Basic Mapping Questions

Ace of Spades · Post by **Ace of Spades** » Fri Feb 14, 2003 6:38 pm

I hate to start a new question 'cuz i'm sure it has been talked about before but I would like an answer for the following to help out all beginning mappers, like myself. I've created a bunch of maps now and compiled them to see what they look like with Mbuilder, but, What is my next step? Could someone give me a basic chain of events from start to finish on how a map is created? Like after you create a map, then what? How to add sounds, how to add all the other stuff and how to pack it into a .pk3 file to play in the finished mode. I'd like to release my Lord of the Rings map but am stuck with just the map made and want to add the sounds amongst other things but am lost. Not sure if I know what all the other stuff is for that I hear everyone talking about here. Just a basic outline of what to do and in what order. So, shoot me if I have asked the wrong question but I would like a general answer that will sum up the basics for everyone involved here. NEWBIES included, like myself!

Ace

[253RID]General-Haines · Fri Feb 14, 2003 8:02 pm

hmm give me a little bit and i can gather the resources for u lol all i do is check out other palces tuts and jus make my map i dont know how to add sounds but i know how to make it into a pk3 format when u are all done

Post by **Surgeon** » Sat Feb 15, 2003 1:03 am

http://map.moh-central.net/tutorials/am ... ds_new.php

tutorial on how to add sounds

panTera · Post by **panTera** » Sat Feb 15, 2003 2:01 pm

I've created a bunch of maps now and compiled them to see what they look like with Mbuilder

Does that mean you make the map(s) and you only compile when you're done with the brushwork and lay-out? I use to compile about a thousand times during the whole process;)

Could someone give me a basic chain of events from start to finish on how a map is created? Like after you create a map, then what?

I think it's not just about what to do 'after' you create a map, but about the whole affair a mapper has to go through. From rough sketches on paper to first attempts at setting something up. To build step by step and compile along the way to see if it works and looks right.

(As for MoHaa editing, I started by collecting lots of pieces of script and information on scripting (basicly every little piece of script I found useful) so that I?d know for sure that I?d be able to make the things I had in mind for my map. I didn't find it very appealing to start spending weeks on a map and not even knowing for sure whether or not I was able to make the script for it. The same goes for the use of sounds and shaders and what not.)

As for mapping in general, I usually start of by thinking about the map's setting. What theme do I have in mind and what mood do I want it to have. Try to make sure that the map fits into the game. A game has a certain mood to it, which can be quite hard to capture. What I like to do is start small and make just a (very) small part of the map. I collect a couple of textures I want to use and then try to set the right mood. (This can be done by making a couple of houses or a piece of terrain or whatever; the idea is that I can actually see it in the editor and in the game.) At this moment I don't care about leaks or errors, it's just to get an idea. When I feel like "this could be something", I have to decide whether to expand what I've made so far or just start over from scratch. Well, I don't have to really start all over, because I know have a good picture of my theme in the back of my head.

It's also a good thing to determine what type of map it's going to be. Is it going to be DM, Obj, SP etc.? Sometimes people make their DM-map into a Objective map and they just add an objective to blow up. But then they seem to forget that DM-play is fundamentally different from teamplay. In the end the players will unconsciously start to focus more on scoring individual frags than on the (added) objective as the map's layout allows it.

It can save a mapper a lot of time when he takes these things into consideration before starting. There's nothing more frustrating than canceling a map or a neat idea after you've already put in a sh*t load of time, just because of poor planning. I have once spent weeks on creating custom textures for a map (based on the deathcamps of Auschwitz) and in the end I stopped working on the map because I didn?t like the way the map(?s layout) was coming along. I did a lot of research on the subject to get an idea of how the camp was built. But I wasn?t able to make it into a good playable map and I decided to use a different theme. Let?s just say at times like this I?m glad I don?t make maps for a living and don't have to work with a deadline,-)

Some tips:

I'd recommend new mappers to be careful when they start a map, and not get lost in small details immediately... because the ideas you have in your head don't always follow up in the editor!
You must have a rough picture of the map in your head. You're trying to imagine how it will look in the game and you should have some pictures of future places in your mind. Be prepared to improvise and change plans a little when something isn't going the way you'd hoped for.
Know the game and the editor as much as possible and test a lot. Try to find out what can or cannot be done in the game you're mapping for.

