I recently reached a point in development of my map where I am comfortable to open it up to the public to get some more rigorous testing done. Currently, the beta version of the map is available for play on the SC2 Arcade Beta client. I will note that the game is currently incomplete, and I still need to add more towers and levels before the release version. In addition, this map has never been tested with more than 5 people, so I am just about 100% certain that a whole host of issues are going to arise in fuller games. With that said, I encourage you to play the game, and I would appreciate any feedback you have on it.
I also put together a preview/tutorial video of the map which should help newer players understand some of the concepts and systems used to play it. It ran a little longer than planned, but if you're interested in checking it out, you can watch it at:
A lot of work has been poured into this map so far, and I'm hoping to improve it a great deal over the coming weeks by responding to the feedback of more players. Thanks a lot, and I hope you enjoy the game!
Zoator
P.S. The map is playable with any number of players in any team arrangements. While there are certain dynamics that enhance the game when two teams are playing, it is by no means necessary. If you can't put together a full game, feel free to play with whoever you can (or solo if you want).
I actually still receive e-mails about this to this day. Your thought it correct - the code cannot be obtained in single player. I did this to prevent cheating. It's not the most ideal way to deter cheating, but alas, that's the way it is. In order for a code to be generated, the game must have been started with at least 2 human players. Unfortunately this has become a big problem for players who wish to play the game today, as Warcraft III's Battle.net is in its twilight, with most custom games being hosted by host bots. Sorry about that :(.
This layout is actually pretty close to what I had in mind. The only changes I would make would be to move the title all the way to the top, and then have 4 boxes like the ones in your sample in a 2x2 grid below the title. I could provide the artist with screenshots of things to put in those boxes that would complement the text. Then there should be some subdued background imagery for the rest of the screen.
Oh, and I forgot to mention: You should take credit for your work, so you can expect to have "Loading Screen by: You" somewhere on it. I'll also credit you within the map itself, for what it's worth.
Thanks for the replies! To address some of the issues brought up in this thread:
- A PSD document would be ideal. I do have Photoshop, so I would expect to be able to edit the text from within there. Additionally, I could accept art done in any free tools, such as Gimp.
- I should have been more clear when I said "original." I do not expect anyone to actually draw any detailed character sketches, or anything of that nature. What I mean by original is that it's not an image that I could simply find using Google image search. It is perfectly fine to use existing assets, but the way in which they are used should look good. That is, the color scheme should work well, the font should fit the theme, etc. Basically, nothing should look out of place, or just "tacked on." The background could be something completely abstract, like mist, clouds, light, etc. I don't really want anything fancy, as the focus of the screen should be the text, with the imagery serving as a subdued background. I was expecting that someone who knows what they're doing could accomplish something like this in 1-2 hours, but I could be mistaken.
- The primary purpose of the loading screen will be for players to read the text. Think of the rest of the screen as background imagery. The text needs to be the focal point of the screen, as it describes important details about gameplay.
- As far as the amount of text goes, I'm trying to keep it to a minimum such that players will actually read it. I'd like to split it up based on the feature of the game that each section of text explains. So in a given section, you might be able to expect something like this:
Header
- Some short descriptive text here.
- Some more descriptive text.
- And probably one more bullet.
- I'm leaving where the text sections go up to the artist, with the constraints that 1) the text needs to be the focus of the screen (as mentioned in the last bullet), and 2) the sections should be read in a certain order, so the layout should reflect that. In addition, the map title should probably be in the top center of the screen, and there should be text somewhere on the bottom for a website URL.
- The map itself employs a color scheme primarily consisting of cyan, blue, green, and gold. If you could somehow make these colors (or some subset of them) look good together on the loading screen, then that would be a plus. But this isn't necessary. I'm trusting that whoever if making this knows more about bringing colors together than I do.
That should probably clarify things some more. If anyone has any additional questions/comments, please let me know. If you are interested, please PM me with a link to some sort of related work that you've done in the past, just so I have a sample to go by. If you're worried about me stealing it (I won't), feel free to make it low-res, watermark it, etc.
I am looking for someone to create a loading screen for my map, and I will pay the creator $30 for this task. I'll go into more details about the specific requirements for this screen once I know who I'm working with, but for now, here are some general requirements:
Should look original and professional (i.e. not just a render of a SC2 unit with text on top)
The theme should be consistent with SC2 (i.e. sci-fi)
The fonts used should be clear, easy to read, and consistent with the theme.
There will need to be 4-5 sections of the screen with solid backgrounds suitable for text. These sections should blend in well with the other imagery on the screen.
I will need to be able to edit the text on the screen.
