My mob placement just feels bad

[OrbitalSpaceGarbage]

I'm working on my first map and I think I'm pretty happy with the layout. It looks a bit like this, it's pretty complicated for a first map I guess, but hey - at least I actually finished the level progression this time:



I'm now trying to fill it with monsters and it just feels... off? Like it's too full and too empty at the same time. Also when I include more than one kind of mob, they seem to start in fighting almost instantly.

I've done a bunch of reading and seen a lot of things about making it so it doesn't feel like monsters are just waiting for you, but I can't seem to not do that. Any ideas or advice?

Here's a screencap of one of the larger encounters on my map as an example. It's a courtyard with a raised wall (think like a castle battlement) at the back. The player enters and exits following the arrows I've drawn on.

[Misery]

Preventing infighting is a matter of placement. Don't place them too close together, or they'll just wipe themselves out. Have the same types in a group together, then spread out a bit from another group. You can also use Thing_Hate to balance it out a bit if you want. Also, I always learn best from paying close attention to maps I like, and see how they do it. A good map has a rhythm to it, or at least that's what I think.

[Enjay]

If you really, really want to prevent infighting, there is a MAPINFO option to disable it. However, infighting is (quite rightly) considered part of Doom's gameplay. Therefore, if your map is an otherwise true-to-Doom gameplay affair, perhaps this wouldn't be the best route to go.

[OrbitalSpaceGarbage]

If you really, really want to prevent infighting, there is a MAPINFO option to disable it. However, infighting is (quite rightly) considered part of Doom's gameplay. Therefore, if your map is an otherwise true-to-Doom gameplay affair, perhaps this wouldn't be the best route to go.

Yeah, 100% want to keep it in there, but usually infighting is an added extra to a combat encounter imo, not a "guaranteed to take out half of the population" type deal.

[Misery]

No, you definitely don't want to disable it. It takes away too much from the game. Jus' don't place unlike enemies too close together. You can also try a mix of flying and ground enemies, who are much more unlikely to infight. Or simply place groups at different z-heights, like on a higher platform.

[mineplaymod]

i'd say make seperate arenas if you could, like trigger linedef(s) that open another wall to release like 5 more monsters and the next part of the map, imo, i like that sorta map. but don't do it too much, as it makes it boring

[Logan MTM]

No infighting? Are you sure about that?