188 replies to this topic

[JohnoBurr]

Adridos, on 25 March 2013 - 01:18 PM, said:

He's not. Reading comprehension and cool head can save you from many embarrasing situations...

Sorry, read it quickly. I'm a bit on edge right now.

[Fusea]

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".

This touches on 2 things that would seem to crucial. Standards, and reviewing. How many maps will you get from the LRM crowd (I count myself in that bunch, but have no talent so fear not) with 2 objectives in an open field? Or the brawler bunch where you have a tiny little city scape with a couple of parks for the turning fight? So there has to be some kind of guidelines for map making.

And once those maps are created and submitted, who is going to review them? We are talking about rather large maps, and they need to be reviewed for more than just hidden phallic imagery. They have to be checked for optimization for crappy computers and bad connections. And its important to make sure they work properly as well. If one Atlas falls through the map and gets stuck, we would literlly never hear the end of it.

In fact, this may be something they are planning to implement later on. It just takes time and care to implement correctly.

[Terror Teddy]

I'd love this.

I cant do much but I can throw in ideas about maps, enviroments, weather effects, gravity etc and the ENDLESS combos one could make.

Map Enviroments
-Asteroid
-Swamp
-Desert
-Archipelago
-Megacity
-Urban
-Jungle
-Canyons
-Orbital Station

Weather
-Clear
-Cloudy
-Rain
-Blizzard
-Monsoon
-Hurricane
-London Fog
-Sandstorm (alternative to new desert map)
-Hailstorm (constant drumming on cockpit)
-Micro Meteorites

Planetary Effects
-Regular Gravity
-Low Gravity
-High Gravity
-Zero gravity

Cycles
-Day
-Night
-Dawn
-Full Moon Night

Say 4 maps per enviroment.

How many map combinations can you cobine with the above options? I think i stopped at about 140+ combos.

-Tourmaline Desert with a sandstorm, low gravity and night?
-River city with london fog and high gravity?
etc...

[Tice Daurus]

Guys some really good thoughts are being put in here and being discussed, and I had to step up the game on this a bit. I just PM'd Bryan Ekman and Russ Bullock regarding this to see if I can get them to comment on this and see if they would be willing to share their views on this. I think we've really touched on something highly important here and I have to see if they'll chime in on this.

Hopefully they will show it to who it needs to be shown, discuss it at PGI and see what they can do on this.

On a side note, Allfex I just saw you like this, and that means you're reading it. Post your two cents here. I want to get your POV on this from your perspective.

Edited by Tice Daurus, 25 March 2013 - 01:27 PM.

[JohnoBurr]

Tice Daurus, on 25 March 2013 - 01:25 PM, said:

Guys some really good thoughts are being put in here and being discussed, and I had to step up the game on this a bit. I just PM'd Bryan Ekman and Russ Bullock regarding this to see if I can get them to comment on this and see if they would be willing to share their views on this. I think we've really touched on something highly important here and I have to see if they'll chime in on this.

Hopefully they will show it to who it needs to be shown, discuss it at PGI and see what they can do on this.

I sure hope they think hard about this. It's something that could potentially save the game.

[Adridos]

Tice Daurus, on 25 March 2013 - 01:25 PM, said:

I just PM'd Bryan Ekman and Russ Bullock regarding this to see if I can get them to comment on this and see if they would be willing to share their views on this.

I wouldn't be so sure of an answer.

I think you'd have better chances on Twitter, or aiming at a different guy (not Garth, as much as he is accessible, something like these issues are simply out of his reach).

[Tice Daurus]

Adridos, on 25 March 2013 - 01:28 PM, said:

I wouldn't be so sure of an answer.

I think you'd have better chances on Twitter, or aiming at a different guy (not Garth, as much as he is accessible, something like these issues are simply out of his reach).

Good call, I'll send a PM as well to Garth to get him in on this as well.

EDIT: Garth added to PM string.

Edited by Tice Daurus, 25 March 2013 - 01:30 PM.

