Q&A with Map Designer Adam Franců

[Baty Alquawen 3688]

Hello Survivors,

We are preparing a new Q&A video, this time with our Map Designer Adam Franců. Some really entertaining stuff coming soon in this video!

But we need something from you - QUESTIONS for Adam.

Adam is going to introduce himself and his work under my post.

[Sumrak 313]

Hello everyone,

as senior map designer in DayZ Team, I may be the only one in the Q&A series so far that isnt lead on a paper, but nonetheless, in our small team of map designers, I'm the one with the responsibilities that covers how the environment look, plays and performs in the end. And with the environment, I mean nothing less than our beloved Chernarus terrain of course.

I make sure that we always do what is best for Chernarus in a long-term. That often means preparing detailed analyses and in many cases this also means preparing placeholders for future map assets for the art team so they exactly know what we need for the environment.

Luckily, my work is not always composed from swimming in pages of analyses, creating tasks and other "paperwork". Given the size of our team, I still very much get to enjoy the best part and that is an actual map design, which basicaly consists of manipulation with map objects, changing terrain mesh and texture data ("satellite" texture and surface mask). Work of a map designer is often a balancing act between making the environment believable and interesting to play in.

Creating a nice environments for you to play in has been and will always be a pleasure and we always enjoy watching what you do in the places that we create everyday.

So lets get to your questions and see you in Q&A video!

[Gobbokirk 546]

First of all: Great job so far!

First thing that popped into my head:
Anything new you want to share about the map borders beyond the little hints given so far?
Any plans for more islands around the coast? I love the concept of the prison island and a couple of more similar places is definitely on my wish list.

I'll edit in if I think of more later.

 

[OliverPlotTwist 458]

What kind of things do you need to consider when designing a new area? Does the open world nature of DayZ limit what you can do?

[Seska 25]

Hey Sumrak,

Given your experience with creating a snowy, desolate environment (Namalsk), which fits DayZ perfectly, do you foresee a winter version of Chernarus in future (perhaps as its own map)? 

[Restless__ 2]

So far the map is absolutely beautiful, very very well designed, but as for questions i was wondering if they will later be any new area's added to the map that are not military and if so will this mean the map will be increased in size in order to add more? Also i was wondering, what you have in mind for the future of Chernarus, e.g. Atmosphere, Survival Feeling etc.

Summary on Questions:

-Will any new areas be added (minus Military)

-Will this require a map size increase (so it's not cluttered)

-What are your thoughts on the future of Chernarus

-How would you like to improve it in the future?

Thank you for your time to read this post.

-Cory

[DayZ Standalone News 36]

Hello Sumrak :)

first things first great work youve done and your team, personally cant wait to see some changes on the Map near future.

Are underground caves, mines or bunkers planned and even possible to create?

More Islands? maybe? :D

Possible to expand the Map in the future?

What will happen with the debug area? will it stay clear of objects? Will it ever be possible to enter or get it blocked by objects at one point?

 

[Espa 711]

Ooooh man, this is exciting! I would LOVE to hear more about the Map Design and such! :D 

Questions!:

1.) Are you guys done with your final Iteration of Chernarus? Or will it be extended?

2.) What challenges did you face when trying to make the Map Design work well in a MMO setting like this?

3.) Can we expect to see any other great changes to the Map, or the flow of the Map?

[Storymaster 143]

Hello, Sumrak, and thank you for taking the time to talk to us about the future of the DayZ map and answer a few of our questions.

(Great questions so far, everyone.)

Are there any plans to add a moving river to Chernarus, (perhaps one that survivors could put a canoe or inflatable raft on for a swift trip to the coast?) -- and are there any plans to add a single vast inland lake with an island -- and if not in South Zagoria, then perhaps in another province if one comes in an expansion?

 

 

[Howley 1]

Hi Adam,

firstly I have to say that I really love the Map Chernarus+, it is one of my favorite Map in any video game (excluding CS maps it is definitely my favorite). I really like the old socialist style and the feeling to be in such beautiful places as a survivor with nobody else even close to me (most of the time). But as much as I like it, it gets boring very fast, it would be nice to have an alternative gamemode (I really like Battle Royale games lately, but there are already a lot of games with that) with more combat and an overall faster gameplay (so you can fully equip yourself in like 10 Minutes) so it is not that devastating if you die.

