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Zandor

I need a mentor

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I'm fairly new to all this, and one of the biggest problems I've run into is how many different ways you can do things (programs etc.) My goal is over the next couple years to make a series of levels, as my own interpretation of DOOM. Just like many have done before me.

I've been looking for someone in the DOOM world community, who has been here for a while, and knows their way around most of the level editors. I have made a working level, and the general public think that I did well, just need some work. Would you, or do you know somebody that would be willing to work with me through this, so I wouldn't have to keep coming here getting mixed answers from people who think they know what they are talking about but really don't? Last thing I wanna do is listen to the wrong person. I don't mean any of this in an offensive manner.

I want to stick closely to vanilla DOOM, while adding minor things for ease of access and playability. One thing I'd like to add are text logs, for those interested in story, so I'm curious is that is able to be implemented and how difficult it is. I have a lot of ideas about things I want to do with levels, but lack the knowledge on how to do them. I've seen some pretty awesome things on here that have really inspired me. Not to mention the countless hours I've logged into watching people go through original and player made levels, talking about level design.

Looking forward to hearing from any of you.

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Zandor said:

so I wouldn't have to keep coming here getting mixed answers from people who think they know what they are talking about but really don't? Last thing I wanna do is listen to the wrong person.

Anyone who actively volunteers to be your personal mentor almost certainly is the wrong person to listen to. :)

Zandor said:

I want to stick closely to vanilla DOOM, while adding minor things for ease of access and playability. One thing I'd like to add are text logs, for those interested in story, so I'm curious is that is able to be implemented and how difficult it is.

You should set yourself a clear idea of what compatibility do you aim for. There is vanilla compatibility, limit-removing vanilla compatibility, Boom compatibility, ZDoom compatibility, and port-specific compatibilities. I've tried to write down their brief summaries/comparisons here.

"Text logs" won't be possible in anything less than ZDoom compatibility. And even then it would be difficult to implement, if you wanted something as complex as a Doom3-style PDA. Simply leaving a log message in ZDoom's game console upon picking up an item would be trivial to implement, though.

Zandor said:

knows their way around most of the level editors.

Nowadays, there are exactly 2 Doom-related editors worth knowing your way around: GZDoom Builder (the most powerful while easy to use map editor) and SLADE3 (wad content editor with numerous useful features and an internal map editor too).

You more likely want to familiarize yourself with editing basics, tips and tricks. Those do not depend on your mapping editor of choice. They may depend on your target compatibility, though. General mapping (applicable to vanilla mapping) is sufficiently described here and on doomwiki.org. Boom-specific features/traits are referenced in boomref.txt (linking to an interactive version of the file by Fraggle). ZDoom-specific editing features are referenced on the ZDoom wiki. Searching this very forum (or the ZDoom forum) might answer your particular questions too.

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Man, this reminds me of when I first started studying for art, and came into the campus looking for, rather expecting, a Raphael to turn me into his student. All I got was a bunch of moderns who couldn't care less for classical art and wanted me to do abstract art, with painfully little instruction. It was a tough year and not what I had expected/optimally wanted, but still fun to look back on.

I think you'll be hard pressed to find anyone to take up that type of responsibility for free Zandor, it seems sifting through the wrong answers is the only way to find the correct ones, here and interelsewhere.

Tip: Use PMs as well as posts, to find the info you need.

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I have a feeling it can come off as sort of arrogant or pretentious to out oneself as a mentor, especially since few of us do anything like this professionally, there's bound to be some people who are more or less experienced or well versed than others. I have been in the community for several years and lately have been researching level design theory exhaustively purely out of my own curiosity. I've made plenty maps before, am pretty fluent with WadAuthor, Doombuilder, Doombuilder 2 and GZDoombuilder.

My expertise is sort of limited exclusively to mapping itself, meaning drawing sectors, designing layouts, picking the right textures, lighting, height variation, texture alignment (and lack thereof) placing monsters and items, and creating a fun experience for the player. So things like script triggers or text logs like you mentioned are things i won't be able to assist you with. Also I have a job and a wife and college school work that occupy a lot of my time, so I can't be available at your service whenever you need it. But I do eventually respond to private messages and I'm willing to help you or anyone else here if they would like help testing something or overcoming mappers block or other things that might slow your ability to be the best mapper you can be.

