syKotic's Four Aspects of Quake Mapping and their Definitions

Looks: This one is quite obvious, but does need an explanation. When I look at the actual detail and looks of a map, I want to see something that really stands out. I hate maps that are made of about 3-4 textures and are just extremely bland. The looks should be real "eye candy" on a map. Quake can run beautiful maps and Q3Radient can make them, so I believe a mapper should take his time with his/her map to make it look the best. Those are the standards I go by when grading the looks section of a map.

Playability: This is tied for the lead with Fun Factor for the most important aspect of mapping. Playability is simply how well the map plays when in the game. When I grade the Playability of a map, essentially I am looking for a map that flows well when in the game and keeps the action going. I dont want to get stuck between models or walls or find myself lost in a maze with pillars every two feet. Its just not possible to play well in maps like that. Instead, the map should all fit together with no sudden change in theme or style.

Fun Factor: This is the other important one here. This is simply how fun it is to play the map Lemme tell you now, if a map is no fun to play it, it sux. And the major contributor to a bad fun factor is a lack of playability. If you cant play it well, its not gonna be any fun. The point of the game is supposed to be fun. Dont make a map that looks very good but is no fun at all, like q3dm19. Its a cool lookin space map, but there it isnt fun because the system of ledges is too time-consuming to use and way too complex. Try to keep it simple aesthetically, yet detailed and fun.

Aesthetics: Aesth-what? lol. The Aesthetics (ess-TEHT-iks) of a map is the actual design (NOT looks) of a map. Signs of good aesthetics are things like: The map is all one theme, it doesnt switch from like futuristic to sudden gothic. The map's style doesnt change, meaning the map is consistent, not in theme, but in style, throughout. For example, you dont want to be in a castle one moment with a blue sky overhead and in a dark space map the next. Also, the design of the map should flow to increase playability. Rooms should be interconnected, not accessible through only like a secret teleporter or something. Also, every room should have more than one entrance/exit, unless the map's theme/style calls for a dead end all of a sudden. It is important to use hallways to connect rooms, therefore making it possible to maneuver the whole map and find new routes to places instead of always taking the same route. This makes the Fun Factor of the map last longer and makes it more challenging to play with others.

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