But my question regarding the map is why you removed a lot of the underground places (like the mine http://dayz.gamepedia.com/Mine_(Kamensk) and the pits full of waste http://dayz.gamepedia.com/Underground_Pits_at_Kamensk), but recently added an underground bunker near Tisy?

[ClaireOpen 116]

Firstly I would like to express my respect and admiration for the work you and your team have already achieved on the Chernarus+ Map.  There are many times I catch myself simply looking in wonder at the scenery, whether it's the sunlight catching the dome of the church in Pogo, or haunting menace of Prison Island emerging from the sea mist, or looking over the north from the cliffs at Stary Yar, it is such a beautiful place.  It looks stunning yet feels like a very real place by skillfully merging the 'old' architectual styles of Chernarus and the 'new' concrete Brutalism of the Soviet era with a diverse landscape.  Thank you so much for making my journey across Chernarus as breathtaking as possible.

But enough of the praise and onto the business at hand.

Firstly, Chernarus has several unique pieces of architecture, for example the radar dish at Tisy, HMS Brian Hicks at Rify, Prison Island and the castles.  Are you planning anymore unique additions?

Secondly, will there ever be a 'Chernarus Below', a subterranean world of mines, cellars, secret bunkers?

Finally, on a completely silly note, who is responisble for the interior design of many of the houses?  Because there are some really questionable choices in wallpaper and curtains. I have been known to mutter on several occassions 'those curtains offend me,' and 'that is a ghastly choice of wallpaper,'.

Once again, thank you.

 

 

[savoy6 (DayZ) 5]

Strong work so far Adam. I'd be curious to hear anything about underground terrain; tunnel complexes, caves, etc. Thanks

[walt_ua 3]

Will you expend the map even more?

If not, is it technically feasible? Would it be possible for the modders to greatly expand the borders of Chernarus?

[Sqeezorz 839]

Hello Sumrak

At first a big thanks at you and your team, You are doing a wonderful job with our Chernarus, I have already seen a lot of things and yet I always find something new, even if it is only a small detail. 

It is almost everything I asked what I wanted to ask, except for one that is dear to my heart.

22 minutes ago, Seska said:

Hey Sumrak,

Given your experience with creating a snowy, desolate environment (Namalsk), which fits DayZ perfectly, do you foresee a winter version of Chernarus in future (perhaps as its own map)? 

I would like to start with this question: is it planned or possible that Chernarus gets the year in nature? I do not mean just the autumn or even the winter. I ask you, will there ever be seasons with all its beautiful and unsightly sides? And now no matter how the answers will be: continue to do so.

[Lenox1125 5]

Are you guys ever planning on putting the Utes island in, from Arma 2? I love the idea, and have already seen it on the map, in the Tisy radar building.

 

[Rustycaddy 14]

1 minute ago, walt_ua said:

Will you expend the map even more?

If not, is it technically feasible? Would it be possible for the modders to greatly expand the borders of Chernarus?

It is not technically feasible with the Vitrual Reality, (Enfusion) this is has already been said by Dean Hall, as it would screw up the map and they'd have to restart mapping Chernarus.

 

[RottenKiwii 7]

Question1: Are you planning to add tunnels in game? Any underground locations?
Question2: Can we expect single chalets in the middle of the forest?

[M1NDR 12]

Thanks for taking the time answering our questions! Here are mine:

• Question #1: how far would you like to push differences in seasons for Chernarus+, both in visuals aswell as in gameplay?
• Question #2: with teases in the past of an updated, playable version of Namalsk, is there an official BI version of Namalsk being developed, and if so when would you like to see it become available for players?
• Question #3: what do you have planned for the use of trueSky for the lighting of Chernarus+? Will we see rapidly changing overcasts causing differences in lighting?

Thanks again and keep up the good work!