If you have experience making loading screens or other relevant digital artworks and are interested in making this piece, please contact me by either posting in this thread or PMing me. I'd like to see some past samples of related work before I make a decision. To be paid, the creator must have a Paypal account. I will pay $30 via Paypal once the work has been satisfactorily completed and received.
Testing and development have been moving along pretty smoothly - thanks to everyone who has helped out thus far. However, with more content being added to the game, I really need to start testing with more players to start getting a feel for balance issues in larger games. If anyone is interested in helping out, please let me know, and join channel Zoator when you're logged into SC2. I hold tests nearly everyday on weekday evenings (after 7:00 PM EST), and on weekends as well (although with less consistency). Thanks!
I have also been trying to make interceptors drag-selectable, and I believe I have solved this problem using a variation of lfuel's suggestion.
There is a model file named "HitTestSphere" under Assets\Units\Test. As far as I can tell, this is effectively an invisible sphere that can be used (as its name suggests) for various hit tests, including drag selection. There is no model object created for this file, so you'll have to make one yourself. Once you do, create a "Model Animation Style Continuous" actor, and set its model to the HitTestSphere model object you created. In the Events, do the standard UnitBirth.YourUnit -> Create, ActorOrphan -> Destroy. Finally, in Host Site Operations, add SOpAttachOrigin. Also, make sure that "Allow Hit Test" is checked in the "Model Flags" field. Now your unit will have an invisible sphere attached to it that is drag-selectable.
I am planning to start testing tonight, February 15th, at approximately 8:30 PM EST. If you are interested in testing, please join channel Zoator when you logon to SC2, as this will make it much easier to organize tests. We will probably test 2-3 times, with tests lasting 5-10 minutes. Again, don't expect much at these early stages :). Thanks!
Yes, your intuition is correct - my tests are rather boring in the early stages. I should make that clear to everyone who has volunteered thus far: I can pretty much guarantee that you won't have much fun during the first period of testing (sorry!). However, it will gradually get better over time until it finally becomes a full game.
As for your comment on the popularity system - I agree that it's broken, and a pretty terrible idea in general. However, the little we've seen from the HotS redesign seems promising, so I'd like to have a map ready when that hits. Also, it is still possible to create a popular map with the current system - it just takes far more work than it should to get the map sufficient exposure.
Yes, ideally I would have started testing sooner (given the date that I started this thread), but development was stalled for extended periods due to some other obligations that required my attention. In any case, would you like to help test the map?
Ok, I'm just about ready to start testing. Tests will be held beginning next week (week of February 12th). I will most likely be testing during the evenings (after 6:00 PM EST), and I will be organizing all tests in channel Zoator. If you are interested in testing, I encourage you to make channel Zoator your default chat channel between games. This will make it a little easier to get people together to run tests.
I should note that in the beginning stages of testing, the tests will likely be very short (5-10 minutes) since I start testing with relatively little content. The primary purpose of these tests is to ensure that the game concepts work well, and to fix any bugs that show up. As testing progresses and I add more content, the length of the tests will increase, and we'll begin to tackle some of the finer issues like balance.
Thanks!
Zoator
P.S. Anyone who still wants to test that hasn't posted yet is still welcome! Just please let me know so I can add you to my list.
Thanks to everyone who volunteered thus far! I'm working on getting a testable version up soon.
Also, I should be clear that while the title of this map is "Zoator TD," it is not a remake or port of one of my existing WC3 maps (personally, I think we've seen a few too many WC3 ports in SC2 already). It is an entirely new game with new mechanics and ideas behind it. I'm looking to seeing what you guys think!
Yes, good idea. I'll use a multi-user PM for testing updates.
Also, I forgot to mention this in my original post, but I'm on the North American servers, so I'll only be able to work with testers there. My username is Zoator and my character code is 456 (thus my SC2Mapster account name, since Zoator was already taken :\).
If you are familiar with Warcraft III Tower Defense games, you may have played one of my maps before, such as Zoator TD, Zoator Survivor TD, or Sprout TD. I have been working on a new TD for SC2, and after quite a bit of on-and-off development, and a nearly complete overhaul of the game mechanics since I first tested it about a year ago, I am just about prepared to begin the multiplayer testing process once again.
I prefer to test my map early and often, far before it reaches completion. This allows me to incorporate player feedback as I go, and makes it easier for me to make critical design choices early on in the development process before it's too late. However, since I start testing with my map in such an incomplete state, I prefer to keep my beta tests private with a fairly consistent group of testers. If anyone is interested in being a part of said group, please let me know! I'd appreciate all of the help I could get.
If you are interested, please post in this thread with your SC2 username and character code so I can add you to my friends list. I will post updates in this thread regarding testing times and organization.
