Before you go into forge, do you design your maps? Either on paper or just having a clear picture of the design in your head? Do you have a vauge idea of what your map should look like before you make it? Do you picture a small bit of the map, make it, then picture the next bit, make it and so on? Or do you just make your map up entirely as you go along and delete the shitty parts later? I personally just picture clearly a small section of the map (e.g. this map will have a tunnel which you can shoot out of on each base attatched to the wall), more often than not, the small bit I pictured which created the map doesn't actually stay or looks drastically different in the final version.
Most definitely. I always have an idea of what I want. Well, not always. I usually brainstorm a bit before I start a map. I put some ideas together- little ones, then I bring all of them together to make a map. The end result is usually good when I take my time, but then I need to make tweaks and adjustments to the map after testing. I personally don't draw out my maps, as I suck at drawing and my designs NEVER work the way I plan them. Some forgers have different views of designing maps. Mine is brainstorming and a bit of inspiration.
I would say for me it depends on what type of map I am designing at the time. If it is a symmetrical map then a lot of times I have a basic shape in mind, or I mess around in forge and make a cool centerpiece. I would say that a lot of my symmetrical maps have been based off centerpieces. Now, if I am making an asymmetrical map normally I do not have a layout in mind in my head. Normally, I just have a few concepts that I want to implement, like mid range fighting or room to room combat, or mulit-level. I personally never sketch out a map, because I never get the map to look like the sketch.
Well, you already have an idea when you start forging. But, I see myself bad at planning. Must become better at that!
not at all, i have a partial idea for how i want the map to flow, but no idea on shape, piece use, aesthetics, and whatnot
Depends on the map. Sometimes I've started with a fully fleshed-out plan and some drawings, and other times I've had a vague or no idea at all when I started forging.
Yeah, I think if your map looks exactly like your design, you either had an amazing design, or there's something wrong with your map. Because it's very hard to think about gameplay aspects on paper.
I usually randomly think of Forging from stuff I see/hear/do & attempt to picture it before Forging. But as soon as I start I realize that I'm not as good at Forging as my imagination leads me to believe & I get "writer's block". If I'm randomly in the mood to Forge then I usually just start the game, sit there for a little bit, then choose the location. After that I often mess around while thinking of what structure style I decide to go with. Basically, I just go with randomness the whole time I Forge.
Intersting...I may start putting more though into my next map before I start building it. This requires futher investigation!
My maps are all pretty much aesthetic maps based on a favorite TV show or movie (Star Wars, Star Trek, and eventually Dr Who and possibly some others), so I already have a design to work from. All I have to do is then imagine how to represent that structure using Forge items. I tend to have blueprints (geeky technical manual sort of stuff) on hand during the production (and I sometimes even refer to images of the actual model or set), and combine that with heavy use of the grids to get the shapes & proportions as close & clean as possible. I don't know how many other people take this approach, but it works for me.
Speaking of Doctor Who I've made(to the best of my ability) a TARDIS based on the 10th Doctor's desktop theme. I put 4 similar pieces in the shape with the door open & I put a two-way teleporter in it that took you to the "bigger on the inside" area. It was really hard because the there are no dome-shaped pieces for the top of the inside.
I usually take a long time to find an idea I like, then I find a layout that fits the idea and draw it out on graph paper. Usually it changes a lot from the original design, but this helps get it started and ready for testing. It just kind of hit me that in the past 7 months I have released only 3 maps. That will change very soon though, hint hint.
I don't do any extensive planning, an idea just hits me and I start up Reach and Forge away at it! It starts at one base, then I build halfway and make it symmetrical in the end. I'm usually happy with the results, if I finish. There's some ideas that just never make it past the first few pieces.
I like looking around certain maps and dividing ideas apart. I gain great inspiration from simple to complex maps from military to lifestyle. I like to look at structures and layouts that are easy to get around yet original. Then I try to find a settling environment that can be related. The rest is all based on balance. Sometimes it works great, sometimes I screw up so badly, I just want to throw my head against a wall.
I like to draw something up with graphpaper, with each square equaling one 1x1 block size, make it up in sketchup, see what changes i will have to do, have freinds check it out, see what they think, forge it, and make more changes in forge. lol
Normally I sketch and design rough ideas out on paper after some brainstorming, this is usually a assortment of base, room designs and small asthetics that would make the map stand out. Most of the time I pull from those rough sketches and focus on one part of the map at a time, sometimes I actually draw a overview of what im going for with it. In general most of my maps have come out looking very similiar to how I first pictured it turning out, unless ive been restricted somewhat due to area im building or certain pieces(blockiness/overlapping isnt something I care for). One thing I do enjoy is finding concept art or overviews of maps from other games, doesnt have to be a shooter genre though, and actually mingling it with concepts ive come up with in my spare time. I think thats one of the funnest part's of forging to me is seeing where my imagination leads me .
I almost never pre-plan my maps, though I usually start out with some sort of basic concept. From there, I usually just "wing it"; I just keep adding on objects, constantly seeing if it "works" (on a small scale) as I go. Usually once a significant portion of the map is done, I spend a lot of time making changes needed to make the map work on the larger scale and adding in any asthetics. It's not the perfect process, but it has worked for me. Perhaps it sounds a bit foolish, but usually when I try to plan a map.... it just doesn't work out at all. The layout feels lacking and the asthetics are hideously bland. Planning in general is not my forte (something which I really need to work on), which is why I focused on learning how to forge something "interesting". Now that I've got a better feel for what actually does work, my intent is to start planning out maps now (in my head at least, if not directly on paper). I guess you have to just do some random experimenting at first to figure out what works and what doesn't; once you got that sorted out, planning is a bit more feasible. Before that, it's more frustrating (because it's obviously not working out well) than helpful.