Another Level

[thedemonsarecoming]

Here's another level:
http://members.lycos.co.uk/ssg01/links.html

Try this out for me, tell me what you think.

It should run on all ports, but I have only tried it on ZDooM.

[Enjay]

thedemonsarecoming said:

Here's another level:
It should run on all ports, but I have only tried it on ZDooM.

Is that the Mars Base level? If so, its a ZdoomHexen format map, so only Zdoom will run it.

Also (picky point)

mrsbse.txt said:

Title:Press Conference

Isn't Press conference the other WAD?


But yeah. First, you've clearly got the idea of lines and tags and making things happen when you hit a switch (took me ages to get that sorted). Now perhaps you really should start using them in different ways. What I mean by that was the gameplay was repetative. It was all - open a small cupboard with a switch at the back, flick the switch, fight the bad guy who comes out of the next cupboard, flick the switch, get the key to open the next cupboard, fight the guy that comes out of that one, flick the switch...

Also, you don't need to try and use all the enemy types, especially in such a small map. A bit of theming to the enemies would have helped. This is a prison ship - so what happened to the crew? Populating it with a few more former humans, and a few corpses would answer that question.

Theme again. It's supposed to be a space ship right? Where's all the computers and other space shippy looking stuff? I thought the texture/ flat choice in some areas looked more like a building on the ground rather than a ship. The wooden area near the end may have been trying to convey an increasingly hellish experience, but it wasn't a natural progression (I thought) and the combination didn't sit too well with the theme IMO.

It isn't necessary to try and use all the keys, again, especially in such a small map. It might make sense in the context of a prison ship to have a lot of security, but it felt like you were using all the keys because you felt you had to use them all and not because it felt right.

A bit of height variation in the rooms would improve things. I know textures are (generally) 128 tall, and making 128 tall rooms is easy (God knows my first maps were all 128 tall rooms), but play a few maps and pay attention to how different height rooms are used. Even the opening section of MAP01 of Doom2. The area you start off standing on is quite tall. Behind you, however is a shortish corridor leading to the outside, infront, a drop down to an even taller hallway. Climb the stairs and your into a 72 tall corridor. In a very small area there has already been a lot of floor and ceiling height variation, not to mention good use of varied lighting.

Perhaps you didn't feel it was necessary in this map (ie it was inside a prison ship) to make any areas open to the sky, but using areas where the sky is visible has quite an impact on a map.

Finally (another small point), you have set the exit to have an argument of 2 on the linedef. This means Zdoom looks for a player start with an arg of 2 on the next map. There isn't one, so Zdoom drops to the console complaining there is no player 1 start on map02 when you try and go onto that level from your one.


I hope you take the above in the spirit it is intended. I'm not trying to "beat on your map". It was actually quite fun, and pretty competant for an early attempt. I admire the fact you have started editing with Zdoom features. I'm just trying to point out things that can help a map be fun and to try and iron out a few classic "newbie" mistakes. I know they are newbie mistakes, 'cos I made them too. :-)

[thedemonsarecoming]

Thanks, I'll take that into consideration while making my next map.