NaNoWADMo 2022 - The month-long mapping challenge!

[scwiba]

 

Well, this is the first NaNoWADMo since the WADs & Mods and WAD Discussion forums were split, so I hope I'm still in the right place. It's not technically a "project"... but it's close!

 

It's the NaNoWriMo of Doom mapping. Over the course of one month, dozens of mappers come together to do that thing we do: make maps. Maybe you've been itching to get your first finished map under your belt? Want to break through a creative block that's held you back for months? Thinking about laying the groundwork for that megaWAD you always wanted to make? Give NaNoWADMo a shot and see where it takes you!

 

The premise is simple: you start mapping on October 1st and challenge yourself to complete a project by the last day of the month. "Completed" doesn't necessarily mean released, polished, or even playtested. Nobody expects a masterpiece; the point of NaNoWADMo is to buckle down and make maps without overthinking or second-guessing yourself. At the end of NaNoWADMo, if all you've got are some half-finished concepts to build off of later, consider that a victory!

 

You're also encouraged to share your work as you go! NaNoWADMo-ers and spectators will be giving feedback and cheering you on both in this thread and over at the Discord. We're in this together!

 

The challenge runs from October 1 to 31, and at the end I hope everyone who participated will share what they made. That's it! Any additional rules are ones you set for yourself. You could make it your goal to reach a certain number of maps, sectors, or linedefs. You could aim to have a playable map at the end of every week, or make it a rule that you'll set aside 30 minutes each day for mapping. But if rules don't work well for you, don't use them! It's all up to you.

 

For me it helps a lot to have concrete goals and deadlines, so I've included a spoiler below with the rules I used in previous years. Keep in mind that this is just one example of a goalset, and a pretty extreme one at that. NaNoWADMo is about what you want to get out of the challenge.
 

Spoiler

1) At midnight (your time) on the 1st, you're free to start work on your brand new WAD. It's okay to have 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. For the next 31 days, you map at whatever pace makes sense for you. Know your limits and don't compromise your mental or physical health to get a few more maps done.

 

2) A complete project is 27 maps, regardless of IWAD you're working with. Maps can be any length, for any port, and any gameplay style.

 

3) Post a download link for your WAD in this thread on the final day or the day after, whatever state it's in. Don't worry if the maps are buggy and unpolished! You can playtest, expand, and polish to your heart's content after the fact. They're your maps to do with as you please!

 

Okay, so you set out to make a 32-map epic and you didn't quite make it. You've only got 25 maps, or 10, or 3. Did you "fail?"

 

Heck no! You've got 25 or 10 or 3 maps you didn't have a month ago! You've got something to build off of at your leisure, or some cool concepts you can turn into even cooler concepts 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!

 

Remember: this is a challenge, not a contest. Above all, it should be fun. Happy NaNoWADMo!

 

Here are all the awesome projects that came from previous years' NaNos (note that some of these are still works-in-progress):

 

NaNoWADMo 2021

Spoiler

Asphalt by @Matacrat

Black n' Blanco II by @Origamyde

Charcoal by @MFG38

Dawn of the Arrow by @Scypek2

Doom Hockey by @Dieting Hippo

Down In It by @A Handsome Fridge

Every Part of the Buffalo by @scwiba

Flooded with Demons by @lokbustam257

Getting Started by @StarSpun5000

Linux Jank by @E.M.

Lunar Laceration by @finnks13

Martial Mineral Refinery by @BetelgeuseSupergiant

Micromaps by @Alper002

Moon Madness by @DukeOfDoom

NoSp3 by @NoReason

Nostradamus by @Scorpius

One Way To Hell by @SilentD00mer

Phobian Odyssey by @DavidN

Satanic Synthesis by @ChestedArmor

Seeds by @Walter confetti

Toxic Processing by @Biff Dunderbuff

 

[If I missed your project or there's a newer version than what's linked here, please let me know so I can update the list!]

NaNoWADMo 2020

Spoiler

Ascent of Titan by @DavidN

Blast Processing by @Darox

The Descent of Evil by @TOVA

E.M.'s Turbo Turds by @E.M.

