Blog Archives

Mission Accomplished (Aug 30, 2006)

This is the bit where we end.

Over 100 or so posts, and that's all from me... it seems blogging about level design isn't quite as easy as I hoped it would be. That said, it's been great fun.

It also demonstrated to myself how difficult it is to convey certain level design principles and practises. Finding words and diagrams proved far trickier than I imagined. I guess that stuff is best learnt through practise, analysis and experience, rather than on some measly webpage by someone who really should be working on maps rather than blogging about them.

Thanks everyone who visited, left inane or even inspired comments, sent me screenshots to laugh at, and even let me ridicule them. I hope at least some of my ramblings were a little useful, and if not, well, then I hope you didn't waste too much time reading them, and ta for not pointing out my numerous spellin and grammatical and errers. Whatever you came here for, I hope it served you well.

Feel free to take anything posted on the blog and use it however you wish. Translate, copy'n'paste, embellish... do whatever you want. Credit me (and contributers) if you like, but please don't claim it as your own. This blog and all posts will remain up as long as I can keep them here.

Cheerio.

« Cruelneth Returneth (part 2)

user comments

Killer-Duck at 00:13 on Aug 31, 2006

Good luck in future with mapping and everything! :)

Cheerios!

George at 14:53 on Aug 31, 2006

It's a particularly bad mix when you're working for one company and blogging primarily about the products of another...

This is a little strange, since the last thing I'd expect a company would want would be for you to be blogging about their products.

Pretty poor form on behalf of whoever you work with, that you couldn't reach some kind of compromise and that they need to exert control over what you do outside of the time you spend with them. You've never named who you work for and you've never claimed to speak for them.

I hope whenever you move on to other pastures, you find a more permissive company, and I hope then you choose to rejoin the fray.

cfoust at 00:31 on Aug 31, 2006

Nooooooooo!
Whyyy~~?

Thanks for doing this blog as long as you did. I think I like reading about game design as much as I like doing it.

Mark Verkerk at 00:36 on Aug 31, 2006

Reading this sure is sad though I know all good things have to end one day, and i've always read your blogs with joy.

At some of them I laughed, at some I started thinking and some i started both, realising there is more then just what you see. and finding that more part and using it for improvement is what level design is about from my point of view. Not knowing the tools, not knowing the technical issues. but its about knowing what there is still to improve and knowing what simply needs to be redone.

in short, thanks for giving me a new way of looking at my levels

Stewy P at 01:02 on Aug 31, 2006

I check this site for new posts everyday. Your vast wisdom is always helpful. Have a good one DJ.

Forrest at 02:21 on Aug 31, 2006

Thanks for all the free lessons. I started reading your site as a hobbiest mapper, and am now a professional level designer. Your posts were certainly part of my learning that got me to where I am now.

Thanks.

Blitz at 02:57 on Aug 31, 2006

If you ever had doubts about your blog helping people, you were wrong! I hope you start another blog in the future and I wish you the best in your work!

Thank you,
Ryan McGlynn

Justin at 03:36 on Aug 31, 2006

Take all your posts, revise them and publish them.

uNsaiN at 04:22 on Aug 31, 2006

Thanks for everything you've taught me DaveJ. I will probably download all your entries and put them on a CD, incase this site goes down.

Kev at 04:50 on Aug 31, 2006

Woah that came out the blue:/ I hope the your time saved won't be invested is unleashing another dust2 to rule the world for another 5 years... its our turn now! :P

Well - It was good while it lasted and was most sucessful in giving a fresh perspective on things. It was certainly a very interesting read.

Here's to Dave. May your toast always land butter side up. *raises mug* \o/

Blitz at 05:05 on Aug 31, 2006

Justin is right. Revise these and publish them (or at least most of them) in a book or something.

Paul at 09:29 on Aug 31, 2006

Although I've never considered making a map, or even opened up Hammer, I have this site towards the top of my favorites, and I checked it nearly daily. Many of the important concepts you talk about throughout your posts, in terms of both structural flow and aesthetics, apply to other forms of digital media and even real-world civil engineering. I would just like to say thanks for all the information and wisdom you shared - for mappers and nonmappers alike.

G'luck in the future, mate.

Gregor at 09:58 on Aug 31, 2006

Goodbye, John. Thanks for your help via the blog articles, have a nice life, see yuh.

