LVENdead

I wish you all good luck getting this project to the finish line. Seems like it's now in capable hands and has a good chance to live up to its promise!

I'll take an Episode 2 slot!

Doom Shareware back before we even had Windows installed on our family computer. I remember gradually working through KDITD with my dad and getting to the Bruiser Brothers and being absolutely floored and having no idea what to do. I came home from school the next day and he told me he had beaten the last level and I wanted to know how he did it since it seemed impossible to a little kid. I was absolutely obsessed with Doom for a couple years after that...and now I am all over again nearly 30 years later. Huh.

For me personally, a crutch comes into play when you have one consistent solution to a problem you've possibly become too complacent to solve in any other way. I would say complacency is the operative quality here. Maybe an example would be if you always use SUPPORT3 as a border/highlight texture ALL THE TIME. I mean, that appears to be what it's primarily intended for, but can you say that it should be used for every border with every possible map aesthetic? Style is highly subjective, yet I would say that SUPPORT3 probably SHOULDN'T be used every time you need to separate different textures of highlight a window or door frame, and instead it might be a good idea to reevaluate how you've constructed the visuals of that map. Another example might be consistently using Barons or AVs on the other side of a door to slow down or trap a player you don't want to bypass a fight. There's "I like using it a lot because it works" and then there's "I like using it a lot because I haven't really bothered to consider an alternative." Maybe a bit of a semantic argument, but those are situations I'd start talking about the difference between a crutch and core design tenant, fwiw.

I definitely think 05 is the hardest as well. After it hit such a peak I intentionally tried to make map 06 a little easier. I feel like the end of 05 is a bit cheeseable and debated redesigning the fight a little, but maybe it's okay to leave it the way it is since the lead up is pretty intense overall. Regarding the BFG: If you do feel free to share, I always enjoy watching playthroughs!

So in my experience, I'm not sure how much easier HMP and lower are "supposed" to be for people since I primarily play Doom on UV. I try my best to look at what makes something difficult on UV and adjust it - is it because you don't get much health (and therefor, I add some extra medkits), or is it that AV that should be replaced with something else? I can try my own maps out but I don't personally get much feedback about the balance of the other difficulties from players, so I just kind of have to go with "I guess it's good enough and hopefully playable".

This is how I map too and in fact I've gotten to the point where I need to write the MIDI before I can make much headway on my maps. I don't know what it is, but I'll spend 30 minutes or more skimming through the various MIDIs I've accumulated and then decide I don't like any of them so I open Sekaiju and start with that. Up until recently it was music, booze, and bud for me. Get nice and toasted and find my flow state. Recently it's just been music and bud.

We've all got them. What are your old reliables, your crutches, your safety nets when it comes to creativity (I'll say specifically with Doom content just to keep this reasonably on topic)? Do you ever strive to break these molds or do you have good reason for sticking to your guns? How many more turns of phrase can I fit in this question? If you see someone else mentioning something similar to one of your current or old habits that maybe you've managed to eject from your routine, do you have any tips for that person? I have many, but off the top of my head: PIPEWAL2 is my "I don't know what else to put here texture." It's great for detailing, breaking up continuity, it tiles well horizontally and doesn't care about linedef length. I love everything about it. (I'd like to profess my undying love for PIPEWAL2) Musically, I have a penchant for arpeggios to write my melodies and using slow strings to fill in the sound and make it more full. I write a lot of loops and then stack them on top of each other. Some day I hope to challenge this habit, but typically I just take the easy way out. I showed you mine now show me yours!

One time Doom scared me so bad I ran to my room crying

This looks sick. I'm getting some 10x10 vibes from it, did that inspire you at all?

This was a very nice map! Pleasant atmosphere, great midi choice, with more chill but still interesting combat. I'd easily play more of your maps in the future.

Never outright cried but I feel like getting to the end of The Thing You Can't Defeat kinda punched me right in the emotional gut, so to speak. I was left pretty speechless, if that kind of counts.

thank you for this

I don't know what you think you're going to accomplish taking a tone like that but it doesn't work on me. I don't owe you an explanation beyond what I already said, and regardless, based on your obtuse behavior I seriously doubt you have the faculties to understand even if I did.

I'm not your guy, buddy.