I don't mean sector detail. I don't give a rats-ass about sector detail. Sure, it's an element of atmosphere that has to be taken into account, just like texturing, ambient sounds and music.
But the kind of detail I'm referring to is attention to detail, like:
Not breaking up the flow of the game by having a 30 second long cutscene where nothing happens.
Not freezing the player in a position where he is likely to die, and can do nothing about it, during a cutscene.
Not printing dialogue that spans the entirety of the screen, from edge to edge.
Not leaving that dialogue on screen for so long you can get up and make a cup of tea before the next line appears.
Planning battles, rather than just randomly peppering the map with monsters, most of whom roam around aimlessly or are stationary and positioned in directly in front of your line of progress.
Not adding a variety of custom monsters which don't contribute anything to the atmosphere or gameplay.
Using light variations.
Using texture variations.
So many of these elements are overlooked in custom Doom maps you wonder if the creator even bothered to play test it. And if they did, you wonder if they tested it more than once. And if so, tested it sober.
Naturally, GamePlay is important. Often when we say gameplay, we think "how fun is it?" So I submit to all that every element are of equal importance. No element should be neglected. Treating all three as equals will produce real "GamePlay." There is always the person worrying most about high score/frag count, the person worrying the most about engrossing music, one who worries about level layout, the one who worries a lot about good Sound FX, the one that only cares about good graphics, and the one that is looking for all. If you perfect all of it, then you have nothing to lose. Lets not forget those who hate large file sizes . In that case, now you have to focus on insuring that your levels, sound, music, and textures constitute an acceptable file size... talk about hard work. ^__^
I've decided to give this oldie a bump and resurrect it, contributing a couple cents to the topic. Perhaps someone will find my notes, advice and observations useful in making their maps have better gameplay.
Recently I've been playing a load of Doom wads, megawads, singular maps and so on, and I have to say I've changed my opinion on couple wads. I must admit that folk complaining that a load of maps have poor gameplay nowadays .. are right. I've played Memento Mori 1 (old classic) and in comparsion to the 2nd Community Chest, it's gameplay was awesome. I've changed my opinion on Bryant Robinson's maps (Project Slipgate, Southern Cross, Silent Steel, Dark ... damn, that guy is a mapping machine!). I always disliked them for bare architecture and linearity. However, trying it on with the monsters, the gameplay was surprisingly damn fine.
So what have I observed and may be useful in answering the thread's question- a map must play well. Detail shmetail, if a map is only about looks and plays poorly it goes down the drain. Even bare maps that play well are better (excluding specific looks-oriented maps, such as Marc Pullen's Castle, or the Myst mode in Phobia).
So what contributes to good gameplay?
-Intense battles! - seriously, there is much more interest and entertainment in battling for your life agaisnt an onslaught of hellspawn rather than just blasting occasional monster folk that appear from nowhere. Constant dying may be frustrating, but in the end, each death rewards experience and skill so the challenge may be approached differently next time the player wants to kick demon butt. Intense battles isn't only about monster count, but everything that makes the challenge. By intense I mean that the player is forced to move, think and shoot fast. The monster placement should be such that the player spins his head around, catching more buggers onto his aim and taking them out before they cast magic crap or bullets at him. The player should move smart, use obstacles as cover, dodge fire by strafing or crouching, distancing himself from the enemy. To make the battle more intensive the player needs to think - which enemies to take out first, what weapon to choose for the given situation, are there any hazards to lure the enemy into (infighting, barrels, crushers?). If the finger and mind processess force enough adrenaline production, that is, in my opinion, a satisfying gaming experience. Involve the player into the conflict, outnumber him by enemies, use some plot such as defending the innocent townsfolk. Provide them with ammo and weapons, add emergency routes. See making a map is not only about thinking about the level and adding monsters here and there. Gameplay should also be approached with a plan or an idea.
-Proper monster placement - Vary monster priorities, put some higher, others lower, add sniper towers. Think what sorts of enemy formation would be daunting against the player, surely you wouldn't put zombiemen in the front row, they are much more effective as snipers due to hitscan weaponry. And don't put demons on higher ledges where they won't reach the player. You just have to know your monsters to know how to use them effectively. Surround the player with monsters so he can look around more. It certainly isn't fun to battle monsters pouring through a single small doorway. How about adding more doors so hellspawn can move through them at once to overwhelm the player? Be creative.
