How to start ?

[Ommi]

Hey everyone,

Ive been around these forums for quite some time now, but more lurking about then posting quite frankly

So far Ive made 2x maps in warcraft 3, neither of them very succesfull mostly due to my lazyness to update them and keep them going but we have some fun with them at lan party's at time to time.

Now I have a question for all you map makers out there, how do you start to create your map and what gets you going ?

I mean where do you start, do you write down all your ideas into a notepad and then start to create after all your ideas, or do you just start with whatever and keep going from there ?

Do you start by terraining and then ad in all the gameplay features or visa versa ?


Im mostly asking this since I have a fairly neat idea for a map Id like to create but the idea isnt completly refined yet, and Im lacking the motivation to start on my map as I still have so many ideas floating around in my head and it seems impossible to start somewhere.

Thanks, hope your answeres will inspire me somewhat

 

[Samael88]

I got three words for you on how I start making my map.

Pencil, paper and a brain That works for me to get started:thup:
And if I get stuck I do this for a while-->:banghead:
Don't recommend that tho:nuts:

 

[UndeadDragon]

I only make maps when I have ideas.

Usually, they are so wacky they are actually impossible to make, although, some that I thought were impossible actually turned out quite well.

As soon as I have an idea, I open WE and try it out. That's why I have 20+ maps which have not been completed, but I have worked on them for at least a few hours each

 

[Carl-Fredrik]

1. Come up with an idea.
2. Make some undetailed terrain
3. Fix the teams
4. Make the custom units
5. Trigger what needs to be triggered
6. Fix the terrain (add more doodads, details, etc.)
7. Alpha testing
8. If you find something while testing, write it down, also new ideas that you want to add to the update, write them down
9. Update until you're ready to release the map
10. Release the map
11. If people find bugs, fix them and update, also ask people what they think, people often give me ideas about the map that I add in the updates

I think that's what I do

Good luck with your maps!

 

[waaaks!]

every map i make became successful because its planned well (others havent planned so well, but still successful) and the most important thing in making maps is confidence, if u are confident with ur plans for ur map, im sure youll continue to make it

but thats not all, all i posted above is just for creating maps at start, now lets ask, "will i update the map everyday?", the answer depends on your inspiration for the map, if u really love to continue the map because there are lots of players that wants to play it, then youll have the energy to update it everyday, but when u are creating a map just for nothing, and u know that there are no people who wanted to play it, then youll lose inspiration and later on stop editing the map

a simple example is me, RotG, and RotG Reborn
in RotG the update was fast, like i update the map everyday, i was so inspired to my map because all of the active members in thehelper.net leaving a comment in my RotG thread, and all of the supporters of my map still are active, i know that the map was planned well, and it really worked well, i stopped the map, i mean i didnt mean to stop the map, the main reason why it is stopped because, the open version of the map was deleted due to a crash on my pc which leads to my file's destruction

later on, i planned another map called "RotG Reborn", all of the map's layout was changed and also the gameplay, but it doesnt work well, because the map was unique from the original AoS but because of its uniqueness the original AoS concept was lost, time after time, supporters fade, and then nothing left except for me and my map, so for now i didnt continued the map, but i still have the open map

for now im making a map that is based on my country's heroes, even my loading screen is my country's flag, with this, i know ill gain inspiration from all of my countrymen supporters which leads the map to success

i have lots of things to say but thats all for now, i need to go...

 

[Leos]

In making a map, an important thing to think about is "Am I making this for myself, or am I making this for others?" Often you might have cool ideas that you would like put in, but you have consider the population of B.net and the sort of things that interest them and are most important to them in a map.

For example, if you are making a maul/AOS, and had a really cool idea for a big change to the normal maul/AOS terrain template, you have to consider that 80% of the time, this change will make your map less popular in the short term. If it catches on in the long term, brilliant. But usually, it won't get the chance unless it is a really top class idea. Therefore your best ideas are usually the little innovations that don't effect core gameplay, but make things more fun and enjoyable for everyone (not just you).

However, if you are making the map for yourself, go wild.

One other thing, while planning is important, don't be stubborn to abandon good ideas that don't really go as planned or to adopt new ideas that occur to you while making/implimenting things.

 

[jonadrian619]

Well, the way I make maps is somehow unorthodox compared to others. I make plans but they constantly change and I constantly change them, so I keep a correction fluid in handy. A constant change of plan will mean that its development will continue or intersect to a different path. The way I make maps is really different. My first three maps, Castle Wars Prof. and BFME and Life in a City were unplanned but still successful (look at my profile). Then four of my 'new-generation' maps, Ant Attack, Demolition X, Scourge and Wars and Tropical Assault were all planned maps. The way I plan, I first plan on the gameplay, then the terrain and features, items, units, etc.

