How do you plan your maps?

[o_imbrifer]

Greetings fellow mappers,

I wanted to know how y'all planned out your original (or remake) maps. Do you start out drawing on paper? Do you just draw a floorplan and imagine the rest, or do you do detailed drawings of rooms and architecture?

The way I do it is I start out drawing a floor plan on graph paper. I use that to make the general map architecture, and then I come up with the detailed architecture afterwards without advanced planning (which has created some problems with me - its hard to be creative on demand).

[o_voipme]

My brother once went about designing a map for DoD a while back. He never finished it due to time constraints with school and whatnot. His method involved scratching out whatever ideas he came up with on small pieces of paper, then combining them all into one big map on a 5 foot by 5 foot piece of paper. He then put the paper on the wall and went to designing the map. It was a rather elaborate approach, but it was a good way to brainstorm.

[o_docwolfe]

I used the back of an old excercise book I had from college about 4 years ago :P

[o_frenchtoast]

I use the back of a homework assignment found scattered on my floor and just doodle until something hits me or I'll skateboard around town for awhile trying to find inspiration.

[o_eat]

I generally just do a top down layout without to much detail on it. It should help you work out things like possible concs, defence positions (as well as classes for each position), possible SG positions, ramp slides, etc. Also at this stage you should be able to plan how the vis of the map will work out (so big areas don't see into each other). A map that hasn't been planned with vis in mind will nearly always fail.
Then I seem to redraw it a few times and try out different ideas. Then this gets built and I'll have a wander round before adding any detail or proper textures. Then if it seems ok I'll begin texturing and stuff. I usually have problems thinking of nice architecture to put in at this point so I might get the paper out again and think of some nice shapes, or maybe look at some books/websites on buildings.

[o_yohan1973]

On little yellow sticky paper! If I feel like doing more drafting I move over to scuzzy papper and do a level cut. If I still feel like doing more drawings or don't have a computer with Hammer nearby I then draft up some perspectives from player eye level. I end up tossing a lot of levels into the can though...

[o_donny]

I have mostly just tought map on my head but when I do it like that it'll cause problems later when I cannot think how I should put (for example) a respawn to a small base that wasnt really planned to be so small.

Now I have planned my map on paper and that is the best way so far.

I usually texture as I get some brush done so I would see what the map looks like. I wouldnt have to go trough all nodraw crap all over again :P

After that I playtest and try to find bugs from it. (like leaks and texture problems)
Then I'll add some more curvings and other stuff to make the map looks better.