How has mapping changed the way you enjoy Doom?

[Peppypoppy]

As I've been playing through (and greatly enjoying) this year's Cacoawards; I can't help but feel that, despite having played the game for years, I still don't have a good grasp on what makes certain Doom maps great. I guess I feel as though my enjoyment of certain wads is rather superficial and that I'm missing some perspective that could really enhance the way I see other people's work. Maybe I should try my hand at mapping, having zero knowledge of how it works!

 

 So I've been wondering: how does experience with mapping Doom affect how players enjoy their playthroughs? Does knowing the inner goings-on of the game make you appreciate the craftsmanship of others' work, or does it take away some of the magic? Are there aspects of level design that can surprise and delight you that would otherwise go unnoticed if you didn't understand the tools the designer was working with? Or does thinking about these tools take you out of the experience?

 

Would you recommend someone to learn how to map not just for the sake of having a cool new hobby, but to reinforce (or even rekindle) their love for playing the game?

[baja blast rd.]

There hasn't been a time when I was not a mapper, but I suspect it has made my enjoyment a lot more diverse. All the way back in 2015, two mapsets that made it into my all-time-favorites (and still are there) are Sunlust and Back to Basics. If you've never played Back to Basics, it is an Ultimate Doom episode that is basically the opposite of Sunlust in gameplay terms, generally easy and with a lot of base-crawling shotgun vs. X combat. There is always something that I can use in every style, so there is no reason to specialize. 

 

Understanding the "inner workings" shifts the locus of appreciation. Just about everything mouldy does in his maps from a "technical" standpoint I get very easily and probably already knew how to do it, but how he channels it creatively into the actual experience is what is really impressive. Valiant (and most of Ancient Aliens) is not a "really high-detail wad" like some people think -- but its lo-fi craft and cohesive tropes/motifs and asset management is pretty cool. (Something I've noticed is that there is a certain type of person who vastly overrates the "technical prowess" and "detail level" of almost everything and then goes ahead and gets mad at parts of the Doom scene for overcaring about technical prowess and detail -- which is a really funny circularity.) 

 

Also a lot of stuff is only obvious when you look at it in the editor afterwards. When I'm playing a wad for the first time, I don't spend much time thinking about the "tools" being used or even noticing a lot of them. 

[RestlessRodent]

I have not made many maps, however maps I made tended to start with a basic concept or theme that expanded outwards continually being built upon. Keeping players engaged with a level whether that be killing monsters continually or solving a puzzle while doing so.

 

One more difficult thing is play testing, there is testing as the developer of a level and then also as a player of the level which is more difficult to get into. If you can make an experience that you enjoy playing, even for your own map that is definitely a start for it.

 

Having worked on source ports and otherwise diving very deeply technically into the engine, the internal logic of the game does not really play into things much except in very specific situations where you would want to use such a thing. One example is the teleport in Final Doom that instantly telefrags you if you choose the wrong path, definitely a gimmick and not required but it puts down the consequence of running through the maze blindly without looking at the candles.

 

The best way to get started doing something is to do it, your first creations will seem not the best but if you continue on you can definitely obtain the skills to create a level. Whatever tools exist mostly just exist to be your canvas for your creation.

[MFG38]

I've been mapping for Doom for practically as long as I've played the game, so to some extent, I'd say my skills as a Doom player and mapper have advanced largely hand-in-hand. One thing I can say for sure is that my appreciation of specific mapping styles and tropes - be it slaughter, puzzle, platforming or whatever else - only increases the more I play wads and, more importantly, try to make maps in those styles. I'm somewhat of an experimental mapper in that I like to try something different with everything I make, be it a format I haven't mapped in before, a gameplay gimmick or even an entirely new workflow. And the more I do that, the more I appreciate all of those things, even if I don't end up liking a specific map - my own or someone else's.

 

Slaughtermaps in my particular case are a prime example in that I've made slaughtermaps myself (most notably in Scorpion) and that accumulated experience has made me appreciate the genre for the sheer effort that goes into crafting a good slaughtermap. Obviously what makes a good slaughtermap is ultimately a subjective matter, but my point is that I understand the challenge involved because I have that first-hand experience. That said, I still don't particularly enjoy playing slaughtermaps unless it's something like MSCP, and any slaughtermaps I do play I play on ITYTD anyway. But the growing appreciation for the challenge involved in making those kinds of maps is the important thing to me. That's the main reason why I strive to make as many different styles of maps as possible, not just gameplay-wise but also thematically/visually.