Emblem by @Athel

First Time for Everything by @Yoshiatom

Fragor Portum by @RiviTheWarlock

Hasty Evil by @Worm

Heelbain, select maps by @Major Arlene

Trick&Tear Map08 and Hellevator Map31 by @BluePineapple72

In Loving Memory by @MidnightMage

Lost Luxury by @Alper002

Mercuria by @Walter confetti

Mictlan Calling by @TheOrganGrinder

The mystery of Red(c) island by @Redead-ITA

NANO2020 by @HUNdebLeonidasX

NaNoWeNMo by @ThatWeNGuy

nice-31 by @deathz0r

NoSp2 by @NoReason

Premonition by @DukeOfDoom

Some Shenanigans by @finnks13

Space Travel is Boring by @joe-ilya

Temporal Tantrum by @WashingMachineEnthusiasts

Terrible 3s by @croc_rock

Thy Flesh Removed by @Omniarch

TNT Goes Boom! by @The_SloVinator

The UnMaking by @scwiba

NaNoWADMo 2019

Spoiler

Booze and Bullets by @HUNdebLeonidasX

Dysnomia by @Chainie

Extra Spicy by @E.M.

Four Weeks of Pain by @Gothic

Friday Night Unidoom by @Tango

Genocite by @Solmyr

Hasty Evil by @Worm318

Heresy by @wolfmcbeard

Keeper of the Seven Keys 3: Disk One by @DavidN

nanoDMwad by @Greentiger1

NaNoHexen 2019 by @Alper002

Redundancy by @Forli

Some Speedmaps for Nanowadmo by @NoReason

summaps by @DragoKnot4200

Technicolor Antichrist Box by @Major Arlene

Three Is A Crowd by @Scypek2

Tivauri by @yakfak

When the Stars Are Right by @JudgeDeadd

Withered Dimension by @Voltcom

NaNoWADMo 2018

Spoiler

Beautiful Nightmares by @elmle

Beyond the End by @Scypek2

Chicxulub Impact by @TheOrganGrinder

Deathless by @Jimmy

Doom Doom by @Walter confetti

Fun N' Gun* (direct download) by @joe-ilya

Halfdeath by @Worm318

Hell on Phil by @Philnemba

Nanocore by @franckFRAG

NaNoDanMo by @Danlex

Nanopineapple by @meapineapple

NoisyDiarrhea by @NoisyVelvet

Scattered Ashes by @Lorenz0

Sinergy by @Crunchynut44

Wolfenstein 3D, Part 2: ROTT by @Voltcom

UnBeliever by @scwiba

Edited September 6, 2022 by scwiba

[scwiba]

This year's NaNoers and their projects are:

 

@A Handsome Fridge - Handsome Hellscapes

@A2Rob - Machete

@Alaxzandarz

@Alper002

@Arcturus

@Arsinikk - Boxcutter

@Athel

@BauwenDR

@Blue Phoenix - Hekla and Waypoint Manor

@cannonball - Night on Doom Mountain

@Cheesewheel

@dac

@dashiefrickintyan - Fromage

@DavidN

@DeathBearOfDeath - By Candlelight

@DukeOfDoom

@Dusty_Rhodes

@E.M.

@Engired

@Fidchell - The Gorge

@finnks13 and @Yumheart - Doomed: By the Hour

@Forli - Redundancy 2

@Gothic Box

@granggg - Containment

@knifeworld

@LGmaire

@lokbustam257

@MAN_WITH_GUN

@Master Medi - MBOS

@Meowgi - Yum.wad

@MFG38

@MidnightMage

@Napsalm - NapsNoWadMo

@NaZa

@NEXAnomaly

@NiGHTS108

@noob_killer012345678

@Norb - RandomLongMap

@Pebble

@Petyan - Sepia

@Philnemba - Phil FINALLY Made a Hexen Wad!

