Friday, December 13, 2013

Playtesting and...

So I've been watching a lot of DooM Let's Plays recently to try and get a better feel of what I'm doing on map designs and enemy placements. I'm a fan of AltimaMantoid's [Doom; Doom II] and BigMacDavis's [Doom; Doom II] playthrough series (but don't bother saying I sent you because neither will know me).

I had one trap room in E4M5 where I had a Fakera and a Bon Bon Barrier. At first it was kindof small, but then after watching I realized it needed to be bigger or you'd get torn apart far too easily. I also added columns to hide behind, to make it easier.

Then I watched a couple levels where four Barons (what Fakeras replace) show up and the player just takes them out like it's nothing. Turns out the rocket launcher is brilliant at taking them out, and people use the BFG a lot more than I am used to.

From this I've learned that for good players, my maps will probably be too easy; for new players, my maps will be crushingly hard. Heck, even I struggle on a couple of them, and I already know where the traps are.

So yeah. tl;dr map making is an art and I'm still working on it.

Anyway, to end this little message, I was playtesting a map today. I use ACS to do a lot of the actions (because that's what the cool doomers are using these days) and I mistagged a sector, so the door locked but the hidden platform with Fakera on it didn't rise. So, being the genius I am, I decided to hop down and kill her myself.

It didn't work, but I did get this image.


That is all.

Unless you want to vote in the new poll. That'd be cool, too.

Sunday, December 8, 2013

WATCH THIS PLAYTEST VIDEO. WATCH IT NOW.

I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU ARE DOING, STOP IT AND HIT PLAY.


And then click for more because reasons and to avoid spoilers.