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------------------------------------------------------------------------ DEATHMATCH LEVEL DESIGN GUIDELINES - Taking The Mystery Out Of DM Design ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Version 1.0, 21 August 1994 Author: Brian Kidby (thekid@ornews.intel.com) Contributors: Shawn Waller & Dave Henkemeyer (also at Intel) INTRODUCTION ------------ "What is it that makes a good DEATHMATCH (DM) level?" That's the question that I found myself asking ALOT during my countless hours of "pull-yer- hair-out" DOOM level design, and is the main impetus behind this document. The DEATHMATCH is arguably one of the most exciting elements of that wonderful piece of software known as DOOM. It's fast-paced, and a great tension release! During a DEATHMATCH you fight not only the evil monsters that inhabit the DOOM "world", but the intelligence, craftiness, and reflexes of your real-world buddies as well! I love playing DEATHMATCH DOOM! However, I've noticed that the number of independently-created DEATHMATCH levels is DWARFED by the number of single- player/cooperative levels that are available. Many of these levels are very, VERY good, but most are just plain inadequate for DEATHMATCH play. Lately, I've come to believe that levels designed for single/cooperative play and those designed for DEATHMATCH play have separate sets of character- istics, and that some of these characteristics are mutually exclusive. For example, a level containing only Troopers and Sargeants might get pretty boring under single/co-op play, right? Well, under DEATHMATCH, such a level might just be the most exciting! How, you ask? Read on and discover why I think so... I originally began taking notes on this subject for myself, to guide my DEATHMATCH level designing. Since I belong to two separate Doom Level- Designer mailing lists, I decided to compile my thoughts and present them to the others who may find them useful. If you're reading this, I hope there's something useful for you in here. I'd hate to waste your time. Perhaps the reason for the short-supply of good DEATHMATCH levels is that designers don't always know exactly what it is that makes a good DEATHMATCH level. If this is true for you, then maybe my thoughts can help. I begin by listing the rules for various DEATHMATCH play modes. From there, I elaborate on how these modes affect the ways in which levels might be built and populated. Enjoy, and DOOM ON! Brian DISCLAIMER ---------- The following document is a somewhat-organized compilation of notes that I've made while playing and designing DEATHMATCH levels. All of the opinions and observations expressed within are my own and, because I'm only human, are subject to oversight, error, and misinterpretation. This is not intended to be a FAQ. If you want help with problems you encounter while designing DOOM levels, read Tom Neff's comprehensive DOOM Level Design FAQ (DESFAQ11.ZIP, available from infant2). If you want help with particular WAD utilities, contact the authors of the utilities. If you want help with DOOM, contact 'help@idsoftware.com'. Now, on with the show... ---------- I. DEATHMATCH 1.0 ("-DEATHMATCH") RULES A. Non-Nightmare 1. Suicides are not allowed. I'm not sure how DOOM determines whether a barrel-frag is a suicide or not. It's possible that this is a rule of "ethics", but DOOM's README suggests it is enforced in the game's code. I will treat it as the former. Barrels, pits, teleporters, and crushing ceilings should be kept to a mimimum for "-DEATHMATCH" rules. 2. Objects don't respawn. Levels will soon be played out of ammo, health, monsters, etc. B. Nightmare (or "-RESPAWN") 1. Suicides are not allowed. (See A1, above, for thoughts and impact.) 2. Monsters ONLY will respawn. If monsters don't drop ammo when they die, like Troopers and Sargeants do, the level will be nearly un-playable when it has been left bereft of items. Troopers and Sargeants should be used as extra ammo supply for this mode. II. DEATHMATCH 2.0 ("-ALTDEATH") RULES A. Suicides subtract a frag from the coward's frag-count. Barrels, pits, teleporters, and crushing ceilings are acceptable for "-ALTDEATH" play. B. Negative frags are possible. (Side-effect of A, above. See above for design impact.) C. ALL objects respawn within 30 seconds. EXCEPT Invulnerability and Invisibility. May want to reduce the amount of objects laying around. Also, with "-ALTDEATH", there is no need to use Troopers and Sargeants as "ammo supply". III. DEATHMATCH DESIGN IMPLEMENTATION GUIDELINES A. Suicide Zones 1. The number of "suicide zones", such as barrels, pits, teleporters, and crushing ceilings, should be kept to a minimum. 2. Suicide zones should be located away from high-traffic areas. This should keep "cowards" from reaching/utilizing them when they find themselves in their opponent's sights. 