinsie said:

Mostly all the money and power commonly associated with the role.

I will quote civvie 11 when he was fighting cancer mouse "It's always been about money!"

[Dusty_Rhodes]

Like @Thelokk I have an obsessive and compulsive personality (though not OCD by any means) when it comes to taking things apart, being fixating with them, and trying to make my own. I learned of Final Doom a little while after playing the first two Doom games. I was enamored with the idea that community members made their own levels and made a game together. I'm pretty heavily influenced by both Final Doom games, and I'd argue TNT actually inspires my mapping style more know. At the time however, I had Doom Builder 2 and was obsessed with the visual style and vibe of Plutonia - I loved levels like Well of Souls, Sewers, Cyberden, and Congo (still do!). So I really tried; I watched plenty of tutorials and all that. I didn't make anything good, but I was fascinated by the ability to make a real area -  a 3D space - something I can walk around in and change to my liking.

 

Once I had that realization I was hooked. I ended up working on a Doom 1 megawad but it was fraught with all the noobie issues, I had no clue how to utilize resources \ use Slade so I had all four IWADs as resources and wondered why there were missing textures, I only tested in GZDoom, didn't know how to change the grid size (32x32 all the way baby!), I had no idea how to make interesting set piece fights or good incidental combat, and my only skill was making good looking rooms. I'd played the IWADs so many times that I learned what looked good and worked visually. That said, all the oddball Final Doom textures were too tempting and I ended up making some ugly areas. I worked on E1M1 for hours and I worked very slowly.

 

At a certain point, the yellow door wouldn't open no matter what. I tried a million things and couldn't get it to work so I gave up. For those curious, the linedef faced the wrong way so the Doom Marine couldn't activate it. That led to me taking a break for months. In late 2019, early 2020, I decided to get back into to mapping. I played around a bit but I lacked the experience I wanted. I decided to look for wads which led me to Doomworld's Top 100 Wads list from 2003. Scythe was described as "punchy" and "exciting" which to a noob sounds perfect. Before I played it, I kept looking around and under the 1999 section I saw Demonfear, one of my all time favorite wads. I played both in one weekend (Demonfear with it's midi pack) and loved them both. I mean really loved them. I've replayed both many times and they really brought back that zeal and drive for creating my own little home in binary space partitions. So I got started in Doom Builder again and following that list led me to Community Chest 1 and 2. I had no idea that you could make levels with others, and that idea really appealed to me.

 

So I made a Doomworld account (been here for a year come June, I don't plan on leaving ;p) and what luck, a Quake partial conversion was asking for mappers. I volunteered and ended up gaining loads of experience in a very short time. Now I'm here for life - I'm sure of it. I have like five CPs I need to finish maps for, as well as future ASS sessions to have fun in, and a solo project. That drive to release my creativity hasn't really lessened and I've been placing linedefs, building blockmaps, and being a source port snob ever since heh. I really, really love Boom, MBF, and obscure mapping tricks, especially things like Lingportals, Mikoportals, translucency, self ref sectors, etc. Finding those little gimmicks has made for really interesting experiences and brought a love for mapping for this game, whether it's made to run in DOS (which is very fun, love dodging those limits) or is an up - to - date MBF21 wad.

 

Thanks for listening to me ramble. Love ya Doomworld.

[Bri]

I started mapping around 2004-ish with AvP2, Half Life 2, Quake 3, etc. Doom's always been my favourite game, though, but I never mapped for it 'till now. However, I think Doom's been my favourite to map for - I actually really love the challenge of the restricted technical capabilities and making it look high detailed and "modern." 

[Kor]

I had a fascination with video games since before I got into Doom.  The first game I got was when I was nine or 10.  It was Super Mario Bros 3, which came with the Nintendo.  After a while of playing it, my brother and I started wishing we had the ability to make our own levels for the game.  We couldn't of course, but that didn't stop us from drawing out levels on paper.  And when we got the strategy guide for Super Mario 3, sometimes I would draw out the levels from the game by copying from what I saw in the book.  Later on, in 1994 when we got the Super Nintendo, which came with The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, I started drawing castles and stuff in the style they presented in the game as.