0
Hi all,
I recently reached a point in development of my map where I am comfortable to open it up to the public to get some more rigorous testing done. Currently, the beta version of the map is available for play on the SC2 Arcade Beta client. I will note that the game is currently incomplete, and I still need to add more towers and levels before the release version. In addition, this map has never been tested with more than 5 people, so I am just about 100% certain that a whole host of issues are going to arise in fuller games. With that said, I encourage you to play the game, and I would appreciate any feedback you have on it.
I also put together a preview/tutorial video of the map which should help newer players understand some of the concepts and systems used to play it. It ran a little longer than planned, but if you're interested in checking it out, you can watch it at:
A lot of work has been poured into this map so far, and I'm hoping to improve it a great deal over the coming weeks by responding to the feedback of more players. Thanks a lot, and I hope you enjoy the game!
Zoator
P.S. The map is playable with any number of players in any team arrangements. While there are certain dynamics that enhance the game when two teams are playing, it is by no means necessary. If you can't put together a full game, feel free to play with whoever you can (or solo if you want).
0
@Frysk85: Go
I actually still receive e-mails about this to this day. Your thought it correct - the code cannot be obtained in single player. I did this to prevent cheating. It's not the most ideal way to deter cheating, but alas, that's the way it is. In order for a code to be generated, the game must have been started with at least 2 human players. Unfortunately this has become a big problem for players who wish to play the game today, as Warcraft III's Battle.net is in its twilight, with most custom games being hosted by host bots. Sorry about that :(.
0
@jaxter184: Go
This layout is actually pretty close to what I had in mind. The only changes I would make would be to move the title all the way to the top, and then have 4 boxes like the ones in your sample in a 2x2 grid below the title. I could provide the artist with screenshots of things to put in those boxes that would complement the text. Then there should be some subdued background imagery for the rest of the screen.
0
Oh, and I forgot to mention: You should take credit for your work, so you can expect to have "Loading Screen by: You" somewhere on it. I'll also credit you within the map itself, for what it's worth.
0
Thanks for the replies! To address some of the issues brought up in this thread:
- A PSD document would be ideal. I do have Photoshop, so I would expect to be able to edit the text from within there. Additionally, I could accept art done in any free tools, such as Gimp.
- I should have been more clear when I said "original." I do not expect anyone to actually draw any detailed character sketches, or anything of that nature. What I mean by original is that it's not an image that I could simply find using Google image search. It is perfectly fine to use existing assets, but the way in which they are used should look good. That is, the color scheme should work well, the font should fit the theme, etc. Basically, nothing should look out of place, or just "tacked on." The background could be something completely abstract, like mist, clouds, light, etc. I don't really want anything fancy, as the focus of the screen should be the text, with the imagery serving as a subdued background. I was expecting that someone who knows what they're doing could accomplish something like this in 1-2 hours, but I could be mistaken.
- The primary purpose of the loading screen will be for players to read the text. Think of the rest of the screen as background imagery. The text needs to be the focal point of the screen, as it describes important details about gameplay.
- As far as the amount of text goes, I'm trying to keep it to a minimum such that players will actually read it. I'd like to split it up based on the feature of the game that each section of text explains. So in a given section, you might be able to expect something like this:
Header
- Some short descriptive text here.
- Some more descriptive text.
- And probably one more bullet.
- I'm leaving where the text sections go up to the artist, with the constraints that 1) the text needs to be the focus of the screen (as mentioned in the last bullet), and 2) the sections should be read in a certain order, so the layout should reflect that. In addition, the map title should probably be in the top center of the screen, and there should be text somewhere on the bottom for a website URL.
- The map itself employs a color scheme primarily consisting of cyan, blue, green, and gold. If you could somehow make these colors (or some subset of them) look good together on the loading screen, then that would be a plus. But this isn't necessary. I'm trusting that whoever if making this knows more about bringing colors together than I do.
That should probably clarify things some more. If anyone has any additional questions/comments, please let me know. If you are interested, please PM me with a link to some sort of related work that you've done in the past, just so I have a sample to go by. If you're worried about me stealing it (I won't), feel free to make it low-res, watermark it, etc.
Thanks!
0
I am looking for someone to create a loading screen for my map, and I will pay the creator $30 for this task. I'll go into more details about the specific requirements for this screen once I know who I'm working with, but for now, here are some general requirements:
If you have experience making loading screens or other relevant digital artworks and are interested in making this piece, please contact me by either posting in this thread or PMing me. I'd like to see some past samples of related work before I make a decision. To be paid, the creator must have a Paypal account. I will pay $30 via Paypal once the work has been satisfactorily completed and received.
