What stresses you out about being a mapper?

[pcorf]

On 4/17/2023 at 10:56 PM, Bri said:

Releasing stuff and later not being happy with it.

 

I know that feeling with Whispers of Satan.

[DRON12261]

When there is less and less time for mapping, but you want to do more and more.

 

There is a certain amount of fear/disappointment of going unnoticed, even with the widest coverage of places to publish and promote your art. I think this is a headache for many mappers, not just beginners. It is especially frustrating to find entire masterpieces that are only known to a very small circle of people, as well as the realization that your work can fall into the same pit. But here it is a question for the sake of what you do creative work as such.

[Somniac]

On 4/21/2023 at 6:33 PM, Lizardcommando said:

You have an idea for a map or a mod, but you struggle for months to even start it, but when you eventually begin working on the project, you realize someone else had made the thing you wanted to make but 50x better, so you stop and never work on it again.

 

Its funny because that is something I struggle with myself, and I know exactly what I would say in response, but I would probably still struggle with it in my own head. 

 

Honestly though, just because someone else did it first (or maybe even better), that doesn't make your idea any less valid. If that were really true, then only certain people would be allowed to make content, which is surely a one-way ticket to stagnation. 

[Klear]

I'm actually happy whenever that happens. Whatever I create, I do it to make that thing exist so I can enjoy it myself. Being the author is not important to me. Actually, it's better when I'm not, since it's a lot less work.

[1Destro3456]

having aton of ideas and not knowing how to execute a single one

[TheDanMarine]

17 minutes ago, 1Destro3456 said:

having aton of ideas and not knowing how to execute a single one

times like those the best skill you can have is being able to break down your idea into smaller and smaller chunks. like, if I wanted to make an entirely custom new weapon, I wouldn't just think "how to make new weapon?" it'd be closer to a list like: 

Quote

 

how to replace sprites of a weapon

     how to replace the holding sprites, how to replace the firing sprites, how to replace the ammo sprites, and so on

how to replace sounds of a weapon

     how to replace the reload sound, how to replace the firing sound and so on

how to alter weapon properties

     how to make it fire faster, how to make it use more ammo, how to make it give less ammo on pickup and so on

 

 

if you learn all those parts individually, which is much easier than doing it all at once, you can suddenly make a completely new custom weapon. 

honestly it's just a good life skill to have in general. 

 

[Marfoo]

Procrastinating

I got so many ideas, but I just can't get myself to do maps, or to learn
 

[jazzmaster9]

Definitely its complete loss of progress due to a hard drive crash. 

Already lost 2 projects when ny first HDD died.

I now make it a point to backup my stuff in 3 different storage places.

[Klear]

I use github to back my map up. It's more because I work on my maps at work sometimes so I need to transfer it there are back all the time, but the value of version control cannot be overstated.

Edited April 27, 2023 by Klear

[RHhe82]

3 hours ago, jazzmaster9 said:

Definitely its complete loss of progress due to a hard drive crash. 

Already lost 2 projects when ny first HDD died.

I now make it a point to backup my stuff in 3 different storage places.

Happened to me this January. Lesson fucking learned, and still hurts to think about the whole incident.

[MAN_WITH_GUN]

It might sound stupid for some people that know me here but i did not release anything that i would be truly proud of. Mostly i have like 10 projects that i abandoned due lack of skill, patience or even time.

That's quite embarrassing for me since I'm in mapping almost 10 years.

[DRON12261]

9 minutes ago, MAN_WITH_GUN said:

It might sound stupid for some people that know me here but i did not release anything that i would be truly proud of. Mostly i have like 10 projects that i abandoned due lack of skill, patience or even time.

That's quite embarrassing for me since I'm in mapping almost 10 years.

I think you should still rely more on your players' feedback, which you definitely have. And less of your "idealistic" boundaries, which is supposed to be for the constant development of mapping skill, but just in moderation.

[Somniac]

Something that frustrates me quite often is my inability to break free from the grid. I'd love to make IWAD/TWID style maps where it seems at times they totally disregard things like line lengths, and sector shapes look really natural and hand drawn, especially things like having diagonal lines and lines that seem to totally disregard the grid. Its this sort of deliberately haphazard approach that ends up coming together really well, like a sort of controlled chaos. 

