I recently build my first map. It's build around a full scale battle with plenty of resources. Here is the link. Let me know what you think.
http://www.fileuniverse.com/?p=showitem&ID=2440
J-Rocc (blargh)
.: NEW MAP :. Metal Hell -
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SwiftSpear
- Classic Community Lead
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- Joined: 12 Aug 2005, 09:29
Ohoh.
Well, i think we already have 5 maps of that type...
I wont comment on the layout, but apart from the startposition:
The metaltexture doesnt tile. The edges have different brighness, and that makes the tiling is EXREMELY obvious (and ugly, too).
Just opening the tile in photoshop and retouching it a bit would make it look much better (a simple multiplicative gradient mask should do the job...)
Well, i think we already have 5 maps of that type...
I wont comment on the layout, but apart from the startposition:
The metaltexture doesnt tile. The edges have different brighness, and that makes the tiling is EXREMELY obvious (and ugly, too).
Just opening the tile in photoshop and retouching it a bit would make it look much better (a simple multiplicative gradient mask should do the job...)
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SwiftSpear
- Classic Community Lead
- Posts: 7287
- Joined: 12 Aug 2005, 09:29
Bruce, it may be true but it's hurtful to criticize people's work without bothering to mention all the reasons why. How can he improve on his design if people are just flaming it and not telling him how to improve?
Power: we've seen this design before as per speed-metal, generally speaking good spring players don't like metal maps, but if you take the time to make metal a map look really good then at least they won't flame you as much. First thing to work on is texture tiling, make sure your metal textures tile, look over some texturing tutorials for photoshop and learn how to make it work. After that work on your lighting and world coloring. People like a map better if the water colors look appropriate and the world lighting is immersive. Thirdly, metal maps should have a nice skybox, these can be a little tricky to make but essentially you're making 6 textures that tile with all the other ones around them, I think there is a skybox tutorial on the wiki somewhere. Also get your start locations set. If we're playing a quick round or playing tourny style we're not going to choose in game, we're just going to use start locations. Balanced start locations should always be set.
Power: we've seen this design before as per speed-metal, generally speaking good spring players don't like metal maps, but if you take the time to make metal a map look really good then at least they won't flame you as much. First thing to work on is texture tiling, make sure your metal textures tile, look over some texturing tutorials for photoshop and learn how to make it work. After that work on your lighting and world coloring. People like a map better if the water colors look appropriate and the world lighting is immersive. Thirdly, metal maps should have a nice skybox, these can be a little tricky to make but essentially you're making 6 textures that tile with all the other ones around them, I think there is a skybox tutorial on the wiki somewhere. Also get your start locations set. If we're playing a quick round or playing tourny style we're not going to choose in game, we're just going to use start locations. Balanced start locations should always be set.
Fine.
Metal maps as a rule are bad. Don't make them.
If you're going to tile make sure the image actually tiles.
Before you even begin to make your map ask yourself, "Does this map actually add anything to the game experience that can't be found in half a dozen other places?"
ALWAYS beta test your map.
Beta test it again.
And again.
Listen to what people say, we don't want another 2b4-Core-Proto-Planet attrocity.
Metal maps as a rule are bad. Don't make them.
If you're going to tile make sure the image actually tiles.
Before you even begin to make your map ask yourself, "Does this map actually add anything to the game experience that can't be found in half a dozen other places?"
ALWAYS beta test your map.
Beta test it again.
And again.
Listen to what people say, we don't want another 2b4-Core-Proto-Planet attrocity.
Das Bruce Wrote:
things ....
I know .....
For a first map it looks nice .... Read the comments and include them
in your next map. The more time you spend on the layout and
texture the better you should become ...
Looking forard to future maps .....
stay away from metal maps ... They don't like strange and differentListen to what people say, we don't want another 2b4-Core-Proto-Planet attrocity
things ....
I know .....
For a first map it looks nice .... Read the comments and include them
in your next map. The more time you spend on the layout and
texture the better you should become ...
Looking forard to future maps .....
As a rule of thumb, dont release your first map.
Why?
Because you lack technical raffinesse, experiece, a feeling for the art and propaly even certain tools.
Trash this one, move on to the next. See what has improved.
Then do the next one. Release the fourth or even fifth, and be never accused of making ugly maps, because the only map that ppl will associate with you is one that is decent, as you have released AFTER you have gained some experience. Dont release studies. It will just lower your reputation, and honestly, to set this attrocity of in terms of reputation you should better give us the BOMB with your next release.
If i were you, i would ask the mod to lock this thread now.
Why?
Because you lack technical raffinesse, experiece, a feeling for the art and propaly even certain tools.
Trash this one, move on to the next. See what has improved.
Then do the next one. Release the fourth or even fifth, and be never accused of making ugly maps, because the only map that ppl will associate with you is one that is decent, as you have released AFTER you have gained some experience. Dont release studies. It will just lower your reputation, and honestly, to set this attrocity of in terms of reputation you should better give us the BOMB with your next release.
