10 replies to this topic

[Fireeagle]

We all do know : MWO uses the cryengine which has a verry powerful sandbox editor: why don´t you make a Version for mwo - players to use.


Basic idea:

* every player could upload 2-3 maps a month
* a special viewer of the map can be loaded by all players and maybe used offline.
* every viewing player can give 0-10 points per map
* once in a month each viewing player could recommend a map for in game testing
* the best ratet maps will be viewed by Piranah Games and some get choosen to be added to the game


Important: you could pick out the best player made maps and reward the creator.


Advantages:

* The pool of maps will grow fast
* PG does not need to pay worktime for new maps
* Some of the best maps for other games are fan made

[Wintersdark]

Not a new idea.

In a nutshell:

1) There are real legal issues. Not insurmountable ones, but ones with real cost to resolve.
2) Quality control. Map design, particularly relative to terrain geometry, is complex and easy to screw up. While there ARE players out there who could make decent non-horribly buggy maps, most would be mind-blowingly garbage. Say what you will about PGI's maps, they're still made by professionals and tested by a QA team, rather than some halfwit teenager in his moms basement.
3) Game design. Good map design is more than just having a functional map, it needs to have functional and fair design, while fitting in with PGI's style. This isn't as easy as you'd think.

Some of the best maps for other games are fan made - in the long run, I'd say the best maps are always going to be fan made, simply because they've got effectively unlimited labour to pour into it.

The problem is, for every amazing, great map, there's untold thousands of totally garbage maps. Sifting through them requires labour, basically applying the full QA team, then on going bugfixing, much of which would be wasted on maps that simply aren't good.



All the above doesn't mean fan made maps are bad. It's just complex and most importantly not a simple thing to add. Going to fan-made content requires a large investment on PGI's side, and is fundamentally risky.

[Fireeagle]

You are right but thats why you should only upload maps when you are really satisfied with - and why the number of uploads should be verry limited

[Firewuff]

Its a bad idea... alwats has been. There is a huge amount of optimization done on every map to keep pe4formance up. Its not a tirivial thing

[50 50]

I think it's a good idea, actively engaging with the community to bring new content into the game.

Doesn't need to be submitted to PGI until the end step of the process.

Step 1: PGI provides the guidelines and specifications for the maps.
Step 2: We have a process whereby we can download maps for use in the testing grounds, private matches or some new feature.
Step 3: A website, which can be run by the community, that provides a central location for the downloads, a way to mark each map on various criteria and a spot to provide feedback and suggestions for the maps.
Step 4: On a regular basis, perhaps once a month, quarter or year those maps with the highest ratings can be submitted to PGI who can perform the final tests, optimizations and polish to them. We could have events and competitions run around these and PGI can add in the map or maps they deem most worthy.

If we as a community do our part well, then we get all the enjoyment of being part of the process and getting new content.
The top level maps are what we see submitted, the others get worked on for the next round.
Quite a number of hurdles to get over though.

By the way, lots of good information and discussion in this thread on maps:
http://mwomercs.com/...05-map-contest/

Edited by 50 50, 15 April 2015 - 07:20 PM.

[Fireeagle]

thats why i posted the idea- i know it will be a lil bit of work but think about maps like the iceship in MW2GBL... or an tropic island- fully accessable, deserts....

[Fireeagle]

And : Do not underestimate the will of modders to make great maps!

[Spleenslitta]

There is one thing this idea has that no one can deny. 1000 players can come up with some amazing ideas in a very short time.
Ideas that can lay the groundwork for a new map.

Let's forget the buggy player created maps for a moment. Put it aside completly.

What if these player created maps weren't just created in a 3D program like Blender or whatever they use.
But on paper or whatever we get our hands on. (Sounds stupid to start with i know.)

Community vote on the maps and the most popular ones are put in front of the devs.
Thing is that PGI would get a lot of ideas for new maps.
So many as a matter of fact that they could never think of all this with their current staff.

Imagine a CW map without 2-3 bottlenecks which is one of the reasons why so many don't participate in CW at all.
1000 players has a much higher chance of coming up with a good idea for a map than a single proffesional designer.

To further prove my point. I used to hang out in the forums of a mech MMO game.
These developers were very close to the fans. They allowed us to make mechs on our own.

They ended up hiring one of the fans because his mechs looked simply......Amazing.
Just as good at the ones we got in the game right now. This mech below was just one of the mechs he made.
If he put his mind to it he could make us a new map within a month. This game currently has less than 3500 members on their forums.

Imagine how many incredible people we got on these forums!

This was made for another game so it has waaay to many guns of course. But it still kicks ass.

The one below was made by a developer of that game. He got inspired by a childlike drawing on paper with pencil made by a fan.
This mech became the logo on the games homepage.



So in conclusion. We can make stuff that can lay the groundwork for how a map is shaped with drawings.
We would need to put measures of rough distance between the hills and size of buildings of course.
Look at a topographical map....we could make a rough sketch of that without a problem.

It doesn't have to look incredible to turn out amazing once a developer is through with it.

Edited by Spleenslitta, 19 April 2015 - 07:25 AM.

[Ragtag soldier]

Wintersdark, on 15 April 2015 - 08:29 AM, said:

Good map design is more than just having a functional map, it needs to have functional and fair design, while fitting in with PGI's style. This isn't as easy as you'd think.

yeah, because PGi's style is having unfair map designs!

[Fireeagle]

Well as said: the cryengine sandbox mapeditor is a verry powerfull tool- so you simply need some time to learn the basics...

And holes in the map by importing a hight map ?

http://www.worldofle...n-heightmap.php

Edited by Fireeagle, 19 April 2015 - 07:50 AM.

[GenAce2010]

Make it a contest, you 1) actively engage the community, 2) are tapping a huge reservoir of potential, 3) bringing fresh ideas to the table, and 4) (let's be honest) free labor. Each contenestant could submit (as previously mentioned - just reduced) 1 to 2 maps. This forces those individuals to self restrict and have them submit their best work.

Each submission would need to include highlights of the map in a form of a screen shot plus a 1min video. Each map submission would also need an explanation about why the map is layed out the way it is. So any choke points, king of the hill (the caldera in Terra Thermal and Caustic Valley for example), etc.