Here's some examples of my "drawn" maps. Mostly as a per request thing, but also to encourage some more mapping or even help those already doing it :)
On like half of my maps, I sketch up something in advance. Some advantages to this, at least for me:
- Easier to come up with stuff when not sitting with Radiant open.
- Quicker to sketch out ideas on paper than it is to actually map them out in Radiant..
- Seeing as I draw this at least a day in advance usually, some times it ends up being months in advance.. I automatically "think through" it at least twice.
- Almost every time I get some new ideas for adjustments or different\better parts when I start mapping it out in Radiant.
- It's a good fix for that "Meh dunno what to make" feeling\situation, sort of a mappers writer's block for a lack of better words. Can just pick up and old sketch and work from that instead..
So let me first say, I can't draw worth a damn. Not even a little bit. I'm so bad at it that it's not even funny. But the only point here it to sketch out something that makes sense to YOU, not that looks good or necessarily makes sense to other people. I'm also proud of my handwriting.
Circuit1
This is easily the map I've spent the most time on, ever. Almost only because I had very little of an idea of what exactly it should be or look like, and I wanted it to be good.
Then I mapped that out in Radiant, roughly, and printed out a top view of that, to add some more details on it, since I still couldn't quite figure out "what to do". I also have 46 backups of that map it seems, for anyone interested: http://projectrik.com/files/circuit1_history.zip
Screenshots of the circuit1 backups put in a timelapse-ish(?) thing..
Aaand then I went ahead and added some details etc to it:
Final result: :)
But yeah, I wouldn't recommend spending that much time on a map, ever really.. It largely took that much time because figuring out the map also meant figuring out a lot of specifics for the gametype, and so on.. :)
Medium25
The rest of the examples, including this one is much more basic. This is how I usually do it :) Can see how in particular the end part of this map changed from the sketch.
Result:
Easy32
Again, the end part changed a bit, and some adjustments\changes to everything else as well.
Result:
Hard6
Result:
Hard8
Due to my lack of ability to draw in 3d, you can see how I sort of drew this in parts, some of it viewed from the side, and so forth..
Result:
So yeah.. Like you might have noticed from the above examples, the sketches are very basic. I use like a square with diagonal lines for it to symbolize a ramp. Some times write dn\up to symbolize if it should go up or down.. Write DJ where there should be some DJ box, CS where it should be crouch-height.. Some times just write dn\up to symbolize general height changes as well. Some random semi-filled\straight lined blocks to symbolize a wall or such stuff..
