What order do you do things in when creating a map?

I am creating a 256x256 map and it's one of my first maps actually creating from scratch, I have done a lot of mods and map alteration...
But what should I go with first and what order should I proceed in?
Right now I have nothin but starting locations.

hmm - me?

I design the terrain to basically what I want it to be. I dont waste alot of time on it though. Just enough to get everything down.

Create the vital part of your map - like mine in C wars where i create the (cp) command post [where you upgrade units and spawn units]

Create you heroes and their custom spells/unique abilities.

The triggers - I dont worry about unless it deals with any of the topics your are doing like custom spells and etc. Triggers usually last for me. Than i keep expanding from there from what i think is important.

Sooner or later you end up cleaning up your terrain and debugging your map and beta testing it like crazy =P

Remember to lock your map too. SO tired of people stealing maps and making 5 million versions of it and saying its their own and etc. I give to people that ask for it though and person i know will actually use it for learning and etc.

Well - Hope you get how to start =)

<Sorry for messy typing - But u know laptops. Small keys!!! ARGH!>

First, I draw out the map on paper ( a very ugly, rough sketch) that way I get an idea on how I want the map to be size-wise er whatever. Then comes the Terrain/Doodads; next is the preplaced unit, regions, and finally triggers (lots of triggers most of the time :bgrun: ) and all imported stuff.

Yah but I mean what order for terrain and doodads...
Do you like do, land then water, then trees or something?

REALLY ??? I thought I was the only one who does so emote_sweat. Well I basically do this cause I hate using the TerrainEditor... really... I can´t imagine anything worse in WE :////

Whenever I make a map, I usually work on some of the terrain first, starting with the outside (for some reason I'm obsessed with surrounding the perimeter of the map with trees or water), then I work on where I want the units to start, then I just work on the map from there, doing terrain editing where it's needed... then, after I'm done the terrain, I go working on the Custom Units, Triggers and other map stuff, and I'm usually able to get it done fast.

there are lots and lots of people who get really great ideas for a map and then start and do a large amount of work but then never finish. I'd say when making your map, make it as basic as possible first and get everything to *work*. Lay down the important terrain, make some or all of your heroes, triggers if you're going to have them, and get everything to function on a basic level and then from there you can elaborate.

Well, if your new to WE, 256x256 is really freaking big. Start with 164x164. 192x192 is really the most accepted size on b.net

I always start from the middle, and as the others said, sketch the map first. I sketch it on MSPAINT since its easier to refference to and has color. I do the whole terrain part first. Water definitly comes first, but no water doodads yet. Then after I finish with water, I start making my mountains or cliffs. These help border the map and make it seem more natural. But dont border the whole map, thats just noobish. After Im done with the cliffs/mountains, I always start raising/lowering the land so I can get a feel for doodads and where they should go. Make everything smooth, I cannot enthuse this enough, Ive seen alot of maps that have used the NOISE tool, and it looks horrible if it hasnt been smoothed. After I make my hills/ditches (I dont generally make the land lower, unless for specific occasions) I lay down my trees. Trees is hard to perfect, it really takes some talent to place them wisefully. Usually Barren trees work well with dirt mountains, and Ashenvale canopy trees look great near rivers. Don't be afraid to use a variety of trees, like mix some ashenvale trees with lordearon summer trees is also a good way to go. Then, finally, when the trees have been placed, I start massing doodads EVERYWHERE!!! You cannot really have a good map, not even a OK map, without doodads. Enviroment doodads are the best. Rocks w/ flowers looks nice, and river rushes/shrubs look nice around trees. Dont use 'Bush' Its ugly and takes up pathing. Rocks look super pretty, but make sure to size them correctly and put them up against something like a cliff or tree. And put flowers in the middle of gardens (DUH) and in the middle of a pile of rocks. Flowers love to grow near rocks and it looks good. After doodads, I put down my regions and have them create a weather effect. Fog in forests (set up a trigger where it shuts off the fog during noon ((looks ugly in noon))) rain near waterfalls/rivers/docks, and wind up in mountains/ higher places. These are my steps, even if they are a little more complicated. Then triggers/units. :P But I suck at triggers and unit placement.

okay....

1) make a sketch of ur map
2) create the terrain from the sketch
3) create units
4) adding triggers
5) adding more features, like minimap, loading screen etc.
6) protect the map
7) publish it
8) enjoy ur precious work

thats my style...

but adding triggers does really take time :/

You do everything basic
Its the key
Don't try to go big on something and than you end up abandoning the project. Than expand little by little. Trust me - its so more organized than it seems.



Land , tree , water - wha?

Don't try to make it so specific and how everything should be in an order. It sux to stress yourself over the little things. Just take it easy and do it all basic than advance from them.

yah, depends on your map really. But I like to make the water the first thing I do first since its hard to make space for it later on.

I say edit the tileset first. It's really awful to have to change it once you have made a lot of it, just because you want a snowy terrain or a desert in your map.

First is, I don't create a map first. I plan out what the features of the map will be. Then create lots of 64x64 mini-maps that implement some of the features.

Then, I create an empty map that will be the one used.

Then, I slowly build the features I perfected in the mini-maps into the larger map

I hope this helps :D

I only make cinemaitcs so for me its...

Terrain
Doodads/Unit placement
Cameras
Regions
Triggers/Bug Fixing/Lots of cameras angle fixes
Make terrain cooler

I guess I do it more like cbc. I make a blank 64x64 map and start working on my heroes, skills, and basic triggers first. If I like where it's going, then I will bother with the terrain. I REALLY HATE doing terrain. REALLY HATE IT. Then I hate it some more =P. I can work triggers and do some crazy stuff with them, and there isn't much that I've tried doing with them that I couldn't figure out, but when it comes to terrain, I just plain suck. That's why I wanna make sure the map idea is going to be worth my suffering while making terrain =P