Compiling:Healthy Map

This page is work in progress!

The fact that your map compiles fine and it's playable, doesn't mean your map is 'good'. There are several factors which define your map as healthy or unhealthy. An unhealthy map has poor fps, huge .pk3 size and takes longer to load. Your objective is to create a map as small as possible, as fast as possible. In order to do that, make sure you do the right things.




ALL texture sizes must be power of 2 (64,128,256,512,1024 etc).

It will save pk3 space by not wasting texture data. Moreover, it affects your textures quality in game [link]


Don't include .md3 or .qc model files.

These files are "baked" into .bsp file during compilation, so they are not needed in pk3. This will reduce pk3 size.

Don't create shaders for standard textures:

textures/infiltration/bunkerwall3
{
    {
        map $lightmap
    }
    {
        map textures/infiltration/bunkerwall3.jpg
        blendFunc filter
    }
}

This shader represents completely normal, common, solid wall. Don't write shaders for them, because texture *lightmap is the standard format. It will save loading time and pk3 space.

Remove unused shaders from shader file.

During developing process you will test many shaders in your shader file. Some of them you will not use in the end. Remove them from shader file.


Remove unused textures from pk3

Like above - some textures are dropped in final version. You stop using them for many reasons - make sure you don't put them in final .pk3. It will reduce .pk3 size.


Use areaportals to cull rooms hat have all their doors shut.

Learn how to use areaportals and use them in rooms with doors. It will slightly increase FPS on your map.

Don't leave textured surfaces on invisible brushes sides.

Player won't see everything during gameplay - make sure you texture these surfaces with caulk.

This is what player see during game. He sees building, but not complete roof:




In ghost mode you can see, that mapper textured roof top with caulk texture:



Roof top cannot be seen during gameplay, so it does not need to be textured. Keep that rule in your mind, it will increase FPS count on your map.