How do you cope with Mappers Block?

[HappyCheeze]

Writers get it, so do we. How do you get yourself back into the mapping mood?

[jdude]

Just start making whatever you feel like. Then it usually snowballs into something else, then something else ect ect.

[Springheel]

Sharing what you've done with people who are likely to give valuable feedback and encouragement works for me.

[Fidcal]

Yes, waiting at a blank canvas may be a long wait. But action may bring inspiration, like priming a pump. Then inspiration brings motivation. Start with any simple idea like a very small house, or part of a mine or cave system, or just a street or a sewer. Try different things and ideas should flow. Not necessarily the first day. You may need to break off and try again another day.

[jdude]

Or just start adding onto what you currently have randomly, detailing it, then soon you will be into it and what you have will expand

[Spitter]

Make a map for another game in the mean time.

[SneaksieDave]

"Poorly."

[HappyCheeze]

I'll post some screenshots soon, I've got the ideas in my mind for the story of my maps. I wanna see what you all think.

 

And I'm gonna work on a map for a hl mod, svencoop.

 

Thanks for the tips guys,

[Dram]

One thing that helped me get out of my two-week-long mapping-block was loading up Gears of War and looking at the buildings and caves; made me think "I should try that" and off I went...

[Dram]

Also forgot to mention that map bugs are also a motivation killer, especially when you come across them when playing your own map. To overcome this, I just have a paper on my desk where I write any map bugs I come across. Needless to say, it is very long (I write even minor details like offset textures etc etc), but it helps because you know exactly what you need to fix. Today I basically spent the afternoon fixing bugs in the map. Some are major and require more time, (such as overhauling movables which use the old D3 weights etc) but overall it is a good habit to keep a bug list imo.

[Tels]

One thing that helped me get out of my two-week-long mapping-block was loading up Gears of War and looking at the buildings and caves; made me think "I should try that" and off I went...

 

For me, it is always seeing a nice brick building, an old church, a timber-framed house, an overgrown archway etc, in real-life, then I go "ooooh i need to map this". Usually I snap photos and then can't wait to get home

[Fidcal]

Also forgot to mention that map bugs are also a motivation killer, especially when you come across them when playing your own map. To overcome this, I just have a paper on my desk where I write any map bugs I come across. Needless to say, it is very long (I write even minor details like offset textures etc etc), but it helps because you know exactly what you need to fix. Today I basically spent the afternoon fixing bugs in the map. Some are major and require more time, (such as overhauling movables which use the old D3 weights etc) but overall it is a good habit to keep a bug list imo.

 

Yeah, I sometimes have piles of sheets with things to correct or adjust or even new ideas to add. I'd be lost without ye olde scrap paper.

[AluminumHaste]

For me, it is always seeing a nice brick building, an old church, a timber-framed house, an overgrown archway etc, in real-life, then I go "ooooh i need to map this". Usually I snap photos and then can't wait to get home

 

I always do this now too. Ever since I started making maps for quake 3 years ago, I notice that when driving around, I tend to look at the architectural details of houses and buildings. Windows and entry ways and roofs capture my eye the most, but I also love the materials house and buildings are made out of. I used to keep a camera in my car but it won't turn on unless you plug it in so now I have to wait until I get it fixed.

 

But whenever I get mappers block (which for me is so bad that I've never released a map) I take a break for a few days but I always see some interesting architecture or arrangement of houses that I want to model and play around with that I get back into it.

 

Good luck.

[Komag]

My main thing is to play other games.

 

Right now I'm 3/4 through Bioshock, and man does that game have some gorgeous scenery! I pay attention to layouts and neat little areas that I like.

 

I especially look for small things that work great, like how they have a simple broken beam with a couple cables and it really adds a ton to the scene in that room, etc. I make mental notes such as "small broken beam on an angle can really add to a room"

[Jesps]

When I build my Thief 2 mission, I found motivation from time to time, by opening some of the old saves to see how much the mission had actually improved over time.

[HappyCheeze]

Awesome guys, I find myself looking at buildings outside and seeing what I might be able to copy. I got a spiral bound notebook, and I'm writing my likes and dislikes in it. I'm gonna look back over it and make changes.

 

BTW, can you guys see my map pics on my facebook link on my sig? Freewebs says I have like -20 megs of free space, so I can't put anything else on there.

[Komag]

I can see them just fine. You might look into some low-end paid webhosting, you could have a few hundred MB or a few GB storage pretty cheap nowadays