NaNoWADMo 2018

[scwiba]

You may have heard of NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, when aspiring novelists try to write 50,000 words in 30 days. Well, get ready for NaNoWADMo! (Don't think too much about this abbreviation. All I've got is that "novel" can also mean new, so...)

 

The last two years, I've spent the month of November speedmapping. I start on November 1st and by November 30th I've got an entire megaWAD finished. I've had so much fun with this little tradition, I thought... maybe other folks would be up for it too. So I'm proposing a challenge! Got spare time in November? Suffering from a mapper's block you just can't break through? Been planning on creating your own megaWAD but never gotten it off the ground? Then why not join me for the First Annual NaNoWADMo!

 

Here are the rules:

 

1) On the first day of November, you start work on a brand new WAD. It's okay if you've got ideas, a written outline, even a resource pack compiled before then, but no work can be done on the actual maps (including sketching them out) until the 1st. If you're looking for an exact time to start, you can just go with midnight in your timezone. For the next 30 days, you map at whatever pace makes sense for you. Maybe you set aside an hour a day to churn out a map. Maybe you knock out fifteen maps in the first week so you can relax a little for the rest of the month. Maybe (probably) you do the opposite. All I ask is that you take care of yourself and know your limits. It's not worth compromising your metal or physical health to get a few more maps done.

 

2) The challenge ends November 30th. Post a download link for your WAD in this thread on December 1st, whatever state it's in. Don't worry if the maps are buggy and unpolished! The challenge is only about getting the WAD done, even if it's a rough draft. You can playtest, bugfix, and polish to your heart's content after the fact. Heck, you could take all your short NaNoWADMo maps and use them as starting points to expand into Eternal Doom-sized epics. They're your maps to do with as you please. The point of NaNoWADMo is just to get you mapping!

 

3) Completing the challenge simply means finishing a full megaWAD for whatever game you're mapping for. That likely means 32 maps, since most people will probably want to map for Doom II. But if you're doing Doom or Heretic we'll say three full episodes -- 27 maps. And if you're mapping for a more obscure IWAD, we can work out the details. Maps can be any length, for any port, and any gameplay style, as long as they can be played from start to finish (though one or two progression-breaking bugs are okay). Obviously you can't just make 32 boxes with exit switches, and there's a point where it's clear you didn't really try to make proper maps, but I doubt we'll have to worry about that.

 

Okay, so what if you don't make it to 32 (or 27) maps by the deadline? What if you've only got 25? Or 12? Or 3? Well, then you've got 25 or 12 or 3 maps you didn't have at the beginning of November! You've got something to build off of at your leisure, or a cool concept you can turn into an even cooler concept later. The idea of the challenge is to get your mapping juices flowing, so if you get anything done, pat yourself on the back! You did it!

 

If you want to give NaNoWADMo a shot, just post here to sign up. At the start of November, we'll kick this thing off and this thread will become the hub for everyone to post their screenshots, progress reports, WIP downloads, links to mapping streams, etc.

 

That's it! Remember: this is a challenge, not a contest. And above all, it's supposed to be fun. We're working on the honor system here, and there's no prize except the maps you make along the way. Happy NaNoWADMo!

 

This year's NaNoWADMo-ers and their projects:

 

@Ryath - UnBeliever (in progress)

@DanielAlexander - NaNoDanMo (in progress)

@AD_79

@DerFurer'sFace

@Egg Boy

@Pegleg

@Jimmy - Deathless

@CanSteam

@Crunchynut44

@Poohlyash

@Phobus

@meapineapple - Nanopineapple (in progress)

@SOSU

@Qeswic

@elmle - Beautiful Nightmares (in progress)

@TheOrganGrinder - Chicxulub Impact (in progress)

@Breezeep

@Voltcom9 - Wolfenstein 3D, Part 2: ROTT

@Terminus

@Swalzi

@NoisyVelvet - NoisyDiarrhea (in progress)

Chaingunner

@Gothic

@yakfak (writing MIDIs!)

@NaZa

@Worm318 - Halfdeath (in progress)

@Scypek2 - Beyond the End

@bioshockfan90

@Walter confetti - Doom Doom (in progress)

@jerrysheppy

@Solarn

@obake

@Doge Sword

@Lorenz0 - Scattered Ashes

@Philnemba - Hell on Phil (in progress)

@franckFRAG - Nanocore (in progress)

@Impie

joe-ilya - Fun N' Gun (in progress) *direct download link

 

If you want to talk NaNoWADMo in real time, stop by the Discord!

 

Edited June 9, 2021 by Ryath (aka scwiba)

[Walter confetti]

I'm making a similar concept by myself with a most loose time restriction (i started it at the end of July and i make maps when i want) and with randomized themes from a list i made out...

Here's a demo version of the map, i've made more maps meanwhille (reached the 14 maps yesterday)...

Anyway, i like this idea and i wish you good luck with the project!

 

EDIT: wait isn't a megawad just needs 15 levels to be called in that way (according to "official" statement)?

Edited October 18, 2018 by Walter confetti

[Antnee]

Quote

Are you a bad enough dude to map a megaWAD in a month?

 

No.  Next question.

I'd like to think I could do this- I can make an individual map in a couple days- but 32 levels... Man I just don't know how you do it.

 

Have you released any of these one-month-megawads?

[scwiba]

56 minutes ago, Walter confetti said:

EDIT: wait isn't a megawad just needs 15 levels to be called in that way (according to "official" statement)?

 

That's true, yeah. As far as I know there's no official term for a 32-map WAD but that's what we're going for. Or 27 for Doom. The idea is just to have roughly one map for each day of the month.

