time making map
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Re: time making map
Posted by half-dude on Fri Dec 12th at 7:26pm 2003


Hey it's meHalf-dude

Hey all, as you may or may not know, I'm working on my SP mod Xenophobia. And I was wondering, how long should one map take to create? becouse I only have a quorter of the map done and it took about 3 to 4 hours

how long should I take to make one map?

[addsig]




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Re: time making map
Posted by fishy on Fri Dec 12th at 7:35pm 2003


how long is a piece of string?





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Re: time making map
Posted by half-dude on Fri Dec 12th at 7:36pm 2003


What does that mean? [addsig]



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Re: time making map
Posted by matt on Fri Dec 12th at 7:39pm 2003


It means they usually swallow you whole and leave you with no spare time.... [addsig]



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Re: time making map
Posted by half-dude on Fri Dec 12th at 7:40pm 2003


So it should take long?

[addsig]




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Re: time making map
Posted by DocRock on Fri Dec 12th at 7:45pm 2003


? posted by www.snarkpit.com http:>half-dude
how long should I take to make one map?

Well, that depends. It depends on how happy you are with the map you've made. It depends on how well your beta testers approve of it. It depends if it needs fixed even tho you think it's done.

Really, a map's completion is never ever done. There will be a time, in the future, when you'll look back on your map and say "wow I should have done this different." or "Wow, I can't believe I released such a bad map."

If you're making a single player map, then, well, it will take a lot longer, because there usually is more than one map in a single player episode. I made a single player pack...it had almost 50 maps in it...it took the better of 6 months to make...and now when I look back at it, I think "wow I should have done this different." or "Wow, I can't believe I released such a bad map."

Just build it, make sure it works and doesn't have a ton of flaws. Get feedback on it. See what people think of it before you release it for general consumption.

Most of all, good luck, half-dude.





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Re: time making map
Posted by Tracer Bullet on Fri Dec 12th at 7:53pm 2003


A heckler once asked Abraham Lincoln how long Man's legs were suposed to be. Lincoln answered "long enough to reach the ground".

such should be your attitude.





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Re: time making map
Posted by half-dude on Sat Dec 13th at 12:30am 2003


Speaking of maps one things been bugging me.

how do you prevent the player from ziping through the map? I mean in half-life each individual map was actually pritty small but they seemed long, but they had things to look at which I guess might be the answer, have things to look at.

What do you think/do

[addsig]




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Re: time making map
Posted by Cash Car Star on Sat Dec 13th at 1:11am 2003


Key cards!

Seriously, locked doors and things to fight are good ways to keep people around. Essentially, you somewhat have to craft puzzles that make it tough for a player to just run on through... Perhaps you need to switch a valve somewhere so you can shoot open a pipe and flood a room. Restoring power is always a winner. And of course the need to collect key cards. There are so many types of key cards! Red key cards, green key cards, blue key cards...





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Re: time making map
Posted by Gorbachev on Sat Dec 13th at 1:35am 2003


It takes me months per map. I tend to change a lot of stuff and general designs. [addsig]



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Re: time making map
Posted by Gwil on Sat Dec 13th at 3:34am 2003


Half-Life's maps were quite small, but they were "long" because of the backtracking (ie running, flicking switches, power supplys, destroying those plant/alien things on blast pit). [addsig]



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Re: time making map
Posted by Dr Brasso on Sat Dec 13th at 3:36am 2003


im not quite sure what this means to anyone, especially me, but i havent released a map yet....*red face ...i have a hard time getting to the point of satisfaction....as a cad drafter, i have to be damn meticulous in my work...and maybe its made me a bit anal about mapping...."release no map before its time...."....ya get a look at things that KFS, Orph, Reno, maze, etc etc etc put out, and my balls shrink up, i toss another map out, and start over....tis the way it is with me....ive been coming here for what?....almost 2 years now i spose?....

you be the judge of what you like and dislike from your own gallery....if yer happy, thats what counts in my book....if it takes a year, it takes a year....so be it...it is a direct reflection of you and your world....

Doc Brass...

[addsig]




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Re: time making map
Posted by Tracer Bullet on Sat Dec 13th at 5:20am 2003


That seems rather counter intuitive doc. I would think a background in CAD would make you better/more efficent than anyone else :/ [addsig]



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Re: time making map
Posted by Wild Card on Sat Dec 13th at 5:24am 2003


I'm thinking about CAD courses in college. But Doc B, at least you ARE able to start something. For me, its the hardest step in map making. [addsig]



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Re: time making map
Posted by Dr Brasso on Sat Dec 13th at 6:03am 2003


well TB, lemme tell ya...there are a minimum of similarities between VHE and autocad, although the premise is basicly the same....my biggest problem with VHE is the fact that it is set on a 1 to 1 ratio, where as autocad goes to ....well, as many decimal places as needed....in other words, between macros and ad-lib, its 50 times more powerful, thus allowing for a greater order of specificity.

i didnt say i didnt like what i build with VHE, its just tough to work in the constraints i have....s**t....i got bored and miced a fender stratocastor once, just to see if i could........and now a picture (printout/plot) of it hangs in the halls of school....and that was many years ago....

counterintuitive?....hmm....i dont think so....it simply made me well, picky as hell...and these guys didnt or cant shake me from that....

im a good designer, if youd like to build a house, commercial building, machine parts, etc etc etc....mapping for HL is a different animal ....as i said, the basics are the same, but the design process is no where near the same....try to put a 1.25 degree bevel on something in VHE, with a double chamfer and fillets....VHE would have a literal s**tfit....

but, mark my words sir....when i DO release a map, itll be something im proud of.....

oh and btw, notice that i did not have any errors in my section before i sent it on...

yer turn....

Doc Brass...

[addsig]




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Re: time making map
Posted by Forceflow on Sat Dec 13th at 10:36am 2003


When creating your map takes less time than compiling it, you're on the wrong track.





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Re: time making map
Posted by Tracer Bullet on Sat Dec 13th at 10:45am 2003


I guess I knew that auto cad had to be way more powerfull than VHE but I'd never really though that much about how big the difference is.

Have no fear doc. I do'nt creat many errors, and when I do, I fix them before a release of any sort, which includes passing it on to you guys. btw, I still haven't gotten that map yet

[addsig]




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Re: time making map
Posted by ReNo on Sat Dec 13th at 1:29pm 2003


? posted by Forceflow

When creating your map takes less time than compiling it, you're on the wrong track.

LOL, some of my rockwork intensive maps are getting that way, and not for lack of time spent building them

[addsig]




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Re: time making map
Posted by Wild Card on Sat Dec 13th at 3:07pm 2003


Indeed, rockwork does take a long time to compile. But its so simple and fast to make, at least for me. But then good 'ol compiling has to go in and spend hours on leafThread.. [addsig]



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Re: time making map
Posted by Gwil on Sat Dec 13th at 3:48pm 2003


I have problems finishing maps.. I havent finished (and released) a map to date :O !




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