A running list of why your map is terrible:

What Is Schwa

L6: Sharp Member
Jan 13, 2008
375
445
1) Too big. I don't like walking in real life. I don't want to play TF2 Walking Simulator

2) Your transitions are awful. I am dizzy from turning three 180's in a row. Rethink that shit!

3) Your spawn room isn't clever. Put me two inches from a door and let me hold W until I'm out of there.

Edit: To makes things crystal clear
 
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DJive

Cake or Death?
aa
Dec 20, 2007
1,465
741
Try to be a bit more constructive Schwa.

1. What can they do to correct the size? Links on helpful information.

2. Explain your meaning on transitioning and how it can be improved. Links on helpful information.

3. describe what you mean by "cleaver" and is there helpful links that will help make it better suited as a proper spawn?
 

Sgt Frag

L14: Epic Member
May 20, 2008
1,443
710
What I think he means:

1- nobody likes huge maps, long walking times to get to fight. Unfortunately everybody always complains walk times are too long. Best thing to do is to walk out sections of Valve maps which are proven to work pretty good, do it with a standard class like pyro that has an average speed and can't jump/shortcut.

20 seconds is about the time it takes for people to get grumpy and it's usually only payload Valve maps that can be longer (off top of my head). But then you get a dispenser and better chance to survive for awhile.


2-transitioning is areas between points. paths need to curve to give cover and be interesting, and to help optimize your map. But mazes are not fun. Put a couple 90 degree corners in, not 180's. The players skill points should go towards fighting, not navigating tunnels.

For instance, if you go through a door that leads to stairs, you should be able to take a pretty straight path from door to stairs. Not turn right, go backwards, get on stairs, turn left, go foward. Just a nice smooth flow.

3- large spawn rooms that take 20 seconds to get out of. Same as #2 really. It should be a pretty straight path straight out the door.
An example I noticed a few days ago, in Hoodoo you go out of spawn, take a tight jig around a dumptruck, stumble on a hole in floor and then deal with enemy. Adding the jig around dumptruck and uneven floor just makes it hard and breaks the flow.
In Egypt you have 20 seconds of tunnels to get to spawn door in one of the stages. It's dark and confusing. Poor spawn room design is not clever, it's annoying.

Badwater has a few exits from tunnel for Blu (1st stage), but it only takes 3-4 seconds to get but and the tunnel is 'cover' to stop spam. It's not excessively big/twisty...
 

nik

L12: Fabulous Member
Aug 14, 2009
987
564
4) You used the same textures for the floors as the walls. [dev]

5) You used the same prop too many times.

6) Your map is fullbright.

7) You don't have cubemaps.
 

What Is Schwa

L6: Sharp Member
Jan 13, 2008
375
445
Try to be a bit more constructive Schwa.
Sure thing! When you hear a wooshing sound overhead, it means you aren't tall enough to receive jokes. Keep growing!

1. What can they do to correct the size? Links on helpful information.
Why, make it smaller! Select everything in your map by finding the MAP tab and selecting "Map Properties." Next, hit ctrl-m to bring up the transformation window. Finally, select the "Scale" bullet and in each of the x, y, and z values type in 0.25. Presto!

2. Explain your meaning on transitioning and how it can be improved. Links on helpful information.
My apologies! When learning to map there is a lot of rough lingo you have to get used to. Here is a helpful place to search when reading these forums.

3. describe what you mean by "cleaver" and is there helpful links that will help make it better suited as a proper spawn?
Ooops! Did I say cleaver? Man. My face is red!
 

Sgt Frag

L14: Epic Member
May 20, 2008
1,443
710
Why, make it smaller! Select everything in your map by finding the MAP tab and selecting "Map Properties." Next, hit ctrl-m to bring up the transformation window. Finally, select the "Scale" bullet and in each of the x, y, and z values type in 0.25. Presto!
[/QUOTE]

Presto, insta tiny map. I wouldn't really say that's good advice. That would require a map to be 400% larger than it should be to work right. It would require walls be at least 32 units wide...
 

What Is Schwa

L6: Sharp Member
Jan 13, 2008
375
445
I'm with drp on this
HEY! No making up stuff.
if your going to come up with a list like this, you should be a little more constructive.
I agree, constructive criticism is the pillar upon which this site is built. When discussing a specific map the more specific you can be really helps. I would sincerely appreciate if you deconstructed my original post and elaborated the ways I could improve. Thanks!
 

Fruity Snacks

Creator of blackholes & memes. Destroyer of forums
aa
Sep 5, 2010
6,394
5,571
1) Too big. I don't like walking in real life. I don't want to play TF2 Walking Simulator

2) Your transitions are awful. I am dizzy from turning three 180's in a row. Rethink that shit!

3) Your spawn room isn't clever. Put me two inches from a door and let me hold W until I'm out of there.

Your right, I apologize, allow me to provide some better criticism.

1) Whats too big? the map? intel room?. You should be more specific here. Sometimes though, big can be okay, as long as sightlines are everywhere.

2) What transitions are you talking about? Textures, gameplay (like multi-stage maps)? Again, be specific. If this is a way to help newer mappers, you should really make it so they can understand what your saying.

3) Clever? Not sure what you mean. Most spawn rooms are fine, as long as they are not absolutely huge and take half of set up time to get out of, mostly anything could go, as long as the resupply lockers (if applicable) are placed near the doors.

Another piece of constructive criticism, your title of this thread makes it sound like the mapper is a horrible terrible person and that they should stop mapping (also makes it sound like an impending troll/flamefest). If you intend for this to be helpful, then try and change it (or get it changed) to something less harsh. Try like "List of things that should be considered when mapping"... or something like that.

EDIT: Sorry, I saw the D in DJive and thought it was drp. My B.
 

What Is Schwa

L6: Sharp Member
Jan 13, 2008
375
445
your title of this thread makes it sound like the mapper is a horrible terrible person and that they should stop mapping (also makes it sound like an impending troll/flamefest). If you intend for this to be helpful, then try and change it (or get it changed) to something less harsh.
Good point. If an admin would like the change the title to "A running list of why your map is terrible, and a lesson on indefinite articles." I would appreciate it.
 

grazr

Old Man Mutant Ninja Turtle
aa
Mar 4, 2008
5,441
3,814
Not exactly what i would call a comprehensive list of common map faults.

Such as:
Poor indoors lighting
Low ceilings
Over scaling
Under scaling
Unbalanced walk times
Unbalanced spawn times
Extensive LoS's
Narrow corridors
CP's cap to fast
CP's cap too slow
Too much ammo (engi griefing)
Not enough ammo
Not enough health
Too many doorways
Generally any dynamic door in the play area
Use of coloured lights
 

honeymustard

L9: Fashionable Member
Oct 26, 2009
698
573
Your overlay ratios are wrong. If the overlay is 512x256, the width should be twice the height!! Get it right when you're resizing your overlays.

this mainly happens with the calendar overlay in spawn rooms.
 
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What Is Schwa

L6: Sharp Member
Jan 13, 2008
375
445
Don't feel bad Tovi. I like a thicker pin up girl.