Nexxen wrote on 2026-02-03, 14:02:

Today I found some old Doom II wads I created. Nothing really interesting as at that time I was using a difficult program that r […]
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Today I found some old Doom II wads I created.
Nothing really interesting as at that time I was using a difficult program that required to put all in perfect order fro vertexes, lines, walls, textures... not like what is available today.

Good memories from 1999-2001.

I decided to try a few hard Doom II levels (the ones with lots of enemies and BFG is mandatory): wow, they are hard! UV Max and that stuff... ouch!
With keyboard only I'm not that good anymore 🤣

I grew into mouse and keyboard and that's how I do it now.

there must be something great about finding your old stuff, i've lost most of my efforts now.

I'm not sure how i'd get along with keyboard only now - yet that's how i played through the entire doom 1 and 2 back then!

gerry wrote on 2026-02-05, 13:16:

Nexxen wrote on 2026-02-03, 14:02:

Today I found some old Doom II wads I created. Nothing really interesting as at that time I was using a difficult program that r […]
Show full quote

Today I found some old Doom II wads I created.
Nothing really interesting as at that time I was using a difficult program that required to put all in perfect order fro vertexes, lines, walls, textures... not like what is available today.

Good memories from 1999-2001.

I decided to try a few hard Doom II levels (the ones with lots of enemies and BFG is mandatory): wow, they are hard! UV Max and that stuff... ouch!
With keyboard only I'm not that good anymore 🤣

I grew into mouse and keyboard and that's how I do it now.

there must be something great about finding your old stuff, i've lost most of my efforts now.

I'm not sure how i'd get along with keyboard only now - yet that's how i played through the entire doom 1 and 2 back then!

We had it tough 😀

It was funny to check my maps but they weren't great.
Map design is a really funny effort as it requires something coherent, comprehensible and challenging (depending on the level).
I hated those smart maps where you had to spot a small button to go further on or not enough ammo to kill enemies.
Planning is important, testing is a time consuming task.

Well, we have plenty of good levels and designers around. IMHO Doom/Doom II aren't done anytime soon.

My new map, Azrieli Towers - Tel Aviv, for WoP!!
https://www.moddb.com/games/world-of-padman/a … /azrieli-towers

+ Quake 1 + 2(test version '97) WinQuake to Q1 played in my PB Club 30 Voodoo 3 PCI.

https://youtu.be/HyU5L_TKh_c?si=qDIufOMh-Onni_Xy

https://youtu.be/IXzg5jDHM0Y?si=KEpFYN3smZBAjUlv

My latest maps: https://www.moddb.com/games/unreal-tournament … ddons/dm-pickle
(Using Ray Dream Studio render for the backround).

Frutiger Aero map: https://www.moddb.com/games/unreal-tournament … m-frutiger-aero

More Frutiger, now for the DNF 2001: https://www.moddb.com/games/duke-nukem-foreve … addons/frutiger

And my latest latest level: MarsNes to the World of Padman: https://www.moddb.com/games/world-of-padman/addons/marsnes

TheChexWarrior wrote on 2026-07-23, 11:18:

My latest maps: https://www.moddb.com/games/unreal-tournament … ddons/dm-pickle

cool to see more, that last one looks intriguing too!

Wow thanks my man, I doing my best so yes!

TheChexWarrior wrote on 2026-07-23, 11:18:

My latest maps: https://www.moddb.com/games/unreal-tournament … ddons/dm-pickle (Using Ray Dream Studio render for the backround […]
Show full quote

My latest maps: https://www.moddb.com/games/unreal-tournament … ddons/dm-pickle
(Using Ray Dream Studio render for the backround).

Frutiger Aero map: https://www.moddb.com/games/unreal-tournament … m-frutiger-aero

More Frutiger, now for the DNF 2001: https://www.moddb.com/games/duke-nukem-foreve … addons/frutiger

And my latest latest level: MarsNes to the World of Padman: https://www.moddb.com/games/world-of-padman/addons/marsnes

I should upload images of my (incomplete) UT2004 levels. Someday.

Forgive me if its been said in this thread already. 11 pages down and I didnt read all of all of them.

Why was there a trend back in the 90s and 2000s to include map editors with games?
There are a few I remember because I remember editing maps on the, which were Warhammer Chaos Gate, Worms, Railroad tycoon, Command & Conquer Tiberium Sun, Command & Conquer Red Alert, Trainz (I got really into this one and mad a massive map for it that took several years).

Why?

ElectroSoldier wrote on 2026-08-03, 16:21:

Why was there a trend back in the 90s and 2000s to include map editors with games?
There are a few I remember because I remember editing maps on the, which were Warhammer Chaos Gate, Worms, Railroad tycoon, Command & Conquer Tiberium Sun, Command & Conquer Red Alert, Trainz (I got really into this one and mad a massive map for it that took several years).

Why?

Same answer as for many other "why was there a trend back in the 90s ..." questions: DOOM.

Yeah but saying DooM is the reason Railroad Tycoon II included a map editor makes no sense at all.

