Largest Outdoor Map

maninblack017

After learning and teaching myself the very basics of map customization, I feel that I am ready to push myself to creating my own ground maps. And being me, I've decided to jump head first into the deep end of the pool (go big or go home, right?). Therefore, I'm aiming to create a large city.

Yes, I know...this should be aggravatingly tedious. And I will probably regret it every moment until I hopefully finish with a map that I truly love. If I can get it close to what I have pictured in my mind, I'll think it'll be a moral victory.

I'm going to attempt building a map from scratch. And one of the best ways I've seen people do that is to build it high above an existing outdoor map. Sound theory if you ask me.

That all being said, is there any guide to what outdoor maps are the largest? Obviously, if I'm endeavoring to build a city, I need a large-scale environment. Or if there is no guide, does anyone know offhand what outdoor map has the largest area?

Any other advice for first-time ground map Creator would be much appreciated. Thank you everyone!

drogyn1701

Not sure what the largest is, but I tend to use Meadow Clearing 01

Really what it depends on is: do you want to include any of the original map geometry? If yes, then find the map with the right geometry you need and just work around whatever size it is. If no, then pick a map and build high in the sky above it.

borrowedtune

Most of the exterior maps are all the same exact size. A few, pulled from Cryptic missions, may be sized differently. Off the top of my head, the Nopada desert map is probably the biggest.

However, be advised you have a limit of 64 buildings per map. This includes actual buildings (like Starfleet Military Base - Large 01, etc) as well as all those building block pieces (platforms, arches, walls, etc) and more. So, I don't really know what you have planned but I would be hard pressed to make anything decent that spans, say, more than four to six 500x500 platforms, which could easily fit on any exterior map.

thay8472

Nopada desert.

thegreendragoon1

It wouldn't worry too much about the map sizes, in most cases your biggest limiter will be the building and object limits. In total, you're limited to 64 buildings per map and 475 detail objects per map.

When I do a city, I try to be judicious about where I allow the player to go and what they can see. There are tricks you can use to make the city "feel" more expansive than it is. I did this map of Old Romulus not too long ago that tries to build on this concept.

drogyn1701

Also, if you are going to use any building blocks, do not use the ones from the Building tab. Use the identical ones from the Details tab so that you don't use up your building budget.

I'm sure lots of you have found this out already, but I try never to assume everyone knows these little tips I found out the hard way when I went back and tried to expand one of my custom builds from 3 years ago.

maninblack017

Wow these are all great pointers.

I knew there was a limit on things but wasn't aware of the exact numbers.
And the thing about the things under the building tab is invaluable. I would've probably thrown something if I would have found out the hard way.

@thegreendragoon1, that picture is extremely impressive.

Basically I'm going to build it on platforms so the geography of a map doesn't matter. I can tell this is going to be a maddening process.

markhawkman

Nopada makes for a very strange foundry map though... So be careful what you use it for.

kirksplat

last time I explored Nopada, I kept running into invisible walls that weren't at the edge of a mini-map. They might only be 10 feet high though. I tend to use Moon Clearing 01, because I've never run out of space with the 475 limit for a custom set in the sky. Plus, I doubt they'll update the sound of that map to put birds in my ship corridors.

kirksplat

maninblack017 wrote: »

Wow these are all great pointers.

I knew there was a limit on things but wasn't aware of the exact numbers.
And the thing about the things under the building tab is invaluable. I would've probably thrown something if I would have found out the hard way.

@thegreendragoon1, that picture is extremely impressive.

Basically I'm going to build it on platforms so the geography of a map doesn't matter. I can tell this is going to be a maddening process.

Nagorak's tutorial will help you:

http://starbaseugc.com/index.php/trailers/essential-viewing/guide-creating-a-custom-interior-map/