Nothing, Absolutely Nothing

[Psy]

I'm here, staring at a piece of blank paper with a pencil in my hand. I'm meant to be drawing an area but I can't. I can't conjure up anything whatsoever. It seems that no amount of "breaks" or time away from Hammer can kick-start my imagination.

This is ridiculously frustrating. Why can't it be like the earlier days when I could just map ideas off the top of my head? As soon as I start mapping I doubt my design from the very beginning.

I am in need of help.

[Pericolos0]

go out, take pictures, watch some movies, look at some art. Fill your brain with fresh ideas.

[Psy]

That's what I've been doing during my break. I started again with a positive mindset on Saturday and it's already turned to shit.

[GregBoffins]

Weelllll this all stems from not having any confidence in your design, once you can eliminate that all inspiration will come flowing back like a tsunami.

Are you having problems with design ideas, or artist look ideas?

[Rick_D]

i got banned for threads like this.

[dux]

No you got banned for being a dick.

[Vinny Testaverde]

Like anything, sitting there with a blank page is the worst thing you can do. Like most people it seems like your afraid of making something bad. If you can't come up with something good, then just come up with something bad, and then work with that from there, or throw it away and start again.

Its not just about inspiration or motivation, its about working with what you got. trust me just draw a bad level, then scrap draw another bad one. then you might get into a zone, you might learn things then the good ideas will flow

[static07]

no matter how bad or unispired an idea is, it can always improve, beyond your imagination.

[propaganda]

Try having a few beers.

[Psyshokiller]

Try to get some really basic things down first. Just as artists do speedpaints/sketching. They mostly don't even know what they want to shoot for and lay in some basic shapes, then they get something out of it, don't be afraid to try out things. It's a bit like trying to see figures in the clouds. Of course it's not that easy regarding level design, it's just meant to break the creativity barrier somehow and get your ideas flow. Maybe you should jump right in and playtest things and see how you can improve them.

[Buddy]

8 step program, "start actually working on it when you know what you want to do"

-think what you want to do

-set a location / make a rough top layout (ROUGH!)

-look for references for this kind of location

-hammer out rough map (ROUGH)

-take a brake for few minutes/days/weeks/months/years/centuries/milleniums etc.

-rethink whole thing

-make concepts/paintovers

-work

BE SURE to do something interesting all the time before you start working, sleep well, have fun and start with energy and fresh ideas. Sitting for hours and mapping something you don't know what it is is exhausting and time unefficent.

Turning off web browsers and other useless stuff is key too so you won't get too distracted with porn.

[fonfa]

so... have you finished your thearts map?

[Mr. Happy]

Try going someplace real, like a real place in the real world and draw it, and then build it in your editor, the change it, look at it, and start drawing again using that as a style reference. It's easier to get a layout I think when you understand the style you want to use, as different areas have different design and artistic elements that lend themselves to different gameplay.

Get some architecture books, like school books. Surveys that have a wide range of stuff representing all kinds of different styles. We just looked at at some of Frank Furness's work in Architecture class, now don't you just want to map this?

[SnipaMasta]

Get a cat.

Look at some pictures of a location you'd like to make, and try to draw some inspiration for layout from them. Then add some layout between the points, and map it out in hammer.

[Algor]

You might be coming at it from the wrong approach. You may know what shapes or foundations you want, but tying it all together with aesthetics is keeping you away. Gray (or orange) box it (the design method, not the game package )!