Ever wonder how some mappers are able to bang out a regular stream of good quality maps, while you struggle along for months on the same thing? Its all about your technique…

Introduction
Ever wonder how some mappers are able to bang out a regular stream of good quality maps, while you struggle along for months on the same level? It’s all about your technique and taking an organized approach. If you have any intention of making maps and releasing them to people then you should consider the following points.

Time Worked On Map
How long do you work on a map? Some people take a slow, steady approach while others may put a lot of effort into it over a shorter period (a good few hours a day for instance). There are advantages and disadvantages to each. Being more casual time wise means things will stay fresh but you could also get bogged down and struggle to finish things off. With the second approach you are more likely to get things done and finished but are also more likely to lose enthusiasm and get bored of working on the map.

Consider taking a break from mapping every so often especially if you take the second approach mentioned above. Close your level editor and leave it for a few days (or more). This helps to stop you getting fed up and tired of the map and allows you to come back to it feeling fresh.

Planning
Another issue is how you plan your maps. Your approach could be to do detailed plans on paper first, or you might prefer to be spontaneous. The latter way is generally frowned upon but some people can produce good maps by simply laying down a few brushes and building up something from scratch. More often than not however it can be quite messy as you will end up moving and changing things around a lot more. Generally, whatever approach you prefer, you want to consider doing at least some planning beforehand. Also, no matter how much planning you do in the beginning you will still need to open up your map editor and experiment with things.

Influences
Be influenced by other people’s work though that obviously doesn’t mean copying. Go round maps you like and look at things that inspire you then alter those ideas into your own creations.

Influences don’t have to be limited to other maps. Movies and pictures are another good area for gaining ideas. In fact, wherever possible, you should search for relevant images when you start new maps. They serve as a reference point as you work.

Error Checking And Polishing
Take your time and fix any errors as soon as you find them, even if they are only minor, otherwise you may forget about them. An important aspect of making good maps is to keep errors and problems to a minimum.

Polishing makes or breaks a map and as games become ever more complex and detailed it’s a much bigger deal because there is much more work involved in doing it. It involves checking textures, tweaking lighting etc. There are a number of ways of doing it. For instance you could lay the map out and then slowly work your way through it, tidying everything up or you could build individual sections of the map and check over that before building the next section.

More often than not you may feel there is a daunting list of things that need to be checked over or altered in your map especially with the newer games and their extra detail. Don’t let this put you off. Choose 1 or 2 things at a time and make sure they are sorted out before moving onto the next task.

Misc Points
Finish off maps otherwise you will end up like a lot of people who keep making maps and leaving them half complete because they have come up with some other idea they feel like following.

Look for feedback as much as possible throughout the making of a map but always make sure they give you constructive criticism. A lot of people may just say its rubbish and leave it at that. Such comments are neither helpful nor productive.

Don’t be pressured to produce truly original work. It’s an important factor and should be considered but it isn’t as important as good design and gameplay. Its just with people complaining about map xxx being yet another ruined city, 2fort clone, generic dungeon setting etc, some mappers can end up trying to produce something really different, disregarding the gameplay. Try out new stuff, but don’t go overboard to the detriment of other factors.