Don't make fanatically huge maps. Size DOES matter in AssaultCube, as huge maps will lag players down - not to mention, it will take forever for players to find/frag each other, in what is supposed to be a fast paced game. + Due to the restrictions of the cube engine, it is generally a bad idea to try to rebuild your favourite map A from + your favourite game B - most engines allow for larger rooms and longer lines of sight than Cube does.
WQD (world quads)
@@ -19,13 +21,37 @@
WQD is a good way to measure how good your map will/won't lag. Your map should ideally average a maximum of 5000 WQD (less is better). It's okay for your map to exceed this if it's only a - little bit more in a short area. + little bit more in a short area. Keep in mind that lights and details will raise the wqd counts, so a rough layout + wonīt really represent the final wqd values of a scene. In an empty map(layout) wich has only corridors and basic + geometry, wqd should never be above 1000. This leaves enough headroom for details, lightning and mapmodels. + + The key to a good wqd value are occluders or "solids" (f-key)- these block the view, and the engine can stop rendering + whatever is behind those. To undersand the concept, do the following: Load any of the official maps, enter edit-mode + and fly above the map. You will see occlusion at work. You can toggle it on and off using the f5 key. This + should give you a good idea about how occlusion works and where to place solid cubes while you lay out your map. + + Keep in mind, the better your map runs, the more people will want to play it. If your map looks awesome, but + can only be run on a very recent computer, people wonīt play it. Many people play AC with very old computers!
When creating a map, make sure not to make areas far too small. Six or more cubes wide is a good dimension for - doorways, to allow people to pass through them easily. + doorways, to allow people to pass through them easily. Once again, take reality as your guide. If youīre unsure + about how large your door/window/stairs should be, look at those in your house or outside somewhere. + If players block a doorway for teammates, just because the doorway is only 4 cubes wide, people wonīt like + the map very much. + + When you build your map, use more that one level. Flat maps are boring. By adding vertical variety, you also + make the gameplay more intresting. Even small alterations in floor height usually make things more diverse. + + Second floors + Due to the design of the cube engine, itīs not possible to build a second floor. You can use architectural models + to create them, but donīt try to build a 5-storey building with them. If will be impossible to make it look + right, since mapmodels are lit with one value throughout, simply the light vvalue of the cube that it sits on. + This means it will be very hard to light it up evenly, while having intresting lightning in the rest of the room. + By creative use of levels, you can make maps that very well give the impression of multiple floors! + If you use the bridge model, use it with care!
@@ -40,12 +66,25 @@
- At the end of the texture list is a black/white cross sort-of texture. DON'T use it, it's not a texture, + Take your time in chosing them. Also, donīt just look at "how it looks", consider reality to be your guide. + Donīt put a floor texture on the ceiling, or wall textures on the floor. Although there are exeptions, try to use + Some common sense. Your nice wooden structure will probably not support a concrete roof too well, or your factory + will probably not have a wooden flooring. Brickwalls on the ground are very uncommon ... etc, etc. + + At the end of the texture list is a black/white cross sort-of texture. DON'T use it, it's not a texture, in-fact, it's lack of a texture. It looks ugly and shouldn't be used in any map, because it's actually there to show if textures and skins did not load properly.
- ++ Though they can add some nice and neccesary detail to your map, donīt rely on them! It is advised to add + mapmodels at a late stage in mapping. Think of them more like the icing on the cake. + A boring room wonīt look better if you add lots of mapmodels. + When you add them, less is often more. If every square meter has a cigarette and a leaflet on the ground, the + effect will be lost. +
+If you'd like to create a map with friends, you can use co-operative map editing to let you build and modify maps with others online easily.