 

In 1995, after I got a hold of Doom and editors for it, I started thinking it'd be cool to completely make my own game.  Now I was 13, and didn't fully appreciate how difficult it would be to do something like that.  Oddly, before I got a hold of the editors, I remember commenting to my friend about how it would be hard to make your own levels for a 3d game.  But I guess I forgot I said that.  I guess I was so excited about the prospect that I imagined it would be easy.  I imagined a scorpion-looking enemy.  I just thought, the editors will allow me to create it!  I was wrong, as I didn't realize I would have to painstakingly draw out the sprites in an image processor.  And all I had at the time was MS Paint.  But still, I got into making levels and while I had issues at first, I stuck with it.

 

The irony here is, Super Mario Maker has been available for years, allowing people to do what I wished I could do as a kid.  And you know what?  I'm not interested at all.

[valkiriforce]

I've always wanted to create my own ideas when it comes to video games, and I remember having an idea for a Doom map as far back as 2003. It wasn't until I went to revisit Doom II in later 2009 that I stumbled on some Doom Builder tutorial videos, and I was hooked. I installed Doom Builder 2 and followed the tutorial videos they had on the website - I think there were about six of them, and after that I was off on my own making basic maps that would evolve over time to become my first megawad.

 

I sometimes wonder what could have been had I known about Doom Builder sooner, but at the same time I'm also glad I started when I did because my levels were influenced from my love for the original Doom games, and being able to go into this newfound passion for level design when I did meant my levels were at least going to be a little more refined than if I had started at a younger age. Also, I was able to contribute during a time when vanilla Doom wads were starting to make a comeback, and I'd like to think I helped in some way with releasing multiple vanilla Doom experiences both through community projects and my own works.

[Kor]

2 hours ago, valkiriforce said:

I've always wanted to create my own ideas when it comes to video games, and I remember having an idea for a Doom map as far back as 2003. It wasn't until I went to revisit Doom II in later 2009 that I stumbled on some Doom Builder tutorial videos, and I was hooked. I installed Doom Builder 2 and followed the tutorial videos they had on the website - I think there were about six of them, and after that I was off on my own making basic maps that would evolve over time to become my first megawad.

 

I guess I figured you started in the 90s since the wads of yours I've played have a 90s vibe.

[valkiriforce]

Heh, a lot of my love for 90's wads comes from playing a lot of the earlier wads that were mentioned in the top 100 wads list here on Doomworld. I had lots of fun exploring from 1994 and onward to see what people were doing with Doom maps. Though I started playing Doom in the later 90's, I didn't start playing Doom wads until late 2009/early 2010, and I knew I was likely to be stuck playing Doom content for a long time.

[robocaco]

I always liked the idea of putting my own ideas into games that I like and making levels for Doom seemed the best way to do that. I also like just making things for games in general so making levels for Doom is just an extension of what I already like to do.

[OniriA]

I started mapping around a year ago.

 

That's all.

[Lippeth]

2 minutes ago, OniriA said:

I started mapping around a year ago.

  

That's all. 

What inspired you to start?

[xScavengerWolfx]

51 minutes ago, OniriA said:

I started mapping around a year ago.

 

That's all.

Oh come on there's gotta be more to it then just that. I mean to be honest everyone get's inspired from somewhere and by someone

 

[Bigbad75]

On 4/17/2022 at 6:39 PM, Kinsie said:

Mostly all the money and power commonly associated with the role.

Your getting paid for this?

[Kinsie]

26 minutes ago, Bigbad75 said:

Your getting paid for this?

Wait... you aren't?

[xScavengerWolfx]

Wait....Did i eat today? lol 

[tomas7777]

Like some other people here, I've always enjoyed being able to make my own levels and mods for video games I like, whether it's Doom, Super Mario Bros, or whatever else.

 

I've known Doom for almost as long as I can remember and it's one of my favorite games of all time, so it's no surprise that I ended up trying to make maps for it. Ultimately, I usually experience the "artist's block" and end up drawing random boxes without knowing what to do, which is frustrating, so I rarely ever finish any map. But the feeling I get when I finally manage to pull off something is really satisfying.

[MemeMind]

Doom is cool, thats why.

