I expected this moment would come.

InZaneFleaArmy

<div class="IPBDescription">Have fun without me</div>After looking around all the NS sites l8ly, I've noticed one major thing: Theres no way at all I could map like you people.  One major thing is that I'mnot usually having fun mapping...Need to change that.  So, I'm going to leave you all for a while to regather my thoughts, and maybe come up with a BETTER design.  And if anyone has a mapped out and planned down to the smallest detail layout they're not using...sendit my way at

<a href="mailto:dfm_onefleaarmy@hotmail.com">dfm_onefleaarmy@hotmail.com</a>

pielemuis

Bah IFA just don't give up your mapping, watch some sci-fi movies, read some sci-fi books, you can easily put something together getting your inspiration from different movies/books, that you don't actually make a copy of an existing thing.

Flayra

Insane, you shouldn't do it if you're not enjoying it, but at the same time, worthwhile things don't often come easily.  I encourage you to keep at it.

In any case, if you no longer map for NS that doesn't mean you have to leave the community nor even this mapping forum.

Comprox

Hey, if you dont find mapping fun and don't think you can create to the level of the other people here, don't worry! Many people, like that pesky Moleculor has a great time here, and all he does is bum around on the forums all the time <!--emo&;)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'><!--endemo-->
Myself, am a horrible mapper, but I like mapping. I'm going to finish this map, as they say practice makes perfect! <!--emo&:p--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'><!--endemo-->

realityisdead

It sounds like you really just need a break IFA. Stay away from WC for a week or two and before you know it you'll be full of ideas. You'll find that there are several times that you want to just give up with this hobby. (Just yesterday I wanted to throw SSNothing out the window and break hl's stupid low polygon abilities in half.) It really does just help to stay away from it for a while though.

If you find yourself continuously becoming frustrated and the whole thing just is not fun for you, well then maybe avoiding it for a much longer time would be the thing to do. An article I just put up on my website talks about how this is all supposed to be fun for the designer (amateur mapping that is), and if he's just doing it for the popularity and fame, then he's doing it for nothing. If you're not haveing fun, then why bother?

I think you personally just need a break from the whole thing for a while though. I've (and I'm sure everyone else) has been through what you are right now. It will pass. And then happen again... and pass again.

But like everyone has said, if you leave mapping behind, It doesn't mean you have to leave the community.

Greedo

I know that, when I first started mapping (it was maybe in the summer after HL was released) I just made concrete boxes, filled them with Barney's, and stockpiled the satchels.  Needless to say, I never released those maps, but it was fun.  Then, last summer I started to get serious, and it was fun trying to put something in my mind onto the WC planes.  My first few attempts were horrible.  When the map got to a point where I didn't like it anymore, I stopped, took a break, and started on a completely different map.  They were learning experiences, and despite the fact that I would be terribly embarrased to let any eyes but mine own see them, I still had fun.

Don't <i>just stop</i> mapping, unless you're terribly annoyed.  Even then, you could still fool around with the particle systems, trying to make some interesting effects.  It might just be a benefit to you when you decide to return to the real deal.

Scythe

I am ###### off at this so called "Internet Explorer" program that crashed after I had finished compiling a highly amusing and entertaining post. So heres the cut down version:

My first map was a map of my house (Attached). The scale is a bit whacko because, in my newbie days, that one HLU was one centimetre. Go into my room, last on the left walking down the hall, walk straight into my closet and press use. It will switch to a trigger_camera on the roof and you can control a cannon to kill the zombies that spawn with a bad flame sprite.

There are a couple of other hidden tricky things around. Downstairs is not finished yet. I have not checked the r_speeds which probably means that they are off the scale. I made a custom sky for it with terragen, if anyone wants it I'll post it.

Download it for a laugh. Maby it will inspire inzane to keep mapping.

[edit] The attachment is too big. Here it is: "www.geocities.com/tjhowse/index.htm" [/edit]

--Scythe--
<a href="mailto:the_only_scythe@yahoo.co.uk">the_only_scythe@yahoo.co.uk</a>