(Updated on 2023-12-18 /// This guide is a work in progress!)
Hey everyone, it’s been a while since my last tutorial, so I thought it would be nice to go back and make a revised version of my 2019 topic of How to Design a Map Layout. For my guide on How to Immersify Your Experience With Audio, click HERE.
In this post, I’m going to discuss my step-by-step methodology to optimally creating a PvP map. The theory behind the approach applies to all types and sizes of PvP maps, from FPS to MOBs.
Note: I pulled this recipe from my book The Ultimate Roblox Game Building Cookbook and tried to simplify it as much as I could. More info at the bottom of this thread.
Overview
When designing maps, I break the development up into 7 parts:
1. Planning your Layout
2. Greyboxing the Map
3. Risk versus Reward Spots
4. Placing Props for Cover
5. Creating the Outer Perimeter
6. Adding Volumetric Lighting
7. Finishing the Map
So without further ado, Let’s get into it!
1. Planning your Layout
The first step for creating maps, especially ones that require balance between both sides of the map, is planning the layout. To kick off the chapter, our first recipe will be planning how our map will look, the total size, and where our paths, objectives and landmarks will be. We will then use labeled parts to build out a rough 2D version of the map. Remember, it’s always quicker both short term and long term to properly plan and lay out your builds.
Step 1: First, we will start by rescaling the baseplate to the size which we would like our map to be. In this example I’m working with a 400x400 baseplate. I prefer to keep my FPS maps more compact so players run into each other more frequently.
Step 2: Next, we will build an elevated L-shaped area on one side of the wall where one of the teams will spawn:
Step 3: Now we will create three paths running down the left, right and middle of the map. The width of my path in this example is 32 studs. You can then add smaller pathways and alleys connecting the larger paths to one another.
Step 4: You should now be left with a few spots in between the paths where we can build some enterable buildings. Place some floor foundations for the buildings and then place some door and window reference parts. Each room should have multiple entrances and no “camping” spots.
Step 5: Now, I’m going to place one orange and one pink part and label them both “TEAM SPAWN” to represent where both sides will spawn. I also place red parts on the paths where I plan to build an arch or tunnel. Finally, I also place some large yellow parts to represent landmarks. (For labelling, I use the ThreeDText Generator Plugin)
Landmarks are large objects that can be seen from most areas of the map, and help direct players towards the objectives.
2. Greyboxing the Map
The second step for creating maps is to greybox your map. Greyboxing is where you block out the map with very simplistic shapes and little to no detail. We will be using primitive parts to greybox the walls and roofs around our previously created paths. After the initial main walls have been constructed, we will then go through and add extruding pillars on the walls, which will help create an environment with depth and provide the players with more cover.
Step 1: I usually start this step by building out the walls around the perimeter of the map, usually 3x or 4x taller than the standard player height.
Step 2: Then I build walls around the window and door reference parts that we placed earlier:
Step 3: Next, let’s build a giant doorway in the middle and right-side of the map, and have it slightly open so players can easily get through:
Step 4: Now, build out the walls around your paths. Once done, you can arch meshparts above where we placed the red tunnel reference parts earlier.
Step 5: Now place some pillars inside of your building interiors to add cover for players:
Step 6: Build some wall pillars extruding out from both sides of the doorways. This helps break up the flatness of the walls and adds depth:
3. Risk versus Reward Spots
Every well-designed competitive game map that you play has what we call “risky spots”. These are spots that are challenging to get to and usually provide little cover, but are usually in a vantage point that allows you to see across the map. This means you have a better line of sight for spotting enemies. For this map, I built two watch towers and placed them on either end of the map from one another:
4. Placing Props for Cover
Now that we have created the shell of our map, we are ready to go through and begin placing parts to represent the greybox of where the props will go. We will place the props in areas that will provide adequate cover, while also not being too much of an advantage. Some of the props that we will be adding are for the aesthetic of the game which will help encapsulate the theme of the map.
Step 1: Place blue colored parts around the map in places that you want players to have cover. I usually place barrels and boxes around most corners, and a couple of cars and large crates along the border walls.
Your map should look something like the image below:
5. Creating the Outer Perimeter
Now that we’ve completed greyboxing our map, we will now create buildings and objects to tower over and surround the four edges of the map. This will help affirm with players where the boundaries are. After we roughly block out the buildings, we will then do a quick pass on up-ressing (increasing detail) the buildings by adding wedges to create the roof, chimneys, windows, and false-doors:
Step 1: Next, place some large square blocks around the outer perimeter of the baseplate. These will represent non-enterable buildings which will help define the map border and act like a wall. This will make it obvious to the player that they can not go any further.
Step 2: Use some wedge parts to create some roof slopes on the border buildings:
Step 3: Continue to detail out the building greyboxes into their basic shapes:
Step 4: Attach a square part to the wedges on the roof and then overhang them by 2-3 studs:
6. Adding Volumetric Lighting
Lighting is great for many things when designing a map, including to brighten up dark areas, and to also lead players down certain directions. For example, well placed torches along a wall in a dark corridor will help lead the player forward. In the following section, we will be applying volumetric lighting to help illuminate our environment.
Step 1: First, we will be working with surface lights to illuminate the interior of buildings:
Step 2: Next, we will greybox some streetlamps and light fixtures to which we will then add SpotLights to, giving us a more suitable range of effects that we can’t get with a surface light:
7. Finishing the Map
Now, we will be going through the last process needed to finish building a successful and stylistically attractive PvP map – polish. We will be up-ressing the quality of the map from greybox to polished to increase the fidelity of the buildings and walls. At this time, we will also replace the greyboxed props with their final assets and finish off by coloring and applying materials across the map.
You should now have a finished product that looks something like the image below:
Thanks for reading everyone!
If you liked this guide, I actually wrote an entire book that goes way more in-depth, and is full of these sort of recipes! It’s written in a cookbook format with step-by-step recipes, making it easy to follow along with. If you are interested in getting a copy, you can order it here!
. Ima reply when I remember it ) 
