What stresses you out about being a mapper?

[cannonball]

I guess the biggest stress for me (Aside from trying to find time to draw linedefs in a doom editor these days), is to make my work stand out rather than producing something that people like. I guess throughout my upbringing and through early adulthood my mind has been more orientated towards logic rather than creativity and I tend to feel that my maps reflect this quite a lot. My work tends to be more utilitarian and functional, rather than showing a real flair that can catch someones eye. I have tried to address this over the past couple of years, whether there has been any success is another matter though. In the end I think it is only natural to feel the desire to make something that can take someones breath away, an achievement that by the way keeps on happening in this forum even after nearly 30 years.  

[Bobby :D]

The biggest stress about mapping for me is the time situation, balancing wanting to output the best stuff you can in a timely manner has to be weighed against the daily needs of your body, mind, friends, family, career, day job, and other passions and what not. I realistically can't do more than an hour or 2 of working on a project a day, and if I could it's equally hard to figure out what part of the process, whether it's compiling some new resources or writing down some designs or plopping lines in the editor, that I want to do for that hour. The mapping process, even with how fast it can be, ironically usually takes a good long while to manifest anything close to fun or likeable design or gameplay wise, which is a struggle anyone doing modding or game dev can relate to.

[Bobby :D]

18 minutes ago, cannonball said:

My work tends to be more utilitarian and functional, rather than showing a real flair that can catch someones eye. 

There’s nothing wrong with beauty in simplicity. It doesn’t take much to blend elements of lighting and color if you have the fundamentals down and a very constructive style. Also, try doing some doom cute, It’s a really good way to try thinking outside the box with texture usage. 

[Treehouseminis]

2 hours ago, AD_79 said:

Going to be completely honest here. As impossible as it is to avoid as you can't please everyone, I worry about people playing my work and ending up feeling negatively about it. If I hear or see that someone isn't having a good time with something I made, I end up getting kind of depressed about it, as if I have failed in some way. I wouldn't be surprised if this is a primary reason as to why my output has slowed over the years; I'm too worried about making something for others to enjoy that I barely end up creating at all. There are some who would respond with "map for yourself first and foremost", and to an extent I agree, but it is not enough. If I'm not creating with the intent of being able to share it and have people enjoy it, I can't seem to find much purpose in doing so.

I'm a new mapper and this recently happened to me.  I cant please everyone and it took me a  bit to recover from what I thought was some hefty criticism(it was in let's play format so it felt more real).  But it's ok cuz I had like 4 ppl tell me the same mapset is awesome.  Negativity stands out more and it sucks.  It dont think it's possible to please everyone anyway, everyone has their own idea of what doom levels should be and that itself is pretty cool.

[wumbo]

10 hours ago, Kwisior said:

Since I'm a new mapper with no published maps and no fame I don't have anything to be worried about yet. Do you? Let it off your chest.

constantly procrastinating.

Before I bought a computer, it was my dream to start mapmaking on doom, but now I'm stuck on MAP08 of a megawad that I'm planning to make. I get very spontaneous bursts of creativity, only for it to fade away the next day. Honestly, I could probably make some really half-ass maps right now, but I feel like I need to spend a lot of time on each map to make it good. Don't procrastinate. I have bad habits.

[TheDanMarine]

3 minutes ago, wumbo said:

constantly procrastinating.

Before I bought a computer, it was my dream to start mapmaking on doom, but now I'm stuck on MAP08 of a megawad that I'm planning to make. I get very spontaneous bursts of creativity, only for it to fade away the next day. Honestly, I could probably make some really half-ass maps right now, but I feel like I need to spend a lot of time on each map to make it good. Don't procrastinate. I have bad habits.

 

I'll admit this solution can be hard to swallow but it works really well if you can stomach it: make the half-ass maps, then pluck the good ideas you had from them and smush those together to make a single good one. the downside is that you do a lot of work no one will ever see, unless you do some kind of lost levels, "these are the maps I never meant to publish but have chosen to release them" thing. the upside is that is does work really well. 

[Gaia74]

Not having the skill of make good looking maps

[QuaketallicA]

Mapping isn't stressful. Do you put work deadlines upon yourself for a hobby project?

[esselfortium]

28 minutes ago, QuaketallicA said:

Mapping isn't stressful. Do you put work deadlines upon yourself for a hobby project?

If I don't have a deadline, I never release anything.

[deathz0r]

49 minutes ago, QuaketallicA said:

Mapping isn't stressful. Do you put work deadlines upon yourself for a hobby project?

Only if I'm the lead for a community project, or if I'm aiming for an anniversary of something. For the former, that's currently true as I'm the main bottleneck for a 40+ map project that'll be out soon™ - as for the latter, that's an idea that's currently playing in my head for something I want to release by March 2024, so I have plenty of time at the moment for that one as it's still in the research phase.

[Sesamia]

No stress here.  Mapping is a lot of fun.

[Faceman2000]

I guess the two things that stress me out are A) is this map fun or do I just think it’s fun cuz I made it and I’m proud of it? and B) does this map present something new or interesting or is it just a mashup of all the levels I’ve played that inspire me?

