A Revelation, &, A Mapping Group?

[Blacksheepboy]

I think I understand something; what I hope to happen someday, although this has never been my direct intent.

I suppose it's rather dull being a singular entity. So to compensate, I post up maps (may they be finished or not). Generally, my goal is that some people with good ideas will temporarily "join me," thus revealing their visions for the map. Regardless of whether or not anyone does, my sense of accomplishment - however high it may be - is not at risk. Rather, it feels nice to know that someone took a little time to find a few good ol' flaws.

The job of making a map... it's really more like 2 or 3 jobs working towards one finished product. It is a fallacy to state that mapping, on the majority, is a solo task. It may be singularly accomplished, but as we all know, 99% of the scenery us folks use comes from external factories. But I suppose that is beside the point...

Anyway, I have learned over time that the job of making a map is a grueling process. It requires research, creativity, time, and focus. Research, because when your goal is to design a truly unique and fun map, you either need to have prior knowledge of what has already been designed, or you friggin' play and observe and examine what's fun and popular. You may need to steal some ideas whilst combining your own... lol.

So uh, my point is, I might be asking around to find people willing to decorate/brain-storm/design the necessities for a map. I think the fun in map-making and designing truly lies in accomplishing stuff with a group of chums. Makes the process less menial and arduous. So um, look at it as the start of a potential mapping "clan" thing.

[p0ppin]

Hehe I like the idea, would this allow those involved to take said map into polyworks and edit, or just point out things via the forums?  There's a lot of people that excel at a few parts of the mapping process, but few that excel at all of them, so I think the idea of a collective effort is a great one.  I can't count how many maps I've abandoned due to lack of inspiration- having someone else there to poke you in a new, creative direction would not only help personally, but it would benefit the mapping community as well.

*thumbs-up*

[Suowarrior]

Yeah good points there. In fact, most of my maps aren't idealised by me, at least not the unique ones. For example X is based on Kouleman's sketch, and though Guardian is a lot different from X, the original idea was only to make X upside down. In consequence, if there wouldn't be crappy X, there wouldn't be Guardian either (Blame Koule if you don't like them).

Co-operation with community is good thing, not only mappers but also players. Truth is that mappers lose some part of their imagination after they've made couple of maps, the new ideas aren't as fresh as they were at beginning . As a hint I say: ask players to make sketches for you and don't dumb the sketches immeaditely but try find ideas about them and try make them playable.

I remember me and zakath showing sketches each other. Sometimes just seeing other's sketch brings you new idea. In the ending the new idea's layout might turn entirely different from that original sketch you saw.

[zakath]

My mapping design process is pretty much based the same as what I do irl(Lead programmer at a Computer security software company). What I do is to lead the design process of new software and todo that you need the right mix, ppl with experience and fresh ppl with "new" ideas as with experience you loose a bit of the crazy ideas that 9/10 times is utter crap but the 10th time is just pure gold. Same thing aplies to mapping to make a great map you need to subject yourself towards failure and embrace it and learn from it. thats why #soldat.mapping/forums are so good. because you get different inputs and ideas on your maps you get a platform to test your maps with instant feedback. because almost no map is perfect the first time. the only map I made that I haven't changed anything on after I playtested it is ctf_Blade, however that doesn't mean it was perfect the first time. as it all basically started with:
http://tms.jrgp.org/index.php?action=map_rate&map=875 <--- shadowlight first map I made with opcs the things I learned on this map I applied when poop came along with a sketch for:
http://tms.jrgp.org/index.php?action=map_rate&map=890 <---- icebeam a map that suffered easily 10 revisions before being released after that I read this http://forums.soldat.pl/index.php?topic=29538.0 which I later on applied in:
http://tms.jrgp.org/index.php?action=map_rate&map=894 <---- pit of doom a very tactical and fine map which concept I tried to refine in:
http://tms.jrgp.org/index.php?action=map_rate&map=916 <---- Ancient Ruins one of my personal favourites didn't turn out to be much of a hit so back to the drawing board and what turned out in collaboration with Suow is this:
http://tms.jrgp.org/index.php?action=map_rate&map=974 <---- Razer still one of the most fun and perhaps most tactical map if you play with the right team. after this Suow showed me a layout for a map that actually looked nothing like blade but it inspired me to construct the layout based on all my previous attempts in combination with some parts from cobra to create a tactical and fast paced map that seems to be decently popular

So what can we learn from this?
* Show your ideas to other ppl no matter how stupid they may look
* Take in ideas from other ppl especially those that aren't mappers because as a mapper after a while you will get blind and don't see the great ideas.
* evolutionize the concept doesn't matter if one map failed take whats good from it and try using it in a different way.
* Test it, you never know before you tested it if it will work if you are unsure of a feature make a couple of different version and test them all thats what I did for my latest non remake map(Temple of Scorpion) I first made one map that failed using the concept then I refined it and made 3 different version I tested and I kept the best version of it.