And one thing common amongst my 4 new maps is that I first create all the triggers and all objects and terrain before I even do my first test on the map! Once the 1st playtest is complete, I should keep track of what's wrong then I should fix all of those stuff. If those things are impossible to fix, then I replace them with an alternative w/ the same potential to increase the quality of the map (ex. If I can't create an Omnislash spell myself, then I could just DL it and give the maker credit, or create a tailor-made spell based on a default spell in Wc3).

Dude, you shouldn't even bother to do that unless if you have memorized the functionality of what you're implementing. And when I can't figure out a JASS code, then I make a gui trigger and convert it to JASS, then copy it to the main trigger.

And another, there are many sources that ignite the driving force of your mapping inspiration/determination. Envy was the source of my CWP map and maps ahead of it, but if I do things in my own way and aim for that map to be the best instead of hammering down someone's map, then I would make my maps even better. I learnt that lesson last year. Count on other sources.. like Pride. Be proud that you're a map-maker and you'll make better maps!

To become a good map-maker you should have desire/likeness/addiction and determination to make a map. Never make something if you don't like the way how it's made.

One way to make your maps better is instead of making a new map, why not bother to improve one of your existing maps (ex. You made a Tag map, but when you released 5 versions of that tag you make another new map). Quality matters, not quantity. It totally depends on your decision, however, but I strongly suggest that you focus on map quality. That's what I'm doing for my Tropical Assault right now. Instead of making another map at August, I had planned to improve this footies map to make it the best.

Dota ex. 'If Eul never planned for a DotA Allstars for Guinsoo to make, and then make another RPG map, and over again, then DotA would be just an average AoS.'

Currently I'm making Tropical Assault v1.4 and Wolfgang CTF. But I've changed my plans. I should watch some of the Beijing Olympics, there are fellow pinoy athletes there. then I can release the ctf map after the end of the olympics this year. I should have some spare time to revamp my website and create a Gakuen Alice fansite that I've planned (well my fav anime).. Then I'll have my time creating a special AoS, the first, the best, and the last AoS I'll ever make..

And when you finish maps, make a days-long break between the release of your map and the initiation of the next version or the new map. Like in sports, you need a warm-up exercise or two and some rest before you proceed.

K for now I have a lot of things to do, but the most important thing is the 4th and 6th paragraph of this reply Quality, not quantity and have the determination and pride and the love to make the map that you want to make.

Good luck making maps and have fun!!:thup::thup:

 

[Moe94]

Its simple!

Every map maker know the first step is to have an idea, like wuts ur map kind? Aos, RPG, ....? and make the terrain very appropriate it.. then u set the teams that will be playing in the game, after that u gota set your custom units, 1st i suggest u make custom buildings so that u set them instantly in the map, then id go with custom heroes, and abilities... after that you gota set the game play constants, then u set some basic triggers (spawns, backdooring...etc) after that your almost 99% done, then u set the items and merchants and bossess...

 

[Kazuga]

Well I dunno if I really need to post after those long and detailed posted up there but...^^

This is what I do when creating a new map:
1: An idea hits me like a train (problem here is they always come when I'm working on another map so most of the ideas go spoiled or the maps I'm working on is deleted cause I think the new idea is better)
2: Playing around with the terrain while thinking how to balance it and what it should look like.
3: Making the first characters and some of their spells, in between I work on terrain.
4: When some parts of the terrain is done I start to make triggers for these zones and also create some new characters and spells.
5: I work more on the terrain, it's triggers, units etc... Well you know the rest.

Edit: Moe94, just a little pointout, not everyone does the way you do so don't make it sound as if it's the only way to do it.

 

[Ommi]

wow !

Thank you everyone for very detailed and good answeres, this is much more then I had ever hoped for

Ive started to write down the ideas I have and I plan on staring on making the map soon and it will hopefully be a good one !

Ill be more then happy to get more replys if there are some other people around that like to share their story on how they're progress on map making goes

Cheers !

 

[eatbeaver]

I always start with some old fashion thinking. What are ypu supposed to do on the map? How long time will it take and so on. When i finally decided, i start with some really basic terraing, and mabe place out some doodads. Next i'm starting to look over the map and planing: Where shall i place that and that? Now i go through all my thinking and start with little more advanced terraing. After that is start with the basic triggers, regions and cameras. Then i go to object editor and start creating the units and heroes. Well thats the basic....