Journal #2653
Posted 19 years ago2005-11-04 19:28:19 UTC
Having cleaned out my Journal I figured I should put something in it. 
Recent discussions around the community involve "Mod teams going Pro".
Good or Bad?
Bad as far as I am concerned.
Ages ago someone said that with the source engine we would be able to produce brilliant maps without much skill.
That is almost right, sure the eye candy is there, but a map needs to be playable and fun to be considered successful.
So I have to ask myself where all these brilliant maps are? And where are all the brilliant mods?
When I first found TWHL, I mapped for fun... I made rooms that had a metal shelf so I could bang my crowbar on it.. That was the joy of mapping.
Somewhere along the line I got far too involved in design and forgot about fun, I chased the 'look' rather than the play.
I have critisied peoples maps, and now am embarrased by my judgement, after all.. Who am I to judge?
I have written tutorials and articles, not just here at TWHL but in the wider community and none of them mention the most important aspect of Design...
Regardless of what it looks like, if the person playing it is having fun then you have created a great map.
Time to tell the Purists to FarrrkOfff. That includes me
So what has that got to do with the percieved professionalism of Mod teams?
If you have to sign a Non Disclosure Agreement before they let you in, then they are obvioulsy missing the point.
ALL the Non Valve mod's that have been successful were started by a bunch of guy's having fun. They built levels and got them out there to test them with the people that really mattered.. the players.
Your peers may judge your design work and call it crap, but if the punters are playing it and having fun, who gives a toss?
After scrapping GTLS, I decided to map for fun. I created a small DoD War map and got it on a server. Two weeks later I released the second version...that ironed out the really bad bugs that the players pointed out.
That map remained on the No 1 rated server in Australia for two months, was a permanent fixture in the rotation and proved a clan war favorite.
Why didn't I post it here?
It was crap
poorly designed and lackluster...
So next time someone tells you your textures are badly aligned... ignore them, and let the players not the mappers, judge your work.
Recent discussions around the community involve "Mod teams going Pro".
Good or Bad?
Bad as far as I am concerned.
Ages ago someone said that with the source engine we would be able to produce brilliant maps without much skill.
That is almost right, sure the eye candy is there, but a map needs to be playable and fun to be considered successful.
So I have to ask myself where all these brilliant maps are? And where are all the brilliant mods?
When I first found TWHL, I mapped for fun... I made rooms that had a metal shelf so I could bang my crowbar on it.. That was the joy of mapping.
Somewhere along the line I got far too involved in design and forgot about fun, I chased the 'look' rather than the play.
I have critisied peoples maps, and now am embarrased by my judgement, after all.. Who am I to judge?
I have written tutorials and articles, not just here at TWHL but in the wider community and none of them mention the most important aspect of Design...
Regardless of what it looks like, if the person playing it is having fun then you have created a great map.
Time to tell the Purists to FarrrkOfff. That includes me
So what has that got to do with the percieved professionalism of Mod teams?
If you have to sign a Non Disclosure Agreement before they let you in, then they are obvioulsy missing the point.
ALL the Non Valve mod's that have been successful were started by a bunch of guy's having fun. They built levels and got them out there to test them with the people that really mattered.. the players.
Your peers may judge your design work and call it crap, but if the punters are playing it and having fun, who gives a toss?
After scrapping GTLS, I decided to map for fun. I created a small DoD War map and got it on a server. Two weeks later I released the second version...that ironed out the really bad bugs that the players pointed out.
That map remained on the No 1 rated server in Australia for two months, was a permanent fixture in the rotation and proved a clan war favorite.
Why didn't I post it here?
It was crap
poorly designed and lackluster...So next time someone tells you your textures are badly aligned... ignore them, and let the players not the mappers, judge your work.
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