How would I go about building a map?

I have been trying to build a map for a simulator style game for about a month now but I just don’t know where to start. Every time I go about building it a get discouraged.

Any helpful tips?

2 Likes

I often feel the same exact way! It is so hard to start from scratch. I have a few tips for helping get past this initial block. These worked for me, and may be worth a try!

  1. Start with just a room, just a building, or just a small area. Instead of trying to tackle the project as a whole, try making bits and pieces of it. Once you have all your major locations, you can combine them into a single map.

  2. Make a corner, and work your way from there. This is kind of similar, but you can just start with the corner (or center) of the map and work your way outward from there.

  3. Start on the scripting now, and worry about the building later. If you aren’t doing the scripting, this doesn’t really apply. However, you may want to start by scripting a system. As you do that, you may have ideas for how to apply it to a bigger map. You may also want to build the map around that system.

Note that one downside of this is if your script contains lots of variables that look a lot like this: game.Workspace.Folder.OtherFolder.Model.Light.LightPart.PointLight, you’ll have to edit those variables later once you build more stuff.

  1. Visit other games for inspiration! This one is quite fun, but it can actually really help you to get some ideas or get a sense of how to start building. Visit other games with a similar map. It doesn’t even have to be the same genre of game, it just needs to have a similar map to what you have in mind. Pay special attention to not only how it looks, but also how you would go about building it. This can help you get unstuck, and is also good after you start if you need to take a break and get some new ideas flowing.

  2. Ask a friend. Even if your friends have never played, let alone built a Roblox game, ask your friends for some imput. They may have some good ideas or at least can be a supportive voice by your side.

[BONUS] If you keep getting frustrated every time you try to build, you may want to listen to some music as you build! This is what I usually do, however that doesn’t work for everyone.

I really hope this helps! Best of luck with your building. Let me know if you have any questions!

4 Likes

Hello!
It is likely that having so many ideas about the map (or perhaps not having very clear ideas) overwhelms you, here are some tips that I have learned from what I have experience.

  1. Clear map idea and visual guides.
    Before building it is necessary to know what you want to represent, if I am looking to make a horror game I must keep in mind that I want a terrifying space that contributes to the player’s experience. That is why it is necessary to have an idea about what you will build and also to have visual guides since in addition to being inspired you can take several elements from different sources to build your map.

  2. Sketch of the map.
    It is not necessary to make a sketch with many elements or one of the entire map. If you are going to start with a specific space, make a sketch of that area and one of that area within your main map so you will know where to locate each thing and you can accommodate the areas to your liking.

  3. Don’t focus on detailing an entire area separately.
    Dedicating a whole construction day to just one part can overwhelm you by not seeing a
    great advance, so I suggest you create the primary structures of your sketch and once you have a clearer view of your map, start detailing your areas.

I hope it helps you. Good luck! :v:

2 Likes