If i were you, i would ask the mod to lock this thread now.
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power091999
- Posts: 4
- Joined: 22 Dec 2005, 02:31
Thank you all for the comments, good or bad. I will take any critisism, and not take it to heart. As far as worring about my reputation making maps. Im not worried about if people like them or not. Not trying to be rude in anyway but if you don't like it you don't like it.
This was my first map and of course I had tested it many times to get it to work. However I was a bit confused with the start position stuff. I of course will work on that in future maps.
Honestly I build this map for a few of my co-workers and myself. We have fun on metal maps because of the large scale battles, and smaller amounts of technique. I am planning on other maps but now that I know what you people like, and don't like I will incorperate that into whatever I build next.
Thanks agian for the feedback, and hopefully my next map will be better accepted into the TA community.
- J-Rocc -
This was my first map and of course I had tested it many times to get it to work. However I was a bit confused with the start position stuff. I of course will work on that in future maps.
Honestly I build this map for a few of my co-workers and myself. We have fun on metal maps because of the large scale battles, and smaller amounts of technique. I am planning on other maps but now that I know what you people like, and don't like I will incorperate that into whatever I build next.
Thanks agian for the feedback, and hopefully my next map will be better accepted into the TA community.
- J-Rocc -
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SwiftSpear
- Classic Community Lead
- Posts: 7287
- Joined: 12 Aug 2005, 09:29
Plus once you've done several maps and worked with others seeing how they did your own map you can go back and look at your old stuff and immediately knowtice all the things that you did wrong and can improve on.Andreask wrote:As a rule of thumb, dont release your first map.
Why?
Because you lack technical raffinesse, experiece, a feeling for the art and propaly even certain tools.
Trash this one, move on to the next. See what has improved.
Then do the next one. Release the fourth or even fifth, and be never accused of making ugly maps, because the only map that ppl will associate with you is one that is decent, as you have released AFTER you have gained some experience. Dont release studies. It will just lower your reputation, and honestly, to set this attrocity of in terms of reputation you should better give us the BOMB with your next release.
If i were you, i would ask the mod to lock this thread now.
I agree with Andreask. Trash this, or at least redo it and then relese either its remake or the next map.
On the current eddition of this map, i think the texture on the ground is very repetative, lending a monotone air to the map whitch is already rather bleak and uninteresting as its devoid of...terrain...and pretty much anything. Its flat with some water. Thats it.
But if you added a maze in the middle and redid the texture...and mabey add some fetures here and there and the map will be much more interesting to play and look at.
Its actually pretty good, for a first effort. Its better then my map...cause that one wouldent compile and i lost interest a few weeks ago...
On the current eddition of this map, i think the texture on the ground is very repetative, lending a monotone air to the map whitch is already rather bleak and uninteresting as its devoid of...terrain...and pretty much anything. Its flat with some water. Thats it.
But if you added a maze in the middle and redid the texture...and mabey add some fetures here and there and the map will be much more interesting to play and look at.
Its actually pretty good, for a first effort. Its better then my map...cause that one wouldent compile and i lost interest a few weeks ago...
metal maps are different but not bad...
I actually really enjoy them from time to time. Who gives a crap if the tiling doesnt line up... its got an arena feel to it. Its simple and I like it better than any of the other metal maps ive played.
Don't trash it, change it... if everyone is realy THAT bothered by the tiling. I generally dont even look at that aspect of the map if it plays well. Flat metal is quick metal!
I actually really enjoy them from time to time. Who gives a crap if the tiling doesnt line up... its got an arena feel to it. Its simple and I like it better than any of the other metal maps ive played.
Don't trash it, change it... if everyone is realy THAT bothered by the tiling. I generally dont even look at that aspect of the map if it plays well. Flat metal is quick metal!
Maybe your typical good spring players don't like metal maps because they dont know how to play them...generally speaking good spring players don't like metal maps
Osirus wrote:metal maps are different but not bad...
I actually really enjoy them from time to time. Who gives a crap if the tiling doesnt line up... its got an arena feel to it. Its simple and I like it better than any of the other metal maps ive played.
Don't trash it, change it... if everyone is realy THAT bothered by the tiling. I generally dont even look at that aspect of the map if it plays well. Flat metal is quick metal!
Maybe your typical good spring players don't like metal maps because they dont know how to play them...generally speaking good spring players don't like metal maps
It's more like if you have unlimited resources don't fight over anything. You pump lots of units out and pump lotsa other stuff and more and more and more... You lose most of your early game, your units survival becomes more irelevant, noone reclaims units for extra metal and so on and on.
Fighting over resources is ofen more fun then having unlimted amount of em. I'm not saying that metal maps arent fun, they are, but you don't get as much strategy as normal-low maps...
And this map is very bland. I think there are 2-3 maps that look very smilar in layout. Medium-big, flat and metal.
Any numbers on how metal it is? how much per mex and how far between mexxes?