has anyone ever thought about/tired to make videos of them building a map

[brendhanbb]

i am really curious. i have seen so many amazing maps i myself have tired to get into it. its eh. i know the basics i even made a very basic map with a few puzzles it made very little sense and had no enimes or anything like that but i think of it as an experment to get used to it. and i think i did okay. but some of the maps i have seen are amazing and i know this sounds strange but for me idk i would love to see the thought process of making a map and a video would be the greatest way it would be like a lets play but instead anyone and everyone can follow along and get experience in making a map i do not see many of those because like i said i see people starting to show the basics but i feel like its more complicated then just knowing the basics. like i said i am really cruous if anyone has tired or has thought about or would even consider trying something like that. i think it would be neat to see.

[MoonDog]

Everyone develops their own habits, watching someone else work might not be all that beneficial. I think at best you might see creative ways to manipulate patches, brushes and general shortcuts that cut production time down.

 

A lot of the "thought process" takes place long before the editor is open. Drawing top down sketches occasionally, but mostly making lists of gameplay elements and how they interact with each other. What you can do to improve these elements and then add to them by creating your own dynamics. I'm just saying, the video would be 90 percent commentary explaining what one is doing and why, rather than mind blowing brush manipulation.

 

Might be cool. In any case, this book is fantastic and can help you see the craft you practice in a new or different light.

 

http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Game-Design-lenses/dp/0123694965/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1387850889&sr=8-1&keywords=The+art+of+game+design

 

 

Also this:

 

http://www.amazon.com/The-Design-Essays-Computer-Scientist/dp/0201362988/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1387851024&sr=8-1&keywords=the+design+of+design

[Circa]

MoonDog is right. Though it would be cool to see a video like that but sped up to see it come together over that long amount of time.

[MoonDog]

A timelapse would be cool.

[Circa]

A timelapse would be cool.

I couldn't think of the word.

 

[IrocJeff]

i am really curious. i have seen so many amazing maps i myself have tired to get into it. its eh. i know the basics i even made a very basic map with a few puzzles it made very little sense and had no enimes or anything like that but i think of it as an experment to get used to it. and i think i did okay. but some of the maps i have seen are amazing and i know this sounds strange but for me idk i would love to see the thought process of making a map and a video would be the greatest way it would be like a lets play but instead anyone and everyone can follow along and get experience in making a map i do not see many of those because like i said i see people starting to show the basics but i feel like its more complicated then just knowing the basics. like i said i am really cruous if anyone has tired or has thought about or would even consider trying something like that. i think it would be neat to see.

 

You already know the basics so you've got most people beat so that's always something to be proud of

 

I think the best thing to do would be to take some screenshots of other FPS games similar to what you want to make and use those as references. I have about 115 Black Mesa images of hallways, pipes, stairs, computer terminals, interesting areas, and so on that I took in game. I'm not copying it directly but its nice to have some reference to build on. It really helps quite a bit, especially when you are not architecturally or artistically gifted.

 

Another thing that I personally think is beneficial is trying to design to scale. I'm not saying convert grid units to feet or meters, but, it does make things a bit more realistic when things aren't out of proportion.

[MoonDog]

 

Another thing that I personally think is beneficial is trying to design to scale. I'm not saying convert grid units to feet or meters, but, it does make things a bit more realistic when things aren't out of proportion.

 

This is a third person action game however, so that is a constraint that needs to be considered when designing spaces in this game.