Journals

Havent mapped in so long, hoping to try and map a few floor plans I have found on the net. Trying to keep something creative going and lots have changed sence I mapped last. Most of all I got married, have a 2yo stepson and have another son on the way. I basicly only work and play with my stepson and a few games. Hopefull I can get the hang of the new Hammer and Source mapping.

Well I still havent been mapping but, I have upgraded my comp. Along with not having much time to map cuz of work, spending time gaming with my GF is taking out of mapping, but spending time with her isnt a bad thing But with out mapping and not spending as much time on my comp has helped me come up with some sweet mapping ideas.

Wow now that im working I havent gotten much mapping done I just go home and game, or just sleep. Too bad I have so many mapping projects right now.

Well I am in the middle of testing out my new siege map for NS, so far only a few little bugs and a few "woops" things. But I am going to have to do another compile in a little with and all should be well if it turns out ok.

Then its off to some work on it to make it even, (grates and vents mostly). Will see how it gose if all is good I may not even have to add that stuff. Or add another feature.

Link to my forums for dl / comments: http://forum.webluke.net/viewtopic.php?t=673

Wow that was a weard way to wake up yesterday, I woke up from a dreem that was a hallway/stairs. I saw every angle like you would in a map editer, but what made it even more trippy I some what though of every way that I would map this. Im not sure what engin I was mapping for but it involved arched areas under an upper bacony with stairs goin up along one side. And just to make it all a little better I think I was dreaming this for quite a wile sence I still can vivdly see all of it in my head.

Im realy tired right now, but I just made it, but its not done. Man I kinda wish I could do this for other things, but man I wouldnt be able to get up with out mapping for half an hour before I could do any thing each day.

You know one thing that make mapping fun, is that you can always learn something new to do. Like you can learn how make diffrent kinds of maps, make diffrent kinds of arcitecure, make diffrent kinds of lighting.

But also depending on your experiences you can also find something new on how to make simple things. Yet unless you obsessed with learning every entity type you cant always know what to do with them all. Thus help sites are alwasy good

A thing I find realy cool is how lots of the new mods that are in the works right now have realy good mappers, modilers, storylines, custome textures, and websites. The HL engin in its first few years had every pearson under the sun making a mod, site, map, whatever. Now that HL is 5 years old you can see lots of dedicated ppl working with it. You see ppl that have spent years now tenkering with the SDK, tenkering with ways to map, tenkering with textures, and ppl tenkering with models.

Now that I have a few years of mapping and messing with hl/other games, I am finding that I realy wont to use my mapping skils, some ideas of going into the industy and also lots about working on my own mod, and some on getting involved with a mod that has a good story, texture artist, coders, modilers, and other ppl that know what they are doing when it comes to doing these things.

I also find my self wishing that I had HL earlyer, and got into mapping a few years before I had gotten into this stuff. I can see my self working on some of these great mods that have been started / nearing compleating / coming soon.

I find it intresting how with a game as old as HL there are still great sites with info on how to mod, map, and such. Of course there are sites where they were uptodate 3 years ago when lots and lots of people where getting into modding. But now most of the information is out dated as the tools, engin, techneaks, and ideas are change. Its realy great to get on a site that is still doing things, such as competitions well after the most of the people have learned the knowage.

Even now that I only have a few years of mapping in me, I find it fun to see people see me or some of the experienced mappers as people to look to for help to get started.
(Ya my thoughts wonder a bit)