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Dearth of HL2 single player custom maps
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 Re: Dearth of HL2 single player custom maps
Posted by satchmo on Wed Jan 19th at 6:28pm 2005

Personally, I derive much more pleasure designing a single player map. The best part is to anticipate what the player would do in a situation, and set traps to challenge the player.

Why aren't there more single player maps for HL2? Why do most mappers prefer making multiplayer maps?
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 Re: Dearth of HL2 single player custom maps
Posted by Dark|Killer on Wed Jan 19th at 6:45pm 2005

In the begining, before i knew anything about hammer, i used to make single player maps (noobish), i liked it better because you can ( as you said) set traps and make tricky situations, but after coming to this helpful site, i began working on DM maps for learning new stuff, so i think i may start working on a single player map soon, its just more...Enjoyable in a way.

But i would say if we can mix these 2 in one cooprative map, this would be a bit of a challenge with your friends online or at lan, trying to kick some alien and combine butt, That must be FUN !!! What do you think ??

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 Re: Dearth of HL2 single player custom maps
Posted by DrGlass on Wed Jan 19th at 6:47pm 2005

I dont tent me map for SP becuase it takes alot more to make a SP map. AI, I/O, etc tend to be more taxing on the mapper. I'm going to try and make one though.

MP maps are far more basic, in many you dont even need many entities apart from wepons and spawn points.




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 Re: Dearth of HL2 single player custom maps
Posted by Leperous on Wed Jan 19th at 6:48pm 2005

I think many people plan a collection of SP maps rather than one-offs, and obviously those take time- so we'll probably see a bunch in a few months, when people have figured out all the relevant entities!



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 Re: Dearth of HL2 single player custom maps
Posted by Dark|Killer on Wed Jan 19th at 7:17pm 2005

? quoting Leperous
I think many people plan a collection of SP maps rather than one-offs, and obviously those take time- so we'll probably see a bunch in a few months, when people have figured out all the relevant entities!

Yeh, i agree with lep, sometimes you just get mixed up with these entities, for a single player map, the mapper should know all kind of entities and what does it do, it is really a hard work, But its worth it.

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 Re: Dearth of HL2 single player custom maps
Posted by Myrk- on Wed Jan 19th at 7:31pm 2005

Well I think it's possible that some SP maps might start appearing- just single maps... the area you can use is so huge it wouldn't suprise me.

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 Re: Dearth of HL2 single player custom maps
Posted by RaPtoR on Wed Jan 19th at 7:35pm 2005

? quote:

But i would say if we can mix these 2 in one cooprative map, this would be a bit of a challenge with your friends online or at lan, trying to kick some alien and combine butt, That must be FUN !!! What do you think ??



I think two words, Sven Coop
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 Re: Dearth of HL2 single player custom maps
Posted by Guessmyname on Wed Jan 19th at 7:57pm 2005

I'm making an SP map pack. It involves a teleporter destination mess up that allowed an army of antlions in. You have to destroy the Antlion Leaders (Guards) and shut down the teleporter to stop more coming in. Oh and you also let in an army of headcrabs too.
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 Re: Dearth of HL2 single player custom maps
Posted by Junkyard God on Wed Jan 19th at 8:18pm 2005

You are right, hl singleplayer maps are way nice to make i think, and while i make then i stumble upon problems (and so solutions - as in learning new stuff ) that i would never come across in a hldm map,

but making a singleplayer map needs a good idea and i think most people don't think up a good idea before making a map, that is also why people find it hard to finish maps and.or make a proper map instead of half a map with walls around it to stop leaks.

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 Re: Dearth of HL2 single player custom maps
Posted by Cash Car Star on Wed Jan 19th at 8:56pm 2005

I can think of a few reasons multiplayer maps are more popular:

  • Variable challenge level: when you play a multiplayer map, the challenge is based not only on the map but also on the opponents. This enhances replay as there's always different things to do and different situations occur. A single player map is more or less a one-time event.
  • Enjoyment: because of the above replay benefits, I think more people enjoy playing multiplayer maps of different sorts. When they enjoy playing something, they will spend more time thinking about mapping for it and thus have more ideas they would like to use.
  • Time Commitment: deathmatch maps take less time. I'd hate to see Gollum take on a single player project as I'll probably be confined to a hospital bed with a lingering stench of poo, forgetting the names of my grandchildren by the time it comes out.
  • Connectivity: not sure how big this is to most people, but as a mapper I enjoy creating levels with high connectivity. I dislike the room-corridor-room feel that seems to dominate single player situations.
  • Professionalism, Manpower and Competency: creating a professional looking deathmatch level requires a smaller skillset. You need to know how to map. Modeling, texturing, coding, writing, sound editing and so on are great skills to bring to the party, but a deficiency in any can be easily glossed over and ignored. In order to produce a professional looking single player map (or more frequently, sequence of maps), on your own, you need all these skills. This becomes exceedingly necessary as you move outside the Half-life themes. If I get my hands on some cool textures, I could churn out a futuristic skyrise themed deathmatch map. I could not create a similarly polished single player level without leaning heavily on someone else to support me in areas I am weaker.
  • Boasting: let's face it, it's a lot easier to show off your work to friends if it's multiplayer. You'll be the life of the LAN party.




