How much is there to the gameplay of a map?

[Liam]

...yeah.

Basically, I'm asking how hard is it to achieve good gameplay in a map. Is it as simple as making sure there's enough ammo for all the monsters, or is there much more to it?

[Erik]

Decent/good gameplay is easily achieved while excellent/awesome gameplay only can be achieved with feedback from many testers and lots of fine-tuning, the author must also have lots of experience from playing endless hours of doom.

[Kid Airbag]

Yeah, what he said. There's just a bit more to great gameplay than good gameplay, like secrets and stuff.

[magikal]

Yeah, what they said.I think that's one of the reason Doom's so great,it's quite easy to achieve good gameplay in level design.But it takes a lot more experimentation,knowledge and understanding to achieve great gameplay.

[pritch]

not easy. but then adding ammo and monsters and health etc. isn't easy. It takes a lot of play testing, starting from th beginning each time, which over a 5+ level pwad starts getting very unfunny...

and something esle but i've forgotten

[Crendowing]

Nevemind, you know what I'm gonna say :)

[Kid Airbag]

We're also forgetting such personal elements as atmosphere and music.

[Lüt]

  Quote

We're also forgetting such personal elements as atmosphere and music.

Expand  

That's looks and feel, not playability.

[Erik]

  Quote

  Quote

We're also forgetting such personal elements as atmosphere and music.

Expand  

That's looks and feel, not playability.

Expand  

Could affect playability if you're the nervous type. Ok.. maybe not music... but a scary/massive/intense atmosphere can sure make some battles seem harder.

[999cop]

  Quote

We're also forgetting such personal elements as atmosphere and music.

Expand  

basically, doom2(not doom1) doesn't show very much of atmospheric feelings within the levels or indicate specific themes of the levels by only using simple skies plus those levels with low-effortless of detailings. What has modified,improved, brought out the real close-to-death experiences/atmospheres through the demonworld are those megawads with the levels that fill full of monsters everywhere, such as Hell Revealed, Hell Revealed 2, Hell Unleased(possibly?), and Alien Vendetta.

[Zaldron]

It's all about making the player have a good time constantly. There's no formula that works, it's a blend between surprise, fear factor, artistic consistence, balance, difficulty, flow and inmersiveness. Game design is practically an art. You don't see people out there giving you mathematical algorythms to archieve good paintings.

[læmænt]

  Quote

We're also forgetting such personal elements as atmosphere and music.

Expand  

*cough* asylum of the wretched

[Zaldron]

I wonder where that double post came from. It wasn't here 2 minutes ago :\

[Kid Airbag]

SOMWON HAX0RED YUOR ACCUONT!!!!!!!!!$^$^#%7

[Crendowing]

  Quote

Game design is practically an art.

Expand  

Not "practically" is, just plain "is" :)

[Lüt]

  Quote

  Quote

Game design is practically an art.

Expand  

Not "practically" is, just plain "is" :)

Expand  

Heh, Carmack wrote quite a few paragraphs countering that statement.

I didn't fully agree with him, but he made a few good points, none of which I can remember now.

[læmænt]

  Quote

  Quote

  Quote

Game design is practically an art.

Expand  

Not "practically" is, just plain "is" :)

Expand  

Heh, Carmack wrote quite a few paragraphs countering that statement.



I didn't fully agree with him, but he made a few good points, none of which I can remember now.

Expand  

Something about inspiration being absolutely insignificant compared to the hard work that needs to be done, and that small everyday choices in the design are far more important than the original "big idea".

[Zaldron]

And I agree with that, but I still think the final product can be described as some form of art.

[Erik]

THE idea for a map only gets you started, from there it's just hard work and fighting off lazyness.