[juvenite]

So, sometimes I'm lazy and I end up leaving everything messy, unnamed and/or unorganized, and I can't work on something all messy.
I wanna know how you organize your level projects/concepts/whatever ("Do you plan it, or just do whatever comes to your mind? How do you plan your levels? Do you take notes of your ideas? How do you take these notes? How do you organize your files?" and etc), and tips to leave everything more nice and clean would be appreciated, of course

[neoacix]

I start mapping with a pretty clear idea in mind.
If the map includes complicated mechanics, I use notes on my desktop to write down all the todo.
Also, I have one sprite on a dedicated spot in the map and give it allways the highest high- an lowtag, which is not used yet. So I don't have to look up what the next available tag is.
And that's pretty much all. ;-)

[blizzart]

neoacix, on 15 September 2016 - 09:17 AM, said:

I start mapping with a pretty clear idea in mind.
If the map includes complicated mechanics, I use notes on my desktop to write down all the todo.
Also, I have one sprite on a dedicated spot in the map and give it allways the highest high- an lowtag, which is not used yet. So I don't have to look up what the next available tag is.
And that's pretty much all. ;-)

You can use text for lotags instead to avoid using one twice.

[Captain Massive]

Paper notepad and pen.

1st I name the level.

2nd I find the music to set the levels tone.

Then I build the entrance a few times over and the rest flows if I'm lucky.

Right now I have more ideas than I can fit in multible maps soo.. it will get messy sorting them out and planning how to aproach each one without going over the 1024 limit.

If I go over the limit it creates a lagfest and makes the map take 10x longer to complete.

I also keep all the sprites I need organized in squares on the same map, weapons,ammo,enemies (all positions and types), decorations and so on copied from the master levels for the correct size ( took me awhile but saves tons of time later ) also helps me find respawn numbers quickly.

Anything I might use agian like a cola machine I built or monitor I made or cool door, I keep in a map called __goodies for copy pasting and copy it to the map I'm working on.

Sometimes I'll make sectors full of textures I might use later.

I also use a testing grounds for any and all Inventions so if it fails or messes something up its no big deal.


I'll attach mine if it helps, its missing alot of the sprites but you can add to it as you go along, it also has my cola machines and stuff just as an example of what you could do.

 _Goodies.zip (12.61K)
Number of downloads: 245

[Robman]

I map on the fly, I get an idea and try to build it as close to how I pictured it as I can.

I save the maps sequentially with different letters or numbers at the end of the name.
Usually the map name will start with an exclamation point to keep it at the top of the map list.

F5 does a reasonable job of keeping track of lo-tags in SW(P) BUILD and it appears that M32 has a similar F5 function.

[Captain Massive]

Robman, on 15 September 2016 - 11:06 AM, said:

I map on the fly, I get an idea and try to build it as close to how I pictured it as I can.

I save the maps sequentially with different letters or numbers at the end of the name.
Usually the map name will start with an exclamation point to keep it at the top of the map list.

F5 does a reasonable job of keeping track of lo-tags in SW(P) BUILD and it appears that M32 has a similar F5 function.

Same........... Moontang got up too #779 I keep a file called old to eliminate the clutter and move them over every 70ish revision or so.

F5 does wonders I use it often.

[neoacix]

Haha! My last map (Baserape) has over 3000 revisions or so! But yeah, it's an old habit to save every mayor step to a new revision.

Also, I often use a room of sprites for texture cache.

Will try F5 now. ;-)

[Mark]

I also map without any sort of prep or notes. Music and soundFX are usually one of the last things to go in. As I map I look around and say "a model of ??? would work great for here so I build one, place it in the map. Then continue on. Sometimes lack of planning comes back to haunt me. For instance, using TROR would have been easier in some areas if I had planned in advance to use there. Having an ending goal in mind would probably be helpful so you know when to call it quits instead of endless adding on which I sometime do.

[neoacix]

Jep, use of TROR should be planned early,
Also, make your choice:

• make a vanilla Duke map? (within the limits)
  
• use HRP or not?
  
• use Polymer or Polymost?
  
• use any mod like DukePlus?

These are questions you should answer your self, before starting to map.

One of the important things should be also: Can I realise my map within the wall-limits and can it run in decend framerates?

[Micky C]

I pretty much just build what comes to mind, although I usually have a vague idea of the overall progression of the level first. It's never a good idea to map when you have no idea what to do, as you'll waste a lot of time figuring out what to do next.

