How often do you tweak the design of your maps?

dookiebot

L1: Registered
Mar 20, 2008
36
3
Most here seem to have more mapping experience than I do, but I find after I draw out and pre-determine base room measurements for my map I am constantly going back and tweaking dimensions/layouts in Hammer.

To me that seems the best way to prevents a handful of major corrections once you beta, but how many feel they have a good hand on just going in a mapping what they want and it turns out pretty much what you expected the first time through?

Right now I have hit a design block because of a major change in a layout needed so I won't cripple performance on lower end machines and it has got me wondering if I am overly cautious? :p
 

YM

LVL100 YM
aa
Dec 5, 2007
7,135
6,056
You should get all layout stuff done in alpha, way before detailing. Then once you've detailed the map and you hit beta you're only making minor changes here and there
 

Spike

L10: Glamorous Member
Feb 13, 2008
716
82
For what i see almost all mappers make a big blocky alpha first, and they tweak it later by adding stuff etc. i like making my map step by step tweaking at every moment, well... I never make alphas so I go directly for the beta.