|
|
| Posted by Jago on 2009/11/01 14:29:55 |
I would like to hear what approaches other people take to speed up the development of their maps so that they actually see the day of release and whether that comes naturally or whether you end up having to focus on the issue of development speed.
Back when I first started mapping in 1997-1998, my first few maps took about 3-5 weeks to make each. Now obviosly since they were first maps, they were also really shit. Over time, I learned to understand what actually made any given map good, started paying attention to polish and detail and this has caused the development times to balloon completely out of control.
Apinaraivo / Monkey Rage, the Q1SP I released a few years ago took 6 months of active development time, mapping 2-4 hours pretty much every single day. Right now I also have an UT3 DM map in the works and while I admittedly have been quite lazy, that alone can't really quite explain the numbers: I take a new backup of a map file every new day I am working on the map, judging by the amount of backup files, I have worked on this map on 35 different days so far amd while it does have some interesting things, it not even remotely close to a beta.
At least in part, the problem seems to be that I am not easily satisfied with the quality of my work, random XYZ thing has to be just right before I can move on to something else and this often results in me rebuilding a small section of a map 10+ times, making tiny adjustments, moving things around, etc etc so that at the end of the day, a lot of work has been done, but I have very few things I can actually point my finger at and say that "this is new stuff I've added today", so the progress feels very slow.
And then I see some people making absolutely jawdropping releases using new, modern engines that they have not only made the map itself, but also had to build all the meshes and create quite a few materials, test, polish and release into the wild, all done in a timeframe of 3-4 weeks.
WTF? |
|
 |
OK #62 posted by Zwiffle on 2009/11/07 03:33:20 I think I'm gonna give this a try this weekend. 5-7 hours of mapping, we'll see how it goes. Anyone want to suggest a theme/texture set?
#63 posted by necros on 2009/11/07 05:01:26 koohoo? it's a great set and rarely used. quite a lot of variety, while still staying very green. :P
only thing it lacks is terrain textures (the rocks and stuff in there aren't made for large swathes or terrain) but that's easily remedied.
incidentally, i really should look into my own mapping process. some good stuff in here.
Ill Have A Blurt #64 posted by RickyT33 on 2009/11/07 05:14:31 Im gonna use obtex2.wad, unless anyone wants to throw in a better suggestion? And it might be Quoth.
Although........ #65 posted by RickyT33 on 2009/11/07 05:17:05 I could do a non-base map :O
Koohoo could be fun.... Or Egyptian.
Or eldar type thing. I dunno. I'll sleep on it
(yawn)
There's Always The #66 posted by necros on 2009/11/07 05:18:39 'mix a bunch of random stock quake textures and pull off a badass texture mix'... :P
#67 posted by Zwiffle on 2009/11/07 05:30:34 I actually love the koohoo textures. I always try to use them to make a map but it ends up failing each and every time. :(
Koohoo #68 posted by Drew on 2009/11/07 06:00:30 agreed.
I think it would be a beautiful fit for you with your style Zwiffle...
And I'd love it if Ricky did a Koohoo...
Or maybe like a jjspq3 style - clockwork kingpin style. not quite base but sort of.
Koohoo #69 posted by ijed on 2009/11/07 14:19:35 I've got/had around twenty scraps of Koohoo stuff - it'd be great to see a turtlemap event.
#70 posted by JneeraZ on 2009/11/07 19:30:21 Is there an actual Koohoo WAD for download somewhere?
I Made One! #71 posted by RickyT33 on 2009/11/07 19:41:25
I Assume #72 posted by spy on 2009/11/07 19:44:20 koohoo is a heretic2 wad?
#73 posted by Zwiffle on 2009/11/07 19:54:29 I just opened koohoo.bsp in texmex and that's what I used.
I Just Used #74 posted by RickyT33 on 2009/11/07 19:58:42 BSP2WAD on koohoo, koohend and start.bps, and compiled all of the textures into one wad using Wally. :S
#75 posted by JneeraZ on 2009/11/07 20:21:46 Thanks!
It's From #76 posted by ijed on 2009/11/07 20:34:55 The Castle of Koohoo. One of the best short episodes ever made (skill select, main map, boss map).
I'd reccomend 'dark' texture set for the natural tex's though, always found them to fit better. Black stone with glowing moss and a decent mossy floor tex.
Looking Closely #77 posted by ijed on 2009/11/07 20:37:31 One's in there as 0text_59.
Yea #78 posted by spy on 2009/11/07 21:03:06 that textire set is from heretic-2, iirc sm32 - shut up RPG, also was using the same set
Blueprint Experiment - Day 3 #79 posted by JneeraZ on 2009/11/08 19:52:09
Hmm #80 posted by Tronyn on 2009/11/08 21:19:22
last time I downloaded the heretic2 wad, it was in the wrong palette - anyone else finding the same thing? as a former heretic 2 mapper there's a ton of great stuff in there beyond the Andoria set that Vondur used.
Try This Link #81 posted by ijed on 2009/11/08 22:18:54 http://www.quaddicted.com/wads/htic2.zip
And yeah, lots of great stuff in there.
Who Said Koohoo, Mortals? #82 posted by Vondur on 2009/11/10 16:27:02 Well, for me, fastest way to make a make is to invent general style. Usually certain style has number of visual elements that repeat themselves through the level, that helps to make some kind of prefabs (meshes in nextgen) and use it all over the map. Also, basic mockup is the key.
1. you invent style
2. make mockup based on the style and gameplay
3. polish mockup till u're satisfied
4. make properly detailed map based on mockup
All in all u have to have one single image of your future level in your head. This image must contain main concept of the level as from gameplay as from visual pov. This will not let you to get drown in the swamp of ideas that will clogg your map and slow down the development. Get rid of everything that spoils the original style and keep this style.
my 0.02 roubles
Sigh #83 posted by Vondur on 2009/11/10 16:28:56 to make a make = to make a map
(i'm too old for these forums)
Are You Working On #84 posted by ijed on 2009/11/10 17:16:43 Koohoo2 in your iceberg?
But yeah, that's a decent formula to map from that I seem to have been coming around to myself.
I'd post screenshots but since alot of what I'm working on now was started months ago there's no real point of reference.
Especially since one of them has changed style completely . . .
Nah #85 posted by Vondur on 2009/11/11 08:16:16 i stopped making custom maps 3 years ago or so, making them at work now which completely satisfies my mapping needs.
Vondur #86 posted by JPL on 2009/11/11 10:05:22 We need real mappers to make a real maps... you are the man of the situation: go map !!
|
|
|
You must be logged in to post in this thread.
|
|
Website copyright © 2002-2024 John Fitzgibbons. All posts are copyright their respective authors.
|
|