What's in a (map) name?

[invictius]

90% of the time where I see an unusual name for a map, I'll be disappointed that the map doesn't reflect the name or seem to have some sort of reason for being called that.  Revilutions' "The visage of time" came up in my youtube feed and I feel drawn to play it, but not hopeful that it's anything but a random name thought up by the author.  Does the map involve time travel?  Some sort of huge clock featured prominently in the map?  I guess I'm going to briefly scrubbing through the playthrough video but not expecting that the name will reflect the map in any way.

[baja blast rd.]

About TNTR map27, the map's real name is 

 

On 2/2/2017 at 3:07 AM, Tarnsman said:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1fh1m657vch536i/Tarns-TNTR-Map26.wad?dl=0

Breezeep agreed to make a TNT2 map if I made a Map 26 for this in a day. So I did. Still rough. Do what you want with it Jaws.

Map Name: The Forgotten Visage of a Time Long Past Sitting Where The Water Meets The Lands of Hell (Alfonzo and The Once-Ler Open a Small Business Together)

 

which reflects it perfectly. 

[Ravendesk]

>play sunder

>map03: The Dreaming Garden

>not a single tree, everything is cement

 

 

[Catpho]

Skillsaw has got you covered invictius:
 

[RjY]

My favourite example is MAP06: Baron's Lair (The Plutonia Experiment), because the number of barons amongst its population is precisely zero.

[DeafPixel]

Personally I enjoy titles that are evocative rather than descriptive. I honestly think a good title can be the ribbon on top of a good map

[Mr Masker]

2 hours ago, Ravendesk said:

>play sunder

>map03: The Dreaming Garden

>not a single tree, everything is cement

 

That's because it's dreaming of being a real garden, it's a hard hitting metaphor for our ambitions in life. We all want to be a garden, but fear we are just cement.

 

Or the name and the map aren't related, I could just be overthinking it. :)

Edited October 18, 2023 by Mr Masker

[Li'l devil]

I think most mappers come up with names entirely separately, and usually it's something completely random that sounds cool or funny. At least from my observation. I don't like it, but if all mappers came up with names that reflected their maps, then we'd probably have thousands of maps named "waste refinery", "the labyrinth", "crate storage", etc., because I guess it's difficult to come up with a unique but accurate names.

Edited October 18, 2023 by Li'l devil

[Treehouseminis]

If map names reflect the level design it's a nice bonus but shouldn't be too expected.  Abstract evocative map names are usually better and easier to come up with.  Also naming things is hard in general, one of my wads all my map names were song titles, that kinda sorta reflected the level but only in a superficial way.  

 

If anyone here has seen the show "I think you should leave" they'll get a kick out of my new project I'm working on because all my map names are quotes or skit references from the show lol

[Xaser]

If we're talking about evocative-but-not-quite-representative map names, we've gotta start by paying respects to the OG -- E1M1: Hangar. Where do the ships land? ;)

[Jayextee]

In the balls I presume the outdoor area with the nukage pool? Said pool being the result of wear and tear from VTOL engines that just hasn't been repaired at all since the whole demonic invasion thing. (In before someone tells me said engines don't work that way)

 

[JustAthel]

For single-player maps, I try to name them after what the main gimmick of the level is about, or some lore implication with them.

 

For my multiplayer maps, well... those are a bit sillier. I guess I try to go for the more memorable aspect of naming. I mean, hard to forget weird names such as "Remote Commerce" and "Shadow of My Lover," right?/

[DNSKILL5]

I wait until the map is finished to title it. For my Duke 3D map I envisioned a lunar terraformation outpost, and by the time it was finished I felt that the name Lunar Greenhouse was more fitting and less wordy. It gets the same basic point across.   
 

For other maps I’ve made I sometimes find a word that fits the level. There was a Wolfenstein 3D map I made for a community project that has a lot of action from the very start with tons of directions to move to, which makes the player need to move quickly and progress further without much idling about. I went with the title “Abscond”, meaning to flee quickly. 

[magicsofa]

The best names start with The

 

Level 5: The Waste Tunnels

Level 6: The Crusher

Level 9: The Pit

Level 12: The Factory

Level 18: The Courtyard

Level 19: The Citadel

Level 22: The Catacombs

Level 24: The Chasm

Level 26: The Abandoned Mines

Level 28: The Spirit World

[GarrettChan]

I mean BtSX E2Map31 is "Fireking Says No Cheating" but you can cheat in that map, or Fireking is a person who lies a lot.

Edited October 18, 2023 by GarrettChan

[Xyzzу]

49 minutes ago, magicsofa said:

The best names start with The

In that case, Heretic was better before its expansion c:

[magicsofa]

10 minutes ago, Χyzzy said:

In that case, Heretic was better before its expansion c:

 

Wow, I forgot how bad those ones are. Amusing that both games include The Citadel, The Catacombs, and The Chasm

[Nikku4211]

Where do I hang my clothes in TNT Map05?

[RjY]

3 hours ago, Xaser said:

If we're talking about evocative-but-not-quite-representative map names, we've gotta start by paying respects to the OG -- E1M1: Hangar. Where do the ships land? ;)

 

2 hours ago, Jayextee said:

In the balls I presume the outdoor area with the nukage pool? Said pool being the result of wear and tear from VTOL engines that just hasn't been repaired at all since the whole demonic invasion thing. (In before someone tells me said engines don't work that way)

 

 

Presumably outside the door you came in by.¹ They don't land inside the base itself, that would be silly!²

________

¹ which, of course, credit where it is due, has since been mysteriously padlocked.

² although, the BD Enhanced Version™, come to think of it…

 

[No-Man Baugh]

I will name my magnum opus "peepeepoopoo.wad" and it will be to spite nirvana

[Tarnsman]

16 hours ago, baja blast rd. said:

About TNTR map27, the map's real name is 

 

 

which reflects it perfectly. 

 

Completely forgot this.