The population and ppm (posts per minute) seem to have slowed a lot for sc2mapster. Have people already become tired of mapping or has the popularity system caused many to just stop trying? Seems things have slowed down a lot.
I have tried adding a buff that sets a minimum movement speed but no luck. I just want aircraft to have to move at all times they are in the air (ie. cannot just sit there and hover). Anyone been able to do this?
The real question is why are yall making tps and fps games on an engine designed for top down RTS/RPG games? There are plenty of editors out there that will allow you to do the type of game you want and with higher polygon counts too. Off the top of my head we have Unreal 3 Editor (free for everyone now), Crytech (free with purchase of crysis and soon to be crysis 2), source (free with purchase of any source game) and some of the smaller small fee engines (unity, etc).
The SC2 engine will never make a tps or fps game that could match the quality of the above engines. For one thing it lacks the proper network support and for another thing it lacks features like an LOD filter, anisotropic filtering, the ability to go over and under things like bridges and much more.
I say play to this engine's strength and if you really want to do a tps/fps then learn another engine.
The real solution would be to have a counter thats sole purpose was to see how long a map remains on the front page. After reaching lets say, 10 days on the front page it puts the map into a Top Tier Map list and removes it from the ranked map list. If someone wants to play that map all they have to do is go to the top tier map list.
So we can remove weapons from the hands of units but can we put them in their hands using item pickup in game? So if I am using a sniper rifle it looks like a sniper rifle and if I am using a machine gun it looks like a machine gun, no matter what unit I am playing as.
Would this require a massive amount of triggers? Would it be viable in a 6v6 map or would it create too much lag?
I think a lot of people are rushing maps out because they think their idea will get stolen, done before them or they believe that if they wait to long the marketplace will become over saturated. So instead of taking their time they release maps in beta state with a lot of bugs and get negative hype or no play.
Good luck with your map! If you are careful and let people know it exists I think you will do just fine :).
I have nothing against people doing whatever map they want to do. I am just suggesting that adding another tower defense (with absolutely no pre-promotion) to the already saturated market might be a tough sell.
Now, if you have some super unique way of doing it then make sure everybody knows that your TD is super unique and different. If you do that then you can be successful with any map type. The key is in the marketing though.
@Skittles17: Go
For small maps a website is not really needed. But for big projects, having a website can help garner a community before the map even launches. That way you will have enough players on launch day to fill up a couple games and then hopefully it takes off from there.
Also, it NEVER hurts to have a place to send people for more information and it certainly never hurts to have a place to hype your map like crazy. Cluttering up forums like sc2mapsters is not the way to hype a map.
Another thing I see mapmakers failing on is in their map's description. I liken these descriptions to the short descriptions people put up on dating sites. You have to catch the reader within the first few sentences or most people will just move on.
Example of what not to put:
"Simple Tower Defense but with a twist. 2v2 with multiple lanes. Have fun!"
My post was directed at the people who care. You know, the people that dream of being game designers but are getting snuffed out because they think their ideas suck due to nobody playing their maps.
There are so many great ideas that are not getting played right now. I absolutely know this has to be the case. Out among the trash are the hidden gems and they will remain hidden because their creators did nothing to promote the maps. This is a shame because the next "DoTA" could be out there.
I want to help people succeed and in this highly competitive market its going to take going the extra mile to get noticed. If you don't care if people play your creation and you only do this for the fun then that's your prerogative.
But I have never met an artist that locks his creations in a closet. ;)
I will say that the day anything stops being fun I quit doing it that will go with my writing, mapmaking, gaming, etc.
I am guilty of breaking all those rules too :P. But I learned and now with my new project I am going all out. Helps that I needed a website to promote my writing anyways, might as well piggyback mapmaking :P.
Anyways, I think your issue was the dota thing which, until the recent complete redesign of my map, I was falling into as well.
It is really foolhardy to try do a DoTA map verbatim. Even if you change a few mechanics. You see, LoL, HoN, Valves upcoming game and SoTiS already have that covered. It actually took my friends playing my game and saying, "Brad, its really great and fun. But man, its missing so many features that LoL and HoN have that there really is no point in playing it."
It stung but it was the truth. So I added a second to mercenary gaming's staff and we have worked out and gotten pretty far along with a map that offers features the none of the aforementioned games have. In fact there is nobody on bnet (at least not in the top 5 pages) that has a similar idea to us. So, I feel comfortable that we may be able to carve out a niche with the proper marketing.
