coming up with a design process

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Ezekel

L11: Posh Member
Dec 16, 2008
818
245
as i'm only a new mapper, i'm still coming up with good design processes and still looking back at things i've done and saying "next time/map i will do things this way instead"

one thing i wanted to query though is when it comes to prettying up a map after you've got gameplay sorted, do people tend to lean towards doing it as is on the map, or copying to a new hammer map the basic blocks of a particular part (e.g. the spawn room and surrounding building) and building it there seperately and copying it back into the map when done?

i can see advantages to doing this way, as it means shorter compile time, which is useful when you're only interested in seeing the effect of a single new light source (for example)
however the downside is several files, which can lead to confusion for the mapper, and may mean when you put things together again, they don't quite gel because they were made seperately (and it will be plain to see that).

which way do the vets/pros tend to lean towards?

small note: i'm not reffering to how you detail/texture. i know the good tips regarding that, like not over/under doing props/details and emphasis on areas well traveled like near doorways and not putting too much in high action areas. of course any advice there isn't gonna be ignored, but i'm more concerned with the actual building process methods mentioned above
 
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TotalMark

L6: Sharp Member
Feb 13, 2008
331
78
Stuff like spawnrooms usually look out of place anyway,(tile and concrete behind a wooden facade?) spytech areas seem to be the same way.

Making little buildings as prefabs and sticking them in is normal as far as I know.

As far as mapping itself goes, don't get stuck doing the details, start off with simple boxes and work on stuff a little at a time.

What should that box be? Should it be an unreachable area or should it be a full fledged building?

Hope this helps.
 

Ezekel

L11: Posh Member
Dec 16, 2008
818
245
thanks to both of you.
that was an interesting read pyscho, but didn't really answer my question.

total mark: "Making little buildings as prefabs and sticking them in is normal as far as I know."
thanks, that addresses my question.
i'd still like to hear from others though, about if they do it that way or prefer to keep it all on the map in order to see the big picture.

i don't actually have problems with making the gameplay side of the maps. i start with pen/paper, then orange box (well i usually give different floors different colours, but it's essentially the same), etc.

i don't see why spawn rooms should stick out. e.g. gravelpit's spawn rooms fit into the map very well, particularly the blue one
 

Psy

The Imp Queen
aa
Apr 9, 2008
1,706
1,491
Well, you don't need to copy sections of a map to a separate file, you can simply use the cordon tool.
 

Laz

L420: High Member
Jul 5, 2008
461
35
Stuff like spawnrooms usually look out of place anyway,(tile and concrete behind a wooden facade?) spytech areas seem to be the same way.

well tf2 is about secret bases with a cover. So the outside looks like a farm, a granary, a quary, a whatever, but once past the doors you are inside the base.
Think Evil genius Lairs. Hidden inside a volcano, etc

so in a weird way, it does look in its place.


as far as my process goes,
starting from the blocked out orange map, gameplay largely done etc

do some paintovers. This really works, lets you work fast and creative, just print out some screenshots, and pick up a pen or something and start drawing detail on it. or use your wacom if you have one.

this will give you an idea how the feel and atmosphere of your map will be like.

then I just start mapping in those details. I never work in external maps en copy paste things in. I just do it on the spot. The Cordone tool is very handy :) I usually focus on one area at a time, adjust texturing, add detail, props, adjust lighting,
don't be afraid to be harsh on yourself, if you dont like the result, adjust and keep going over until it is exactly like you had in your head.

but that's just me.
 

Ezekel

L11: Posh Member
Dec 16, 2008
818
245
thanks laz
 

Laz

L420: High Member
Jul 5, 2008
461
35
things, that I do though, is after every session, I save it under a new name, so if I'm not happy with lots of changes, I canjust go back a version.
but Im guessing most people work like that
 

Ida

deer
aa
Jan 6, 2008
2,289
1,372
I do mostly like Laz, but I skip the whole drawing-on-my-screenshots thing. I think it's unnecessary, since I find it easy to just look at a scene and imagine what would go there - but then again, if you find that difficult, then you should probably try that. It's a great idea, after all.

By "mostly like Laz", I'm talking about the way I do all of my detailing from scratch, not copying anything from other maps (unless you count going into another map and looking at textures that would fit in mine).
 

Laz

L420: High Member
Jul 5, 2008
461
35
I find that the drawing on screenshots allows you to quickly try out different things, and see how they look. otherwise you'll just end up using your first idea, and that's not always the best :p

it ends up being detailed much faster, as all the experimenting is done on paper, and when actually sitting down to start the detailing time consuming task of detailing, you already know where to put what.

but whatever floats your boat :D