Quote from kleinlukaSome of you guys here are thinking far too HL oriented. If I were to categorize "mapping" or "level design" I wouldn't put it in graphics design but game design.Nobody here has even MENTIONED game design. It's the biggest and most important part of all!
I consider game design under the art category. Reason being is that game design is very much an art form, though mostly written...
Quote from ginsengavengerthat's a really weird deja-vu double post. zazi/hipshot, separated at birth?
Omai! He found out!
You should first decide which area to focus in. In my opinion and experience, there are really only two areas to focus in: programming or art. Art would encompass everything from modeling, texturing, concept art, and level design. Programming encompasses, well, programming... but in multiple languages. You'll seldom find a programmer in the industry who only knows one language and refuses to learn a new one.
As far as your editor question, it is best to have experience with as many editors as possible. Not only does it help you learn what's out there and what each engine can and cannot do, but it also makes you more marketable. Devs, imo, do not care if you're a "master" at one editor: if it is not something they're looking for, they will skip right over your CV. If, however, you have experience in something that you've worked with before, they'll be more likely to actually look at your resume and give you a shot. Additionally, learning level editors these days is not really hard at all... all it takes is time to learn, so if you have free time by the boatloads, learn as many editors as possible.
Some studios will require that you know other skills other than just level design. When I worked for Streamline, I was required to do a lot more than just level design. Hell, I did everything from modeling, texture work, to programming. I was a special case, though, I think, since I have a good programming background as well. Anywho, it all depends on the developer you are applying to. While it definately would not hurt you by learning how to model and texture, some studios may not require it for a level design position. It will, however, make you that much more marketable.
As far as leading LDs in the industry... it's not gonna happen. Lead positions in ANY developer studio requires industry experience, not mod experience. While you are leading a mod, yes, it does not demonstrate your leadership ability within the actual industry. You may, however, be able to negotiate some sort of senior position, depending on how they gauge your leadership abilities, but even that is pretty rare, imo.
Overall, I think you just have to decide where you want to go, and learn everything you can about that field. If you want to be a leve designer, definately learn as many editors as possible, especially Unreal Editor. Learning secondary skills, such as modeling and texturing are a big bonus as well, so start learning!
Not exactly how I create rocks, but hey, it still works! 
If you mail me your harddrive, I can do a data recovery on it. No joke. As much as I hate you, Nexus, I will do this favor for you since I know how much loosing a map sucks. Anyway, if you're interested, PM me.
Sexy model! I must agree with ol, though... you can dump a lot of polies in that and still retain the detail.
Quote from marque_pierreWhat are you kidding me? We were buddies in university... Still are! Watch that kid, he's got drive, direction and determination...
He seemed like it when I was there... I fondly remember him dancing around like a lunatic one time to demonstrate some animations... 'tis quite funny.
Quote from marque_pierreCongratz Iggy. Say hello to my buddy Christiaan in the animation department!
Haw! You knew Christiaan? Should've told me earlier you goon!
Quote from theiggstaIts a gerbil!
It's a hamster, actually.
Wow.Could you make that a HL2 model?
Wow, could we STOP the thread necromancy?
Quote from skdrWTF Zazi? What happened?
Contract problems, so I left.
Yup, I got home on Sunday evening.
Quote from D3adsYes, I'm a complete n00b I know, I really should know better.. in fact I DO, I was just very careless.
Even if you did know better (in which I don't believe, since you're posting all of your problems here instead of actually using any brain capacity at all), you can't be THAT careless to fix the shit you had. You'd have to be pretty braindead in order to actually not know any better as to what the hell you were doing.
This thread makes me cry, really. D3: use google next time and save the kittens! 
Have fun iggles~~
Can't say that I miss the place, though... roo!
If it's not that stupid SC map, then it's a HLDM map of some sort. Now which is it... *starts looking*
Isn't it that stupid Sven Coop map with the garg in it? Something like sc_garghunt or something, innit?
Quote from von*ferretlol and postman recruits
And rapes!
Wow, that made me go soft real quick.
Oh God do I hate the 5500. It's a piece of shit card that can handle jack squat. Hell, anything in the five thousand series (minus the 5700 media edition) sucks a big one.
This has all been stated already, but I had to vent.