-Monster variety - of one things I absolutely hate about lots of maps is putting the same kind of monsters into the same area. Not only is that goddamn boring, because all of these folk can be killed with a similair technique, it also makes out for infighting. Different monsters are there to spice gameplay, all have various uses which should be utilised on the battlefield. More monsters, more requirements for thinking on how to strike each. You won't use the rocket launcher on a far revenant, but you surely would like on a Mancubi.
-Avoid repetive elements! - not only in architecture, but also in gameplay. This also counts for teleporting monsters. Too much of the same is bad. Occasional monsters, teleporting into the battlefield (from various sources so that the player doesn't kill assholes by standing in one spoint and rocketting them) are very good, and teleports are excellent to repopulate already visited areas, but teleporting mosnters from nowhere alluva sudden, overused is just tedious.
-Don't let the player get lost - sometimes, smaller maps are better than big ones. Sometimes, linearity is better than nonlinearity. A lot of maps don't distinct areas, the switches are hidden behind staircases, and you end up goose chasing keycards that are hidden in secret areas until you type idclev (next map number here) or smash alt+f4 out of Doom. Provide the player with clues, even if they would to be simple (the area with the pool has had a door opened nearby), or by teleporting hellspawn folk into the area that should be investigated by the player. There's nothing worse in a map than having no idea what the hell to do despite viewing the entire map after IDBEHOLDA.
-Be creative in all aspects of the game - be them concepts for entire maps (such as Helm's Deep, Void, Vrack, Mucus Flow (CC2 Map 24) or just little touches there, like a holographic terrain projection, or a bathroom filled with corpses. Even stuff like "ROMERO WAS HERE" sprayed with blood on the wall makes for innovation. Players will remember your maps after innovation, even slightest.
That's enough tips and opinions from me for the moment.
Paul:About intense battles element i used two-three intense battles in xenus 2
though MAP03 imp intense battle is hard unless you're using tactic which one take down first instead of shooting random monsters.....
This was a hard one for me to decide. In fact, it required me to do a toss-up... heads, it would be gameplay; tails, it would be detail. It was tails, so I chose Detail.
HOWEVER...
I believe that all of the above are very important, (especially when it comes to TCs) but adding both of them to your maps can become very time-consuming.
I tought up another hint. Gameplay variety - running around and exploring rooms, blasting away will only get the player so far as there's something catchy in the map, but there oughta be something more. Goose chasage after keys will eventually get boring. Add something new. Story-driven wads work magically here, especially Rex Claussen's stuff (Dark Hour comes to my mind). Make the gameplay not only exploration and killage, but perhaps reaching specific points in the map, setting up bombs then escaping, just running from hell, arming yourself before taking out enemies, or protecting places of importance (Stronghold mod seems to be working on that element). Be creative, again.
I tought up another hint. Gameplay variety - running around and exploring rooms, blasting away will only get the player so far as there's something catchy in the map, but there oughta be something more. Goose chasage after keys will eventually get boring. Add something new. Story-driven wads work magically here, especially Rex Claussen's stuff (Dark Hour comes to my mind). Make the gameplay not only exploration and killage, but perhaps reaching specific points in the map, setting up bombs then escaping, just running from hell, arming yourself before taking out enemies, or protecting places of importance (Stronghold mod seems to be working on that element). Be creative, again.
Easy to say hard to make seriously making new touches for the map is rather not easy(i should work on a new brand map!)
You seem to point out what makes map best but..... not everyone has skills to do them! I still make many mistakes in my map like repetive architecture and
other cons :/ Once i get new PSU i'll make some map which is floating around in my head
alterworldruler wrote:You seem to point out what makes map best but..... not everyone has skills to do them!
If you don't have skillz you're aint good, if you have skillz you're good. It's simple as that. Skill comes with experience and knowledge. Don't give me this bullshit about not being able to become better because you lack 'talent' or that you don't have the skill yet. You gotta aim higher buddy.
Though, the entire skill thing is a matter of time and how many maps you've produced. It should be a natural progress. Mapping is still a hobby aye? Start out small, as a bad or sub-par mapper, but release maps and map for fun. Later you'll see your maps are getting magically better and better.
. In that case, now you have to focus on insuring that your levels, sound, music, and textures constitute an acceptable file size... talk about hard work. ^__^
