3d level editor
Author: m | 2025-04-24
A WebGL 3D level editor utilizing Three.js and physijs - GitHub - drealnn/3d-Level-Editor: A WebGL 3D level editor utilizing Three.js and physijs :department_store: Level editor for 3D games like GTA 1 and 2 - sergiss/level-editor-3d
xem/3D-level-editor: css3d level editor - GitHub
To release publiclyMultipurpose game engines (2010+)Recall the importance of the level editor to the level designer's consolidation of power during the golden age. The level editor was literally where you binded assets and code together to implement gameplay.Today, that binding function has become the main focus of generalized multipurpose game editors integrated into modern 3D game engines Unity, Unreal, and Godot. The game editor is where artists and coders do their work too, it's no longer reserved solely for the level designer. In fact, these tools don't even have robust built-in 3D construction capability anymore. Industrial hyperspecialization meant level construction was now understood an art task, not a generalized design task -- prompting middleware engine providers to neglect construction tools. The continued lack of these tools perpetuates the cycle of sidelining level designers. It's ironic that this tool design descends from level editor tools, yet level designers arguably can't really use them to do level design today. Future(s) of level design (2011-present)Level design is no longer just one thing, it has split into different practices and understandings:Postlevel design: popular game genres today rely much less on traditional level designersLocal level design: players do informal level design for each other, rather than industry or craftRetro renaissance: return to golden age construction and design valuesWe argue that Hammer was essentially the last level editor tool. Maybe there are no new level editor tools because traditional level designers are no longer needed for many popular game genres today.Consider the perceived decline of big-budget AAA commercial single player 3D action games in the late 2010s, the rise of the multiplayer battle royale format, and the second death of the immersive sim genre -- a FPS-RPG hybrid subgenre that relied heavily on detailed level design. Perhaps popular trends and game genres have simply moved on, and the types of games that "need" traditional capital-L capital-D Level Designers are gradually losing relevance (and/or market value to investors.)Minecraft (2011) is the most popular first person game of all time, and Fortnite (2017) is perhaps the most popular shooter game of all time. Yet for our purposes, it is debatable whether Minecraft or Fortnite have level design. Minecraft relies on procedural generation to seed randomized spaces without specific experience design intended by a human designer. Pacing emerges from statistical resource distributions defined by biome code. "Building" is understood as a game system and amateur communal activity, not as
Autotiles 3D - Tilemap Level Editor
A microwave expander that makes enemies 80 meters height. Secrets for Dukematch, with picture examples (.bmp) and cheats. Over 40 sound mods. (German)Super Duke - Volume 2Super Duke Volume II (CDV Software, 1996) has 180 new extra levels. There are also configurations to modify the difficulty, add more blood and violence, and more. There are also 43 sounds, new sounds for enemies & weapons, 4 updates which bring Duke Nukem 3D to the newest version, and 22 tips, tricks and cheats.Super Duke - Volume 3This CD contains over 600 new levels for Duke3D (380 Dukematch, 220 Single player levels). "Cool" CON files, for example: Drones became cheese (with new art and sound effects), the pistol became a MP5K SMG, on the toilet waits a new alien-creature. Duke3D SP level secret guides with amazing detail, tips for the level editor, sound-lists, palette list etc. Level-starter tools, new music and sound files (German).Super Games Volume 1An undisclosed number of levels for Duke Nukem 3D and other games.The Resident Alien173-level files each with a separate subfolder. A DOS start menu. Also a level editor, Duke Nukem 3D ScreenSaver as shareware. A tool to add animation, a "more blood" patch for more violence. (English/German)The Q FilesLevels for Quake, as the title suggests, but also Duke Nukem 3D and other games.Time of ReckoningContains 1,185 levels for Duke Nukem 3D, plus plenty more for other games.Total Chaos Nukem 3D PackContains 700 levels downloaded from the Internet, where over 160 are for single player, 500 for multiplayerPaper 3D Level Editor - keehanroberts.com
