Hey,

I've fooled around with mapping for Half-Life 1, and mainly on a small mod called Firearms. It's been about a year and a half since I touched Hammer and I feel like a newbie. Way back then Chaincraft was enough for me to get me going but now, with source, it seems I'll need a lot more. I have so many ideas for a great map, I've written it down and drawn some sketches for areas. Herein lies the problem, I can't quite get the source mapping down well enough. I have no idea what these new things like "no draw" and such are for. So, I guess what I'm asking is to be pointed in a direction for some great tutorials. I know there is a tutorial section but I'd like some fresh ideals, if that's all right. Also, if someone is generous enough, perhaps some live help on MSN or AIM. I'll give out my SN's upon request. In advance thanks for reading, and I hope to pump out a map everyone will like.

Lego/Matt

Try These (http://www.hl2world.com/wiki/index.php/Category:MappingTutorials)


I was reluctant too when I started mapping for Source. It's a completely different engine than HL1, and I'd have to learn all sorts of new things.

It really isn't all that different though. Gotta worry about cubemaps and displacements and all that now, but overall, I find mapping for Source easier than for HL1. (Not including bugs and the like that Hammer seems to have at the moment)

Firearms rocked! Do you ever goto the WAW forums? Anyway, here are some good tutorials:

www.interlopers.net

http://www.akilling.org/akg/

http://www.snarkpit.net/editing.php?page=tutorials&game=HL2&type=architecture

http://www.editlife.net/entity.php?name=point_viewcontrol

http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Category:Level_Design

Some of these may be links to specific tutorials; if they don't help just goto the sites main page and choose whatever you want.

I used to play FA, all those years ago. Here's some more for you:

http://www.hl2world.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

http://www.gamedesign.net/node/775

This is a nice simple explanation of nodraw: http://www.gamedesign.net/node/779

Interlopers as mentioned by mahhag is fantastic as it has loads of tutorials

A good read on optimization: http://www.student.kun.nl/rvanhoorn/Optimization.htm#chapter1

There's loads out there, google "hl2 tutorials" as well.

Good luck

Thanks for the responses and I'll make sure to check out those tutorials as soon as possible. Firearms was and still a great game unfortunately the community ultimately killed it. As for source mapping I noticed the difference in opportunities for the uniqueness in maps so I hope to use that as an advantage.

Mahhag, surprised to see you here. I browse the WaW forums a lot, mainly the OTF but.. it'll never compare to the FA OTF. Glad to see a semi-familiar name on these parts. :D

By the by, I was wondering if anyone knows off the top of their heads if anyone has made maps based around Band of Brothers?

I know what you mean about it being daunting mapping for the source engine. I used to map for the unreal engin until I had to make a HL1 map at university.

Then when i bought HL2, I had more of an incentive to map for the source engine.

On the tutorial side, many tutes for stuff like CS:S can be used for finding out how to do things.

FireArms isn't a small mod at all.

They are releasing a new version for source as well :D