Mapper's Block?

[revan1141]

After making the first map for my new WAD, I have stumbled into something sort of resembling what writers call "writer's block".

I have had Map02 of the WAD open for the past 2 weeks, and for the life of me, I just can't figure out a good map design for it, or come up with any good ideas as to how the map should look and play and feel, at all. It sucks.

I have tried planning it out, going in blank(which ends up with me just making generic boring horrible squares), but it just won't come out nice.

It's especially disheartening because I feel like the first map of this WAD was me finally getting the hang of mapping and creating very open and fun levels which change with the player, but now in Map02 I feel like I've lost the mindset I was in for Map01, and I can't figure out how to get back in it. I feel like I've unlearned all that I learned in the creation of Map01.

I have literally restarted this map approximately 17 times, before I lost count. Not even joking.

I honestly have become frustrated to the point where I'm tempted to just throw the WAD out and keep the first level and upload it somewhere as just a small little quickplay level.

Does anyone have any advice for this phenomenon? Has anyone else ever experienced this frustrating change in their mapping mindset?

[scifista42]

Aside from this blog thread from today, there were many threads on this topic with lots of advices - here are just the ones with "mapper's block" in the title, ordered from newest to oldest:

https://www.doomworld.com/vb/doom-editing/72177-mapping-block-procrastination/
https://www.doomworld.com/vb/doom-editing/68654-ever-had-mappers-block/
https://www.doomworld.com/vb/doom-general/63677-how-do-you-guys-cope-with-mappers-block/
https://www.doomworld.com/vb/doom-editing/58815-mappers-block/
https://www.doomworld.com/vb/doom-editing/57466-mapper-block-what-do-you-do-to-remove-the-block/
https://www.doomworld.com/vb/everything-else/52030-the-great-mappers-block-thread/
https://www.doomworld.com/vb/doom-editing/50595-mappers-block/
https://www.doomworld.com/vb/doom-editing/49922-curing-mappers-block-any-ideas/
https://www.doomworld.com/vb/doom-editing/42638-builders-block/
https://www.doomworld.com/vb/doom-editing/32863-help-dealing-with-mappers-block/
https://www.doomworld.com/vb/doom-general/22066-mappers-block/
https://www.doomworld.com/vb/doom-editing/18187-mappers-block/
https://www.doomworld.com/vb/wads-mods/8330-the-mappers-block-how-to-tackle/
https://www.doomworld.com/vb/doom-editing/4652-mappers-block/

[Zemini]

I ran into this a few days ago. Ended up making a bunch of random crap that I ended up deleting. Best to just take a break.

[volumetricsteve]

I try and do something completely different. Recently I've watched the Mrs. play Fable 2 which has a lot of mind-boggling game design poured into it...some of that spun off into little ideas which I'm fleshing out into parts of things that might go into my doom maps. Alternatively, I'll immerse myself in one of my users' issues at work. (I support a supercomputing environment, my users need to know how to run/build really complex software) Sometimes, some weird situation or seeing the systems act a certain way leads to inspiration for me.

If you're into music, switch up the music. If none of the above works, there's always caffeine and cigarettes. Just do something to get you into a different state of mind to break out of the "blocked" loop.

[Doom_Dude]

I get burned out from editing for many days, doing lots of mapping and then I don't want to edit anything for what could be months. Sometimes I'm all set to do some work but I'm so tired that I start falling asleep.

If I find I'm getting blocked in the mapping department and can't get going, I get off the computer and do something else or I drink some coffee or even play some other game which seems to help.

[DooM_RO]

Glad to hear I'm not alone.

Very often I get stuck in one particular larger area and the it just "rots", raw, undetailed and with no things in it because I simply have no idea what to do. Every so often I get this spurt and and one or two rooms in a day. I am having one of those moments right now but I;m not sure how long it will last.

I am having a really hard time making the layout of my level

Whenever I play maps like Simplicity or Threshold of Pain I always get the impression that the author made the rooms in a level in a few hours and maybe finished the map in a week or two...not fucking years like it's taking me, which makes me feel kind of stupid. It doesn't help that my map is gigantic, it is my very first modding project and uses only Doom 1 resources...I simply have no idea how some people can make quality maps in less than a month.

What I'm trying to say is, that whenever I look at WADs like BTSX, I get the feeling that the layout just come naturally to the mapper. I, on the other hand, have to force myself to make something.

