Alright, to be honest I really don't like gtkradiant. I know, it's license doesn't matter for quakebased games as it's GPL so your games have to be GPL to, but I just don't like it . So, here's some alternate editors and map-making methods.

.map Editors:

-QuArK
Everyone knows QuArK. I'm mentioning it first since I use it to place entities and stuff in my maps. [url]quark.planetquake.gamespy.com/[/url]

-Torque Constructor
Just released today, it lets you save .map files and it has a free license even if you don't own torque. You texture and make your map, though I don't think you can place entities for quakebased games. You might though... And it is a EXTREMLY powerful map editor. VERY easy to use try it out!
http://www.garagegames.com/products/torque/constructor/

-Blender with .map exporter
Alright, this isn't reaally a map editor, but artists will love this. With the camera since you can do flythrough mode (Go into camera view, [Num 0] fly into a box, split your viewports, turn on snap to grid) it's actually really nice for strange geometry. As to how it's performance is I'm not sure, but it's definitly worth using for maps that can't be made with funky brushwork. http://www.quake3bits.com/htm/tutorials/blender_modelling_maps.htm will help a little, but the proper .map exporter that can be used to import maps into QuArK or Radiant can be found at http://www.dragonheadstudio.com/down/map_export.py Supports portals, textures, and lights.

Yep, only 3... If there's more tell me. Ciao..

What about writing .map files in a plain text editor? A friend of mine did that for Quake, possibly the most insane feat of self torture.

There is no problem in using a non-free editor to create content for a free game. As lng as you deem your contnet to be free, the licence of the tool used doesnt matter. The tools licence is not transferred to the data.

-Blender with .map exporter

Hmm- sounds too good to be true. From my own experience, Blender's exporters range from decent to horribly broken. I am exited to test out that one though. .map files can be read by GTKRadiant right?

I've used the .map exporter with success for geometry, though never attempted with texture or lights.

GTKRadiant is fine for making free games, it's for commercial games you need to buy a bsplicense for it that comes with any major quake engine.

.map in nano is a wacked out way to make maps... but if you draw it out on gridpaper it can be done. I made a room with a rail gun in the middle like that once.

.map CAN be opened in quark and gtkradiant.

quark can save .map files unreadable by gtkradiant :\

Ed wrote:What about writing .map files in a plain text editor? A friend of mine did that for Quake, possibly the most insane feat of self torture.

Heh, nice. A year ago I made 5 bzflag levels in nedit (a texteditor) because their editor was only for windows and wasn't very good. You get the hang of it and can visualize the map just from text .

leileilol wrote:quark can save .map files unreadable by gtkradiant :\

No, GTKRadiant can read those. You just have to select "Use alternative texture-projection" in Preferences -> Brush.