 

I like the grid because its neat, tidy, and provides a guiding hand on where to go next, but then I think if I turned it off I'd just be drawing weird, aimless shapes. Its like I know what to do, I can recognise the approach when I see it, but I don't trust myself to do it and my obsession with texture alignment is probably a hindrance there also. I can look at a map with that sort of line/texture work and think it looks great, but if I did the same thing myself I'd be like "Noooooo, this texture must be like that, this geometry must do this" and tie myself in knots over it :p

 

Anyone else feel this? Guess I'm just thinking aloud.

[Naarok0fkor]

7 minutes ago, Somniac said:

Something that frustrates me quite often is my inability to break free from the grid. I'd love to make IWAD/TWID style maps where it seems at times they totally disregard things like line lengths, and sector shapes look really natural and hand drawn, especially things like having diagonal lines and lines that seem to totally disregard the grid. Its this sort of deliberately haphazard approach that ends up coming together really well, like a sort of controlled chaos. 

 

I like the grid because its neat, tidy, and provides a guiding hand on where to go next, but then I think if I turned it off I'd just be drawing weird, aimless shapes. Its like I know what to do, I can recognise the approach when I see it, but I don't trust myself to do it and my obsession with texture alignment is probably a hindrance there also. I can look at a map with that sort of line/texture work and think it looks great, but if I did the same thing myself I'd be like "Noooooo, this texture must be like that, this geometry must do this" and tie myself in knots over it :p

 

Anyone else feel this? Guess I'm just thinking aloud.

I never get rid of the grid but use the [ and ] keys to change the grid increment to get out of the 8 or 16 unit sizes when needed. Try to make a map containing caves or canyons. It should help you get out of square rooms especially if you make caves that look natural by working with slanted floors and ceilings too. Don't skimp on slanted surfaces, 3d sectors to make overhangs, stalactites & stalagmites.

[Naarok0fkor]

The most stressing factors for me these days is I feel that my summer break might be too long after Walpurgis frag...

[Async Unicorn]

Lack of ideas and lack of skills, mostly.
I'm stressed about making something, that I never did before, cause I'm scared that it would not work as intended (for example, monster teleports)
I'm stressed about making my map fun, I can make something actually good visually (although I still don't understand anything about sizes), but I can't do anything about gameplay.
I'm stressed about situations, when I delete one single linedef and everything around the fucking place is deleted, etc.

Edited August 2, 2023 by Vanilla+Unicorn

[Astar]

The need to learn a lot of new material.
Aaand I really do not have that much time.

 

[BoxY]

Getting basic scales correct, I hate drawing the first room and feeling that it's fine in size and attaching stuff to it then realizing everything in the map is actually too small or big.

[EvilSqueegee]

I'm a new mapper. I've released a total of one map, and I'm afraid I may have used all my ideas on that map.

[DiR]

Sometimes I don't feel like I'm doing the lower difficulties any justice with the decreased enemy count. My gauge is that if I can beat UV on mouse and HMP on keyboard I should be fine with removing a couple more monsters for HNTR but I'm not sure if I'm making it too easy in comparison.

[Pechudin]

My main anxiety comes in that awful in-between time when I got major points of the map done, but I am drawing blanks on how to connect them. I like my maps to feel like a place, and not just fight-hallway-fight-hallway. I worry too much about "gotta make my maps nonlinear, which means - wait - what if the player approaches the fight from this direction??".

 

Still, I find that more and more of my maps do end up finished, as opposed to languishing on my drive.

[Pechudin]

On 7/23/2023 at 1:29 PM, Somniac said:

Something that frustrates me quite often is my inability to break free from the grid. I'd love to make IWAD/TWID style maps where it seems at times they totally disregard things like line lengths, and sector shapes look really natural and hand drawn, especially things like having diagonal lines and lines that seem to totally disregard the grid. Its this sort of deliberately haphazard approach that ends up coming together really well, like a sort of controlled chaos. 

 

I like the grid because its neat, tidy, and provides a guiding hand on where to go next, but then I think if I turned it off I'd just be drawing weird, aimless shapes. Its like I know what to do, I can recognise the approach when I see it, but I don't trust myself to do it and my obsession with texture alignment is probably a hindrance there also. I can look at a map with that sort of line/texture work and think it looks great, but if I did the same thing myself I'd be like "Noooooo, this texture must be like that, this geometry must do this" and tie myself in knots over it :p

 

Anyone else feel this? Guess I'm just thinking aloud.

