With the advent of SC2 beta keys being given to active StarCraft community websites, I'm thinking maybe we could do something that would help us stand out. Of course we deserve them more than just about every other SC fan site, but blizzard doesn't know that. Our current plan of pretentious moaning and hoping doesn't seem to be working, and I'd rather not put my money on what blizzard should do. I don't see much sense in staying the course.

I'm thinking maybe SEN could publish a biweekly (that's every other week for you Brits) collection of articles relevant to StarCraft and StarCraft 2. I think doing this would be a showcase of your knowledge and talents worthy of beta keys. At the same time, I think it would prove to be enjoyable and give the same personal satisfaction as a completed SC custom map. If nothing else it would give us something to put in our empty Projects tab.

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Here are my ideas for it:
Biweekly - We put something out every other week. It gives us enough time to work at our leisure, but not long enough that we would just forget about it.

Categories - We have 5 different sections to it that we would give 1-2 articles a piece for. Map of the Week, Tips & Tricks, SC2, History, Site Announcements. Other possibilities could be Trends, Humor, Modding etc. More on all of this below.

Editor - I recommend we reach out to Drant. Reading over his topic Summer StarCraft Map of the Day and the respective site http://renaka.com/category/SCMOTD , you might just find him over qualified. The real question would be if he fancies this, which I believe he would. His job would not to be doing all the writing, or even most of the writing, but to supervise and coordinate. Most articles would be done by senners on a request basis.

Publishing - This would be representative of startedit.net. I don't know much about making your own digital e-zine, but I think google might.

Distribution - Email with the same thing being mirrored on the site under the projects tab. We would have advertise on B.net and other websites about it. We'd have to make sure we don't cross any lines though because we are especially guilty of coming down really fucking hard on people trying to advertise their site here.

Naming - Just off the top of my head I think it could be called - SEN weekly, Mapper's Digest, Map of the Week... suggest suggest suggest

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Explanation of categories:
Maps of the Week - Basically what people like Drant and UnholyUrine have already been doing, except it's 3 maps at once - 1 Gem, 1 Classic, 1 Map of the Week. This part would really be the meat and potatoes of the zine. The Gem is an original map that is relatively new, but under the radar deserving more attention. Examples would be Tetris, The Antz. The Classic is self explanatory. A map that you need to play before you die, or have had to had played if you want to call yourself a die-hard UMS player. Examples would be Rush, Lazer Tag, Golems, etc. The Map of the Week really is just whatever seems to be 'hot' hosted the most recently. Example would be Desert Strike and Temple Siege. The difference would be that since they are already known, the writing would be concerned with strategies.
Another possible sub section could be Up and Coming, where a mapper who has been seriously working on a map and showing progress gets a mini-interview and spotlight.

Tips & Tricks - Useful tips and tricks on map making from things as abstract as rock-paper-scissors balance mechanics, to things as specific as how to use EUDs. There is no denying that there won't be anything in the latter that couldn't be found in the wiki, but publishing through a different medium could be insightful for curious non-mappers.

StarCraft 2 - Not our specialty, but even just a re-hashing or fresh interpretation of old news would be an honest start.

History - A history lesson of a major milestone in SC development like the patching of EUD actions, or the documentation of something minor that snowballed into something major, like how DW3 for ps2 which inspired for AoS, which inspired DOTA for WC3, which actually traveled back to SC in various other interpretations. I think this category would be the most fun for the veterans.

Humor - Self explanatory. Could be something previously made that we source like a web comic, or actual Original Content.

Modding - Completely self explanatory.

Site Announcements - Basic updates on what IP may have coded, change in rules, contest updates/reminders. Even small things like who recently won mafia.

Trends/Rumor Mill - For the really die-hard StarCraft players who like to be in the know. Like an uptick in certain maps, who has beef with who, blah blah blah. Enquirer stuff, stuff that no one should care about, but lulzy to write and pay attention to.

Other - Anything like this http://www.wegame.com/watch/Starcraft_7_years_in_7_minutes_a_history_of_patches/. Really, if anyone can create some OC or quip something witty, it will have a place.



You should be aware that this idea came to me after watching The Devil Wears Prada. And personally, I think I'd prefer getting a summary of things I may have missed if I went without the StarCrack for a week, than scanning through forums and lurking on b.net.

