Never be afraid to use inspiration! They always say the best artists steal from others for a reason! The difference is they actually transform it with their own touches to make it original.

The music you are looking for in that area I believe is
"ELATION FOR THE WONDER BOX 6000 - you're garbage"

Theres a full music playlist in map description above too.

Thanks again for the interest in the map and the questions

That's a lot of laying the foundation and memorization. I find that process difficult but I think I may give it a try, since I've been doing things cave man style for a very long time, improvising, and I guess it's just that I tend to think inspiration is somehow "unoriginal", but the key to creativity really is just hiding your sources, and making them very different and unique despite that. You did good!

I get the sentimental very well in fact, the place kind of gives off an eerie sense of "sonder." A word that I'm really connected to when exploring places like these. Also, what's that song in the room with the pineapples painting and the black sludge coming out of the walls?, It's kind of what brought up that word for me in this, and I was meaning to ask as well.

Glad to hear you enjoyed the maps that much

My creative process for these involves months of "pre-planning" where I just imagine and think of what sounds like a cool idea for a map, after that I usually spend a while collecting images, reference inspiration, music and art that I like, and create a bunch of models fitting that theme

Lastly I draw a simple layout of the whole map in paint or whatever works, even on paper sometimes too, then I start making the map in hammer and loosely follow the drawing as a guide. (You can find the layout drawing in dev room)

This manor map actually was an idea I had nearly over a year ago, I only finally started actually making it this year once I was "ready"

I have many more ideas and sketches for future ones too, it just takes time until I feel ready to start on the next one (Plus im taking a break from hammer for a bit to work on a new project unrelated to source engine/tf2/gmod)

hope this answers the question!

I love these maps, I'd say they are on par with Gooball's trippy maps, and I love the weird stuff the most, so that's a really good job I'd say. How do you do it? I'm really curious to know the creative thought process behind all of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d6yBHDvKUw

do you have any upcoming maps that you're working on atm? (no presh if you are) ive enjoyed ur maps sm and just exploring them is sooo fun :p

Awesome, I dont think I ever played Mario Party 8 afaik, but I played nearly every Gamecube mario party from 4 all the way up to 6 or 7, I loved those a lot so I wouldnt be surprised if they subconsciously inspired my maps a bit too

All of your maps remind me of mario party 8, My childhood destined me to love this.

Thank you!

Ethosaur, you did it again. Better than slime girl island!

Heh thanks, thats the kinda vibe I was aiming for

fair enough lol
I think my favorite bits of it are the barber shop room, everyone in the theatre room watching Spongebob and everyone in one of the off rooms watching Cartoon Network Halloween specials on an old TV ^^
makes this place feel very lived in

Oh sorry I havent actually written any real story for it specifically, I meant more in a environmental storytelling kind of way for this map and the others connected to it.

where can I read more about it?

Story wise I mean, you arent far from the idea I had when making it!

"and honestly not far from the truth! Thanks for playing "
NP ^^
though how do you mean?

Really glad to hear, thank you for playing it and exploring it all!

might be your best map to date for sure, had one hell of a time running around this one and just seeing everything there is to offer and finding the crabs.

Thank you both

i was VERY late to this one (a couple months late) but another amazing surreal map by the one and only

I spent WAY too much time in that dance/disco room. The moment I recognised Dimitri's Theme, I got flooded with memories, good memories. Great map, truly one of the maps of all time!



Also, the hell is up with all those slime girls?

... Wait, I think they heard me. WAIT! NO! NOOOOOO!!! AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
"Snake, what's wrong? Snake? SNAKE!!!"

Thats a fun way to see it, and honestly not far from the truth! Thanks for playing

this feels like the home of a massive found family community and I love it ^^
like you could fit a small town in here!

Ahh Ive just found all of the crabs. Fire map 10/10

Hell yea, have fun exploring it all

This map is so cool!! I think I'm going to grow a long white beard looking for the alcohol crab tho..

Sounds fun

Tbh I think I figured out my fav use for these maps are doing like .. game shows or whatever ,,. It's mostly just using like 40 or so inactive lambda players as characters, and sending them through each room I can find until there's only one guy left .. I have no idea why it's so fun tbh , but I did do it in a few other maps

Ah damn thats a shame, well I hope you get some time to try it for real some time then, it is quite rewarding to create worlds for people to explore, at least I think so! Making concepts/sketches for your maps is a great idea though.

oh yeah I've already tried making maps before (a few "liminal space" things , no more than like 3 rooms or so) , I just don't have the time lol ... I can still probably make like a sketch of a map concept like u do though

Well if you have TF2, Gmod or Half-Life 2 installed, you already have hammer! All you have to do is launch it from your bin folder and just start messing around and learn, there are hundreds if not thousands of tutorials for hammer, and honestly its not that hard to get into, just hard to master.

these maps are really inspiring me to want to make my own ,, but like based on my own interests and sense of humor and such .. same kinda style though ...,.,.,. BUT I don't know how to make mapssss :heartbreakemoji:

Thank uu! Glad you like it

more than cool. AWESOME, I love the little things in every room of the map

Thanks, and yea I will!

map does not suck, is very cool :D
been finding your notes laid about, looking forward to what else you'll make, and remember to take your time on it, AND TAKE BREAKS

concern trolling, get a hobby houndy

Oh brother...

i just cant explain what it is but something has changed in you in a bad way man

Clearly you haven't been a real fan then, because I've been making TF2 maps long before I made my zs maps... Which are now over 10 years old btw.

Im not gonna make more crappy zs maps for a dead gamemode I dont play.

Also you claim you "arent making fun of me", yet you call me a "soulless gooner" which is pretty mean and uncalled for if you ask me.

your old zs maps were peaks but






but



...








i swear tf2 mapping changed you in a bad way or another thingchanged you in a bad way

no im not making fun of you
im just saying i dont remember you being like this
what happened man

Thats not very nice of you to say

etho i swear tf2 changed you in the bad way
like you had a heart when you were making gmod maps
now you are a soulles gooner what happened to you

Yippi

I love so much maps by Ethosaur, you can like actually chill there and look for funny memes on walls, gmod map content is saved

Probably imagined it

I might be going insane but i swear i saw the picture in the lobby blink at me

All good then if you weren't aware

I did not realize what the potato freak did I apologysis