A question for all of you who have worked on an arena map

[cornontheCoD]

I haven't been mapping for a while, mostly because I know I won't have the time. Luckily, I have found time for the swamp theme contest, but I eventually want to start creating a full map again.

Now, I expect I will have quite a bit of free time next summer. Yes, I realize that is a year off, but I am curious how long arena maps take to create and finish. I don't want to create an arena map, but rather, a King of the Hill mode (newly announced). I figure they take about the same time to create, but KotH is much, much more fun. I can't create a map for a mode I don't enjoy.

So, I will have about three months to create a map. In your experiences, do you guys think I could create a KotH map in the span of three months, even with a part-time job?

 

[Icarus]

KOTH is probably the easiest mode to map for.

You could probably make one in less than a month

 

[Nutomic]

This always depends on the size and the detailing of a map. A 3-stage-playload map takes much longer than a little arena map, where you can just copy one side from the other and change some textures then. But it also depends on your mapping skill, of course an experienced mapper wont need as much time as someone who just started mapping.

But over all, I think 3 months for a small koth-map is a realistic timeframe.

 

[Freyja]

Depends on the quality.

I guess you could do an orange map in...a day? (Don't. I hate them.)

But yes, 3 months for a fully complete arena map is about right.

 

[Malcolm]

I'm working on my arena map "Mirage" since last year's november. It's my very first map I want to share with the public. I didn't work on it all night and day, but there were times I used to work on it for eight hours a day.
Sounds bad for your target three months, but I'm a perfectionist and reworked almost every piece over and over again, so my time I put into that tiny arena-map is not comparable.

 

[Sgt Frag]

I made a koth map yesterday (well, I started it the night before). About 8 hours before I started on skybox, still have some touch ups to do after testing.

I stayed away from too many details mainly because the nature of it didn't allow for any optimizing. I also wanted it to just be a quick fun experience.
It is not an orange map either

My other arena maps (which still need finished) that are highly detailed are probably a few months of hard work.