How hard is it to make a decent map?

Snipawolf · Post by **Snipawolf** » 27 Aug 2006, 03:23

From 1 to 5///

After my mod is finished I will most likely make exotic alien worlds, sprawling robotic cities, and human wastes/cities...

I need an estimate how hard it would be...

FizWizz · Post by **FizWizz** » 27 Aug 2006, 03:32

It depends on many many things.
More complicated, detailed, and whatnot does not necessarily translate into 'decent'.

Snipawolf · Post by **Snipawolf** » 27 Aug 2006, 04:43

well, I would say looks mostly, but I think strategic balance is more important

LathanStanley · Post by **LathanStanley** » 27 Aug 2006, 08:09

I'd say 1 or 2.. its mostly just time consuming...

genblood · Post by **genblood** » 27 Aug 2006, 11:51

I would say a 4 ... If you want to have custom features.
IMO ... custom features for me takes time. So, I haven't
used any in my last few maps releases. Instead I have
been working on getting my textures together.

In the long run the more time you spend on it the better
you'll get at it ..

bamb · Post by **bamb** » 27 Aug 2006, 12:02

Read the mapmaking sticky on this forum, not any of the tutorials in the wiki, many of them are outdated. The compiling is the hardest part to get to work at all. Of course the actual art part is hardest to get "right".
I haven't done any good maps but I'd say it's about hardness 2 to 3 to do a crap map.

Snipawolf · Post by **Snipawolf** » 27 Aug 2006, 16:00

Ohh, k, I might be able to whip up something in a year or so when I am done with my mod... It sounds time consuming, so it shouldn't be bad...
Thanks for the replies..

SinbadEV · Post by **SinbadEV** » 28 Aug 2006, 01:49

I would say 1 for acctual difficulty of process, 3 for time consuming and 5 for figureing out all the nit picky stupidness to make the whole process work in the first place... when you know what you are doing, I would block out about 24 hours of actual work in each good, unique featured map.

Cheesecan · Post by **Cheesecan** » 28 Aug 2006, 18:12

Making a decent map doesn't really require much. Now making a great map, that's something entirely different.

PicassoCT · Post by **PicassoCT** » 28 Aug 2006, 19:07

True Cheese

It is like Mod making without Programming. The Same trouble, the Same balancing thing, hundreds of test games - or you will produce hundreds of unplayed Maps.

Erom · Post by **Erom** » 28 Aug 2006, 19:56

For me, it's the texture. If you have good technical know-how and some appreciation for the finer points of strategy, game wise or military wise, then coming up with the concept for a map, and making heightmap, metalmap, featuremap, importing all the features you need, all easy, maybe 2-3 hours if you take your time.

Making a convincing texture can take dozens of hours.

PicassoCT · Post by **PicassoCT** » 28 Aug 2006, 21:48

Erom wrote:For me, it's the texture. If you have good technical know-how and some appreciation for the finer points of strategy, game wise or military wise, then coming up with the concept for a map, and making heightmap, metalmap, featuremap, importing all the features you need, all easy, maybe 2-3 hours if you take your time.

Making a convincing texture can take dozens of hours.

True, but i put dozen of hours into invernus or yilith, and messed up the metall Map or the "everyone the same amount heights" thing. To make a decent map - so sorry to say that - a Good Texture is not nessecary. Ohh, that really hurts- it is just a guess, but i think castles or riverdale would be famous even without Texture.

Spring RTS Engine