Map Ideas

[Sudano]

I been wanting to make some maps, but I always run out of ideas. I always wonder how you guys have so many good solid ideas. I just wanted to make this thread for people to say their mapping ideas. Like what themes do you think would be cool, what atmosphere and any places or pictures of places that can help inspire some good maps. Any ideas out there?

Due to myself being new with Hammer, i think a nice beginner map would be a cool looking maze, not too big though, with some cool lighting effects maybe.

 

[Shinobi]

hell I got plenty ideas..

what I dont have is time to make all the props and texture needed to realize those ideas

 

[Kester^]

I get a random idea, such and industrial plant, car park, etc. Then I abuse google for around an hour getting references.

Then I put those references to work in Hammer.

 

[Crispy]

I get a random idea, such and industrial plant, car park, etc. Then I abuse google for around an hour getting references.

Then I put those references to work in Hammer.

Same, apart from I spend longer on refs.

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

I get the idea, look for refs for as long as it takes to get a good feel for what I'm making. Then I make it.

 

[Dodo]

Googles a shit place to look for ref... if its youre only source for inspiration. Try YotoPhoto, Flickr etc.

what I dont have is time to make all the props and texture needed to realize those ideas

make time ! it makes an excellent portfolio.

-dodo

 

[Unarmed]

I find this to be the best inspiration tool ever

http://www.countermap2.com/mapgen.php

 

[Crispy]

Googles a shit place to look for ref... if its youre only source for inspiration. Try YotoPhoto, Flickr etc.



make time ! it makes an excellent portfolio.

-dodo

Google images trumps YotoPhoto on a couple of searches I did, Flickr is much better but still not on a par with Google.

For an example, with a Google search I managed to find a pic of a building which I then got an address for and then got to a video of the building and the surrounding area. I'm not saying the others are rubbish but Google is better, there's just a lot more crap to sift through before you get to the good stuff.

 

[Dodo]

I find this to be the best inspiration tool ever

http://www.countermap2.com/mapgen.php

hehe, its better then i expected... but there still in some way very generic.
I'd say its better to get inspired by environment photos then to get stuff like;

"Counter-Terrorists: Enter a Celtic fortress and rescue the hostages.
Terrorists: Defend the fortress and prevent the Counter-Terrorists from rescuing the hostages.
Designer Notes:
- The map must be made with five huge crates.
- The map needs to have HL2 textures.
- The map needs to be made with Doom models.
- The map must centre around tides sounds."

A celtic fort with doom models, huge crates, and HL2 textures ?! : /

edit: haha it would actually make a quite funny map.

 

[Dodo]

...there's just a lot more crap to sift through before you get to the good stuff.

It's sifting through shit i dislike... : /

-dodo

 

[Shinobi]

Googles a shit place to look for ref... if its youre only source for inspiration. Try YotoPhoto, Flickr etc.



make time ! it makes an excellent portfolio.

-dodo

I spend around 20 hoursw a week mapping as it is then have a full tiome job modelling, if I spend any more time my head will explode

 

[Unarmed]

I spend around 20 hoursw a week mapping as it is then have a full tiome job modelling, if I spend any more time my head will explode

I hope they pay you well since you spend your own time browsing forums regarding the same things as you work with. It's like working for free. If you have ambitions like that/like what you're doing so much, start a company man/woman!

As architecture goes, my uni provides me with a ton fo places each day that could work as a map. Lots of hightech building stuff and also stuff that was hightech 20 years ago but now is just buildings with some really intresting design.

My problem is not ideas, but how to implement them, and how to find the time to do so.

 

[Sudano]

Thats a cool tool, but it's for CSS. I map for hl2dm, and those are a bit random, although maybe I can mix them up a bit and actually have a nice one. Who knows.

Edit:

Counter-Terrorists: Escape from an Arabian base with the VIP, Barry Manilow. lol

Terrorists: Defend the base and kill the VIP.

Designer Notes:
- The map should contain a pile of broken bodies.
- The map should have inferno textures.
- The map needs to contain dust models.
- The map should centre around dust sounds.



In another.. The map should centre around many huge kittens

This is a real professional tool, lol.

 

[Unarmed]

Im quite sure that there was a map contest over at CM back in the 1.1(ish) days where contestants had to be made from a them generated by this.