"build order"

[Altus_Thrawn]

In what stages do you build your map?

 

Like structure, playability, detail...

 

do you start making everything caulk?

[wedge2211]

I typically make a map on paper with all the information I need to construct the map structure. Then I build all the structural brushes with caulk and cover the surfaces that will be textures with some "basic" texture. Then I go through and add details, and finally I decided where weapons and powerups will go.

[clu]

Not a real veteran with mapping yet, but I guess (for SP maps) playability/storyline goes first, then that dictates the architecture (as wedge mentioned, on paper...even a rough sketch helps a great deal).

 

When building in radiant I'll also sometimes use a temporary texture as a placeholder then go back later and refine it in photoshop. Scripting for me comes last but that's tied in with the storyline and hopefully thought out a bit in advance.

 

-clu

[lassev]

I drew everything on paper. The levels ended up having ~20% identity to the paper sketches... Still, it was useful. For puzzles you generally need to plan several rooms in advance, if not the whole level, and my campaign contains some puzzles.

 

Anyway, I first build one room roughly with caulk, then add some details with caulk and then texture them straight away to almost the final form. Generally I had the custom textures already available when I needed them in the first place. Then I add funcs and other entities. I add curves always in the end. I seem to map one room almost totally, before I move to the next.

[wedge2211]

Originally posted by lassev

The levels ended up having ~20% identity to the paper sketches... Still, it was useful.

 

I find that really interesting...For each of my levels thus far (including TE), the finished map has been 95-100% accurate to my graph-paper plans. I kinda wish I had saved some of those designs for posterity, come to think of it...

[lassev]

Actually it's very easy to explain. My paper plans had only very small rooms. Later I realised slightly bigger halls would suit my campaign better. And my paper plans were also a bit too vast. Had to cut the total size down a bit...

[Kengo]

I start with the story, write that up. Then I create a basic outline on paper, no details just room by room flow and size really. Then I map the architecture in caulk, add detail, then the texturing, maybe some more detail. Then finally (nearly there on Occupation2) I get to the entities, the NPCs and the scripting.

[Emon]

Physical or electronic concept art first, story before that if it's singleplayer.

 

When building the level itself, I always make new brushes out of caulk and texture what I need as I go along. I do temporary texturing during architecture because it helps me to see what the final product looks like, and helps me see if I need to add more architectural detail or if textures will suffice.