Feral Heart
Game & Forum Discussion => Game Discussion => Topic started by: DimensionGal on May 30, 2012, 04:31:04 am
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Ahah, a friend and I were discussing mapmaking and we got into a discussion about what's the most difficult part.
We decided that it was when you had to place, in both our cases, a ton of trees on a large-sized map.
TREEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSS
So, fellow mapmakers, what say you?
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I agree that putting the meshes on the map is the most tedious part... but coming up with a creative and interesting design is tough too. Sticking to the original plan is tough, it's so easy to just settle for less than perfect.
On top of that, while you may be proud of your map when you start, over time it becomes more...difficult to keep liking it when it isn't fresh in your mind.
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If im making a forest map, the hardest part is adding all the trees. Seriously for a huge realistic forest map it takes a lot of work adding all those trees and working with the lag. Something i would like to know is how to make a mountain on a heightmap.
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I hate object placing. Once I I've got the height map the way I want it, and the mask in place. All that's left is to place hundreds of objects over a wide-spread map.
I hate placing water, it's always hardest to get all the bits equal enough, and then to make sure they're not glitched up.
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Placing a ton of the same object isn't really too tough for me. I check the "Randomize clone" and keep pressing "c" all around the map, being sure to press "x" to reset my mesh every now and then (about 10-20 clicks). I can press "c" pretty fast and place a lot of items in a short time. I need to be careful though because the lag will eat me if I go too fast or place too many. I had to restart a map because I placed a few hundred thousand flowers on it.
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I'm making a map and the hardest part is: mesh placing. It hurts my shoulders when I add a bunch of trees and a bunch of rocks all around a large sized map. I'm fine with making a heightmap but adding objects is sometimes hard for me, even when I used the clone button. But still, adding objects and placing the heightmap is fun and creative.
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for me its getting inspiration. I've made so many realistic maps that take off of realistic scenery all over the world that when a friend asks me to make a pack map for them i need ideas. I just dont have good ideas anymore. My sister said try making the Red dead Redemption map. All 3 places on 1 map not seperated. however that would just be too hard to do.
All the other stuff like object placing and heightmaps are actually easy for me. I used to make Custom maps for Impressive Title and if you compare them. FH is much easier to make maps for.
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Placing objects and chose what ground texture looks best. And sometimes making the height and terrain map. Why? Well sometimes I just start with a map and then realize that I don't have any ideas xD
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Went with the heightmap vote.
It's not like the making of a heightmap is the most annoying, it's just that a heightmap require so much work in order to make an interesting map in general. For sure, the different parts play it's role well when it comes to making a map(s) that really catches the players interest, but the heightmap is really the base/structure of the whole map and IS what makes a map creation stand out towards others, but it's also what you will go by when you actually place the rest of the objects into the map creating that "final" product.
People can play around with the objects all they want to really fetch the players interest, but they will never be able to get that living or creative feeling towards a map if they just use a flatgrass heightmap or plain bumps placed here and there. As a map progresses so do you in your creative thinking, and come up with new interesting things and ways how to use this little grayscale image as long as you force your mind into doing so.
I'd say the masks is probably the most annoying ones since it takes a lot of energy adjusting these, it could be a certain spot in the map that doesn't work out as you planned, or just that you did a sloppy work, and you must not only layer in the heightmap and set up your brushes opacitys correctly to get it right, but also restart the game every single time you made changes to it. If you work with the heightmap as a map progresses, so will you be forced to do with the masks, hence the annoyance.
Unless you have a map that is 100% place in the air, I'd say the heightmap is the most important part, and therefore what becomes the hardest, but of course, it could differ on how you see it. If you set the standards really high for the mesh placing it will take it's fair time.
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Well I'm having trouble with textures and objects keep appearing in a certaing corner and when I try to move them or size them they disappear
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For me, it's always making the heightmap/terrainmask. The heightmap, because it's really hard if you've got this idea in mind for a nice map for a pack/pride or possibly private. When you put it in game, you think: "This isn't what I expected...". And for the terrain mask, it's difficult to put the colors in the exact spot. Or it could just be me, who shakes everytime I am typing/drawing maps.
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For me it HAS to be making the height map. I know that lighter colors mean higher areas and darker colors mean lower ones, but I have no inspiration when I'm making those danged things. I just end up putting a bunch of gray streaks all over the place, and when I load it on the map making tool it looks like four thousand same sized hills just popped up out of the ground. Boring! D:
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For me it's got to be either, like you said, placing a whole lot of things - or making the terrain mask. :3
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I would say detailing the map, Not so much placing the same maesh over and over its when you have a wide range of meshes to use and your detailing the map to the best of your abilities that is the hardest part I would say.
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Well when I am making a map,like the one I am making noadays and had tore-make it >:I I like to go into the unfinished map then make some parts,put randomly trees around,rocks,mushrooms eg and then close it :P.Then the next day again I go in the same map,make a part of it then draw a little in the computer,feed my cats,then back after 6 hours to edit the map again and again :P.Its kinda funny.The secret of the map success it to have fun,to have inspiration of random and.....-play drums-HAVE FUN!.So there is nothing difficult...I have had a difficulty with the height map >3> but when you try make some randomly and then rob them out and the same again and again you'll see ypu'll get better!I am not able to make mountainous maps >_>.So yeah!Just have fun doing it and you will really think when you finish it."Wow..that was so awesome :D.I'm gonna cry ;n;"XD
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im sure most people will agree with me when i say this.
its 3 things.
in order... 1 being by far the most annoying (in my opinion)
3: terrain masks. grah. pain in the butt let me tell you now making them right so theyre not over detailed and so a certain terrain isnt leaking somewhere its not supposed to be.. nyeh.
2: heighmaps. just shoot me now xD you dont know how many heightmaps ive had to make for one map because they were all overdetailed. also its too easy to mess them up.
THE NUMBER 1: (this applies to map makers who use water meshes instead of using the ocean) placing a TON of water meshes. (i.e to make a river that goes through the center of a map thats bigger than fluorite plains that you cant use ocean for because it would leak into your canyon and other low ground things) its too easy to forget to make the water deep enough or to misplace them so they arent even or to make them not big enough or forget the tiniest spot or when you go to place a big water mesh it ends up looking fantastic but you finish the map, go to look around, and notice that far out in the distance, a patch of water mesh is magically floating in the air. or when you forget to set the water depth all together and finish your map or go to test our the map when you finish the water meshes JUST to fall through the meshes.
i believe i have said enough ouo
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I would say the most difficult part for me is probably Height maps. I'm actually very good at making them, its just that they don't seem unique enough to use and I end up deleting them and make like 10 of them before I finally choose one that I like. I tend to use render clouds now and it helps, but it doesn't look just quite right. And I'd have to agree with trees, but I usually use randomize for trees so there are a difference in size and they are rotated in different directions.