STF mod creator, Modcrafters.com admin, CampaignCreations.org staff
I understand where you're coming from, Excalibur. All things being equal, a one-stop-shop could be of great benefit to all. However, there are
tons of mapping sites. SEN isn't the only one. The userbase, Starcraft fans, is already spread out.
You might argue that yes, we are spread thin as it is, so further spreading would be terrible. Of course, a website isn't like a country, where you can only live in one. People visit many sites, and they choose the ones that best meet their needs. All-in-one could be good, or it could just be cluttered. If you want a search engine, compare Yahoo's front page to Google's. Which is more focused on the task you're visiting the site for? I would argue that Yahoo simply has too much. My eyes get lost, I get dizzy, and I must excuse myself to the bathroom.
Modcrafters will meet the needs of the modder. Many sites offer a modding section on the side, but we have no place to truly call home. Not since Camelot Systems, or its attempted revival with Sovereign Modding Empire.
Small town, big city, some prefer one over the other. A dedicated site can appeal to that part of us that wants to feel unexposed, in a close-knit community where we can belong.
A name denotes purpose. What does a name like Maplantis suggest?
I am not opposed to collaboration. Far from it, I would welcome it. I plan to discuss many things with SEN, BWAI, CC, and any other major sites. We can talk more after I draft my introduction thread for the Modcrafter clan.
Gentlemen I'd really rather we worked together instead of dividing ourselves over multiple projects. It is not a good idea to split up the few active modders we have left.
Speaking of spreading things out, isn’t that what a new Maplantis would do to SEN?
Modding can include mapping, but mapping cannot include modding without becoming a mod. It is one-sided, so other than simply exposing mappers to modding or giving modders a Q&A with a mapping community, having both isn't overtly beneficial. If I’m a mapper, I want to go to the best mapping site. As I said earlier, there are a lot of mapping sites, meaning a lot of competition. Who would go to Maplantis for mapping when there are so many other developed and specialized communities on the subject? If I'm a modder, I'd want to belong to the best modding site. Yet, there aren’t any. That kind of void is the perfect niche to fill. That is Modcrafter's purpose.