Thanks alot! I'll be giving you guys another version of my map within 10 minutes. um going to post it in the mapping help topic. 

I want do something very simple for this, since I am kind of working "too seriously" one bigger fantasy map, this could be a good opportunity for me to relax and be noob myself. Bloughburgh you're gonna Join too? ;) 

Nope,

I agree that although there is no barrier to entry, the jam entries usually would intimidate me if I was a brand new mapper.

Having the project be exclusive to completely fresh mappers seems to be the best direction. 

Yeah, maybe it is better leave space for the actual new-comers, I was just wondering how many would be interested. Also in jams, even in retro jams there seems to be quite high expectations about the entries, I was just wondering whether or not this might be good opportunity to try out something without those expectations. 

Well its all pretty casual at this stage, I dont know what kind of quality us newbies will be able to produce, we'll try our best and we have a bunch of time so hopefully something alright.

You're all more than welcome to put something together, I dont mind. Some casual maps by seasoned mappers will help keep the quality up.

What we need mostly is help with things like linking maps together and answering questions about how things work. I have a grasp on basic triggers, and was able to set the music for my map, but I've yet to attempt to make a working door... Thats about my level of knowledge. I've done a bunch of mapping for doom engine games, and made a 15 map wad for Hexen at the start of this year.

I'll need help organizing the maps into a file that people can run, I dont really know how to do that - how to combine a bunch of maps into an episode and link them together, and what format to save them in so people can run them with quakespasm or their chosen port 

linking maps together
You mean like an episode? Or more like AD with a central hub? 

Oops, didn't read the last paragraph. Making an episode out of maps by various authors would require a fair amount of coordination between mappers. Maybe it would be best to keep it AD style and make an episode when entrants are more seasoned? 

...but just to clarify, an episode requires to decide the map order and when to give a new weapon. This implies balancing combat in each map according to which weapons are available. 

count me in

i will release at minimum a bad but playable map with no leaks and vised.

Map Name
Don't know yet. Maybe Wizard Tower. Or Scrag Tower. How all of you call that monster? scrag or wizard? i don't like wizard, i think hexen wizards, robes, etc.

Builder
Topher

Description
Medieval tower, partially submerged.
Inspired in E1M4.
Old-School. Smallish. Around 50 monsters in hard.
Maybe some AD monsters and breakables, if it's ok for a newbie map pack. I think 1-APR is enough time to put some breakables, even if they not affect the gameplay. i want to use those crossbow knights

Status
Nothing yet... total newbie. 

regarding names topher

there is ambiguity between the death messages in quake and the entity names

scrag - wizard
vore - shalrath
demon - fiend
tarbaby - spawn

if you want to dig into the code and have a look for yourself, the death messages are in client.qc 

Maybe some AD monsters and breakables
AD content requires to use the AD .fgd or .def file in your map editor. If you have built your map with the vanilla quake.fgd, I don't know if it's possible to switch afterwards without breaking your map. Also, all maps should use the same definition file, whether it be vanilla, AD or other. It's strongly recommended for just a simple map pack and probably mandatory if the project lead is adamant about making this into an episode. HexenMapper needs to speak up about this before too many people have started working on their entries. 

I call them:

scrag
vore
fiend
spawn
death knight

I think those are the coolest names and that's my reasoning. Your map overview sounds promising! 

I wonder if it would be play if I threw in my first map? It's very short (2ish minutes) but it's also by a person who was a noob at the time :) 

Good point about the balance, a hub might be the best way to go, is it possible to have each map as pistol-start when entering from a hub? that way everyone can balance from scratch.

As for Breakables, I'd probably try to avoid them, keep it vanilla.

Perhaps a more experienced mapper could do the hub map, or someone can claim it.

Topher I added you in, Pritchard your early map is welcome too! 

You should create your own thread for this project, in order to avoid cluttering this thread with off-topic.

BTW, you can count me in too. I think 3 months are enough for me to make something. Most probably a runic/metal map.

is it possible to have each map as pistol-start when entering from a hub?
Yes. I don't remember how exactly but it has been discussed recently, most probably in the Mapping Help thread. Go there and do a search for "shotgun start" or "strip weapons". 

Thanks mugwump, I made a new thread, and I'll look into those shotgun start posts. Also added you in :) 

Hello everyone. I make my first map for Quake and I am looking for critism.
Screenshots: http://imgur.com/gallery/55Fyq 

You might wanna join the QUMP project here: http://www.celephais.net/board/view_thread.php?id=61385

Judging by your screenshots, your map looks very 1997: blocky and undetailed. You might want to refrain from using riveted metal textures on large surfaces, it doesn't look very good. 

Welcome to Quake mapping! It appears you know your way around the editor. I enjoy the sewer screenshots the most.

From glancing at the screenshots I find the lighting to be overly too bright and flat. Try adjusting light values to create a bit of darkness in the rooms. 

When I said riveted metal textures don't look good on large surfaces, I was talking especially about this one (metal2_6, I think) and met5_1. They're more suited to small details. A texture like wizmet1_2 looks much better, as evidenced by id's start map.

And yeah, forgot to mention the lighting. 

Good to see a new mapper! Thanks for posting screenshots.

I agree with everything Bloughsburgh said.

It looks like a project with potential, but a couple more suggestions:

The proportions of the map seem a bit too large in a few places. Examples include the raised Quake sign on the floor in the third picture, the wall-mounted lights in the first, fifth and last picture, and the stained-glass windows in the first and fourth picture.

The raised Quake sign will probably make movement around that room a bit more annoying than it needs to be. It's not high enough to block line of sight, so it's bound to just impede player movement. If you lower it so it's just a couple of units high (and maybe turn it into a func_illusionary), it will probably look and play better. This goes for intricate floor details in general.

As for the stained glass windows in pictures 1 and 4: I would suggest letting the textures lead your brushwork a bit more. It looks like you've scaled up and stretched that texture to match your brushwork. Instead, maybe try creating brushes that match the scale of the textures. That way you'll end up with slightly better visual proportions.

Also think about what the textures represent. A raised stained-glass window that casts a shadow (picture 4) doesn't really make sense -- so either use a different texture for that kind of object, or make the stained-glass window flush with the wall, or recessed (sunk into the wall).

A related point: in pictures 2, 3 and 5, you've used a door texture that is rounded on top, yet you've placed the door brushes inside a rectangular opening. Here, again: let the textures lead your brushwork: if your door texture is rounded, turn the doorway into a corresponding arch. Or else, use a different texture for the door.

Also related to texturing: pay attention to all sides of brushes. The ceiling lights in pictures 3 and 5 have the same texture (the light texture) on all sides. That texture should only be on the bottom face of the brush; the sides should have a different metal texture.

The rooms themselves seem a little too large for the sparse detail they have: the ceilings are high, and the walls are pretty uniform from floor to ceiling. This tutorial might be helpful in learning to avoid that sort of thing:
http://isoterra.co.uk/quake/tut1/

I look forward to seeing the map develop further. :) 

There are two things I don't agree with in that tutorial, namely the recommendation not to use stock textures, and the suggestion towards the end of using minlight: stock textures are fine, especially the runic/wizard textures you're using; it's how you use them that counts. And DON'T use minlight.

But the basic ideas about using non-rectangular shapes, height variation and texture variation to give more character to a room are all sound, I think. 

I don't have critism,
I only see "for the joy of the game"!

Go on!
And let the good advice help you. 

Dude this is dope as fuck! every new mapper should read this!
this will instantly remove all these awkward flat ceilings, floors anw walls.