188 replies to this topic

[Tice Daurus]

EDITED 03/28/2013: Currently, we've had DEV response to this and this is what they've said:

Garth Erlam, on 27 March 2013 - 09:47 AM, said:

[snip]
We are taking your ideas. Using fan-created content isn't simply a yes/no thing, there are legal issues to go through.

The game is also BARELY OVER A YEAR OLD from first line of code, so please, understand we can't snap our fingers and be a year ahead.

Originally this thread was to discuss a possible idea to see if players/users/fans could talk about submitting MAP Content to PGI in order to help them out and reduce PGI costs. Because they are currently 'discussing and considering this at this time' and talking this over with their legal team, the idea is being considered, but that is as far as they are for this time. This is going to take considerably more work than just throwing this together. However, it's not a NO.

Because we now have official discussion to where PGI is talking about it, please see in the FAN ART SECTION we have a thread that is now set up for people to submit their fan submissions for MAP CONTENT ONLY. Also if you would like to further discuss conversations for MAP content ideas here, please do so.

Thanks for all of the likes, ideas and posts we've gotten so far, and please keep this thread CIVIL so we don't have to get this thread shipped to K-Town.

Here is the link for FAN PRODUCED MAP CONTENT:

http://mwomercs.com/...ost__p__2142622

Edited by Tice Daurus, 28 March 2013 - 10:37 AM.

[80sGlamRockSensation David Bowie]

I remember making a thread a few months back saying how we (the small talented portion of the community) could create and submit maps to PGI, and if they accept it, gain all the rights to the map.

The result, more better quality maps per month and an overall better game with direct content and interaction with the community.

Win Win situation, so its pretty foolish to not allow the community to a least submit some content.

Hell, some of the BEST, and I mean absolute BEST maps from MechWarrior 4 came from user generated content.

[Fut]

This is a wonderful idea.
Hell, I'm sure that people would even be willing to make maps for MWO for absolutely nothing more than a "plaque" stating that the original map was designed by them.

[Tice Daurus]

mwhighlander, on 25 March 2013 - 12:03 PM, said:

I remember making a thread a few months back saying how we (the small talented portion of the community) could create and submit maps to PGI, and if they accept it, gain all the rights to the map.

The result, more better quality maps per month and an overall better game with direct content and interaction with the community.

Win Win situation, so its pretty foolish to not allow the community to a least submit some content.

Hell, some of the BEST, and I mean absolute BEST maps from MechWarrior 4 came from user generated content.

Ok then, so great minds think alike and I'm not the first person to say this then. That's cool, and if you've said this before, and I'm saying it now...how come PGI hasn't taken us the fans up on this offer? How easy would it be to have the fans whip up some decent maps, submit them to PGI, let them take the rights over, and in order to help, they could offer some minor compensation with some free swag or MC for our game?

[Mechteric]

mwhighlander, on 25 March 2013 - 12:03 PM, said:

Hell, some of the BEST, and I mean absolute BEST maps from MechWarrior 4 came from user generated content.

Keep in mind that MW4 used private servers. Huge difference there when you have people who can do what they want when they host their own servers compared with the likes of a centralized hosting style you get in MMO land.

[Adridos]

The tools to create those maps are already in our hands.

It's the fact only Allfex had done something with them that is the saddenning part. If we had at least 10 people who created the maps that could be actually usable, I don't think it would be hard to convince them.

Basing it all on empty promises from our side won't simply work.
We are asking for tools we already have... how much more proof do they need that this wouldn't work very well?

I am for any kind of community based content.

Just imagine if they gave the ortho views of Blackjack, Flea and Orion to some of our 3D moddellers from the community like Hanna, Joe, or others. They would have the basic meshes done in week's time and the process would be sooo much faster.

Or if they could somhow get people to create the variations of meshes for different set-ups so we could see Dragons with proper arms, Lights with LRMs and so on...

Edited by Adridos, 25 March 2013 - 12:20 PM.

[PurpleNinja]

Fut, on 25 March 2013 - 12:08 PM, said:

This is a wonderful idea.
Hell, I'm sure that people would even be willing to make maps for MWO for absolutely nothing more than a "plaque" stating that the original map was designed by them.

Better, a cockpit item so people can see he is fan map designer.

[Tice Daurus]

Adridos, on 25 March 2013 - 12:16 PM, said:

The tools to create those maps are already in our hands.

It's the fact only Allfex had done something with them that is the saddenning part. If we had at least 10 people who created the maps that could be actually usable, I don't think it would be hard to convince them.

Basing it all on empty promises from our side won't simply work.
We are asking for tools we already have... how much more proof do they need that this wouldn't work very well?

Well the point of this thread is to do ONE thing...I want the DEV's to comment here officially and say what they think on this and if this can get done, then heck, let's all see what we can do to get the ball rolling on this pronto. I don't want to turn this into a "Let's BASH the art department for it to cost them 250k to come up with maps," deal here. I want to help the art department and if the fans can do this...all the more awesome for us the fans to help them out.

