Learning To Map

[-_DLD_-]

Yep, I'm a mapping n00b. I'm basically trying to make a few E1 levels, as per the advice of DooMBoy in hopes of becoming an average mapper. I'm still working on this project (going for an entire episode, learning techniques/tricks along the way), and I've just completed E1M2. So, here's the download for E1M1 and E1M2.

I will update more as I make more.

Thanks for your help!

[Sporku]

Looks pretty good.. keep at it! One thing I'd recommend though is maybe use a bit more variation on the lighting. Everything looks too bright as of right now.

[-_DLD_-]

Thanks! Praise from you is probably a good thing.

What levels of brightness do you reccomend? I'm trying to have good lighting, but I still obviously lack something.

[Sporku]

Well, it depends on how many light sources there are in the level. If there's a room with hardly any light sources, make it darker (around 112-128). If there's quite a few light sources in the room, make it a bit brighter (I usually use something around 160). For outside areas, 176 and up are good. I hardly ever use light levels below 96, or light levels above 224. But that's just me.

[-_DLD_-]

When I get some more work done on it, would you like me to send it to you? I'm making quite a bit of progress.

[Mivalekan]

Mapping is a piece of cake after a while. Coming up with ideas (for me anyway) is more difficult than actually mapping. :/

Scripting is even worse. I've been mapping for several years (I'm too much of a perfectionist to release anything) and I still barely know how to script. :(

But you should try using textures to blend other textures together.

[ellmo]

Pay attention to what textures you use, and flats with which you use them. For example: The screenshots you've shown, include a box of SHAWNs and COMPxxxx with a red flat under them, which looks bad. I know you're just practicing, so it's just a reminder: avoid it at all costs.

Also, learn the functions of aligning textures, and unpegging them on lower and upper parts of a LineDef. It's better if you understand it yourself, but it won't hurt to ask if youre having trouble.

EDIT: Oh, and of course you could PM something to me. I'm all ears for questions...

[ruffj05]

you did better than i could ever dream of doing. i use codeimp's doom builder, and i get all messed up. all i did was try to add a secret in the first level, and i kept getting it to be seethrough, the door moved the whole wall, all kindsa errors. so confusing...

[-_DLD_-]

Mivalekan, I'm using WadAuthor (I love this editor...more than DeePSea or DooMBuilder), so I can't script. I need to find a good level editor that I can use just for scripting (like I use WinTex for new textures or graphics or whatever). I've got a few ideas for maps. I'm going to make a really metallic map sometime called "Motorbreath", and I could make an E1M8 called "Jump in the Fire" which involves jumping in fires to get to the boss(es). Hopefully I won't run out of ideas any time soon. DooMBoy says I'm great with ideas.

ellmo, too bad you don't have AIM, otherwise we could chat a lot there. If you have MSN or something, just PM me (I don't use Yahoo or ICQ). As for the textures, I'm doing my best to make things look more "proper". I fixed that comp block thing. I actually almost completely finished the level, aside from monsters and items.

ruffj05, it just takes practice. This is the 5th level I've ever made, and it's easily my best by a long shot. The others I made were absolutely crappy, except for my 4th, which wasn't too bad...

WadAuthor is really really simple and you can do a lot on it, except script. For meddling with graphics and whatever, I just use WinTex. I need to learn how to use DeHacked sometime soon, so I can fully program new baddies (I've got a crapload of ideas, like an Arachnotron brain on a small flying box with a chainsaw attached, behaving like a Lost Soul. He is aptly named "Brain Box").

I'm a total newbie myself, so my maps aren't even as good as the retail ones, and current "good" maps are a few times better than the retail maps.

[Amaster]

-_DLD_- said:

so I can't script.

Wadauthor has a built-in script editor for ACS scripts. It can be made to work with zdoom easily. Take a look at zdoom.org for more info.

Dont knw about fragglescript or others though.

[-_DLD_-]

Like, advanced scripting.

For example: "when Cyber Demon x bites it, level ends."

Something like that. I've never seen that option in WadAuthor. I am using the stupid shareware version though.

[ellmo]

-_DLD_- said:

DooMBoy says I'm great with ideas.

I can say that just from the names of your levels. No stations and temples or mazes as for now, is a very good sign. Doom communities lack of mappers with good ideas not only technical skills.

you don't have AIM, otherwise we could chat a lot there.

The only foreign communicator I use is Skype, I used to talk via IRC with NMN, so we could use that as well, but time Zones may be a bit of a problem.

I fixed that comp block thing. I actually almost completely finished the level, aside from monsters and items.

Good. You could post a screen of it here, so the experienced mappers told you what's left to improve.

This is the 5th level I've ever made, and it's easily my best by a long shot.

It's not surprising that new levels are better than old. This means you are evolving ^_^

WadAuthor is really really simple and you can do a lot on it, except script.

I would really, dearly reccomend DETH for vanilla Doom maps, or ZETH, which is the best, and most accurate ZDoom editor IMO. As for scripting, I use DoomBuilder which is also a great tool for aligning textures.

For meddling with graphics and whatever, I just use WinTex.

/me reccomends XWE, no questions about that.

I need to learn how to use DeHacked sometime soon, so I can fully program new baddies...

Bare in mind, that Dehacked allows you only to switch existing behaviours, and change the order and length of animation frames. Doing some serious stuff in it is a pain in the ass, but gives a LOT of satisfaction. Anyways, I would reccomend you to learn how to use ZDoom's DECORATE definitions, which will give you an ability to create entirely new monsters, but also items and weapons.

However, leave it for later, when you already get the hang of building maps.

[-_DLD_-]

The Map (which I will later name Phobos Gate) is DONE!

