I just go in forge when i have an idea and i build around this idea , when im out of idea I just go in matchmaking to get inspired by the other map gameplay and when i have another idea i just go back in forge and finish or work again on my map . That's how i work .
I feel like I get my inspiration in a rather unusual way. What I usually do is just "doodle" random things on paper until I notice something that could actually turn into a decent map. For instance my latest map started as a simple smiley face sketch. Then I just started messing around with it until I had something. Another strange thing I do but I found can work surprisingly well is play around with different letters and/or numbers on paper and how they can be placed in relation to each other. Another of my maps that I'm still kind of working on, came from sketching two sideways "U"s overlapping each other. And after I have a general idea of my map's layout I switch to graph paper and get some rough dimensions. I just started doing this step with my past two maps and it has made the actual forging process incredibly simpler.
When I don't feel like drawing my map first I do the same thing. Sometimes I even try to recreate things in real life.
Since Im never out of ideas and have been making video game levels since 1996, Ill share with you the secrets... First and foremost every things done in my head. Second need some good inspiring music, and lastly if you can dream it you can make it. The drawbacks forge isn't even close to the programs that we used back in 1996 for quake 1. You cant sculpt the architecture however you can create quiet a bit and quickly in forge. It may help you to lay out each and every piece and look at them all also the textures on each and every side of the blocks. Focus on making interesting rooms or areas then join them together or build around them.
There are no secrets to making successful maps, there is only experience, the ability to visualize how a map will perform, and the ability to recognize your own mistakes. If you are just starting, I would advise you start with simple layouts, and as you become comfortable, you can add a little bit of complexity.
i would have thought your 16 years of experience would have made you good at designing maps, guess not.... me, i just stare at forge world long enough untill something gets built, when ever i build something with an actuall plan or inspiration it turns out to be total trash.
That doesn't mean the method is bad, it means that your execution is bad. Honestly, I would like to see some peoples' sketches, and see how it doesn't transfer into forge. The more simple the map is, the easier it is to sketch and forge. Here's an exercise I have used before: Try to design a one tier map. It basically forces you to be creative because you are so limited with options, so you have to pay attention to more detail in the design. Once you have designed a one tier map that you hare happy with, try to build onto it and give it some complexity. Or make another map with that same core idea as your one tier map.
Maybe some day I'll scan and upload a bunch of my sketches... Just gotta figure out how to work the scanner at Uni though, as I certainly don't want to ask the lab tech... It'd be a little embarrassing. But yeah, I sketch up some and hit the forge... Then pop back and forth between sketching, forging and stewing over the whole thing in my head.
I actually think it'd be really cool if lots of forgers who use sketches to design put up some scans etc. If you do ever scan some then maybe consider starting a thread, I think it'd be interesting to see them together and compare with one another/how final designs turn out.
Sometimes I sketch, sometimes I just forge. I don't use 3D programs because I don't see the point - you can use forge itself in the same manner as Sketchup or whatever. Looking over the maps I've released, about half were sketches first and the other half were built around a specific idea that I came up with in forge. Hivemind was a sketch - that would have been hard to build on the fly (and it was hard to build anyway). Terrorium was based on a bit of natural geometry that I liked - I just built a walkway around it with some height variation, built a tower in the middle, and then started filling in the details. White Lodge was all on-the-fly; I just built the center area and then expanded outward. Dormancy was sketched a few times until I got a design I was happy with. etc. etc.
I only sketch when I need to relay the concept to someone else. I'm pretty good about visualizing layouts and flow, but I don't make competitive maps and I don't finish the maps I do make (but that usually isn't my fault ) so take it with a grain of salt.
i know, sketching out ideas is whats recommended and actually taught at school, i just can't translate what i have on paper into workable map.
Yeah, this pretty much sums up what I do. Like I said, I do 90% in my head. Basically I make sketches too, but most of the time I make them in my mind. (If I think of something really cool that I might forget about later on, I do write or draw it down on paper.)
Here is a new 1v1 map that I drew a few days ago. Arrow direction represents upward ramp, the three parallel tallies are lifts, the Ys are two-way teleporters, and GL represents Grenade Launcher placement. There will also be a custom in the center only accessible by dropping from the 2nd or 3rd tier. The center pit is only accessible by dropping down from higher floors, or through any of the four two-way teleporters along the perimeter of the map. So if you drop into the pit, you can teleport to any of the four rooms along the perimeter. So you can be anywhere on the map within 8 seconds. I know what you're thinking: A four-way symmetrical 1v1 map? You're damn straight.
I'll come up with some ideas that sound interesting and would appeal to the player's interest . I also have to put a lot of factors in hand (playability, aesthetical quality and pricing, theme, building location, lighting, and balance). I usually build infection maps so I will mainly think about an exiting or adventurous theme. After I pick my theme, I will see how I'm going to make the map, what size it should be and how it should be laid out. For me, I try to immerse the player in my maps to make them feel more like they are actually in the scene rather than just in a floating building of the forge island. Aesthetic quality and features are always a good option for most maps. It brings out the feeling more and is good "eye-candy". When I'm done, I'll beta test numerous times for bugs and glitches before testing it out in a full lobby. Best of luck to you.
I know I am coming in late to the party here, but I will put in my 2 cents. I usually have a central idea or theme that I want to create. I always load up Forge World and spend a little time flying around looking for inspiration and a unique location to flesh out my idea. I try to focus on game play balance as I build and I attempt to create unique features to make my map stand out. I just can't draw it first. I have to "feel" it out, run around and test test test. I treat it like sculpting, adding and removing features until it feels right to me. Play testing is super important to me to see where people tend to camp, what paths they take most often, and what areas they ignore. I like being challenged too. Sometimes my brother will throw an idea my way that will be something difficult to pull off or limit me somehow. It's strange how limitations will spawn inspiration sometimes. I guess that's enough of my rambling. I think I do my best when I make something that I enjoy playing on with my friends. Trying to win favor with a map just isn't my thing. I forge for the love of it.