I'm just wondering how long it takes the average D3 mapper to create a map?

Very s how detailed you want to be and you know what your doing. If you wanted to create something that has every little detail like doom3 and you have a lot of time on your hands it can take around a month or so if all you do is mapping.

Plus compile time can eat up time kinda like Rendering a movie. If you have a high realistic detail you have to add Portals and No draw on places where the user won't see and add Clipping on every geometry keep from the player getting stuck or AI get's confused or act stupid.

Then you have to add sound A.I and a good feel and give rooms a feel, so polishing up can be a while too if your still testing your map.

Douglas Quaid wrote:

I'm just wondering how long it takes the average D3 mapper to create a map?

It really all depends on a person's abilities, how much of the map he plans out in advance, and how many new custom assets he is willing to create in order to bring his vision to life. Just remember to have a clear outline and map sketch laid out before you begin placing any geometry into your virtual world. If you just improvise on the design aspect while you map-make, you'll just go in circles making endless alterations to major areas, always unsatisfied with the results.

Also, when you're following your design document, only change things that cry out for improvement (bad gameplay delivery, poor level flow, etc.). Otherwise, stick to your preplanned design. If you only use D3 vanilla media (textures/effects/etc), it can take about 3-4 weeks to make a map (assuming you have a full-time work schedule).

Does any of this not make sense? I ask this because I've made all these mistakes before and want to make sure you don't, too.

Thanks for the reply guys, I appreciate it. I am by no means a veteran mapper, infact, Total Recall will be my first singleplayer mapping experience ever, but when I work with TR I try to make it look as good as I possibly can while also thinking of how the player will proceed through the level. Man, I've been working very hard over this year on the mod and the more I get used to the same old same old the more I can't see how good or bad this mod is getting along. Working on the website alone is hard work to say the least, and with that, trying to plan out everything that I am going to do for the following year. I'll be honest here, there have been times where I just said to myself, why bother? But I always give myself the answer it's a comedy mod Douglas, breathe in, breathe out

. That's basically what keeps me going with it. I don't think that if I was making a mega serious mod that I could continue it on my own, regardless of the abilities that I have acquired over the last two years. There have been some changes to this mod to fit in with my abilities and I have become a little wiser in the process of mod making, which I would consider quite valuable. My initial plan was to create a Serious Sam style mode to add to the other two modes but as perfectionism with mapping is my greatest flaw I have decided to scrap that idea and focus on what I can actually achieve. Another common reason for this scapping is the fact that Doom 3 is more or less dead anyway and the only people playing Doom 3 mods are Doom 3 modders. The elite of Doom 3 are very few and going on what I have seen from various websites such as D3filefront.com, the average amount of downloads in about three to four months is only about five hundred or so. I would like to think of myself as a classy guy

but I really want to work hard on the Total Recall campaign that is set on Mars as I think I have created a really nice idea to play by. Hopefully I'll have the website up by Christmas and I can get some feedback on what I've been working on over the last year (which is not much by any stretch of the imagination

) I would upload some screenies but I just reinstalled my comp the other day and Photoshop is off my system for a brief period. The reason I ask you all about the mapping period is the fact that I would really like a better undertsanding of how mappers for D3 pace themselves if they are working from a set plan lasting one year. You guys might think I'm nuts planning this mod for one whole year but that's how I work, I'm sorry

Oh well, I think I hear my smelly bus coming up the road.

I'm just wondering how long it takes the average D3 mapper to create a map?

Very s how detailed you want to be and you know what your doing. If you wanted to create something that has every little detail like doom3 and you have a lot of time on your hands it can take around a month or so if all you do is mapping.

Plus compile time can eat up time kinda like Rendering a movie. If you have a high realistic detail you have to add Portals and No draw on places where the user won't see and add Clipping on every geometry keep from the player getting stuck or AI get's confused or act stupid.

Then you have to add sound A.I and a good feel and give rooms a feel, so polishing up can be a while too if your still testing your map.

Douglas Quaid wrote:

I'm just wondering how long it takes the average D3 mapper to create a map?

It really all depends on a person's abilities, how much of the map he plans out in advance, and how many new custom assets he is willing to create in order to bring his vision to life. Just remember to have a clear outline and map sketch laid out before you begin placing any geometry into your virtual world. If you just improvise on the design aspect while you map-make, you'll just go in circles making endless alterations to major areas, always unsatisfied with the results.

Also, when you're following your design document, only change things that cry out for improvement (bad gameplay delivery, poor level flow, etc.). Otherwise, stick to your preplanned design. If you only use D3 vanilla media (textures/effects/etc), it can take about 3-4 weeks to make a map (assuming you have a full-time work schedule).

Does any of this not make sense? I ask this because I've made all these mistakes before and want to make sure you don't, too.

Thanks for the reply guys, I appreciate it. I am by no means a veteran mapper, infact, Total Recall will be my first singleplayer mapping experience ever, but when I work with TR I try to make it look as good as I possibly can while also thinking of how the player will proceed through the level. Man, I've been working very hard over this year on the mod and the more I get used to the same old same old the more I can't see how good or bad this mod is getting along. Working on the website alone is hard work to say the least, and with that, trying to plan out everything that I am going to do for the following year. I'll be honest here, there have been times where I just said to myself, why bother? But I always give myself the answer it's a comedy mod Douglas, breathe in, breathe out

. That's basically what keeps me going with it. I don't think that if I was making a mega serious mod that I could continue it on my own, regardless of the abilities that I have acquired over the last two years. There have been some changes to this mod to fit in with my abilities and I have become a little wiser in the process of mod making, which I would consider quite valuable. My initial plan was to create a Serious Sam style mode to add to the other two modes but as perfectionism with mapping is my greatest flaw I have decided to scrap that idea and focus on what I can actually achieve. Another common reason for this scapping is the fact that Doom 3 is more or less dead anyway and the only people playing Doom 3 mods are Doom 3 modders. The elite of Doom 3 are very few and going on what I have seen from various websites such as D3filefront.com, the average amount of downloads in about three to four months is only about five hundred or so. I would like to think of myself as a classy guy

but I really want to work hard on the Total Recall campaign that is set on Mars as I think I have created a really nice idea to play by. Hopefully I'll have the website up by Christmas and I can get some feedback on what I've been working on over the last year (which is not much by any stretch of the imagination

) I would upload some screenies but I just reinstalled my comp the other day and Photoshop is off my system for a brief period. The reason I ask you all about the mapping period is the fact that I would really like a better undertsanding of how mappers for D3 pace themselves if they are working from a set plan lasting one year. You guys might think I'm nuts planning this mod for one whole year but that's how I work, I'm sorry

Oh well, I think I hear my smelly bus coming up the road.