So Acid's post about making a map for another game got me wondering how hard it could be to make a source map. Well it turns out that with Hammer (Valve's map maker utility -- bundled in the Source SDK under Tools) its actually pretty easy to make a basic map with floors walls and ceilings, spawn points, and buy zones. Everything on top of its a little more difficult but not too bad.

Anyway, I'd like to start a Map Building project for n00bfest but I'll need a lot of help. I have really no sense of design or what would be cool in a map and end up with a map that is very boxy and linear and just picking random textures that don't look too terrible.

With that said, anyone who is interested is more that welcome to participate -- I expect we'll need:
-- Map Engineers (the layout)
-- Map Designers (the textures and props)
-- Graphic Designers (for custom textures)
-- Testers (to find the glitches, snag spots, missing textures, etc)

We could start with a map that uses almost all stock textures (except for a few n00bfest ones advertising the n00bfest name) to make it easy in that department and with that being said, and given the props that are available, I think a pretty decent map theme would be n00bfest armory -- I'm not super committed to it so other suggestions are welcome.

Anyway, if you're interested post up here and we'll compile a list. Most likely we'll work on and decide on a layout, divide the work up, and then bring it together and start tuning it.

Valve has a great developers wiki that answered almost all of my questions, and the rest have been answered from links in the first page of google results.

For the guys who played in my map last night, that was a result of like 4 - 6 hours of work, imagine what we could get done if we got a group task force together... If any group of people have the talent to develop a sick map, its n00bfest, no doubt.

Get it done fellas.

Garrett is on top of this as well for other help needed!

yes i am interested. miroku PM'ed me and is interested as well. my idea is to make a "city scape" map that is n00bfest headquarters (n00bfest armory works very well too). there are 2 buildings to bomb, one is n00bfest offices and the other is like a dormatory or something like that. have some kind of indoor/hallway-ish area connecting the two (must have decent separation between the 2 sites), but have good outdoor battle areas too (cars, dumpsters, a few boxes maybe, and no F*CKING barrels!).

i'll test. i'm no good at any of the other things lol.

I owe my company my "free time programming" for a while as they've bought me a mac to learn iphone programming at home. But I'd be happy to test the map-- I know a good map when I see it, usually.

Ill help in whatever way possible/whenever possible. My surgery got delayed a few days due to someone in a life/death situation when I was going in so I got time now and lots of time after. Im probably best as a level engineer or tester as I spent most of my time fiddling with that out of everything

I could help with engineering. I'm pretty good at understanding how maps work/choke points/camper spots etc.

I'd also help out with testing. Just let me know.

i would be done to help. i can test, or help design the layout. just let me know

Way to nominate me! Glad my name got put in first.

I call actually making the map, putting in brushes, applying textures, fog, triggers, etc... I know most of that stuff. I just don't know stairs/custom textures....
BTW, Here are to maps I salvaged yesturday. The second one took HOURS to DL the nav, then, i realized, "Why would someone play with hacking bots that see through illusions?" But yea, I specialize in special stuff, as in SECRETS.

if i new anythig bout this stuf i would help out but if theres anything i can do let me know

if you want to know something about this stuff, look up source SDK and using the hammer editor.

I'm good at CAD and I'm pretty good at hammer editor. I can make maps (but i suck at adding in textures.)

I also have 4 years of high school in engineering/architecture as well as going to school for architecture, so I'm pretty decent at design.

If you need help I can do Map engineering and test the maps. msg me on steam brahmen

im good at rendering and storyboard ideas. the rest im sure i can learn with enough tinkering around with it. put me down for Designer/Engineer

im no good at drawing so gfx designer is kinda outta my league, but ive no problem being a trench programmer.


as far as layouts, im pretty good at that as well. have an idea of creating a hostage map located in a mall. have another idea for a bomb map where the T's/CT's play the role of ants in a sandbox in a kids backyard (sprites and covers being like a tonka truck, giant turkey sandwitch, ect)

let me know what you need help with fomenta and i will deliver. if its a project to make the place a bit more fun, im all over it like Kano on Joe's wife.

Well, if you get the map designed and built, I may be able to convince my gf to help with some custom textures.

ill do that thanks for the advise purple

I'd totally be willing to help out I can do testing and maybe some designing

I've been hit with work all week but I'm going to set up a forum and stuff for the map builders so if you want in, post here or pm me and we'll get you set up.

I've got some ideas about a map builders wiki / a versioning system where we can collaborate on the same map but also keep a good version history without it being like n00bfest_map_43652.bsp, etc that I'm gonna work out too.

Check the forums tomorrow night / friday day for a new forum for the guys who posted interest.

I'll help out in anyway i can.

I can test it :p

nice work fomenta :)