I am sorry if anybody is annoyed by this post, but I am new to the whole modding community. I just bought my copy of the game for PS3 and am enjoying it very much. I have a few ideas I would like to bring to fruition but have no idea where to start. First off, is it true that if I would like to create my own map I will need to purchase the PC version as well? Is it recommened I do so even if it is not required? Is there any guides around that can help me get started? How long do maps usually take to create? How indepth can the editor get? How many more questions can I ask?
If someone could help point me in the right direction, that would help a lot.
Now, onto the good stuff. I have a plan... to create a map. It's called Tunnels (if you couldn't guess already). I've been throwing the concept around in my head for a while. It was influenced by Resistance: Fall of Man, but I thought Unreal Tournament III would suit it just fine. I have been working on the design, but as my artistic skills are not very... promising, it may not make a whole lot of sense when I first show it.
TUNNELS
The general idea of the map is to present a vast cavern that was dug out of the earth as an atmospheric battlefield, built with team deathmatch in mind. The structure spans hundreds of meters vertically, and half of that horizontally. Three tunnels broken apart shoot out from either side of the granite walls; unusable except for a thin walkway stringing the remains of one set of tunnels in the middle. The bridge will be held up by supports to the tunnels above it. The bridge itself has undergone some heavy damage; riddled with holes, crevices, and dips. Players will have to watch their step as they traverse to the
other side.
However, players will not be entirely isolated. The three tunnels on each side will have smaller, forked, if you will, junctions, that connect the tunnels above and below. I wanted to make these subtunnels weight dependant. Meaning, if too many people are in it at any given time, it will break apart. Also, with enough explosives, that same effect can be given. This presents a strategic stronghold-style of play. But if that wasn't enough to think about, on the way down these smaller tunnels there are outcroppings that are adjacent to little tiny holes that will allow the player to peak through, giving players an ideal sniping position. Let's keep in mind, though, all of these tunnels will be located hundreds of feet up from the pit below. What happens if you fall?
I've decided to include spires that reach up with gurneys running across the top. If you're lucky and hit one of these, you will take massive damage, but, luckily, will still alive. Miss? Well, let's just say you won't be so lucky. These spires should resemble something akin to watchtowers, but made of iron, and off bare essentials at that. Rust would establish this mood quite well. Once you land on one of these towers, you can locate a walkway that spirals down the length of the towers. Along the way down, it may be helpful to include some healths and ammunition on a level or two. Eventually the player will be able to see the ruined base. The ground itself will be uneven and will slope upwards to either side to join the walls. But the expanse itself should be pretty wide, allowing for open siege warfare. Trying to gain the upper hand down here will be a mission in itself. The terrain will rise and fall erratically. Sometimes high up as if on a hill, and the trenches fall below as if hidden by the surrounding ledges that poke above it. Some of the expanse will just be rather bumpy, for those that don't want to put up with the multi-directional possibilities.
To escape the blasted terrain, the player can opt for one of two exits; each one located to either side, but opposite to the walls the tunnels poke out of. The entryway should be fairly large so it is easy to spot amidst the broken terrain, but not too large that just anyone can see it.
(I have to make it hard enough so that the player has to actually make an effort to look for it.) This will help keep the action on the floor lively, somewhat.
Once the player makes his/her escape, a new set of tunnels will be revealed. Stepping through, the first thing that many will notice is that these tunnels are brightly lit, showing off the rich soil it was built of. The color scheme should have a yellowish hue to it, with some light browns and reds painting objects along the way. This tunnel the player will have discovered will have a branching path right from the get go. Either way the player chooses it leads to the sides that the tunnels above rest against. The narrow passage will be rather straight. There will be coves that will provide cover for the player along the narrow passage, but all of them must be located against the far side so as not to ruin the design of the interior. The length will go a long ways with a few recesses for more ammo allocation. These recesses will be convex and move towards the interior. These shall be beneath where the hills/dunes of the blasted floor are.
At the bend that lies at the end of the hallway, there will be another passage, but this one climbs up the interior for as far as the eye can see. Stairs run up the length of the scale. This new passage must be displayed as as if it was an abnormally heightened room, meaning the ceiling should be located far above. The ceiling as the player knows it is actually the floor of the next level the stairs shoot through. There will be four levels. This should make up for the long fall down as the upper most will connect with the tunnels above. Once the player reaches the top, they will have to make a choice. They can head back into the tunnels by starting at the one highest up, or they can climb a new set of stairs that will take them to a series of outposts. The new stairwell should be rather thin and frail with a greenish tint to hint at its rushed creation.
If the player chooses to climb one more set of stairs they will be greeted to one last network of tunnels that rungs across the perimeter of the map. This path will have a low hanging ceiling making it impossible to jump. The color scheme should use a lot of dark colors as not much light can pass into this area: browns are preferrable (to keep with the earthly look). Occasionally, the player will find outposts. These outposts will be set convexly to the interior with a wide window that allows for a great view of the tunnels. If the player finds the opportunity one to take advantage of, there will be a shute that drops the player five feet down onto a platform. The platform will have a 270-degree view, with a sniper conveniently placed in its spot. The platform, however, will be rather small: it will not have enough room to move about, so if you are spotted the only way to escape is by jumping back up into the room above. If you do not want to take the chance, you can just break the window and shoot from there, but this makes it easier for you to be shot at (and your teammates if you choose to make it your base of operations). Since the room is connected by a winding tunnel, this will make it vulnerable to pincer attacks.
And then... Actually that's it. I think I rambled on too much. But is it a good idea? Something that needs work? Confusing? Or what? Any improvements you might want to suggest? Am I overly ambitious? Or should I just shut up now?
Anyways, the color scheme for the map will have black as its primary background. The description of the map I gave above is color coded to depict lighting that will help color the stage. The only light color will be yellow as to have a stark difference. The rest will have tints of the primary color. The blue for the tunnels, comes from the stone architecture it was built from and the light reflecting off it. The red on the floor? Because of the reflections off the watchtowers mixing in with the blue hue from the tunnels above. The yellow? From your basic lights. And finally, the brown? From the abscence of any direct light.
Here is my first jab at the preliminary art (In Progress). I told you my drawing skills left something to be desired.
I inked in only one of the subtunnels so far. The overlapping subtunnels on the other side mean they connect. This view is of the center of the map: only showcasing the tunnels. I'm not the best when it comes to sketching, but, hopefully, it gets the job done.
So what do you all think?