So yeah, we should add to my list;
Do not create a DoTA or AoS map
Do not create a tower defense
Do not create a survival map
If it is your dream to create these maps then go for it. But don't be surprised if they get no play time.
Big maps have to be treated way different that smaller ones. I will detail below.
The problem with mapmakers in general is they just finish their map and release it (or release beta maps). This is esspecially bad for big maps as they are not pick up and play. Makers of big maps need to treat thier map like a product if they really want it to catch on. They should do a ton of videos, put up a professional website and make people excited to see the day when the map gets published.
In other words, treat your map like its a real game release with sneak peaks, youtube extravaganzas, closed beta tests and get a player base before your map even comes out. Yeah you might have to throw some money into it but if you want to compete with the big dogs (or should I say little dogs :P ) there will always be a price.
If you want a large map to be popular do this.
Wait till its almost done and then announce it.
Have a somewhat professional website ready at announcement.
Invite people to beta test your map privately THAT day.
Release multiple Youtube videos on announcement day and then release at least two videos a week until the game "launches".
If you do this you will garner fans (if your map is worth a damn in the first place) because those beta testers will spread word as will all your hype press. This way you will have players when your map launches.
But the #1 thing you SHOULD NOT do is...
DO NOT RELEASE BETA MAPS. Get beta testers, beg if you have to but do not release a buggy map and expect it to still do well.
Thanks a lot again shinoogie and Atl0s. I assume the same could be used to keep a unit out of a region? Just use unit enters the region instead?
As for the dialogue system my map has sort of gone through some huge changes after a few playtesting runs. We will still be using your selection system in the game (not at character select though since we have changed completely how that works) and you will still get credit. :)
0
The population and ppm (posts per minute) seem to have slowed a lot for sc2mapster. Have people already become tired of mapping or has the popularity system caused many to just stop trying? Seems things have slowed down a lot.
0
I have tried adding a buff that sets a minimum movement speed but no luck. I just want aircraft to have to move at all times they are in the air (ie. cannot just sit there and hover). Anyone been able to do this?
0
@jerberson12: Go
The real question is why are yall making tps and fps games on an engine designed for top down RTS/RPG games? There are plenty of editors out there that will allow you to do the type of game you want and with higher polygon counts too. Off the top of my head we have Unreal 3 Editor (free for everyone now), Crytech (free with purchase of crysis and soon to be crysis 2), source (free with purchase of any source game) and some of the smaller small fee engines (unity, etc).
The SC2 engine will never make a tps or fps game that could match the quality of the above engines. For one thing it lacks the proper network support and for another thing it lacks features like an LOD filter, anisotropic filtering, the ability to go over and under things like bridges and much more.
I say play to this engine's strength and if you really want to do a tps/fps then learn another engine.
0
The real solution would be to have a counter thats sole purpose was to see how long a map remains on the front page. After reaching lets say, 10 days on the front page it puts the map into a Top Tier Map list and removes it from the ranked map list. If someone wants to play that map all they have to do is go to the top tier map list.
0
@BumpInTheNight: Go
Your handle, in my browser, says something really racist. Just sayin.
0
@UltiDrgn: Go
Ahh this is why I like you Ulti.
Maybe we should do a map together sometime....lol :P .
Ohh, and what about #5?
0
@Yaos01: Go
So you would just create like a Ghost(machine gun) Ghost(sniper) and Ghost(rocket Launcher) in 3dmax and do a model swap?
0
So we can remove weapons from the hands of units but can we put them in their hands using item pickup in game? So if I am using a sniper rifle it looks like a sniper rifle and if I am using a machine gun it looks like a machine gun, no matter what unit I am playing as.
Would this require a massive amount of triggers? Would it be viable in a 6v6 map or would it create too much lag?
Just a curiosity :) .
0
@Klishu: Go
I think a lot of people are rushing maps out because they think their idea will get stolen, done before them or they believe that if they wait to long the marketplace will become over saturated. So instead of taking their time they release maps in beta state with a lot of bugs and get negative hype or no play.
Good luck with your map! If you are careful and let people know it exists I think you will do just fine :).
