I’m trying my hand at forging a map and it’s pretty daunting. Perseverance is going to be my biggest challenge. How long do people usually work on their maps before publishing them?
you may have more luck asking this in the Community Creations area since that’s where all the forge stuff ends up…
You should post this in the community creations section. To answer your question: A couple weeks to a few months depending on how good you and your fellow forgers are. And no, most don’t build competitive maps by themselves (it would take too long), they usually get others to help, criticize and refine them.
In total, I’ve been working on one particular map for about 24 hours over a few months - its one big map.
Optimal time: Never long enough. Every map always has flaws and Forge Maps tend to have more since they are made by the community (weapon placement, poor killzones, vehicles make no sense). But no map can be perfect… My advice, treat a Forge map as a book you’re writing. Get as much feedback as you can and re-edit it as necessary.
> I’m trying my hand at forging a map and it’s pretty daunting. Perseverance is going to be my biggest challenge. How long do people usually work on their maps before publishing them?
It is different with everyone. For some it may take a couple days, for others it may take months. And it isn’t based on skill it is based on how much work you want to put into it.
> > I’m trying my hand at forging a map and it’s pretty daunting. Perseverance is going to be my biggest challenge. How long do people usually work on their maps before publishing them?
>
> It is different with everyone. For some it may take a couple days, for others it may take months. And it isn’t based on skill it is based on how much work you want to put into it.
Okay. That’s what I was thinking. Broken Decimal mentioned that more than one person usually works on a map but I’m the only one but I’m definitely into getting my map looked at when that time is.
Should I post here to see if people would help out with my map?
I find it usually takes me about 6-7 hours of actual forging to make the base v1 map. This is without weapons of spawns. Those typically take another 2-3 hours. A map that utilizes all gametypes (or most of them) will take me much longer.
Testing and ajusting while making new versions is never done.
> Testing and ajusting while making new versions is never done.
How come? Isn’t there ever a point of satisfaction so that you can create other maps? Or is it to keep things fresh and different?
Takes me months to build starting with an initial idea and improvising for the rest, often reshaping or scrapping entire parts of the resulting map. In my newest project, Mortal Coil, I actually ended up scrapping an entire two thirds of the map that I had previously build (best thing I ever did for that map), for example. After that, it can be weeks or months before I release it, depending on how testing goes and on what flaws are revealed by it. Once I release it, I inevitably find a few minor flaws in an otherwise satisfactory finished product and spend a few more weeks building and testing fixes to be released in an updated version.
So months. But like Godly said, it varies for everyone. Find the schedule, timetable, and rhythm that suit you best. Work at your own pace – you shouldn’t feel stressed or rushed every time you go into Forge, but at the same time you shouldn’t leave every Forge session feeling like you haven’t accomplished anything. Find the speed that’s perfect for you, and you’ll probably end up naturally sticking to it once you do.
For me, which is all the information I can supply, it takes me about 10 hours to get a map that I have already designed, onto the canvas and several more hours to balance spawns and tinker with weapons and cover. Then it I consider it ‘testable’. I usually ‘publish’ my maps really early, so I can get others help to test and help me complete it.
I’d say about 20-40 hours for a 4v4 moderately sized map. Not including design time.
Im probably going to get a lot a flack for this but, base mapping (without spawns) will take about 3 days of non stop forge. I layer which may not be what everyone does, IE i place the main base floor first and move my way up and around filling in the middle as i go. When i say 3 non stop days, i mean about 15 hours nonstop at a time, some maps i put down for a few weeks and pick them up but most generally ill set down and wont stop till its finished no matter what. Add on an aditionally 3 hours for weapons and spawns, typically i do Aesymetrical maps which generally take less time simply because its more abstract and more for the arts, Im not mlg i set my own rules while adhereing to the basic fundamentals of playability thus allowing me to create whatever i want as opposed to someone else dictating my every action.
Depends, are you going for a really good quality map, or just a little something to fool aorund in. It’s all about what your building for that can vary on the amount of work needed.
There is no easy answer to this question. A simple map can be created in an hour but it could take weeks, months even, to produce a complicated map. It really depends on the number of elements and the precision with which those elements are placed on the map.
Just to plan a map and draw the rough draft before forging even begins could take days.
Then there are the revisions. There will always be those “it seemed like a good idea at the time” elements that will have to be tweaked.
Don’t be too concerned with how much time it takes. If you want to produce quality maps, just take your time.
> > > I’m trying my hand at forging a map and it’s pretty daunting. Perseverance is going to be my biggest challenge. How long do people usually work on their maps before publishing them?
> >
> > It is different with everyone. For some it may take a couple days, for others it may take months. And it isn’t based on skill it is based on how much work you want to put into it.
>
> Okay. That’s what I was thinking. Broken Decimal mentioned that more than one person usually works on a map but I’m the only one but I’m definitely into getting my map looked at when that time is.
>
> Should I post here to see if people would help out with my map?
You can but be warned that while a lot of people work together, it isn’t always a good thing. Lots of people have conflicting styles and as a result they don’t forge well together. My suggestion is build for yourself first and then get other forgers to come in and give their opinions and suggestions once you have a good general layout done (at this point it does not have to be playable). They can help point out things you might have missed, and also give you ideas that you may have never thought of.
Testing and adjusting is never done. Why? Because you made the map and you can always make it better. You can get your map to certain points where it is ready to release, but you will never be done making improvements to your design… atleast in your mind. No one is perfect, so everyone is always going to continue improving and when you do a lot of people like to apply what they’ve learned to past creations.
> Testing and adjusting is never done. Why?
I think there may have been a misunderstanding with the two definitions of ‘done’, complete, and performed.
> But like Godly said, it varies for everyone. Find the schedule, timetable, and rhythm that suit you best. Work at your own pace – you shouldn’t feel stressed or rushed every time you go into Forge, but at the same time you shouldn’t leave every Forge session feeling like you haven’t accomplished anything. Find the speed that’s perfect for you, and you’ll probably end up naturally sticking to it once you do.
Definitely some good advice. I’m glad it’s okat to take your time because that’s what I’m doing and it’s keeping it fresh. Otherwise, I would have given up already. I do have to remind myself that it’s going to take a lot of time and patience and to take things one at a time.
> I think there may have been a misunderstanding with the two definitions of ‘done’, complete, and performed.
i think theres a misunderstanding of counting. lol
I believe I make fairly decent maps but my biggest flaw is just staying interested in what I’m creating. I get feeback and such and I have test games with some friends but It all comes back to me not finishing them because I often can’t get them done in the time my interest stays with them. I have atleast 5 good maps just sitting in my list that I just can’t seem to finish, I’ll sit and try every now and them but I don’t get too much done. when I seem to lose interest it’s right around when I am ready for weapon placement, I can never get it right and I often don’t know how many of a weapon type to put.