is this a good way to design a map?

Hi im wondering if this is a good way to design the map i am using cubes and different prefabs to layout the map with towns ect that i will go to them later and fill em in with proper models is this efficient? any tips on speeding the process up?

 

It seems like a pretty good way to get started. In fact, you could even use this as a progress check: if you place all the building models in one town at a time, you can then tell at a glance what towns still need to be built.

 

You should draw out your map, and I recommend starting to build the map after you have at least a well though out map plan. And you can always iterate your map.

 

Yep.
Good idea!
Using that method solves alot of problems too.
And makes work much easier.

 

This is a great suggestion. Before you start doing anything in front of a screen, it will really help if, at a minimum, you:

1. Sketch out the general shape of the level, and
2. Prepare some reference images (e.g., concept art).

After you sketch out the general shape, you can implement it in Unity as gray boxes (cubes) like you suggest in your original post. Then you can run through it to get a feel for the scale and the flow of movement.

The reference images are critical, and they're also really fun to prepare. If, like me, you don't draw well, you can search Google Images for photos that are similar to what you want to create -- architecture, shapes, textures (crackled, smooth, glossy, etc.), colors, light and shadow, etc. These will help you sketch out the general shape according to a theme, and they'll really help when you switch from graybox to lit and textured models.