Newbie's first Doom II map

[NormalHuman]

Whats up Doomworld, first post, first map, first critiques.

The idea for this map came to me in a dream and I wanted to keep accurate to the dream, so some elements I'm not particularly proud of. Originally designed after a full blind playthrough of saveless plutonia, so I imagine the difficulty to be somewhat similar. All criticism is not only accepted, but actively requested

mansion.zip

 

 

 

 

IWAD: Doom II

Maps: 1

Map Slot: MAP01

Tested with: PrBoom+ and GZDoom

Sourceport: Limit Removing

Was not designed with freelook in mind

 

I included a lump in the zip of me UVmaxing the level for anyone that cant find secrets or gets lost at all.

[NenapoMinayuChtchiyasya]

I didn't find a single secret. I'm probably not very smart. I wandered around the initial arena for a long time and couldn't figure out what to do. I opened only one room, hugged every wall there. Then I accidentally found a column with a switch in the starting area. A very strange solution with a blue key at the end of the tunnel, it's not clear what the tunnel was for.
...
The design of the setting is unclear. It partly seems like a pit, but why is the ground uneven, blood, something burnt in places, for some reason fountains of blood are gushing from the ground, and burnt trees.
...
The entrance to the library is through a portal, and behind the portal there is a large first aid kit that can't be picked up, why do you do that? I took the key, something like a labyrinth rose, I pressed the first button I came across, something started to happen, and I continued running further and accidentally teleported to the initial area. From where, as I understand it, it is no longer possible to get back into this labyrinth. What happened there, only God knows.
...
I opened the next door with the key, and there was a cyber rubbing his head against the ceiling. Whether it was intended or not, he didn't come out. In any case, I helped him, leaving only his hooves. Then a long, crooked corridor where imps and sergeants beat each other in cages. Their dropped weapons cannot be picked up. At the end of the tunnel, one sad, helpless archvile was waiting for me.
...
Overall, not bad for a newbie mapper.

Edited June 5 by NenapoMinayuChtchiyasya

[LadyMistDragon]

I can't play this, every browser hates Doomshack now

[Bri0che]

A pretty good map ! Even if it is your first attempt, you got pretty fun ideas that you more or less succeeded to execute, considering you have no or less mapping experience. Some ideas though may be very non-intuitive for players that won't want to rack their brain that much... The switch-eye at the beginning for exemple.

Map is balanced, and this is the major point that newbies tend to neglect probably because they pref' focus on the map layout by itself rather than the gameplay.

I think I got all or the majority of the secrets ? Some of them are kinda confusing and I didn't even knew how did I managed to trigger them exactly. The others were basic and efficient.

I had the felling that without those secrets the map would had been more difficult to beat. Just because of the Cyberdemon that block the teleporter leading to the exit. Maybe I just forgot some ammunition in my playthrough...

 

Nice first try ! Keep doing !

Edited June 5 by Bri0che

[Degree23]

I found a MegaArmor, but I don't know how I was supposed to kill the Cyberdemon with the weapons I had. It also seemed stuck and there also seemed to be monster block lines around the middle arena? The Baron couldn't walk through the middle of the first room, which felt like a weird thing to prevent.

 

This was a quirky map overall and quite fun to play through. 

[Zahid]

its simple but effective map

fun to explore the smartly hidden secrets and areas 

like the old school moody kind of fights can be hard without secrets

my 2 deaths fda ended up as uv max as found all secrets and kill all monsters

prboom cl2 uv iddt used popi9.zip

[Naxius]

Pretty good for a first map!  I did feel the sort of dream like quality with the library, the flat bookshelves and the maze felt like one of my nightmares.

 

Fights were decently balanced but I do believe they would be a little harder without finding the secrets.  It felt like ammo was tight (which may have been intentional) so I feel like I spent a little too much time promoting in fighting and relying on the beserk I found.

 

Secrets were easy enough to find (I have no idea how I triggered the plasma gun one though).  That being said, the BFG secret felt rather pointless.  You cannot get it until the end basically.  At the earliest point you can get it, there's so little enemies left that you don't get to enjoy it :(

 

I would recommend not keeping the Cyber stuck in his room.  It was really easy to cheese him because he was so confined.

 

Overall I enjoyed myself! Some good ideas here.  Hope you release more :)

[LadyMistDragon]

Okay, that's pretty good! Nicely constructed in every way, a clever secret or two and some nice chaos possible in the central courtyard. :)