At the moment, my creative process is: Block out the map. Test the map. Add aesthetics. I have seen a lot people drawing out their map first, and wondered if I should do the same. What does it add to the overall outcome? Does it make the building process quicker? Should I really bother?
If you consider it a bother then you shouldn't go through the process of drawing maps out. Many people (me included) like to draw layouts to experiment with and get an idea of how we want our map to be structured. It's easier for some people to build off of a design that they can look back on and reference to while forging.
Everyone has different preferences when it comes to planning, and almost all of them have their advantages. I don't think it matters whether you draw your maps out on paper or block them out in forge / sketchup, as long as you've made a coherent plan. If blocking out is sufficient planning for you, then go for it. You could always try to draw out a map or two if you're curious. Who knows, you might hate it or end up liking it better.
I say... 1. Draw flow/objectives 2. Redraw it with scaling 3. Block it out 4. Fiesta test 5. Add weapons 6. Test 7. Iterate 8. Test 9. Iterate 10. Test 11. Test 12. Begin art 13. Test 14. Continue art 15. Test 16. Finish art 17. Get others to test 18. Small iterations/objective and weapon tweeks 19. Test 20. Play matches with media sources 21. Publish Or whatever is fun for you. Haha Edit: Oops, You should probably test in between 16 and 17.
Give it a try. Maybe you come up with some great ideas in the drawing process. I used to draw daily when I was younger but I never did it for a map. When I forge I start doodling and then the map creates itself from there. Like a drawing
One benefit I see to drawing is that if you intend to work as part of a team (say for a game studio), being able to sketch out your levels on paper seems to be extremely helpful for communicating intent. After all, paper works for any team whether you're building levels in a 3D modeling program or a custom level editor. Now, I don't draw out my levels all that much, but maybe I should start...
It seems that drawing out your maps is kind of like a chore. I saw a Forge Labs video about the creative process and Sean said that if you force yourself to sit down and draw it first, it can enable you to make the map a lot quicker. You have to FORCE yourself to do it.
It's ultimately up to what you feel the best about doing. Everyone has their own methods of going about it. Personally, I have always just done it from my head from the start. I get ideas and just build as I go, and I try to create something like what I envision in my mind.
I drew out a couple of maps from Halo 3. But it was when Forge was new, and I had a inspiration while at work, and didn't want to lose the concept. Once I knew all the pieces, I never really did draw out maps again, I went with a general idea and let the pieces speak to me. I may or may not have done so again in this iteration, but I am actually working on a map that draws inspiration from one of my maps from Reach. Start from a block out? Well, I did when it was a Grifball map...
So when you design the layout of a map, are you at all concerned about what weapons might be on it, or are you more focused on designing the map independent of the weapons and then adding them later on to complement the map based on which ones play better in fiesta?
That post is mostly just poking fun at myself. It is pretty accurate though. Sometime I take a particular set of weapons that I want to design around but most often I focus on a solid design that works with utility weapons and then fiesta test to find the weapons that compliment it most. Sometime you find that weapons that you'd never normally use that play really interestingly. My formula changes up a good bit honestly but I nit pick about every little thing. A lot of the time I do 3D mock ups, and even a good bit of the time I wing it with just an idea in my head. But that formula is probably most successful for making a durable map that can be replayed time and time again.
When I have an idea I sketch it on a sticky note and stick it on my wall. When I decide to make a map I look at the wall and pick out the sticky notes that I could include in the map. This way I ensure my ideas are not forgotten.
Personally, I prefer to visualize a captivating environment. Pure imagination based thinking. Gets the juices flowing. Once I can see the desired environment, I imagine elements of that environment and how people could interact with them or through them. Basically a piece of concept art. From there I basically use gut instinct to feel out a layout. Comfortable paths and directions. Once one area is built I think of interesting ways to interact with that first area. and so on. I have tried drawing out blueprints for designs, but they always tend to end up either too blocky or too safe. I believe the true problem with 343 industries currently is they are trying too hard to create great designs, that they fall into a generic or safe approach when conceptualizing maps. Which is why Bungie maps are so memorable over a decade later. The art wasn't taken into account more so than gameplay... the art was apart of the gameplay. I believe that concept art spawns much better playing maps than predetermined geometric layouts. Granted it has spawned some of the worst too haha I think Bungie proved that it leads to more interesting designs and environments. But then again 343 could make any design worse by making it an overly round white human facility. I suppose the point I'm getting at is that aesthetics should not be taken lightly or only become influenced once the map is done.