Thanks!
0
Bumped.
Testing and development have been moving along pretty smoothly - thanks to everyone who has helped out thus far. However, with more content being added to the game, I really need to start testing with more players to start getting a feel for balance issues in larger games. If anyone is interested in helping out, please let me know, and join channel Zoator when you're logged into SC2. I hold tests nearly everyday on weekday evenings (after 7:00 PM EST), and on weekends as well (although with less consistency). Thanks!
0
I have also been trying to make interceptors drag-selectable, and I believe I have solved this problem using a variation of lfuel's suggestion.
There is a model file named "HitTestSphere" under Assets\Units\Test. As far as I can tell, this is effectively an invisible sphere that can be used (as its name suggests) for various hit tests, including drag selection. There is no model object created for this file, so you'll have to make one yourself. Once you do, create a "Model Animation Style Continuous" actor, and set its model to the HitTestSphere model object you created. In the Events, do the standard UnitBirth.YourUnit -> Create, ActorOrphan -> Destroy. Finally, in Host Site Operations, add SOpAttachOrigin. Also, make sure that "Allow Hit Test" is checked in the "Model Flags" field. Now your unit will have an invisible sphere attached to it that is drag-selectable.
0
I am planning to start testing tonight, February 15th, at approximately 8:30 PM EST. If you are interested in testing, please join channel Zoator when you logon to SC2, as this will make it much easier to organize tests. We will probably test 2-3 times, with tests lasting 5-10 minutes. Again, don't expect much at these early stages :). Thanks!
0
@Karawasa: Go
Yes, your intuition is correct - my tests are rather boring in the early stages. I should make that clear to everyone who has volunteered thus far: I can pretty much guarantee that you won't have much fun during the first period of testing (sorry!). However, it will gradually get better over time until it finally becomes a full game.
As for your comment on the popularity system - I agree that it's broken, and a pretty terrible idea in general. However, the little we've seen from the HotS redesign seems promising, so I'd like to have a map ready when that hits. Also, it is still possible to create a popular map with the current system - it just takes far more work than it should to get the map sufficient exposure.
0
Yes, ideally I would have started testing sooner (given the date that I started this thread), but development was stalled for extended periods due to some other obligations that required my attention. In any case, would you like to help test the map?
0
Ok, I'm just about ready to start testing. Tests will be held beginning next week (week of February 12th). I will most likely be testing during the evenings (after 6:00 PM EST), and I will be organizing all tests in channel Zoator. If you are interested in testing, I encourage you to make channel Zoator your default chat channel between games. This will make it a little easier to get people together to run tests.
I should note that in the beginning stages of testing, the tests will likely be very short (5-10 minutes) since I start testing with relatively little content. The primary purpose of these tests is to ensure that the game concepts work well, and to fix any bugs that show up. As testing progresses and I add more content, the length of the tests will increase, and we'll begin to tackle some of the finer issues like balance.
Thanks! Zoator
P.S. Anyone who still wants to test that hasn't posted yet is still welcome! Just please let me know so I can add you to my list.
0
Thanks to everyone who volunteered thus far! I'm working on getting a testable version up soon.
Also, I should be clear that while the title of this map is "Zoator TD," it is not a remake or port of one of my existing WC3 maps (personally, I think we've seen a few too many WC3 ports in SC2 already). It is an entirely new game with new mechanics and ideas behind it. I'm looking to seeing what you guys think!
0
@OneTwoSC: Go
Yes, good idea. I'll use a multi-user PM for testing updates.
Also, I forgot to mention this in my original post, but I'm on the North American servers, so I'll only be able to work with testers there. My username is Zoator and my character code is 456 (thus my SC2Mapster account name, since Zoator was already taken :\).
0
Hi all,
If you are familiar with Warcraft III Tower Defense games, you may have played one of my maps before, such as Zoator TD, Zoator Survivor TD, or Sprout TD. I have been working on a new TD for SC2, and after quite a bit of on-and-off development, and a nearly complete overhaul of the game mechanics since I first tested it about a year ago, I am just about prepared to begin the multiplayer testing process once again.
I prefer to test my map early and often, far before it reaches completion. This allows me to incorporate player feedback as I go, and makes it easier for me to make critical design choices early on in the development process before it's too late. However, since I start testing with my map in such an incomplete state, I prefer to keep my beta tests private with a fairly consistent group of testers. If anyone is interested in being a part of said group, please let me know! I'd appreciate all of the help I could get.
If you are interested, please post in this thread with your SC2 username and character code so I can add you to my friends list. I will post updates in this thread regarding testing times and organization.
Thank you!