5 Best 3D Video Editors Now, most social media platforms allow users to post short videos. According to a recent survey, people share hundreds of millions of video clips to Facebook and other websites. In result, your videos may be submerged like most video clips. That is why more and more people look for new video technology. 3D video is one of appealing video types. Google even has added a 3D channel for the most popular online vidoe site. However, 3D video is so professional that most video editing software cannot process it. In this article, we are going to identify and share 5 best 3D video editors. 3D Video Editor Part 1: What is 3D video editor? 3D video, standing for three-dimensional video, is a motion video that enhances the illusion of depth perception, hence adding a third dimension. A 3D video editing application has the capacity to process 3D videos using special technology. Since 3D videos have more dimensions than standard videos, you have to use dedicated 3D video editing software to process them. Part 2: Top 5 3D video editors There are hundreds of video editors on market; however, only a few is able to deal with 3D videos. In this part, you can get 5 top 3D video editors. Top 1: Aiseesoft Video Converter Ultimate Aiseesoft Video Converter Ultimate is the highly-recommended 3D video editor for both Windows and Mac users. Convert standard videos to three-dimension videos in one click. Import videos from optical discs and local hard drives. Offer extensive video editing tools, like crop, clip, merge and more. Support over 1000 multimedia formats and portable devices. Keep the original video quality when editing 3D videos. All in all, Video Converter Ultimate is the easiest way to make and edit 3D videos on Windows 10/8/8.1/7 and Mac OS X. Top 2: Adobe Premiere Pro CC Main features: 1. Integrate plentiful video editing tools for designers, bloggers and film makers. 2. Add support for 3D videos, 360 virtual reality content, 4K, and HDR videos. 3. Work on almost all video and audio formats, including HEIC, Sony Venice v2, etc. 4. Extend your video editing platform between mobile and desktop via cloud. Pros 1. As a professional 3D video editor, Premiere Pro CC has a clear and flexible interface. 2. It contains lots of video editing tools. Cons 1. Premiere Pro CC is an expensive pro-level video. A WebGL 3D level editor utilizing Three.js and physijs - GitHub - drealnn/3d-Level-Editor: A WebGL 3D level editor utilizing Three.js and physijs3D level editor - GitHub Pages
(Image credit: Nick Sutrich / Android Central)What you need to knowThe v1.22.1 update for Beat Saber was released on Oculus Quest and SteamVR headsets today.The update adds a new level editor where players can create their own levels in a 3D interface.The level editor is currently in beta and the developer provided a list of known issues, quirks, and planned features coming for the editor in the future.Virtual reality musical rhythm game Beat Saber received an update today that brings a new level editor with more features, but is currently a work in progress with some known issues and bugs.The new level editor added in the v1.22.1 update for Oculus Quest 2 and SteamVR headsets was built with a 3D interface and "designed alongside with the beatmappers," according to Beat Games. It includes some of the latest features introduced in recent updates, such as Variable BPM functionality used in the Electronic Mixtape DLC pack and supports Arcs and Chain blocks added to the game in March.It also includes the new V2 and V3 lighting systems used in the Billie Eilish DLC pack and OST 5, respectively, alongside allowing environmental lighting to be rendered in real-time as a live preview while creating.The level editor for Bear Saber is currently in beta and the developer said it would create more detailed guides for players to better use the feature, but did show it off extensively in a live stream this week and recorded below.Some of the issues listed in the announcement includeA 3D level editor - For Beginners - GameDev.net
