Debe! Haven't seen you in ages! Where've you been, waiting for HOTS? Either way, looks like Zerus has SO much potential... I yet have to see a boring Zerus terrain.
Hey Moz :) I’ve been waiting for HOTS. I’m dead set on making a Zerg campaign and trying to do that when a whole load of new Zerg centric content was on the horizon seemed somewhat futile so I’ve been holding off but I got the Beta earlier today so i’ve been playing.
@GhostNova91: Go
It took me about 10-15 minutes, it’s not a very large area so it was fairly easy to slap down a bunch of stuff in what I thought looked like a reasonable looking fashion. It’s just a shame that 80% of the doodads are currently blank placeholders.
Remember to poke me if you need testers or finish it in general. Your Brood campaign was great from the get-go and I can't wait to see what you'll do with HOTS.
There's so much imagination and talent here. Why aren't people like you making campaigns? I play campaign after campaign and I am repeatedly disappointed by the lack of aestethic skills.
Oh well, I do at least get some inspiration for my own upcominc campaign.
It was similar in the WoL beta. You only have a small subset of the total assets available.
And the Iceworld Snow/Blizzard doodads do work, they just don't have helper models. In editor view they look like the "No Model" sphere, but press V and your snow will magically appear.
Also: A few early work-in-progress shots of my first ever (non-competitive) SC2 melee map, based on my earlier jungle scene. 4v4 with one giant run-together base on each end of the map.
Edit: A few more screenshots now that it's pretty much done.
Some of us make melee maps; check the melee map board. I think the main reason there is so much awesome stuff here is that showcases are so much easier to make than entire campaigns or such. That said, I have been trying to get some of these terrains used by other mappers. With HOTS campaign support we may see more of those...
I've started work on a couple campaigns. But, like every other project I start, they last about a week before I lose interest and start a new one. (Hell, I have some vague plans forming right now to start another after HotS launches.)
One of the biggest issues for me is coming up with a story that's interesting enough to keep me going. I can crank out terrains all day, but trying to tie them together into something larger has thus far eluded me.
On the one hand, I can see where you're coming from. On the other, it's exactly the opposite: terrainers are the sole 'breed' of mappers that are lucky enough to have our stuff featured for the larger (read: melee) audience. You can be a damn good triggerer and no one on the TeamLiquid boards will have heard about you, nor will they ever. As a terrainer, it's relatively easy to get in there.
I know this feeling. Ever since I made maps for WarCraft 2 I've been wanting to do a serious, big, lore-canonical campaign project for a game and I've yet to get around to it. Maybe HOTS will make this kind of stuff possible for me.
I do agree, I guess. I frequent the map art thread at TeamLiquid, and most of what's there is splendid. What I meant to say that was that, although it's cool to ladder on good-looking maps, campaigns benefit even more because the aesthetics help immerse you in the story. You are in other words enhancing the experience on more than a superficial level.
Campaigns give you more room too. Melee maps tend to be more open, and too many doodads can affect gameplay. So the stuff you see here isn't likely to show up in a melee map. Even the guys in the map art thread on Liquid work within these boundaries.
I know from first-hand experience how hard it is to create a campaign. But I am glad I did it, even though it will never be played as much as Nexus Wars. As I look through this thread, I get a ton of inspiration for my next campaign.
Isn't this a bug? I thought so anyway, and now i see Telt with blizzard and snowfall doodads that i don't have...
No, it's more for marketing strategy. Blizzard wouldn't just unleash EVERYTHING for a mere Beta editor, especially when March is virtually close. I know they have A LOT of features reserved for the terrainer breed.
I do agree, I guess. I frequent the map art thread at TeamLiquid, and most of what's there is splendid. What I meant to say that was that, although it's cool to ladder on good-looking maps, campaigns benefit even more because the aesthetics help immerse you in the story. You are in other words enhancing the experience on more than a superficial level.
Campaigns give you more room too. Melee maps tend to be more open, and too many doodads can affect gameplay. So the stuff you see here isn't likely to show up in a melee map. Even the guys in the map art thread on Liquid work within these boundaries.
I know from first-hand experience how hard it is to create a campaign. But I am glad I did it, even though it will never be played as much as Nexus Wars. As I look through this thread, I get a ton of inspiration for my next campaign.
But this also doesn't mean Melee maps have to be necessarily empty. Indeed, there are machines that just aren't meant to handle StarCraft II, but when you make a map, you have to consider the eternal clash of two factors: Accessibility X Immersion. A map must be clean enough to easily read but must also have that little spice that can make players remember that map.
So far the only official map that managed such so was the Protoss Station in HotS. It's clean, but it's also riddled with details and it's by far the most worked map in the Melee area.