[ck3D]

i don't get to map often, therefore whenever I do get to map it feels like I'm doing it 'on the fly' - except I'm really just materializing ideas I've had way too much time to nurture in my head, during all the time I was off. everything is mentally preconceived already and as soon as I open Mapster, I really just let out some steam.

when I was younger and had a lot more mapping time I would nerd out on all the little details, heavy thought on how to make more complicated effects work, timed sequences etc... and that's when I would use paper and pens, sometimes to draw the basic outlines of certain areas of my maps too, for the most tactical sections. but nowadays all this is out of the window, for I have way too much work and real-life stuff to worry about on the side, I can't bring myself to put in that much effort & devote that much energy for a game.

a lot of my recent maps, although well-received by the community under their final form as a product, are actually very dumbed-down representations of some way more ambitious mental images I originally had for the levels. most of the time I have to take shortcuts and rush things, which isn't necessarily bad for me otherwise the maps would take so long to make they would never get released. been trying to find a happy medium... I'd say Bummed Out ! Anarchy City X is my best compromise so far in terms of how close I got with the actual results vs. what I had originally envisioned for the level, design, atmosphere, concept & all. can't believe it's 3 years old already. most of my other maps leave me with a bitter 'unfinished' taste due to how I know I wish I could have made them. obviously as their creator I am the only one to know this and feel bad about them in some aspects, whatever. again for me nowadays it's either release them as is and get them out of the way, or never release anything at all and waste even more time for a lesser impact.

Micky C, on 15 September 2016 - 03:53 PM, said:

It's never a good idea to map when you have no idea what to do, as you'll waste a lot of time figuring out what to do next.

that's always been, and still is one of my weaknesses in mapping. even when I have a good idea of what I want or need to build next, it takes me ages to actually dare to get at it, touch what feels like a pristine map in its current state (albeit unfinished) and go on about making new areas. it's as though subconsciously I always feel like I'm right about to fuck something up when everything else in the map functions great thus far and I just have to wait until 1) a vision perfectly matures in my head or 2) I get really bored looking at the map in the editor for a while, before I finally go ahead and add to level. I've had it so bad before, times where I'd just fire up the editor, load the map, stare at every single corner in 2D mode, 3D mode, 2D mode again, 3D mode again... all the while knowing exactly what type of room to add, and where to add it ('where it would need to be added' sounds more accurate). wasting 15 mins just looking at the screen only to give up and quit the editor due to the timing not feeling exactly right - essentially procrastinating. always wondered if I was the only one or if some others were like that too.

[brullov]

I just don't.

[Kyanos]

two words

.bat files.

I make one to load my map straight into mapster3d mode on startup, I save progressive back-up revisions in a numbered format like the others above, map_name##.map, but then also save wip maps unnumbered when I exit mapster for the .bat to still work properly. I also use an _ or ! at the beginning of the .bat to keep it at the top of the folder in explorer, or just make shortcuts on my desktop if it's something I'm currently working on a lot.

mapster32.exe -map map_name.map

[Captain Massive]

What @ck3D said.

I procrastinate and all that. Hopefully I get my motivatoin/mo-jo back, when I do it flys pretty fast.


My most recent project has been crashing alot as well making me afraid to do much at all.

( I think I found the problemed sector and re-made it, but it took the wind out of my sails, and still map like I'm on egg-shells ).

[oasiz]

These days I often just create some stuff in mspaint (lower left corner) and visualize the space like that and translate it to a map.
This was a quick doom map I did last year for a LAN party, wanted to have space for +8 players.

Done this few times before and it's quite handy. Did this recently on one more obscure project (build engine) that will hopefully soon be released here too.

Other times I just build as I go, thinking of different stuff and getting inspired by my own creations.
I can get really in-depth immersion and that often inspires me to do stuff.

[Mike Norvak]

ck3D, on 16 September 2016 - 04:21 AM, said:

i don't get to map often, therefore whenever I do get to map it feels like I'm doing it 'on the fly' - except I'm really just materializing ideas I've had way too much time to nurture in I get really bored looking at the map in the editor for a while, before I finally go ahead and add to level. I've had it so bad before, times where I'd just fire up the editor, load the map, stare at every single corner in 2D mode, 3D mode, 2D mode again, 3D mode again... all the while knowing exactly what type of room to add, and where to add it ('where it would need to be added' sounds more accurate). wasting 15 mins just looking at the screen only to give up and quit the editor due to the timing not feeling exactly right - essentially procrastinating. always wondered if I was the only one or if some others were like that too.

+1. Not to mention desperately wandering the level in 3D with the arrows. Lol

[Jolteon]

For me I think up what the name of the map should be, then I think what new enemies should be in the level, and code them in, and make test levels for them. Then I start mapping the level. Sometimes I think ahead of what the layout would be, other times I just go as I like without thinking.