Func_Msgboard: Thought 1- Preparatory Editor Learning Regardless Of Mapping Desire.

Thought 1- Preparatory Editor Learning Regardless Of Mapping Desire.

Posted by Shambler on 2003/04/22 04:33:18

If there`s one problem that gets in the way of making maps, it`s not knowing how to map. Profound indeed. A related problem that by the time one gets round to learning to map, games have moved on, you`ve lost inspiration and indeed relevance and purpose (small, dedicated scenes like this aside).

How to keep up with the times, eh? (You may notice that this thread doesn`t entirely sit with my next thread.)

I had an idea. A new game engine comes out, sometimes with a game attached to it (say, Unreal), sometimes without (say,....oh it`s far too bloody obvious). One has mapping urges but perhaps no inspiration whatsoever for that particular game. So what you do, as soon as the game is played and the editor available, learn to map for it. Doesn`t matter what and don`t think about releasing. Just learn the editor and what works for mapping. Play around a bit, make a few test maps, then ignore it.

The purpose being, of course, that when a game that does inspire your mapping is released using that engine, you are halfway there. You can put your ideas into action quicker and be more relevant and timely to the current game`s scene. For example if you were a Quake mapper who`d learnt Unreal mapping, you might find WOT or UT inspiring you. Or an HL mapper who`d learnt Q3A mapping might put it into action for Elite Force or RTCW.

Is this making sense here?? I know it`s an idea focused on "the next big thing" and whatever is "popular at the time". But then again it`s also about genuine mapping desire, and making it easier to put that desire into action when the games are still fresh.

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Shambler

#26 posted by Vondur on 2003/04/27 04:11:02

stop whining, go map already

Shamb

#27 posted by Kell on 2003/04/27 07:59:22

I started mapping in 97, not that late, and still wish I'd been able to start earlier.
But mostly, I wish I hadn't had to rely on someone elses machine for a year, do without a machine and net access entirely for over a year, miss out on everything Quake related for that time and get myself into debt just to be able to map.
But that's what happened. I still built Contract Revoked. I know, had I been in better circumstances, I could have built and released it 2 years earlier. I sometimes wonder what would have happened if I had.

The point is, if you really want - no, if you really *need* - to map, you will.

Actually, the point is
stop whining, go map already

Well

#28 posted by daftpunk on 2003/04/27 17:29:22

you could always wait till you retire from a job and have all the time you want (wank a bit, watch tv, map a bit...repeat ad nauseam).

nooo, i`m serious!

ok, i`ll shut up.

ps, i`m fucking pissed off with these ````

Thoughts...

#29 posted by Shambler on 2003/04/30 01:57:34

An interesting thought has cropped up comparing this thread to the other one about mapping dying out (for whatever reasons)....sorry personal stuff again...

Maybe it isn`t too late to learn. Maybe as games progress and get harder and more futile to map for, the status of mapping lags way behind, it doesn`t progress at the same speed that game releases do. This is from a mapper`s perspective though, I`m sure players of new FPS games would be happy to have more maps, but for mappers and mapping communities the new games are not so relevant as older games to map for as well as playing...

Sorry this is going a bit OT here but it was an interesting conjunction of the two ideas...

Another On-topic Thought...

#30 posted by Shambler on 2003/04/30 20:21:38

Further reason why preparatory learning might be good - mapping quality standards increase over time. A good map made immediately after a game`s release might only be an average map in a year`s time when loads of similarly good maps have been released. If you have a head start with experience in the editor, then you`ll have a head start making maps that are considered high quality by the standards of the time.

Uhmmm... I Dont Agree...

#31 posted by Auhsan on 2003/05/02 23:34:48

A good map it is always a good map. If it is in the engine limitations that is make with, has a good atmosphere and a solid theme and it takes full advantage of the gameplay options that the game offers it is a good map.

But if the quality of the map it is evaluated be its number of tris, a good map isnt a good map anymore :). It is just a bit sad, I know :P.

...

#32 posted by wrath on 2003/05/03 07:51:33

the dev cycle of todays games requires more organisation, money and time than ever. I think it is natural that so will amateur modding and mapping.

deal. :)

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