Definitely support this. I could be of use in the Rumor Mill as I am familiar with many of the mappers in the RP and RE scene, know who hates who, who stole what from who, ect.

I like the concept. It allows our members to flex their writing skills and create a nice way to cycle through the news of Starcraft. The Senzine could be used to publicize upcoming SC events and latest releases by map/mod creators, whether they be top brass or new guy on the street. We'd need to think of a good name though, and a decent way to present it.

Found free software pretty easily http://www.campware.org/ http://drupal.org/

Lets do it

Sounds good. I don't think Blizzard really recognize us that much as a community that is out there, but this might give them a second thought.

I volunteer to be copy editor - modesty aside, my grammar is really good and I'm not as active as far as actually finding stuff to write about.

Quote from [Echo]:]

Sounds good. I don't think Blizzard really recognize us that much as a community that is out there, but this might give them a second thought.

I know Blizzard knows about us. I don't know why, on the other hand, we aren't an official fansite.

I like the idea, as long as it isn't a mish-mosh of random crap.

If there is an open spot (which wasn't implied), I could possibly do the map reviewing, I'd volunteer in modding too but sadly I have no melee skills to speak of.

Moose approves.

I love zines, I've just gotten really into them recently. I don't read eZines (I'm more into paper), but here's a great way to start. I'm defiantly for, and will do pretty much any job that isn't modding related.

I think this would be pretty awesome and I fully support. With some luck it will encourage people to produce more maps, finish old ones or continue work on current project. I know with a lot of Map Makers that embark on a large project they can get discouraged with lack of attention along the way. Getting some project recognition may help people continue production and feel at least a bit of responsibility to finish it.

I like it. Make it happen, DuranCAFG.

You might want to add another category: For New Mappers. It will discuss the basics of mapping and moddig. I feel that it can lower the amount of silly questions asked, which can be answered just by reading the required Wiki article.

SEN must love the idea to be 13 and 0.

Map of the Week section, here we come. (By we I mean the devolopment team for Conquest ;o)

Please no more long posts of something that you would want to put in it private parts. We are not at the point of making an actual article yet, and this is not the place for it. Not to mention a simple link to a page with all that would have sufficed.

I'm happy and kinda sad at the moment... as I was trying to do the exact same with this: UnholyUrine's Monthly Map Digest

That didn't go well because I was always too busy :\ .. and most ppl have no comments.
But now, since you've stepped up and asked people to do it.. It seems people want to get involved too

But that's great ..

One problem I see with the current set up is that they're all too Paragraph focused... we need something that can be done in point form and be read in like 2-5 minutes.. but still very informative..
I believe we can do that with "Tricks and Tips" ... "Trends and Rumours" and "Others" ..

Most importantly, I think each Category needs to have a group of dedicated people... And.. if we are good enough.. we'd need a core Editor for each category (so that different people can submit stuff biweekly.. and the Editor can sift through which one to show .. or edit it and etc.) ... but again.. we need a Group of people Per Category.. which is hard to do..

It may be better if we start off with less categories

EDIT: I read this more carefully now.. looks like you suggested Editor already XD...
I don't know if Drant would want to do it... He seems very detached.. but it won't hurt to ask..
Also.. I will be happy to be Editor. Right now, I can usually slack a lil at work.. so I have tons of time to read things.
But again.. it'd be better to have several editors ... one for each category...
and also Editors shouldn't edit the style of writting... Rather they should only edit .. unwanted things such as cussing and stuff (Unless it's accepted as the style .. like in my Turd of the Month ><)

One last thing: I think Moose needs to have some control over this so as to make it an official publication of SEN.

Quote from DT_Battlekruser

One last thing: I think Moose needs to have some control over this so as to make it an official publication of SEN.

Not true, moose may be the Public Relations admin around here, but that doesnt mean he has to be involved with EVERYTHING.

Besides he'll come in here soon and say, "You want me to run a site, make maps, balance temple siege, sleep regularlly, AND run a magazine?"

I don't mean day-to-day management, but it needs some connection to the administration. Think the difference between directors and producers.

I dont see him doing much more than looking over the completed issue before distrubution, giving suggestions and making sure we aren't representing SEN on the side of an issue such as map protection that SEN does not actually endorse.