Most important aspects to gameplay?
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dart321
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lol, I don't think I have alot of experience (making maps, not playing them) but I would say a great level design followed by a nice texture/lighting scheme is key. No one wants to play in a dark, plaster box. Right?
edit: This gave me an idea for a map: dm_DarkPlasterBox.
edit: This gave me an idea for a map: dm_DarkPlasterBox.
Viceman
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It definedly must be fun to play. Good performance of course, and not too complex. I hate these labyrint maps, running around 5mins and you see absolutely nothing but walls.. walls.. walls.. maybe a door. And suddenly you are there where you started :dozey:
D
DJRedLine
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no 1 team should have an overall advantage to the other, but most off all should be fun to play.
I'm not too fussed on the looks side apart from lighting, just as long as it makes me want to come back and play it again and again.
I'm not too fussed on the looks side apart from lighting, just as long as it makes me want to come back and play it again and again.
This is a tricky question because there are alot of different "parts" that makes a level good.
First, the design. This means good use of textures, good use of limited textures actually. People don't want a level that needs loadingtime everytime you pass around a corner. To make the level seem real with just a cupple of textures is hard (try the max 3 texture level for Quake 3). Part of the design is also to make the level look realistic (at least in HL2). The hardest part is to make the level realistic and still have great connectivity. People down want to run across the whole map just to get to a gun. There should be more than one way out of most parts of the level, this way you can't really camp anywhere near a good weapon or such.
Lightning is also good. Dark parts usually ends up being left out of the gameplay. Try to vary the lightning a bit by useing different colors. Of course, a sewer is darker than the streets, just make sure they are not to dark.
Actually, this is just the beginning but hopefully it makes some sence. I could go on an on forever about this subject.
First, the design. This means good use of textures, good use of limited textures actually. People don't want a level that needs loadingtime everytime you pass around a corner. To make the level seem real with just a cupple of textures is hard (try the max 3 texture level for Quake 3). Part of the design is also to make the level look realistic (at least in HL2). The hardest part is to make the level realistic and still have great connectivity. People down want to run across the whole map just to get to a gun. There should be more than one way out of most parts of the level, this way you can't really camp anywhere near a good weapon or such.
Lightning is also good. Dark parts usually ends up being left out of the gameplay. Try to vary the lightning a bit by useing different colors. Of course, a sewer is darker than the streets, just make sure they are not to dark.
Actually, this is just the beginning but hopefully it makes some sence. I could go on an on forever about this subject.
pur3r4ge
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poseyjmac said:
Original question: what makes a map fun.
Your answer: it's fun if it's fun.
Flow is one of the elements that makes a map fun, not secondary to it. You should never hit a dead end. You should never get caught on terrain. You should be constantly rewarded for movement (via weapons and combat opportunities). You should never have to slow down to figure out where to go next. You should never be left with only one possible path for any distance. You should have cover readily available, or an escape route at all times.
This is "flow". This is what makes a map fun to most people.
a good map, in my opinion, and been FPS gaming since Woldenstein 3D first came out:
Levels need a sense of dimension and depth... silly it might sound, but... here goes... I believe good texture work isn't slapping on the highest res textures possible.. I believe it is indeed making good use of the textures... for example, take a dust level in CS:S... the ground you can walk on is a sandy texture, straight walls are rock/brick... and slopes and barriers are more of a rocky texture... simple, even indoors the floor tiles and walls are different.. you have to know easily where you can go without bumping into things while trying..
everything you use should lend itself to gameplay... always think of that in mind... make the texture work easy on the eyes, just like that dust example, ... another use of texture in dust is the wood on doors and boxes... very simple, you see a wooden square against the rock walls, you know it's a box to take cover behind... leads into something else, cover... you need adequate cover placed around your level... everywhere, barrels, file cabinets, it increases interactivity.... with that, a level should have SOME level of interactivity... shootable barrels, openable doors, breakable glass and furniture (a la office) or even those neat swinging lights in prodigy... lights? oh yes... lights...
the level has to balance mood with gameplay... the level has to be lit in such a way you can tell the depth of the level easily, the contrast should be easy on the eyes... for example, you should be able to look down a hall and tell that there's a turn there leading indoors, you can tell because of the changes in shading... also you can tell when a path ends easily because of the shading in the corner. .. also some dark areas may provide cover, for example shade a small nook behind a few crates...
also if this is a team match type map, you want the map to be balanced... somehow..someway.... for example, try not to give one team 1 exit out of their spawn point and another 4....
as for geometry try not to go overboard, you don't want people waiting hours to load your level, just make sure it's enough to get the job done, and check for cracks...don't want someone getting stuck in a pit or falling through your level... try to vary the geometry beyond quads, although depending on the type of map this may or may not be necessary, as some maps have very simplistic, rigid geometry, mostly, and are quite fun... fun, because of the way the levels are laid out...
many levels tend to go indoors and outdoors so keep that in mind, also lay out in such a way that it's not repeatative... for one it wont' get boring as fast, and two people will be able to recognize specific points in the map...
make sure the map ..well.. works..... make sure you use all your area portals and triggers and spawn points correctly, it won't be fun if a match starts and half the players are under the map falling into void or everyone with less than 2 gigs of ram has severe slowdown...
I don't know if I can add anything more than I already did.... I'm sure others already have and/or will
Levels need a sense of dimension and depth... silly it might sound, but... here goes... I believe good texture work isn't slapping on the highest res textures possible.. I believe it is indeed making good use of the textures... for example, take a dust level in CS:S... the ground you can walk on is a sandy texture, straight walls are rock/brick... and slopes and barriers are more of a rocky texture... simple, even indoors the floor tiles and walls are different.. you have to know easily where you can go without bumping into things while trying..
everything you use should lend itself to gameplay... always think of that in mind... make the texture work easy on the eyes, just like that dust example, ... another use of texture in dust is the wood on doors and boxes... very simple, you see a wooden square against the rock walls, you know it's a box to take cover behind... leads into something else, cover... you need adequate cover placed around your level... everywhere, barrels, file cabinets, it increases interactivity.... with that, a level should have SOME level of interactivity... shootable barrels, openable doors, breakable glass and furniture (a la office) or even those neat swinging lights in prodigy... lights? oh yes... lights...
the level has to balance mood with gameplay... the level has to be lit in such a way you can tell the depth of the level easily, the contrast should be easy on the eyes... for example, you should be able to look down a hall and tell that there's a turn there leading indoors, you can tell because of the changes in shading... also you can tell when a path ends easily because of the shading in the corner. .. also some dark areas may provide cover, for example shade a small nook behind a few crates...
also if this is a team match type map, you want the map to be balanced... somehow..someway.... for example, try not to give one team 1 exit out of their spawn point and another 4....
as for geometry try not to go overboard, you don't want people waiting hours to load your level, just make sure it's enough to get the job done, and check for cracks...don't want someone getting stuck in a pit or falling through your level... try to vary the geometry beyond quads, although depending on the type of map this may or may not be necessary, as some maps have very simplistic, rigid geometry, mostly, and are quite fun... fun, because of the way the levels are laid out...
many levels tend to go indoors and outdoors so keep that in mind, also lay out in such a way that it's not repeatative... for one it wont' get boring as fast, and two people will be able to recognize specific points in the map...
make sure the map ..well.. works..... make sure you use all your area portals and triggers and spawn points correctly, it won't be fun if a match starts and half the players are under the map falling into void or everyone with less than 2 gigs of ram has severe slowdown...
I don't know if I can add anything more than I already did.... I'm sure others already have and/or will
