Barrels - useful or evil?

[Chris Hansen]

Hi all,

I know this might be a bit noob'ish, but I haven't exactly made maps in a long time. With that, erhm, excuse in place, I'd like to ask you all the following:

Are barrels annoying or maybe even a bit evil for the player for the player or are they helpful?

The reason for this question is because I'm making a new map and I started wondering if they would actually help the player on the easier levels or make things more difficult for the player on the harder levels. A well placed barrel would IMHO do both.

So, what do you say?

[Vader]

Personally I use them in both ways when making maps;
A well placed barrel can give the player the chance of taking out several enemys at once if he/she reacts fast enough and is capable of hitting the barrel through the sorrounding monsters.
But they can also be a nice trap,
e. g. if you walk through a doorway and face some chaingunners for example, wich then take down your health and eventually hit a barrel or two placed to the left and right to that doorway.
Barrels also make some good interactive decoration IMO.

[Chris Hansen]

Very nice examples there, I can easily see what you mean. And it is acutally something along those lines which I have tried to incorporate in this new level.

[Dutch Doomer]

An group of zombies is charging towards you and they are close to an barrel what do you do.
Shoot them or shoot the barrel and have an nice bloody death scene.
Was doom the first FPS with barrels that could explode I think so but I can be wrong.

[Ismaele]

Barrels can be very useful! When playing, I try to exploit them in order to damage strong enemies or to kill groups of monsters... but if I think that they could be used against me, I make them explode even if it's a waste of ammo, because there are no monsters nearby.
When I edit maps, I use barrels mostly to make traps for the player, but sometimes I put them so that the player can take advantage of them!

[ReX]

Barrels can be made an essential part of the gameplay, as in Map 23, Barrels o' Fun. The great thing about that map, particularly the opening room, is that the barrels can be used to the player's advantage but are also a real hazard. This is what a mapper should strive for - a balance between benefits and risk. The finer the balance the greater the challenge.

[myk]

Barrels of toxic gunk are evil because they contaminate the evironment!

There's a classic pre-doom2 barrel-specific wad, also.

[CODOR]

Barrels are evil because they count as crates.

[Th0r]

Barrels o' fun

[Use]

Barrels rock, they're always fun, especially in early maps where the player's arsenal hasn't reached maximum devastation!

[Dittohead]

CODOR said:

Barrels are evil because they count as crates.

Ah, who gives a crap. This is DOOM! Sorry, we're not cutting edge anymore, folks.

[Enjay]

Dittohead said:

Ah, who gives a crap. This is DOOM! Sorry, we're not cutting edge anymore, folks.

I see your humour detector needs a tune-up. ;)