Gonna finish it somehow and on a more positive side I do think it's shaping up nicely.

[Yuki Senmatsu]

URGH!

This is what I get for having too many art sessions and not map design for a while. ATM, I'm having that myself on Infersol.wad.

May sound dumb but, I hope some shovelware I own will give me room and area ideas.

[Chezza]

I get mapping block all the time.

I think most people do. Always look at your previous work, identify where you want the player to be after the room or level, take a break and distract yourself and if you can be bothered load up other peoples wads and get ideas and inspirations from them.

Generally I have a theme, a level of difficulty and a future plan in mind to help form a basic structure for me to creatively connect the dots. Also always having something to learn helps me inspire making it happen.

[Xegethra]

I'm no master mapper, but I found what really helped me go through the maps was a loose story, something as simple as "escape from xxx"

So perhaps try to think of places a person would want to get out of, imagine it with killer demons and see if you can make it. It also helped me to set the maps (at least the first two or three) in a semi realistic setting....so that made me think of rooms, their function and what custom assets if any I need to make. It kept me thinking about what the map should look like, some things came naturally to me, others I had to think. Then after that due it being Doom and whatnot, the maps got more surreal as they went on.

I had the idea of progression as opposed to being in a single place, I imagined travelling from one place to another and that helped me connect the maps, and decide what rooms go in each one.

Another time I just thought of a clearly fantastical place, something ornate and decorative....so I just made it. I'm still rough around the edges with my maps, but I rarely come to any sort of block, and mapping is just fun.

[gaspe]

It happened to me sometimes, and actually also now in my project I am a bit stuck T.T
but instead of stressing me to work on the same map I'm doing some work on the other maps so at least I'm making some progress, or I work on unrelated maps.
Also taking some breaks really help a lot (days, even weeks) so when you restart to work you have your mind more fresh and it's easier to develop new ideas or to see other opportunities.

[esselfortium]

DooM_RO said:

What I'm trying to say is, that whenever I look at WADs like BTSX, I get the feeling that the layout just come naturally to the mapper.

I wish. For me personally, usually I have some rough broad-strokes ideas that I can get excited about building, and then it tends to be a struggle to figure out how to fill in the blanks and make a complete layout out of it.

[DooM_RO]

esselfortium said:

I wish. For me personally, usually I have some rough broad-strokes ideas that I can get excited about building, and then it tends to be a struggle to figure out how to fill in the blanks and make a complete layout out of it.

I think I am pretty good at detailing (although I get stuck at that too) but what truly makes a map "look good" is the layout itself. I really struggle to make something that isn't a square room or a straight hallway. I've had some success in this regard but I'd really like to make it go faster.

I have already opened a thread about my map back in April but I haven't gotten much constructive criticism. Would anyone like to try out my map and give me some criticism/tips?

[SFoZ911]

gaspe said:

Also taking some breaks really help a lot (days, even weeks) so when you restart to work you have your mind more fresh and it's easier to develop new ideas or to see other opportunities.

Probably the best advice. Don't force yourself to map. Get back to it when you're calm and motivated.

[Crunchynut44]

For me, the best way to conquer mappers block is to have a 1 hour speedmapping session. Even if the map turns out to be an utter mess, it always gives me something that I can get a feel for and adjust the level accordingly, then proceed to add details and enhance the layout.

A neat trick to add content into your map without really thinking is to start by putting an upper ledge in a room, then figure out a creative way from getting from the lower sector to the higher one (avoiding things like stairs or lifts in the same room). Making a hall that leads to another room that then contains a way up to the next level that leads back to the original room is a basic concept of this. Doing this allows the map to immediately feel more interconnected, gives a sense of forewarning and can allow for more creative monster placement (avoiding the "one enemy per room" problem). Doing this multiple times throughout the map makes for interconnection, great gameplay and sense of place.

[DooM_RO]

I'm sorta getting unstuck. Made about 15 complete rooms in the last week. Fully expecting to get stuck again though.

[Doom_Dude]

I've been on an editing kick too and made a lot of progress on a couple maps among the 32 I have going on here. Thing is, I'm kinda map blocked on what to do for the last map so I'm avoiding it for now. No hurry tho.... ;)

[DooM_RO]

Ì managed to make this in an hour and a half