 

49 minutes ago, Antnee said:

I'd like to think I could do this- I can make an individual map in a couple days- but 32 levels... Man I just don't know how you do it.

 

Have you released any of these one-month-megawads?

 

Give it a try! You might surprise yourself!

 

The first time I attempted this, it was because it always took me so long to finish a map. I was spending weeks, months, half a year on a single map. I wanted to change that, so I gave myself this crazy challenge... and somehow managed to do it.

 

And yes they are! Both of the WADs I did the previous years have been released: UnAligned (for Doom) and UnNecessary (for Doom II). This year I'll be mapping for Heretic, which I've never done before.

[AD_79]

fffuuuuuuuuck I'd love to try this out, but at the same time I've been working on another project which I plan to focus on for all of November, haha. Maybe I can still fit something in? It's highly unlikely though, and if I do I'm not sure I'd manage 32 maps.

[Gothic]

I half assed a megawad in half a month once, maybe it can be done for a Scythe style mapset.

[Obsidian]

You're tempting me, you're severely tempting me.

[NuclearPotato]

^^^Same.

[scwiba]

I've edited the OP just a little, in response to some concerns I was hearing. Specifically, I added this paragraph:

 

"Okay, so what if you don't make it to 32 (or 27) maps by the deadline? What if you've only got 25? Or 12? Well, then you've got 25 or 12 maps you didn't have at the beginning of November! You've got something to build off of at your leisure. Maybe you came up with some cool concept you can turn into an even cooler concept. The deadline is only there to get your mapping juices flowing, so if you get anything done, pat yourself on the back! You did it!"

 

I definitely don't want to stress people out or have you working through the nights for the whole month. There's no failure in NaNoWADMo.

 

6 minutes ago, Gothic said:

I half assed a megawad in half a month once, maybe it can be done for a Scythe style mapset.

 

That's what I usually end up making, pretty concept-y maps that can be played in five minutes or less.

 

6 minutes ago, Obsidian said:

You're tempting me, you're severely tempting me.

 

I was hoping I might!

[Danlex]

Challenge accepted.

 

I guess there's no problem if I use a dehacked file to modify the original weapons.

[scwiba]

16 minutes ago, DanielAlexander said:

Challenge accepted.

 

I guess there's no problem if I use a dehacked file to modify the original weapons.

No problem at all. The sky's the limit!

[MFG38]

It's a crazy idea, but it's also tempting.

 

I need to give this some thought.

[AD_79]

1 hour ago, Ryath said:

I've edited the OP just a little, in response to some concerns I was hearing. Specifically, I added this paragraph:

 

"Okay, so what if you don't make it to 32 (or 27) maps by the deadline? What if you've only got 25? Or 12? Well, then you've got 25 or 12 maps you didn't have at the beginning of November! You've got something to build off of at your leisure. Maybe you came up with some cool concept you can turn into an even cooler concept. The deadline is only there to get your mapping juices flowing, so if you get anything done, pat yourself on the back! You did it!"

 

Awesome, I'll see what I can do then! I've got some ideas for speedmaps, maybe I'll try something a little more reserved like one little map every two days :P

[DFF]

Damn, 32 maps in a month, that's slightly more than 1 a day XD

I kinda have a trivial idea, i think i may give it a shot.

[Egg Boy]

Sign me up! I've never completed a megawad, so being under a semi-strict time limit might push me to actually make something.

[Pegleg]

This is a tempting idea. Even more so since you relaxed the "full megawad" requirement.

 

(By the way, I remember seeing a thread discussing how many maps did you have to have before your mapset was a megawad. I remember there being no clear consensus.)

 

I guess what I'm saying is, I'm interested. Count me in.

[elend]

Oh, cool contes... wait.

 

A megawad??? My laptop already takes a month to open GzDoom Builder, how the hell does one do 32 maps in a month? 

[Jimmy]

Oh boy.

 

Perfect time to do another 3 Grieflesses. :D

[CanSteam]

I think I'll try this out! I think a Discord server could make this better, however

[Crunchynut44]

Ill be interested in this, with work and everything else there is no way I could do it in a month so I might even get a head start and hope to get 32 maps in before the deadline. If that is okay anyway.

 

It will be fun to play everyones maps too and see what people have been able to pull off.

[Memfis]

Don't get too excited guys. YOU'RE ALL GONNA FAIL!

[AD_79]

Why not show us how it's done then, eh? You like making small maps, I bet you could whip some cool stuff up!

[how to delete account]

Sign me up lel. If nothing out of the ordinary happens, im free

[Phobus]

I've tried and failed various speed map megaWAD attempts. I've also spent the last few hours thinking of all of the reasons why this won't work for me. My weekends are rarely free; I have a full-time job (albeit one where I often work from home doing very little); I've got shit-tons of games to play; I've got shit-tons of unfinished Doom projects already.

 

Of course, I want to succeed. Sign me up.

[meapineapple]

Oh, this is a fantastic idea. Sign me up!

 

It could be really interesting to make a megawad full of maps like these

 

[SOSU]

9 hours ago, Ryath said:

No problem at all. The sky's the limit!

Oh no we can't change the sky textures :'(

Might try this but i barely could this for 5 days when i made PMAD...

[Qeswic]

Sign me up.

[elmle]

If life doesn't get in the way I will give this a shot.

[Scypek2]

Sounds like fun! I just wonder who's gonna play all that...

[scwiba]

Whoa! Woke up to way more interest in this thread than I was expecting. Welcome aboard, everybody! I've added everyone who seemed interested to the OP.

 

6 hours ago, CanSteam said:

I think I'll try this out! I think a Discord server could make this better, however

 

I'll get one set up today.