Func_Msgboard: Thought 1- Preparatory Editor Learning Regardless Of Mapping Desire.

Thought 1- Preparatory Editor Learning Regardless Of Mapping Desire.

Posted by Shambler on 2003/04/22 04:33:18

If there`s one problem that gets in the way of making maps, it`s not knowing how to map. Profound indeed. A related problem that by the time one gets round to learning to map, games have moved on, you`ve lost inspiration and indeed relevance and purpose (small, dedicated scenes like this aside).

How to keep up with the times, eh? (You may notice that this thread doesn`t entirely sit with my next thread.)

I had an idea. A new game engine comes out, sometimes with a game attached to it (say, Unreal), sometimes without (say,....oh it`s far too bloody obvious). One has mapping urges but perhaps no inspiration whatsoever for that particular game. So what you do, as soon as the game is played and the editor available, learn to map for it. Doesn`t matter what and don`t think about releasing. Just learn the editor and what works for mapping. Play around a bit, make a few test maps, then ignore it.

The purpose being, of course, that when a game that does inspire your mapping is released using that engine, you are halfway there. You can put your ideas into action quicker and be more relevant and timely to the current game`s scene. For example if you were a Quake mapper who`d learnt Unreal mapping, you might find WOT or UT inspiring you. Or an HL mapper who`d learnt Q3A mapping might put it into action for Elite Force or RTCW.

Is this making sense here?? I know it`s an idea focused on "the next big thing" and whatever is "popular at the time". But then again it`s also about genuine mapping desire, and making it easier to put that desire into action when the games are still fresh.

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Bleh

#1 posted by Vondur on 2003/04/22 05:25:47

if you wanna keep up with time, you can learn howto map for some popular engine on which will be released a number of games (take a look at q3)
for the next step i`d recommend learning doom3 editing, since its next version will be released after 5 years after d3 release (jc himself said so) he also said that there won`t be new engines released every 2 years. so this depends on universe you love more. if you like quake related stuff, choose q3/d3 technology. if you like unreal universe, learn ued.
and if you`re psycho circus/blood2/avp* fanatic go learn lithtech editing.

...

#2 posted by wrath on 2003/04/22 10:30:33

or just learn the editor you need to do what you want. if you put your back into it, you can break one open in about a week or so - and that will give you a fair amount of cunning to start from.

this is much easier if you have someone to ask, face to face, mind you. but most current editors out there have pretty decent documentation.

aah, fuck it, I dont know.

B====================D

#3 posted by R.P.G. on 2003/04/22 11:43:45

Providing that you already have experience with editors and their concepts, then like wrath said, you should be able to learn an editor in a week or so. If you`re a complete newbie who doesn`t know anything, then obviously by the time you really get the hang of the editor and map making, the game will be "old" and everyone else will have moved on.

Granted, it`s rather simplistic, but I learned Cube map making in 2 days or so.

Von

#4 posted by cyBeAr on 2003/04/22 14:55:07

I think jc changed that to that a new engine will be made not too long after d3 but that the one made then should last a long time.

Rpg

#5 posted by nitin on 2003/04/22 21:11:03

if that is the case, why do many quakers who want to map for anything unreal-based find it difficult and vice versa too (albeit it seems to be easier switching from Ued to bsp based editing apparently)?

And to make a good map, you have to learn the particular entities and scripting etc for the gmae you map for (again this is more emphasized on the sp side).

#6 posted by Vodka on 2003/04/22 22:24:07

ued is frustrating and buggy.
you need a lot of patience and motivation to map with it.

the idea is that you either have fun creating and playing with editor or like the game you are mapping for.
learning the editor for knowledge sake makes sense only for those planning to make career in gamedesign

Replies...

#7 posted by Shambler on 2003/04/23 02:46:16

RPG - see nitin`s answer. I`m also meaning, learning to map well, not just to know how to make a box in the editor (although that seems to have served *you* well so far :P).

Speedy -

"the idea is that you either have fun creating and playing with editor or like the game you are mapping for.
learning the editor for knowledge sake makes sense only for those planning to make career in gamedesign"

Nope... It could make sense for anyone, as most big engines (Id, Unreal, Lithtech) are used to make a wide variety of games. For example: Q3A is released. You don`t like it. You don`t want to learn to map for it. Then, 2 years later, RTCW is released. You like it lots and want to map for it. NOW you have to learn to map in the Q3A engine - something you could have learnt years ago. You`re wasting current mapping time.

It`s kinda obvious the way engine usage works, that learning to map for a big engine, regardless of whether you like the game it first shipped with, will set you in good stead as far as future games which might inspire you. Unless learning to map is really THAT EASY and something you can do in a week *cough*.

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