Starting my first map, which mode?

TriadAlfa

L1: Registered
May 20, 2008
10
0
I have been planning some maps for a while and starting to make one of those in hammer.

Are some of the modes harder to make for a starter? And im not meaning the planning part or getting the flow and balance etc, but the technical part in the hammer.

I would maybe like to build a payload map but somehow i got the feeling there might be more things to be done than in cp for example.
 

TheDarkerSideofYourShadow

L10: Glamorous Member
Apr 12, 2008
792
286
Not only for the simplicity of the I/O and entity setup, but for the symmetrical maps as well, ctf is by far the easiest.

If I had to rate modes from easiest to most difficult, I'd say:

ctf -> arena -> linear cp (granery) -> non linear cp (gravel pit) -> multi-round cp (dustbowl) -> pl -> tc

Still, you should probably take a look at the different tutorials (both here and the wiki) and determine at which level you feel comfortable. Good luck!
 

Dox

L8: Fancy Shmancy Member
Oct 26, 2007
588
62
If its your first map, you probably arent going to want to release it anyway (no one's first map is ever really good). Use it as a learning experience.

Try to have doors with multiple brushes, good displacements, complex entities. experiment with skyboxes, try to emulate the TF2 style. Your map will turn out better and your second map will be so much easier once you figure out all of that stuff. on that train of thought I recommend PL, its more difficult so you will learn more faster hopefully.... and PL is more fun to play :p
 
T

The Asylum

CTF is the easiest kind of map to make. Make one base and half of the middle ground. Copy, Paste, Flip, and retexture. Flag here, flag there, BAM. Done.

CP and PLs are more difficult, because of balance issues (like how long should the final cap take in relevance to the defending team's spawn room location) and the number of entities you have to fiddle around with.

With Arena, as it stands now, you have to actually open up your VMF in notepad and copypasta I/O code, so beginners won't have much fun with that.
 

grazr

Old Man Mutant Ninja Turtle
aa
Mar 4, 2008
5,441
3,814
Once you learn how to create round gates (which was randomly very difficult for me to grasp) you pretty much have it in the bag. Once you understand that concept you can pretty much tackle anything other than the payload track. Since any round based game, cp, tc, pl, will incorporate these and other methods of control involving the same basic I/O functions.
 

Altaco

L420: High Member
Jul 3, 2008
484
120
No u don't. Notepad 4 n00bz how don't know what that I\O means and try to copy valve.

Arena is the easiest.

What.

Just create the entity, and add a custom keyvalue. Also use real words please.
 

TriadAlfa

L1: Registered
May 20, 2008
10
0
Thank you guys,

maybe then it´s ctf for practice and then try to get a working pl map.

The more i play TF2, the more i like pl maps. Could be just that among Valve made maps the payload ones are most fun now.
 
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