this weekend in San Francisco's chinatown called "Empress of China" or something, but i didn't have my camera with me, and google doesn't seem to have any good pictures of it.

Trust me, it was cool. 

i've googled for fuedal asian mansion/fortress pics, but haven't found any good sites. If anyone knows any that I haven't checked, please lemme know so I can start research on my next map. 

http://www.planetquake.com/starbuck/wovoka/wovoka.html

I uploaded some pictures of a house in development I was lucky enough to look around. This home is is the $25 million price range, and everything is custom-made, even the $17,000 doors. The owner is a casino owner, and was a very nice guy, which surprised me.

The thing that strikes me is how much it looks like a Q3 map, but the real influences are from Native American culture (the name comes from this too) such as parts of the house inspired by the shape of the Teepee. Also, the house was designed to work with nature, using a few of Frank Lloyd Wright's ideas. Unlike Lloyd Wright, however, they've been landscaping extensively and placing boulders and hills in order to make nature "more ideal".

Also, in something that, ironically, also relates to Q3 mapping, the caretaker complains that the building focuses too much on aesthetics, and the 'flow' of the house and practicality have taken a back seat. So it's got crap gameplay, but it sure looks nice.

First page is exterior shots, 2nd and 3rd are interiors. Look out for the 'detailing'; there are lights carved into rocks, custom triangle floor grates, and custom stair light trim, and more! Enjoy. 

Yes, nice house !!! It give me some cool idea for my next maps... ;) 

What kind of framerate were you getting in that outdoor area? 

I had a dream after a few days of mapping where my body was a sealed map being compiled into a bsp while my flesh, mere extrageneous material, was being stripped away. 

Put your analyst on danger money. 

Seriously HeadThump, that's freakier than my dreams. 

... with lot of modern building photos, and many others...

http://www.bigfoto.com/themes/architecture/



.. with many architectural japan design (visit all links !!) After a quick look, there are photos about traditional houses, bridges, gardens, etc..

http://www.japan-photo.de/e-archit.htm



Enjoy ! 

Right. Let's get one thing cleared up:

Does anyone actually use any of these sites for inspiration and reference AND ACTUALLY CREATE ANY MAPS INSPIRED BY THE SITES?? 

We just fap all over them when we see them first time, and then wait for someone else to make maps like them. 

.. are you really hurry to play a Japan-style map ?? So you need to be a more patient: I've just found these site... and I've not yet explored all the pages... or perhaps are you jalous not to be the owner of this thread, don't you ?? 

Yes. It's just that it's not really a case of copying any one of these places wholesale, but going 'hey, something kinda like that doorway would work well over here in my map'.

This is just speaking for myself of course 

I agree, it will be very hard to copy exactly one of these japan houses/building/bridge, etc, but some of these japanese architectures just gave some cool ideas..... You will perhaps see them in a future brand new map not yet started today, because I had a project coming soon...;)...
So Shambler needs to be patient for a long time I think ;) 

JPLambert, thx a lot that Japanese site is just what I'm looking for!! Tons of shinto/buddhist architecture. Thanks a super bunch, you are the first person on Func to actually be helpful!

Shambler: I do. Well, I am now anyway. 

What I found:
http://phototravels.net/japan/photo-gallery/temples.html

http://acro.harvard.edu/GEI/japan.html

Shinto architecture. 

Your links are cool too !!! I think now the major issue is to create a japan-like texture set that corresponds with this kind of design... Is there someone who know where it is possible to download, or do I need to build it by myself ?? 

A site link to photos of old Khymer was the direct reference point for the outer areas in my last map. 

JPLambert, have a look at the textures in g1zm0's Japanese Castle & Mr. Clean's Kihaku

http://www.planetquake.com/3/levels/q3a/japanctf/
http://www.planetquake.com/mrclean/kihaku.shtml 

I've looked around for a good japanese texture set but have not found one, so i'm making one from various sources including daikatana episode 4, but so far it's not turning out so well. 

there was a link a few posts ago to old, busted down industrial machinery and such which i liked and incorporated into a map i'm working on... 

Oh yes, of course DKT had some things too didn't it.

http://www.geneticrose.com/wads.html

You want DKT.zip 

...stop trolling and go make sure the code on your D3 custom level review site is up to scratch.

PS: Please push SP, already DM focus is bleh! 

I hope there is a large and qualitative enough D3 community to give Shambler a reason to revive his sight.

My complaints about D3 are strictly about the Monster placement and a few other nitpicks. I thought the emmersive feel and the art media used in it were incredible, and there was definitely enough content in it, perhaps enough to push back the trend towards shorter games. 

if the mappers come out and support D3! Meh Anglais sux . . .