The 10 commandments, of mapping...

[poisonic]

i share delta's point if a game plays like shit and isnt fun at all, Optimization would be a waste of time...
people fall in love with the game play and NOT with the Optimization...
1 you could conclude they are both not important
2 they are the red wire and the guide line in your project....

sorry but it sounds really dumb if you say game play is not important, in game creator land saying such thing is a crime and you would be shot Joe

[joe_rogers_11155]

I have changed Commandment 2:

"Optimization is more important than aesthetics. Engine performance affects player immersion."

And now we have the Golden Rule of Mapping:

"More than anything else, a map should be FUN to play."

[InterValve]

"Use two light entities per "light": a high brightness light_spot, and a low brightness light of the same color."

Why?

[joe_rogers_11155]

im thinking of getting rid of that one, as well as the one about func_detail. they are too specific, and the lighting one is a personal preference of mine.

i am going to put one in about using the tool textures.

[InterValve]

Ok but you still didn't said why.On what is that preference based?I really want to know.I would try it my self to find out, but I can't at the moment.

[Dives]

Ok but you still didn't said why.On what is that preference based?I really want to know.I would try it my self to find out, but I can't at the moment.

Because the light_spot makes your light directional, and the "light" entity makes it look like the light is bouncing correctly.

[joe_rogers_11155]

yea it simulates a more attractive light source. for a regular tube light in a regular room:

place a bright "light_spot" near the prop and set the brightness high and the angle wide. then place a "light" somewhat lower than the "light_spot" and give it a much lower brightness but a very high constant. it will just make it look better.

if the prop is just a light bulb then you should still do this but make the regular "light" entity brighter than normal. the idea is to simulate the blocking of light from the actual light fixture.

point_spotlights sparingly. not every street light and light bulb needs a point_spotlight or an env_sprite. let HDR do its job.

(Of course, not all this can fit inside the 10 Commandments but...)

[darkpivot]

I don't have anything to add, everything I would have said has already been said. I'd like to comment on the first post though.

"VI Though shalt never play "Let the bodies hit the floor" in one of their videos, EVER."

It's a great rule, but how does this relate to mapping? :P

[Gradius]

For posterity I think the actual song name is "Bodies" by Drowning Pool.

"Thou shalt position thy enemies in a meaningful way: Don't just stick five in the middle of an empty room with no routines, scripts, or assault points"

[The Giblets of Jesus]

Ye that is the proper name of the song, and it is just, so dreadful.

I'm not to big on the commandment;
"Thou shalt position thy enemies in a meaningful way: Don't just stick five in the middle of an empty room with no routines, scripts, or assault points"

As this mainly just applies to single players maps, and I mainly had these rules set up for both Source and unreal users.

[joe_rogers_11155]

i figured that, and that's why i made a list just for source mapping to run separately of the more general commandments for all mapping.

[Knights]

This thread gets a thumbs up from me!

[RA7]

Thou shalt not forget to add sum sound to your map. (I hate those great maps, that have no ambient sound)

*btw this thread should be STICKY imo.

[The Giblets of Jesus]

'Bout time for a round up, or has anyone got anything else to add?

[ReservoirWOLF]

THOU SHALT STAY ON GRID
idk how nobody metioned that one.