Marceau TOURAILLES - DOOM (2016)

Introduction - Details
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This map was created during my free time. I wanted to experiment on the Doom SnapMap Editor. The intentions for this map were "Find your own gear in order to progress onto the level". It's a linear map with one secret room.

• Solo Project

• Doom SnapMap

Production
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In order to create this map, I first played with the editor for a bit. When I got the hand on the editor, I thinked of the level intentions. I was really interested of making some narrative map, where the player begin as a prisoner, and tries to escape.

I will talk more about the narrative and design after the production part. After placing some assets, I used the visual scripting tools to make sure the player start the level with no weapons.

With my intentions in mind, I imagined a challenge equal to the power of the player. For exemple, when he gets his shotgun, the player have one room of demon, before getting his next weapon. Then, he have a big challenge of three room before getting a loadout of weapons.

The two final room are a big challenge with big music, to make a grand finale for the level. I made a few playtest and the difficulty was well received, so my next step was to make sure everything is well scripted (Checkpoints, weapons, secrets..).

During the level, I added some checkpoints and drones at key points that give players health and ammo, to make sure the player is not locked.

The visual scripting tool for the player

Narrative
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As said before, the player is a prisoner wanting to escape from demons. So, the environnement is at first Hell, and will later be a human base. I added some voicelines to let the player knows his actions have consequences in the word. Also, i played a bit with the lighting. In the beggining of the game, the lighting is really moody, and when he gets his first weapon, the lighting is more natural, the music start, he's starting something. At the end of the level, when everything is cleared, a voice warn the player that he did something wrong for the world.

Layout of the map. The player start on the left, in hell, then arrive in mars on the right.

The lighting change after the player gets his first weapon.

When the player enters in the weaponry, a voice says " You seems to like weapons... You'll find everything you need here".

When the player take the chainsaw, the next door opens herself, to make sure the player is ready for the grand finale.

If the player search for interruptor in the third room, he can open a secret room that leads to the plasma weapon and the double jump boots. Another secret weapon is hidden in the last part of the level too.

Design
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Doom is a FPS. Meaning the player have a limited field of view. My map is often inviting the player to search for interruptors, or weapons, so it's not ideal. To make up for it, I used flashing light, sounds and text :

To open the first door, the player need to active the skull. The skull being on his left, he can't see at first. Also, few playtest showed that it was not intuitive. To make up for it, I added blood and blood sound to draw the player attention in here.

To get his first weapon, the player need to get it from a body, in order to open the door. To show the player there is something, I added a flashing light.

For the first secret, when the player activate the pannel, a text indicate that a door is unlocked.

In the same room as the secret, each door have a different color (blue, red, yellow). Players keep getting lost because at first, each doors were the same color.

Also, health and armor are hidden on each collumn. Small shields guide the player so he can get there more naturally.

The room after have a lot of scripts. I wanted to make sure the player have all the weapons before getting to the finale, otherwise the map would be too hard.

The next room have 2 waves of demons. To help the player, armor, health, ammo and explosive are being disposed all over the room. A secret weapon can also be found by the player if he search inside all the rooms.

The final room is big, and have a wave of multiple demons with 25% more health.

To make sure the player have everything, i placed some bonuses at the beggining and a lot of explosives barrels.

The wave only start when the player activate the button to open the last door. That allow the player to first see the room, then fight when he's ready.

The map has been well received by the community rating.

DOOM (2016) | Find an exit

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