this is a "lecture" i wrote a while back. i posted it cause i want to know what you guys think of it. plz comment and also if you want write some and ill add to this.
The Art of Mapmakeing
This is a explanation of how map makeing should be aproached and executed. If you wish too make a map that people actually enjoy then read through this if not then go ahead and keep on makeing the same old box maps with ripped tags in them that so many people put out these days.. ok here we go.
Step One: Planning
When you are thinking of makeing a map you have too come up with a kind "floor plan" for the whole map. I find it best too draw out the basic design of the map on paper so that i have a reference too model off of when i start modeling. Once you figured out your map design you got too ask yourself. "is this original, will it work well, is it layed out well, does the map flow well when you are in battle?" when asking yourself these questions fix things that you may see aparently wrong with your design. When you think you have it were you want it start up 3ds max and get ready too model.
Step Two: Modeling Modeling is supposed to the be longest part of makeing a map. When you make a bsp, whether it be indoor or outdoor you MUST spend time on it and YOU MUST PAY ATTENTION TO DESIGN AND DETAIL. I can not emphasize that enough. Not even with 150 megaphones. :wink: when makeing a indoor map make sure you plan where you are goning too put lights or skybox. and when doing indoor modeling you need to make the indoors seem complex. its always good to have pillars and slopes and domed roofs and what not in the indoors or itll look like your standing in a box. a boring texture starved box. When you are doing outdoor modeling. DONT think "oooh i gotta make a map thats really big like coldsnap or hugeass!" When modeling think this Less is more as in the smaller the map the more action your gonna get too see when playing people online. Makeing the map too big will make it boreing and dull trying too find a enemey. Also when you are makeing hills and what not. start by tesselating once or twice and get the basic shape of the floor layed out. then as you get it starting to shape like what you want tesselate it again and smooth it out. and do that until you think the ground looks smooth enough too drive on with out haveing the suspension bottom out on the warthog everytime you hit a new polygon :wink: And also textures are important im not going to really cover them cause i really dont have time. i may cover it later when i update this... well this isnt a tutorial its more like a lecture lol. anyways step 3.
Step Three: Gameplay and Custom Content Management.
Ok i want too lay something down here about halo ce. Just because its called halo Custom Edition dosent mean you HAVE to have custom content in your map. Ive made queit a few maps now and i only use custom content to make things look better usually. A few places were you add new animations and scenery is fine but when you start makeing stoopid poorly designed weapons thats were theres a problem. When you make a custom weapon your pretty much throwing the game play WAY off balanced. Bungie spent years tweaking the gameplay off halo to the ponit were it becaame the bestseller it is today. and you throwing in a lazer beam rocket chainsaw gun. your just fuking up everything. So dont use custom content weapons and vehicels UNLESS you know that you can balance them and make them not throw your maps balance and gameplay out the winddow. Now about sapien. I want too lay down another thing CE. Balance. Balance is what makes or breaks a halo map. I always spend at least a day or too playing my maps before i realease them. Its funny because i map for a couple of different games like halo pc, nox, empire earth and in all those games. if the map isnt balanced then its not gonna be fun, fair or worth playing at all. So when you are placeing weawpons and vehiceles in Sapein. Think about what your doing. Make sure the flag runs and weapon distances for both bases is the same. make sure the heavy weapons (rockets flamers) are hard too get or in a place where its gonnna be a battle too get them. and once youve finsished placeing weapons find a freind give him the map and beta test it. You will find problems witht the map and you can go fix them when your done playing. like for example, when i was beta testing circle pit before its realease we found that grenades were to powerfull on ctf so i removed them as starting weapons and put 4 in the center of map. that small change made teh gameplay for the map flow twice as well and made the map even funner than it was before. (when my freinds come over thats the first map they want too play lan. lol)
so i hope u have learned something about map makeing from this. And i hope too see better maps in the future of CE.