 

Heh, that's why I like caves and rocks as a theme. Something you will notice if you pick up my maps - human-made structures are almost always at 90 or 45 angles, but rock formations can do whatever. And they look nice even with broad brushes.

[RonLivingston]

I couldn't come up with any Ideas, trying to figure out some perfect architecture, and running out of steam and collapsing while trying to work on one.

[URROVA]

• Running out of ideas, dont know how to continue.
• Or not having ideas at all
• Seeing my map's layout/combat/mechanic/idea as "too generic" or "not too well thought" or "badly executed".
• Mapping one day and the next day i see how the thing i did its f ugly
• Releasing a wad and nobody noticing
• Comparing my maps/mapping skills to others, i try to avoid that but i cant lol
• The idea about how what im making is/will be worse than the stuff i made
• Implementing skill levels. Isnt stressing but kinda boring.
• THE F NODEBUILDER THAT DOESNT WANT TO NODEBUILD AAAAAAAAAAA  
• Thinking about if my maps arent fun or challenging or are too easy

Edited August 2, 2023 by URROVA

[Abandoned_Account]

For me its making a map packs, i get idea, make first few maps, then i run out of ideas and just leave having first map only or two. I just run out of ideas and dont know what to do to make it continue. Sometimes lack of textures or trying to be vanilla friendly makes it even harder. But also there is that what if i make a good map, but that basic doom music in the background would ruin it? Idk it just stresses me so much, im not a composer and dont know anyone who would compose midi tracks for free for my maps and at any time. Btw im rn making custom textures, wanted to make them color palete friendly etc but it was too much work and i think im just gonna make a mappack for gzdoom instead, to have all nice textures easily made in paint.net with tint settings. Oh this also stresses me so much, that my maps might be buggy a lot because even if i do maps in Doom (Doom) format i will sometimes accidentaly still use gzdoom features like not giving lifts or doors any sector tags because linedef is enough for gzdoom heh

[RonLivingston]

20 hours ago, URROVA said:

•   

I think the reason why this shows up because of how critically huge the sector is

[bsharp]

"what if the stuff i make is completely forgotten about soon after i release it? are people only going to be playing my map because i promoted it, and not out of genuine interest?"

[Somniac]

Making a really solid MAP01 and hitting a wall creatively on the second one -_-  then not wanting to release it because its just an easy MAP01, and you want to release something more substantial than that, because you know you can do it if you try, but the well of ideas remains shallow for the time being. 

[Daytime Waitress]

1 hour ago, bsharp said:

"what if the stuff i make is completely forgotten about soon after i release it? are people only going to be playing my map because i promoted it, and not out of genuine interest?"

 

What constitutes "genuine interest"? Most people will be willing to try someone's first map, and give pointers on where to improve; but until you've got even a nominal body of work, let alone your own style, you're kind of relying on random downloads from random Doomworlders to generate any kind of interest in your maps. But the more you put out, the more you're learning what works for you and what works for your target audience.

 

Moreover, did you have fun creating it? Did you learn a lot creating it? If so, it wasn't a waste.

 

9 minutes ago, Somniac said:

Making a really solid MAP01 and hitting a wall creatively on the second one -_-  then not wanting to release it because its just an easy MAP01, and you want to release something more substantial than that, because you know you can do it if you try, but the well of ideas remains shallow for the time being. 

 

Didn't you sit on Arrokoth for like a year? I can empathise with how that would've caused you a lot of stress but, man, if something needing to marinate for that long produces those kind of results? Let it chill in the fridge!

Edited August 3, 2023 by Daytime Waitress

[Somniac]

1 hour ago, Daytime Waitress said:

Didn't you sit on Arrokoth for like a year? I can empathise with how that would've caused you a lot of stress but, man, if something needing to marinate for that long produces those kind of results? Let it chill in the fridge!

 

The majority of it was made during a burst of activity earlier this year - the first map just fell out of my head one night in January, and I'm still not sure how! It happens occasionally. However, there are some parts that are over a year old that were refurbished (start of E1M2, start and red key area of E1M5 come to mind).

 

About midway through making that, I made a really cool Doom II map that I'm still not sure how to follow up. Its like I just lost the momentum a bit. You're right of course, I need to just let it stew for a while longer - I just love that feeling when you're in the zone and ideas are flowing, its addictive and not being there can be a bit frustrating. I guess I'm just impatient sometimes, as much as I'm aware that you can't force these things. Appreciate your words of encouragement!