Adding More Detail to a map

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Detailed maps

Creating more detailed maps does take more time however can also really change the outlook and apeal of a map. Its a known fact that most MOD's take screenshots of their most detailed areas. Players like to see detailed areas or places that look pretty or even fun to play in. However this deos not imply that you make a highly detailed room while the rest of the game is very low-detailed for the soul purpose of taking great looking screenshots.

Players like to see when many area have detailed rooms hallways etc.

This tutorial will explain simple things that you can do as a mapper to make rooms hallways an various other types of brushwork look more interesting as well as making areas look more realistic in fact.

Rooms

For instance the player walks into a room where there is a hole in the celling.The question the player might be asking is where did that hole come from and why is there no rubble here? Well not all players have the same question but its pretty obvious that there should be some rubble on the floor and also some other detail.

Here is an example:

File:Roommoredetail01.jpg

So the room is well.........quite square. So lets add some more detail towards the room. Since the room has the combine/wall material applied toward it maybe a nice detailed combine room. Lets go for something like the citadel. The Citadel is is one of the hardest places to detail due to the large size of the rooms as well as choosing the right color palette. Most lighting within in the citadel is either dark or light blue,teal,white,and sometimes even red and orange. Red and orange are really more for the citadel in its destroyed state in Episode 1.

Choosing the right details

Well, you added some detail, but something doesn't look right. That big comfy couch just doesn't click with the gloomy and alien surroundings of the Citadel. It looks out of place.

Another big part of detailing is the setting. What kind of setting does your level have? Is it a barren wasteland, littered with the remains of civilization? Or is it a lush forest, with trees and foliage everywhere? These are all things every mapper has to take into account when placing the details.

Sewers

Setting: Dark/dimly lit, wet, cramped, mostly concrete Details: Pipes (ceiling, floor, beneath grates, etc.), water, grates, drainage pipes, garbage

Citadel

Setting: Dark, gloomy, alien, metallic/technologically advanced; hostile, active military facilities?

Details: Static gunships, pods, trains going from one place to another, combine lighting (bright teal), telescreens, bottomless chasms, glass floors (unbreakable of course), combine balls?

Combine-controlled cities

Setting: Urban, run down, Combine controlled, oppression, cobblestone streets, restrictiveDetails: Run down looking buildings, combine gates, Combine walls (the ones that eat buildings), trash, trashed cars, Citadel in the skybox.

Forest areas

Setting: large yet also sometimes small trees depending on visability, Light Effects pouring through various leaves and other foliage, Bushes, Shrubery and other little grass shards which is achived through Displacements, Large areas or sometimes Mouaintains to add effect of the Forest being visably large in size but really a small area that contains the player.