Hello. I am new to the Quake mapping scene, and I have just made a map. It is called ‘Azure Abuse’. The theme is blue, but using the stock Quake textures. Since I am starting out, I just want feedback, and constructive criticism. It is a Deathmatch map, so try playing with bots (I didn’t make a Frikbot waypoint file, sorry.) I hope you enjoy.
Download Link:
Hi Sayok6!
It’s always nice to see new Quake mappers. 
This site is more focused on Quake 1 single player maps (as opposed to DM maps), and is primarily a site for Q1SP players.
You might get a few responses here, but I would highly recommend visiting http://www.celephais.net/board/forum.php, which is more of a site for mappers; predominantly for Quake. It’s also more centred on SP rather than DM, but there are many knowledgeable and experienced mappers there, who would be able to give you useful technical feedback and help.
I would suggest posting a screenshot of your map and the map itself in the “Screenshots and Betas” thread (the fifth link from the top of the page). It would be best to use imgur or quaketastic to host the screenshot; you can use the latter to host the map itself too (which some people would prefer to a mediafire download) – see the thread itself for details.
Okay. I was just using DM as a test, anyway.
I would test it happily but I don’t play DM and haven’t any bot installed. Anyway, welcome to the Quake community!
The thing is, though, that SP and DM maps have different goals and different requirements.
Broadly speaking, DM maps are built for speed: players need to be able to move around it quickly, so there is a limit to the amount of brush detail you can use while still having a playable map.
SP maps, on the other hand, usually aim to create an immersive atmosphere with variations in pacing. This means that things that would be out of place in a DM map – e.g. areas that take some time to traverse (think jumping puzzles) and very detailed environments – would add value to an SP map.
Having said that, there are some general rules or guidelines that are good to keep in mind for both DM and SP, such as:
(There are some exceptions to this quideline in SP, for instance in secret areas.)
2.1) Not using shortcuts like simply setting a global minlight value, compiling your map with ericw’s -dirtdebug flag (as I suspect you did here) or leaving everything fullbright, and calling it a day.
2.2) Using sourced lights e.g. torches and light textures with a light entity placed nearby. Basically, where there is light in your map, there should be a logical origin for that light. Unfortunately it takes some practice to make this look good: if you just add a couple of torches or light textures with accompanying light entities to your map, you are likely to end up with a map that has far too much contrast and is pitch black in places. The secret is to play around with different light values etc. until you reach the right balance between flat and overly contrasted lighting. Here I would once again recommend Func_msgboard as a resource.
Varying floor height and creating different levels within your map. Just having everything on one uniformly flat floor makes for a really boring map, be it SP or DM.
Using a variety of textures for detail. Though it is not impossible, it is hard to create something visually compelling using just three textures (especially if your brushwork is very simple), and the blue stock textures in particular become oppressively boring if there is nothing to break the monochrome monotony.
I had a quick look at your map, and it is all on the same uniformly flat level, with uniformly flat lighting and very little variation in texturing. The brushwork is also very simple. As I said, I’m not the best person to advise you on how to build a good DM map, but if you’re just using this as a means of practicing making something for Quake that looks good, then I would say try and make the brushwork a little more varied and interesting, and refer to the points above.
Intrigued by the toppic name, not an answer to it, I am wondering since long for a Quakemap, that had a rare addon in it.
I remember there was a startpoint with two pots, used as leadways to another part and some small ledges.
The map is not quiet clear to me, only that a camera-thingy, that was used as an impulse, by way it started walking.
It overtook the playerview and could walk through small spaces in walls etc.
Untill it reached a monster that could kill it, and the player flew back to its hollogram and played on with altered health.