[TUTORIAL] Official Map Making Thread!
Object list:
Before we start, this tutorial is made for people who have knowledge of the map-editor of MTA SA.
Spend time to make both track and deco, it's better to spend 2 more weeks on it than rush it.
So, how do you make a decent map?
I'm going to divide this tutorial into 2 sections:
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1: The Track
2: The Decoration
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The Track:
Nowadays people "need" the toolbox to map, so it's advised to download it first, and watch a tutorial about it.
First of all, it's important to ALWAYS let the driver know where the track is going. I see alot of new mappers who make their track so weird that you have no idea where to go.
Now, let me make a list to make a great track:
- Make smooth landings, (if you're to lazy to make them, here's a tool)it's always annoying if you land real hard since you often bounce off.
- Try not to make endless (350+ pieces) Loops/Wallrides with Bauss' Toolbox, those are boring to drive. (imo)
- If you make a ramp, always cover it with a shade, (Preferably with another colour). Here's an Example.
- Create some diversity in the track, don't make 3 loops in a row. Make as many diversity as possible. (Wallride/Ramps/0.50 loops etc.. etc..)
- Find some new objects to use as a track! Alot of people only use shades/roads. Try to use buildings as well, alot of them are driveable and look nice as well.
- Use the track in such a way which nobody has done before, that might take time, but it's worth the effort.
- If you make a ramp of only 1 type of shade, try to create a pattern in the ramp. (1 grey/4 brown or 2 grey/5 brown etc...)
- Build the track lower or the same height as the deco is, if you do so, you can see alot more from the deco.
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The Decoration:
Use the toolbox as less as possible for the decoration. If you copy Rocks/Trees etc.. with it it will look generated which shows you didn't put much effort in it.
- If you're making your first map, it's not a problem to use basic objects like Rocks/Trees/Buildings etc.. but it's always better to try something different.
- If you're gonna make a tropical-style map (Time-5:30-6:00), pick objects that fit in a tropical map. (Brown Rocks/Palms/Hipoly/Brown-coloured buildings) So don't use snow trees etc..
- If you're gonna make a night-style map (Time-0:00-4:00), pick objects that fit in a night style map. It's adviced to use dark objects and put a light object on that, because in a night map you see lights alot better, and they look better as well.
- Combine objects in such a way that they look cool together, do NOT just pick objects you saw on other maps and put them together with rocks and trees.
- A diversity of colours is always adviced. For example: a white rock combined with object-"hipoly" looks great if you put a "healthcity" behind it.
- A thing that I use alot is to make the deco look "real-ish". For example: A bridge can't fly, so make some pillars to "support" it. Buildings can't fly as well, support them with rocks so they look like they're standing on something.
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Some usefull (imo) tropical objects.
-8902 -Bally building (Pink building)-- Attachment 525
-16113 -Brown rocks
-726...735 -Hipoly trees -------------Attachment 526
-8397 -Luxpillar (Big yellow pillar) ----Attachment 527
-3276 -Wooden Fence---------------Attachment 530
Some more buildings I like in a tropical map:
10398, 4193, 4569, 4573, 4576, 4681, 6966, 10056, 10143
Some buildings in a nighttime map:
LibrTow1_Lan || 4550
ballypllr01_lvs || 3437
ballys01_lvs || 8393
exclbrsign01_lvs || 8620
ggbrig_06_sfw || 9690
mall01_01_sfs || 10974
flamingo02_lvs || 8488
vgn_corpbuild3 || 6873
vgsn_pipeworks01 || 7347
Also i'm sure I've forgotten something, any feedback is welcome!
(Oh ye, i'm posting this in general discussion because very few look in the Tutorial section.)
I hope this was usefull in a way.
-Vortex