Introduction to JohnnyEnglish maps

Hi readers

Map/level design is a fun and consuming hobby. It can take many weeks or months to concieve, design and create all the assets for a first person shooter level.

Level designers, whether professional or hobbyiest or someone wishing to create a world of their own imagination need to be skilled, or have some knowlege of many seperate areas.

Personally, I've spent a lot of time learning how to create textures, build models and construct levels which are interesting and perform reasonably well.

After completing several maps and having spent many months doing so I still enjoy the simple pleasure of creating a level.

I started out making a single map to test out bot behaviour and all my early maps were designed for a very specific gameplay, bots vs humans CTF. If you're looking for a map which supports bots and CTF, give these a try. If not, you should probably avoid my early maps.

My work should be considered as entertainment for myself and occasionally, those who play them. I'm not really interested in developing further as a level designer, what I do, I do for fun.

As part of this, I pass on what I've learned to new mappers on the Custom Map Makers irc channel (#cmm on freenode). Feel free to drop by and ask us a question.

Maps completed : 11, with 3 unfinished or WIP.

ut4_amazing (aka A Maze In)

This was my first ever attempt to build a map for Urban Terror, the map started out as a test map for bots.

At the time I was interested to know why Urban Terror bots were unable to climb ladders, so I made a map with a bot and a ladder and tried to force them together.

I also ran the very busy humans vs bots servers [AZLCMB1] and needed more bot friendly maps, this has been my motivation for mapping initially and why all my maps support bots.

From a construction and gameplay point of view, this is a terrible map with a terrible layout but I learned so much about map making while building this map that I have fond memories for the map and occasionally load it up for fun.

Map status : Completed

ut4_bilbo_rough (a suburb I know)

This map I made at high speed, with very little consideration or skill I banged together a lot of boxes, found a load of models and just plonked them down inside Radiant

The map has terrible fps and pretty bad gameplay, was untested before release and has many irritating "bugs".

Making this map I learned many new things, especially why not to build a map in a single outer box, this will cause the entire map to be drawn on every frame, including player models, bullets and effects.

This was the last map I made in this way.

Map status : Completed

ut4_desertia

When I started this map I knew not to make a single box and create content inside, I knew I had to design the layout in advance and then build each area in a smaller box with connections of right-angled passages between them.

However, layout changed significantly during testing, I had problems getting the bots to perform and so changed things around quite a lot.

Despite this, I still quite like this map. It has quite a few nice details, I like the setting and it's fun for capture the flag and perhaps bomb modes.

The map has one of the first fancy waters, a feature added to Urban Terror 4.1. It also exposed me to the particle studio and I spent a lot of time making a fountain.

If you are looking for a map to play with bots, try this one.

Map status : Completed
Youtube

ut4_glug

The first map where I worked with another mapper. I had this idea for something at sea, and under sea. I never had a strong layout but persevered with the idea and made a map with a few mazes, some long straight tunnels and a few other weird ideas.

The map still looks and performs well with a lot of players and works exceptionally well with bots, I played this map on my own servers for months and a lot of people enjoyed it but it was never really tested on other servers.

Mindriot, an experienced mapper basically taught me how to make maps well, he totally rebuilt most of the map at one stage and by looking at his work, I learned so much. Thank you mindriot for sharing this, it helped a lot.

The map has some cool graphic effects, some nice sound effects made by my girlfriend (picola), she has been very supportive of my mapping and often contributes graphics or sound effects, she also helps with testing.

I began to learn how to make models on this map, and prefabricated sections that would be used quite often. This was also the first of my maps to be 100% self contained for graphics and shaders.

Map status : Completed
Youtube

ut4_evil_circus

Enjoyed making this map enourmously, the final result is rich in detail and dark.

I made pretty much all the models, sound effects and textures for this map by hand and learned a great deal in doing so.

The map has a very simple layout which seems more complex than it really is, has a few interesting shader effects and a few wacky places to visit.

I'm especially pleased with the balloons, a late addition but they add something to the overall atmosphere, if you look closely, they bob up and down.

Map status : Completed
Youtube

ut4_empuries

Empuries was one of the first maps that I attempted to make a playable layout for human vs human. I'd spent most of my time previously trying to create layout where bots could capture flags and give human players an interesting time.

The theme was a roman museum, I'd been to Empuries many times and so chose this setting.

The map also features for the first time a flame shader by Rylius, I've used this flame many times since. The map name reflects this as the full title is Empuries, the stolen flame.

Although not well accepted by some, the map was adopted by a few zombie servers and converted to run in the game n00brage.

One of my personal favourite maps, again - I learned a lot in making this map and there are some details I'm quite proud of.

Map status : Completed
Youtube

ut4_le_ballon_rouge

I created this map for the <|MTC|> team to enjoy, as a long time member (mostly inactive) I'm a great supporter of what they do and they way they are.

The map features a ut_train and has a nice style, the shop names are all members of <|MTC|> and if you look closely, you'll notice 2 names are current FS members.

Personally, I don't enjoy playing this map, I'm pleased with the result visually but never found the layout interesting.

Points of interest, the movie sound track from the 1956 movie, Le Ballon Rough, models by Rayne and the second appearance of the red balloon.

Map status : Completed
Youtube

ut4_eezabad

One of my accidental maps, I had what I thought a good idea for a layout and 24 hours later I'd almost completed this map.

It developed into a very similar layout to casa, which was never really intended.

Some attempts were made to change the layout slightly but this never really worked and the final result is playable and quite fun.

Features to note, the flame shader returns. The map is decorated with strange texts and funny messages, contains a copy of the bin-laden house (was designed for another map) and a lot of models.

Map status : Completed
Youtube

ut4_skeetshoot_2011

Was asked by Urban Zone (SevenOfNine) to create a new map for the 2011 skeet shoot tournament, a now annual competition for sr8 players.

With only a week to design and create a map I enlisted the help of a number of mappers to help and a lot of people to test my ideas, the map was completed on time despite having to build a completely different map just for the promotional video so that the camera could zoom to the players.

Very much enjoyed making this map and enjoyed watching the tournament.

Map status : Completed
Youtube

ut4_skeetshoot_2012 Work in progress

Not completed this section, please check back soon.

Map status : Completed
Youtube

ut42_pirate_land Work in progress

Not completed this section, please check back soon.

Map status : Completed

ut4_bus_stop_a1 Work in progress

Not completed this section, please check back soon.

Map status : Alpha version

ut4_enterprise_r3 Work in progress

Not completed this section, please check back soon.

Map status : Unfinished demo
Youtube

ut4_hollywood Work in progress

Not completed this section, please check back soon.

Map status : Work in progress