🛈 Announcement
Greetings! Far Cry forums are now archived and accessible in read-only mode, please go to the new platform to discuss the game.
  1. #1

    How do you feel when you're creating a map ?

    Hi all,

    Well, it's kind of late to make a thread like this because there is not much traffic anymore.

    But hey, i've still got a few questions for you.

    Do you need something else while mapping ?

    -eating doritos,
    -listening to music or podcasts,
    -smoking cigarettes every ten minutes,
    -watching movies with one eye on each different task,
    -already doing all the above and even much more,
    -being focused mainly because : this is very serious !

    Now, what really push you at making maps :

    - You want to get better each time, it's a real challenge.
    - You want to share your work with your friends.
    - Creating worlds experiences goes beyond the simple game, it's a philosophy.
    - You don't know really, you feel better this way and it's all that count.
    - You've been abducted by aliens and they ordered you to do that.

    Last question :

    Ok, it's time for you to upload your map to the Arcade. (really !?)

    How do you feel ?

    - Confident, it was dead easy.
    - Quite stressed (eating doritos)
    - Happy, it's finally finished, you're free.
    - You forgot to add something...again.
    - Those players...They will never understand.
    - Already on the defense stance, you swear it was working in the editor, it's Ubi's fault.
    - It's going to be alright... (runs naked in a cornfield, screaming : i don't care ! )



    If you have other thought in mind, feel free to share.
    Share this post

  2. #2
    For me, making levels is my playtime. Its never been stressful, more like release. That is possibly because I don;t have a boss, I am under no pressure to produce anything other than I want to make maps in the first place. Every map I have made has come from desire.

    I smoke but not every 10 minutes, sometimes I get so immersed in what I'm making I forget to smoke, but generally maybe a smoke every hour which gives me time to think away from the screen and I usually come up with new ideas when I'm away from the game.

    I don't listen to music or eat doritos while mapping, I like to be focused and in my own space. I leave the editor open when I go and cook or if I know I will be back within an hour or so. I challenge myself by trying to become better at creating levels. Some parts of the editor were challenging a few years ago, which are now like childs play to me. Adjusting terrain, having a full knowledge of the tools and how to use them makes everything so much faster and look how I want it to look. If someone said here is a picture of something like a village or a town or a landscape, and this is the story... I could go away and make it within a few days no problem. The problems in mapping for me are coming up with the ideas in the first place or coming up with a story. The building is the easy part. When I look at maps, I have an eye to know what looks right and what doesn't look right in the sense that so many maps have things that look out of place. I also know how the map will be received because I play it every part I make I play it, not from my perspective but from the players' perspective. I put myself into other peoples' shoes and think how it could possibly be seen, what the players might think, how they might perceive certain areas etc... every possibility. What I don't do is make what I want to play. This, I feel, produces consistency. And I think you have to have many years playing many games to get even an inkling into gaming dynamics and how the changing player base perceives your game.

    What pushes me to make new maps is having a new idea that I know will work and is within my skillset. Or what tools I have to make it.

    Before I publish a map I kind of already know what rating it will have. Some kind of 6th sense I have maybe, I just feel how good the map is and have a knowledge of what people expect in maps and how they distinguish good and bad in quality of design.

    After I publish I either forget about the map and move onto the next idea, or something might come to me out of the blue where I see my published map from a different angle and see ways to improve it or make changes for maybe a different way of playing it. I could go back and improve every single map I have published. I know that, but I'm also looking forward to keep manifesting new ideas. I never get burnt out either. I just want to map forever, it just seems to sit perfectly with me, and I will keep improving.

    You put -being focused mainly because : this is very serious !.

    The whole thing is not serious because its gaming and like I said I feel like its playtime for me. But at the same time, you cannot consider your maps as anything less than serious after putting 50 hours into a level. If you have the viewpoint that .. hell its just some stupid map for a few guys to have a laugh and mess around on then really, why would anyone spend that amount of time making the map in the first place. If any map-maker has spend hours, days weeks into producing absolute quality by anybody's standards, then I think its the map maker that needs to be taken seriously. And within our Community there is that mutual respect whenever we see pics or videos of great levels. That respect also helps inspire us all to keep mapping, because we are taken seriously making fun maps to play. I personally like to have a grittiness in my levels, a bit or seriousness, which is probably me coming out into my maps.

    There is definitely a lot of passion out there in the map-making community. I don't think any of the map makers have any kind of level design qualifications or experience working in the gaming industry (apart from Dapper ) but I am pretty sure just about everyone who has been consistently been making maps on Far Cry from at least the last 5 years or so, (well known in the community) could make anything that was thrown at them and even expand into new challenges like coding.

    I don't want new challenges to develop into different areas of gaming such as coding though. I would rather be the best at one aspect like level design and that's where I focus my aim. I just need a story guy to say hey Sab, what you think of this story, this is the setting. Then I can produce the best *******ed version of that idea.

    What I currently get out of my maps is seeing the appreciation. Just about every map I have on FC5 is 4 stars or around that mark. Pushing 30,000 downloads on my maps (collectively) at the present moment. Since I don't get money, the appreciation or the "being valued" is enough for me to keep mapping and driving my desire to make new levels.

