DaNoobsSpace. Latest Update: Terror Island! WAD BETA. (help)

[DaNoobMechine]

Well i have no idear what Vanilla doom is... where can i get it?

[Remmirath]

Doom.exe (the good old DOS executable made by Id Software)

[DaNoobMechine]

What about DOOM 2? cant i map with that?

[Remmirath]

What about DOOM 2? cant i map with that?

Yes. Vanilla Doom means Doom and Doom 2, the old DOS executables made by Id Software...

[DaNoobMechine]

Ahh ok. thanks.
But would you guys tell me what you think of my map? or is it gonna be a waste of time.

[Remmirath]

You're welcome!

Ah, and if you want to ask us something, continue posting here...
I'll ask Randy to rename this thread to "DaNoobMechine Space"...

[Skippy]

Let's be clear though - if you have ZDoom.exe and a Doom IWAD (ie doom2.wad), you already *have* everything you need to make 'vanilla' maps. Let me explain.

ZDoom is a source port of the original Doom, replacing the original doom.exe. Consequently, it can play any map originally released for Doom. However, in addition to the features offered by the original Doom, ZDoom has an absolute mountain of new and advanced features for mappers to use. In order to use these features, we have to use a slightly different map format (classically, ZDoom (Doom in Hexen format) in Doom Builder). Hence why we call old-school original Doom maps 'vanilla maps' - they don't have any of these new features, in the same way that a 'vanilla' DVD release doesn't have any extra features or content.

When you start a new map in Doom Builder, the program asks you what format you want to use for your map. One of the options there is simply 'Doom'. Selecting this will limit you to the features that were present in the original Doom. You can still do some pretty cool stuff with it though (check out Suspended In Dusk for starters!).

What Morpheus and I are recommending is that you start making maps in the Doom format first. Once you've got good at that, *then* you can switch to the ZDoom format maps, which offer all of the features in the Doom format plus a hell of a lot more (ACS, DECORATE, slopes et al) besides.

[DaNoobMechine]

Thanks guys. and yes can you get him to rename Plz so i dont need to waste any more time and i can just post every think that i have problems with on here XP thx!

[Enjay]

Can you not just edit the first post and change the title yourself?

[DaNoobMechine]

Can you not just edit the first post and change the title yourself?

Yes. yes i can.

[Skippy]

I'm not voting on your new WAD, because your poll is crap. You haven't even given us the option to say we hate it. Trust me, it would take a lot more than a 'little' work before this WAD will ever be considered 'awesome'. But don't lose heart.

---

Some constructive criticism:
- A lot of your wall textures are misaligned. Like I've said before, Doom Builder can align them for you in 3D mode (the default shortcut key is A, I think).
- The ceiling in the first room doesn't tile well to the size of the room; the lights near the wall are cut in half. Doom tiles all flats to a 64x64 grid, so you might want to rearrange the walls in the room a bit so it looks better (or even better yet, make it a plain ceiling and add an extra couple of sectors inside the room for ceiling lights).
- Enemy placement is still very mundane. They just rush you, frequently killing each other in the process. How did they get on top of those pillars, too? No steps, lifts or teleports are anywhere in sight. Think!
- A Baron Of Hell has no place in a map this small, IMHO. Make better use of the lower-grade monsters.
- You have missing textures. You ARE aware there's a 'Find Map Errors' option in the Tools menu of DB, right?
- A room full of strobe lighting = fail. Especially when the ceiling above the computer terminals strobes in a different pattern.
- You have steps in an open area which have a light level of 0, despite the area theyr'e in being fully lit with a sky ceiling.
- Given that nearly all of the enemies drop ammo, there is no point whatsoever in leaving ammo in the start area.
- That 'secret' is the worst-hidden secret in recent memory. Much better to give the secret door the same texture as the surrounding walls and shift the vertical offset a little.
- The map is completely linear. Not even a locked door to find a key for, anywhere.

Some positive notes:
- Well done on making the texture choices a little more varied. And good job on trying to add a little visual interest with the computer terminals etc.
- You've varied the shape and size of your rooms a little bit, which is good.
- Thanks for not throwing every type of weapon into the map.
- The rubble with the dead marine was a nice little touch.

Instead of continually making new maps, I suggest you try fixing and improving on the ones you've already made - because if they're anything like this one, they are certainly not finished.

[Remmirath]

I'm not voting on your new WAD, because your poll is crap. You haven't even given us the option to say we hate it. Trust me, it would take a lot more than a 'little' work before this WAD will ever be considered 'awesome'. But don't lose heart.

---

Some constructive criticism:
- A lot of your wall textures are misaligned. Like I've said before, Doom Builder can align them for you in 3D mode (the default shortcut key is A, I think).
- The ceiling in the first room doesn't tile well to the size of the room; the lights near the wall are cut in half. Doom tiles all flats to a 64x64 grid, so you might want to rearrange the walls in the room a bit so it looks better (or even better yet, make it a plain ceiling and add an extra couple of sectors inside the room for ceiling lights).
- Enemy placement is still very mundane. They just rush you, frequently killing each other in the process. How did they get on top of those pillars, too? No steps, lifts or teleports are anywhere in sight. Think!
- A Baron Of Hell has no place in a map this small, IMHO. Make better use of the lower-grade monsters.
- You have missing textures. You ARE aware there's a 'Find Map Errors' option in the Tools menu of DB, right?
- A room full of strobe lighting = fail. Especially when the ceiling above the computer terminals strobes in a different pattern.
- You have steps in an open area which have a light level of 0, despite the area theyr'e in being fully lit with a sky ceiling.
- Given that nearly all of the enemies drop ammo, there is no point whatsoever in leaving ammo in the start area.
- That 'secret' is the worst-hidden secret in recent memory. Much better to give the secret door the same texture as the surrounding walls and shift the vertical offset a little.
- The map is completely linear. Not even a locked door to find a key for, anywhere.

