GET EXCITED ABOUT YOUR WORK.
It’s a pretty obvious statement, especially in regard to making a Doom map - what could be more exciting than picking up a toolkit of classic and well-designed weapons and enemies, and remixing them into a new experience of your own creation? Personally, I get excited about experimenting and trying new things. The Doom engine is wonderful, and the sourceports - updates to the engine that give it optional new functionality and ensure it runs on the latest hardware - make it a breeze to work with. But there are a few specific limitations and areas that let it down.
Doom is at its weakest when trying to represent organic or outside environments. The engine is limited to flat surfac es with no sloping, which is perfect for representing the corridors of a high tech base, but not so great for the yard outside. I wanted to tackle this problem, and it was hugely motivating and exciting to try. My level includes a large outdoor courtyard and a labyrinthine cave
system - precisely the type of things you should avoid in a Doom map - but trying to tackle har d problems and push boundaries is what excites me.
My mindset shifted from “making a Doom map” to “solving a problem that no one had really cracked, in over twenty years”. I know that might sound silly. After all, it’s just a Doom map. But don’t be afraid to get excited about and find meaning in e ven the smallest things.
In short my solution drew on the fact that nature often organises in repeating geometric patterns, and since the release of Minecraft, people have been open to more abstract representations of reality, and have come to understand that lack of graphical fidelity or literal realism is no barrier to immersion.