[FrDrake]

Adridos you mentioned before that we have access to CryEngine and the battletech map resources, do we have to mine them from the paks we downloaded, or are they available somewhere on this site?

[Oppresor]

OK, this is a brilliant idea and all those who have investigated / promoted it are without doubt dedicated to the MW universe.

I can only guess at the amount of work / hours it would take to create a map. I understand the principles of elevation and visibility data basing at the heart of map design from the 1980's and know that much must have changed since then, however it would still be a monumental task.

So here's my idea

How about being able to download a small part of a map or object within a map for example the wreckage of the Aircraft in Tourmaline Desert with a view to improving detail? A small step, but one that anyone who enjoys working to fine detail would take pride in doing. The worked item could then be uploaded to PGI who would have the final say and quality check before re-incorporating the section or object within the map.

[DaZur]

Buffalo Six, on 25 March 2013 - 01:13 PM, said:

Several years ago, I was part of a group, the 352nd Fighter Group, that set about modding a map/mission set for the IL2-1946 flight sim.

Remember the PZL P.11c and F-6F Hellcat? I made both of them...

Granted the P.11c was "rough" as it was my first venture into modelng 3D assets for a game... But I still marvel at how nicely the Hellcat turned out!

(Sorry to digress... please return to the core aspect of user-made content)

Edited by DaZur, 25 March 2013 - 01:31 PM.

[Tice Daurus]

FrDrake, on 25 March 2013 - 01:30 PM, said:

Adridos you mentioned before that we have access to CryEngine and the battletech map resources, do we have to mine them from the paks we downloaded, or are they available somewhere on this site?

This would be a great question for Allfex to answer since he's had experience on this himself. WINK WINK NUDGE NUDGE Allfex!!!

[JokerVictor]

Tice Daurus, on 25 March 2013 - 12:48 PM, said:

Regardless if this would be embarrassing or not for them, and if this might be a highly bitter pill for them to swallow, it's BETTER that the swallow the pill now than 2-3 years down the road and millions of dollars spent creating a 10-20 maps when they can pull on the fan-user base to help them create 100 maps 2-3 years from now.
Again, I am NOT trying to turn this into a let's bash PGI for bad mistakes thread. I want to use this to get the fans/users here to step up and say "If PGI is willing to do this, I'd volunteer my knowledge and time to help them create a map that could be featured," and to get PGI to answer this and say what they think, what their concerns are, where they see are problems with this, and what we as a fan base can do to help alleviate their fears and help them with ideas and suggestions to get this off the ground and moving forward, IF POSSIBLE.

And with JohnnoBurr's post, if another developer can do this and ask for fan-based help, PGI can do this too. I want to hear what they have to say and see what they think.

The only hurdle to this happening IS them swallowing that pill. And nothing I've seen from them so far has given me any hope that they will. I do hope I'm wrong.

MustrumRidcully, on 25 March 2013 - 01:20 PM, said:

But I am not sure if it is that easy for M:WO. The unfortunate fact about M:WO is - it's PvP only. You can't tell stories in PvP, so it would in the end just be a map editor. THis might limit the usefulness compared to a PvE content generation system.

Considering this franchise is steeped in lore and all that, giving players tools to create PvE missions would be pretty spectacular, methinks. Particularly in the context of CW missions. But again, admitting that a PvP only Mechwarrior game was a mistake is never going to happen.

[Adridos]

FrDrake, on 25 March 2013 - 01:30 PM, said:

Adridos you mentioned before that we have access to CryEngine and the battletech map resources, do we have to mine them from the paks we downloaded, or are they available somewhere on this site?

Paks for now.

All in all, it's just extracting a few files into the CrySDK, but I think it wouldn't be that hard to make a whole pack (not packed) available for download and share it on some special Fan Art thread.

[Dorynn]

I want this to happen so bad...

Does anyone else remember some of the maps from Mechcommander 2?

The assault on the Liao Palace.

