New with a big imagination.. but stuck

[CouldntDeal]

Hello, I'm CouldntDeal. After playing many MMO's and Single-Player games, I've come to realize they get boring after a while. Most of you probably have came to this conclusion as well. You also probably wanted to play a game that you like. So why not create your own? Correct? Well, that is exactly what I want to do. Create my own game. Like many of you! So you know what I did? I grabbed a piece of paper and frantically drew up my world. It's a sketch of the entire map. I have rivers, trees, and mountains. The problem is, I have no idea how to get my thoughts from my pen and paper, to the game itself. I have many more questions, but I figure if I can just figure out how to detail and layout my world first, I could ask those questions later. What really inspired me is when I downloaded this sandbox, and loaded the Forest level. I want that similar look, mainly the detail. I just don't know how to use it large scale. Map size "16" is what I've used. In editor mode I flew around and it is big enough for the type of game I need. I guess my question is, do I have to hand craft the entire map starting with the 16? Or is there a way I can draw up a template like I did with my pen and paper, and get a rough draft pasted into the MapSize:16. Then just polish it up and add detail? Thanks for reading this far, and I hope you can help me.

[arcones]

You can copy whole sections of geometry and mapmodels around your map, and that will cut down on the time for building.

As for a template, I don't think that would help much, simply because there is no format for a template (unless your thinking of a large scale model in general).

[CouldntDeal]

Yeah, I was thinking large scale. Really large scale. I don't expect it to be perfect in any sense, just get the map generated somewhat with at least mountain ranges and river beds. With this I could just go through and shape the mountains and polish the river beds. Also, gives me a sense of direction. Right now looking at my piece of paper and trying to form that into this massive flat world... I have no idea how I would be able to do that, by hand.

[arcones]

Ah, well in that case, let me introduce you to a helpful feature of Sandbox: the heightmap mode. By pressing H while in editmode, you gain access to the heightmap mode. This allows you to create shallow basins in the ground, or riverbeds. It can also create hills and mountains if you take the time. It is very easy to use and you can create decent looking hills and valleys in little time. Just a warning though, if you change the gridsize (by pressing G and scrolling) and continue with a smaller heightmap, then you may end up creating a "geometry glitch". They can be a serious pain, so try to avoid those at all costs by using one gridsize the entire time ;D

[CouldntDeal]

Oh, okay. Thanks! Though, the map size I'm using the the size 16. The massive one, and I have a *censored* drawn out map on my computer desk.. any suggestions on how to transfer from paper to map? Tips and tricks maybe? haha Thanks a ton for that though

[arcones]

Well. Envision how you would want it to look from your perspective in real life. For instance, if you have a town next to a river, figure out a size that looks good, and work with that as the basic building blocks. Once you have built generic scenes and the general detail, then you go back over and become detailed. But there is no "proper" way of getting your ideas from paper to map. You just have to dive in and do it!

[CouldntDeal]

Well yeah, haha I know that. I don't mean fine details from paper to map. I mean outline the entire world from paper, to the map. I don't have any benchmarks...or any idea how I would even do that. My mind is still blown thinking of the 1600's cartographers and their maps..