I just recently started playing Starcraft 2 custom games, having been a die-hard Broodwar UMS player. As such, I'm not too familiar with what is currently out there, or what has already been developed/published/abandoned. But I can't help but notice that there are no popular diplomacy maps in starcraft 2 customs. If you have to idle in a game lobby for more than a minute or two, the map is not popular.
This is a crime. Diplomacy is a fucking brilliant custom game and IMO should be a game that is always in the top ten list of sc2 customs popularity. Always!
A bit of backstory: I have quite a bit of experience with mapping, balance, and of course diplomacy itself. I'm competent at 7.7, though I never practiced it, and have been the best at Diplo Infinity for almost four years now. So when I saw there were no popular diplo maps, after I got over my initial shock I started to scheme a bit.
I've often been frustrated over the years with Infinity's mapmaker for not understanding balance or gameplay (and generally being a noob), but by the time I was frustrated enough to make my own map the old one was already entrenched. More importantly, the scene was starting to die, and I didn't have much motivation to polish a map no one was going to play. I did eventually make my own version of the map, although with no intent to publish it.
Back to the present. No one has yet taken the opportunity to make a popular diplo map in sc2, which leaves an amazing opportunity. Whoever fills that niche first is not only going to be starting with a clean slate and have tremendous creative control, but even the slightest of successes will almost surely lead to widespread popularity.
Here's where mapping communities come in. To make a map right requires a lot of dedication and effort. I don't currently have the motivation to solo a project so large, so my next thought was to wonder if there were people who would want to collaborate on making a professional-quality map and getting people to play it.
Due to the nature of SC2's custom maps popularity sorting, in addition to creating the map, creating a way to support the popularity of the map would be necessary. A website with FAQs/guides, forums, a ladder and/or tournaments, special events, etc. seems essential. For a map to be successful now requires far more than elegant map design, it requires the creation of an entire scene.
I want to be specific here, so there's no confusion:
I'm looking for a small team of people (3-4 initially; possibility of more later) who are willing to collaborate and/or divide up the work involved in creating a diplomacy scene in SC2. Experience with diplomacy maps is not required, but beneficial. Two particular talents I'm aware of needing already: Terrain design and interface aesthetics, and custom unit creation. A back-end coder would also be nice. My strengths and contributions will be predominantly in the realm of gameplay, balance, and overall project management, though I am competent in terrain and triggering as well.
tl;dr I'm looking for smart, talented people who are both willing and able to dedicate significant time and effort into producing a high-quality diplomacy map. Interested? Please get in touch with me.
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I just recently started playing Starcraft 2 custom games, having been a die-hard Broodwar UMS player. As such, I'm not too familiar with what is currently out there, or what has already been developed/published/abandoned. But I can't help but notice that there are no popular diplomacy maps in starcraft 2 customs. If you have to idle in a game lobby for more than a minute or two, the map is not popular.
This is a crime. Diplomacy is a fucking brilliant custom game and IMO should be a game that is always in the top ten list of sc2 customs popularity. Always!
A bit of backstory: I have quite a bit of experience with mapping, balance, and of course diplomacy itself. I'm competent at 7.7, though I never practiced it, and have been the best at Diplo Infinity for almost four years now. So when I saw there were no popular diplo maps, after I got over my initial shock I started to scheme a bit.
I've often been frustrated over the years with Infinity's mapmaker for not understanding balance or gameplay (and generally being a noob), but by the time I was frustrated enough to make my own map the old one was already entrenched. More importantly, the scene was starting to die, and I didn't have much motivation to polish a map no one was going to play. I did eventually make my own version of the map, although with no intent to publish it.
Back to the present. No one has yet taken the opportunity to make a popular diplo map in sc2, which leaves an amazing opportunity. Whoever fills that niche first is not only going to be starting with a clean slate and have tremendous creative control, but even the slightest of successes will almost surely lead to widespread popularity.
Here's where mapping communities come in. To make a map right requires a lot of dedication and effort. I don't currently have the motivation to solo a project so large, so my next thought was to wonder if there were people who would want to collaborate on making a professional-quality map and getting people to play it.
Due to the nature of SC2's custom maps popularity sorting, in addition to creating the map, creating a way to support the popularity of the map would be necessary. A website with FAQs/guides, forums, a ladder and/or tournaments, special events, etc. seems essential. For a map to be successful now requires far more than elegant map design, it requires the creation of an entire scene.
I want to be specific here, so there's no confusion:
I'm looking for a small team of people (3-4 initially; possibility of more later) who are willing to collaborate and/or divide up the work involved in creating a diplomacy scene in SC2. Experience with diplomacy maps is not required, but beneficial. Two particular talents I'm aware of needing already: Terrain design and interface aesthetics, and custom unit creation. A back-end coder would also be nice. My strengths and contributions will be predominantly in the realm of gameplay, balance, and overall project management, though I am competent in terrain and triggering as well.
tl;dr I'm looking for smart, talented people who are both willing and able to dedicate significant time and effort into producing a high-quality diplomacy map. Interested? Please get in touch with me.