Starting my first map (without a tutorial!)

[TerraformerX]

Hi everyone. This is my first attempt at making a level. I know it's just a simple map, and I don't plan on using it to make a real game, but it's just to practice my new skills. Anyway, I started an "Advanced First-Person Shooter" project using that template, and it automatically created two boxes, a floor and a block.

 

I've programmed for years, but I've never been serious about game design until about 2 weeks ago. I decided to give Leadwerks a try after a website listed it as a decent game engine ( --- that also runs on Linux --- ) emphasis added.

 

I have a few questions:

 

1. Do you suggest I leave the "floor" box at that elevation? It looks like its top side's y coordinate is at 0, if I'm assuming the correct coordinate system. I can see the grid on the top face of the floor, which looks bad.

 

2. Should I leave the thickness of the floor alone? It looks like it protrudes below the grid plane a ways. Are there good reasons for this?

 

3. When I have multiple projects, do I have to install addons for each project? That would waste a lot of storage. Is it possible to leave these models/materials/prefab/etc. in a higher parent directory, so that they can use them without wasting unnecessary storage capacity?

 

Thanks, looks awesome so far.

[Nexerade]

Hellow.

 

1) You can create level anywhere, I guess. It doesn't matter, where your level would be. I guess the only reason why grid is in 3d view is that you can see grid level.

 

2) Umh, I didn't get this, but if you're asking can it go through 3d grid: 3d doesn't mean anything.

 

3) I'm curious about this too.

[thehankinator]

Addons are installed in each project they are used in. If disk space a concern, you can delete the items in the addon that you do not need for your game. You could also use a hacky symbolic link/junction to eliminate duplicating the addons but I wouldn't recommend it.

[TerraformerX]

Hellow.

 

1) You can create level anywhere, I guess. It doesn't matter, where your level would be. I guess the only reason why grid is in 3d view is that you can see grid level.

 

2) Umh, I didn't get this, but if you're asking can it go through 3d grid: 3d doesn't mean anything.

 

3) I'm curious about this too.

 

Thanks for your reply. What I meant to ask was 'Is it recommended to leave the thickness of the floor the way it is (e.g., distance between the top and bottom faces), or would it not hurt anything to raise it up, or change the thickness of the floor?'

 

Addons are installed in each project they are used in. If disk space a concern, you can delete the items in the addon that you do not need for your game. You could also use a hacky symbolic link/junction to eliminate duplicating the addons but I wouldn't recommend it.

It would make more sense, and it would be much more efficient to install all the add-ons to a single parent directory. There's no reason this couldn't be made to work this way. Right now, disk space isn't a problem, but it's still just about the principle. It would save storage capacity, and it would improve the quality of the software, but I don't know much about game development, so maybe there is a legit reason that they have copies in each project's root directory.

 

Thanks for your replies and advice so far. Anyone else?

[mdgunn]

In general I think thickness of walls floors does not matter TOO much. Having said that I think I have heard it said that if they are thin then there may be a form of light leakage or something. Suggest you work to multiples of 32. You might go down to 16 or 8 if you have some specific need but for boundary walls/floors etc probably 32.

 

There is an example room map somewhere that I think supplies textures you can use based on multiples of 32. It is a good exercise to examine it and extend or duplicate it.

 

I will see if I can find it....

 

Check out these

 

http://www.leadwerks.com/werkspace/topic/10016-mapping-standards/

http://www.leadwerks.com/werkspace/page/contentguidelines

 

Also consider using prefabs...e.g. for stairs...or almost anything really....these are like an isolated map with only the item in. You can use them across projects then too. They will probably help you keep control of things when you get lots of CSG brushes and find sticking them all in lots of folders gets out of hand.