Architecture is 50% of the Gameplay

[Doom Marine]

Superseding such elements as enemy placement and visual detail is the architecture of a map. Architecture has less to do with aesthetics than facilitating player's movement, springing traps, dropping/gaing elevation, firefights, etc etc etc, whether it be a cramped catacomb or a sprawling arena, the shape/structure of the environment determines the gameplay of a level above any other factor.

I subjectively believe that architecture accounts for half the gameplay in most given maps...

[Job]

Interesting enough, though it's all been said before. Nevertheless, I may be inclined to agree.

[Bucket]

Indeed. The Doom engine is more advanced than the Wolfenstein engine; any map that doesn't use this to full effect has no reason being made.

In contrast, there are plenty of relatively flat or simple maps that do the job.

[gemini09]

More like 100% the gameplay, if we're talking about PWADS...

Numbermind, you sound like you're stuck in a paranormal dimension where the year is 1994.


In newer games, like Unreal Tournament 2003/4 though, for example, it seems alot of mappers try to make some sort of superdetailed computer art, instead of good playable deathmatch maps.