Also, I think brush scaling is the key to making a professional-looking map. Brush scaling applies to everything from stairs to hallways to rooms to buildings to doors to windows... well you get my point, everything. What I find to be a pretty good way to gauge if I am scaling my map correctly is to place a player start next to what I'm building. Now I can tell how big/tall/wide/thick my object is compared to an in-game player.

I wish there was some sort of step by step guide to make maps, but there just isn't. Every mapper works in a different way. I'd say just do what works best for you and do it the way it's most fun. But it can definately save you a lot of time if you do some planning ahead and are aware of the things that can or can't be done in the game you're mapping for. Or better, be aware of your own capabilities. Practice makes perfect. (:shock: yes that's a clich

mohaa_rox · Post by **mohaa_rox** » Sat Feb 15, 2003 2:12 pm

Anybody wanna make an SP campaign or anything? I'll do the scripting.

panTera · Post by **panTera** » Sat Feb 15, 2003 2:27 pm

erm.. nice offer.

Will keep it in mind.

Ace of Spades · Post by **Ace of Spades** » Sat Feb 15, 2003 4:10 pm

Dude! That's a whole lotta info! Wow! Well, I pretty much do everything that your talking about and my maps are all to scale, (i use a calculator with player measurements in mind and all), hey, I put player starts in my map to get an idea of sizes too! Cool! Anyway, I guess what I'm looking for is when and where do I need shaders? How do you create them and what is all this about scripting? Scripting looks like the beast and I'm not sure how to tackle it. Never been a programmer and it's all programming, isn't it? It seems a little bit confusing. I just know I'm gonna ask too many questions here.

I like the tut that ROX left about sounds, that helps. And I found a thread here that talks about making all the directories and such. I'm just wanting to add the finnishing touches to the maps that I already have to start playing them. Oh, by the way, do the sounds autimatically end up in the map as far as the sound you make when you run on different surfaces and the sounds you get when shooting different types of things, like wood, metal, etc? Or is it something you have to do while mapping your world? I see different textures in the common section that I'm not sure what to use for. Wood, metal, various other caulking textures than the standard, you get my point. And last but not least, is there a tut on creating your .pk3 file? I have Pakscape but not sure how to use it. Well, this could be by far the longest question venture I've done and I hope it doesn't make anyone mad 'cuz i'm sure it's all been asked in other areas seperately. I just think if there was one thread here that gave a general description of the major things we use to make our maps, it might give the new mapper a head start on his mapping adventures and leave the rest of the questions to the more difficult. I really appreciate everyones help here, ROX, JV, SURGEON, and now you Pantera, you all are an awesome help to us Noob's. Can we ask too many stupid questions?

Ace

8)

P.S. Is this color ok on the eyes?

Post by **jv_map** » Sat Feb 15, 2003 4:34 pm

If you're doing a MP map, place the bsp in the maps/dm or maps/obj folder and the sounds will work.

Otherwise, read the ubersound work-around in the tutorials section or prefix 'test_'.

mohaa_rox · Post by **mohaa_rox** » Sun Feb 16, 2003 8:25 am

What sound thingy? Anyway, here's how to make a basic pk3 with pakscape:

Open pakscape. Add a directory called "maps". This will be where your maps will be kept. Then in the maps folder, add another directory with "DM" for dm maps and "OBJ" for obj maps. SP maps, just leave them in the maps folder. That's it! Basic enough, done!

You can also add more stuff like sound fixes, ubersounds, models, custom tikis, custom textures, loading screen, animations etc.

Ace of Spades · Post by **Ace of Spades** » Mon Feb 17, 2003 10:35 am

Sorry, what is a TIKI?

Ace

8)

mohaa_rox · Post by **mohaa_rox** » Mon Feb 17, 2003 11:18 am

It is a .tik

$ilver@cer · Post by **$ilver@cer** » Wed Feb 19, 2003 3:19 pm

Nice explaining what a tiki is dude!

So, maybe more sentences could help...

Greets,
$ilver@cer
Just a QuakeII-mapper... 8)

Post by **jv_map** » Wed Feb 19, 2003 4:09 pm

Check the ubersound work-around tutorial in the tutorials section. 8)

Ace of Spades · Post by **Ace of Spades** » Tue Feb 25, 2003 11:07 pm

Thanks JV! Learning something new everytime I log on. I put the map in the DM folder and I got sound! I know there are other things to worry about but at least I know more about the sound stuff. I literally read for about 1-2 hours everytime I log on. Thanks a million!

Ace

8)