WADED

Ah, WADED. This editor is surely older (obviously, since it's DOS-based), but it does the job fine. It's probably one of the first line-based editors, in the sense that you have to first draw "blank" lines on the map (they will appear purple) and then you need to select those lines, press the "Create Sector" button towards the bottom of the screen and wait for WADED to assign them automatically. This is doubtless one of the neater features of the program; this way, you're saved the trouble of assigning SIDEDEFs and SECTOR-references to the LINEDEFs you make. But enough about that one feature, there's plenty more about WADED that will make the experience all the better (but one thing will probably spoil it for you... :/ ).

One of the other good parts to WADED is that all THINGS placed on the map are given a cute little icon; you can probably find similar features in editors like WADAuthor and DEEPSea if you don't know exactly what I'm talking about. But if you've either used WADED before or you do know what I'm talking about, you'll probably agree that it makes the editing process a whole lot easier and faster when you have alot of things in one particular room.

Also in addition to these other smaller features, WADED was one of the first editors to have support for Heretic; just point the program to your Heretic IWAD and start mapping! No need for having to download a separate program just to edit your favorite DOOM-based fantasy game (this is the only real reason I don't like HEU). Heretic mapping is just about the same as DOOM mapping, but be wary, the cute icons that decorate your Heretic map are pretty much useless; WADED confuses them with the DOOM things very often, since WADED is different from the other editors mentioned earlier that support THING-icons (WADAuthor and DEEPSea) in the sense that WADED doesn't use sprites from the IWAD (and optionally, PWADs), but it uses it's own set of icons for the THINGs.

Now here's the real down side to WADED; You have to pay for it... Yup, you have to pay for a DOOM/Heretic Editor. Just like bullshit-DEEPSea (and IIRC, you have to pay for DEEP too); but if you're into punishing yourself while editing and dig the line-based editing, it will be worth the 14.99$.

That's all for now, this page brought to you by Darkhaven3 of Doomworld, and soon to come: a little tutorial on how to use WADED!