[INfront95]

Patterned layouts, i want to break from simmilar shapes, corridor-room-corridor, square rooms. But my brain still holds my progress. I want to go for circles and angles goddamnt! On the other hand i just love texturing.

[TheDanMarine]

47 minutes ago, INfront95 said:

Patterned layouts, i want to break from simmilar shapes, corridor-room-corridor, square rooms. But my brain still holds my progress. I want to go for circles and angles goddamnt! On the other hand i just love texturing.

 

sounds to me like you might benefit from freehand sketching the levels in mspaint or on a piece of paper. not having the editor open looking at grid lines might help your brain break out of thinking in squares. heck, you could even just try scribbling random shapes and try thinking of ways to make it into a doom room. 

[Bobby :D]

1 hour ago, deathz0r said:

Only if I'm the lead for a community project, or if I'm aiming for an anniversary of something. For the former, that's currently true as I'm the main bottleneck for a 40+ map project that'll be out soon™ - as for the latter, that's an idea that's currently playing in my head for something I want to release by March 2024, so I have plenty of time at the moment for that one as it's still in the research phase.

March huh? The villain in me is thinking a Madvillany tribute lol

[DannyMan]

The problem I have is that the motivation just goes away on its alone.

[1Destro3456]

Planning, I'm probaably the only mf here that struggles with this the most, however, I got a big problem with planning and let myself go. So uhh, I scrapped a map right at the start because I didn't know how to place my ideas in the map, so it looked horrendous.

 

ALSO Outside areas, I never get them right but for some reason I always go like "haha big outside area let's do this shit" then never understand why they don't work

[Woody101]

9 hours ago, Gifty said:

having a 30 level megawad you've had been working on for 10 years that just needs one more level and never getting around to finishing it

That's exactly where I am ! on level 30 but I'm releasing in episode chucks and maybe one year so far - Woody's World episode 1

 

https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom2/Ports/v-z/woodyworld1k

[Woody101]

I tried to avoid duplication and struggle finding new creative layouts and challenges after 30 levels

[Misty]

My biggest fear isn't mapping itself(it's always possible to figure this out), it's fear to lose my mapping progress or if something happens to me, I won't able to release all those maps I did through years, because you know - no person who did this project and no release. 

[Chainie]

When you have a big multilevel project in works and some maps getting too old before you finish the project and you have to redo thoose maps and while you redoing some of older crappier levels, your later levels gets too old too. Vicious cycle of remaking stuff! 

[Kwisior]

57 minutes ago, Chainie said:

When you have a big multilevel project in works and some maps getting too old before you finish the project and you have to redo thoose maps and while you redoing some of older crappier levels, your later levels gets too old too. Vicious cycle of remaking stuff! 

 

Is remaking older levels a standard practice in mapping?

Edited April 18, 2023 by Kwisior

[Misty]

Yes, but not recommended, because it's not worthy lose hours of sleep because you don't feel levels up to your new standards. At some point you need to decide that level is good as it is and let it go. Trust me on that. 

[Pechudin]

14 hours ago, cannonball said:

I guess the biggest stress for me (Aside from trying to find time to draw linedefs in a doom editor these days), is to make my work stand out rather than producing something that people like. I guess throughout my upbringing and through early adulthood my mind has been more orientated towards logic rather than creativity and I tend to feel that my maps reflect this quite a lot. My work tends to be more utilitarian and functional, rather than showing a real flair that can catch someones eye. I have tried to address this over the past couple of years, whether there has been any success is another matter though. In the end I think it is only natural to feel the desire to make something that can take someones breath away, an achievement that by the way keeps on happening in this forum even after nearly 30 years.  

 

Oof. I feel this. I'd like to make something avant-garde, but I always think "Well, this huge space should have monsters and challenging fights in here, otherwise the player may run trough it and not see all the work I put into it". I always praise unconvential maps but mine are fairly conventional. Hope I break from it at some point.

[QuaketallicA]

4 hours ago, Misty said:

My biggest fear isn't mapping itself(it's always possible to figure this out), it's fear to lose my mapping progress or if something happens to me, I won't able to release all those maps I did through years, because you know - no person who did this project and no release. 

 

Oh yeah I can relate to this fear. Always make backups/duplicates, learned that one the semi-hard way.

[franckFRAG]

11 hours ago, esselfortium said:

If I don't have a deadline, I never release anything.

 

A deadline can sometimes seem like not enough, when you see that your team has not sent a message in two months.

[rita remton]

being a newbie mapper, just 1 often bugs me. my copy-n-paste in microsoft excel, word etc... right after using ultimate doom builder:

 

ctrl+c

c

ctrl+v

 

😒

 

Edited April 18, 2023 by rita remton

[Roofi]

14 hours ago, esselfortium said:

If I don't have a deadline, I never release anything.

 

Whether I put a deadline , I never release anything.

[Mystic 256]

I have trouble when it comes to making good fights and encounters so that tends to be the most difficult and time consuming part about making a map for me

[bofu]

Actually getting people to try and play the levels, outside of some very appreciated playtesters.

 

Also, difficulty settings. The skill ceiling for the Doom community is so high that you can make a level that kicks your own ass on UV, and someone might comment that they were able to beat it blind without saves first try, while someone else says it's too hard even on HNTR for them after you implement skill settings.