What do you start with?

[Tiber]

I always to all the basic stuff first. Map initialization triggers, basic units and dummies, and basic terrain. Basic terrain first. You need it for testing out your units, skills and whatnot. After that I do the other stuff. Setup the heroes with different models and icons. I add skills and create triggers for the ones that need them. Finishing touches are obviously left at the end (tooltips, detailed terrain, etc).

 

[Nerfpl]

depends on map. in TD naturally first thing was terrain, but i mean layout here. not detailed stuff, just working thing,
Then i start with basic system stuff: triggers (but basic only) simple units to for test actuall work,
Then step by step i make first stuff to work like it should.
Like i already plan to make RPG, and after that, i will start first location and focus a bit on it, without rest of things. like chapter by chapter (first location, triggers,unit etc, second loaction, triggers, units etc etc)

For me, terrain is actually last work i will do, except layout. all those finishing touches, fancy stuff, trees and such goes at end, if they are not important to actuall part

unleast is have some uber idea of some skill and dont wanna lose it, then i start with it b4 i forget way to work ;p

After all i notice its actually depends on type of person you are. if you are guy that is mad skilled in terrain, probably you will terrain first, if you like Triggers part, you will start with it etc

 

[martix]

If you are talking generally - none of the above actually. I don't even start with World Editor, just an empty text file - where I put all my ideas for the map and think about them. Planning is first, then comes everything else.
If you are talking about the editor - terraining of course. Putting down the basic layout of the map, so I can get a better picture on what I am working with.

 

[Zerox]

Well now that I think about it. Especially after reading the replys you got. I think what it all comes down to is just how you want to do it yourself. We all have our own style in everything we do if you really think about it. So I'd say just be yourself and do first what you feel is what you want to be doing. :thup:
BUMP!!!

 

[XxShadyxX]

Well I am asking this becuase my methods were really sloppy and I would get to a road block and never complete the map...

 

[Samael88]

Just a few questions for clean map making

1.) What do you first do when you start making a map
2.) What do you do next and so on?
3.) What method do you use to keep your triggers clean and organized?
4.) Do you make a "Floorplan" of your map first?
5.) How long has it taken you to make your largest map? In hours

Please only post answers to the questions NOTHING else no conversations ok? (Doing this to prevent off topic conversation and arguments)
I might have more but if i do i wil edit this post

1. I usually start by taking out the pen and paper and start writing some concepts and drawing a basic layout of the map.

2. Then I start making the hardest parts, like triggering the biggest stuff.
This is just so that I can have them done later and won't get that big bag of stuff to do later on:thup:

3. I try to learn how to make them efficiant and clean from the beginning.
The most important things I have learned so far is this:
LEAKCHECK
Make as little function calls as possible.
LEAKCHECK
Test it to make sure that there is no bugs, lag or whatever.
LEAKCHECK
and then LEAKCHECK some more:thup:

4. Yes, read the first answer and you will see.

5. about 70 hours and it was a 64x64 minigame map, my first and only so far that I have finished, never released tho:nuts:
My current project I have been putting about 100 hours on this far and I even got my friend doing the terrain, so that is 100h of triggering and brainstorming:shades:

 

[skullkidd]

Terrain first.

 

[eric92]

5. How long does it take me to make my largest map?

Im still not done with it but Ive spent about a year and 1/2 on it already. I am about 3/4 the way done. Its an rpg

I make up all the junk as i go along, I do the terrain for an area and then add units and triggers to it

 

[Lord_Kakashi]

1.) What do you first do when you start making a map
- Terrain

2.) What do you do next and so on?
- Core Triggers for game-play or whatsnot.. although it depends a lot on the map type
3.) What method do you use to keep your triggers clean and organized?
- Folders and "logical" naming which I can remember later. Usually a name that briefly sums up the triggers purpose.
4.) Do you make a "Floorplan" of your map first?
- a what?
5.) How long has it taken you to make your largest map? In hours
- Don't know, it would be to depressive to count all the hours I've spent in front of the computer, making maps for this game

Basically i think it's very dependant on how you are as a person, whether it's a good idea to have a plan before starting, or to just begin and see where it goes.

An organised person would probably prefer to start with a basic layout and then the triggers to get the main functionality of the game up and running. Or perhaps they'd like to have a plan (or concept written up on paper) first before starting to get structure.
whereas a more creative person might want to just let loose and get started with the terrain and the visual impressions as these inspire and lead to more ideas which the game will revolve around.

I'm more the latter type

 

[WolSHaman]

I said I start with units, but I include abilities in that, and I count triggers for those units to. Basically I do everything but terrain first.

 

[skullkidd]

sorry about off topic but...

5. How long does it take me to make my largest map?

Im still not done with it but Ive spent about a year and 1/2 on it already. I am about 3/4 the way done. Its an rpg

I make up all the junk as i go along, I do the terrain for an area and then add units and triggers to it

Shit a year and a half? This must be pretty good.

 

[FireBladesX]

I do every damn trigger and unit out on paper first in ballpoint pen (sometimes not the creeps, like the small fry creeps, I just use the ones blizzard made and tweak them), but all the heroes and items and abilities and triggers and such.

But when I open up WE for the first time, I usually terrain first. Even though 75% of the time I change it later, it just helps me get a feel for the map.

 

[ShadowInTheD]

Making the best ORPG will prove to be a very difficult task, as it could take years for you to master WE and do the map, and if you're just starting, that's a problem, but gl. Another thing to keep your map clean, ALWAYS clean up memory leaks. If you don't know what they are or how to remove them, there are many tutorials to them. Another thing, keep track of variable arrays, if you don't, you might overlap global variables and... cause problems. Finally, try to put EVERY unit in the game via triggers. Good luck and have fun making the map.

 

[WolSHaman]

Just a question for the OP: how can abilities and units be separate? I think they could be merged, because I don't see how one could create all the units and then go through and make all the abilities, one would think that as you made a unit you'd then make its abilities.

 

[eric92]

it is pretty good man

 

[Prometheus]

Triggers - Wut I'm good at.
I use it as a base for the map. Then add units anbd abilities, get someone else to do terrain....

 

[Septimus]

1.) What do you first do when you start making a map
2.) What do you do next and so on?
3.) What method do you use to keep your triggers clean and organized?
4.) Do you make a "Floorplan" of your map first?
5.) How long has it taken you to make your largest map? In hours

1) Most important is to get a good idea, without a good idea the map would be pointless. Also, need to ensure the map had a good gameplay style.
2)
3) Use logical thinking to set the trigger at most simple way as possible by using the least amount of trigger as possible. Also, set it to several category and written down every category in neat way such as "Skill", "Trap", "Quest 1", and etc etc instead of "bla 1", "bla 2" and etc etc...
4) It depends on the map condition, some map do not need good terrain.
5) Depends on how much set up I had to go, soo far the longest is 3 month.

 

[skullkidd]

it is pretty good man

can't wait:thup:

 

[XeNiM666]

1.) What do you first do when you start making a map

Obviously the terrain. You cannot play a map with out terrain.

2.) What do you do next and so on?

The Initialization Trigger, then the Units and THEN the abilities.

3.) What method do you use to keep your triggers clean and organized?

When i finish a trigger, i test it if it works. Then i look at it again to fix leaks and all that other stuff.

4.) Do you make a "Floorplan" of your map first?

No.

5.) How long has it taken you to make your largest map? In hours

WIP

 

[X-maul]

first of all you create the terrain, how would you start creating a map without a terrain, for the triggers you often need an region, and you cant have that wihout an terrain, units you could create first, but its easyer to test and balance units, spells and ability's if you got a map to test it in...