[monkeymancrazy]

because everyone else in the doom community is a mapper

 

[Silhouette 03]

On 4/19/2022 at 7:02 PM, monkeymancrazy said:

because everyone else in the doom community is a mapper

 

That's not true. A lot of people aren't mappers. Some are playtesters, 90's wad connoisseurs or just plain old Doom enthusiasts, just to name a few 

Edited April 28, 2022 by Silent Wolf

[xScavengerWolfx]

1 hour ago, MemeMind said:

Doom is cool, thats why.

*points ups to this comment*
 

Now this is a great comment lol

[Jacek Bourne]

Plutonia, then Scythe, then Sunlust, then Sunder, then Scythe 2 and now primarily Ribbiks with some Erik Alm, Death-Destiny, and Insanegazebo mixed in. Play my current maps and be eviscerated. (Unless you know what you’re doing) Enjoy!

 

 

[xScavengerWolfx]

Just now, Jacek Bourne said:

Plutonia, then Scythe, then Sunlust, then Sunder, then Scythe 2 and now primarily Ribbiks with some Erik Alm, Death-Destiny, and Insanegazebo mixed in. Play my current maps and be eviscerated. (Unless you know what you’re doing) Enjoy!

 

 

*looks around* Hmmm

[BetelgeuseSupergiant]

At one point, I started thinking "hey, i want this place like a Doom map!" when watching different movies. In other maps i found ideas, how i can create interesting design for maps. And then, i downloaded GZDB. My first two maps was bad, but i continued working on new maps, make it better. Now i working on final level of my three-level mapset, and it looks really better then my previous maps!

[xScavengerWolfx]

5 hours ago, BetelgeuseSupergiant said:

At one point, I started thinking "hey, i want this place like a Doom map!" when watching different movies. In other maps i found ideas, how i can create interesting design for maps. And then, i downloaded GZDB. My first two maps was bad, but i continued working on new maps, make it better. Now i working on final level of my three-level mapset, and it looks really better then my previous maps!

I remember my first doom maps i've made and god they were awful but after three community maps and two solo maps later i'm starting to get better at be a mapper. 

 

Note: The three maps i'm talking about are for two community projects. 

First community project is Theme GAWAD #1 I have two maps in that one and that's also my very first community project i was involved in at the time. Map 03 and Map 31. 

 

The second one is Booked! (that's what it's called) and my map for that one is Map 01. 

 

One of my achievements i want to strive for is try to get my name out there as a mapper and hopefully i can start making bigger and better maps. But for now i'm sticking with the kiss factor. (if you don't know what the kiss factor is, kiss stands for Keep It Simple Stupid). 

[Domestic-Weirdo]

Another wall of text everyone.

 

I had always heard people sing praises for Doom and eventually, when I was in Middle School (I think?) I got around to playing part of the first episode for Doom 1993 on some game hosting site but it didn't grab me instantly like it did with other people. Perhaps it was because I was a playing on a computer with a keyboard (I'm a console gamer to my core) or maybe it was the fact that I only had a limited amount of time to play it before computer class was done. Whatever the reason, I didn't really appreciate what Doom had to offer at the time. Being a dedicated Nintendo fan didn't help either since I never got the chance to really try it out on a console as later id Software and Bethesda games seemed to actively avoid Nintendo hardware for the longest time.

 

That is until Bethesda teamed up with Panic Button to port Doom 2016 to Switch. The reboot always looked fantastic to me and I remember being bummed out that it didn't come to Wii U. Once I was able to get my own Switch, Doom 2016 was the first game I bought for the system, something that almost didn't happen as I nearly got Breath Of The Wild instead. The game lived up my expectations and then some. The combat, tone, and music were all top-notch. I even got my older brother into it who generally doesn't share my taste in games. 

 

The E3 announcement of Doom Eternal several months later had me hyped and the QuakeCon reveal later that year tripled my anticipation. Going into next year where Bethesda is building up excitement for Eternal with their "Year Of Doom" campaign, new versions of the Doom trilogy are announced across all platforms and the classic Doom games are finally released on to a Nintendo console for the first time since the GBA versions. I bought them all immediately and after waiting several months for Nerve to iron out the egregious flaws in the first two, I was enjoying every bit of them. It was here where I finally came to appreciate all of classic Doom's hallmarks like its intricate maps, the armor and health system, and the dynamic monster types introduced in Doom 2. 