*** La aplicación está en inglés, no en español ***!!! IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ THIS - DEMO VERSION LIMITATIONS !!!- You can not share (upload to the game server) your game- Public games are limited, only "Featured" game are available- 3D Model Maker is not availableWHAT IS FPS MAKER 3DIf you like playing 3D games, you might like to create your own game with custom scenes, characters, weapons and design your own gameplay. Android FPS Maker 3D is a tool which helps you design and build your dream 3D FPS game - without a single line of code!BUILT-IN TOOLSFPS Maker 3D has all the tools you need to build your game:- Texture Editor - create or import the graphics items- Object Editor - define the game actors and set their behavior- Level Editor - place your objects and craft the playing areas- Music Maker - compose background music- Model Maker* - make 3D objects (*available on the full version only)Mr Maker 3D Level Editor
What's new in this version: Added:- Modify dimensions menu item to edit dimensions coordinates, color and font size- elevation dimensions to show items height- Selection and editing in 3D view option in the preferences pane to enable selection, modification, furniture moves and rotation, as well as dragging furniture from the catalog in the 3D view- preset postures choice (available for mannequin models in default catalog and in Scopia library)- multi level printing support- Recompute room points item to plan contextual menu- the ability to display Description column in furniture table- license property to furniture libraries and the ability to display License column in furniture table- Modify dimensions dialog box, elevation dimensions, 3D handling option, shelves magnetism and preset postures choice to Sweet Home 3D JS Online- new classes to Sweet Home 3D JS to store home data directly on a server, in IndexedDB or in local storage, with auto recovery management in IndexedDB- to repository Web application and Zip archive to deploy Sweet Home 3D JS on JSP or PHP servers respectively- to Furniture Library Editor the ability to edit light and door/window properties, to add user-defined properties and to customize imported model icons- an option in the preferences pane of Furniture Library Editor and Textures Library Editor to use imported file name directly as furniture or texture name- support for export to JSON format when saved library name ends with .json in Furniture Library Editor and Textures Library Editor- Handled dimensions display in 3D view- Managed magnetized placement of objects in shelf units with the new shelfElevations and shelfBoxes properties- Managed user-defined properties defined in com.eteks.sweethome3d.additionalFurnitureProperties System property with the ability to display them in the furniture table and modify them in Furniture modification panel- Made default category equal to User in furniture import wizard- Fixed textures transparency in YafaRay rendering- Updated JOGL to version 2.5.0 for macOS, Windows 64 bit and Linux 64 bit- Updated Abbot library to version 1.2- Deactivated 3D updates process when the 3D view is hidden- Ensured detached 3D view is visible after opening a SH3D file- Ignored invisible objects under cursor when Select object is chosen in 3D view contextual menu- Other minor bugs fixes and enhancements3d level editor opengl - YouTube
And maybe that's OK."Minecraft building" shares many concerns with level design, but it is also clearly not level designscreenshot of Battlezone (1980) with green wireframe landscapescreenshot of ZZT's (1991) built-in editor, editing a "Castle/Well" boardscreenshot of MapEdit tool by Bill Kirby, editing "Wolf1 Map1"screenshot of Doom Editing Utilities, a fan made editor tool by Raphaël Quinet and Brendon Wyber screenshots of Cacowards 2019 winners "Hocus Pocus Doom" by Jason Allison and "Lost Civilization" by JaskaElectronic Games (vol 2 issue 11, Jan 1995) cover, "The Doom Boom" feature, and the infamous "John Romero's About To Make You His Bitch. Suck It Down." magazine ad for Daikatana (2000)screenshot of Valve Hammer Editor 3.5 editing the map "c1a0" from Half-Life 1, from of "Minima" by Bengal, custom multiplayer map for Quake 3 Arenascreenshot of "Minima" by Bengal, custom multiplayer map for Quake 3 Arenaslides from "Unscaping the Goat" by Ed Byrne for Level Design In A Day, GDC 20112001 Crytek "3D-Level Designer" job post from of 2008 Crytek "Level Designer" job post from of 2012 Crytek "Technical Level Designer" job post from of the popular Unity v3.0 (2010) editor interface, and its total lack of built-in 3D tools beyond a transform gizmoscreenshot of counter-terrorist team spawn in fy_iceworld for Counter-Strike 1.6, by Fantasyscreenshot of Arcane Dimensions (2015-2018), a modern Quake mod emblematic of "retro renaissance". A WebGL 3D level editor utilizing Three.js and physijs - GitHub - drealnn/3d-Level-Editor: A WebGL 3D level editor utilizing Three.js and physijs :department_store: Level editor for 3D games like GTA 1 and 2 - sergiss/level-editor-3d
