What are your reasons/motivations for making maps?
I was just curious, seeing as most modding communities these days are dead in the water, and most game developers refuse to release mod tools for their games, what keeps you motivated to be a modder? Is it just fun (this goes without saying) or is there something more?
To answer my own question, I already work in the game industry, but I am hoping to be a level designer one day. I know a few other engines pretty intimately, but this is my first attempt at learning Hammer... and I desperately miss some of the higher level features from some other programs, but I want to make some fucking sweet Portal 2 maps!
Well it's a different type of hobby. I mostly do it because I like being constructive instead of drooling at a tv 24/7.
Plus if it is a group effort you can meet some nice people 
.
.And overly sarcastic people also.
My reason for mapping is to make people happy and it's one of few things that I'm talented at. Of course, there are people who map better than me, but that doesn't get me down. One major thing I learned from mapping in general is (pardon the expression) not to half-ass it.
My Work
[spoiler]Maps:
Revenge of the Angry Turrets
Capture the Cube [Co-op]
Capture the Cube 2 [Co-op]
TPWEGTH Sample Map
Aperture Aquatic Testing Center
Aperture Aquatic Testing Center 2
Aperture Time Testing Center
ML's Halloween Trick - 1000 downloads!
ML's Halloween Treat
ML's Combination - 1000 downloads!
ML's Jailbreak Labyrinth
ML's Tricky Teamwork [Co-op]
WIP:
"Capture the Cube 3"
Workshop Maps Link: http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198008890579/myworkshopfiles/[/spoiler]
One simple reason for why I making maps is ; I just like to make things myself.After playing a gamemodificationmap , I just get inspired by them , so I want to make things similar to them.One of the things I get inspired by is Portal 2, so that's why I'm mapping.
To not answer your question but to address your second point: I've long since gotten out of the mapping game and moved on to actual game design. I'm a programmer so doing mapping was more a hobby than something I specifically wanted. Most recently I've been using the Unity3D engine and it's fucking rad, I really enjoy making things in it.
I think the reason most developers have moved away from releasing tools is because the niche for content creation has become even niche-ier. As games have become more mainstream and widely played, it takes away from vital resources to make internal map design tools usable to a broader audience. And then users will want support and documentation on all of this software that probably doesn't even exist in the first place. This is what it all really comes down to - it's less of a hassle to simply not release tools, than to release tools and be expected to maintain them.
Most content creation tools start life as something the developers use, which is more often than not very buggy or user unfriendly. I can think to the case of Super Meat Boy, where the level design tools could be accessed by users, but they were far from "usable". It took the (lone) programmer months to make the tools friendly to outsiders.
Then there's also the fact that most games these days require exponentially more work to make something worth playing than they used to. Most "level design" is done entirely with meshes. Most games don't really fit a model where user created maps would make sense. It works with Portal because it's a puzzle games, and users can create an infinite number of puzzles. But for a game like Borderlands? Mass Effect? Trine? What would be the point?
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Well said. It's a shame though as I do appreciate developers who are willing to share their creation tools with the public. Though I do agree making custom maps for games like Mass Effect (excluding the new multiplayer that is) does not have much of a point since part of the game's focus is story and whatnot.
To address the question of the thread...
I guess it's just the idea of creative freedom that gets me making something. When I play certain games I see something and say to myself, "Gee, I wish there was more levels like that" (one good example being Assassin's Creed Revelation Desmond Sequences). Though with Portal 2, for example, if I come across such a thought, I have the ability to go out and create something that's on my mind.
I think the reason most developers have moved away from releasing tools is because the niche for content creation has become even niche-ier. As games have become more mainstream and widely played, it takes away from vital resources to make internal map design tools usable to a broader audience. And then users will want support and documentation on all of this software that probably doesn't even exist in the first place. This is what it all really comes down to - it's less of a hassle to simply not release tools, than to release tools and be expected to maintain them.
Most content creation tools start life as something the developers use, which is more often than not very buggy or user unfriendly. I can think to the case of Super Meat Boy, where the level design tools could be accessed by users, but they were far from "usable". It took the (lone) programmer months to make the tools friendly to outsiders.
Then there's also the fact that most games these days require exponentially more work to make something worth playing than they used to. Most "level design" is done entirely with meshes. Most games don't really fit a model where user created maps would make sense. It works with Portal because it's a puzzle games, and users can create an infinite number of puzzles. But for a game like Borderlands? Mass Effect? Trine? What would be the point?
While you're absolutely right about what happened to modding, I'm going to have to disagree with a couple important points:
I think the "niche" factor is purely a side-effect of the fact that game developers do not release mod tools anymore. There are entire games based around the idea of content creation (Little Big Planet, Mod Nation Racers, hell even Halo Reach had an in-game map designer thing) and people come up with phenomenal, brilliant things with the limited tools they're given to work with. While yes, the skill cap is a lot lower for these kinds of things, and you might have to wade through a bunch of giant dick levels before you find the good stuff, there are still plenty and plenty of people who want to make mods, even though they don't technically know it yet.
I'm talking about kids that didn't grow up with Half-Life... I remember when I first saw CS after playing HL1, I was so inspired to make my own shit. I ended up doing a lot of Quake modding instead because I liked that game more, but theres an entire generation of gamers that doesn't even KNOW that brilliant stuff comes from communities like this. Call of Duty was the last hope we had, and they stopped supporting mods right after CoD4 (and Radiant is a brilliant editor, I'd argue better than Hammer.. don't stab me 
)
I don't think the style of game even matters. Give people a good engine, and they will make whatever they want. Plus, to your point, I can think of a LOT of awesome mods for Borderlands, missions that are way more fun than the trite shit that game shipped with
Anyway, Unity sems pretty awesome from what I've seen as well, designing an entire game from the ground up is currently outside of the scope of things I'm capable of though. I have to stick to modding existing mechanics for now hahah...
Still, I wish I'd learned Hammer sooner. I'd be so far ahead of where I am now. I've essentially spent the last 2 months just learning the damn thing and not actually working on my level... Soon though, I should be in beta by the end of the month 
My motivation to make my own map always begins with "holy sh*t, I wish I could make something like that thing" when playing the original game. For that, of course, the game must be awesome. And I have to have enough time for that (which I don't anymore...).
(percentage calculation sphere self-test failed!)
108.1% done, -8.1% remaining...
Released here!
All maps for Portal (1/2) worth playing are mirrored here.
Well, I mostly map because I love to solve and create puzzles.
I've got a lot of puzzles, rubiks' cubes up to 7x7x7 and basically I love all other kinds of puzzles as well. I just like to come up with my own ideas and share that with others and portal 2 is very good for that.
I also feel a bit like giving something back to the community; I download almost every map that is released here and in exchange for all those puzzles and maps I create my own to share with others .
Masochist.
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