[FrDrake]

Reporting this thread..........because it makes sense.

My only thought on why they wouldn't allow this would be if they felt they couldn't QA or police it enough, or that they would be deluged with horrible submissions by people just hoping for a few MC thrown their way. Because if you get so many user submissions that it takes a guy full time to check them out then you might as well just have him making maps you already have a set of standards for.

So user generated maps will probably need to be reviewed by yet more users to ensure balance(and that there aren't penises hidden behind the buildings) or at least filtered. When you get to this point in the design process management starts to go "just hire a guy and make our own maps, this other idea is different and sounds like a headache in itself".

[Augustus Martelus]

Would be so awesome to be able to do our own map and share it to the community!

[JohnoBurr]

This makes too much sense. So you can just go ahead and throw this idea in the trash can.

[ryoma]

I'd be ok with player made content.

[Tice Daurus]

FrDrake, on 25 March 2013 - 12:20 PM, said:

Reporting this thread..........because it makes sense.

My only thought on why they wouldn't allow this would be if they felt they couldn't QA or police it enough, or that they would be deluged with horrible submissions by people just hoping for a few MC thrown their way. Because if you get so many user submissions that it takes a guy full time to check them out then you might as well just have him making maps you already have a set of standards for.

So user generated maps will probably need to be reviewed by yet more users to ensure balance(and that there aren't penises hidden behind the buildings) or at least filtered. When you get to this point in the design process management starts to go "just hire a guy and make our own maps, this other idea is different and sounds like a headache in itself".

Completely agree with you on this. But let's just say they have 10 guys in the art department working on maps. Now couldn't we just get ONE of those guys to go through the art submissions from fans creating maps to go over them, and the fans with the work they have done will have done most of the legwork on this, working on creating the map.

I do see the only drawback though is having someone submitting a map and there being a hidden phallic symbol, but once the rights are given to the map, the art department can change the map to however they want it afterwards I guess with their own software editing and clean it up if that stuff was discovered.

JohnoBurr, on 25 March 2013 - 12:25 PM, said:

This makes too much sense. So you can just go ahead and throw this idea in the trash can.

First time I've ever been accused of making "too much sense". I feld weird and tingly from that comment.

[Adridos]

Tice Daurus, on 25 March 2013 - 12:20 PM, said:

Well the point of this thread is to do ONE thing...I want the DEV's to comment here officially and say what they think on this and if this can get done...

Do you have any kind of plan for that?

This is not the forums from 2011 when they frequently chatted with just about anyone. Nowdays, you have to make a hole into the endless row of useless threads to make a difference and get noticed. And as much as I would like to see this get adressed ASAP, you need a good plan to pull this one off or it'll end up just like ~7 threads about the same thing before, forgotten and useless.

[Lyteros]

To prevent bogging down on a flood of map suggestions, a queue could be createt where maps have to be rated from the community. Like: every map under 100 votes and under 7/10 rating is not even considered.

[Dorynn]

I love this idea. Anything we can do to help this game become better is A-OK to me.

[MadPanda]

PGI doesn't want to allow players even run their own leagues. You want to jump into creating important content like maps? Nice idea for sure, but the realist in me says never gonna happen.

[JohnoBurr]

Tice Daurus, on 25 March 2013 - 12:28 PM, said:

First time I've ever been accused of making "too much sense". I feld weird and tingly from that comment.

PGI doesn't like yer kind 'round here, them "makin-sense" kind o' folk.

[Tice Daurus]

Adridos, on 25 March 2013 - 12:29 PM, said:

Do you have any kind of plan for that?

This is not the forums from 2011 when they frequently chatted with just about anyone. Nowdays, you have to make a hole into the endless row of useless threads to make a difference and get noticed. And as much as I would like to see this get adressed ASAP, you need a good plan to pull this one off or it'll end up just like ~7 threads about the same thing before, forgotten and useless.

Lyteros, on 25 March 2013 - 12:30 PM, said:

To prevent bogging down on a flood of map suggestions, a queue could be createt where maps have to be rated from the community. Like: every map under 100 votes and under 7/10 rating is not even considered.

Lyteros has a great idea on this. We could create a forum where player art could be submitted with screen snapshots of the areas. Take it to where people vote on it, and say, I dunno, the more popular the thread is or giving UP/LIKE votes would give it more chance for consideration by the art department to look at perhaps? Just a suggestion, but I'm just trying to help here give the DEV's an idea on how to possibly run this to help out.

MadPanda, on 25 March 2013 - 12:32 PM, said:

PGI doesn't want to allow players even run their own leagues. You want to jump into creating important content like maps? Nice idea for sure, but the realist in me says never gonna happen.

As much as want to be a realist as well, you can't change the world unless you make an attempt to try. And I'm trying to at least make a sincere attempt to help the game I love become better.

[JokerVictor]

This would be entirely too embarrassing for the prideful lot that is PGI. A couple dudes in their spare time, for free, would create maps that drastically out class these crap offerings we've gotten so far. And by their math, these have cost $1.5 mil so far. Pathetic.