You dont want to make them too small. I would make them maybe 128x64 or bigger for steep parts, or for example maybe up to 256x256, maybe 128x128 or whatever for more open parts. But you might have parts where you go quite a lot smaller if required, or if doing something really big them you could go bigger. Im just throwing some very vague figures on the table. But doing it 64x64 or smaller is going to be a real pain in the ass if you are doing a large are like that. 

doing a large area like that. 

Lighting and architectural should go hand in hand... in other words building lighting features into the architecture. That way you can get some really cool effects, instead of just adding lighting in as the afterthought. 

I'm using QuArK.

I might start lighting everything I've made up until now, actually. It'd probably be great for motivation to finish up areas as they will look in the final compile, seeing as I've had some trouble with motivation recently...

Probably would be a good idea to light it room by room, I guess.
Anybody know if there's a cordon function in QuArK as there is in Hammer? I guess I could just hide everything but a single room and seal it off with a few brushes though. 

been working on map decided to show some stuff hur;

beta graveyard with no graves in it yet
http://www.quaketastic.com/upload/files/screen_shots/betayard.jpg

pipe with sling-hook at the end to launch you back up top into said graveyard
http://www.quaketastic.com/upload/files/screen_shots/hookshot.jpg

pipe you travel down to the lower levels,which don't exist quite yet
put wings in the pipe so you don't -5 when you go down
http://www.quaketastic.com/upload/files/screen_shots/pipeinterworks.jpg
outer pipe elbow
http://www.quaketastic.com/upload/files/screen_shots/elbow.jpg
door that stops you at the various lower levels, shoot button to drop again
http://www.quaketastic.com/upload/files/screen_shots/drainstop.jpg

yeah it's a multi-player map 

I light as I go, unless I have a mental image of where the lights are going to be anyway, in which case I just keep blocking out and light later.

Especially with the orange textures method, lighting would just keep one from laying the sma-- brushes down. Hence lighting is done later.

http://kneedeepinthedoomed.wordpress.com/2010/11/15/orange-mapping-part-2/

http://kneedeepinthedoomed.wordpress.com/2010/11/16/orange-mapping-part-3/

When doing stuff like base corridors that have light fixtures built in, like this:

http://kneedeepinthedoomed.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/ofcourse.jpg

I use copy&paste&rotate with the actual lights selected as well, ie I move lights together with brushes.

Sometimes I use just sunlight or just torches, which I usually put in so I can get an idea of the "feeling" and tweak later.

So I guess it's dependant on situation. I don't think there is a "right way". 

I'm not worried about doing things the right way, just interested in how others do it and why they choose to do it that way.

I hadn't seen these posts you did, by the way - didn't you had tried the blocking method either. good read, thanks for posting it! 

So does 2nd TBH ;) 

Overall the orange mapping thing worked OK, it did allow me to build some new areas quickly.

I'm more happy with some other areas though; focusing entirely on blocking out/expanding playable space can result in slightly "faceless" parts of the map (requiring several refining passes later). The alternative is waiting months until you feel "really inspired" and stuff. That's not an option if there is a release deadline sadly.

Ability to rapidly increase physical map size is a good skill to have. Something that exists, even in rough form, >>> something that is only a plan.

Plans/ideas are worthless if not put into practice. Even if the putting into practice requires compromises, this still holds true. Compromises are better than nothing.

Stuff that is released on a deadline, anything that actually gets done, usually is imperfect compared to ideas. It's a trade off.

Worthless philosophy for today. 

 

;-) 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WupdwrICr4 

...and finally I think getting the hang of this video business. Hopefully the resolution is good and it isn't too bloody dark :( 

that's pretty cool. 

maybe a particle spray (of sawdust) as he cuts through the wood would help enhance it a little. Or some smaller and more numerous splinters. Splinters could be colored to match the reddish wood color too. 

Ye given how adaptable Quoth's rubble and breakable entities are I've been very lazy and done very little tweaking with them. I just use presets and move on atm :P 

that's cool. :D 

Glad you like it guys. More to come :) 

I think I would have shit my pants if that had happened in the original 

that's pretty cool even as it is now 

 

now use it in a map, done at the right time, that could be an awesome wtf moment. 

Just make sure to briefly entrap the player somehow so they don't miss the scene. 

Ye given how adaptable Quoth's rubble and breakable entities are I've been very lazy and done very little tweaking with them. I just use presets and move on atm :P

The idea is that the templates are a good start and shouldn't require much customisation if the material is the same* - nobody wants to set 5 sound paths manually. However, you only need to add one key to the breakable entity to make the colour of the splinter match the colour of the door there:

"ritem" "5"


If you're using the fgd, then the field is called "Skin(rock/wood/glass/brick/metal)" and the option is "Grave/Red wiz/Ale/IKBlue/Compbrown". I would have liked to be able to list the skin description according to which template you had chosen. But there doesn't seem to be a way of doing that in a fgd, so instead you get 5 inadequate descriptions squeezed onto one line. All I can recommend is diving into the pak file and looking at the rubble models to identify the skins available - although the gallery map is good for demonstrating what rubble skins are available. 

Cheers for the tip :)