How Long Does It Take
DFA_Haplo
Join Date: 2003-01-21 Member: 12537Members
Join Date: 2003-01-21 Member: 12537Members
<div class="IPBDescription">Whats the average time....</div> I am fairly new to mapping. I picked it up about two years ago and tinkered with a few CS maps none of which were any good, but when NS came out it really inspired me to sit down and make a nice well thought out detailed map.
Now I know it varies from person to person but for an average how long does it take a 'skilled' mapper to produce a nice map. For example does anyone know how long it took to make ns_eclipse, hera, or caged?
I ask this because I just finished my readyroom and it took me a MONTH! Although the room under went alot of changes as I went along I had alot of bugs to fix cause I'm using a tram to carry passengers into the join team targets. Now I'm starting on the command center and it seems to be crawling along. Is 2 to 3 months an acceptable amount of time to spend making a map or should I really be moving along much faster. I guess I should add that I spend about 2 hours a night on it and maybe 4 -5 hours a day on the weekends.
I guess I just want to see how I compare over all. Perhaps one of my downfalls is I use QuArK. That was the first map creator I found and I found it really easy to work with. Later I downloaded WorldCraft and tried (not very hard) to create with it and I found it frustrating and confusing so I gave up. Is worldcraft a faster creator than QuArK or are we back to it depends on the person.
Just wondering.
Now I know it varies from person to person but for an average how long does it take a 'skilled' mapper to produce a nice map. For example does anyone know how long it took to make ns_eclipse, hera, or caged?
I ask this because I just finished my readyroom and it took me a MONTH! Although the room under went alot of changes as I went along I had alot of bugs to fix cause I'm using a tram to carry passengers into the join team targets. Now I'm starting on the command center and it seems to be crawling along. Is 2 to 3 months an acceptable amount of time to spend making a map or should I really be moving along much faster. I guess I should add that I spend about 2 hours a night on it and maybe 4 -5 hours a day on the weekends.
I guess I just want to see how I compare over all. Perhaps one of my downfalls is I use QuArK. That was the first map creator I found and I found it really easy to work with. Later I downloaded WorldCraft and tried (not very hard) to create with it and I found it frustrating and confusing so I gave up. Is worldcraft a faster creator than QuArK or are we back to it depends on the person.
Just wondering.
Comments
And for those maps? Many months. Many, many, many months. Don't spend too much time on your map though; it should be a hobby, not an obsession.
My readyroom took 5 minutes!! <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo--> Granted, it's just one square room with a light and two raised blocks to designate the team choices, but still...... <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo--> The first room I'm doing any real work on is the marine start. I've been at it for about a month as well, and I'm <i>still</i> not happy with it.
Anyhoo, a map can be done fairly quickly, or it can take forever. It really all depends on when you decide that you're happy with what you've done. Until you're proud of your accomplishment, you'll probably still be working on it. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
Oh its a total obsession. I really enjoy it. Hopefully I can become good enough to actually submit a map.
Here are a few screenshots of the month long readyroom. I know it dont look like it should have taken a month but it did <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo-->
Map name ns_tempku
<a href='http://www.dgkclan.com/ns/images/screenshots/ns_tempku0004.jpg' target='_blank'>http://www.dgkclan.com/ns/images/screensho..._tempku0004.jpg</a>
<a href='http://www.dgkclan.com/ns/images/screenshots/ns_tempku0005.jpg' target='_blank'>http://www.dgkclan.com/ns/images/screensho..._tempku0005.jpg</a>
<a href='http://www.dgkclan.com/ns/images/screenshots/ns_tempku0006.jpg' target='_blank'>http://www.dgkclan.com/ns/images/screensho..._tempku0006.jpg</a>
<a href='http://www.dgkclan.com/ns/images/screenshots/ns_tempku0007.jpg' target='_blank'>http://www.dgkclan.com/ns/images/screensho..._tempku0007.jpg</a>
<a href='http://www.dgkclan.com/ns/images/screenshots/ns_tempku0008.jpg' target='_blank'>http://www.dgkclan.com/ns/images/screensho..._tempku0008.jpg</a>
Its really not that dark when you are in there. These picts just came out really, really dark. But it is supposed to be dark it really sets the mood.
However, I've got a few nits to pick...
What happens if one guy jumps on the tram and it takes off before anyone else can hop on? Do they have to wait for it to come back?
What happens if there's a tram full of players on one side, and only one player on the other tram? The game will enforce balancing, so will the 'rejected' players get crushed into the wall at the end of the tunnel? <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
Now the issue about The team . If you load up the tram and it goes down there full. There are 2 marine join points and an alien team join just before the tram makes it back into the station. So yes it auto balances the teams. If you stay on the tram your bound to join one team sooner or later and this goes for the alien tram as well. I really debated the tram forcing you to join one team and then force you to the other but I think it fixes the problem of everyone trying to join one team all at once and just standing around the marine spawn while the aliens pound the marines in the game. If you jump off the tram the next time it comes around its going to push you into the next spawn point there is not much wiggle room.
It might not look like an NS map because of the big openess(is that a word?) of the room and its boxy shape ( due to trying to fit 32 people in there). But when you get in there the feel is NS. The rest of the map will look more like the NS that your used to. Also the story line would problably help.
(Short version) Tempku a human colony on mars Mining minerals and resources co-habiting in a cold war with the Aliens until resources become scarce and the Aliens squander their resource supply and force their way into the human colony. Humans send word to Earth and Earth deploys the Marines to eliminate the threat.
Good luck.
Read <a href='http://ns.valve-erc.com/?loc=interviews&id=3' target='_blank'>this</a> interview with KungFuSquirrel (the designer and mapper of Eclipse), it has a great deal of information and some small hints that help, a lot! <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
And GL with your map, I hope it turns out how YOU want it..
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with all respect: hahaha.
But seriously, if you told KFS that I think he would break down and cry. Because the 'not long at all' for eclipse was from some time in april (or march or may) until V1. And thats not counting when it was known as veil (Before eclipse KFS was working on a map called veil but he gave up on it and started on eclipse which, if my memory serves me correctly looked exactly the same as veil so for all purposes they were the same map).
Actually KFS started fresh on eclipse at least twice that I can remember. One of these times was 2 weeks before the V1 deadline and he basically created something very close to the current version of eclipse in those two weeks. After that there were 2 or 3 months of tweaking until the release of V1.
Most, if not all of the official maps were started Jan/Feb/March and were then scrapped and restarted in March/April/May then they were all submited to Flayra in beta form (many with box rooms and placeholder location names. Room With Things anyone? <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo--> ) for the V1 map deadline in late June/early July. Between July and October they went through countless tweaks, playtests and minor reconstructions.
Basically, saying an official NS map 'didn't take long' is like saying Rome was built in a day.
I really appreciate this mapping forum. More mature attitudes for the most part. I don't feel like I'm talking to a bunch of mouthy kids <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
Just remember that there isn't any implied 'schedule' to mapping, other than one you impose on yourself.
If you say to yourself that you want your map playable by mid-March (<i>for example</i>), then that's your schedule. If you refuse to set a deadline other than "when it's finished", then you're free to experiment and take as long as you want.
Me? I don't have a schedule. My project is purely for my own learning and enjoyment. Even if my map isn't seen by the public until NS v5.0, I'll still be happy with the fact that I would have created something to be proud of.