How much time to make a map

[wimfrits]

Nice 'discussion' about player's preferences... missed that completely. Kinda new to me that mapmakers are experts on what players specifically like
Mapmakers with different styles simply fill different niches in the player community. Which is great.

For me; average time spent on 1 map: H2: 1 month, H3: 2 months, H4: 2.5 months.

[Thelonious]

Nice 'discussion' about player's preferences...

Yeah, like the thread's topic was about that...

Anyway the time to make a map really depends on the kind of map; the - wether players'll like it or not - amount of text and scripting.

I agree all tactics levels can be heavily scripted - but over all RPG maps will take longer to make.

Myself, I've finished only some small maps and keep starting over thinking that it wasn't good enough.

[ByteBandit]

One thing I must admit, is that after getting into Neverwinter Nights, I have learned to appreciate the storyline of a game more than before. So, to me, a rich story really separates a high quality map from just the regular, hunt and kill maps. The more diverse the story, the better. Which means that taking the time for a good story incorporated into the map is worth the time making it. In some maps, quality is better than quantity indeed!

[jeff]

I am a bit of a slow poke, my campaign (8 maps) took close to three years to make. Now the first six maps were playable, with much of the storyline incomplete and several quests not yet scripted, in the first 5-6 months. One problem I had was everytime I tested it I had to add more. If Wimfrits had not told me to stop, I'd still be working and adding more.

Now that my first campaign is done I expect the next ones to take less time. If I had to do Dragon's Fate from scratch knowing what I know now, it would probably take me 12-18 months, that's if my real life permitted.

[Caradoc]

To get back to the original topic, I think development time is a function of map size, density, and integration. Obviously, larger maps take longer because there is more to do. But apart from size, there is the matter of how many objects are placed and how much they are customized. And finally, more time is spent when one player action is related to others, so that as the game takes on different states there is more that must be considered.

My only Heroes IV offering, Lost Crusade, was only Large sized, but had a large number of objects that were all fully customized. And because the storyline gave the player a lot of latitude (there were 5 endings), there was a huge amount of state information that had to be maintained and verified. As a result, the project took over a year.

As I said a while back, the mapmaker is primarily an entertainer and there are many ways to entertain. I enjoy the styles of both Val and Cori, as well as Vlad, Robenhagen, GOW, Qrys, and others I should mention but won't.

For me, the fun of mapmaking is seeing my creation take shape. I hope that the results will bring pleasure to others and am always thrilled to receive a compliment. But art is not done for public adulation, but for self expression and every map I make is a statement and if I am to be judged, I would rather it be on the clarity and force of the statement.

[EDN]

I use 1-5 days to make a small map, 3-11 days to make medium map, 21-50 days making a large and 30-100 days making extra large. it depends on how long time I want to use.

[Thelonious]

Basicly how much detail you put in it

[rdeford]

My 2 cents--

I am talking about a scripted, story-oriented H5 map here with a moderate amount of custom objects and story messages, and a small amount of AI tweaks. Times are calendar times when working on the map about four evenings per week, and one longer session every other weekend.

Map terrain done with artistic flair and detail is about 40% of the map making task. The other 60% is eaten up by script writing and debugging, and final alpha testing of the complete map.

Large map: Terrain takes about a month to 6 weeks. Scripting takes about 6 weeks to two months depending on how much script code I can reuse from earlier maps.

Personally, I would NOT attempt to do a campaign map set by myself. It would take a year to create and debug, maybe longer.

[Salamandre]

I can do any XL WOG map in 3 weeks. But don't call me, don't talk me, don't see me during that time. I don't eat, I don't shower , I only draw map.

IMHO any map you create has to be make fast. Don't start the map till you don't have a very precise idea of the story in first, the difficulty and the design.

People who start drawing trees before knowing the story usually take long to complete.

Most quests and terrain variety I imagine far from computer. The decorative details have to be create after you worked on balance/quests/IA.

A good map is never finished. Always perfectible and testers advice is invaluable. Because you made the map you will not see the errors, as you know where to go. Only an attentive tester coupled with a mapmaker can work out a great map.

[finkellll]

A death knight's journey (XL no underground) took about 2 months. The next few maps after that took about 1-2 months also (XL no underground)

[John.Galt]

I'm doing my first map, XL with underground and I'm maybe 1/50th done with the terrain over the last three days :-P

[Warmonger]

Melee Mill (tiny,2 players) - 2 hours and some people do like it, lol
Cyclophobia (tiny, singleplayer) - one month (so much it takes to learn the scripts )
Wanna Be Hero (normal with underground, singleplayer) - it seems to be almost two months by now, however it's not finished yet. 1500+ lines script is quite demanding.

[ByteBandit]

A real challenge for me: Making the Rise and Fall of Sandro. I spent about 2 weeks on the HoMM1 map. Around 3 weeks (12 hours a day) on the HoMM2 map. Around 1 month each (8 hours a day) on the HoMM3 maps. The H4 maps took forever, it seemed like.
Ohh........And I forgot to include the endless time spent on corrections with words and map items on all the maps. I could'nt imagine doing a project that size alone and even with the help of Muszka and Koni, I became mapmaking burned out for the longest time afterwards.

[Koni]

I could'nt imagine doing a project that size alone and even with the help of Muszka and Koni, I became mapmaking burned out for the longest time afterwards.

... and for now, is this "burning out" fading away gradually, so that you are working on your next project again?

[rdeford]

I can relate to map making burnout, especially with H5.

[ByteBandit]

That's the truth. Burn out is just a part of mapmaking. I've accepted that. But as time goes by, fresh ideas emerge and it's back to the drawing board once more to see if you can create something better than your last project. At least, that's my approach.

And yes, Koni, a new story is slowwwwwly coming into focus. And not the one I came up with months ago. That one just was'nt making sense to me. It did'nt connect the separate HoMM games.