Click here to download.

Remember, this is for Ultimate DooM.

[Dutch Doomer]

Right click and save target to download.

Good map I liked the looks of it, gameplay was pretty hard though.
Maybe an shotgun or and beserk pack could't make the map a bit more easy.
I ended up having to kill a lot of demons with an pistol, until I got the chainsaw.
But the map did give me an true E1 feeling when playing, you did an good job there.
Im looking forward to your future work :)

[semper-in-excreta]

With the old lighting I'm surprised demons didn't just burn in a holy, blazing fireball.

AHHHHHHH THE HALOGEN LIGHTS!

I haven't played the finished map you posted, but I'm sure it's gold...you've gotten good feedback. Kudos to you.

[-_DLD_-]

Heh wow! Thanks Dutch! I've seen some of your work, and it's extremely good, so praise from you is a good thing.

I've fixed some ugly misalignments on the lift area, so that'll be perfectly fixed as soon as I next update the download.

As for the gameplay, I'm glad you found it hard, because I want to try to make my maps about as tough as Hell Revealed (need...to...learn...how...to...make...monsters...teleport in...), so I deliberately left out the Berserker Pack and Shotgun.

I'm glad I was able to capture that "E1" feel, as I played through it on HMP/UV about 4-5 times whilst making the map, paying attention to little spots of detail and styles that Romero used in hopes of emulating it properly.

I'm just glad you guys aren't hailing the arrival of another wow map to these forums. I'm going to probably make an entire E1 replacement using Phobos Gate as the first level, in hopes of getting at least average mapping abilities, and hopefully a little bit of credability, as I wish to undergo a big project, and I figured a good rookie set of independent maps would increase credability among the elite.

Anyway, I've got some ideas for future levels:

E1M2 - Chem Complex: basically use the concept of being trapped in an underground maze of toxic sludge, and your objective is to find the shotgun (I'm going to really abuse Sergeants in this one) and find the upper complex and the surface.

E1M3 - Metal Militia: No ideas for it, just the name. Probably will involve retarted amounts of Zombies. Obviously has to contain secret exit.

E1M6/7 - Motorbreath: Something involving a very metallic level and "engines" such as massive crusher networks. I'll try my best to work in some kind of puzzle required to beat the level.

E1M8 - Jump in the Fire: I was thinking of it starting off like a regular E1 map, but then there will be a firewall (literally) that you must run (or "jump") through in order to teleport/move to the next area (you will not be able to revisit older "parts" of the level unless I choose to put in a secret area allowing you to do so...probably not, as to stick to the "theme"), which will still be E1, but with stuff you'd see in E2 and E3 in there. The presence of "Hell" increases as you go through each teleport until you make it to the boss. What that boss will be, I don't know. Maybe a myriad of Barons attacking you from every angle? I'm honestly at a loss for ideas on this one.

E1M9 - *******: This one will be a nasty surprise!

[ellmo]

Yes, the map is simply great. It would easily do down about 80% of the resources held in the archives.

Very good action, and exemplary monster/item placement. Makes it a good gameplay in a well done E1 environment. Well done secrets as well.

You definitely have what it takes to build a whole set of maps. Still I'd like you to pay attention to what flats you use and where...

[-_DLD_-]

Thanks very much! I'm kinda shocked that you guys think it's so good. What flaws did you find in the flats? What do you suggest?

Thanks for the great reviews so far, this is really encouraging.

[ellmo]

-_DLD_- said:

What flaws did you find in the flats? What do you suggest?

Only that, when leaving the first open area, and entering STARTAN halls, you should give them something more appropriate for ceilings, than CEIL3_5, or whatever was it.

I'd do a screenshot, but hm... something on my CPU hates me.

[-_DLD_-]

What'd you suggest? Like which flat in particular?

[Lutrov71]

The maps pretty good. :) Pay some more attention to lighting.

[-_DLD_-]

I tried, but obviously not hard enough. What'd you suggest?

[KwadDamyj]

-_DLD_- said:

I tried, but obviously not hard enough. What'd you suggest?

One random suggestion I have is you know that room with the U-shaped shelf with the techie backwall that holds those ammo clips and powerups? If that's one big sector, have it glow, or maybe flicker.

[-_DLD_-]

Hmmm...that could work. I could make it oscillate.

[Nuxius]

Lindef #259 needs to be merged with Lindef #52. Also, Lindef #272 needs to be merged with lindef #270. Currently, in both cases, one line is completely overlapping the other, which causes errors in some ports (partically OpenGL ones).

You also might want to go over some of your COMPTALL textures. In several cases, you have cut the mechanical parts of them in half, which looks odd.

Other than that, it's looking pretty good. :)

[-_DLD_-]

Fixed. Also fixed (not updated yet...I'm not going to update anything until I finish E1M2) is the weird texture misalignment on the wall of the lift, as well as the lift textures and the lights in the trap room.

[-_DLD_-]

E1M2 is, at long last, finished!

Please give feedback! Note: these maps are intended to be at least fairly difficult to anybody on UV, so don't expect a walk in the park unless you're really good.

[Bank]

Reading through, I've noticed you use WadAuthor, I agree, it clicks much better with me as an editor of choice.

[KwadDamyj]

All I can still suggest is more bodies/blood/gore lying around. Otherwise it feels like the monsters bothered to hire a janitor after the invasion. X^D

[-_DLD_-]

Comiclez said:

Reading through, I've noticed you use WadAuthor, I agree, it clicks much better with me as an editor of choice.

I have the easiest time with WA for building maps...just easy to use.

And Quadguy, yeah, I'm going to add some bodies...after the hockey game.