What's in a great map? How do you make a great map?
Most mappers know that there's more to mapping than brushes, textures and entities. Some know more than others, and some think they know everything, but anyone who says they know everything there is to know, really knows Absolutely Nothing.
There are things in level design not yet comprehended by most - things that have not yet been discussed as much as they should be. One of these things is conceptual level design.
There is such a thing as "the perfect level". But due to the nature of any game at any given time, and the variety involved, its impossible to create this level.
There's just one thing that's preventing this: The mapper.
Everyone has different ideas and theories and tastes. The very thing that makes all maps unique in their own way is the thing that's stopping the creation of "the perfect level"
In reality, the perfect level is the one you make and enjoy playing. And since level design is progressive, you'll always be changing your map and improving it. Therefore the creation of this level is infinite, and what you consider to be perfect, is not perfect, since someone else may consider your perfection flawed.
But that's the fun of making levels, making them, playing them! Watching others play and enjoy your maps, spending insane amounts of time drawing brushes and moulding them into environments, seeing your map progress, just mapping and wondering where the next corridor or room will lead, what kind of things you'll come up with next...
At least, that's what mapping is supposed to be about, not releasing 15 maps in a week and looking at your stats, or releasing maps for the sake of good feedback.
Once you reach a level of experience in level design, maps take on a new form - they become an art form and a means of expression.
What most mappers need to realise is that there is more to great maps than tons of detail, good lighting and texturing, and overall appearance. There is more to level design than one may think. There's even more to great maps than aesthetics and game play put together. Ultimately, this thing leads to enjoyment. The thing that makes maps great is indefinable. In order to harness it, you must experience it, and then reach a level of experience, maturity and wisdom that will allow you to create it - or at least, try to create something that will be just as fun to play.
Sometimes, someone somewhere comes to a realisation and judging from map quality of the author, one may have a hard time figuring out how someone got so good so fast. This isn't common to everyone, but judging from examples of work published on the net, this is true for a number of people.
There is just one thing needed for this, and its experience. Simple as that, experience. Experience needs time, and this time needs to be spent thinking about mapping and mapping. In fact, all of your time needs to be spent doing this, unless you're really smart and can figure it out rather quickly, then all you have to do is learn the technicalities of mapping and you're off.
But for the majority of people level design needs to turn into a total obsession in order to evolve into a medium of artistic expression.
Once you reach that stage it's easy to follow on to the "holy grail" of level design: which is, like a great magician's trick, best left undisclosed.
Hopefully you got something out of reading this, I got a lot out of writing it
And so this brings the whole thing full circle: The very thing that makes great maps is never seen, never fully harnessed, always just around the corner, always out of reach... It's the process of discovery that leads to great maps. Not something you read, hear or even experience. The experience is best left to the individual, after all, a map is only as good as its author.
''judge maps, not mappers''
