Ambiance-Another whopping tip thread.

[Shambles]

Hey everyone! I haven't been modding or scripting for long, but I love looking at what everyone comes up with. What I find makes a really good custom story, is ambiance.
I can not stress how important it is, actually, which is why I think it deserves its own thread. And I encourage others to add in their opinions too!

For starters, how about we focus on the static objects you are using. Castle base? Mansion? Maybe the Cistern? I want you new and advanced mappers alike, to take a moment and think.

There are all sorts of sounds and music to use, sure, the sound of someone screaming would be scary, or the growl of a Brute behind the next door. BUT, hold on, look at your custom story layout first! For one, when the player first "comes to", is it really so great to throw in screams and monsters right off the bat?
Sometimes it is! Say you use a prison setting, it would be useful to put them on their toes.

But say you want to start with the castle or mansion. Think about the mood you want to set as the person "wakes up". Mystery? Fear? Wonder?
I am one of those people that, when mapping and scripting, I make the mistake of cluttering.

Cluttering, where you get so carried away with "WHAT CAN I THROW IN THE MAP AS WELL."

It's fun to get carried away, but really, from personal experience, you'll end up loathing the map you've been working on. Has anyone else done that? Spent days on a map, but not thinking about what you're slapping onto it? haha.

I'll use my own mistakes while mapping mansion base things as examples.

-The sounds, what the hell are they doing there?
All too often I throw in a multitude of noises and effects, say, in one room alone. Just because I'm so focused on THAT room. I end up with creaks, birds, rain, wind, all at once. And I will tell you, that very map, I've started over so many times, because I find I've strayed from what I WANTED to make it feel like.
Don't pull a me and put the piano music in the sewer LOL

-Decorations, furniture.
Why is that wine vat in a mansion room.
When you're mapping, it's very important to NOT make the biggest room you possibly can, then come to find out you have over half of it left empty, what do you do then? Well, erase, probably what most people would do.
But I make the mistake of "I CAN FIX THIS!111!!"
So I clutter up the room with MORE furniture and decor. What started out as the study of a refined man turns into a messy office with too many bookshelves.
Even if you DO pick things related to the rooms, you might be like me and clutter it so that you have no idea what to do with the next rooms.

-Particles.
Oh, goodness. Particles. I struggle with these, and Decals. Why? Because there are so many to toy with! You can't go wrong, right?!
Wrong. I always end up over fogging a bedroom or adding green mist to castle bases. And then later I'm face palming because what was I doing? Cluttering some more.

In my opinion, coming to ambiance, these things matter a LOT. Especially since you have to consider the type of custom story you're making, and what the feeling should be. Don't be like me. Don't go "WHAT CAN I THROW INTO THIS MAP. LET ME JUST USE EVERYTHING IN THIS ONE MAP."
It'd be smart of you to type out a detailed skeleton of what sort of particles, decor, sounds, ect. should be in your story. And what sort of static objects you will use.

I am a spontaneous map maker, which means they're all rushed and cluttered. But I've seen a lot of wonderful stories, and the ambiance is perfect. It plays a HUGE role in a successful story. So those were my thoughts on how to save your story before you muck it up in the first place (a lot like me!), and I want to hear from others on the forum.

What are some important bits to ambiance you would like to make points on? What are some silly mistakes you've made as a mapping beginner? What are some tips and tricks you have on the sounds, particles and decals, and decor? How do you keep your focus on the overall story, and keep the "mood" as it should be?

[Chap]

I see a lot of people giving tips on what makes a great map and how to be a good level designer. Y'know creating do's and don'ts etc, but whilst there are some ground rules I think a lot of it changes depending on what you're trying to achieve (whether it turns our good or not). The main problem with new mappers is that they'll make a level and be afraid to delete sections or it, alter sections or just complete start again, when they shouldn't be. Okay so you've wasted time on a map but then think how much better your skills will be after that practice.

When i'm mapping I constantly ask myself - What is this space used for? What does the room function as and why is this here?

Whilst you're mapping, if you ask these questions and can answer them with a solid reason, then the ambiance of the map will be ten times better. Player's will recognize logical props in a room and subconsciously have a suspicion of it's purpose.

So to start with, have a plan of what it is you want to build but think about why it's there. In a story-driven game, the environment needs to have some logical explanation as to why it is there. This is probably the one thing that I constantly ask myself about my level designs and if I can answer them it makes me feel much more content with the map.

As for the importance of ambiance, I'm completely on board with it =P I'm actually doing my dissertation this year which I will be discussing the creation of ambiance in game environments =D

[crisosphinx]

I give you 5 out of 5 stars for an interesting thread. No, it's not a tutorial, no it's not a real guide; however, it IS a thread posting information that is useful to everyone, including those who need to be reminded.

All too often I see a game (anything made by Bethesda), map or models with something that looks out of place. Are the textures not matching up with the scenery? Did the map designer hire and intern or get someone who doesn't know what they are doing and add something like a water keg in a bathroom (WTF?).

It takes you out of the moment. Jump scares are a good example. You got Pewdiepie with his crap maps, having a naked flying man enters the room from behind you and hurts you. OH SHIT, it's a naked man and there's no monster! Where did it come from? Oh, it came from the random dresser in the hallway... GREAT JOB.

Ambiance is truly what makes a game so deep. You get absorbed by it. If you have a character, the same applies. Make sure that you don't have a Pikachu running around in Amnesia. It makes no sense.

And to get off the tangent and rant....

Good thread! Maybe you can make a tutorial explaining some of this stuff with screenies? That'd be sure to help out the newbies who don't understand anything about map making! ;]

[Shambles]

All too often I see a game (anything made by Bethesda), map or models with something that looks out of place. Are the textures not matching up with the scenery? Did the map designer hire and intern or get someone who doesn't know what they are doing and add something like a water keg in a bathroom (WTF?).

LOL
I literally just spat out my water.
You do have good points! I actually enjoy a lot of Bethesda games, but goodness, Fallout drives me crazy. JUST because it is a wasteland, does not mean this room can be filled WITH EVERYTHING ON THE LIST BECAUSE BOMBS

Anyways, thank you both for your responses! I appreciate the advice, especially the "A reminder is good" statement. I'll have to look at my own thread now, while I'm mapping! So I can remember to stay on track, aha.

[DragonRuins]

Looks like it hasn't been posted on here for a bit. xD Would anyone mind if I posted some screenshots of two levels I'm working on and I'm not too sure what to do with it as far as level design? I feel like I'm over using some props and I've also got some empty spaces and I don't know what items to put in them to make it look appropriate. Or should i setup a new thread for that?

[The chaser]

Looks like it hasn't been posted on here for a bit. xD Would anyone mind if I posted some screenshots of two levels I'm working on and I'm not too sure what to do with it as far as level design? I feel like I'm over using some props and I've also got some empty spaces and I don't know what items to put in them to make it look appropriate. Or should i setup a new thread for that?

Use the screenshot thread for that. It's in the Custom Stories, TC's and Mods development section.