Map Development Story

This is a step-by-step recount detailing the creation of our map. Our objective is to give an in-depth look at our process and inspire others to attempt creating their own maps. Neither of us had any prior experience in map making, but this is how we tackled the task.

01 The Beginning

This is how we began, seriously! Our objective was to create a map from scratch which seemed like a daunting task at first, as we had no idea of what the map would look like or what it would entail.

02 Starting out - the City

The first step was thinking about the main Safe Zone city. We used the inspiration from the real world city of Amsterdam to create our own unique design, taking into consideration the purpose of the city as a survival semi-RP. We carefully planned out the layout, incorporating key features such as living spaces, stores, and a canal. Our goal was to create a city that was both functional and aesthetically pleasing. This was the sketch we worked from.

03 Building the foundations

Armstrong used the map France in Unturned as inspiration for the canal asset and road pieces. He created these pieces ensuring that they would fit together seamlessly to form the foundation of our main city. Armstrong was able to create a unique and functional asset that would serve as the basis for our city’s design. This was a crucial step in the map-making process and set the tone for the rest of the project.

04 Structure Placement

With the canal and roads in place, we turned our attention to selecting buildings for our city and determining their placement. We carefully considered the function of each building and its location within the city to ensure a cohesive and functional design.

Next, we added garden areas to connect the different parts of the city, adding to the aesthetic appeal and creating a more liveable environment. Finally, we established the city blocks, finalising the overall shape and layout of the city. These steps were crucial in bringing the city to life and creating a fully functional and believable environment for our survival semi-RP.

05 Finalising the City

Over the course of two weeks, we dedicated ourselves to fully detailing the city. We added walkways, parks, and an airport, bringing the city to an almost finished state. The final touch was for Armstrong to build a custom police station, ensuring that all the necessary elements were present for our survival semi-RP.Once the beta testing phase began, we would meticulously go through the city, fixing any bugs or misaligned objects. This was a crucial step in ensuring that the final product was functional, stable, and ready for players to enjoy.

06 Moving Outward

With the main city complete, we turned our attention to the surrounding areas. Our initial focus was the region close to the city, where we wanted to create a farming area. Toastie built a brewery/winery, along with two grain farms, providing an agriculture section of the map.

As we continued to build the map, we started constructing roads that led out of the city, shaping the overall structure of the map. This was an important step in ensuring that the map was accessible.

07 Points of Interest

After the farming area, we began adding points of interest to the map. These included military bases, a harbour, fishing village, and other smaller locations, each providing unique areas for players.At this stage, we also started experimenting with the terrain, adding elevation and hills to the map. This allowed us to add more visual variety and interest to the world, and also provided new opportunities for gameplay and exploration.

08 The Larger Locations

Building on the smaller points of interest, we started work on the larger areas that would define the map. One significant milestone was completing the town in the snowy hills. With Toastie’s town design and Armstrong’s terrain skills, we created one of our favourite areas of the map. The combination of unique layout and stunning landscapes made this a standout location and a must-see for players.

As we continued to build and refine the map, we remained focused on creating immersive and believable environments for players. We wanted to provide a rich and diverse world for players to explore and survive in, and the snowy hills town was just one example of the many memorable locations we created.

09 Trains & Terrain

With the train stations placed, roads completed, and multiple points of interest added, the map really started coming to life. At this point, we focused on developing the train tracks and refining the terrain around the map. The addition of the train system provided a new level of transportation and mobility for players. The process of shaping the terrain was also vital in bringing variation to the landscape. By adding hills and other natural features, we began creating an environment that players could truly get lost in. The map was no longer just a collection of locations, but was on the way to becoming a fully realised world that players could explore and survive in.

10 Completing a Plan

Having three and a half weeks of work put into the map, it was time to bring all of the different locations together. The next step was to use a new sketch as a guide to finalise the layout of the map. The red circles in the image represented the current points of interest that had already been created. This sketch allowed us to see the bigger picture and determine how all of the different areas would fit together.

11 Detailing Interiors

Now having majority of the map and its locations created, as well as initiating the inclusion of loot and zombie spawns, we started the process of elaborating upon all areas available for exploration. This included detailing each POI, gradually constructing the fundamental components of the map from location to location.

12 Adding Loot Locations

After developing a plan, we began incorporating loot and zombie spawns into mostly finished areas of the map. Around the same time, we were finalising prices while working with an in-game economy to ensure the appropriate amount and type of spawns for each location. With real gameplay data we knew it would be refined overtime.

13 Testing Vehicle Assets

As we neared March, the map creation process had become repetitive. To have a break from it, we shifted our attention to developing NPCs and the in-game economy, we decided to experiment with some of Armstrong’s vehicle assets. This took significant fine-tuning to guarantee that each vehicle was operational and aligned with our original ideas. After some testing, we felt motivated to change parts of the map to better complement these vehicles and promptly resumed map editing.

14 Unique Areas

During this stage of map development, we worked on improving previously created POIs and added new unique areas like the swamp, with a goal of creating varied terrain similar to different biomes in games like Minecraft. This process continued in a lengthy and continuous manner throughout the rest of map development.

15 Starter Video

We faced an imminent deadline to complete two crucial tasks for our Starter video within a matter of days. Firstly, we needed to add terrain decorations around Sterling to avoid plain and mismatched backgrounds in the footage. Secondly, we had to finalise the chart for the rough Safe Zone clips as much as possible. Given the short timeframe and unfinished map, this was a challenging undertaking. We worked quickly to add terrain elements and utilised various map baking tools to create a convincing chart that effectively conveyed the Safe Zone while appearing polished.

16 The Safe Zone

We began working on the Safe Zone border by measuring a minimum distance of 30m from the city and using large factory towers and lasers to clearly mark the boundary (for map editing reference). Our goal was to create a subtle path in-game that indicated the border without looking out of place. We recognised the importance of a visual indicator for players and aimed to make it easier for them to know if they were within close proximity to the border. Based on our experience, a visual border had proven to be a useful tool for players to orient themselves.

17 Donator Locations

With the core map nearing completion, we turned our attention to creating exclusive donator locations. Our philosophy was to make donator kits feel like genuine expansions to the gameplay experience, similar to DLC content rather than simple pay-to-win advantages. We carefully designed unique areas that would give donors access to new gameplay opportunities while maintaining balance with the rest of the server.

Each donator location was crafted to tell its own story and provide distinct experiences – from hidden bunkers with unique loot tables to exclusive trading posts with special NPCs. We wanted donors to feel they were unlocking additional layers of the world rather than just receiving overpowered items. This approach required careful consideration of how these areas would integrate with the existing economy and player progression systems we had established.

18 Final Touches

The last moments before release were both exhausting and exhilarating. We revisited every POI one final time, adding atmospheric details like ambient sounds, particle effects, and small environmental storytelling elements. Every road was checked for proper connections, every interior was given a final polish, and the Safe Zone border received its finishing touches. After over two years of development, we were finally ready to share our creation with the community.