We just got our second reply from Valve

[Tinker]

There isn't one, not even a space between it and the next question, either he missed it or chose not to answer for whatever reason.

Sneaky

 

[Ida]

Fantastic answers. I really want to try making a map using his newly explained method. In fact, I already have a good idea, so I might as well go with that.

 

[Armadillo of Doom]

From now on everything should end with a explosion, even cp and ctf maps!

My thoughts exactly, lol. I started a cp map last night, and I'm making sure to add some of the Granary missile racks into the skybox. When a team wins, it will trigger an explosion and smoke around the missiles, which then get deleted. A few seconds later, a giant flash and explosion gets triggered inside the map.

 

[ChronoTriggerFan]

Heh, now I want the rockets to explode when killed in my rocket riot map... Thats not really considered the end though. Darn.

 

[A Boojum Snark]

d. Once a basic flow is layout is done, I decide where the spawn rooms will be. I usually just have a large brush with models/props_gameplay/door_slide_large_dynamic.mdl on the front where the exit will be.

...I just realized this, and thought I'd point it out...
Goldrush copied dustbowl's spawns. Badwater has the standard one spawn at each extreme end of the map, plus a single advanced spawn plopped in. Doesn't sound like he actually had that much deciding to do.

 

[Icarus]

Gold Rush ripped out many parts of Dustbowl. Then again, he made the original Dustbowl for TFC, so it's self-plagiarism.

 

[Psy]

Yep. Goldrush is basically a reimagining of Dustbowl but with the Payload gameplay. Just compare overviews of both levels and you'll see the similarities.

 

[HojoTheGreat]

He just subscribes to the notion of "If it ain't broke..."

Some originality would be nice though.

 

[Cerious]

He just subscribes to the notion of "If it ain't broke..."

Some originality would be nice though.

Well, it's only natural to base a new map after one of the most popular A/D maps, Dustbowl, to ensure its popularity.

 

[YM]

Its not identical so I don't think its too bad but if we get dished out another dustbowl remix I will be a bit more than dissapointed (even if it is an execelent map!)

And yeah - if it ain't broke don't fix it - far too many people don't understand this simple principle.

 

[(-TN-) Ben2]

ask how long it takes to make a map, because he said only 3 guys work on a map.

 

[YM]

ask how long it takes to make a map, because he said only 3 guys work on a map.

date of heavy update (ie badwater) subtract from that the date of the medic update (ie goldrush) and there you have your answer

 

[zpqrei]

date of heavy update (ie badwater) subtract from that the date of the medic update (ie goldrush) and there you have your answer

Yes, but unlike us, he does it as his job, so he may be making that map for 5-10 hours Monday to Friday (and on the weekend, probably, too). That's the difference really between the time it takes for us to make maps compared to Valve making them. They're also proffesionals.

 

[MangyCarface]

Let's say they work 8 hour shifts Mon-Fri (there may be some deviation. Maybe 6.5 of those hours are spent entirely on working. That means a mapper would have, if only working at wrk, about 32.5 hours to work on a map each week.

I know others like myself have spent far more than this in a week on a map... so I don't think that's the most prominent difference.

 

[YM]

I'd say the biggest difference is valve's mappers are able to do a lightning fast compile any time they want and within a few minutes have a full server of willing testers (even if they are themselves sometimes) so they would be able to rocket through early gameplay and layout tests in a matter of days rather than a few weeks like we take.

 

[kankle_king]

I'm not a mapmaker, but that was a great read.

 

[The Political Gamer]

We also all work alone most of the time. If they are having problems all they have to do is pop into the next cubical and ask that is going on. We have to ether figure it out ourselves, email Valve, or post on forums, all of witch take much longer.

 

[DontWannaName]

hehe they dont work in cubicals...