@Professor Soundman

@Rabbid

@rabidrage

@RetroAkaMe

@RiviTheWarlock

@Scypek2 - Deadliest Dem(o(li)ti)on

@Silent Wolf

@SilentD00mer - Operation: October

@Spendoragon

@Super Mighty G

@SuyaSS - Place Unknown

@Tactical Burger 69

@ThatWeNGuy

@TOVA - TARGET: The Tei Tenga Troubles

@Vortale - The Lost Magic

@Walter confetti - Skeletonano

@Womp the Cat

@Worm318 - Pilonidal Cyst

@Worriedidiot

@Zhaojue

Edited September 15, 2023 by scwiba

[MidnightMage]

You know this has been just what I've been waiting on to get back into Doom mapping!

I'd like to sign up for this!

[DavidN]

Oh dear god it's that time already Yes, I'm going to do something this year! This time it'll be a little different - instead of making a WAD, I'm going to do my utmost to put together an understandable guide to writing a game with ZScript. From the outside it's enigmatic and impenetrable, but once you're inside it's like Narnia.

[Norb]

Count me in!

I would love to create something for this!

Edited September 3, 2022 by Norb

[Thelokk]

11 minutes ago, DavidN said:

it's like Narnia

 

Like having a witch after your head? Doesn't sound too inviting.

[Shanoa]

This oughta be interesting, will keep a close eye on this thread. Good luck to all the mappers!

[Worm318]

I will join. Now I will just aim to have a finished product by the end of the month.

[MFG38]

I suppose I could use this as an excuse to finish that one map that I've been working on since the beginning of the year.

[Tactical Burger (Old acc)]

epic

Edited September 4, 2022 by Tactical Burger 69

[Paf]

needs more archviles, pretty epic tho

[Scypek2]

My project should be very doable this year. I'm aiming for 11 maps and I already did most of the dehacked and graphics. Here's what I have so far...

[Pebble]

I'm quite the amateur with doom mapping, but I'd like to see what I can provide in between my hectic work schedule.

 

Spoiler

 

Edited September 3, 2022 by Pebble

[Thelokk]

@scwiba I was thinking of giving up mapping for good after my next mapset is out next week, but... this NaNo thing got me an idea. Can you sign me up? No promise, I'm clutching at straws here.

Edited September 3, 2022 by Thelokk

[Death Bear]

@scwibaI'll be there! I'm not sure if we're picking up our project from last year or if I'm going to attempt something different, but I've got a month to decide and always more than enough ideas.

[LoreCaco37]

I remember finding out about NaNoWadMo in November last year and had an incredibly stupid idea for it that I wanted to do for improving my mapping skills. I have been planning to give this a whirl for a whole year.

[BauwenDR]

Consider me signed up

 

Or well at least I will try to give it a go, well see what happens.

[NEXAnomaly]

Put me down for this :D

[Alaxzandarz]

Hey, @scwiba I'd like to join this year again. Maybe I get something done this time.

[Womp the Cat]

Definitely getting involved here!

[Dusty_Rhodes]

I mentioned it in the Discord, but I will be making something again this year. Looking forward to it!

[NiGHTS108]

Ah, finally, I was waiting for this day

 

Sign me up.

[Engired]

I couldn't get anything finished last year, but I've done quite a lot since then. I'll try to get something released this year.

[SilentD00mer]

Hi!

I'd like to participate this year! :)

[Gothic Box]

Let's try this again. I didn't make much last time around due to some major life upheaval, but now that's behind me I think I'll be able to go hog wild!

[NaZa]

Damn, it's been a few years since I last tried this. Might as well try again...

[A Handsome Fridge]

Sign me up! Let's see what this year will bring on the table.

[Walter confetti]

Not completely sure if i can do something this year due to the too many community projects I'm involved, but I'll try at least. Maybe a SP or a sequel for Doom 2 to Seeds? I've got quite some fun doing it!

As well as some other stuff, but again idk

Edited September 4, 2022 by Walter confetti

[Rabbid]

I guess this means no premade... but if so... I guess I can try it :)

[Worriedidiot]

Heck yeah! I'm definitely participating.