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Soundblock said:

Man, this reminds me of when I first started studying for art, and came into the campus looking for, rather expecting, a Raphael to turn me into his student. All I got was a bunch of moderns who couldn't care less for classical art and wanted me to do abstract art, with painfully little instruction. It was a tough year and not what I had expected/optimally wanted, but still fun to look back on.


I wish more doom modders would do modern art.

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To the OP.

Your mentor is Doomworld, the definitive source of all Doom-related stuff.

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scifista42 said:

Nowadays, there are exactly 2 Doom-related editors worth knowing your way around: GZDoom Builder (the most powerful while easy to use map editor) and SLADE3 (wad content editor with numerous useful features and an internal map editor too).

Also if you're not on Windows (i.e. you're on Mac or Linux) you can use Eureka Editor to make levels.

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Voros said:

Your mentor is Doomworld, the definitive source of all Doom-related stuff.


At least I found this place then.

"Also if you're not on Windows" - printz

I'm totally on windows.

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to the original post.

so... Planning a megawad with vanilla Doom? Good luck in making a immersive campaign, cause I could only make maps with no doors (for a good reason!).

I hope you succeed in getting this mentor...
Have you checked out the Doom Editing Tutorials forum? Lots of help there.

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Voros said:

to the original post.

so... Planning a megawad with vanilla Doom? Good luck in making a immersive campaign, cause I could only make maps with no doors (for a good reason!).

I hope you succeed in getting this mentor...
Have you checked out the Doom Editing Tutorials forum? Lots of help there.


Yeah, planning a megawad. Ive had great success with my editing, everything has worked, just as I wanted it to. Doors are a little trouble before you figure them out, but I've got em down now.

I use the tutorials a lot, very helpful.

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to the op.

I think scifista said something once. something like this:

if you want to become an artist, you have to paint a lot. If you want to be a good footballer, you have to play a lot. If you want to be s programmer, you have to program a lot. The point is to practice with small goals, while making them increase in difficulty after finishing each goal.

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Canofbacon said:

Yo I'll mentor you for free


I've always wanted to be mentored by jesus, lol. But for real, I've got this level I'm working on where I'm gonna be trying some new things I haven't done before, and really just need someone I can go to when I hit a wall. Someone willing to say "hey send me the wad, and I'll take a look at it" testing the level all the way through with me.

I've got some big ideas, some things, most of them are pretty logical and seem like they would work in the engine but I just don't know all the best things to do when I need this to do that, or because I set this up now thats broken.

My first map went pretty smooth and everything works the way its supposed to. Other then my bland textures.

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Voros said:

I think scifista said something once. something like this:

if you want to become an artist, you have to paint a lot. If you want to be a good footballer, you have to play a lot. If you want to be s programmer, you have to program a lot. The point is to practice with small goals, while making them increase in difficulty after finishing each goal.

That doesn't sound like something I would say, you must be confusing me with someone else. :)

Zandor said:

just need someone I can go to when I hit a wall. Someone willing to say "hey send me the wad, and I'll take a look at it" testing the level all the way through with me.

This activity should better come from your part. "Hey, I'm sending you this wad, take a look at it (if you want). <LINK>." Post this on a public forum, or privately to a person who you believe might be willing to actually take a look at your wad without being annoyed by the fact that you disturb him with such a request.

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scifista42 said:

That doesn't sound like something I would say, you must be confusing me with someone else. :)
This activity should better come from your part. "Hey, I'm sending you this wad, take a look at it (if you want). <LINK>." Post this on a public forum, or privately to a person who you believe might be willing to actually take a look at your wad without being annoyed by the fact that you disturb him with such a request.

Well, I said I think you did. I know someone did amd pretty sure it was you. In that how to build a source port thread, I think.

Anyways, upload it to Gamefront and when done, send me a link to see what you've done so far.
I'll test it with D-Touch (which is literally chocolate doom, gzdoom and prboom +), Zandronum, Risen3D, edge... and gzdoom on my laptop.

Or send me a beta /alpha to help you in the next version.

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