What makes a Doom map a Doom map?

This is a question that's been on my mind lately because I've wanted to make a Doom wad with maps that seem like they would actually belong in a classic Doom game made by Id Software.

This is just a simple yet complex question.
What makes a Doom map a Doom map?

When a map is made to be played with Doom. Seriously though a classic Doom map (to me) would entail multiple ways of getting to the exit, good monster placement I.e enemies being placed in such a way that they come out for the player, good atmosphere so making use of lighting efficiently and dark places. I think from a personal perspective that the atmosphere in E1 (for instance E1M2) makes a good classic map. Also I would personally go for a variety of textures that work together.

Springy said:

When a map is made to be played with Doom.

In most cases it has to be in wad format.

What exactly are you asking?

40oz said:

What exactly are you asking?

I'm asking how I can make it classic-styled as if it were to belong in the original 1993 and 1994 games.

The best answer to that is to ask yourself what you personally like about the classic maps and attempt to construct a map that you will like. I think far too many people have the mentality of mapping for someone else's desires. If you construct what you like game play wise into one difficulty and then build the others based on other opinions, I don't think you can go wrong, personally.

does anybody know of any older versions of brutal doom? before v10?

Seeking keys, Unlocking Doors with Switches, Secrets, Traps And well placed Enemies is what makes a "Good" doom map, But generally a Doom map is a map designed to be played with Doom.

Romero had some strict map making rules

-if the player can see outside area, he should be able to access it.
-the map should be made so that player will have to backtrack for special purposes(keys, guns, etc)

There were some more. Soneone posted them recently.

Multiple ways to choose from, yet you intuitively know where to go and don't feel lost.
Lots of conceptual mapping (not just abstract Doom areas).
High detail experiments coexist with low detail areas.
Powerful weapons often aren't so easy to obtain.
Barrels aren't treated as gimmicky objects.

dunno

Voros said:

Romero had some strict map making rules

So strict that he broke them in most if not all of his own levels. (particularly the rule about texture alignment)

The rules are listed on his doomwiki page: http://doomwiki.org/wiki/John_Romero#Design_rules

Four walls and a roof and Cacodemons up in your grill?

Revenants

Acid, IMPS, Demons, Barrels...

Frisky said:

I'm asking how I can make it classic-styled as if it were to belong in the original 1993 and 1994 games.

Check out Doom the Way ID Did and the sequel for those kind of maps.

rileymartin said:

Check out Doom the Way ID Did and the sequel for those kind of maps.

That doesn't really help.

What makes a doom map a good-old 1993/4 classic-styled doom map is:
-Vanilla compability
-Stock textures only
-Unique texture choices
-Gimmicks (Petersen style)
-Make the map in a short time (in a day at least)
-Being Explorable
-Being Non-linear
-Not slaughterfests
-Using Bobby Prince's MIDIs
-The exit is set in a separate room for itself
-The theme must be : Tech, infested tech, hell, city
-The player starts in a room especially for him

Abstract design that's made out of Duplo blocks rather than 1x1 lego bricks.

joe-ilya said:

-The player starts in a room especially for him

What does that even mean

DMGUYDZ64 said:

a Doom map is a map designed to be played with Doom.

SavageCorona said:

What does that even mean

I believe he means that the player should start in a room free from monsters, so a player can observe the situation without having to dodge attacks from the get-go.

This was one of the things they missed in Doom the way ID Did's E1M1. Like, seriously.

A Doom map just isn't a Doom map without Miracle Whip.

To be fair, the classic E1M1 breaks that in UV. Step forward too far without paying attention, and you'll be get shotgun pellets in your direction.

Backtracking, keycards, and secrets.

Regular trips through the progression:

How can I do this? I'm being overrun

This is madness

Hey I might not die

I am a space marine

There must be a damaging floor somewhere, id bloody loved just throwing em in there.

Also you should have your map vaguely based on its name, and I mean vaguely.

And yes, I am not even joking.

mrthejoshmon said:

Also you should have your map vaguely based on its name, and I mean vaguely.

Unless you're naming it after some sort of hole. Then it's perfectly fine to base the level strongly around a deep drop or twenty.

Arctangent said:

To be fair, the classic E1M1 breaks that in UV. Step forward too far without paying attention, and you'll be get shotgun pellets in your direction.

Multiple maps throughout Doom break the rule of starting in your own safe space.
E1M1, E1M2, E1M6, E2M7, E3M1, E3M9, E4M2, E4M6 and E4M9 are a few that come off the top of my head.

joe-ilya said:

-Being Explorable

Very much this, and it's why I prefer Doom 1 over Doom 2. The original episodes offer a surprising amount of choice in what you can do, almost an RPG-style fumble in the dark over what you have to do and secrets that can change the course of the play entirely like the secret labryinth in E1M2. A real Doom map should offer some element of exploring and multiple ways of completing the map. That's why maps like E3M1 suck and E3M2 are great.

I'm amazed nobody has posted this yet...

Monster Closets

SavageCorona said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6QBqCNuB3g

Technically it's right, a Doom map is a map that can be played on Doom .

A pile of secrets.