Mappers Block

MetoMeto Join Date: 2004-04-26 Member: 28216Members
in Mapping Forum
<div class="IPBDescription">how do you get out of a rut?</div> Hi,

I'd consider myself quite a seasoned mapper and my skill has progressed a long way since the days of doom but recently I've been suffering some serious mappers block.

I have completely planned out the layout of my ns map on paper to show all the main routes, hive placement and marine start but I'm struggling to actually complete any area. Usually I'm the other way around in that I can make a really cool area but then have to chop it up to make it fit an actual layout.

How do you get past your 'mappers block' when you cannot put together what you want? I've certainly made some progress but haven't been able to put together a complete area yet.

I suspect that I just need to chill out some more and play less NS when I get frustrated. Can you blitz your way through it?
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Comments

  • GrizzlyGrizzly Join Date: 2003-10-27 Member: 22025Members
    Play some good games, watch movies

    Alien/Aliens for this kind of mapping
    keeping awey from mapping allso works
    and not to mention running around ns_agora
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  • Minotaur0Minotaur0 Join Date: 2004-09-30 Member: 32017Members
    Play other maps and try to not map for like a week <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
    it usually works with me
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  • CrispyCrispy Jaded GD Join Date: 2004-08-22 Member: 30793Members, Constellation
    Not being able to use your computer for more than 2 months works VERY VERY well, I can tell you.
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  • KesterKester Join Date: 2004-02-21 Member: 26770Members, Constellation
    Don't try and force it. Before last night I hadn't mapped for two weeks, as I had block, rather than trying to force it out, I just waited until it came to me, loaded up VHE and began working again.
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  • amckernamckern Join Date: 2003-03-03 Member: 14249Members, Constellation
    look @ screen shots thread, and dead projects thread
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  • bluemanblueman Join Date: 2002-04-09 Member: 399Members
    mapper block? i prefer to call it "lazyness".
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  • cariocacarioca Join Date: 2003-09-02 Member: 20511Members
    <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo--> turn u papers draw in a texture and make a big block with the texture and look in vhe to texture and start shaping over, or search on web for pictures about areas u wanna do or try make some new textures..
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  • DarkATiDarkATi Revelation 22:17 Join Date: 2003-06-20 Member: 17532Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    <!--QuoteBegin--[Kobayashi]-+Nov 7 2004, 02:15 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (-[Kobayashi]- @ Nov 7 2004, 02:15 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Not being able to use your computer for more than 2 months works VERY VERY well, I can tell you. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Yeah, I usually needs several months when I hit a big case of mappers block.

    ~ DarkATi
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  • Soylent_greenSoylent_green Join Date: 2002-12-20 Member: 11220Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    There's alot to mapping besides the creative bit. If you're in a rut and still feel you need to keep moving your little pet project forwards fiddle with the lighting, optimize the r_speeds, Go zooming round the map in noclip checking for problems, do tedious texture alignment work on rockfaces(align to view can usually make those look great if you manage to hide most of the misalignments and manage to get few stretched textures) curved surfaces(align to face and manually aligning each texture looks best), make that infested texture you wanted or model those lighting fixtures or whatever.
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  • realityisdeadrealityisdead Employed by Raven Software after making ns_nothing Join Date: 2002-01-26 Member: 94Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
    If I'm hurting for ideas or inspiration, I'll usually just browse through some urban photography sites or some sci-fi artwork from a concept artist, etc. I'll usually find something that will stir up my imagination and get me going again.

    Here's some of the sites I'll regularly go through:

    <a href='http://artbyfeng.com/' target='_blank'>http://artbyfeng.com/</a>
    <a href='http://goodbrush.com/' target='_blank'>http://goodbrush.com/</a>
    <a href='http://www.dubtown.de/' target='_blank'>http://www.dubtown.de/</a>
    <a href='http://homepage.mac.com/peint/zone-tour/index.htm' target='_blank'>http://homepage.mac.com/peint/zone-tour/index.htm</a>
    <a href='http://oboylephoto.com/ruins/index.htm' target='_blank'>http://oboylephoto.com/ruins/index.htm</a>
    <a href='http://www.infiltration.org/' target='_blank'>http://www.infiltration.org/</a>
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  • brute_forcebrute_force Join Date: 2003-10-04 Member: 21433Members, Constellation
    <!--QuoteBegin-ken20banks+Nov 9 2004, 07:24 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (ken20banks @ Nov 9 2004, 07:24 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> <a href='http://artbyfeng.com/' target='_blank'>http://artbyfeng.com/</a> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Foreboding antechamber anyone? <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->

    And yeah, I like to look at pictures of areas, look at other maps, as well as not mapping for a while.
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  • amckernamckern Join Date: 2003-03-03 Member: 14249Members, Constellation
    <a href='http://www.abandoned-places.com/' target='_blank'>http://www.abandoned-places.com/</a>

    <a href='http://www.abandonedplaces.be/' target='_blank'>http://www.abandonedplaces.be/</a> < better one
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