    I would prefer having both ^^

    Passion cannot really be measured. Here is a video from Far Cry 2 - so long ago - sticks in my mind, comes back to me like someone who is loyal to the end whatever they do.

    Some things are immortal. And not popular. I believe folk should recognise that instead of the easy way of just going with the flow because some things and some people just stand out., but to get the recognition they deserve takes someone else., because they are not selfish, self-centred people hung up on the world.

     2 people found this helpful
    Share this post

  3. #3
    GenesisMD5745's Avatar Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    183
    Far Cry 5 was the first Far Cry game that I've gotten, and I've invested far more time in the editor and Arcade multiplayer trying my maps and maps made by other creators than I have in the campaign.

    As flawed as the editor is at times, I still enjoy making maps. I especially enjoy making multiplayer maps (haven't even done any solo maps yet) because when I play my maps I can see how other players react to my work in real time.

    I may not be a professional map maker, but I still try my best when making maps, most of which are heavily urban-based maps. I very rarely use references in my maps. The only time I have done so is on my recreation of Battlefield Hardline's The Block map where I went into the original map both as a player and spectator and took probably around 150+ reference pictures. It's not an exact copy, but it's really close almost to the point where I feel like I'm in the original game. Every other map is competely made up.

    Most of my maps are around the 3 star rating, which I reckon isn't too bad since the best multiplayer maps seem to get 4 stars. Haven't seen any that are at 5.

    While map making, I usually listen to the radio or Spotify on PS4. Seems to help me stay focused.

    What pushes me to continue map making is quite simply because I enjoy it. Often after finishing a map, I'll suddenly come up with another idea or two for a map and will want to work on another map and incorporate one or more ideas into that map. Kind of like the Skyscraper Assault map I did where I wanted a handgun only map AND a map that took place on top of a skyscraper...they seemed like they would fit nicely together in one map. I also enjoy having to wingsuit/parachute down to the main tower (or zipline to it). A lot of different (but basic) ideas went into one map.

    Once I publish my map, I often feel different each time. Sometimes I feel confident that my map will get a decent rating, but sometimes I'll be unsure or worried. Once I published Flood Warning, I wasn't sure what the community would think. Having this nice small town map where all I did was raise the water level and throw in some boats...would anybody appreciate that? So I thought people would prefer a dry version of that map, and so I did an alternate version. It's set at night though, and not a lot of people like night maps. Took me a while, but then I decided to then do a 3rd version of the map that took place in the morning where it would be easier to see. So here I am with 3 versions of the same map because I wasn't sure what the community would like. Maybe that's something I'll learn more about as I continue to make maps.
     1 people found this helpful
    Share this post

  4. #4
    Thank you Sabotur for this wall of text which was a very interesting read, and the video at the end that closed it so nicely.

    I pretty much agree with every point you mentioned and was just thinking that without the different games/maps already played, it would be nearly impossible for me to make any maps.

    It's not a story of copying stuff, or pure creation (it does not exist from my point of view), but more a kind of : this was a great experience, truly inspiring that now it's time for me to try to give it you back.

    Edit : Thank you too for your reply Sonic, don't know why your message did not appear at the first time.

    Edit2 : It must be a bug, Sonic's message is disapearing each time i refresh the page.

    Edit3 : After searching for Sonic5745 replies via the forum tools, only quoted messages by other menbers are showing, and when you try to go to the original post, it circles back to the thread title, this is weird, it's like his account just vanished.

    Edit4 : The story keeps going and bugs are still there, (01/10/2019) number of replies is false and even the new ones don't appear anymore, what a mess.

    Still, every one is welcome here, please share your experiences on mapmaking.
    Share this post

  5. #5
    DapperHayden007's Avatar Far Cry 3 Elite Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Blackpool, England
    Posts
    2,488
    Originally Posted by FlyingSpiritus Go to original post
    Thank you Sabotur for this wall of text which was a very interesting read, and the video at the end that closed it so nicely.

    I pretty much agree with every point you mentioned and was just thinking that without the different games/maps already played, it would be nearly impossible for me to make any maps.

    It's not a story of copying stuff, or pure creation (it does not exist from my point of view), but more a kind of : this was a great experience, truly inspiring that now it's time for me to try to give it you back.

    Edit : Thank you too for your reply Sonic, don't know why your message did not appear at the first time.

    Every one is welcome here, please share your experiences on mapmaking.

    Edit2 : It must be a bug, Sonic message is disapearing each time i refresh the page.
    I'll join in with a reply tomorrow, really enjoy chats like this
     2 people found this helpful
    Share this post

  6. #6
    I can't see Sonic's reply either :/
    Share this post

  7. #7
    Hi, sorry another wall of text.


    Laying on my comfortable couch with a glass of pepsi max on the table and a youtube Podcast in the background. Just relaxing and creating some cool stuff with the editor.