sho3la/Opengl-3D-Level-Editor: level editor using opengl c
One of the first games to include a level editor ("edit mode"), with claims that solo developer Douglas E. Smith had neighborhood children build levels and even shipped many of their levels as part of the game. Tim Sweeney's influential game ZZT (1991) also featured a built-in editor with integrated ZZT-OOP scripting language, nurturing a sizable community of modders and spurring Sweeney to run official level design contests.One of the earliest popular first person shooters Wolfenstein 3D (1992) did not ship with a level editor, but the tile-based map format was simple enough for a fan named Bill Kirby to reverse engineer a functional editor called MapEdit. By 1993, fans had made hundreds of custom maps and mods, prompting the developer id Software to build better mod support for its follow-ups Doom and Quake. The game engine as social constructionDoom (1993) is widely regarded as the most influential first person shooter of all time. Its main programmer John Carmack popularized the concept of architecting a "game engine", where core engine code like file input/output and rendering was kept separate from the rest of the game code and game data. Since Doom stored its game content in .WAD files ("Where's All the Data"), players could load their own player WADs (PWADs) to mod the game, and these PWADs could swap in custom levels, graphics, sounds, etc.Doom blossomed into a huge cultural phenomenon with a large player base and active modding community that still continues to this day. It represents the beginning of level design as an approachable amateur hobby, stimulating the growth of a level design community and culture.But who really built that level design community and culture? Despite shipping a technical foundation for loading custom WADs, id Software did not publicly release its internal level editor DoomEd. What use is a modding system when there are no tools for modders to use? Much like MapEdit for Wolfenstein 3D, modders were forced to once again reverse engineer their own tools like Doom Editing Utilities (DEU). In this sense, we argue that modders and level designers largely invented themselves as a grassroots hacker practice, with minimal support (e.g. a pledge not to sue) from the commercial game industry.This is also where we must question the popular historical narrative of Carmack as the patron saint of modders. id Software's prior experience with Wolfenstein 3D modders had generated several less-than-purely-altruistic business incentives to supportAutotiles 3D - Tilemap Level Editor : Autotiles 3D is an
Editor and not suitable for average people. 2. It requires professional hardware and takes much time to process videos. Top 3: Corel VideoStudio Ultimate Principal features: 1. Built-in a lot of pro-level tools to edit standard and 3D videos. 2. Split screen into several parts and load multiple images in one frame. 3. Support 3D videos, 4K, 360-degree VR videos and Ultra HD videos. 4. Correct action-cam lens using advanced algorithm. Pros 1. The feature of multipoint motion tracking is powerful. 2. The 3D video editing software works on plentiful output formats, including HTML5 videos. Cons 1. It takes long time to render a 3D video. 2. Users can only edit videos on up to 20 video tracks. Top 4: CyberLink PowerDirector Basic features: 1. Edit 3D videos, 360-degree footage, 4K and Ultra HD videos easily. 2. Stabilize motion, object tracking and titling, and more. 3. Change the video's viewing angle by adjusting the X, Y and Z rotation. Pros 1. The interface is intuitive and easy to navigate. 2. This video editor uses advanced editing control over 3D footage. Cons 1. The color matching feature is weaker than other best video editors. 2. You cannot find trimming in source panel or any other place. Top 5: Pinnacle Studio Ultimate Attractive features: 1. Enhance motion tracking, 3D videos and 360 footage support. 2. Built-in color correction, color wheels, and color-grading tools. 