/vr/ - Retro Games

Shit-tier mapper here, trying to improve a little. This might be a stupid question but do you guys have any tips for adding meaningful verticality to my maps? I feel like I'm stuck on a formula of having stairs or elevators that lead to rooms/areas that feel distinctly separate from their neighboring areas and I'm not really sure how to fix that.

Is there a better resource than Dumptruck for learning Trenchbroom? He seems alright but I don't know if I'm getting fed garbage information or if his videos are missing important notes.