Tips for a noob

[ríomhaire]

I'm trying to start mapping and I'm at the stage where I'm still reading tutorials (why do people who right tutorials always seem to assume you already know what the **** you're doing, if you knew what you where doing you wouldn't be reading a tutorial!) and getting to grips with what everything does. Any tips to do with multiplayer, singleplayer, AI, scripted sequences, layout or anything would be very apreciated.

 

[DjBourgeoisie]

Timings for collision points in mp maps are vital, get them as close to being the same for both teams as possible. If you are new you should focus on geometry, building it correctly and learning to optimize since they go hand in hand. Making nice looking maps comes with experience, focus on learning the basics first.

 

[The Brick]

This might help.
http://www.iwannamap.com/

 

[Unarmed]

http://www.editlife.net/tutorial.php?tutid=22

This assumes that you know that you want to map, and you know that you want to map for a source game.

Everything else will be explained. This should get you going with the basics.

 

[Unarmed]

Oh... Also...

MP maps are genereally more easy to make since you dont have to decide what "happens" in the map, the other players do that. When you do SP maps then you have to configure the AI aswell.

Once you understand how mapping works, read this:
http://www.student.kun.nl/rvanhoorn/Optimization.htm

Its really a guide on how to optimize your map ingame and the compile time. But it also makes you realize what layouts are good and whatnot.

scripted_sequence takes one npc and takes them OUT of the AI and forces them to perform an animation and then puts them BACK into the AI. This means that why animation is underway the npc will ignore anything that happens around it.

Layout shold be thought out/written down before you even open hammer and so should the theme for a map.

Themes are imoprtant. And then you stick to them.

 

[ríomhaire]

OK thanks. I have an idea for a MP map. It's probably been done 100 times before (and better the an one I'll do) but still.

 

[giant384]

OK thanks. I have an idea for a MP map. It's probably been done 100 times before (and better the an one I'll do) but still.

and that is....?

 

[Unarmed]

You've got to start somewhere. atleast you have an idea. Some dont even have that.

 

[ríomhaire]

Right, messing around with various npcs and entities. Can't get a gunship to work, it won't fly or crash where I tell it to. What am I doing wrong?

 

[63]

and that is....?

Probably his school or his house.

 

[ríomhaire]

Probably his school or his house.

, you're so funny I feel like killing myself.

 

[Unarmed]

you would need:

a) 1 Gunship.
b) A truckload of air_nodes occupying the space where the gunship should be flying.
c) A set of _path tracks fo your gunship to follow. The gunships start path should be this so that the ship follows it when spawned.
d) A map with sv_allownpcs set to 1

there is more infor here I think
http://www.halflife2.net/forums/showthread.php?t=112566

Oh and for the record. Why do you want a gunship in a MP map?