3. Mark multiple in and out points using the four point editing tool. 4. Contain plentiful effects for 3D video and 360 footage. Pros 1. This 3D video editor performs fast rendering in our test. 2. It includes oceans of video effects. 3. Users are allowed to add tagging on 3D videos for sharing on social media. Cons 1. Users reported that it crashes occasionally, especially when editing 3D and 360-degree videos. Part 3: How to edit 3D video We use Video Converter Ultimate as the example to show you how to edit 3D videos simply. Step 1 Install the easiest 3D video editor There are two versions of Video Converter Ultimate, one for Windows 10/8/8.1/7 and the other for Mac OS X. Get the right version and install it on your computer. Then start the 3D video editor and click the Add File menu to import the videos you want to edit. Step 2 Edit videos and turn it to 3D mode Select one of the video in. A WebGL 3D level editor utilizing Three.js and physijs - GitHub - drealnn/3d-Level-Editor: A WebGL 3D level editor utilizing Three.js and physijs :department_store: Level editor for 3D games like GTA 1 and 2 - sergiss/level-editor-3dMr Maker 3D Level Editor Mod apk download - Mr Maker 3D Level Editor
Dukematch levels. Features Remote Ridicule, configuration files & utilities. Also includes FAQs, cheats, hints, walkthroughs, editor tutorials, and demos.Duke Nukem ManiaNewer addition of Duke 3D Mania. Contains over 1,000 levels, and only includes a translated DOS install menu for English, Portuguese and Spanish.Knuke Out 3DContains over 1,200 new levels. (Brazil)Level 02 Duke Nukem 3DA typical add-on CD for games from the mid 90s. Includes: - over 400 new levels - Patches - Cheats - Editors. The CD is menu-driven origin: Austria / Austria.Mega Duke450 Levels. Auto Start menu driven. (German) The contents of this CD is also bundled in a compilation, "Best of Mega Edition" and "Universe of Levels".Mega WAD Vol. 3Has 800 levels for Duke Nukem 3D, plus more levels for other games.More DukeThe CD contains 150 levels for single play and Dukematch, and a level editor.Nuke It series Nuke It v2.0 The Nuke It series by Micro Star Software/CrystalVision includes Nuke It v2.0 (Original), Nuke It v2.01 (Reissue), and Nuke It 1000. Version 1.0 was never publicly distributed. Each Nuke It expansion offers over 300 new maps downloaded from the Internet. In a landmark court ruling that expanded the power of US digital copyright, 3D Realms sued Micro Star Software in 1996 and successfully halted further sales of the series by 1998.Nuke's 3DIt offers more than 100 new levels, 10 TCs / modifications, cheats, a list of secret places and massive tips, tricks and tutorials for Duke-level editor. The CD has an Autostart and can use a graphicalComments
To release publiclyMultipurpose game engines (2010+)Recall the importance of the level editor to the level designer's consolidation of power during the golden age. The level editor was literally where you binded assets and code together to implement gameplay.Today, that binding function has become the main focus of generalized multipurpose game editors integrated into modern 3D game engines Unity, Unreal, and Godot. The game editor is where artists and coders do their work too, it's no longer reserved solely for the level designer. In fact, these tools don't even have robust built-in 3D construction capability anymore. Industrial hyperspecialization meant level construction was now understood an art task, not a generalized design task -- prompting middleware engine providers to neglect construction tools. The continued lack of these tools perpetuates the cycle of sidelining level designers. It's ironic that this tool design descends from level editor tools, yet level designers arguably can't really use them to do level design today. Future(s) of level design (2011-present)Level design is no longer just one thing, it has split into different practices and understandings:Postlevel design: popular game genres today rely much less on traditional level designersLocal level design: players do informal level design for each other, rather than industry or craftRetro renaissance: return to golden age construction and design valuesWe argue that Hammer was essentially the last level editor tool. Maybe there are no new level editor tools because traditional level designers are no longer needed for many popular game genres today.Consider the perceived decline of big-budget AAA commercial single player 3D action games in the late 