@Karawasa: Go
I have nothing against people doing whatever map they want to do. I am just suggesting that adding another tower defense (with absolutely no pre-promotion) to the already saturated market might be a tough sell.
Now, if you have some super unique way of doing it then make sure everybody knows that your TD is super unique and different. If you do that then you can be successful with any map type. The key is in the marketing though.
@Skittles17: Go For small maps a website is not really needed. But for big projects, having a website can help garner a community before the map even launches. That way you will have enough players on launch day to fill up a couple games and then hopefully it takes off from there.
Also, it NEVER hurts to have a place to send people for more information and it certainly never hurts to have a place to hype your map like crazy. Cluttering up forums like sc2mapsters is not the way to hype a map.
Another thing I see mapmakers failing on is in their map's description. I liken these descriptions to the short descriptions people put up on dating sites. You have to catch the reader within the first few sentences or most people will just move on.
Example of what not to put:
"Simple Tower Defense but with a twist. 2v2 with multiple lanes. Have fun!"
YAWN :(
0
@SouLCarveRR: Go
My post was directed at the people who care. You know, the people that dream of being game designers but are getting snuffed out because they think their ideas suck due to nobody playing their maps.
There are so many great ideas that are not getting played right now. I absolutely know this has to be the case. Out among the trash are the hidden gems and they will remain hidden because their creators did nothing to promote the maps. This is a shame because the next "DoTA" could be out there.
I want to help people succeed and in this highly competitive market its going to take going the extra mile to get noticed. If you don't care if people play your creation and you only do this for the fun then that's your prerogative.
But I have never met an artist that locks his creations in a closet. ;)
I will say that the day anything stops being fun I quit doing it that will go with my writing, mapmaking, gaming, etc.
0
@KorvinGump: Go
I am guilty of breaking all those rules too :P. But I learned and now with my new project I am going all out. Helps that I needed a website to promote my writing anyways, might as well piggyback mapmaking :P.
Anyways, I think your issue was the dota thing which, until the recent complete redesign of my map, I was falling into as well.
It is really foolhardy to try do a DoTA map verbatim. Even if you change a few mechanics. You see, LoL, HoN, Valves upcoming game and SoTiS already have that covered. It actually took my friends playing my game and saying, "Brad, its really great and fun. But man, its missing so many features that LoL and HoN have that there really is no point in playing it."
It stung but it was the truth. So I added a second to mercenary gaming's staff and we have worked out and gotten pretty far along with a map that offers features the none of the aforementioned games have. In fact there is nobody on bnet (at least not in the top 5 pages) that has a similar idea to us. So, I feel comfortable that we may be able to carve out a niche with the proper marketing.
So yeah, we should add to my list;
If it is your dream to create these maps then go for it. But don't be surprised if they get no play time.
0
Big maps have to be treated way different that smaller ones. I will detail below.
The problem with mapmakers in general is they just finish their map and release it (or release beta maps). This is esspecially bad for big maps as they are not pick up and play. Makers of big maps need to treat thier map like a product if they really want it to catch on. They should do a ton of videos, put up a professional website and make people excited to see the day when the map gets published.
In other words, treat your map like its a real game release with sneak peaks, youtube extravaganzas, closed beta tests and get a player base before your map even comes out. Yeah you might have to throw some money into it but if you want to compete with the big dogs (or should I say little dogs :P ) there will always be a price.
If you want a large map to be popular do this.
If you do this you will garner fans (if your map is worth a damn in the first place) because those beta testers will spread word as will all your hype press. This way you will have players when your map launches.
But the #1 thing you SHOULD NOT do is...
DO NOT RELEASE BETA MAPS. Get beta testers, beg if you have to but do not release a buggy map and expect it to still do well.
0
@Shinoogie12: Go@Atl0s: Go
Thanks a lot again shinoogie and Atl0s. I assume the same could be used to keep a unit out of a region? Just use unit enters the region instead?
As for the dialogue system my map has sort of gone through some huge changes after a few playtesting runs. We will still be using your selection system in the game (not at character select though since we have changed completely how that works) and you will still get credit. :)
0
without using pathing and without setting playable map area?
I want to make it so a unit cannot leave a region until certain conditions are met.
0
@Pfaeff: Go
This is an issue with some terrain objects. They literally put a hole in your map because they work by hiding terrain cells.
Blame blizzard's lazy terrain system.