The raid on the lunar HPG complex.

The last stand of David Renard.

Restart the founder program, 'cause if this happens I will drop $100 on the spot for it.

[FrDrake]

Adridos, on 25 March 2013 - 01:34 PM, said:

Paks for now.

All in all, it's just extracting a few files into the CrySDK, but I think it wouldn't be that hard to make a whole pack (not packed) available for download and share it on some special Fan Art thread.

Thanks for the tip, I was hoping it wasn't that way but /meh.

Also the people talking about PvE content, my guess is the main reason for them not going that route at this point is programming the AI for enemy mechs. That's a pretty huge chunk of work. They're not even willing to get training grounds mechs walking in circles. If there's no functions for it, fans aren't going to be able to make them work either.

[Adridos]

FrDrake, on 25 March 2013 - 01:38 PM, said:

Also the people talking about PvE content, my guess is the main reason for them not going that route at this point is programming the AI for enemy mechs. That's a pretty huge chunk of work. They're not even willing to get training grounds mechs walking in circles. If there's no functions for it, fans aren't going to be able to make them work either.

Probably yes.

Altough I don't understand the reasoning behind no walking cycles in the training grounds, since Cry Engine SDK does have a very basic AI in it. Altough who knows how well tht works when it encounters the MW:O's changed source code.

[Buffalo Six]

DaZur, on 25 March 2013 - 01:31 PM, said:

[/size]
Remember the PZL P.11c and F-6F Hellcat? I made both of them...

Granted the P.11c was "rough" as it was my first venture into modelng 3D assets for a game... But I still marvel at how nicely the Hellcat turned out!

(Sorry to digress... please return to the core aspect of user-made content)

Please tell me you didnt add the tinting to the side canopy glass! Hellcat was a good one in the game. Our problem was that Oleg had moved on to his BoB epic with modeled bolt heads on the AA guns......so we were on our own other than the Sweds who could guide the guys thru the tools......some of thos emails were epic after a run thru the google translator from russian into Swed into english....lol

[Tice Daurus]

FrDrake, on 25 March 2013 - 01:38 PM, said:

Thanks for the tip, I was hoping it wasn't that way but /meh.

Also the people talking about PvE content, my guess is the main reason for them not going that route at this point is programming the AI for enemy mechs. That's a pretty huge chunk of work. They're not even willing to get training grounds mechs walking in circles. If there's no functions for it, fans aren't going to be able to make them work either.

Well right now, let's not get off track here people. This thread is not about PvE content, this is strictly to see if we can get PGI to discuss the possibility to get them to consider if they will allow fans to help them create maps and map based content so we can help them out here. That's the ultimate goal. We want to see if we can get the fans to help create the map based content.

Stay on track and stay focused here people.

[The Trice]

PGI made 5 million dollars just from founders lets see :
1-cryengine should have costed them not more than 100k if more then they are idiots and should have bought unreal engine.
2-thier 3d model designs of mech can be bought on many 3d sites with total of 2000$
3- thier computer cluster would cost 2 million dollars to have and maintain for a year maybe 3 million

And they have 1 million dollar for thier profits( not enough but they are a small group and the game should make them money from the mc)
So pgi have no excuse , they are just lazy as.....
pfff , they can even get the programming right and microsoft guys did it on mw4 at 1998 i can alone!!!! make mw4 given time and already made 3d models and some money like 10000$ for unrealengine and they have 5 million dollars and thats what they got .
Disgusting!!

[Lyrik]

If the maps created by the community are as "good" as the Foundry Quest in STO ... then it just would be a waste of time .
Even in Skyrim with their free and awesome SDK for the game 90% of user generate content is pure buggy crap. 5% are ok buggy crap, 4% are awesome but not finished/buggy and only 1% is really awesome, wow and worth the time to search for them.

Now considering that Skyrim has a much larger fanbase than MWO an so has much an higherr pourcentage on skilled Modder... well yeah, perhaps in 2 years we see one really good map.