So, I really like forging, especially planning maps out. I usually spend at the very least, 3 hours constructing, tweaking, and examining maps that I plan out. I'll pick the easiest place to start, and start building there and work my way out. The problem is, when I'm around 90% done with the map, I no longer have the urge to forge on it anymore. I probably have 5-7 maps that are mostly done, but not quite playable. Has anyone else experienced this? If so, what do you do to motivate yourself to complete the map? Any other tips that could help?
only 3 hours? Sometimes I have a single session that last 3 hours, which by the end of that sessions completes like 10% of the map. I know the feeling though, Although it's usually harder for me to get past the beginning of map construction. After that, I can usually complete it.
Yeah - that's pretty much the same with me. That three hours was referring to simply planning out the map on paper, before the forging even begins.
Do your planning with Sketchup. It's much less tiresome than forging and you can easily come back to it. But there's lots of things I design that won't ever get made, it's always good to have the ideas out in case you ever want to use it in the future. If you're not excited about what you're building it's very hard to keep going. My biggest piece of advice is don't burn yourself out on it. If you're feeling frustrated go do something else for a while and come back to it when you're ready. I've spent months building maps just because I lost motivation. If you're really passionate about the map you'll come back to it. I find it helps immensely having the sketchup. Being able to see it completed really helps keep you inspired.
What MickRaider said. I have only finished two maps in my time, despite having a bunch of other maps that I've spent hours on. I've only designed one map in Sketchup and it really helped. It made the whole map creation process more systematic and just easier. Building from a completed design sketchup was kinda fun actually cause I felt a sense of achievement upon forging each part of the design. I'm kinda experiencing the burned-out feeling but it's not nearly as bad as with maps I hadn't designed in Sketchup because with this one I know pretty much where I'm going with the whole thing. So yeah, Sketchup alleviates this hardcore. Do it. Feels good man.
I never understood sketchup .. but I never looked at a single toturial too. I never had problems finishing a Map, since I don't start a new Map until my current one is done, no matter how many Ideas I get while forging, just never stop working on it and there won't be anything tha stops you from finishing it.
lol agreed. Difference is I can never get remotivated. So this is the biggest problem with forging. Whenever I realy need help I'll go download some better looking maps and be like "omg I wanna do this I gotta finish!" and that helps.
Yeah, I tried working with sketch-up but I didn't really understand it much either (of course, I never looked up a tutorial either), but it seems pretty complicated. However I don't see how much more it could help. I plan my maps out and the plans are easy to follow through with - it seems like sketch-up just adds a more realistic factor, not really any extra motivation. And usually other maps motivate me, but they never motivate me to work on old maps, just start planning out new ones.
Well it's just an easier way to plan. A lot of times you'll realize that entire areas are broken and need to be reworked. Sketchup just makes it easier. Sketchup is incredibly easy. I'm working on a tutorial that will show how to do everything you need to know in like 4 basic steps. They said sketchup is the paint of the 3d modeling world. And if you don't have motivation than you're probably not passionate about level design and there's not much we can do to help.