So I have the manual and I'm using ZED but unfortunately this manual doesn't offer a comprehensive tutorial on getting your map from the editor and then to run in JK. The "saving" tutorial TRIES to do this but following it doesn't get your map to launch. I try to manual launch it from JK and JK crashes. Whats going on? How do I simply play test my Multiplayer map? Are there any video tutorials on JED/ZED?

Ok. I hope you understand how a level pack/episode is structured in JK. JK loads GOB files that have a folder like structure with the actuall levels in a jkl folder, then the scripts in cog folder, models in 3DO, etc. To make an episode/level pack you have to make a project folder which can be considered a GOB file, only it ain't a file, but a folder.
Now, J/ZED creates JED levels/files which can only be read by J/ZED. The JK level would be a JKL file that is stored in the subfolder jkl which is found in the project folder. When you want to test your level, you have to save a jkl file, then run JK with a few switches that points to your project folder (usually J/ZED creates a bat file that you can later on double click).
If JK crashes, then either it is missing resources, or you've got too many. Or something else is wrong either script wise or level wise (one too many vertices here, incorrect normals there, etc).

Give more details and we'll see what we can do. Come on over to JKHub and present your problems there as well. That's where most of the JK Editors have fled to.

/Edward

There's an option to launch the jkl for testing with JED/ZED. I don't remember what it's called off hand, but it's under the 'File' menu. I think it's a combined 'Save .jkl and Run' or something similar.

I can't even get the default box to run. Half the time my episode is empty in the multiplayer screen and the other half its empty but the episode shows up 10-20 times.

You probably don't have a walkplayer

Is it set to Multiplayer? Try changing it back to single player. When you click the Single Player button it should a [Default] or [Demo] or some such option on the left. See if the game runs that way.

Otherwise, make sure you have a walkplayer and that the walkplayer is not only physically in the level, but also that (in object mode) it's sector value matches the sector number of the sector it is in (by default, this should be 0).

It's always been the case that you can't just open a default jed instance and immediately play that in JK. That's why the "saving correctly" tutorial exists. There is more you have to do. If you don't set up the information in the episode editor correctly, it won't work.

Don't listen to Brian, he doesn't know what he's talking about.

It just crashes? or do you get any errors trying to load the map from JK?