Patrick
someone employed to clean and maintain a building
Posts: 2005
Registered: 02-07 |
First of all, I will always play a map if it looks pretty. It's a good way to get people interested. Here's how to achieve this:
(1) Good Color/Texture Choices: If you have a consistent color theme throughout a map, well aligned textures and no "clashes" (rant: WHY THE FUCK DO PEOPLE THINK GREEN AND RED MARBLE GO TOGETHER???) You can make a good looking map on that basis
Here are some good (albeit overused) color themes:
Brown/Grey/Red - Good for gothic maps, add some orange in for a flair. See The Ultimate Torment and Torture.
Dark Green/Beige/Light Brown/Tan - Good for more earthy themes, light blue added to this makes a good sky/water color. See Suspended in Dusk.
Silver/Grey/Blue - Good for Skybase and Space station levels, works great with a really dark starry sky. See Eternal Doom, Map01. or that one space station map in Deus Vult.
Make your own! - Find some color swatches, look ata color wheel. What colors go well together and don't clash?
(2)Having good detail doesn't mean you have to be Tormentor667. Excellent ways of adding detailing can be: add windows, add borders, make different lighting schemes, high ceilings and low lights, ask anyone here for more detailing tricks.
(3) lots of height variation can be a problem (see any of TimeOfDeath's maps and you'll get what I mean) but if used well (like say, Deus Vult 2) you can create some really beautiful architecture.
(4)Square Rooms, Connected with Square Hallways, Connected by Square Staircases, with Square windows and Square passages aren't attractive at all. Circles are sexy.
(5) Atmosphere. Creating a good atmosphere in a level makes it even better. Having a pyramid/space station/hell level may be cool, but the atmosphere may be confusing. Also, music can make or break the atmosphere.
Now, if a map looks nice, but doesn't play well, I wont even bother to finish it, so here's how to make well playable maps.
(1)Movement. The most important thing about ANY game is that movement feels realistic and fluid. If I have to frantically move my mouse left and right in a small map, there's a problem. Design the level so that the player feels good moving about. 8x8 Pillars also kill movement, should be avoided at all costs.
(2)Gunfights. Gunfights need to be challenging and have a lotta room to move about. See Plutonia Map01. A good gunfight is one in which you move around a lot and deal with multiple targets, perhaps on higher or lower ground. Putting places that offer cover is always good for a map with a big gunfight.
(3)Location, Location, Location. Again, a map with different heights and variations throughout not only looks good, but makes for interesting gameplay. Shooting a crowd of zombies from the top of a curving staircase offers more challenge than shooting a crowd of zombies in an open field.
or maybe Tl;Dr
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08-07-09 01:32 
