How do you map?

[prfunky]

 

Forgive me for the clickbait-y sounding topic, but I don't mean how does
one create maps for Doom. What I mean is, when you're playing Doom, what
are your typical usages and preferences for Doom's automap. I'd turn this
into a poll but I hate the hell out of limited response surveys to begin
with so I'm not going there. Rather, I'm totally open to any and all
replies complete with opinions as well as expanding on the topic nuances
I'm about to lay out.

 

For instance, the original Doom map was black background with red wall
and tan or yellow parts to denote windows, doors, changes in floor or
ceiling height and whatnot. But the ports I've been using for years
default to a whole lot of brown shades instead. Myself, I always go into
the menus and change these back to the classic Doom-y style instead.

Some people play with a map overlay on their HUD while playing Doom. I
don't know what other video games invented this kind of display but it's
been around for a long minute. I think the Fortnite series uses this kind
of map display.

 

What about the IDDT map cheat? Do you use it, and if so when? Do you
never look at the map or is it an integral part of your game playing
strategy and preferences? How about how an author designs a map; do you
prefer every line that's not marked secret be shown or do you prefer
authors to remove unnecessary clutter from your game experience?

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

Edited October 19, 2023 by prfunky
stupid pictures jumped out of spoiler tag

[plums]

I implemented blinking key doors in Crispy Doom (which I am happy to see has made its way into other ports) entirely because I hated the pallid light-red Boom defaults but still wanted key-locked doors to show up on the automap. The high visibility of the blinking lines was just a bonus. I don't consider myself a purist in most aspects of Doom, but I love the classic red/yellow/brown colours on a black background.

 

Don't use overlay or rotation at all, do use IDDT sometimes at the end of a map to find missing secrets/monsters, especially if I'm playing the wad with pistol-starts and/or beta-testing something.

Edited October 19, 2023 by plums

[SupremeBioVizier]

When I watch game play videos and people abuse the map, always switching back and forth trying to figure out where to go instead of just exploring, I yell at the screen.

[DankMetal]

I use the automap a lot since it reveals almost every secret.

Mappers, if you want your secrets to be real secrets, hide them from the automap! (Or mark them as one sided)

[Sonikkumania]

I barely use the automap. 

[rita remton]

i try avoid using the automap unless i get lost, usually in non-linear (open-world) maps. this is so that i could gauge the mapflow of the map (the map itself should guide the player and not the automap). as a mapper, i try remove any clutter from the automap unless it causes errors due to bugs in the map editor (eg. line action removed when hiding linedefs in the automap).

[DoomGappy]

I use the automap a lot, especially in bigger levels. It's s great tool. I also try to fix my maps on automap mode when I create a map so that it doesn't reveal things that might ruin the player's experience. If you use the textured automap, it will reveal the floor texture, though, so nothing can help.

[MemeMind]

I open a map and somehow months later theres a map there. I dont know what happens, help me im scared.

[Amaruψ]

Just the basic original is all I need for the most part.

 

IDDT I'd use sometimes twice to know where I've left enemies alive in a big map, or to make sure that the roaming sounds are just lost souls that a dying pain elemental clipped out of the map.

[Fonze]

I tend to use whatever the port I'm using defaults to, though I'll swap some colors to be more visible in some situations, particularly for the iddt thing arrows; it's nice to be able to quickly parse what is an enemy, a clip, or a countable item. I usually use iddt when I'm ready to leave a map and have given up on finding the rest of the things without it, or on subsequent plays to get a better understanding of a map.

[maxmanium]

I'm curious about this for a different reason. I'm creating a custom palette and struggling to make it compatible with what people are used to. Hopefully people don't mind launching w a separate config if necessary.

[OniriA]

On 10/19/2023 at 11:17 PM, prfunky said:

How do you map?

With my hands.

[volleyvalley]

The automap isn't something I use alot of, but for instance, when I want to max a level for the first time, then I use it, and when really needed, I use the IDDT cheat aswell.