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baronofheck82

What do you mappers do...

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Then I don't map.

I find myself incapable of creating anything worthwhile without a solid idea to work from. Once I've got a basic idea in mind (the theme, the architecture of a few areas, a neat battle, etc...), then I find that more ideas start coming to me and I'm able to work much faster and produce better quality results.

So basically, I find it a waste of time for me to map when I can't think of anything. I just wait until I have some kind of idea only to not finish the resulting map anyway. Go me.

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baronofheck82 said:

...when you can't think of what to map?


I don't map. Simple as that.

I don't want to create new areas just for the sake of finishing the map earlier, once I think of something again I start mapping but not before that.

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I just play with ideas. Doesn't matter if it winds up being good or not. The more you do it, the better you get. And occasionally, I will come up with a very cool idea.

Mostly mapping with a definite endpoint in mind is a good thing. But you don't always want to do this. Mapping without an idea of where it is going is good also, because sometimes you wind up with something very cool that you hadn't planned at all.

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I just choose to make an tech map or an hell map, or some other theme, my ideas will start flowing when I create my first sectors. Usually ideas will keep coming, but I can get completely stuck with an map halfway through its process. I hate it when that happens, I just set it aside and work on something else. Some maps never get finished though, mainly because I don't care about it anymore or I have lost all interest in it.

I always map with music on, don't care what but I have to have music playing. It seems to help with mapping, at least for me.

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If I can't think of what to map, I play some random megawad or a single wad map and sometimes inspirations will pop into my head.

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Ugh. This happened to me at the weekend when I should have been speedmapping. Hit a total mapper's block. :( I should've just blasted some Mark Klem in my ears while doodling random shapes on paper. That usually helps me. :P

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I generally wait for some random inspiration to come, and I go from there. For instance, I start with some idea - whether it be a certain (kind of) place, or a general feel/atmosphere that I think would be cool, then just run with that - preferably (but not always)keeping to the original idea. There are pretty much inifinite things you can do - it's basically a matter of what would be ideal/appropriate/fun etc.

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It's no use trying to be creative if you are not at least a little inspired.

Edit: actually Sofa makes a good point. Load up one of your old maps and play it until you notice something that could be added or improved. Hell, you could just start off with a new level: put in a small room or courtyard and work it out from there.

Mosey around and say, hey, I should put a tower in there, or a monster closet here, or a lake there, or some stairs... you get the idea.

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just take a walk outdoors, it's healthy "and" you can get ideas for new architecture. bring your camera too if you feel like it.

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Parallel between mapping and women:

I get really drunk, and then try to map. Then I'll attempt ideas that I never would have sober, but kind of fail in the process. Still, some of the concepts I come up with actually make their way into other maps I make. A lot of the time, they actually work.

OR:

I get really drunk, and then try to have a conversation with a woman. I'll attempt lines that I never would have sober, and kind of fail in the process. Still, some of the concepts I come up with actually make their way into other conversations I have with other women. A lot of the time, they actually work.

Ah, who am I kidding? I never run out of ideas for a map.

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I Do something else and leave the computer or i maybe lock around in my map and change things and then go back to the place i having trouble to process to finish mapping

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play some other games to 1.calm down if frustrated / mental block / etc 2.to try and get some inspiration from those games.

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I run around in the map with notarget or with all monsters nuked, until I notice a detail that needs revision.

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look up old buildings which have amazing architecture, like cathedrals, stadiums and castles try and get inspiration from them, sci-fi movies and the like are also usually quite good at giving tech and base type ideas

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