Hello.
Are you still alive?
just kidding.
I worked for the last two week ends just to fix an ase problem. Now the first beta map is ready for testing.
Mapping is not easy, especially if you do not have a complete manual and if you do not obey the rules, OOOhhh. There is a lot of punishment for that. I knew myself that an ase model is backed inside the bsp and nevertheless I tried to fix the problem outside. The cause was inside the bsp file. Sometimes, very simple solutions take a long long time to get solved. Especially, if you are looking in the wrong place for the simple solution. Read the documentation, 100 or even 200 times before you try to fix a problem. You save your time, your nerves, and your soul a lot of frustration.
I know mapping isn’t easy. I sure have experienced the frustration from it today.
Do not give up. It is very difficult and it seems sometimes hopeless, and suddenly you get the solution. Besides, there are lots of very nice guys here who will help you.