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| <div class="center" style="width: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">{{note|This page is subject to changes at any time without notice.}}
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| ==Introduction== | | ==Current VDC moderator== |
| | Do you have a question or need assistance? Don't hesitate to ask! We're here to help! |
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| My name is Peter Brev but I am also known as speedvoltage. I have been level designing for well over 15 years for the GoldSrc and Source engine.
| | ==Contributions to the VDC== |
| | * '''Self-Founded Contributions''' |
| | ** [[Creating Angled Geometry|Angled Geometry]] |
| | *** Methods of Creating Angled Geometry In A Level |
| | ** [[Complex Brush Creation|Complex Brush Creation]] |
| | *** Creating Complex and Interesting Brushwork In A Level |
| | ** [[Trigger Events Between Levels]] |
| | *** Triggering events between levels |
| | ** [[Engine Hunk Overflow]] |
| | *** Acknowledging and fixing the Engine Hunk Overflow error |
| | ** [[Creating A New Plugin]] |
| | *** How to set up our new plugin project |
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| I generally roam around the [http://steamcommunity.com/app/211/discussions/ SDK discussions] and provide help whenever I can. I also roam around the [https://developer.valvesoftware.com Valve Developer Community] website and fix, add or remove content when necessary.
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| ==Why Level Design?==
| | * '''Additions to Pre-Existing Pages/Categories''' |
| | | ** [[Hammer Clipping Tool|Hammer Clipping Tool]] |
| ===How I started===
| | *** Minor Page Fixes |
| | | ** [[player_weaponstrip|Weaponstrip Entity For GoldSrc]] |
| I mainly started when I was a kid. I was playing Half-Life a lot more that I should have and I never got bored of it. I was wondering if it was possible to have expansions or mods to further enjoy Half-Life. This is when I found Opposing Force and Blue Shift. Around the same time, I stumbled upon ModDB and GameBanana. When I was looking for information on how to create levels, you had to use the [[Valve Hammer Editor|Valve Hammer Editor]]. Steam was relatively new and Half-Life 2 was not officially released yet. I sticked with Half-Life for a little less than a year and upon Half-Life 2's release, I switched to the Source engine and I have stayed with the Source engine for the past 14 years or so.
| | *** Added Code Fix For Ammo HUD |
| | | ** [[3D Skybox|3D Skybox]] |
| ===What I like in Level Design===
| | *** Added Information About Brushes Inside Of 3D Skybox |
| ====What I like the most in Level Design====
| | ** [[Primitive|Wedge And Sphere]] |
| | | *** Additional Information |
| There are a lot of different things I love in level design, but the two best things I love to do more than anything else is detail ([[Level Design Overview|architecture]], [[prop_static|props]], [[Lighting|lighting]]you name it) and lighting.
| | ** [[info_node|Navigation Nodes]] |
| | | *** Expanded Page: Building The Node Graphs |
| ====What I also like====
| | ** [[Displacement|Creating Displacements]] |
| | | *** Expanded Page With Additional Information |
| Apart from those, I like to design different themes in a level while still keeping the City 17 or outland vibe. Different [[Level Design Overview|architecture]], [[Lighting|lighting]], [[prop_static|props]], [[Texture|textures]], [[Soundscape|soundscapes]], [[ambient_generic|sounds]], [[Skybox Basics|skyboxes]], etc. can really show what you are trying to do or aim for.
| | ** [[Hammer Compile Freezes|Compile Freezes]] |
| | | *** Expanded Page: [[VRAD]] [[Lightmap]] [[Optimization]] |
| {{tip|Having a solid theme first is better than designing something you have no idea what is going to look like.}}
| | ** [[Leak|Leaks]] |
| | | *** Expanded Page: Information On False Leaks |
| I can spend hours level designing and level design on a project for days, weeks, months or even years.
| | ** [[light_spot|Light Spot (GoldSrc)]] |
| | | *** Expanded Page: Pointing Light Spot At Target |
| ==Games I usually level design for==
| | ** [[Tool textures (GoldSrc)|Tool Textures for GoldSrc]] |
| I usually level design for [[Half-Life 2|Half-Life 2]] and its episodes and [[Half-Life 2: Deathmatch|Half-Life 2: Deathmatch]]. I worked on a couple of maps for [[Portal 2|Portal 2]], [[Alien Swarm|Alien Swarm]] and [[Counter-Strike: Global Offensive|Counter-Strike: Global Offensive]], but those never saw the light of day. '''My favorite game is''' [[Half-Life 2: Deathmatch|'''Half-Life 2: Deathmatch''']]. Buy it now if you have not.
| | *** Added missing information on certain tool textures. |
| {{game release|appid=320}}
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| ==Work released==
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| I have a couple of maps I have released that you can find on my [https://gamebanana.com/members/submissions/maps/1344080 GameBanana's submission page].
