Mapper's block?

What do you guys do when you are stumped for a map? What should come next, etc. monster placement and so on.... I haven't updated the league of liberty page because I'e had no new to update about... I've been stumped for quite a while on how to continue :I

Ahh how all mappers go threw this, well just dont think and make a sector where you where stumped about what to make there.

there was a thread somewhere about mappers block... can't remember what it was, but some minor hunting should find it.
anyway, if you get a block I just leave editing for a while (a couple of days, longest I left it was 2 months), come back, and you should have a few ideas.

I have an incredible creative flood everytime I start a project, then half way through I lose interest.

I've lost interest since July :(

I've found that a really good way to get around editor's block is to play other people's levels. First, it takes your mind off the problem at hand (namely, your editor's block). Second, it provides a different perspective to level design, and may actually give you ideas for your own level. Third, being amazed by someone else's level may give you the kick in the pants you need to jump start your own project.

Good luck.

I've found that a really good way to get around editor's block is to play other people's levels. First, it takes your mind off the problem at hand (namely, your editor's block). Second, it provides a different perspective to level design, and may actually give you ideas for your own level. Third, being amazed by someone else's level may give you the kick in the pants you need to jump start your own project.

It has worked for me a couple of times. Sometimes nothing works though. And when nothing works, I find that it's probably not just a block, but my life being boring in general.

Some of my best work has been at a time when I had mappers block. Sometimes you can play others wads and be inspired by them to make new or similar ones for your self. Sometimes you can just sit down and start drawing/mapping without thinking about it. When you are not sure where you are going sometimes the flow is better.

There are no hard a fast rules to get everyone motivated to draw maps. Just sit down and try. It will tell you what you need to do to stay with it.

We all get frustrated from time to time, I quit mapping for almost a year once, It just happened that way. Most of my best work is now, after the time off, not before.

It will work out for you.

Speedmapping always helped me and if that fails I´ll just leave it alone for a month :)
But seriously, I have the same problem as Fredrik, I´ll build half the level in a day and then leave it uncompleted.
It really depends on my mood. I feel that if you just quit Doom for a week, you´ll gain interest again.

I dunno.

I just kind of come up with the best idea I can and as I work with it it kind of molds itself to fit the rest of the level.

Just think of something, even if it seems stupid, and run with it. You never know.

One thing I'll do is go to a bookstore and look at architecture books.

My re-creation skills suck, so I can basically attempt to steal something right off a floorplan and have the final product look nothing like the original while still looking unique as a map.

I've only done this a few times though, and most of these maps won't find their way into any projects I'm involved with because they're basically just scenery/places, not a serious playable map. They're just something cool to look at.

Well wut i do is draw the map with Graph paper first. I plan EVERYTHING before i actually start the map. Even if the map doesn't go EXCACTLY like i planned, it beeh pretty close. Another thing is, dont try to make ur maps big as possible, gargantuan maps are very hard to finish. You could plan a Huge map out, but split it down into seperate, smaller maps (like a sequel thingie). Deathamtch maps are a lot easier to finish if u ask me.

freestyle!

I object to gargantuan maps being hard to finish and being able to be split in to several different maps. About half the map of MAP01 in my Doom - The Arcade Game mod (hunt for the link in the DooM section of my sig) isn't needed to be traversed to finish the map. It is optional and is not needed to complete the map. There are even sections of the map you don't need to go to if you decide you want to unlock the second exit for the map, or even unlock the bonus map. Not all big maps need to be 100% explored.
As for the difficulty... I gotta work on that, the general consensus is that MAP01 is hard. I wanted it to be challenging, not hard, so I've got to work on a few things.

Gooberman: I don´t think he meant huge maps are hard to finish while playing, rather I think he meant they are hard to finish while building as you´ll often lose interest after working on it a couple of days (weeks; months).
And I played Doomarcade on Hurt me plenty and found it hard, especially with the time limit.

It took me 8 months to finish that first map, but it wasn't 8 uninterrupted months of development. It started as an experiment, found a bug in ZDoom's ACS, wasn't able to get online for a month, further explained the bug (which ended up being fixed while randy was pursuing a different bug), waited for a new version, found bugs in that, waited for a new version again, built some more, couldn't get online for a month again, and then finally finished it and another map (well the other map is 80% done).
Does the lack of shotgun ammo early on make it too hard? If that's the case I'll just change the DEH/BEX patch back to normal...

When I get inspiration problems I'm usually just bored.. I most of the time get's REALLY bored during winter.. So I rarely get much done during winter..

But when I am not bored and still can't get any ideas.. I usually listen to music.. Music that effects me emotionally(different emotions for different maps I might add).. Like AFI or Pennywise (for when i make a hardcore map of some kind where action and such is no1 priority.)

It's a matter of getting your brain to feel good.. when it do. you get inspiration.. Some people might get inspiration from feeling bad.. well too bad for them if that's the case..

Fredrik: Everyone is really hyped about a new project at start. It's natrual to be like that..

Some maps inspire me to map more.

Examples are Eternal Doom maps, Phobos: Anomaly Reborn, and the entire collection of Roger Ritenour stuff.


But some maps make me want to stop before I embarass myself.

Examples are Supar_Leet.wad, Doom Resurrection, and Vrack.

Weird, eh?

Hey, did u ever try drawin the maps out first?? Or imagine in your head wut u WANT i to look like?? It might help. The 12-32 DM maps im making, i drew dem all out...yeah im a artist, i make comic books, but hey..its a helpful tool...so even if u get bored, and dont go back to it for..lets say, 2 months...u wont forget the map incase you got another boost on inspiration. ^_^

But some maps make me want to stop before I embarass myself.

Vrack

Ho ho ho

No offense, fredrik :P

When I think or your map I think of 208679673976t9769493
monsters. I don't like that many :p

Vrack(2) is intended for nomonsters play.

I went and looked at some vrack3 screenies.

now I want to map.

fucker

:P

yeah. I get the editors block pretty frequently. What I do is to look at other people's maps, real-life architecture or draw the map on paper.

Or better yet, just quit working on the map.

I think I'll take fredrik's advice.

when one works on a projects and receives just about NO
feedback, it kinds lessens the will of the projectmaker.
that and my computer is too fragile for that kind of work.

I've had mapper's block for so long now, it's becoming embarassing. I've tried everything I can possibly think of, and nothing works.

Maybe you should lower your standards, and just let yourself create substandard maps, leave them a month, then touch them up? I haven't tried that yet... and I _do_ find it easier to edit a map than create one... I dunno, I'm as stuck as you are.

I don't map at all. Instead, I edit (sometimes heavily, sometimes not) other people's maps.
It's pretty fun most of the time. Sometimes, however, I don't want to go on and I stop for weeks at a time. Right now, I'm in the midst of recreating E1M8 to look like an E3 map-not easy.
I wish I knew how to take away the E1 Phobos Sky and put in the E3 Hell Sky.

I wish I knew how to take away the E1 Phobos Sky and put in the E3 Hell Sky.

You have to do that in WinTex, replace the Sky1 graphic with the Sky3 graphic. You can't set that in map properties.

What you could do, however, is save E1M8 as any E3 map, maybe E3M1 or another whose music you want to have. That's the easiest way to change skies.

Well, Lüt, I tried what you said about the sky changing thing, and it didn't work. It (the level I am changing) was saved as a wad by DeePSea. It was simply named E1M8. I changed the name to E3M8 and loaded it up with Legacy as usual. Nothing changed regarding the sky. Exact same Phobos Sky1 texture.
Therefore, I switch to plan B:
Where could I find WinTex for Doom/Heretic/HeXen? Do you, Lüt? Help me!