How do I get better at enemy/demon placement?

[ignatiOS]

I've been making deathmatch maps for the last month and thought I would try something different!

Although I can make levels, I lack skill in enemy placement.

 

Any tips or tricks to make enemy placement/encounters feel good and fun to play?

Thanks :)

[Somniac]

Think about what monsters work well together, how their behaviour affects the gameplay - ie, Mancubus and Chaingunners can work well for both area denial and as infighting tools. Imps and shotgun guys are similar in a way and make a good pairing. Apart from that I guess look at how some well known WADs have done enemy placement and groupings and take ideas from those?

[Stabbey]

Play a bunch of maps and see how they're used by other authors. The original Plutonia Experiment from Final Doom was the first major mapset which really focused on maximizing the potential of monster placement.

 

Don't over-use ambushing enemies, because that makes players expect them, and an ambush which is expected is an ineffective ambush.

 

Also, this article can help.