The building of a good map is a VERY long process. For me, it is also a difficult one. Of the 40+ Maps ive made since September 2007, only 8 were successful. 3 will be released on forgehub soon. Here's how I became the outstanding forger i am today... When i was deleting a group of about 18 failed maps, I began to wonder what made a good map. I knew of forgehub'snearly divine featured maps, and had downloaded quite a few myself to see their "inner workings". I was a good forger, but my maps, while well built, were terrible in the ways that were MOST IMPORTANT. Features: These make the map flow. Trap doors, hidden passages, elevator shafts, timed events, and even the infamous "fusion coil pit of doom" are all features. Features will interact to what's going on in the map. Slayer maps can go without features, as most people prefer slayer games that are more "simple" when it comes to features. Not that you should dum-down your competitive maps. Just keep in mind that competitive maps are more about having a quick pace rather than features. Still, i have seen competitive maps that have implemented features quite smoothly. Purpose: Dont make a map if you don't know what's going to happen on it. Dont make bases if there's no flags, bomb points, and territories for it to house, and no zombies to invade it. Make your map contribute to the game type(s) it's for. Arcitecture: What makes a map look nice. If you have the material (and the patience), put curves into the geometry. Make a domed ceiling, a pillar, arched ceilings, slopes, and shafts. If you got the material, make the map look beutiful. Most of all, INTERLOCK EVERYTHING YOU CAN. More to come...
This is helpful actually. I usually try to intergrate Features and Architecture into my maps but rarely do they become big and they aren't ever original. I am going to start to spend more time and curves as suggested in this post. Thanks.
Plan out everything. That will keep it from failing almost always, because you'll know in advance if its bad or not. Write out your design in Foundry Designer (link near top of your screen), put everything there. If your not sure, sleep on it, wait a few days, you'll think of something. Most important of all: Take your time! I can't stress this enough. Even though some would argue I personally take too much time (5 months between Hangar 02 V1 and V2), I feel like the map must be absolutely PERFECT before I release. Using the same example, Hangar 02 is at the item limit, and I've done things like placed a grenade in a different spot and done a new test for it, just to make sure every object is exactly where it is optimized.
I don't have word either. I typed my english final on ****ING notepad /off topic This guide is very helpful. When I make a map, I try to include one unique aspect about it to make it stand out from the rest