I asked this question on another Clan's forum, but Id lik to ask the general public.

Do you create a layout on paper first, and concept art before editing or just go at it? I know a few of ya do artwork first, and layouts (some of you REALLY like to talk about yourselves and whats going on in your head, you know who you are ) Sadly, many mappers have disappeared, stolen away by other games.

Personally, I dont do any art or layout drawings first. Its a waste of time to me to do a 2d image of a 3d image I have stored in my memory banks-er brain. I dont mean that goes for everyone, but for me its a waste. Thats time I could hve been in the editor actually mking progress on the map.

Now, dont get me wrong. I like to draw (well used to) and paint, all forms of art really. I even used to write stories, and not short ones mind you. Long, thick, 400 page or so 'books' that I still have in a crate at home. Im not knocking it at all, I just wondered.

So I asked

I typically start with a simple path sketch and then flesh it out with concept art. Then I sit down in the editor and start making my basic pieces for the map and try to get them close to my concept art (it never happens, what I wouldn't do to be able to import my own objects). After all of that I do LOS (line of sight) test to determine frame rate, cosmetic fine tuning, and perspective strength. Heck, I can't even count the times that I've had a map at the point of it could be done just to scrap it and start over.

BTW Kevin I'm just about done with the smaller of the maps that I've been working on I should have it out the door tonight.

I'm not a big fan of plans with this editor because of the fixed objects and inability to import your own.
In UT3ed i do create sketches however since you can make something exactly how you draw it.

Because of a lack of long term planned gameplay my maps probably suffer but i am a fan of making a map feel realistic and almost like a different game.
I fiddle with the pieces rotating/doubling up etc. as soon as i get a hint of a different texture or piece and how it can be used i'll go through the editor to check for other pieces that will fit with the theme. Once i figure i have enough different objects/custom objects to make a decent map i usually get a quick image in my head of how the map would look from each teams perspective and i work from there.

Well, it depend. Usually its for me just some idea and basic concept, which then develop piece by piece, based on editor option and how whole map shoul/could works and so one.
Sometime its different, for example maps like Acropolis or Sphinx, first I tried to read about those places, see some more pictures and try to combine it all to the map with possibly good gameplay.
Only one map, where I used drawing was Omega, but it was only because I couldnt use my pc and I had only pen close to me.
But just for basic layout, generally is drawing useless for me and map is always grow up piece by piece, because you have to see each place from all directions and try find out how it would looks and work for best.
Actually is sometime nice to see, how big different is between what was your firt idea and how map looks like at the end

I usually get a concept in my head that I feel like persueing. Then I kind of follow the same path as Thraxxus described above. Except I will sometimes do detailed sketches using shapes that look like the brushes that I will need. Just to make sure it will work the way I am thinking.
But generally, after concept i do pathways, then gameplay, then world.

I usually have a lots of ideas, the problem is more designing an interesting enough layout.

I start by drawing the layout on paper, usually it takes several tries, until I have a plan on scale featuring all the tactical opportunities or almost (I think that working without a plan, or with an imcomplete ones will likely make you lose time as you may make mistake and have to redo whole parts of your maps)

I aim for something that will play differently from most maps, easy to navigate, fast, with many opportunities and not camper friendly.

then I build the layout of the map with colonial fences.

then I replace most of the colonial fences with better textures. I make sure everything is perfectly aligned and you don't get stuck anywhere.

then I add the details and the occlusion blocks everywhere I can.

I don't have any set process. Sometimes I'll sketch (if I get an idea and I'm nowhere near my xox), sometimes I'll just get an idea while messing around in the editor. Sometimes I have a very clear idea of what I want to see, and sometimes I have no idea and just kinda figure it out as I go.

Thats neat; we all have a slightly different approach to mapping. Fauch's deal with the colonial fence is a good idea; it would certainly help with the types of maps I see Fauch make, which btw always interest me.

One thing I had tried a while back was doing my layout with the texture painter, but it didnt really do me any good, so I stopped after a cuople times.

Sometimes I have a mental picture of the structure and path layout in my head. Sometimes its just an idea for a base or central structure and I shoot from the hip for the rest as I begin to build. A lot of my maps are visualy connected so I start to get a picture of the next map as I am building the present. It helps a lot but can be a pain to make work. I did layout sketches for a couple of my FC Predator maps but haven't had to for FC2.

I got some great news, after being layed off for a year. I got a voice message from a friend at Bungie (multi player lead designer) the other day asking if I wanted a job (I had messaged him a couple of months ago about it). Looks like I'll be changing professions shortly. I'll be going for 'Mission Designer', not sure yet if it will be for story mode or multi-player level design. Probably won't be making any more FC2 maps.

Thats great news Mikk. ood luck with that. Especially sincee they just said that Halo would be around for the next several years.

Wowo Mikk congrats! That is awesome, I wish you the best of luck. That would pretty much be my dream job. I got invited to work on a Crysis Mod, for Urban style level design, but I just dont have the time right now to work on something that serious. I already rush and hurry my maps out for FC2. Now, I am working on one that Im really going to take my time on, it may not be done for months. I have a nice stable of maps that dont get old easily now, so those will be on my server for a while + maps from other mappers.

I start with a theme and then work out how I will create it with Far Cry I.Ps map system, figuing out what I can use to repisent what.
So far, I have made a shanty town, a half-sunken factory, a pirate island chain, a drilling station on a volcano and I'm working on a vally high in the mountains.

Agent00Kevin : I have a lots of time, but it's not like he will receive that kind of propositions
is it an official mod?

Mikk Q : mission designer, I suppose it's the guy who draws a plan of the level with all the necessary informations for the mappers, not the guy who will actually build the map in the editor, which sounds like the contrary of what you do on fc2. in another hand, the fact you are an architect should be a great help.

one of the reqirments is: Pror experience designing levels and scripting encounters for action games. Also: Functional knoledge of 3D Studio Max a plus. I did some scripting for single player mission levels using a Quake editor called Qed on th PC. Never used 3D Studio Max but have used a couple of Quake wire frame editors and the high rises I worked on we used a program called Microstation Triforma to build the towers in 3D then used the models to cut plans and section - very accurate. My guess is that it will be both design and build as I get more familier with 3D S Max. Probably on single story and multi as needed.
I always send Chris a message when I finish a FC2 map so he could check out the pics on my web site.

Here you go Mikk. This is something you can mess with that will give you an idea of 3DMAX
This is called Z Brush This is a 30 day trial and it has some tutorials on the site that will get you going. You can build anything in it. Import stuff also.