 

Around this time where I was playing classic Doom regularly and waiting for the very delayed Switch port of Doom Eternal, I was getting into watching the analytic videos by decino and later the modding tutorials by Doomkid. In particular, decino's Voodoo Dolls analysis and Doomkid's DeHackEd tutorial really ignited my interest into modding for Doom, especially once Rekkr arrived as an official add-on for the Unity ports, which was my introduction to a DeHackEd Doom mod of that magnitude. Coming to understand the limitations of vanilla Doom along with its almost paradoxical flexibility is something that I found to be fun to learn about and work with.

 

Eventually, I replaced my old laptop with a new PC, downloaded the Doom IWADs, Doom Builder 2, WhackEd4, Slade3, Chocolate Doom and Crispy Doom, and familiarized myself with all of the ultilities. I have been modding ever since and now I'm very close to wrapping up work on my first major Doom mod. After 6 months or so of working on it, I can hardly wait to share it.

 

 

Edited April 23, 2022 by Domestic-Weirdo : Changed paragraph spacing, added mention of GBA ports

[QuaketallicA]

Playing the base game a ton, really. I prefer the vanilla-style maps. The thing that really amazes me about the Doom engine (and modern level editors) is how easy it is to truly create your own virtual world. It's almost more impressive to create real-world analogues in Doom because of the inherent engine limitations. Sure, far more modern engines (or even modern Source Ports like GZDoom) can easily handle true 3D worlds, but there's something special about using your creativity to come up with a new idea or theme within the constraints of the original engine that is just far more appealing. Even within those limitations, the possibilities for what you can do are quite literally endless. 

 

It's like the opening monologue to Tron: Legacy; a digital frontier of pure imagination. Make the style of combat or map design you always wanted to see. Play God.

 

 

Specifically, Romero's recent map releases E1M4b and E1M8b, plus obviously Sigil, were inspiration for me as well, though I think I had started getting into it a little before that.

[slowtorturepukechamber]

map 11 of plutonia. something about how vastly different that map is compared to all the others made me realize how many different things you can create within the world of doom, and that map is a simple idea. been thinking about making a horror map using solely archviles as enemies ever since

[Egregor]

How I got my start:

 

My uncle showed me Wolfenstein in 1994  when I was about 10 or so. I was fascinated by it. Soon after I learned about Doom and Doom 2. In 1996 (at the age of 12) I remember going to a big box store and finding the book 3D Game Alchemy: Doom, Doom 2, Heretic, & Hexen and buying it. It also came bundled with a PWAD shovelware CD that contained 900 or so new levels. I spent a few weeks reading the book and practicing the tutorials but I didn't have internet back then and didn't get very far. I made about a dozen small levels with varying degrees of success.

 

Enter Duke Nukem 3D and the build engine. For whatever reason I found the build engine easier to work with. I believe it had 3D "in game" editing while the old doom editor that came w Alchemy did not. I learned to use it by copying tags from the original levels "how did they do that? Oh it needs THESE tags". I probably made 30 or 40 levels using the build engine, some of which were large.

 

During this time I hit puberty and realized I had become obsessed with mapping and that my social skills had plummeted, and I was loosing friends so I made a conscious decision to step away from gaming to focus on "real life". I still believe that was the right decision for me and my childhood.

 

Looking back I wonder what happened  to all those levels and how they would hold up today. Regardless I took about a 15 year long break before rediscovering my love of mapping.

 

As to the why? I just have always found maps and building worlds fascinating, and I believe Doom was around at the right time in my life to have a lasting impact.

[Toilet_Wine_Connoisseur]

I was always curious what mapping/modding was like from paying a bunch of mods and stuff, but SIGIL is what finally got me inspired to download DooMBuilder and actually give it a shot. I Was so blown away by how finely crafted those maps were while still remaining within(mostly) vanilla parameters 

[The_SloVinator]

I was fascinated by the mapping community as a whole, so I decided to start my own journey back in late 2014.

 

I don't regret it one bit. Haven't released much of my own projects but in the end, it's about having fun.

[E.M.]

It was Joel's Doom Mapping Contest that inspired me to start making Doom maps of my own. He has yet to host a third one, but at least I found a new way to express my creativity.