I would imagine that most, if not all, of the doodads that have models are ones used in the melee maps, can't show em if the model doesn't exist in the game files after all. The others are kept out to limit campaign information getting out.
I think the main problem with campaigns is the sheer amount of work that is required, most melee maps have 0 triggers/data editor modifications and most arcade style maps (footman wars as an example) are light on terrain. In a campaign you need to master all of the map editor AND have a good concept and ability to tell a story. I fear my story telling is not what it should be and I still don't understand the data editor! It probably takes me a month or so to turn out a campaign map and I'm never overly happy with the result.
Perhaps we should band together and form a support group for people who spend ages trying to make a campaign and never get around to it or never finish it to their satisfaction =P
That'd make a nice abbreviation, too.
Edit: Thanks for reminding me about the Map Art thread on TL... hadn't checked that in a bit. Still some awesome stuff around there.
There was/is a custom campaign initiative, but how active that is now I’m not sure. I certainly like the Idea of a support group, there have been a number of times where I’ve considered asking for someone to give me a hand... but In my head this is the reaction I’ll get when they see my attempt
That said I am very much looking forward to HOTS and the increase in activity to the map making community that will come along with it. Plus I’ll finally have some understanding of the Zerg... it’s hard to make up a story when 99% of the cast can only growl and vomit creep everywhere... *sigh* Shakespeare never had this problem.
Oh... and some playing around with the Protoss stuff, which looks amazing by the way. Finally some Protoss scenery!
@Mozared: Go Totally agree with the idea of supporting campaigns! I've been working on a mini-campaign (3 missions) based on the SC Uprising book, and I know I need a good terrainer ;-)
If any of you guys want to work on campaigns just tell me, I joined a few projects in the past and right now I help the guys in the italian remake of Sc1/BW campaigns. But I'd like to work on campaigns made from SC books.
I'm good with data and artwork, even some modelling but nothing fancy, only small changes to current models.
I can't get over how sick this picture is, Telthalion. It's just so... perfect. Zerus best tileset EU.
Also, I might try something regarding the campaign thing when HOTS comes out, actually. Maybe see if we can combine our efforts to maybe churn out one big campaign? A lot of us need triggerers and data editors too, I think.
A lot of my creations are just sitting around goin to waste, i'll consider adding to a pool if we do decide to - i kinda figured with HOTS coming out my ideas would be a lot easier if i simply waited.
And I wish the cliff levels could go that high above ground. I always itch to have units down in those mist filled enclosed valleys.
@Debe2233: Go
Debe! Haven't seen you in ages! Where've you been, waiting for HOTS? Either way, looks like Zerus has SO much potential... I yet have to see a boring Zerus terrain.
@Mozared: Go
Hey Moz :) I’ve been waiting for HOTS. I’m dead set on making a Zerg campaign and trying to do that when a whole load of new Zerg centric content was on the horizon seemed somewhat futile so I’ve been holding off but I got the Beta earlier today so i’ve been playing.
@GhostNova91: Go It took me about 10-15 minutes, it’s not a very large area so it was fairly easy to slap down a bunch of stuff in what I thought looked like a reasonable looking fashion. It’s just a shame that 80% of the doodads are currently blank placeholders.
@Debe2233: Go
Remember to poke me if you need testers or finish it in general. Your Brood campaign was great from the get-go and I can't wait to see what you'll do with HOTS.
@Mozared: Go
I shall happily take you up on that offer Moz!
Another quickie, can't wait to get my sticky hands all over the full terrain sets.
There's so much imagination and talent here. Why aren't people like you making campaigns? I play campaign after campaign and I am repeatedly disappointed by the lack of aestethic skills.
Oh well, I do at least get some inspiration for my own upcominc campaign.
Isn't this a bug? I thought so anyway, and now i see Telt with blizzard and snowfall doodads that i don't have...
@SheogorathSC: Go
It was similar in the WoL beta. You only have a small subset of the total assets available.
And the Iceworld Snow/Blizzard doodads do work, they just don't have helper models. In editor view they look like the "No Model" sphere, but press V and your snow will magically appear.
Also: A few early work-in-progress shots of my first ever (non-competitive) SC2 melee map, based on my earlier jungle scene. 4v4 with one giant run-together base on each end of the map.
Edit: A few more screenshots now that it's pretty much done.
@EivindL: Go
Some of us make melee maps; check the melee map board. I think the main reason there is so much awesome stuff here is that showcases are so much easier to make than entire campaigns or such. That said, I have been trying to get some of these terrains used by other mappers. With HOTS campaign support we may see more of those...
Ugh... melee maps. Look, I play ladder like the rest (in Diamond), but these kind of aestethics are somewhat wasted on melee maps, in my opinion.
@EivindL: Go
I've started work on a couple campaigns. But, like every other project I start, they last about a week before I lose interest and start a new one. (Hell, I have some vague plans forming right now to start another after HotS launches.)
