Mapping - A Process

[Crispy]

Hourences is right. There's always a way to work in what you want if you agree to make certain concessions.

Maybe if you give us an example we can come up with some workarounds?

[Psy]

I'm always indecisive when it comes to architect. Let's say I add a wall, floor and a ceiling. I see a flaw and think, "It's too flat and blocky!", but I know that there isn't anyway to make it more interesting without stretching too far away from the theme.

I'm probably too self-critical.

[Crispy]

Flat and blocky can always be brought out and made more interesting later on. Even if you run out of ideas when you come back to it, the internet is an amazing source for unique architectural styles that you can adapt to fit your work.

If you keep getting bogged down on the details early on you'll never complete that ever-important first map. Look at it this way: if you get hung up on something not being right the rest of the map will never happen. On the other hand if you ignore it for the time being (as long as the general layout fits the gameplay) there is nothing stopping you from coming back to it.

[Sopa_de_letras]

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[Sentura]

back in the day when mapping for the hl1 engine was 'in', i used to create small singleplayer maps. these maps wouldnt have anything special in them really, maybe a small scripted sequence of a sci walking to a door and opening it, or the player having to get somewhere to make him do just that; usually accompanied with a small walk/climb/maze to get to said situation.

the thing back then was, that whenever i felt like putting something into shape, i'd replay these simple maps (no level interchange, manual changelevel; though the maps were continuations), and get just a little bit inspired as what to do and how to start a map. if you replay a large map or a chapter of some campaign in any game, it'll be too much building inspiration, but if you take a small map, nothing fancy, you'll get a kickstart on how to build stuff.

this also provides a perspective of how the player perceives the level. you'd be surprised how little the blocky parts mattered when the fun was there.

i've actually seen a mod recently employing a similar technique, where the maps and everything are blocky, but the gameplay/flow is so finely tuned it's still an amazing experience to play. this mod is called riot act, and it's on modDB. failing anything else, i suggest you at least play through that.