Mapmakers! What's the hardest part of mapmaking?

[TheSilentSpirit]

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.

[Dark Greyodon]

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:

[Harkane]

For me it's got to be either, like you said, placing a whole lot of things - or making the terrain mask. :3

[BigSkippy]

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.

[Dafniforfree]

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 .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 .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 .I'm gonna cry ;n;"XD

[bigblackbullets]

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

[Ryvan]

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.