"Preplanned" speedmapping

[scifista42]

This thread is for and about speedmappers, respectively my question to them. I'm curious whether you actually think off the map's layout and gameplay during the time assigned to speedmapping. Or do you detailedly think about these beforehand, and in the assigned time just quickly implement your already-made vision in the editor? How common this strategy actually is, is it commonly accepted as right and "legal", who does it, is there any speedmapper who doesn't do it at all, what's your approach?

[Phobus]

I don't plan my speed maps. I wait and see what the limits are, then decide very roughly what I'll do to finish a map within them. Generally speaking I'll do a completely flat layout in half the time, planning out what it'll be as I go. I then nip through in the second half and apply textures, heights, lighting and thing placement, with a little time for testing. The problem I have with my approach is that my speed maps very rarely have an obvious player starting point, so I kind of have to force one in there somewhere and do the game play around that. It's like I've just created some abstract architecture and some scope for set piece battles without trying to link them together.

[Obsidian]

I usually have some sort of idea, although for the most part the layout and gameplay are thought up while mapping. I build a great deal of my maps around singular clever ideas, speedmaps included.

[Joshy]

Agree with the above two responses, most of my layout designs are never completely thought ahead. For the most part, I usually start out a map with a distinct layout structure and theme and/or gameplay scenario (think WIP idea generator- i.e., you must destroy two computers and hack a cyberdemon), and then I expand from there. Usually I would design (or at least attempt to,) interesting shapes and sizes, and then an idea would spark, and the rest would follow. There's a lot of to-ing and fro-ing when it comes to determining layout/gameplay flows. When I'm not sure what to do with a particular area, I leave it alone and hope that other areas I am more comfortable with will eventually weave its way to that area. If not, I just soldier on and follow the KISS principle- keep it simple stupid.

[darkreaver]

When I "speed" map, I dont have any layout planned beforehand. I usually decide on a theme/textures, but thats it.

I never participate in any "contests" or speed mapping events, so I say fuck the "rules" and detail and tidy up the map after finishing "speed mapping" it.

I kinda like speedy mapping, I feel more "free"...kinda like there are less expectations (even though there probalbly arent any in the first place haha).

[Khorus]

No planning at all, everything is done based on what I want to do in the moment. Anything remotely like planning is decided on as soon as I open the editor, stuff like "I want to make a base/city/hell map, I want to use a lot of water in this map" etc.

I'm not a big fan of being told what sort of map to make, I think it breaks the spontaneity that I like about designing things quickly, which is why I've never taken part in any speedmapping events.

EDIT: I also do the layout, architecture, texturing and gameplay as I go. Base Ganymede's E1M1 and E1M2 were speedmapped with the layout being fully designed first and that method proved to be much worse for me.

[Jimmy]

Yes. Much of Jenesis was speedmapped (within a 12-hour-or-longer period, granted, but kept to a set period all the same) with the layouts planned out in various degrees beforehand.

MAP03's layout was planned entirely on paper. This made mapping it extremely fluid and easy and I had it done within a couple of days.

MAP26 was mapped in about 10 hours. I consider this a mammoth feat given the size of the map. I was worn out as heck afterwards.

One of my fastest efforts was MAP02, which was done in about 8 hours. This was relatively easy to do as I was making an improved version of a 2004-era jimmymap, which is included in Jenesis as MAP32, so in essence I already had the layout mostly planned, even though I had nothing on paper.

Other layouts were just winged. Like MAP09's and MAP18's. They took days to make on account of mapper's block. God those maps suck. :P

Funnily, MAP01 is actually a remake of my first speedmap ever - a Plutonia Skulltag-specific map with a build time of 60 minutes. I actually want to see if I still have it. But just be warned in advance that it sucks. :P (I'm also still not entirely happy with the way the remake actually turned out, heh.)

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It helps if you have an idea of how the map will start. Map the starting area first, and build the rest of the map around it.

A lot of my speedmapping seems to revolve around making layouts, filling them with keys and doors, and only later on figuring out how one leads to the other. The progression of the map is probably the last thing I ever think about. Perhaps to my downfall. :x

[joepallai]

No planning when I speedmap, and it shows.....

[Xaser]

Hmm, in my 5in100 sessions, I never had any ideas on what to actually map until the 20-minute prep phase, although I do have a common texture resource that I've used for all 3, so maybe that counts?

For the most part, though, my thought process goes like "Hmm, I need a sky texture... ooh, that's a nice green sky. I should make a murky green map. Swamp time." And then I sprinkle ludicrous amounts of towers in it and call it a day.

[Phml]

I find it a lot easier to think of cool layout concepts than turning these into maps, so I probably have ten times as many ideas in my head as completed maps at any time. Given that, very few of my speedmaps are truly spur of the moment.

[Alfonzo]

My preparation involves a ritual acceptance of my terrible speedmapping ability before hammering out the evidence in ~100 minutes.

[Walter confetti]

actually, i made all my speedmaps at the moment, maybe sometimes i'll put down some ideas i had in mind from the day of speed mapping or even something i made that day...

[40oz]

Unlike most people who work on one part or one room at a time, I make the entire map as a whole first, attacking the entire structure of the map head-on.

I usually juggle ideas for maps in my head on the regular so usually when I speedmap something, it's an attempt at something that is already preconcieved.

[jazzmaster9]

So I guess me and jimmy are the minority here, who plan their speedmaps ahead of time! I usually envision my maps beforehand and then do the rest during the sessions.