Just a major question thats been rolling around my head for a while. Just want to hear how you usually start a map, may it be starting with ground, houses, the choke point... etc., and how you end the map may it be the ground, houses, and choke point.

Oh and how many times do you become frustrated and for what types of things...

Ill start.

I usually start with the ground, make is look fancy, and i try to copy layouts of roads in pictures and such, then leave open spaces for houses and other things, then were I think a bridge or shards should go, I put them in. I usually end the map with lighting and sprites, make it fancy and such. I will do a few compiles and change thigns I think need to be changed. And I hate it when you build something exactly how you like it and end up making it look totally reall, and then when you go into game the r-speeds are like 4000.

Maybe so mapping newcomers could get a good idea of how to start if we keep this thread real.

I don't know why but I've always start mapping in the middle point of the map, Then I work towards the allied side of the map and then I do the axis side, pretty weird though. now I'm working on a beachmap and I've started with the beach this time,

Get inspired by something, come up with vision in my head. Build it in hammer, sit back, observe and come up with some ideas of what I can do with it. Most of the time it usually ends up being the "spawn" unless I come up with something else. Once I work onto that I usually start working on a layout with this "piece" in mind.

I usely draw it on paper write down every detail and every entry im going to use and where im going to place it

I work in alot of different ways.

Usually I sketch out a basic layout on paper and then build from the ground up in Hammer.

Detail comes last for me, I like to get the basic geometry done before I add detail.

i start by making a building, then i put it vaguely where i want it, and then i build around it. i build quite randomly, whatever im in the mood to build :) and i end with a nice long compile.

i usually start with one brush...then maybe in a few hours if i try hard enough i can get two brushes down....but then i try to not get ahead of myself so i slow down

Originally posted by ender
Get inspired by something, come up with vision in my head. Build it in hammer, sit back, observe and come up with some ideas of what I can do with it. Most of the time it usually ends up being the "spawn" unless I come up with something else. Once I work onto that I usually start working on a layout with this "piece" in mind.


holy ****...perfectly describes what i do too.



^^^they dont let you swear anymore? geez....

actually thats a good idea, draw it on paper, for the map im doing right now ive got 6 A4 pieces of paper FULL of diagrams both 3d and 2 d layouts. best place to start. and end with a release :)

drawing out the layout of your map is important, but it doesn't need to be too detailed

With me, I find that I need a semi-detailed layout drawn out, otherwise, I turn out absolutely nothing... :(

I use graph paper to design my levels, then tweak them in Hammer for varied elevation and such.

I usually start off with either the centerpiece or whatever is going to be the level's visual climax. Like when I was working on a Bastogne map I started with the Door of Trier which is a big tower leading into a church yard area.

I make a house, then another one. Then it just goes wild. I used to draw layouts but i never stick to them. I just map as I please. I ushally try to sky box the map in sections because its annyoing to go back and do sky boxing for like 2 hours straight.

-Plato

I just start with an idea. The map will begin at one spawn or the other, and progress in a quite linear sweep fasion across the grid. I have yet to release anything, but I hope to throw something out for people to play with after v1.0 is released. The majority of my maps get abandoned, and sometimes parts are "salvaged" from them for other maps.

Yeah, I usually start with a landmark (i.e. fountain, statue) and build around it.

I randomly makes omething and build the map from it. My axis spawn so far has moved its overall postion in the map twice, and is now being turned into the centre.