Think I'm getting ahead of myself with this map project. I've been considering making custom models for the chairs and desks, but I'm nowhere near that stage yet. I've only just started the second stage where I add brushwork detail that is suitable to be made of meshes. Then I have the texturing stage, then after that I would start the prop adding stage. I still have a lot of beams and pillars to add around the building which will take time, as well as some rooms still need their walls and general structure worked out. I've decided to start stage 2, even though there are still rooms to put in place. But, honestly, I only need to add the wall divider and doorway. That is all that's missing.
I just spend 4 hours making a table prop... so my afternoon went very well! Four fucking hours for a PROP! A single prop. But, I managed it and now that this is doable, I know how to make custom props for the map. This means that I can make the second desk variant (I believe there are only two types of desk variants, the hexagon shape and the strange wavy shape that they put in lines), I need to make a very specific chair which is for some reason either green or purple (I think purple, mostly green). Holy shit, I could add a secret easter egg where one of the chairs has my tag on it!! Basically, in high school, I had this graffiti phase where I wrote graff. On one of these chairs that were made of plastic, I wrote "BLAST" in my font on it. It was actually quite big but I was never told by any teacher about it. So I could make a separate model with it there. Oh my fucking god, I could make a whiteboard with "2-19" written on it! I'm getting ahead of myself. So many references I could add that just ONLY make sense to me and my friend group. That is something I will add nearer the fine polishing phase.
I actually want to make this project a month long challenge. I didn't initually intend to do this, but at the start I said to myself "I want to have a playable blockout map in at least a month", that's what I told Kira. Well, I've managed to do this in just 1 week. The whole map is basically done layout wise. There are no holes in the floor, no unfinished structural walls, nothing. I genuinely only need to add detail, props, textures and stuff like that. I have until the 11th December to have a map that I'd happily upload to the workshop. I think I can definitely do this. I have never genuinely finished a map for CS before that is a proper base gamemode. I have finished aim maps many times but never a defuse/hostage map with all the detail I want. de_geminus is a very close contender and it was finished for the most part. The problem was that the map looked like it came straight out of CS:S. It wasn't a bad thing, I actually love the look of it even to this day and it's one of my proudest achievements. I actually love the map.
I am at a very big advantage with this map though. Firstly, it's all indoors. No outside area of the building is accessible. Secondly, it's a very clean building. Most of the walls are just plain white plaster which makes the map very easy to just coat in white and have it look exactly how it should. So, to sum up, I am currently on stage 2 where I am finalising the small brushwork around the map, like pillars, window frames, that kind of stuff. I hope to finish doing this by next week. Stage 3 will be texturing which might not take a whole week honestly. I might be able to texture everything within a day or two. Stage 4 is props and fine details, then stage 5 is the polish stage! I think this stage 2 will take the longest honestly, but we will just have to wait and see. I have exactly 3 weeks remaining...