Zombie Panic Mapping Forum Rules

[KungFuDiscoMonkey]

This forum is for the discussion of maps. All questions reguarding mapping help need to go in the Mapping Help and Troubleshooting subforum. A link to that subforum can be found here. There are resources in there that can help new mappers and for whatever questions are not answered in the stickies, ask for help and our nice mappers will do their best to help you.

Please respect others and others's oppinions. If, in your oppinion somebodys map is a steaming pile of dung, please explain as nicely to them as you possably can why you think so AND what you think they could do to improve the quality of their work.

Again, a reminder, for mapping help, please use the Mapping Help and Troubleshooting subforum located at the top of this forum.

We also have an IRC channel available. #zpmapping on Gamesurge so feel free to idle there and ask questions.

Edit (11/21/04)
Also, as a general rule, whenever you post a download link to one of your maps, please include a few screens in the post as well so that people know what they are downloading.

[KungFuDiscoMonkey]

Guide originally by Supernorn (http://zpanic.hl2files.com/forums/index.php?showuser=6)

Hello and welcome to the Zombie Panic Mapping Guide. For details on what tools you'll need for mapping please go here (http://www.zombiepanic.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=275)

This Guide assumes you have some basic understanding of mapping, so dont come here expecting talk of func_walls and entities.

Where should I put my guns and ammo?

When making a map always take into consideration where you are going to place your weaponry. Dont just throw them on the floor, or behind a bush... make it believable. Here are some basic suggestions:

o Inside a trophy cabinet
o In a Desk drawer
o In an Armoury
o Beside a shooting range
o In a tool shed

A good idea would be to place the high powered weapons closer to zombie spawn, and the weaker weapons near survivor spawn. This way survivors can choose to make do with what they have, or risk running into the zombies to get some better firepower.

How much ammo and weaponry should I put on my map?

If your map is small, then you can expect it to be most suitable for a small group of people, around 4-6 players. The Smaller the number of people playing, the less weaponry you should place.

Map size isnt the only thing you should take into consideration. If you have built your map with low lighting, small rooms and tight, cramped corridors, Zombies will be able to take down survivors easier in these settings than if the room was large or set outdoors. If this sounds like your map, add a few more weapons and boxes of ammo to balance it out.

If your map happens to have lots of bright lights and some large outdoor areas or rooms that you know survivors and zombies wont be able to avoid, then you should remove a few weapons and boxes of ammo to give the zombie a chance. They arent so good in large areas.

What about survivors camping on top of crates and high ledges?

When Mapping, always take the zombie into account too. Survivors will make full use of advantages, and will gladly camp on top of high up crates blasting any zombie that attempts to get up to them if it will help them survive.

Its a good idea to include things like this, but make sure the zombie can get up there from more than one direction when under fire, to put pressure on them. Perhaps the zombie could Jump down from above through a ventilation system hanging overhead, or through a glass window in the rooftop. Include more than one way to get up, so survivors are always on their toes.

I cant be bothered to scroll down slightly below this thread to get the .fgd!

Here. (http://www.zombiepanic.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=55)


Thats all for now.
I'll update it when I spot more Map-related Gameplay Issues...

[KungFuDiscoMonkey]

Guide originally by FatSpider (http://zpanic.hl2files.com/forums/index.php?showuser=877)

Yeah I can understand if you get board with a project your working on you'll not want to continue it.

"Kind of like a warehouse" is not a good place to start, you need to set a design goal for yourself on what you want to achieve with that product. The name means everything.

Is it shipping/recieving, abandoned, still working, or something more sinister going on below the warehouse? Is there going to be an outside to this level or is it all inside?

The number one way to start anything in Level Design is preplan a few things on graph paper or just sketch it out on a blank sheet, then let the rest build itself.

1) Write a statement: An abandoned warehouse with a sinister science lab where dead bodies are animated.

2) Layout Work: Write down the types of things you want to see in your level and erase the ones that don't apply to it. This also involves sketching out rooms as simple as boxes with notes attached detailing what you'll want to make room for. This process can also be as complex as you want to make it.

3) Building Blocks: Start building in the editor all of the simplest of geometry then go back and start building on that to add more the the rooms you have made.

4) Texture: Start looking at your textures and find the set that works best with what you want to fit your genre, orginally you want to do this in step 2. Start applying those textures here.

5) Detail: Starting fine tuneing your level room by room, fine tuneing can be 2-4 days per room so take your time and playtest the hell out of it, make sure its fun on some level. This also includes entity placement.

Personal Note: If you make a level that gives its players light imbued seizures you have failed.

This is my system of level design, and what I have been working with for 4 out of ten years of my design carrier.