Oct. 9th, 2002
Introduction

Hello there. This is the start of a new feature I am adding to my website. What I plan on doing is documenting the process I go through when building my map. I plan to include everything from my initial research, my various ideas (both ideas that I use and those that I don't use), screenshots of the actual building process, problems and road blocks I encounter, etc. Basically, I'm going to document it all. I know when I first started mapping what I was looking for the most was a single source that helpped you get through more than just a simple room. You can find a tutorial that will show you how to do any one thing anywhere on the net. What you can't find is a resource that shows you how to build a map from start to finish. That's what I hope to do here. Now, this isn't going to be a "click and drag here to create this wall" and "place this entity here" type of thing. This is going to be a much higher level project. I'll likely start out with my general "goal" for the day/session and talk about what I did, how I did it and include some screenshots to clarify.

Keep in mind that any of this can (and likely will) change and evolve as I progress.

Getting Started

As of this writting, I don't have the first piece of my new map started. Its all in my head. I've been mulling over an idea for a while now and I'm still trying to work out all the details.

So far I have decided that I want this map to be based on a factory. I'm envisioning a map that has both indoors and outdoors areas, but no expansive terrain like in Bunker or Mountain Assault. Think more along the lines of destruction, but, with more buildings that are accessible. I'm also planning to use more unique textures instead of the included official textures. For an idea of the type of map I'm thinking of, if you've played Counter Strike, think of a cross between Prodigy, Nuke, and the one where you rescue the hostages from inside the factory building (it has that annoying radio outside of the building) Click here for a reminder of what these maps look like. Those are a very loose idea of what I want to do. I expect to have a lot more detail and a much more "industrial" feel in my map.

Moving on. The other thing I've been mulling over are the objectives. I haven't decided exactly what kind of objectives I plan on doing yet. The obvious objective choices I have are the object capture & retrieve or the dynamite objectives. I'm kind of leaning towards the dynamite objectives. My thinking is basically that I would have the objective to be two things. First, blow up some critical machinery in the plant and the second may be to destroy some important documents or something. It would be nice to be able to have an object/retrieve AND a required dynamite objective but you can't. Again, this is all still very rough.

And finally, the other thing that I'm taking into consideration with this map is tournament/league play. In the past my maps have been very large and have been designed to support a lot of players. I'm changing gears with this map and I am going to try and optimize this map for 7v7 play. I've requested some input from clan folks, which I'm sure will have a bearing on how I choose my map's objectives.

Ok, so this is really the "finally". I've already done some preliminary research and scoping out for the map. I drive by an old youth prison just about every day and for whatever reason, every time I see it, it makes me want to make this map. I have also driven around my downtown area and taken some pictures of some older warehouse buildings for ideas/inspiration. I'll post them up when I get home tonight.

Here are the pics I've taken around my city. I've mostly just taken these to help give me some texturing idea as well as some basic structure and design idea.