Sort of the same thing as king, I mean I have an idea and after I start working on it I get a plan and may or may not rough sketch it out. For example my current project (which is more of a glitch map that I hope to make playible) I have it split down to 3 phases and here is phase 1.
I would have to disagree. I have made a number of decent maps, and other fun maps, with absolutely no planning. I never plan my maps. I have made four maps that are on these forums which I have gotten positive comments and praise on. What I believe is a decent map making strategy would be to use an idea, any idea then just start building it, and when done, look back and edit things. That's what I do. Oh and I'm not saying that planning maps doesn't work, because it does. I know it does, we all do. I'm just saying "Non-planned" maps can be just as magnificent.
I feel that If I planned out my maps before I started then I would finish more maps and maybe they would be of a higher quality. Forging blindly is something I do just out of habit I don't think before I jump into forge mode.
When I forge, I forge because I was inspired. An awesome idea I may have gotten at some random point during the day or while playing Halo, And I build that inspiration, and it is awesome, and people love it. Build it, And they will come...
Usually i just forge blindly. Alot of the time im building one area then suddenly an idea will occur and i will go and start on that, leaving the original thing for later. But like you i also "balance" things once im finished, just to make things look right
I used to just start forging blindly although mostly drawing from an initial idea, I'd have fun whilst creating something random and awesome but after a while I run out of ideas and the production comes to an end. However recently I started forging having planned out what I want the map to look like and testing it, making adjustments etc, which turned out to be a lot more fun and I didn't wana stop because I had run out of ideas. If anything it's awakened a new urge to continue forging and become a better map builder
Blindly buh then i shape it,it never seems a hit to the artists of forge world(or their just jealous) buh a massive hit to my live community!
I always make blueprints for my maps. I often won't start until the first or second revision. The only thing I don't plan is which pieces I will use specifically because the forge palette is now so huge. For example back during sandbox times I would think, "okay this will be 2 double blocks large, and this will be a gold column etc." Now I more or less decide which pieces are best as I go.
I tend to get out the good old pencil and paper and draw an overhead view. After I draw a few layouts I go into Forge and follow the drawing to some extent, but not exactly. I often come up with better ideas when I have the pieces at my fingertips.
I think that it really all comes down to what sort of map I am making, and where. A great example would be my current project. Forging in the gultch has meant two things: one, it is was NOT going to be symmetric. You can fake hills with rocks, but that always turns out ugly. two, planning doesn't work when you've got hills and natural paths crisscrossing all over the place. Some of the best map designs out there have come from dudes who just wing it, and go with what fits naturally in these areas. I would say that those guys are onto something.
Usually, I get a small idea for a map and then it kinda depends on the map. The stuff I've made on Anchor 9, Breakpoint and Forge World has been planned to some degree. Maps on Tempest and the Anniversary maps would likely be planned too if I use those maps. But my forges on Spire, Boneyard and Highlands have been a "spur of the moment" thing if I'm honest.
I forge whatever comes to mind first, however for me it takes weeks to months to finish a cohesive, well done map, so generally somewhere in there I plan things out and modify my map in it's current state to play better or look better. EDIT: Just noticed this is back from October '10. lol.
I usually don't forge planning. I usually have an idea in my head, but end up making something completely different.
Here is what I have seen: On terrain- it is best to have somewhat of a plan but because of the difficulty judging the size of hills on paper a lot can be thought up as you go along. Off terrain- I absolutely need a plan. When having to plan out all aspects of the geometry it is almost impossible to just make something and have it look good and play very well. I've found this lately forging a map half on, half off terrain. The off has been a lot harder.
Plan plan plan. It's so much easier to succeed if you know what you wanna make beforehand. First I figure out player count, then which vehicles I want to include, and then start sketching quick little layout thumbnails, keeping things like flag routes, weapon placements and driving paths in mind. Then I find the two or three that I like best, revise them, and make a more detailed drawing of the paths and combat zones and such. Then I jump into forge and start throwing objects into rough structures, slowly refining and getting closer to my drawing, while also making design changes to accommodate for unforeseen circumstances. Throughout all that, I spend a stupid amount of time just driving around in whatever vehicles are on the map, to ensure that all possible driving paths are smooth and fun. Then I test, and revise, and test, and revise, and so on ad infinitum... eventually someone else is like "dammit Mock, just post the stupid map already." And then I do!