Pistol start mapping question

[Vlumpty Vonty]

Rookie mapper here, I want to know how to make a difficulty curve for my wad while making every map pistol startable. Any tips about this?

[Stabbey]

A difficulty curve of a WAD considers each map as a whole. This should increase the difficulty of pistol starts the farther you go, but it doesn't have to be unforgiving. Pistol starts are thankfully easier to test than continuous play. It doesn't have to necessarily be easy to do a pistol start, but it should be possible - without finding any secrets.

 

A difficulty curve over multiple levels tends to have early maps full of low-tier enemies, and you have low-tier weapons to deal with them. In subsequent maps, increase the danger level of enemies, increase the weapons available, and increase the danger of the specific scenarios. Pick a megawad and play through it, noting to yourself the enemies and weapons available, how things escalate, how many times you die, that sort of thing. I liked the Epic 2 megawad, which starts out fairly relaxed and eventually gets into full slaughter territory towards the end.

 

Edited March 26, 2024 by Stabbey

[magicsofa]

You can always include some early weapon pickups in the later maps, if you don't want the player to be pistoling revenants.