Mapping Question

[JadedLexi]

What should I learn to be careful of in mapping?

I can think of one: ammo and health placements

[wildweasel]

Things you ought to be careful of:

1. Damaging sectors that don't look harmful. Put fair warning in front of them like radiation signs or something.
2. Keys hidden in secrets. Unless a locked door is not necessary to complete the level.
3. Chaingunners hidden in remote sniping positions.

[Azriel]

When you want to make a coop wad, always keep in mind that players can die at any time, anywhere so:
Don't make ceilings collapse (permanently) right after the player when he crosses a line. If he dies and he respawns back to his original position he isn't able to pass that ceiling anymore.
This also goes for doors, lowering acid pits, etc.

I've seen tons of wads that seem coop friendly at first but when you die at the wrong time, it's over.

[Dutch Doomer]

Slime pits always be sure there is a way out of it, nothing is more annoying then getting trapped in one with no way out except cheating.

[Mordeth]

Somehow related topic: deathtraps. How do you guys feel about that?

Most people will agree that a slime pit with no way out but to wait until your health has dwindled to zero is bad design, and most will frown at death traps like voodoo-doll trapped teleporters.

But how about stuff like "real world" dangers, such as falling damage? Permitted, or only if the player has been able to acknowledge this danger before navigating the area where falling damage can kill him? So navigating a narrow path overlooking a steep ravine is OK, but a deep pit in a dark corridor is not OK ?

Discuss ;)

[Fredrik]

Just put a teleporter down there somewhere. If you need realism, make the bottom water.

[iori]

Use dehacked to create a new thing with the barrel explosion codepointer, which is looping, invisible, and silent, then scatter them at the bottom of said pits.

[Use]

Mordeth said:

Most people will agree that a slime pit with no way out but to wait until your health has dwindled to zero is bad design...

dutch devil said:

Slime pits always be sure there is a way out of it, nothing is more annoying then getting trapped in one with no way out except cheating.

I don't agree. Having an escape from some slime pits defeats the purpose and sense of danger or carefulness. Just don't fall in!

[Dutch Doomer]

Use3D said:

I don't agree. Having an escape from some slime pits defeats the purpose and sense of danger or carefulness. Just don't fall in!

I agree that falling into one is stupid, and the player should be punished for that.
Like the player has to press an switch, and an lift lowers quite a distance away, forcing him to wade through it.

[Tormentor667]

Use3D said:

I don't agree. Having an escape from some slime pits defeats the purpose and sense of danger or carefulness. Just don't fall in!

I also agree, and this is why I often use lava pits with instant death.

[Ezxariarch]

Tormentor667 said:

I also agree, and this is why I often use lava pits with instant death.

hahha, I also agree. Someone complained that my maps were full of death traps (doors opening with imps that walk out or a teleporter with lots of dead bodies on it that teleports you into a barrles). Having an escape rout all the time makes traps pointless. Traps are supposed to kill, not so you can just walk out of it. I understand that it can be frustrating, so put warnings like crushed bodies or bloody pools nair it to warn the player. If they still walk in there, get killed and compain about it, then they're just stupid.

[Enjay]

Use3D said:

I don't agree. Having an escape from some slime pits defeats the purpose and sense of danger or carefulness. Just don't fall in!

Indeed. The one I find annoying is a slime pit with no way out but which the author forgot to make damaging.

I've never been a big fan of crushers though. Especially unmarked crushers.