CS:GO Map - Saya
Project Detail:
Source Engine + Hammer Editor
Level Layout & Block out
Setdressing
Lighting
Optimization
***All assets are either from base editor assets or community shared free assets
Saya (de_saya) is a CS:GO bomb defusal map I worked on alone over the course of a year (2020 - 2021). During the process of making this map, I learned a ton about FPS map layout,and also became much more familiar with Source Engine & Hammer Editor.
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Check it out on Steam!
Bombsite A - Blockout VS Final ***click the pictures to open in larger screen
T Spawn Room - Blockout VS Final
Bombsite B - Blockout VS Final
Mid Lane - Blockout VS Final
T to B Main - Blockout VS Final
Map Overview- Blockout VS Final
2 Min Walkthrough of the Map
Post Mortem or Stuff I could have done better...
Optimization- Optimize early & don't wait until it becomes a nightmare
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Unlike unreal & unity, compile a map in Source takes quite a long time unless the map is very well optimized. My first time doing a final map compile took over 40 min, even though it's just a bareboned blockout without any assets in it. I started searching for optimization tutorials online and realized that if I used no draw material & func_detail brush from the start it would have saved me tons of time & headache on optimization afterward. As the blockout gets bigger and more complicated, it also got harder to decide which brush should be optimized and which of those faces didn't have no draw material. This might not be the case for every engine or editor, but I think always be aware of optimization issues after starting a blcokout is a good habit to keep. Poor optimization and low fps would take out the joy of playing any greatly designed FPS map.
A new layout is not always better, maybe it's just different
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I discarded at least 3 blockouts before I decided to settle down with this one. Although every time I started a new layout I avoided the traps I fell into previously and improved here and there, I still doubt the result could be the same if I kept my first few layouts and spent the rest of my time on iteration instead of deeming them unworthy of change & starting another entirely new layout.
Sticking to the Metrics
I was always aware of the basic map metrics from the start - like using 128 as a basic unit for wall & door frame, 8 unit per stair height etc. But I also found myself straying away from metrics a lot when I was doing the blockout. I often increased the height of a ceiling or platform just because I felt that looks better/right. I didn't find myself in trouble until I started setdressing the map myself. There're always fences that wouldn't connect seamlessly on both ends because the length of that edge isn't the multiples of 128 units; or sometimes the window frame won't fit because the openning is too big/small. During the setdressing phase, I did a lot of minor adjustments in the blockout in order to fit the existing modular assets into my map.
Even though the level designer is usually not the ones that are setdressing the map, knowing the size of modular assets & sticking to the metrics when building a blockout will greatly help environment artists to save time in the long run.
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Plan and block out Negative (non-playable) space early
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Looking at the minimap of this map, you might notice some paths are quite close to each other (separated by thin walls) and the overall minimap looks a bit crowded. This is due to me focusing on building out the playable space (positive space) without thinking or leaving enough negative space in this layout.
Leaving out more negative space in a CSGO map has a lot of benefits: it gives enough creative space for art and setdressing; it makes it easier to change/adjust the map layout in case it doesn't work out; it makes the map appear bigger than it actually is; it helps the player to better identify the direction of gunshots etc.
I used to think map as a bunch of interconnected hallways and rooms (with only playable space), after building this map, I came to see both playable space & nonplayable space as a whole. Blocking out unplayable space as well as playable space early can often give the map a better sense of integrity; it also helps the map to grow organically instead of being predefined to the boring shape of rooms + hallways.
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