Sure, there were lots of earlier ones like Railroad Tycoon, Stunts, Jetpack, Star Control (if the Scenario editor counts), even Lode Runner... but if those were part of a trend, it was maybe the long tail of the "Construction Set" / "Construction Kit" mini-genre. The whole thing positively exploded with DOOM, which showed that moddability (in more than just the maps) was instrumental in building and keeping a community around a game, and eventually producing extra sales all by itself.

VileR wrote on 2026-08-03, 19:06:

Sure, there were lots of earlier ones like Railroad Tycoon, Stunts, Jetpack, Star Control (if the Scenario editor counts), even Lode Runner... but if those were part of a trend, it was maybe the long tail of the "Construction Set" / "Construction Kit" mini-genre. The whole thing positively exploded with DOOM, which showed that moddability (in more than just the maps) was instrumental in building and keeping a community around a game, and eventually producing extra sales all by itself.

Yeah ok I see what you mean but DooM, at least the versions of DooM that I played on the PC back in the 90s didnt come with the map editor as part of the game you bought!

There were map editors sure but from my memory they were all 3rd party software that you had to go off and hunt for. It wasnt something ID Software provided. So on that basis alone what youre saying is clearly wrong as DooM itself doesnt even fall into the catagory.

I can for instance go onto ebay right down buy a copy of Warhammer Chaos Gate that is as the developer originally intended the customer to buy it. Install it and with just what the publisher wanted you to own at the point of purchase edit maps.
That is NOT what you got with DooM. So it cant be right.

There was a deliberate decision to not encrypt and lock up the WAD format (and allowing PWADs to be loaded with -file), followed with sanctioning FTPs/BBSes in 1994 that would have editing resources. Doom 1.666 would start shipping a FAQ file with a ton of information about custom editors and resources. That's enough goodwill for an editing scene to flourish.

leileilol wrote on 2026-08-04, 01:53:

There was a deliberate decision to not encrypt and lock up the WAD format (and allowing PWADs to be loaded with -file), followed with sanctioning FTPs/BBSes in 1994 that would have editing resources. Doom 1.666 would start shipping a FAQ file with a ton of information about custom editors and resources. That's enough goodwill for an editing scene to flourish.

Im not disputing the fact it was possible to make maps for DooM.
It wasnt part of the game as delivered by the publishers though.
In Trainz it was clearly part of the game that they wanted you from the start to make your own maps, as opposed to something the technically minded might want to do.

Warhammer Chaos gate, the editor was baked into the game, in DooM it isnt.

That its baked into the game is the trend.

ElectroSoldier wrote on 2026-08-04, 02:38:

In Trainz it was clearly part of the game that they wanted you from the start to make your own maps, as opposed to something the technically minded might want to do.

there was a trend, i think the ability to create maps was a feature and a way of helping create a "scene" around a game to encourage uptake/sales. There are lots of late 90's/early 2000's games with very comprehensive game/map editors. I'm not sure it has a specific start end, but Duke3d Build was very popular as it was there with the game, i'm not sure how it is in modern games - but i remember far cry and others around the 2000's having really quite sophisticated map editors

I have never, but I want to make a doom map so badly. When I finally finish some other projects and have time I will start my first DOOM map. Cant wait.

I tried to create a map for StarQuake (Bubble Bus 1980s Speccy, CPC, BBC, C64 and Atari 800 and ST I think). It was taking forever. Once I read the back of the box I realised why. 512 screens, I mean really! In the end I played it so much I pretty much managed to memorise the map though I still used to get lost from time to time.

Several computer mags would publish hand drawn maps from time to time. One I remember was for Auf Wiedersehen Monty. It was drawn by Ric Lumb who I later got to know in the Retro Remakes community.

Dame1701 wrote on 2026-08-04, 21:18:

I tried to create a map for StarQuake (Bubble Bus 1980s Speccy, CPC, BBC, C64 and Atari 800 and ST I think). It was taking forever. Once I read the back of the box I realised why. 512 screens, I mean really! In the end I played it so much I pretty much managed to memorise the map though I still used to get lost from time to time.

Several computer mags would publish hand drawn maps from time to time. One I remember was for Auf Wiedersehen Monty. It was drawn by Ric Lumb who I later got to know in the Retro Remakes community.

Yeah I remember making maps on games on a BBC Micro game.
Users creating maps for games pre dates DooM by quite a long time so the idea that it all came from DooM doesnt cut it on any level for me.
DooM might have made it popular but it didnt start it, and it sure didnt start the game dev craze for making map editors part of the game you make.

You're absolutely right, it started way before DooM, we were creating maps right back in the early 80s. There are plenty of archived magazines you can find online that prove it too. Didn't DooM have a map key that would show the level map anyway?

Doom was a catalyst though! Construction kit/board editor games couldn't really capture the zeitgeist. Doom did.

There were also editors for Wolf3D sure but that game is extremely flimsy for supporting creations. Most often Wolf3d mods were just directly modified shareware versions.