Cheers,

Rolf

M1NDR

[Rustycaddy 14]

Adam, which did you spend more time working with? 

Visitor 3, or Terrain Tools?  :P

P.S We need to have an adventure again! 

- Your Friend Rustycaddy

 

[walt_ua 3]

1 minute ago, Rustycaddy said:

It is not technically feasible with the Vitrual Reality, (Enfusion) this is has already been said by Dean Hall, as it would screw up the map and they'd have to restart mapping Chernarus.

 

Yes, I recall Dean giving some very limited info on this issue, back in the day. As far as I recall the answer was along the lines that Chernarus map basic coordinates are somehow set, and you have to build the whole new map from scratch to make it bigger.

However it just created more questions, and left many things unanswered.

Is this whole claim (that current Chernarus+ is non-expandable) still valid, considering the Enfusion engine transition? Has anything changed?

Also is it possible to build, say, map twice or 4 times the size of the current Chernarus if you start from scratch?

 

 

[Seska 25]

6 minutes ago, M1NDR said:

• Question #2: with teases in the past of an updated, playable version of Namalsk, is there an official BI version of Namalsk being developed, and if so when would you like to see it become available for players?

Hey man,

Here's a reply from Sumrak in a recent post regarding Namalsk that may shed some light on that question:

Quote

I figured out that I may be able to add something to the discussion here - someone mentioned here visual overhaul of Namask, while I originally wanted to leave Namalsk in Arma 2, this opportunity could not be missed. So I went and spent several hundreds hours again (I have changed this island so many times for 4 games now, if I would be part of A3 port, it would be 5 games). But this time, Namalsk went through such a facelift that many will have problems with recognizing it. Complete new sat texture, tons of new buildings, new locations, reworked old locations. I really, really cannot wait for the time when you all will be able to play it ;)

Recently, I have upgraded my website (http://www.nightstalkers.cz - slowly prepping for the future), Namalsk veterans will probably notice very unusual screenshot of Namalsk on the front page (small sneak peek into what is coming..) and in addition to this, I have also officially confirmed the release of Namalsk for DayZ SA in my blog here http://www.nightstalkers.cz/2017/04/12/status-update/ (I thought it would be nice as it was never directly confirmed by me).

Source

[Rustycaddy 14]

Well since I always talk to Adam, I remember him saying that maps can be twice the size, if it's a new created one. But once a map is set to it's size, it's pretty much impossible to do so. And the Enfusion Engine doesn't determine what map size can be created, the Terrain tools that they use for making the maps are much more advanced and I would believe that it can create even bigger maps...

From what I also know, is the old Chernarus was created with Visitor 3, but when they upgraded it to Chernarus +, they switched over to Terrain tools, which allowed them to work with Chernarus. If you somehow opened Chernarus + with Visitor 3, it wouldn't work at all...

[xtali700 17]

Hi Adam,

I remember back in 2012 when I first started playing the mod, there was such mystery about the whole map, it seemed endless and unexplored, I felt scared, lost and vulnerable, I kinda miss that feeling... Do you wish you could have started on a new location, are there any plans on new terrains? I just really want to get lost in a whole world again..

Second question, when are we going to get that apocalyptic feeling back, I really miss it from the mod :(..

[Rustycaddy 14]

12 minutes ago, M1NDR said:

Thanks for taking the time answering our questions! Here are mine:

• Question #1: how far would you like to push differences in seasons for Chernarus+, both in visuals aswell as in gameplay?
• Question #2: with teases in the past of an updated, playable version of Namalsk, is there an official BI version of Namalsk being developed, and if so when would you like to see it become available for players?
• Question #3: what do you have planned for the use of trueSky for the lighting of Chernarus+? Will we see rapidly changing overcasts causing differences in lighting?

Thanks again and keep up the good work!

Cheers,

Rolf

M1NDR

Here is a sneak peak of Namalsk in DayZ Standalone! 

[Seska 25]

Being a bit cheeky with a second question here:

Do you have anything more to show on the "apocalypse makeover" for the buildings that was shown off on Trello a while back? I feel this will really add to the atmosphere of Chernarus.