What the best way to make a map? #debate - Developers

So there's a lot of ways on how you can create a map, some says "find a picture from google" and then tries to imitate that photo. Or is it better going just with your own imagination? And how do you start out? Do you start with the bare bottom, where you make some rooms and and landscape real quick and wait with the detailing till the end? Or do you start with a certain area and finish everything up in that area - details, functions etc. etc.

I wouldn't say one way to map is really better than the other as long as it gets the job done, in the required timeframe. Sometimes if you're going for a certain style or atmosphere, using a picture is almost needed to get accuracy. If you were designing a ships interior hull, you should base it off an actual structural diagram, and not your imagination (unless you construct ships, and know where the supports and such should be).

when i make a map i go through a 3 stage process build, details and fix Build: Build a rough area of your map. It doesn't have to be good as long as there are no leaks and the viscount is low you are good Details: start making areas not look so flat. add some decals, overlays func_details Fix: Fix is going through your map to fix and messes unwanted stuff optimising and so forth but before hand i always find it handy to have lots of pictures of buildings to work with

I usually read and view the stuff about the map's setting, let's say a castle. What do castles usually feature, how are they built and how do they look? What are the best location for their placement? (and so on) Once that's done, I start designing an area. Also, I don't use any dev textured 3D layouts (unless it's a map for TF2/CS:S/CS:GO), as it's rather counterproductive and results in messy, boring and flat geometry. I start detailing right from the start until the area is almost completely finished. Then I start optimizing it for the surrounding places, and repeat the same process for more areas [B][U]until I scrap the map and start making something else.[/U][/B] :tinfoil:

i go straight and make the map without making a whole map gray/orange for playest i start from small segments and later expand them untill i reach the final phase of map making

I often get inspired by real locations and my maps are often based on them. I rarely using my imagination( to create own location etc. ) and I'm not so creative and that's annyoing for me :(

I sort of lay in bed and images of geometry pop into my head. Arches, long hallways, open fields, that sort of thing. It's all sort of inspired by things I've seen before, like existing maps for hl2 and quake, or places from real life. I kinda sketch them out so that I don't forget them and I try to convert them into geometry later. Some of it looks good, some of it doesn't. Then I try to put something together out of the things I made. It sort of works for certain things.

I just get an idea from my head of something cool; and start building it on the fly. Then I literally rip shittons of props from Mirror's Edge - I use as this game as an base for inspiration because the architecture, style, props, and textures are beautiful After building for a while; I give up usually because I feel like the design/concept won't work out, when really I just want it to be done :v:

Well depending on the complexity, I get the best two mapping tools in the world, a piece of paper and a pencil! I will then draw a rough sketch of basic geometry from a birds eye and side view. I may also write in some side notes for future references and such. After that, I map the actual geometry using the dev textures, especially the ones with the ruler measurements on them to make sure I get the player scale correct. Then just texture the whole damn thing and begin adding minor details (The fun part).

I build shit, that's it.

Either A: I design my own layout of the place. or B: I design my own layout based on real world locations. or C: I map it based on real world locations.

[QUOTE=SimplePlanz69;45539632]Then I literally rip shittons of props from Mirror's Edge - I use as this game as an base for inspiration because the architecture, style, props, and textures are beautiful [/QUOTE] Would you ever consider releasing those props? :v: