My map Absinthe map 01

[Lombardi]

Here's my first map. It has been long time since I made a map, and now I did.

Here's a youtube video walktrough:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d67BwJoZ85Y

The download link is here:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/w7yal5jfbs466h8/Absinthe(Map01).zip


It's kinda short, but it's level 1.

Please, comment and give tips!

Thank you!

[Memfis]

Interesting level, I'd say it's very good for a first map. It was fun to explore, many areas looked interesting to me and there were some enjoyable fights. I'm curious to see more from you. I don't really have any tips I think because it seems like you know what you're doing. :)

[Magnusblitz]

Yeah, not bad at all for a first map. I do have some criticisms though.

- The "floor texture rule": one of John Romero's rules in mapping was that you if you're going to change floor textures between sectors, you should also change heights between sectors as well. Changing flat textures without height difference often looks strange. You often use the metal beams under doorways to break it up, but I think it'd look better with a small 8-height difference as well.

- The room with the teleporter to the first yellow door contains two rad suits and a small, inescapable pit of slime. This is bad design, since a player that hasn't found the yellow key yet might think one of those rad suits is for exploring the pit (maybe a secret door?), jump in, and die. At the very least, put a way out or don't have an inescapable pit.

- Try using a lot more light variation, you used it in a few spots but most of the map looks very flat lighting-wise. This is especially true in the opening parts of the map which are very overpowering with the vivid blue, bland non-textured grey and pastel green.

[scifista42]

Good map, enjoyable to play. I like that you use borderline textures, however sometimes they could be better aligned (I'm talking about the silver or dark grey plates, on which the texture sometimes doesn't tile well). I don't see a big problem in a different texture below doors, only on some doors that particular texture looks bad because it's "cross the direction" - see the first door for example. FLAT20 (a chequered texture) may be a better choice for that situation, but of course, not having any special texture below doors is a safe choice. Definitely avoid making inescapable pits on your maps, that's generally considered annoying. I think you've put unnecessarily much effort into the exit room, a simple room with just an exit sign, a switch and possibly one enemy would be enough - of course, this is OK. It was very pleasing on this map to get the two spiders infighting and let one shoot the other for some time, then interrupt him with your SSG so the other will start shooting the first, and this way let them kill each other. Encounter which could have been better set up is the one with pain elemental, because the monsters just attack you from side and are close to each other, which is a disadvantageous position for pain elemental. In other aspect pretty nice job for a first attempt, keep up the good work!

[Lombardi]

Memfis, Magnusblitz & Scifista42 Thank you all for tips and comments!

Next map will be even better and some cool fights/situations are coming up! :D

[Lombardi]

scifista42 said:

Good map, enjoyable to play. I like that you use borderline textures, however sometimes they could be better aligned (I'm talking about the silver or dark grey plates, on which the texture sometimes doesn't tile well). I don't see a big problem in a different texture below doors, only on some doors that particular texture looks bad because it's "cross the direction" - see the first door for example. FLAT20 (a chequered texture) may be a better choice for that situation, but of course, not having any special texture below doors is a safe choice. Definitely avoid making inescapable pits on your maps, that's generally considered annoying. I think you've put unnecessarily much effort into the exit room, a simple room with just an exit sign, a switch and possibly one enemy would be enough - of course, this is OK. It was very pleasing on this map to get the two spiders infighting and let one shoot the other for some time, then interrupt him with your SSG so the other will start shooting the first, and this way let them kill each other. Encounter which could have been better set up is the one with pain elemental, because the monsters just attack you from side and are close to each other, which is a disadvantageous position for pain elemental. In other aspect pretty nice job for a first attempt, keep up the good work!

By the way, did you see that "our hero" did suicide in the exit room and his brains were all over the wall. Hehhe. Some story included :D