[SOLVED] Need Beta Testers

[Putmalk]

What I do when I'm unsure on how to map is open up two level editors (although this is easy for me because I have dual monitors).

On my left monitor is my map, and on the right is a map from Frictional Games (pick a trope that you work with, such as if I'm using mansionbase, I'll open up archives or study). Now, I examine how they laid out their maps in their map, and then I use that as inspiration for my own. For example, in the image I posted above, I used the study as a backbone, but I didn't copy anything from it, I merely used it as inspiration as I mapped out my area. You have to have an idea, such as "Do I want this map to be a destroyed mansion, a ruined castle, murky dungeon area, prison section, etc?". Then you have to map from there. The reason I had so much problem with your map is because it was nothing...it was a mansion with absolutely no flavor, empty rooms, corridors, etc. It wasn't fun to explore or play, because there was nothing keeping me involved.

As for specific tips:
1. When designing bedrooms, there are a few great entities to consider: bed_nice, work_desk/door, table_nice_round, mirror_broken (ornaments), cabinet_nice, chest_of_drawers_nice/broken, chairs, paintings (ornaments), sofa, armchair, stove_corner, and the desktop entities.
2. When I make windows, I almost always have curtains in front of them (static objects -> ornaments).
3. When I design corridors, don't make them so long. Add twists and turns in them, and have the player THINK something will happen, when in reality nothing happens. Also, corridors should merely link series of rooms together, for example, check out this early screenshot from my guest hall map:


  guesthall_dev.jpg (Size: 107.5 KB / Downloads: 161)

The rooms are interestingly laid out across the corridors, and they have turns in them to make them a bit more claustrophobic to navigate.

4. There are three types of monster spawns: 1. Poofers, which should be used sparingly throughout a map, 2. Scenic, which should be used to build atmosphere (i.e., monster walks across a hallway but is too far away to be a threat), and 3. Dangerous (everyone knows this). Dangerous encounters should happen in the darkest of places, or in claustrophobic encounters, and not every other second. We should navigate the maps in fear that the monster will show up, not on the expectation that it does. I absolutely hardly ever use monsters in my map, but I sometimes make their presence known, and feared, that they will show up. It's all in the atmosphere, mate.

5. DO NOT ABUSE KEY PUZZLES! It is not fun to do, and it doesn't make much sense. I can't remember any building in which the rooms were laid out in series, and every door was locked, and there was a key to open every door in that room. No, locked doors should be used sparingly, as a means to advance to the next area, but require exploration or puzzle-solving to fix. And don't hide keys in the dumbest of places, such as suits of armor or whatever. Nobody, repeat, nobody wants to play that. That's just a scavenger hunt. No, place keys on desks and stuff, really obvious to spot, but make the exploration throughout the rooms fun to experience. This means good map design and scares. For example, I think I use key puzzles twice in my custom story (so far). The first one requires the player to locate the lantern in a different map, then traverse the same map to open the door on the other side. In fact I have video of that here:





That whole video is one long key search, but notice how I add differences in the map after the player picks up the key (the staircase collapses and a monster spawns). That makes it fun, in my opinion, to explore. Mindlessly searching for keys is boring, make it an journey to get the item.

6. Jump scares. Oh man, this goes back to the poofers and naked men that I hate so much. They're not immersive at all, and they really suck to play with. My scares are sound and mind focused. Background noises, random wind blows, lamps going out, creepy noises, voices, etc. All these contribute to an uneasy atmosphere. Frictional Games spends two whole maps (rainy hall and old archives) establishing these same atmospheric principles. Jump scares happen like five times throughout the whole game, the rest are very subtle or not jumpy at all. When going for a scare, try adding loud events that happen away from the player, such as staircases collapsing, trees falling, a table knocking over, etc. Adding music also helps this. These skills will get better as you continue to map.