So you've got Half-Life
fever, and you want to create cool maps. Where to begin? How to
procede? (When to get some sleep?)
The Handy
Vandal's Almanac provides links to game design resources at
numerous sites, categorized by topic, Entity type, etc. Of particular
interest to the novice:
- These Level
Design tutorials cover a variety of topics.
- FAQ's
offer broad advice, along with useful specifics.
- Forums
are on-line discussions where users post questions and answers:
a way to discuss issues with other designers, and a rich source
of information in the form of searchable archives.
- Don't overlook the Help
that comes with your editor.
Various map editors
are available. These let you create files which you can compile
into .BSP files (playable game files). I'm currently using Worldcraft/Hammer,
so the following discussion is mostly in Hammer terms. But the same
principles apply to other editors.
Use the map editor to
create Map Source Files (in Hammer, these are .RMF
files).
A map editor is a specialized
CAD program:
front, side, and top views, plus a camera window to show how the
map looks from any selected viewpoint.
By clicking and dragging in the windows, you can create brushes
-- that is, block-like entities that make up the walls (and other
structures) of your map.
Map Integrity:
this means it's a good map that compiles correctly and does not
cause problems at run time.
Maps can cause problems in a great many different ways: the challenge
of map design is to avoid these problems.
A map is like a submarine:
inside (the World) and outside (the Void) are separated
by a seamless hull.
Your map's brushes define the
hull, and the player start-point entities define which side is the
inside.
The Most Common Problem:
map leaks.
There are two main causes of map leakage:
1) Hole in the map.
2) Entities outside the World. All entities must be inside
the world. This means you cannot use an entity like func_wall for
your seamless map hull.
See My
First Map for how to make a basic map.
Use Map Compilers
to convert source files to playable game files (in Half-Life,
these are .BSP files).
Compiler Log:
When you compile a map, the compilers generate a log of various
processes. Get in the habit -- trust me on this one! -- of reviewing
this log file, every time you compile. Watch out for error message
-- especially the dreaded "LEAK LEAK LEAK" error!
By applying Textures
to brushes, you can make your map look like anything you want.
Vertex Manipulation
allows you to manipulate brushes on a node-by-node basis. This allows
for quick creation of complex shapes, but be warned: it's all too
easy to create illegal brushes ....
Use Entities
to create cool scenery and special effects.
More complex effects require entity scripting.
Really deep changes like new weapons requires a knowledge of C++ programming
and other Coding techniques. A Mod
is a modified game -- new maps, new weapons and other game entities,
etc.
Map making is a tricky
art, with many complex (and sometimes unpredictable) aspects.
These things require time and attention. Persist in your efforts,
and you'll create excellent maps.
Box.rmf
- very simple map, demonstrates basic principles of level design
