12 replies to this topic

[_Haldir_]

Welcome

This is a topic i've set up to offer any aspiring mappers a more specialised and advanced range of tips, that i've come to develop during my mapping. Hopefully some of you have had a look at my Extended Guide to Mapping tutorial on the 3rd Age site, or are confident enough with Worldbuilder to move on to some more conceptual tips Though i was happy with the tutorial, it was more an objective look at mapping, and perhaps didn't explain many of the aesthetic qualities that will often make or break a map

So I thought that i'd start this topic, where i'll regularly post a small tutorial (maybe every couple of weeks or so), on some more specific topics. Rather than just writing another tutorial, i thought i'd make this an open topic, where you can ask questions, give opinions, and pick the brains of myself or any other mapper around I also decided to start this here, at the {IP} Clan's page, rather than at T3A, as {IP} is something you mappers may want to become involved in as you gain confidence and start producing maps. {IP} is also good source of some accomplished mappers, and will hopefully become a hub for map making, as opposed to questions about Worldbuilder

Much like my original tutorial, i will be focussing on visual and gameplay aspects, and will be using BFME 1 (though this will all apply to BFME 2). I'm also happy to take suggestions, if there are any specific topics that people would like to know about. Feel free to post any topics or feedback here

Keep in mind, this isn't a "how do i do this in WB?" type thing (use the Worldbuilder Forums for that This is more about techniques and conceptual ideas, rather than troubleshooting.

I was thinking i'd kickstart the tutorials off sometime this week, with a topic on Man Made Ruins.

[Námo]

I will be focusing on visual and gameplay aspects ...

Some focus on realism and authenticity would be welcome also. Many maps fall rather short on these aspects, or maybe I'm just too picky ... guess I'll have to find some time to do some serious mapping one day.

... a topic on Man Made Ruins.

Hope you'll find some Goblins hiding in some of those, I'm a bit tired of always seeing those generic lairs of theirs. In real life (Middle-earth style) ruined structures would probably be their first choice of settlement, when on raid away from their caves in the mountains. Would be some nice touch of realism ...

[... in contrast to those cartoonish fairy-tale "Hansel and Gretel" StructuresLookingLikeMadeOfCandyAndCake created by EA for the Goblin faction in BfMe2]

[m@tt]

Well it's difficult to teach authenticity. That's down to the mapper - they have to research stuff themselves, it's not about WB techniques. Me and Haldir try to make our TDH as authentic as we can though.

[Puppeteer]

... a topic on Man Made Ruins.

Hope you'll find some Goblins hiding in some of those, I'm a bit tired of always seeing those generic lairs of theirs. In real life (Middle-earth style) ruined structures would probably be their first choice of settlement, when on raid away from their caves in the mountains. Would be some nice touch of realism ...

[... in contrast to those cartoonish fairy-tale "Hansel and Gretel" StructuresLookingLikeMadeOfCandyAndCake created by EA for the Goblin faction in BfMe2]

I remember the ruins I was making for the map Ost-in-Edhil, for the RJ-ROTWK campaign... I wish I had the time/inspiration to finish it; it was looking beautiful. Save the scripting, it must have been about a third finished...

[Radspakr Wolfbane]

I do a fair bit of mapping but it's pretty much only for my mod.
I may have to convert a couple of them to Vanilla because there are some good ones.

[_Haldir_]

Like m@tt said, for mappers like him and I, good visually = realism and autheticity But i totally agree with you, it's something that not enough mappers care about. It is hard to teach, but i'm gonna give it a good try with this

That map looks sharp puppeteer, you should definitely have a go on finishing it Btw Rad, do you have any screens of your LW maps anywhere? Or is that a tricky ploy so people have to download your mod before they can see them

[{IP}jimmyman]

This thread has so much potential i'll throw some stuff in here or there if you want Hal.

[_Haldir_]

That sounds good I quickly mentioned this in that activity thread, but i was thinking that i'd do a few myself to get started, and then if it takes off or there's enough interest, then we could turn it into an IP thing. That way we could have a different IP elite doing a topic every so often, which would cover more topics, more styles of doing things, and not make me do all the work And hopefully encourage some less experienced mappers to join in.

If we turned it into a regularly updated community-type thing, i think it could really work I've got so many ideas for where this might go

[Radspakr Wolfbane]

Btw Rad, do you have any screens of your LW maps anywhere? Or is that a tricky ploy so people have to download your mod before they can see them

I'll have to take some new screenshots of them.
The Lone Wolf maps use a lot of my custom mapping resources but there are a couple maps of mine with minimal LW goodness.

[Puppeteer]

I remember doing a sort of tutorial, involving a map exemplar (it was totally based on it, though I could convert it with pictures) ages ago on texturing. I'll try and dig it up, and see if it's any good

[{IP} Aridor]

I wish I still had my forest making tutorials. I spent a long time on those.

[Goldtouch]

Last post 2010 awtch..

I enjoyed the Extended guide for map making.. But I did not understand the map concept of your example.
A five player map so I presume its FFA but than one guy in the middle of the map... you tryed to make a 3 VS 2 Castle map?

You used the image below for your tutorial about making waves on your map.
My question: What is the technique for creating the cliff shape like it does.

Do you import within the worldbuilder bump maps for the terrain to get the result?

v

[MattTheLegoman]

As far as I know Thorongil, you cannot import heightmaps into Worldbuilder. I have tried with a map of Crete and it didn't work. Firstly the map needs to be incredibly fine-tuned to get the result you want in Worldbuilder, secondly the map distorts in weird ways, and Worldbuilder is likely to become unstable and the map might get corrupted. Do tell us if you find a way to easily import heightmaps into Worldbuilder.