2010s, the rise of the multiplayer battle royale format, and the second death of the immersive sim genre -- a FPS-RPG hybrid subgenre that relied heavily on detailed level design. Perhaps popular trends and game genres have simply moved on, and the types of games that "need" traditional capital-L capital-D Level Designers are gradually losing relevance (and/or market value to investors.)Minecraft (2011) is the most popular first person game of all time, and Fortnite (2017) is perhaps the most popular shooter game of all time. Yet for our purposes, it is debatable whether Minecraft or Fortnite have level design. Minecraft relies on procedural generation to seed randomized spaces without specific experience design intended by a human designer. Pacing emerges from statistical resource distributions defined by biome code. "Building" is understood as a game system and amateur communal activity, not as
2025-04-24A microwave expander that makes enemies 80 meters height. Secrets for Dukematch, with picture examples (.bmp) and cheats. Over 40 sound mods. (German)Super Duke - Volume 2Super Duke Volume II (CDV Software, 1996) has 180 new extra levels. There are also configurations to modify the difficulty, add more blood and violence, and more. There are also 43 sounds, new sounds for enemies & weapons, 4 updates which bring Duke Nukem 3D to the newest version, and 22 tips, tricks and cheats.Super Duke - Volume 3This CD contains over 600 new levels for Duke3D (380 Dukematch, 220 Single player levels). "Cool" CON files, for example: Drones became cheese (with new art and sound effects), the pistol became a MP5K SMG, on the toilet waits a new alien-creature. Duke3D SP level secret guides with amazing detail, tips for the level editor, sound-lists, palette list etc. Level-starter tools, new music and sound files (German).Super Games Volume 1An undisclosed number of levels for Duke Nukem 3D and other games.The Resident Alien173-level files each with a separate subfolder. A DOS start menu. Also a level editor, Duke Nukem 3D ScreenSaver as shareware. A tool to add animation, a "more blood" patch for more violence. (English/German)The Q FilesLevels for Quake, as the title suggests, but also Duke Nukem 3D and other games.Time of ReckoningContains 1,185 levels for Duke Nukem 3D, plus plenty more for other games.Total Chaos Nukem 3D PackContains 700 levels downloaded from the Internet, where over 160 are for single player, 500 for multiplayer
2025-03-30(Image credit: Nick Sutrich / Android Central)What you need to knowThe v1.22.1 update for Beat Saber was released on Oculus Quest and SteamVR headsets today.The update adds a new level editor where players can create their own levels in a 3D interface.The level editor is currently in beta and the developer provided a list of known issues, quirks, and planned features coming for the editor in the future.Virtual reality musical rhythm game Beat Saber received an update today that brings a new level editor with more features, but is currently a work in progress with some known issues and bugs.The new level editor added in the v1.22.1 update for Oculus Quest 2 and SteamVR headsets was built with a 3D interface and "designed alongside with the beatmappers," according to Beat Games. It includes some of the latest features introduced in recent updates, such as Variable BPM functionality used in the Electronic Mixtape DLC pack and supports Arcs and Chain blocks added to the game in March.It also includes the new V2 and V3 lighting systems used in the Billie Eilish DLC pack and OST 5, respectively, alongside allowing environmental lighting to be rendered in real-time as a live preview while creating.The level editor for Bear Saber is currently in beta and the developer said it would create more detailed guides for players to better use the feature, but did show it off extensively in a live stream this week and recorded below.Some of the issues listed in the announcement include
2025-03-31*** La aplicación está en inglés, no en español ***!!! IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ THIS - DEMO VERSION LIMITATIONS !!!- You can not share (upload to the game server) your game- Public games are limited, only "Featured" game are available- 3D Model Maker is not availableWHAT IS FPS MAKER 3DIf you like playing 3D games, you might like to create your own game with custom scenes, characters, weapons and design your own gameplay. Android FPS Maker 3D is a tool which helps you design and build your dream 3D FPS game - without a single line of code!BUILT-IN TOOLSFPS Maker 3D has all the tools you need to build your game:- Texture Editor - create or import the graphics items- Object Editor - define the game actors and set their behavior- Level Editor - place your objects and craft the playing areas- Music Maker - compose background music- Model Maker* - make 3D objects (*available on the full version only)