One of the biggest issues for me is coming up with a story that's interesting enough to keep me going. I can crank out terrains all day, but trying to tie them together into something larger has thus far eluded me.
@EivindL: Go
On the one hand, I can see where you're coming from. On the other, it's exactly the opposite: terrainers are the sole 'breed' of mappers that are lucky enough to have our stuff featured for the larger (read: melee) audience. You can be a damn good triggerer and no one on the TeamLiquid boards will have heard about you, nor will they ever. As a terrainer, it's relatively easy to get in there.
@Telthalion: Go
I know this feeling. Ever since I made maps for WarCraft 2 I've been wanting to do a serious, big, lore-canonical campaign project for a game and I've yet to get around to it. Maybe HOTS will make this kind of stuff possible for me.
I do agree, I guess. I frequent the map art thread at TeamLiquid, and most of what's there is splendid. What I meant to say that was that, although it's cool to ladder on good-looking maps, campaigns benefit even more because the aesthetics help immerse you in the story. You are in other words enhancing the experience on more than a superficial level.
Campaigns give you more room too. Melee maps tend to be more open, and too many doodads can affect gameplay. So the stuff you see here isn't likely to show up in a melee map. Even the guys in the map art thread on Liquid work within these boundaries.
I know from first-hand experience how hard it is to create a campaign. But I am glad I did it, even though it will never be played as much as Nexus Wars. As I look through this thread, I get a ton of inspiration for my next campaign.
No, it's more for marketing strategy. Blizzard wouldn't just unleash EVERYTHING for a mere Beta editor, especially when March is virtually close. I know they have A LOT of features reserved for the terrainer breed.
But this also doesn't mean Melee maps have to be necessarily empty. Indeed, there are machines that just aren't meant to handle StarCraft II, but when you make a map, you have to consider the eternal clash of two factors: Accessibility X Immersion. A map must be clean enough to easily read but must also have that little spice that can make players remember that map.
So far the only official map that managed such so was the Protoss Station in HotS. It's clean, but it's also riddled with details and it's by far the most worked map in the Melee area.
I would imagine that most, if not all, of the doodads that have models are ones used in the melee maps, can't show em if the model doesn't exist in the game files after all. The others are kept out to limit campaign information getting out.
I think the main problem with campaigns is the sheer amount of work that is required, most melee maps have 0 triggers/data editor modifications and most arcade style maps (footman wars as an example) are light on terrain. In a campaign you need to master all of the map editor AND have a good concept and ability to tell a story. I fear my story telling is not what it should be and I still don't understand the data editor! It probably takes me a month or so to turn out a campaign map and I'm never overly happy with the result.
@Debe2233: Go
Perhaps we should band together and form a support group for people who spend ages trying to make a campaign and never get around to it or never finish it to their satisfaction =P
That'd make a nice abbreviation, too.
Edit: Thanks for reminding me about the Map Art thread on TL... hadn't checked that in a bit. Still some awesome stuff around there.
@Mozared: Go
There was/is a custom campaign initiative, but how active that is now I’m not sure. I certainly like the Idea of a support group, there have been a number of times where I’ve considered asking for someone to give me a hand... but In my head this is the reaction I’ll get when they see my attempt
That said I am very much looking forward to HOTS and the increase in activity to the map making community that will come along with it. Plus I’ll finally have some understanding of the Zerg... it’s hard to make up a story when 99% of the cast can only growl and vomit creep everywhere... *sigh* Shakespeare never had this problem.
Oh... and some playing around with the Protoss stuff, which looks amazing by the way. Finally some Protoss scenery!
@Mozared: Go Totally agree with the idea of supporting campaigns! I've been working on a mini-campaign (3 missions) based on the SC Uprising book, and I know I need a good terrainer ;-)
If any of you guys want to work on campaigns just tell me, I joined a few projects in the past and right now I help the guys in the italian remake of Sc1/BW campaigns. But I'd like to work on campaigns made from SC books.
I'm good with data and artwork, even some modelling but nothing fancy, only small changes to current models.
Im a member of that group. The best member
Be coming back for hots HARD AND FAST
@Telthalion: Go
I can't get over how sick this picture is, Telthalion. It's just so... perfect. Zerus best tileset EU.
Also, I might try something regarding the campaign thing when HOTS comes out, actually. Maybe see if we can combine our efforts to maybe churn out one big campaign? A lot of us need triggerers and data editors too, I think.
A lot of my creations are just sitting around goin to waste, i'll consider adding to a pool if we do decide to - i kinda figured with HOTS coming out my ideas would be a lot easier if i simply waited.
And I wish the cliff levels could go that high above ground. I always itch to have units down in those mist filled enclosed valleys.