    Talking about my proces of mapping, it all starts with an idea or general thought of what i want to make this time around, this also includes a layout most of the time. But other times im just playing around and it grows into a map. If you look at my work, i like to make most of the time realistic scenes. Im a bit of a perfectionist and I have plenty of free time. So i put plenty of hours in my work / art. Anyways hobbies cost time.

    Heard some wise words, everybody has ideas but its the exocution that counts.


    What drives me? Its in my blood, Its just what i need to do. Since i was a little kid im creating stuff. Made some simple games on the commodore 64. Mastered the unreal 99 engine, did some modelling on blender 3d, made maps for battlefield 1942. And then i discovered the farcry series.

    I make maps to keep me sane, keeps my mind active with this creative process. its a creative outlet. I make maps for me, myself and i. I make what i like and not what others might like, dont need the validation of others to tell me , good map. Of course its nice if others like it but really dont care about ratings. Dont wanna sound smuck , yeah i know most of the time they pretty sweet. And it is ok aswell if people dont like my maps everybody has his/her own taste in maps.

    If you ask me, it wouldnt hurt if many more people would pick up such a creative hobby instead of watching their phone screen checking their facebook, zoning out on the dopamine hits or watch just tv all day, wouldda gone bunkers along time ago.


    Publishing time, a map is never finished, there is always room for improvement. But after awhile you just have to do it. I get that happy feeling, YES another one. After awhile you get bit bored coz the creative part is more fun then the finishing up part of mapping.

    Often i just work at one map at a time. From my expirience i noticed that works best and i get the best results. Other wise there is a risk of making a map that is all over the place.


    When im finished and publish i know i did my best and sure there will be some things that need fixed but am sure i dont need 25 updates to make it right.. You only get one chance on a first impression.

    Now you have a published map and it always different as your first idea and some work out better gameplay wise then others then you had imagined. But there is always next time.

    My two cents
     3 people found this helpful
    Share this post

  8. #8
    GenesisMD5745's Avatar Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    183
    Originally Posted by FlyingSpiritus Go to original post
    Edit : Thank you too for your reply Sonic, don't know why your message did not appear at the first time.

    Every one is welcome here, please share your experiences on mapmaking.

    Edit2 : It must be a bug, Sonic's message is disapearing each time i refresh the page.
    Originally Posted by Sabotur Go to original post
    I can't see Sonic's reply either :/
    I've been noticing this problem myself. I'll post a reply in a thread, leave to the list of other threads, and notice that the thread I just replied in didn't count my reply. The number of replies will still be at the number it was before I replied. Then I go back into that thread and notice my reply is still there, but it still doesn't count as a reply.

    I go into my profile page and can see my other replies as well.

    Not sure if I can do anything to fix this. This is probably a problem on Ubisoft's end.
    Share this post

  9. #9
    DapperHayden007's Avatar Far Cry 3 Elite Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Blackpool, England
    Posts
    2,488
    Ok, here's my long wall of text, I'll try to break it up as much as possible.

    I've had a passion for Level Design for as long as I remember, I've always enjoyed games with a map editor (no matter how terrible the game) I really enjoy working with the tools to create something that may not have been done before, but I just let my creative side do the work and leave my slight OCD for the finishing touches (that's why I take so long making maps)

    The average development time on a map is between 1 - 2 months, I just never feel like it's "complete" until I've put the time into it. However there's always the off chances where I'm happy with my map from start to finish (those builds can get put together in weeks) The longest time i've spent making a map is about 11 months, on Far Cry 4 with I am Legend, but that had a scope that was a little intimidating for me, I enjoy the challenge of having to create my own objects using other in game objects to create my own custom theme for a map.

    I don't get stressed making a map, It does the complete opposite for me, but some Doritos on the side never go a miss! Along with a can of coke and some Coffee for late night mapping. Another thing I do when I'm having a "mappers block" is, i'd play some music that helps me focus on what i'm doing or put a movie on which fits the theme of the map itself (thanks to Netflix)

    I know some people might see me as arrogant on the forums because I challenge things people say, but I'm the opposite of that, I just try to defend the community. I know i'm not the best map maker, but I also know that nobody is, we all have our own styles we use when creating a map, some of them I prefer specifically. I wouldn't ever say to anybody they make terrible maps, because they might see something in their work that you may have missed.

    In regards to my focus, It's a hobby in which I enjoy to the extent that i'm doing a degree in Software Engineering just to attempt to get into the industry, it's a dream but what else do I have to lose right? and if anyone tells me I'm gonna fail, it's gonna push me to try harder
    Another thing that I love about map making is that it clears my mind after a stressful day. I could have had a horrible day at work and I'd get back to the computer and the stress just goes.

    Recently I haven't made any maps on Far Cry because I'm working on asset creation and level design for a Unity game I'm working on with some people at University.


    I also don't mind what other people think about my maps, of course I have to take feedback from people if I want it to be my job, but I encourage people to give feedback (providing it is honest feedback and not trolling) :P
     3 people found this helpful
    Share this post

  10. #10
    So, Flying Spiritus, maybe tell us about your map-making. What drives you, what do you need, etc.. You make some really awesome maps, what inspires you and how do ideas come to you?
    Share this post