2025-04-08And maybe that's OK."Minecraft building" shares many concerns with level design, but it is also clearly not level designscreenshot of Battlezone (1980) with green wireframe landscapescreenshot of ZZT's (1991) built-in editor, editing a "Castle/Well" boardscreenshot of MapEdit tool by Bill Kirby, editing "Wolf1 Map1"screenshot of Doom Editing Utilities, a fan made editor tool by Raphaël Quinet and Brendon Wyber screenshots of Cacowards 2019 winners "Hocus Pocus Doom" by Jason Allison and "Lost Civilization" by JaskaElectronic Games (vol 2 issue 11, Jan 1995) cover, "The Doom Boom" feature, and the infamous "John Romero's About To Make You His Bitch. Suck It Down." magazine ad for Daikatana (2000)screenshot of Valve Hammer Editor 3.5 editing the map "c1a0" from Half-Life 1, from of "Minima" by Bengal, custom multiplayer map for Quake 3 Arenascreenshot of "Minima" by Bengal, custom multiplayer map for Quake 3 Arenaslides from "Unscaping the Goat" by Ed Byrne for Level Design In A Day, GDC 20112001 Crytek "3D-Level Designer" job post from of 2008 Crytek "Level Designer" job post from of 2012 Crytek "Technical Level Designer" job post from of the popular Unity v3.0 (2010) editor interface, and its total lack of built-in 3D tools beyond a transform gizmoscreenshot of counter-terrorist team spawn in fy_iceworld for Counter-Strike 1.6, by Fantasyscreenshot of Arcane Dimensions (2015-2018), a modern Quake mod emblematic of "retro renaissance"
2025-03-28One of the first games to include a level editor ("edit mode"), with claims that solo developer Douglas E. Smith had neighborhood children build levels and even shipped many of their levels as part of the game. Tim Sweeney's influential game ZZT (1991) also featured a built-in editor with integrated ZZT-OOP scripting language, nurturing a sizable community of modders and spurring Sweeney to run official level design contests.One of the earliest popular first person shooters Wolfenstein 3D (1992) did not ship with a level editor, but the tile-based map format was simple enough for a fan named Bill Kirby to reverse engineer a functional editor called MapEdit. By 1993, fans had made hundreds of custom maps and mods, prompting the developer id Software to build better mod support for its follow-ups Doom and Quake. The game engine as social constructionDoom (1993) is widely regarded as the most influential first person shooter of all time. Its main programmer John Carmack popularized the concept of architecting a "game engine", where core engine code like file input/output and rendering was kept separate from the rest of the game code and game data. Since Doom stored its game content in .WAD files ("Where's All the Data"), players could load their own player WADs (PWADs) to mod the game, and these PWADs could swap in custom levels, graphics, sounds, etc.Doom blossomed into a huge cultural phenomenon with a large player base and active modding community that still continues to this day. It represents the beginning of level design as an approachable amateur hobby, stimulating the growth of a level design community and culture.But who really built that level design community and culture? Despite shipping a technical foundation for loading custom WADs, id Software did not publicly release its internal level editor DoomEd. What use is a modding system when there are no tools for modders to use? Much like MapEdit for Wolfenstein 3D, modders were forced to once again reverse engineer their own tools like Doom Editing Utilities (DEU). In this sense, we argue that modders and level designers largely invented themselves as a grassroots hacker practice, with minimal support (e.g. a pledge not to sue) from the commercial game industry.This is also where we must question the popular historical narrative of Carmack as the patron saint of modders. id Software's prior experience with Wolfenstein 3D modders had generated several less-than-purely-altruistic business incentives to support
2025-03-27