Dark_Kilauea's Mapping Checklist Created 18 years ago2006-03-10 19:35:41 UTC by DarkKilauea

This is a plan I made up a while ago, but I lost the notebook containing it. At last, I managed to find it. This is a checklist designed with a personal release in mind, but most of it applies to all mapping projects. Enjoy.

A. Planning
1.Draft (Walls, Stairs, ect. Just plan the map layout)
2.Pictorial Drawings of details
3.Mark entities

B. Map Hull
1.All vis blocking walls
2.Do not texture
3.Any Major Terrain (Rough out)

C. Map Details/Model/Make Textures
1.Texture the map
2.Add the models
3.Make all brush entities
4.Add lighting.

D. Place Entities/Sound Effects
1.Do all sound
2.Place player entity (or entities)
3.Place weapons and ammo
4.Place any other point entities
5.Place Monsters (if applicable)

E. Cinematics
1.Place Actors
2.Script Scene

F. Playtest/Fix Bugs
1.Do playtesting by yourself (with +showbudget and wireframe to test vis.)
2.Playtest with other people (this is very important, and commonly forgotten)

G. Publish
1.Use a template readme for all your maps.
2.Be sure to include all necessary file (all custom textures, models, sounds, and scripts)
3.Make a zip file (Be sure to save directory path in such a way that the player can just unzip in their game directory.
4.Post on more than one site.

Note: I'm not telling anyone they have to do it this way, just a suggested path for making sure you get your projects done

Also I wasn't quite sure where to put this, does it belong in this forum?

Personally I'd put a player entity earlier to check the lighting was OK. I usually run a map 3 - 4 times before i finish a room.

An interesting list though. Possibly useful to newer members.

Looks like a good planning to me.

I use something similar. Except that after playtests, I sometimes go back a few stages to fix up certain spots. In fact I refine things more often, sort of going through stages C - E multiple times. First rough overall lighting, some main prop models, then in a next cycle puttins some smaller details in place and tweaking the lighting, and so on.

What I also do in planning stage is drawing themed sketches, to get a better feeling for the map I'll be creating. This helps planning some important landmarks in the layout and giving the map some sense.

i like to sort out all the sequences and point based entities and stuff in a little test map before implementing them into the final product.

it may take longer to produce a small room to test things in, but it takes less time to do that rather than compiling your finished map with rad and vis and all your entities and detailed stuff.

True, hydeph.

Though, if it doesn't involve changing or adding brush-based entities, you can use the -onlyents compile parameter. Updates only the entities.

Thanks for your comments. Yeah, I agree with you Captain P, but it's good as a general layout of what to expect.