Inspiration

[Galago]

I'm slowly learning Hammer and Source mapping... now to put my [little] knowledge to the test: I need inspiration for an outdoor TF2 map, preferably ctf or arena. I know it's hard to come up with this stuff, and obviously I'm not asking for an extravagant plan, but if you have ANY good ideas floating around in your head, now's the time

Thanks for any help you can give,
Galago

 

[Kill_the_Bug]

Why not make a death pit?

1 - 2 flags in a hole - with long timer cap - one for each team - first team to cap wins.

It will be an easy project for you to do for a first map

 

[l3eeron]

This thought goes back to my DoD roots....

Make a small-med sized 3 point linear CP with all CPs unlocked. So you can cap in any order...

connect the CPs with a sewer system.

Gameflow would be fast and unpredictable.

Use the lumberyard (alpine) theme!

 

[grazr]

That'd be pretty neat actually, fully unlocked linear cp tree.

Good old DoD.

 

[Kookies!]

I actually wanted to start a thread on this, where people could post pics/links to interesting locales for others to gain inspiration from.

Try out this site: http://www.darkroastedblend.com/

That site has a really random assortment of pictures. If you don't feel like searching through it, this page on that site has a cool collection of abandoned buildings and locations: http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/02/abandoned-places.html

 

[Galago]

Kill_The_Bug: Thanks for trying to help, but I was hoping for a slightly more complicated or themed map... one that I (or others) would actually enjoy playing on.

l3eeron: I might give it a shot... I'm not sure if I could handle making sewers (displacements?)

Kookies: AWESOME! Exactly what I was looking for; some good reference images and inspiration!

- Keep 'em commin'!

 

[l3eeron]

Sewers can be made out of brushes, which I think would be easier. Make some hallow cubes with ramps leading down to them.

 

[Galago]

By "hallow", do you mean "hollow"? And wouldn't that make the sewers square?

 

[l3eeron]

lol sorry, ya hollow with an "O"

sewers dont have to be round, Basically a hallway, with a little trench of ankle deep water.

I guess you could make a hollow cylinder and turn it on its side.

I dont know how good that is for FPS though....

 

[Altaco]

I actually wanted to start a thread on this, where people could post pics/links to interesting locales for others to gain inspiration from.

Try out this site: http://www.darkroastedblend.com/

That site has a really random assortment of pictures. If you don't feel like searching through it, this page on that site has a cool collection of abandoned buildings and locations: http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/02/abandoned-places.html

Oh my god, thank you so much for that. Found some great inspiration for pl_silo:

http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2007/09/ballistic-news.html

 

[Kookies!]

haha yeah that is cool. There's a pic in there that even has the alpine setting

I think these would make for a creepy map (maybe good for l4d): http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2007/07/abandoned-tunnels.html

I've been going to that site for a while just because I really liked the stuff, like the gas mask pictures and all.

 

[Dan2025]

Go to a boring lecture and start doodling on your notepaper. I can guarantee you'll get some ideas that way.

 

[Gadget]

You might want to take a look at the real life inspiration thread which contains a lot of links and images.

 

[Kill_the_Bug]

thanks for the link - the photo one:
http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/06/anything-for-perfect-shot-part-2.html
cheered me up today

 

[Altaco]

If you're interested in making sewers, you could check out the ones from 2fort, there's a thread with vmfs of all the valve maps here on the forums.