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| ===Underdam===
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| <gallery>
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| File:Dam_Outside.jpg|Dam Outside
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| File:Underdam Power station.jpg|Power Sation
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| File:Underdam Tunnels.jpg|Power Sation
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| </gallery>
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| ===Basebunker===
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| {{note|Basebunker is undergoing massive changes.}}
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| <gallery>
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| File:Office Outside.jpg|Outside view of the security office
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| File:Office Inside.jpg|Inside view of the security office
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| File:Hallways 3.jpg|A hallway connecting two areas
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| File:Main Area.jpg|Main area leading to RPG room, server room, security office or back hallways
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| File:Maintenance Generators.jpg|Maintenance areas with generators powering the bunker
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| File:Storage.jpg|A small but simple storage area
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| File:Water Flow.jpg|Area where water flows for electricity (back up solution to generators)
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| File:Hallways 2.jpg|A hallway connecting two areas
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| File:Hallways.jpg|A hallway connecting two areas
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| </gallery>
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| ==Tips and tricks for your own levels==
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| Here are some tips and tricks for your levels; you may know some of them:
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| #'''Do not [[Reshaping Solids|carve]]!''' The only time you really want to carve is in test maps. Other than that, do not think carve will make things go faster.
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| #'''Have a theme and general layout in your head or on a paper.''' This is very important. Trying to level design something without thinking about it means failure on the long run.
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| #'''Build your map step by step!''' When building the layout, keep it to the minimum detail. This will allow you to change more easily [[brush|brushes]] than if you started having detailed brushes. This is why the developer textures are useful here; measuring! Keep in mind
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| #'''[[Lighting|Lighting]] is important!''' Just do not go around and put random [[light|light]] and [[light_spot|light_spot]] entities and say ''that's it, my level is lit''. Knowing [[Color Theory in Level Design|color theory]] helps. Moreover, placing light and light_spot [[Entity|entities]] properly can give your level a more realistic look than if you were to repeatedly place the same entities with the same parameters over and over. Sure it looks fine, but after a while it gets boring to always see the same color. '''Have variation!'''
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| #'''Do not randomly add brushes, props or decals randomly for detail.''' Now this is important. Detailing will bring the level alive but if you do it incorrectly, it will look messy, unappealing. What theme have you got? If it's a bunker, sewers or canals, it's unlikely that it'll be very clean. Stains, dirt, trash, water splashes, posters, etc. will give the right looks. On the other hand, if it's an agency, it should look clean. Posters (ads), signs, etc. are suitable.
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| #'''[[Color correction|Color correction]]!''' This ought to be one important entity. From personal experience, an abandoned place should have desaturated colors. This makes the player feel like he's alone and this place isn't really used anymore. On the flip side, a museum should have vivid colors!
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| #'''Work with [[Grouping and VisGrouping|visgroups]]!''' When you are level designing on a large scale, you want to create your own visgroups. Usually, I have general visgroups for each area and have sub-visgroups for props, lighting, decals, you name it. By having your own visgroups, you can eliminate visual nuisance when you are trying to add, remove or move a brush or a prop. This really gets useful when you are level designing large outdoor areas like forests where you are bound to have a lot of trees around.
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| #'''Angle your geometry sometimes!''' A lot of people will tell you not to because your geometry is then off grid. Ignore those people! You can create levels with angled geometry '''that's on grid'''! Whether it's a 15, 30, 45, etc rotation, it doesn't matter. Doing this really gives your level a lot more depth and purpose! {{note|Do not rotate the map by using the handles as the verticies will no longer be on grid. Instead, use the [[Hammer Vertex Tool|vertex tool]] to manipulate the vertex points to achieve the rotation you want.}} {{tip|The grid in Hammer is perfect vertical and horizontal lines, but nobody said you could not create your own grid with brushes.}}
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| #'''Give your level more space!''' Now, I'm not saying to make a playable space larger or smaller but rather create areas that the player may not necessarily access.
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| #'''Listen to music when mapping!''' Your sanity is important!
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| #'''Make frequent pauses!''' I generally make pauses of 15 minutes or so after an hour of mapping.
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| #'''Save yourself some time!''' When you want to do a quick test in your level, use the cordon tool and draw a box around your entire level and [[Map Compiling Theory|compile]] your map. Before compiling your map in its entirety, only check [[VBSP|VBSP]] to see if there are any errors.
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| #'''Use [[Expert compile mode|Expert compile mode]]!''' You will need it for your final compile!
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| #'''Ask questions!''' There is nothing wrong in asking questions, even if you are an experienced mapper.
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| #'''Get some custom content!''' Sometimes, custom content makes it easier!
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| #'''Look at other people's maps!''' See how their maps are made.
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| #'''Look at real life for inspiration!''' Looking at how real life structures and lighting are made/achieved can help you build your level better.</div>
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