I'm always thinking of a new map to create and always get it down on paper first before starting. Either on a napkin, post-it note or on grid paper. Show off any scribble or professional drawings for maps you've made recently? It'd be cool to compare your drawing with what the finished product ended up being.
I actually took a liking to in-game sketching. Basically I would use not to scale blocks to block out paths at a miniature scale, sometimes I would do it in sketchup first because for me 3d gets me multiple perspectives and allows me to play with the plan. So yeah I do 2d sketching in sketchup sometimes... Lol. Building in sketchup gave me a lot of cool comparisons for Think Again. I also built Think Again fully in sketchup, then put it into Unity 3D with an FPS setup to run around on it prior to Halo 4's release. I also used Unity to play with lighting so I knew the orientation of how I wanted to build it.
This is my drawing for Substance. I never really liked pre planning before making this map, but I think I will definitely keep trying this method. It makes forging a whole lot easier when you have a general idea to adhere to. The map was being planned for H5 as you can see from all the circles. I don't really think the time it takes to draw up an idea is relevant BTW. If something works it works. I have spent 10 times this long drawing up a trash map so there you go.
Graph paper is the way to go for me. Its a good way for me to get an idea going before I hop into forge. So I normally will do a sketch or two on graph paper first and then I'll go into forge and build off the idea from there. I didn't use to sketch out first, But it really has helped with the overall building process.
I do occasionally draw something out when it pops into my head, just to remember a general layout or structure. More so, I just like going into forge and making a simple block placed layout of whatever feels good as pathing. It helps immensely to do it in game to get a better feel for the area you want to make, jump heights, LOS, and more fun stuff. Actually, many of the things I end up actually finishing are unfinished designs from the previous game very polished layouts to make building even easier. However, I don't plan it this way and ends up being a monstrous waste of time. I think the end product usually is worth it though. I tried using google ketchup back in 2009, and realized it was such a waste of time to effectively build the map twice...
Depends, have done some sketches as the starting point for some maps but tend to like jumping straight into 3d, playing with shapes and generating ideas that way. Basically sketching in 3d and iterating a bunch. I think in 3d, the game takes place in 3d, so for me personally the 2d abstraction usually gets in the way. That said it does have it's place when you need to take a step back and clear your head. When I do it's not what I draw that sparks the idea but just looking at things differently. Some people prefer planning things out on paper, some don't, doesn't work for everyone but as long as it leads to a finished map it doesn't really matter how you get there.
It is split evenly for me between the amount of maps I preemptively sketch out, and the amount of time I go into forge with nothing but a vague idea or inspiration. When I do sketch a map out it is either to better visualize the layout, and is usually not a complete sketch of the map. Instead I prefer to sketch out the core of the map and then immediately begin to forge what I have sketched. From the core of the map I continue to add solely from forge and only work on the sketch to match what I have done in forge. That being said I definitely think the process is made many time easier when sketching and planning is involved. Going into forge with nothing but a vague idea can sometimes just end up in a disaster of a map with no direction.
A lot of my great maps did come from going into Forge with NO idea of what I wanted. It really depends on who's doing the map making. Some people can just go with the flow and get it all down in one shot.
Wait, you just said your great maps came from going into forge with no ideas in the previous comment. Those great maps were actually drawings? I'm confused.
I take about an hour to scribble a general layout. Then I hop into Forge and give up after an hour of being dissapointed by my lack of practical skills.
My more free designs look like scribbles when I draw them. But, my rigid scale maps can be drawn (almost) exactly as they are in game. Here's the last drawing of my map Shattered Dreams: