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. 

It's a fucking sexy tutorial and I love it.

I'd lost it, thanks for finding the link for me again ^_^ 

 

layering detail until it looks super-polished and refined is exactly how I do it :) 

I made this in a couple hours today:
http://imgur.com/a/IBKNq

The map is tentatively titled Aaa, which is the hawaiian word for "lava tube" (seemed appropriate). 

Cool screenshot, I like the creativity already present in the first room! 

I shall strive to keep the same creativity standards for the rest of the map. I hope I won't disappoint. I wanted something reminiscent of E1M6 and the start map's entrance to episode 3, but different. I think I succeeded. What do you (and the others) think of the title? 

I would advise against keeping an "intricate" look like that for too long. Certainly use it in sections, as it is quite nice and it has its effect, but it's quite "dense" and aside from probably not playing well with monster movement, I think it's too visually distracting. I would personally tend towards a solid face for the endcap to the "tunnel" shown here, but in general I would reserve it for interconnecting segments and keep it away from combat areas.

Perhaps it could work as an upper-wall/ceiling detail as well, I don't know. You'll have to see what works, but be wary of creating anything too visually dense. 

Maybe the tubes could be used as hallways or transitions to rooms...still way too early to make any assumptions but I like the initial idea of it.

The name is cool and pretty original...I can always appreciate it when a map title has relation to the map's theme. 

It also has the benefit of being almost at the top of a lot of lists, if it were to ever be released seperately.

Although, has anyone tried releasing something that starts with 0? Releases that start with 1 currently sit at the top of Quaddicted by default. 

Don't worry, I won't keep this level of intricacy for the whole map. In fact, I was already planning on making this starting tunnel lead into a more solid room. I just wanted an opener with a bit of a wow factor.

Glad you like the name. So it's settled, then. I initially found it funny but it's growing on me beyond that. It can be viewed as a cry of panic or pain, plus the original meaning is aptly fitting to the architecture I want to build. Funny thing is, I stumbled upon it completely by accident. 

I've just remade the main arena. Hope it looks better.
Screenshots: http://imgur.com/6Fqxmao
http://imgur.com/v50gh5n 

Nice screen, lots of detail going on in there.

2 things:

The rivets texture looks a bit skewed maybe due to texture scale increase? This looks worse on the slopes sections up above.

If that center blue section is meant to be a pool of water, then consider lowering it by 8 units to give it a bit of a lip. This make it appear more realistic rather than directly aligned with the floor.

Keep going!