This thread is for the novice mapper who has just entered the world of mapping and figured out how some of the tools he/she has at hand work, but hasn't really produced anything of quality. If you don't already know, I've been mapping for over 5 years now. I started out on HL1 making stupid basic linear worlds where you grab a big gun and run through some blocky, leaking hallway with zombies and scientists placed in no particular order. The rooms make no sense and the textures are just randomly placed. The lighting (never fullbright) was toned either way too high or way too low and the end of the level was just a wall in your way. I wish I had that map still.
Everyone starts at the bottom, producing crap nobody wants to play on. Trust me. I was there. I thought my map was awesome where in fact it was just a lump of unoptimized garbage. The only way you will improve and get better at mapping is by failing. I know that sounds terrible but it's the truth. Just like any other art like drawing, modeling, painting, dancing, you're work is going to be shit for the first little while, no matter how hard you try. You need to work on your skills and improve them with time and effort.
Lots of people ask me "man how did you become such a good mapper?" and my answer to that? Time and effort. I could go on and on explaining but I have a better idea. I'll just list off as much work I've done as I can find in the order I've produced it, and share that work with you guys. You can even play on the maps if you want as I'll try to provide a download link. Just look at the really basic geometry from the start and how it improves as time goes on:
I've made a number of maps before this but this is the start of my record of maps.
Learning from that last map, I looked a little bit at other maps and how things could look better.
After a bit of time making several plans and getting a few brushes in, I stopped working on wire maps. I switched communities and moved on to mapping for a new community. I got better at displacements, a very important tool in nature mapping and designed some really nice ocean floors.
Keep in mind, these map took me a few weeks to make. If I tried to remake them today, they'd be done in a few hours.
I got into RP, particularly PERP after trying out PERP1 at my cousins place in the summer of 2009. I really liked evocity2 and made it my goal to one day make a RLRP map like evocity. That goal is almost complete with Rockford.
I gave up on Acreditara after seeing it going almost nowhere and being too open/poorly planned. I had helped out with cosmoscity on OCRP in the OC community and after Frosty left, started work on a map called cosmoscity2. It eventually turned into a new map and after some random guy who had 2 posts that nobody knew made the suggestion for the name, Rockford was born.
Spoiler for rp_rockford (not what you think):
I know what you're thinking. "But you're working on it right now?" I know. The original Rockford started out around the end of summer of 2010. This map really shows that sometimes, you need to put a lot of time and effort into something to make it nice. Here's a video of it during development.
http://www.mediafire.com/download/ffantgay97kvtv0/rp_rockford_v1b.zip (probably wont be able to see anything due to content)
Not much happened between OC and CG in regards to mapmaking. I spent most of my time on rockford up to this point. I have a livestream which might still have footage of me working on Rockford. I had spent several months, maybe even a year on it before realizing it was out of my league.
Ineu Pass sparked a huge interest in other people in regards to my mapping. I had started getting requests for edits, new maps, Ineu edits. I only had a few people where I accepted their offers and started work.
Spoiler for rp_mountaincastle:
A map someone was going to commission me into doing but got cold feet. Obviously incomplete but nonetheless, here's a little peak at what could have been a decent castle rp map.
No download. Sorry.
I felt slight remorse for taking valves map and adding my own content, then getting all this credit for it so I had to do something that was completely all my own work.
People had complained about my lack of trees and natural appearance of Ineu Valley. I told them the map was simply too big to put that much detail into (I learned this was a false statement in the future) and wanted to sharpen my skills in detailing.
All this map making and people noticing me started getting me profit. RoflWaffle and TOMASAS asked me to give the HRP map a touch up to make it more appealing. I decided to make an entirely new map to give the gamemode a fresh atmosphere.
I had a few good ideas while bored at work and straight up screwing around in gmod.
Constructive criticism is quality control for independent mappers/any other developer. If you can learn to take the criticism and use it positively, you are on the right track.
And now we are on today. The amount of work done really does show. I actually like to see the progress I've made and enjoyed making this thread.
Spoiler for rp_rockford (today):
After 5 years of hard work, time, effort, and lots of experience, this is where I am at in regards to mapping. I have come a long way but there is still lots to improve on.
Sorry. Alpha is currently private.
Here's a list of other maps just to give you an idea of how many maps I've made/worked on to come this far:
daynighttest
dev_forestgolf
dev_forgottencity
frag_chickenballrun
gm_npc_stadium
gm_overgrown
gmr_cg
gmr_deathrace2013
gmr_derby8
gmr_dollar
gmr_drag2
gmr_rainbowroad_n64
gmr2_downtown
rp_c32
rp_cosmoscity
rp_forgottencity
rp_mountainvillage
rp_city8_catalyst
teleportertest
ttd_destroyedcity
All in all, never give up and never turn down criticism. Mapping is an art. It's not something you just do. It's something you learn.
Garry's Mod
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