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 Re: Dearth of HL2 single player custom maps
Posted by Dred_furst on Wed Jan 19th at 9:14pm 2005

SP is great because of those said traps. I need to sit down and thing of traps, and piece them together in a very nice themed map. SP tends to be vistas, Traps, monster bashing and Attempting NOT to die.

DM is also great but not as great because of the human bashing, vistas and repeated deaths (when RPG hits you and you fly 300m down the road with everyone saying "rofl!")

Personally, i prefer SP encounters as they have a distinct feel to them, its subzone not just Killbox_2beta4. SP takes you to another place, somwhere completely unrelated where the weapons and traps seem feasable. DM has a sense of this, but normally the weapons feel out of place, and normally (there are exceptions, mostly the good DM maps for HL and HL2 hosted here) are quite Kill or be killed purpose built environments, and are labs, or in the sense of the game.

I must admit I've had dreams recently about remaking the whole of BM this time, and really there are three things stopping me:
  • Time! i cant spend so long! BM is huge! my attention span dies after a few weeks
  • Resources! My PC crashes in hammer every so often already, plus i need BM textures and decent models
  • Plot! what the hell will I do in BM? Subplots? (Meet barney at the bar lol) Major mission or Just wonder around wondering "Omg this is huge!"
anyway, thats my Point of view, Cheers for reading
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 Re: Dearth of HL2 single player custom maps
Posted by BlisTer on Wed Jan 19th at 9:40pm 2005

? quoting satchmo
Personally, I derive much more pleasure designing a single player map. The best part is to anticipate what the player would do in a situation, and set traps to challenge the player.

Why aren't there more single player maps for HL2? Why do most mappers prefer making multiplayer maps?

like some ppl said already, have a combination of both: coop. AI, challenging the player map-based, yet teamplay and interaction with other ppl. The problem is that there aren't many good coop mods. i'm crossing my fingers some good ones will pop up for HL2, otherwise i'm gonna have to start mapping DM

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 Re: Dearth of HL2 single player custom maps
Posted by Campaignjunkie on Wed Jan 19th at 10:37pm 2005

I prefer singleplayer design a lot more over multiplayer. You can make a lot more assumptions (such as the player can only be at one place at a time) and you have an opportunity to tell a story in a unique way.
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 Re: Dearth of HL2 single player custom maps
Posted by satchmo on Thu Jan 20th at 1:10am 2005

I am glad most people agree that single player maps have more potential to be more entertaining, especially for the mapper. It's very true that single player maps are more challenging to make and require a lot more time committment. But the result is nevertheless rewarding. As Campaignjunkie said, I get to tell a story instead of having random weapons scattered in an arena for no reason.

I've just released a beta of my single player map. I haven't had a chance to upload the screenshots yet, but I'm just trying to have people playtest it at this point. I will, however, get the screenshots uploaded by tonight (in a few hours).

Here's the beta: http://www.snarkpit.com/maps/HL2/sp_justice.zip

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 Re: Dearth of HL2 single player custom maps
Posted by satchmo on Thu Jan 20th at 1:11am 2005

I can't wait for some of the veteran mappers start making single player maps and mods. I wonder what people will come up with, since many of the original mapping constraint of Half-Life are lifted with Source. [addsig]



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 Re: Dearth of HL2 single player custom maps
Posted by Gorbachev on Thu Jan 20th at 3:22am 2005

I find I have to spend a lot of time with multiplayer maps as well...granted it's DoD usually which requires a lot more small detail over the standard deathmatch type map. There's a lot of real-world type stuff to get to scale and good looks. I also enjoy a lot of the technical aspect...there's a lot of planning that has to go into placement of everything in a multiplayer map to account for who can see who at what time, different areas of combat with specific elements to mold the general gameplay. But you also have to take into account all the exploitatious stuff people try to do too...It's just as much work, or can be, depending on the mod.
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 Re: Dearth of HL2 single player custom maps
Posted by ben_j_davis on Thu Jan 20th at 10:09am 2005

There are not many people who will play the same SP map over and over again no matter how good it is. But a DM map could be played 100,000's of times all over the world by 1000's of people. What more could ask for?

Even my s**tty map has had several 100 hours of play from various servers. (Not that there were people playing on it 24 hours a day). Still cool to think that eventhough these people don't know who i am, they are all running round my bedroom (rats style map).

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 Re: Dearth of HL2 single player custom maps
Posted by [M.O]_VaSh on Thu Jan 20th at 10:29am 2005

The main things for me is the time it takes, but mostly the fact that Hammer reboots/screws up/explodes my computer every 15 min or so and this is more frustrating on a multiplayer map that may take a couple days or even hours but this happening every couple min for making a SP map with a story takes like 4 weeks just makes me give up.

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 Re: Dearth of HL2 single player custom maps
Posted by DrFrag on Thu Jan 20th at 11:27am 2005

After I finish my current CSS map, I plan to make a new CSS map and also make a SP spinoff of the same theme. I've done some design sketches for the storyboard, maps and traps. I've also come up with some artistic design/story quirks that I think will work really well (nothing I've seen done before in any game or movie).

I think the single biggest obstacle will be voice acting. I can't do that at all, and I'd really like to have some customised interaction rather than recycle Barney's lines or make it totally without vocals.





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 Re: Dearth of HL2 single player custom maps
Posted by ReNo on Thu Jan 20th at 1:45pm 2005

Eeek, another Vash!
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