Map Plans & Story Lines Created 10 years ago2014-08-29 18:48:50 UTC by RollingBarrel

Okay...
I don't know about some of you readers, but a lot of the time when I decide to make a map, I don't have a clear goal. This is fine for learning and discovering new techniques, but at some point you'll want to develop a series of maps- perhaps into a full mod, or just a couple of maps with a simple story line. Either way, it needs a foundation; a basic beginning, middle, and end. Hopefully, this thread will be a blank slate to sketch ideas on, to suggest starting points and ending points to others, and get help on deciding the main setting and story line for your maps or mods.

So feel free to go ahead!

I think its really an individual thing, everyone has a their own way of reaching a goal.
Me personally i always have a clear image on what i want to make in terms of a level, however i lack the skill to transfer that image to anywhere so it just has to stay in my head and a level usually comes out completely different than what i wanted it to look like.
If you want to make a series of some sort, i guess a good starting point would be time and place, make the levels represent that. If you want to be adventurous and don't lack imagination just keep making the story as you move on with the project and let it play out.
Usually when i get an idea of a story i easily recognize that its based on something i saw, read, heard. Don't be afraid to base your story off something that exists, usually it turns out that something like that has been done already in some form.
Making up something unique now is pretty hard, and what i see usually is people get frustrated and quit, don't do it, even if you are ripping someone its still a unique twist since you are adding your own ideas to the mix even if you can't see it at first, look at all the de_dust ports tell me it wasn't your first texture set when you made your first map for cs.
The basis for all my ideas usually comes from looking at images on Deviantart or a random search on google, but reading a book or something is also a great way to get that imagination flowing

Not sure if making any sense, but yeah here goes my 2 cents

What I like to do is take a few 8.5x11's and cut them in half. Then fold them and staple at the edge to make a little booklet. Next, use your mind to imagine the beginning middle and end/ and other ideas. And jut begin writing them in the booklet, also jot down some sketches of ideas you come up with along the way.

The first booklet will be full of lots of writing, bad sketches, chicken scratch etc. Then read through the first one and think about it some more and, repeat. Make a new booklet and start over, write a part of the plot per page, add drawings etc.

This is how I made Somewhere in Time, I did this all while at work lol.

Hope this helps.

yeah my planned maps start out as barely-legible notes and terrible sketches.
They don't really evolve on paper after that.
I try to just focus on basics then go back and detail.

Unplanned maps:Planned maps:I usually scribble something then scratch out a layout roughly based on it not giving too many fucks.

I usually read a good book or play some mods from that game. There are a lot of mods out there and lot of them are quite inspiring.