What makes a good Valve-styled layout?

Wkay

L1: Registered
Feb 6, 2016
41
7
So, I'm getting ready to try and release my very first Team Fortress 2 map. The thing is, though, I'm not sure how to make a good layout or how to even make it Valve-styled. They're all terrible so far and I want to know what to do for all gamemodes when making a layout.

Does anybody have any suggestions on what my layout should have for each gamemode? I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!
 

SnickerPuffs

(*single chuckle*)
aa
Apr 10, 2014
1,315
1,857
Just try and make what you think is good and playable. Then, get playtest upon playtest to refine the map.
 

Simulacron

L-3: Simulated Member
aa
Feb 17, 2016
313
326
Layout isn't something you can learn in one day. Most people who made good layouts already have a lot of experince and to get that experinece you must try out things and learn for yourself what plays good. You can't just read an article about the layout of tf2 maps and than instantly make a good one. Though there are some general rules or formulas, like the viaduct formula for some koth maps. To learn about the layout for special gamemodes you can also look at valve maps. Look what maps of the same gamemode have in common and what they do different. By comparing the maps you will quickly learn what the formula for the gamemode is and what kind of layout fits best.
 

Pocket

Half a Lambert is better than one.
aa
Nov 14, 2009
4,694
2,579
Step one is don't make a box and then put stuff in it; that's what most people try to do at first. Think of it as a series of spaces that connect to each other. The most basic layout Valve has is probably Well, which is basically three big boxes in a row with another box inside the middle one, and even that has winding hallways that break up the bases and leave empty space around and between them (some of which is filled out with out-of-bounds rooms).
 

EArkham

Necromancer
aa
Aug 14, 2009
1,625
2,773
Variety is key. Give players main routes and interesting flanks (flanks should generally take longer to walk than going through the main spammy route though). Put in some height variation. Stairs/ramps that lead up and let people out in a drop down, or do it with displacements with valleys and hills. Look at real life references to get inspiration on how to vary things up. Basically you want players with different playstyles and different class selections to feel like they have something interesting to do on any map.

In Hammer, spend some time flying around and asking yourself "If I were <CLASS>, what are my options here" and do that for every class. Make sure you use prop_statics with player/sniper.mdl (or whatever class you prefer) to make sure the scaling looks right. Besides box maps, oversized maps or super small maps are another very common mistake.

Doing just these two things will help you avoid making box maps. Playtesting will help you figure out which parts need to be changed.