Here's the worst architecture you've ever seen! Just to show how bad I was. Back when I started mapping in about 2002, after doing my first killbox I realised I wanted to do something cooler. So I started this castle.
Originally named de_dracula, as the book was my initial inspiration, it doesn't resemble anything Dracula, and it doesn't even have a coffin room. I guess I forgot about that (and the actual theme of the map) when I finished it. Yes, at the time this was considered a finished, fully functional and totally awesome map.
As it is, it's uncompilable. It's composed 99% of invalid solids and mismatching planes. It has the hugest skybox you've ever seen (if it appears far away, it must be far away!). And it borrows textures from cs_italy and de_cbble. Probably more, I don't remember. And, most of it was built using the Carve function. Also, I didn't know what a castle was supposed to look like. So know what to expect.
-Map description-
There is a castle on a large rock, across the ravine there is a city.
Terrorists start at what appears to be some kind of shop, curiously next to a pile of prefab explosive crates, and are intended to bomb the library inside the castle.
Counter-terrorists start inside the castle, in the entrance hallway before the library
Except that there's no way players get into the library, or even outside the castle - unless they jump from a tower. Why? Because I had no idea how to make a door behave like a door. Read, I had not the slightest idea of what an entity was.
This map, as it is, is uncompilable. I can not stress enough that I uploaded it solely for amusement. There is absolutely no way it can be fixed and rescued to a compilable state. It is just intended to show that once upon a time, I did consider some of my maps finished. These were my ambitious plans in 2002. And my mapping skills.
Remember: I don't expect you to like it. I expect you... to lie.
you should see some of my first maps. I consider them good cause I spent alot of time on them but when I actually go back and really look at some of these earlier maps I see ALL kinds of errors. It's called learning dude!
I think the reason it takes me so long to finish anything anymore is cause I don't want to have all those errors so I spend enormous amounts of time getting the maps just right from the start.
my first map was a two boxes put together with a couple of lights and posters on the wall. I got giddy like a schoolgirl when it actually come up and I could see my masterpiece unfold--and I have been hooked on mapping ever since.
@kdunivan: Yeah, that's the reason it takes me so long to reach completion on any map now. However, even then I was aware of the invalid brushes. I just shrugged and thought, what harm can a couple of bad brushes do? What I'm sure of is that there are no leaks, because the skybox is well sealed
And my first map was a 128x128x128 room with some prefabs piled up in a corner. It was AWESOME. It was ORGASMIC.
Sorry, I forgot.
My actual first map was a massive skybox the size of the whole editor--by that I mean as big as you can get it and I couldn't figure out why it wouldn't render on the crappy computer I had at the time. Then I proceeded to create a whole stupid little overground/underground complex that was so out of proportion by the time I actually did get to really render it in any kind of fashion (cordon, which I figured out later) I was really little compared to my buildings, doorways, textures, EVERYTHING! I was really highly disappointed with myself. I spent all this time and it never came to pass. I still have the file around here somewhere. I may upload it for shear laugh purposes. I think I gave up for awhile until I found a tutorial on how to make that room. The rest is history.
1st maps are almost NEVER as good as this, and your's most-definitely shows your mapping potential, even so early on! You made use of almost all the entities needed to make an expert-level map, it's just your understanding of the editor was not on par with your moxy to add things to the level(like the erroneously-placed info_decals! =))
All things considered, truly Great stuff!
=)
If you PM, I can send you the half-fixed version. I also deleted the entire town side of the map to simplify things, hope you dont mind.