How do you get someone to play test your WADs?

[CoyoteComrade]

I've been making maps for a bit now, and almost all the advice I've seen says to get someone to play test your maps, but I've been struggling to get more than maybe one person to try it. Is there a method you fine folks use to get a few fresh sets of eyes on your WADs?

[Biodegradable]

The easiest method to getting your WAD playtested is to just post them in the WADs & Mods subforum and sure enough you'll find a few people will give it a whirl and tell you what they think. Both @Clippy and I love playing through new maps that people share and providing feedback, it's our favourite thing to do here.

[CoyoteComrade]

Alright, I appreciate it! I'll post the first map of something I'm working on and y'all can roast the hell out of it, lmao

[Doomkid]

Don't forget that there are other Doom discords and forums and whatnot which will also give you feedback on your map. I'm sure Jimmy has a mapping centric discord but I don't know the link sadly.

[Biodegradable]

2 hours ago, Error-404 said:

Alright, I appreciate it! I'll post the first map of something I'm working on and y'all can roast the hell out of it, lmao

 

Ahaha that's the spirit, mate. Don't worry about roasting though, we do our best to be fair and constructive.

[Catpho]

There are dedicated channels for playtesting in The Joy of Mapping and The Hellforge discords.

 

@HAK3180 plays and records maps.

 

Posting on Wads and Mods is good too, but you'll have to be patient (and a bit lucky) to see feedback there. There are a ton of wads uploaded in that subforum, so it's not an uncommon sight for a wad to not be bumped for a while. 

 

These are not the only ways to get feedback. You can occasionally bump into some cool playtesters just by conversing in the Doom community :)

 

Edited September 15, 2020 by Catpho

[Bridgeburner56]

There are a few people who will also play test submitted wads on stream like myself and John Suitepee
 

 

[Fonze]

Providing potential players with important wad information (as well as screenshots) in your thread (or anywhere else you post the map) is another way to get playtesters too.

[DNSKILL5]

This is just my opinion. Others have made good points already. 
 

What I suggest is to make a text file. It is not an outdated way of explaining what your WAD contains, and it takes about 5 minutes to fill out the WADTemplate text file. People need to be able to see what they’re getting themselves into other than just “hey guys check out my wad” on a thread.  
 

It also ensures that if your file spreads, the text file usually will come with it, especially if it is being hosted on another site. 
 

Unless it’s a big mod project, so if it’s just a new level or two, the forum post where the file is shared publicly, in my opinion, should be reserved for after you’ve gotten it play tested. If too many people download it to play test, they may not play the WAD again or even notice you’ve made changes since then. So I suggest asking people to PM you if they’re interested in play testing and show screenshots and the text file, THEN publicly share your WAD (With text file) once playtesting is finished and any last minute touches are added in. 
 

Playtesting isn’t just about playing the level, though. You will need to play test for 100% ratios yourself before letting others play. Usually, you will discover any texture issues or enemy placement issues when doing this, and so the only thing playtesters will need to do is double check for you. 
 

I don’t suggest asking local friends to play test unless they are avid players of the game. If they aren’t Doom players, their advice may not be as good because they don’t know the technical details of map design, plus, your friends might not want to tell you if they had an issue or not because they might think it will hurt your feelings. While most people are nice here on DW, usually, they are going to be honest about your level. 
 

with that said, I’d be happy to play test anything you’ve got to share. 

Edited September 15, 2020 by Gerolf

[HAK3180]

There is a Doomworld thread with people on record saying they will playtest anyone's map, provided it meets their criteria. It's definitely not 100% accurate or updated, and the thread itself will always get buried, but I know it has benefited some people.

 

 

And I will get to your UAC Eden map; I'm just way behind at the moment.

[CoyoteComrade]

24 minutes ago, HAK3180 said:

 

 

 

And I will get to your UAC Eden map; I'm just way behind at the moment.

No rush mate, it's short and nothing special

Turns out you can't remove embeds on mobile too

[Pegleg]

@Error-404

 

13 hours ago, Catpho said:

@HAK3180 plays and records maps.

 

@Austinado also plays and records maps, generally on stream.