Mapping for different engines

I'm toying with the idea of playing around with different engines and making a small map or 2 as a bit of change.

My own experiences are only with half-life and quake.

I'm thinking about going back and giving half-life mapping another go, as I like the setting and remember the basics, however I am disappointed slightly over the lack of ports.

One other engine that appeals to me is the Dark engine, making a system shock 2 map would be interesting.

So what has everyone else tried/loved/disliked/ or any other suggestions/opinions?

I liked toying with UnrealEd to make Deus Ex maps.
 

Unfortunately back then I didn't fully get how all the resource archive stuff was working, so while I did keep some backups of the maps I made, I can't open them anymore because I didn't keep the resources. It seems like if you couldn't open a map in the map editor if it contained an unknown texture. Meh.

I've thought about doing a sort of portfolio where I make a well polished standalone map for several different games and engines as a fun personal project that could be used more professionally later if needed.

Would be quite simple to make a map for HL2, TF2, and L4D since they all use the same engine and I'm familiar with the game's ins and outs.

Doom is quite simple enough, would be a bit too easy to make a single map though, possibly do a small multi-level pack.

Build/Duke3D would be the most challenging for me starting out as I have almost zero familiarity with using Build, but I still think it would be fun to make a little abstract real world location ala Hollywood Holocaust/Red Light District

And lastly it would be cool to make a dungeon for Fallout 4. Would be a fun little project to work on.

10 hours ago, Gez said:

I liked toying with UnrealEd to make Deus Ex maps.
 

I've never really considered the Unreal engine before, however think the Dark engine is similar in the way you need to carve out a playing space first etc, 1 benefit I guess is the lack of leaks during compiling. 

10 hours ago, Gez said:

Unfortunately back then I didn't fully get how all the resource archive stuff was working, so while I did keep some backups of the maps I made, I can't open them anymore because I didn't keep the resources. It seems like if you couldn't open a map in the map editor if it contained an unknown texture. Meh.

That sounds like a bit of a BS learning curve thou and very harsh!

10 hours ago, wheresthebeef said:

I've thought about doing a sort of portfolio where I make a well polished standalone map for several different games and engines as a fun personal project that could be used more professionally later if needed.

 

Would be quite simple to make a map for HL2, TF2, and L4D since they all use the same engine and I'm familiar with the game's ins and outs.

Doom is quite simple enough, would be a bit too easy to make a single map though, possibly do a small multi-level pack.

Build/Duke3D would be the most challenging for me starting out as I have almost zero familiarity with using Build, but I still think it would be fun to make a little abstract real world location ala Hollywood Holocaust/Red Light District

And lastly it would be cool to make a dungeon for Fallout 4. Would be a fun little project to work on.

I like the idea of a portfolio, just for personal achievement.

I have considered the source engine, I assume the basic principles are the same as goldsrc. I just can't stand HL2, so my enthusiasm drops considerable.

Build with eDuke has plenty of potential and making dungeons for skyrim/fallout is a very cool idea that I've never even thought of.   

I've given passing thoughts to giving Quake and Unreal mapping a spin. I actually even downloaded the Quake map editor Trenchbroom once but never took it upon myself to make an actual map in it.

In all honesty, after a decade of mapping almost exclusively for Doom (with the addition of some dabbling in Starcraft 1 & 2 mapping), having to learn a fully 3D workflow sort of intimidates me.

I did some maps in UE4, I liked being able to create modular pieces using other tools and simply re-using them in different ways, saves a lot of time and makes the workflow easier.

1 hour ago, MFG38 said:

I've given passing thoughts to giving Quake and Unreal mapping a spin. I actually even downloaded the Quake map editor Trenchbroom once but never took it upon myself to make an actual map in it.

 

In all honesty, after a decade of mapping almost exclusively for Doom (with the addition of some dabbling in Starcraft 1 & 2 mapping), having to learn a fully 3D workflow sort of intimidates me.

Give it a go, I must admit I did play with worldcraft at an early age (when HL first came out) at the same sort of time I was getting into wading. Once you've built a couple of rooms with a working door and a few lights the intimidation is gone and the cogs start turning.

@dmg_64 The UE4 is something else, I have researched it a fair bit and the capabilities, hand holding and power makes it the go to engine if you have a game idea, 2d or 3d. Its a cracking bit of kit, however I don't have a game idea myself.

Those screenshots look the nuts thou, nice work! 

I did once completed the "tutorial" for the Hammer Editor (goldsource), and whilst I did enjoyed it and while it is the official testament to my experience "outside of Doom", it isn't really something to be proud of.

Alas, made a house or two in Unity, once a landscape, but then I just dropped it. Its kinda fun, like making your own wad, but seeing so many people trash Unity for it's reputation to power bad newbie games, kinda made me go away.

@Era Di Cate I’ve played games based on the unity engine and I wasn’t really impressed tbh, however I never have looked at the tools etc to make an educated opinion on the engine itself, but considering UE4 I don’t understand how unity can be a viable option for developers, unless the royalty clause is better.

I ultimately presume Unity is good for fun and for beginners, because... well, the way stuff works and all (I was never good at coding), and the community assets and all, it's good for getting a grip (I guess), but in the end, yeah, better off with UE or Sorse :3 or any other engine for that matter, never really liked the Unity's aesthetic and/or looks.

I like to fuck around with Source Engine. In fact I've started to enjoy mapping for it slightly more than Doom mapping. The full 3D aspect is fun.

Here's a few screenshots from my little (well not so little, it's starting to lag Hammer due to the amount of brushes) Blood-textured Source map:

Makes me wish (again) that there was a Blood source port...

51 minutes ago, 129thVisplane said:

I like to fuck around with Source Engine. In fact I've started to enjoy mapping for it slightly more than Doom mapping. The full 3D aspect is fun.

Here's a few screenshots from my little (well not so little, it's starting to lag Hammer due to the amount of brushes) Blood-textured Source map:

 

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That looks excellent, good work!

24 minutes ago, Vermil said:

Makes me wish (again) that there was a Blood source port...

Wish goldscr and the first unreal engine were open source, however from my research it seems neither ever will.

On 3/31/2018 at 12:01 PM, 129thVisplane said:

I like to fuck around with Source Engine. In fact I've started to enjoy mapping for it slightly more than Doom mapping. The full 3D aspect is fun.

Here's a few screenshots from my little (well not so little, it's starting to lag Hammer due to the amount of brushes) Blood-textured Source map:

 

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Just saw these - wow! Very realistic, and spooky looking. You know what would work very well here? Nearly transparent ghost-like monsters, slowly floating around, with some creepy chase sounds. I'd love to see a Doom conversion :)

Hammer Editor is really friendly to noobies though shamefully due to it's age, it breaks fairly easily and with no real logic as to how it derps.

(In case you didn't know, Hammer is for Source Engine Games ^_^)