The sorrows of game editing

I've come to learn the hard way that game editing (for any game) is all too often a frustrating and exasperating experience. You've got all these wild ideas you'd love to put into a level map. Then you have to go on this long and painful journey of learning how to do this and how to create that by seeking out this tute here and asking that person there (and you'll be lucky if you can find the info you need), and trying out what you've learned, and more often than not screwing it up the first time, and then trying to figure out what went wrong by trying this and changing that, and in the whole process burning up so much of your time and energy the other parts of your life suffer and/or you're too drained for anything else... And so on...

Sheesh...

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Tonight. Hot, hot, hot.

Tis true, tis true...but that in the end is what makes it all worthwhile! Because when you finally put the finishing touch on that map, or learn how to get that damn planet to spin on the axis you have been desperately trying to get aligned correctly...that's a great feeling. Like a god almost. To know that you are people are running around and fragging the hell out of what you created, that's an awesome feeling. It's like "Gee Ma, look what I did" when I was 4 (okay when I was 14...gimme a break). I am 25 now, but I still get the same feeling I did when I was 8 and built something really cool out of lego's. Sometimes Unreal ED is a nightmare, but sometimes it turns into a pretty cool dream.

and as far as someone tells you that you have no imagination...screw 'em. alot of publishers said the same thing to Stephen King, and I am sure alot of map designers have heard the same. You have to become good at the basics and mundane b4 u can blow everyone away with something crazy. Wolf has great tutorials, that's what I used, and then I just started to play around with different things...don't let someone make you give up.

I pretty much know everything about UEd and still find it hard to make levels. My problem isn't ideas, its just that when I'm making/starting a level, I just blank out. Or if I'm in the middle of a level, I won't know what would look right in a certain room.

I've produced maps that are corridors around a central room, which blow... I'm trying to shade away from that, but it's not that easy.


JerkyLerky R' Us

I agree. Sometimes it's a real pain in the *ss to get Ued to do what you want, but it's also true that you feel sooo gooood when you're done, and especially when other ppl like it.

I got quite a good start, so I probably won't quit. Mapped reviewed my ctf level Damtoofar a feew days after I uploaded it to nalicity (how did they know??), and yesterday I got a mail from Realmaps that they wanna feature my Industrial Dm map in one of their upcoming levelpacks!

These two levels were my first and second Ut map ever! Most of the time my imagination is going crazy with ideas, but I must admit that I often have problems with simply filling up a large wall with some nice and simple decoration.
I think I know squatt of Ued, near to ziltch, but in the end I get it working, and most tricks are just combinations of simple actions.

And indeed, if someone tells you you don't have any imagination... nice friend by the way... screw'm.

Some tima ago now someone asked whether the maker of a level experiences the same amount of joy from his own level, as someone else would. I think as a mapper you enjoy it the most, cuz you also share in the joy others have. That makes you feel double great.

Mapping rules!


It never hurts to help ...

Thanx for your encouraging words, friends! You've made me want to go back to working on my map again!

I do wish, though, that there could have been a really comprehensive body of literature somewhere that covers all aspects of Unreal editing and does it simply so that you won't have to hunt around for info. That ought to be a real time-saver.


Tonight. Hot, hot, hot.

Muzzlehead let me in on this....
http://www.unrealnews.com/se/html/se.html

It's a pretty good weee tut.

I agree with all of the above. Ued can be a b**ch. But it's damn addicting!!! I now find myself in a building or something going, "hey, I wonder if I could make that?" It's a STEEEEEEEEEEEP learning curve, but I think it's worth it. Plus, ALOT of other 3D programs are very similar, so it could be career enhancing later in life... I say keep with it. Just remember, it's only a hobby (for now, hehe).

Rob