First Map: Basic Arena

This is my "first map" attempt. It's not finished yet, but the design is done, and thats what i want some advice on.

The design is hard to see from the screenshots, but basicly, there are three levels, the top one being seperated from the rest of the map. The elevator to go back down is a very fast one, making for some cool sniping (go down the elevator, snipe, go back up).

Also, the doors on the bottom level lead to a dark hallway going around the level.






Download DM-Arena7326

I'm new to level design, so i'm still figuring out what works and what dosen't.

Also, I know it's light on the static meshes, but i'm still learning 3dsmax, and the static meshes that came with the game were hard to work in.

[legacy-Abettor]

I like the idea.. however I don't like small 1on1 maps....

[edit] Why don't you make a nice big map where you can camp...:up:

[legacy-TossMonkey]

kinda reminds me of my first unreal map.

[legacy-Powerslave666]

Did you use the 3dBuzz VTM's to learn how to map (like I did)? That map kinda reminds me of the map the guys help you make with the VTM's. It looks pretty nice to be your first map (I am working on my first map as well).

P.S. The VTM's get boring as hell after like the 4th one, they actually kept me away from mapping for a while.....LOL

i got the whole-level-is-a-cylinder idea from the VTMs, but for the most part it's original.

i never actually made the VTM map. i watched the vids and made one from scratch, and this is the result.

the hallway at the bottom used to have blue lighting . i replaced it with this:



Oh yeah, and does anyone know of a good bot pathing tutorial?

[legacy-thinkingfeller]

here are a couple.

good luck.

Basic Botpathing from Architectonic

Advanced Botpathing Tutorial from leveldesigner.com

Updated Arena Download - Final Version (666KB)

Bot pathing and weapon placement are done. I just realized as an afterthought that i forgot to add health in the level, but since this is only my first map, i'm not gonna bother (unless someone actually wants me to finish it).

The pathing tutorials were great, it was easier than it looked.

[legacy-Powerslave666]

666.6 KB......

[legacy-Powerslave666]

I don't mean this in a negative way but your map looks a lot like the 3dBuzz map with different textures and static mesh arrangement. I guess it could be a good thing because it means that you actually learned something from those VTM's. My first map, which I am working on right now somewhat holds the same concept. I will hopefully be able to release it sometime next week .

[legacy-CTFX1]

hey zenex, to figure out what works and does not work, well thats going to take you awhile. i suggest you look around in all the retail maps, and all the bonus pack maps as well, and even all the cliffy b ownage 0 award maps. just get in there without any bots, walk around look at everything, and look at how the mapper did things, look at the layout, the lighting, the static mesh placement, bsp, architecture, flow, yep, theres ALOT of stuff to this. then you'll learn the technical aspects of how to go about making what you want, and then you'll have to bridge the creativity gap and just map, once you get one or two maps out of the way you'll start getting more motion and you'll start discovering your own speacial mapping style. if you keep it up