Hi, this is sort of an issue that can probably fall under mapper's block.
Essentially, whenever I'm constructing a layout in the editor, I can't help but look at it and feel so horribly uninspired, and think that any chance of it being part of a playable map would just result in a boring time for everyone.
For instance, let's say I create a Control Point atop a raised platform. All I can think when I look at it is, "This has been done countless times before and the entire map will be worthless because of it."
This might be partly the reason why making joke maps (in any game) seems so appealing to me and others - because while you're making it, you're constantly imagining the reaction of people playing it, and that spurs you on.
The only serious map I've released that I consider to be playable, functional, and thought-through is Cowbell, and even when I open that map up, the thought of going through and blocking up parts with Nodraw for optimization, or moving parts of the map and then cleaning up the brushwork left behind just makes me weary.
I've tried making layouts on paper first, and that has been helpful, but idk, I haven't made anything out of it yet.
However, something occurred to me. I watched some of Crash's 72 hour 2015 stream highlights, and it struck me that, had it been me sitting in the chair and working on that map, seeing a spawnroom open up to an empty expanse would have just made me give up on it, even though I know I'd logically make stuff to fill the space, at some point. I might work on making the displacements look nice for a bit, to waste time, and then I'd think I'd done it all wrong by detailing the displacements this early and bin it, thinking that one small action automatically doomed the whole project and whatever it could have become.
And yet, Crash just went for it and created something amazing.
It's for this reason that I respect anyone who's released multiple maps, as I'm sure they've had to deal with this sort of lingering worry and/or many other problems beyond the clunky editor interface.
Maybe it's because while I'm working on it, I'm always imagining that it should have to be the next most popular map included in official rotation or something, and I should lower my standards and just focus on making something fun? Maybe it's because I started out making levels in Doom, where it's so streamlined that you can just draw the levels into the editor, making bulk changes easy?
I dunno, I don't really know where I'm going with this. It kinda helped to get it outta my head into words.
Does anyone else feel the same way? If so, what is it that slows down your progress?
Essentially, whenever I'm constructing a layout in the editor, I can't help but look at it and feel so horribly uninspired, and think that any chance of it being part of a playable map would just result in a boring time for everyone.
For instance, let's say I create a Control Point atop a raised platform. All I can think when I look at it is, "This has been done countless times before and the entire map will be worthless because of it."
This might be partly the reason why making joke maps (in any game) seems so appealing to me and others - because while you're making it, you're constantly imagining the reaction of people playing it, and that spurs you on.
The only serious map I've released that I consider to be playable, functional, and thought-through is Cowbell, and even when I open that map up, the thought of going through and blocking up parts with Nodraw for optimization, or moving parts of the map and then cleaning up the brushwork left behind just makes me weary.
I've tried making layouts on paper first, and that has been helpful, but idk, I haven't made anything out of it yet.
However, something occurred to me. I watched some of Crash's 72 hour 2015 stream highlights, and it struck me that, had it been me sitting in the chair and working on that map, seeing a spawnroom open up to an empty expanse would have just made me give up on it, even though I know I'd logically make stuff to fill the space, at some point. I might work on making the displacements look nice for a bit, to waste time, and then I'd think I'd done it all wrong by detailing the displacements this early and bin it, thinking that one small action automatically doomed the whole project and whatever it could have become.
And yet, Crash just went for it and created something amazing.
It's for this reason that I respect anyone who's released multiple maps, as I'm sure they've had to deal with this sort of lingering worry and/or many other problems beyond the clunky editor interface.
Maybe it's because while I'm working on it, I'm always imagining that it should have to be the next most popular map included in official rotation or something, and I should lower my standards and just focus on making something fun? Maybe it's because I started out making levels in Doom, where it's so streamlined that you can just draw the levels into the editor, making bulk changes easy?
I dunno, I don't really know where I'm going with this. It kinda helped to get it outta my head into words.
Does anyone else feel the same way? If so, what is it that slows down your progress?
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