3. Suicide zones, when used, should be turned into "homicide zones", where the hazardous objects can be used to optimal offensive potential. ;> Example 1: A room with barrels in it might have a one-way wall or a balcony where a player may wait for his opponents. An opponent enters and BLAM!, the barrels go up in his face! ;> Example 2: A very thin ledge circles a pool of nukage. That ledge passes directly in front of a one-way wall where again, the sneaky marine awaits. As his quarry passes before him, BLAM!, into the drink he goes! ;> ;> B. Monster Placement 1. Troopers And Sargeants. Troopers and Sargeants are actually quite useful to the DEATHMATCH designer, as they are the only monsters (as of v.1.2) that are capable of supplying ammunintion to the players. When all other items in a level have been used, it's kinda nice to stumble across a Sargeant carrying his precious little bundle o' joy! Because the amount of available ammo varies with different DEATHMATCH options, I've outlined my thoughts on Trooper/Sargeant placement according to the "type" of session being played: A. For DEATHMATCH 1.0 W/O "-RESPAWN": Levels should contain ample numbers of Troopers and/or Sargeants, but they should either be widely distributed or contained in "holding pens" that are opened one-by-one over the course of the level. Kind of a "time-release" ammo supply for the players. B. For DEATHMATCH 1.0 WITH "-RESPAWN": Since the Troopers and Sargeants (along with any other beasties) will respawn, abundant numbers of them are not necessary. You may want to throw in a few, however, just to keep things interesting... C. For DEATHMATCH 2.0: Since normal ammunition supplies will respawn, the need for Troopers and Sargeants is reduced even further. The question, then, is this: Do you want your players to have to fight for their ammo, or do you want them to be able to just stumble across it? Only you can decide... D. For levels to be used with ALL THREE of the above: I believe a moderate amount of Troopers/Sargeants, some "wandering", some in holding pens, should suit these levels nicely. Type "A" sessions (DEATHMATCH 1.0 without "-RESPAWN") will need them, while type "C" (DEATHMATCH 2.0) players might simply use them for target-practice. NOTE: Because every DEATHMATCH player has different tastes, you really have to anticipate that your level will be played under all three of the above scenarios. There will always be WAD-critics out there, but the moderate approach should make most of them happy. 2. Other Monsters My feeling on the placement of no-ammo-carrying monsters within DEATHMATCH levels is that they are a waste of good ammo. I mean really, if you're playing DEATHMATCH, you really want to be fragging your buddies! However, the placement of "other" monsters may do well to help you create a particular mood or pace for your level. I know that I run like hell when I've got a CyberDemon breathing down my neck! :) BOTTOM LINE: Keep the number of no-ammo-carriers to a minimum, unless you have specific reasons for doing otherwise. C. Weapon Placement 1. "Power" Weapons When I say "power weapons", I'm talking about the Chaingun, Rocket Launcher, and Plasma-Rifle. From my experience, these are the most exciting and effective DEATHMATCH weapons. (The SHOTGUN is my personal weapon-of-choice but, although it packs a mean wallop, it is just too slow to compete in a fast-paced DEATHMATCH.) In the DEATHMATCH sessions I've been a part of, the FIRST goal of the players has been to find the biggest, baddest weapon available. The SECOND was to start using it... ;> My preference is to place these three weapons as far apart from each other as possible. There are reasons for this: a. "Getting The Gun" Placing the power-weapons farther apart forces the players to cover more ground in their quest for their killing machines. By covering more ground, the players are forced to fight more baddies, cross more "trigger" linedefs, and, probably most importantly, learn the layout of the level better. The game becomes much more exciting, especially since everyone knows that the others are searching too... b. Defending The Weapon From my experience, DEATHMATCH players have a tendency to find a power-weapon and "sit on it", waiting for others to make a grab at it. If the weapons are farther apart, the players won't see much action during their wait, and they'll begin actively "hunting" their opponents sooner. Active hunting makes for a much more exciting game, IMHO. c. Covering Tracks Every DEATHMATCH player I know likes to keep the location of their favorite weapon a secret for as long as possible, so that they don't have to worry about someone else "sitting" on it. If the weapons are farther apart, the chances of an opponent following a player to "his weapon" are reduced. Everyone EVENTUALLY figures out where all the weapons are but, at least for a little while, each of them believes he/she has "the upper hand". 2. Starting-Point Weapons I like to place a shotgun somewhere near every DEATHMATCH starting-point. I do this because I know how I feel running around a level with a pistol, knowing that my buddies are hunting me down with Plasma-Rifles! I simply feel more comfortable with a shotgun in my "hands". Some people don't like putting weapons next to DEATHMATCH starts. However, I feel that the shotgun doesn't eliminate the need to go looking for a more powerful weapon. On the contrary, holding a shotgun seems to give the players I play more confidence to go looking! 3. Chainsaws I just LOVE them chainsaws!!! Not because they do serious close-range damage which (compared shotguns) they don't (even when you can get your opponent to stand still...), but because they are good for helping you know where your enemies are. I like placing chainsaws in rooms with nooks and crannies. Players will hide in the chainsaw room, waiting for the sound of that ol' two-stroke firing up, and BLAM!, another frag! When players are out of ammo, they seem to like using chainsaws rather than their fists. I've also seen players lure other players to them by running their chainsaws. ;> I also love hearing one player chasing another around a large, open area with a chainsaw; "HOLD STILL, DAMMIT!" :) D. Ammo Placement 1. Ammount and Location Like Troopers and Sargeants, the amount and location of ammunition is dependant on the type of DEATHMATCH being played. a. For DEATHMATCH 1.0 W/O "-RESPAWN": For 1.0-No-Respawn there needs to