Your Mapping Process

StoneFrog

L6: Sharp Member
May 28, 2008
395
81
Let's share! Mine:

1) Rough Conceptualization is when I sketch things out on paper. I don't do it to scale or as an artistic masterpiece, I just do enough to get the layout done.

2) Brushwork and Basic Texturing is when I make the map's brushwork and texture it with a general idea of how I want it to look. I'm a visual person so I don't like to stare at orange and grey all day.

3) Critical Entity Work consists of spawnpoints, capture points, intel, etc. Sometimes I do this simultaneously with #2.

4) Detailing is the fancier brushwork and props.

Yeah, I'm very simple. :p

So what do you guys do? Also, how do you handle displacements in your design process, especially for maps that are VERY reliant on them. Do you make them right away?
 

Mar

Banned
Feb 12, 2009
607
63
Ok, lets get started.

1. Writing on paper. I always carry a paper and pen on my person and when I get 5 minutes free, I sit down and build up my current map or work on a new conecept.

2. get it in hammer. I move my idea's from paper to hammer and see if they are even plausible and will work.

3. Basic Textures. Get some basic texture's up so I can differentiat the different stuff and so it looks decent.

And this is all I've done in my first serious map, so whada ya want?
 

Dustoxx

L6: Sharp Member
Jan 9, 2009
304
43
I do it like this (sorry, if it's a bit long :()

1. Think what kind of map i want.

2. Paper/Paint/Photoshop.

3. Edit idea in hammer to "fit".

4. Make basic layout (in dev textures) + entity's.

5. Testing.

6. Edit/make more entity's + brushwork.

7. Testing.

8. Repeat step 6.

9. Make everything work.

10. Adding detail and props.

11. Testing.

12. Edit/add more props and detail.

13. Testing.

14. Last editing.

15. Release?
 

Icarus

aa
Sep 10, 2008
2,245
1,210
Similar to everyone else' except I like keep running the concepts through my mind for several days before starting to put it down on paper.
 
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BagOfChips

L5: Dapper Member
Feb 7, 2009
227
17
1.) idea / basic rough sketch
2.) mess around in hammer.
3.) run around in my map
4.) texture / entities
5.) test
6.) detail
 

Ravidge

Grand Vizier
aa
May 14, 2008
1,544
2,818
1. make map. optimize
2. fix bugs, fix balance, fix gameflow, fix everything (add a little more textures/detail to your map with each release). optimize. end of alpha.
3. start detail work, make pretty lighting. optimize
4. test map and make necessary changes. optimize more. end of beta.
5. done
 

ratclaw

L2: Junior Member
Feb 2, 2009
70
13
I think unless someone does something as drastic as detailing the entire map before entering the entities, you'll find everyone follows pretty much the same pattern.

1. Rough idea
2. Build in hammer
3. Run through to check scale and whatnot
4. Make it playable with the entities
5. Test to make sure entities work
6. Reveal the map
7. Sculpt terrain to look natural/details/texturing
8. Test again.
9. Cry in frustration as I realize that the project is too big for me and drop it when I'm a few solids away from finishing the map.

I'm at about 6 right now, I should reach 9 in a few more weeks:unsure:
 

GrimGriz

L10: Glamorous Member
Jan 2, 2009
774
133
Mines different. I'm a tinkerer...so I'll come up with a basic concept...make it work and play with it for more ideas...go back and add/switch/etc. Test some more. My finished projects are always filled with a lot of things I didn't even begin to think of when I started.