Some positive notes:
- Well done on making the texture choices a little more varied. And good job on trying to add a little visual interest with the computer terminals etc.
- You've varied the shape and size of your rooms a little bit, which is good.
- Thanks for not throwing every type of weapon into the map.
- The rubble with the dead marine was a nice little touch.

Instead of continually making new maps, I suggest you try fixing and improving on the ones you've already made - because if they're anything like this one, they are certainly not finished.

I agree with Skippy: try improving your map, correct all the bugs, expand it, insert more puzzles, etc...., and ONLY then your map can be considered awesome...

P.S: but not so bad for a noob after all...

[DaNoobMechine]

Ok Thats it. im gonna make a 32 level WAD. no more making new levels for nothing. time to do this but how big should i make my levels? not to small right like almost every single map i have made and for Skippy well yeah thanks man im gonna fix every think you told me that was wrong. thanks man. and yeah im sorry lol i have had no sleep again. im always trying to find new ways to impress you guys. but it never works in the end. i think i shouldnt rush my maps. i should take time and find every single glitch/texter screw up. and im happy that you liked that rubble bit the wall was ment to be blown in half but yeah lol i couldnt make jaggerd edges.. i figured hey if theres gonna be a hole in the wall there mite as well be a dead marine!! thanks guys.

[Enjay]

Aww man i always get it wrong.

Of course you do. You're new at this. You've been doing it for, what, a week, maybe two? Some people around here have been doing it for years. Hell, I started mapping in 1994 and I'm still learning stuff. You haven't had long enough to make all the early mistakes and learn from them. You haven't had a chance to find out what Doom can and cannot do. There are all sorts of technical things to find out, terms to learn, bugs to discover and how to avoid them. You didn't really expect to construct a masterpiece to rival KDiZD in your first week did you?

You've been given some very sound and positive advice. I suggest you take it as it was intended - as helpful advice - and learn from it. Try the things that have been suggested and see what you come up with.

The suggestion that you work on one map and try and improve it rather than constantly moving from one incomplete map to the next is a good idea. I think you had released something like 5 maps before you'd even figured out how to make a door. 5 maps and not a single door in them is not usually going to make a good map set. And each of those maps, although they were small, were filled with little errors that, with a bit of time, you could have probably found yourself and fixed. Why, for example, did you not notice that the cacodemons and demon were stuck together. Surely a bit more testing on your own behalf would have identified that?

Don't just slap down half a dozen rooms and call it done. Go into the map. Look around. Decide what you like and what you don't. Fix the problems, add to the detail, try new stuff and test it again until you are happy that you have something decent. Calm down. Slow down. Stop panicking every time you find a problem. See what you can solve yourself. Do a bit of reading. Look at other maps that you admire, or where you have seen ideas that you'd like to copy things from and open them in DB and see if you can figure out how it was done instead of panicking and coming straight on here screaming things like "how the hell do I do X god dammit".

This time next year who knows what you could be turning out, but it will take time to learn the ropes - just keep trying.

[DaNoobMechine]

Aww man i always get it wrong.

Of course you do. You're new at this. You've been doing it for, what, a week, maybe two? Some people around here have been doing it for years. Hell, I started mapping in 1994 and I'm still learning stuff. You haven't had long enough to make all the early mistakes and learn from them. You haven't had a chance to find out what Doom can and cannot do. There are all sorts of technical things to find out, terms to learn, bugs to discover and how to avoid them. You didn't really expect to construct a masterpiece to rival KDiZD in your first week did you?

You've been given some very sound and positive advice. I suggest you take it as it was intended - as helpful advice - and learn from it. Try the things that have been suggested and see what you come up with.

The suggestion that you work on one map and try and improve it rather than constantly moving from one incomplete map to the next is a good idea. I think you had released something like 5 maps before you'd even figured out how to make a door. 5 maps and not a single door in them is not usually going to make a good map set. And each of those maps, although they were small, were filled with little errors that, with a bit of time, you could have probably found yourself and fixed. Why, for example, did you not notice that the cacodemons and demon were stuck together. Surely a bit more testing on your own behalf would have identified that?

Don't just slap down half a dozen rooms and call it done. Go into the map. Look around. Decide what you like and what you don't. Fix the problems, add to the detail, try new stuff and test it again until you are happy that you have something decent. Calm down. Slow down. Stop panicking every time you find a problem. See what you can solve yourself. Do a bit of reading. Look at other maps that you admire, or where you have seen ideas that you'd like to copy things from and open them in DB and see if you can figure out how it was done instead of panicking and coming straight on here screaming things like "how the hell do I do X god dammit".

This time next year who knows what you could be turning out, but it will take time to learn the ropes - just keep trying.

Trust me im gonna keep trying and insted of making a map and calling it my wad. im working on a 32 level WAD thats gonna be big. and im not gonna realese it untill its done. no errors no monsters stuck on each other.. im gonna work something out and turn this noob fest of WADS into somthing good. i might put some pictures on this thread and show you guys and you's tell me what you think