be lots of ammo available, especially if there aren't many Troopers/Sargeants stalking the level. Again, the "time-release" method of putting stashes of ammo in hidden rooms that are opened by "trigger" linedefs works well for keeping the level stocked for a longer length of time. Of course, there should also be plenty of ammo strewn about the rooms and hallways as well... b. For DEATHMATCH 1.0 WITH "-RESPAWN": For 1.0-Respawn there is less of a need for indescriminate ammo placings as Troopers and Sargeants provide plenty of bullets and shells. However, stashes of rockets and energy cells always come in handy. c. For DEATHMATCH 2.0: For 2.0 you can pretty much place ammo anywhere you want. Since it regenerates, you won't need a lot of it. Just enough to tide the players over until more pops up. d. For levels to be used with ALL THREE of the above: Place a small amount of ammo in the "high-traffic" halls, and hide stashes behind "time-release" doors. This should make your ammo, and the enjoyability of the level, last longer. 2. Ammo Quantity Types I believe that the ammo you have _lying_around_the_halls_ should be of the "small quantity" types, ie; "shells" as opposed to a "box of shells", and a "rocket" as opposed to a "box of rockets". This helps eliminate waste on the players' parts. For example, a player with 46 shells will always pick up a "box of shells" to "fill up" his supply. However, a "box of shells" can supply up to 10 shells so, in this situation, there were six shells wasted. Don't get me wrong, I always appreciate finding a box of ammo, but I feel that "boxes" should be strategically placed rather than just strewn about the halls. 3. Backpacks I don't like placing Backpacks in DEATHMATCH levels. With a backpack, it becomes too easy for players to run around gobbling up all the ammo in a level. Then, when they die, all the ammo is gone and the level is "played-out" sooner. Better to place more discrete ammo around the level than to use Backpacks. E. Health Placement I've found that health is very rarely a major concern for DEATHMATCH players. Their primary concern is making sure their frag-counts are higher than those of their opponents. When a player gets low on health, he/she will start looking for "sniper-spots" from which to squeeze out a few more frags before having to pull out the ol' six-shooter again. Of course, stocking health in much the same method as ammo never hurts any... F. Architectures Let me start this section by stating that the layout of DOOM levels is strictly a matter of taste as well as the theme, if any, that the WAD-Author is attempting to create with his level. All DOOM level design is. Here, I just highlight a few of the things that make DEATHMATCH levels enjoyable for me... 1. Large, Open Areas Always fun! Rocket-Launcher or Plasma-Rifle duels across large, open areas are always exciting. Plus, with a large area, players have room to try to avoid their opponents' attacks. 2. Long, Wide Passages Again, the room to run for long distances and dodge attacks makes level much more enjoyable for me. 3. Nooks 'N' Crannies Occasionally, you may want to throw a section of narrow, twisting corridors into your level. Trying to avoid your opponents' bullets becomes harder, but there are advantages: a. Hunting a player through narrow. twisting passages can be quite a rush in itself. He may be lurking around that next corner... b. Nooks and crannies give players lots of places to hide and wait for a good "snipe" from behind. 4. Balconies/Towers It's always fun to watch your opponent walk beneath you, completely unaware of your presence, until you pull that trigger. Power-weapons (outlined above) make balconies/towers extremely useful. 5. "The Fort" Often, players will decide to play a "capture the flag" style of DEATHMATCH, where one person or team will try to defend an area from the others. This area will usually be one containing one of the "power-weapons" mentioned above. This attack/defend style of play makes defensible areas like "The Fort" very fun in DEATHMATCH levels. 6. Obstacles Obstacles always make DEATHMATCH play more interesting, bacause they give players cover from their opponents' fire. Crates, pillars, etc. are good for this. 7. Sniper-Holes Along with balconies and nooks 'n' crannies, Sniper-Holes give players a chance to ambush others. They should always have an escape-rout however, just in case the 'Launcher-toting prey doesn't fall to the floor on the first shot... 8. One-Way Walls Great ambush potential! These can also be effectively used with other architectures (see III.A.3 "Suicide Zones", above for just a few examples). Well, that's about it for my thoughts on DEATHMATCH Level-Design. I know there are designers out there with differing thoughts on the subject. That's what makes this game so great! Please don't take my thoughts as gospel. If you have any other ideas to give me, or problems with mine, please send me an e-mail to the address at the top of this text. If you would like to see your ideas added to this document, say so in your e-mail, and you'll receive a "Contributors" line at the top. SPECIAL THANKS TO: Intel Corporation - For the job and Internet access. id Software, inc. - For the game and support. All Designer-Utility Creators - DOOM wouldn't be half as fun without your products. Gail, my girlfriend - For the patience and understanding. I love you. The 'wad-team' and 'doom-editing' mailing lists - Thanks for all the design-level help. All the 'alt.games.doom' newsgroup-regulars and DOOM-supporters. (Two weeks, guys, two weeks... ;> ) All WAD-Designers - Keep up the good work, because we DO appreciate it!