Dave at 15:00 on Aug 31, 2006

George: This blog had mostly been about Counter-Strike and HL2. I don't work for Valve (unfortunately), hence the issue.

I wasn't told to stop (although I had made the blog more game-neutral recently), but I'm aware of the politics in this industry. It wasn't an easy decision, but it was a personal/professional one.

chuck wilson at 01:14 on Sep 1, 2006

Well Dave it's been an awesome run and a sad end. Thanks for all of your inspiration and hopefully we can still hear from you.

You should connect with valve and make more amazing CS maps ;)

Mark at 04:21 on Sep 1, 2006

Hey, thanks for all your posts, Dave. I always found your breakdowns particularly interesting and I'm glad you contributed to the level design community because I learned a lot from you.

BeKay at 14:21 on Sep 1, 2006

I think it would be a nice ideia for you to make a compilation of all the posts here and write a book.

reaper47 at 16:57 on Sep 1, 2006

Wow, I'm a little shocked. This blog has always been an inspiration for me and on the top of my bookmarks.

I'm looking forward to play some new maps of you, Dave, remembering the good old times here :)

Extreme_One at 03:12 on Sep 2, 2006

Thanks. It's been fun.

Andrew Weldon at 20:09 on Sep 2, 2006

aww :( Always enjoyed swinging by now and then to catch up on the musings and such.

Can definitely understand the reasons, though. It's a shame all the politics can make such a mess of things (an experience I unfortunately got first-hand). Industry seemed so much friendlier back in the .plan days. Well, with a couple notable exceptions...

just some guy at 00:21 on Sep 3, 2006

sorry to see the end of the blog- really enjoyed it and learned a lot. cheers.

PhilipK at 15:27 on Sep 3, 2006

Shame indeed.
It's been really fun reading your posts tho. Have a good one.

Addicted to Morphine at 00:28 on Sep 4, 2006

Your blogs always been a great read. I hope you keep it up as a resource for a very long time.

Captain P at 02:30 on Sep 5, 2006

Thanks for all the good stuff here, and good luck with your future endeavours, Dave. :)

dave at 11:26 on Sep 5, 2006

Thanks for the very kind comments everyone, they mean a lot to me!

Jay Carlson at 09:57 on Sep 6, 2006

We'll miss your voice.

There are a lot of people out there who think de_dust was basically the end of C-S as a sneak-and-shoot game. And a lot of what you've posted here is awesome advice for people playing and devising maps that are a little askew from the original vision of the game. (Designing for wave-clash points is probably the easiest thing to pick on.)

But who cares about originalism. I've easily spent two months of my life in de_dust2, and I'm a little alarmed that nobody has built it for paintball....

Of course, they should pay you if they build it.

Cargo Cult at 17:15 on Sep 4, 2006

It's because I added your blog to Google Reader, innit?

(How many more lovingly collated RSS feeds must die? The humanity!)

I shall use this as an excuse to read the archives. Again.

Ally at 17:16 on Sep 4, 2006

No! This is by far the best blog on the net! I test games and this is the only thing that keeps me sane, I�ve read everything on your site, twice! I�m just starting out in my game industry career and I hope to bump into a legend such as yourself one day, hears hoping! Ally

Matt at 12:46 on Sep 14, 2006

Thanks very much for your writing. I'm not much of a gamer, but this has been one of my favourite feeds, not only because of the interesting and experienced perspectives that are just as useful in other media, but also for the great way in which you imparted them. Best of luck in your future projects, maybe you can still use this blog to keep us up to date on that sort of thing anyway :)

UncleP4ul at 14:45 on Sep 14, 2006

Great blog, hope you finish pa_fact still though!

Sk3tch at 01:49 on Sep 15, 2006

These blogs and your site has honestly motivated me in the way I map.

I can't even begin to thank you ..Great site and great blogs.

smeerkat at 03:13 on Sep 20, 2006

Thank you very much for a blog that was actually informative and worth bookmarking. Hope you change your mind and come back some day.

the man in the sterile mask at 06:53 on Sep 25, 2006

I see you are typing words, but they mean nothing to me?
Maps, design, 'striking counters' - do you work for some 'ordanance survey tiddly-wink' company??

Oh - book the Monday after the wedding off so you can stay over......!