[b]Edit:[/b] [i]Topic officially migrated to [url=http://www.maplantis.org/index.php?topic=1909]maplantis[/url].[/i]

Edit: Topic officially migrated to maplantis.

[QUOTE]I spent a long while brainstorming how to implement gameplay elements, which elements I should leave in or remove, how to make them accessible to players, how to make them balanced amongst one another... all that jazz. I don't know yet if I'm starting to get the hang of this stuff; that's kinda what I want to find out here, really.[/QUOTE] Don't worry, I'm sure you'll fail spectacularly. [QUOTE]I've been spending almost as much time in making this map as I have in both planning it out and trying to make it accessible to average players, and I think I'm getting it down now to about the rough equivalent of Starcraft itself to perhaps a first time player. That's still probably a bit much for the average bnet bloke, though.[/QUOTE] Good maps have transcended this barrier before. Feel free to do so again. [QUOTE]I'm not under any delusions here. This won't be a big bnet spreader. I've a theory that any map with more than 50 triggers is almost invariably destined to fail amongst the bnet crowd. And of course, in classic tux fashion, this one has over 5000.[/QUOTE] ~1600 triggers never stopped one of my maps. [QUOTE]When the time is right, I will be getting ready for my usual testing run. Though I'm loath to propagate an unfinished product in the name of balance testing, I feel keeping testing privatized isn't something practical any more given the state of the community. However, I will be keeping testing sessions organized, like always. If you're interested, please let me know here and I'll arrange things when I'm ready to begin.[/QUOTE] I'll let you in on a little secret. The modders don't really make mods, ever. They just play maps. You can call on them for privatized testing.

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I spent a long while brainstorming how to implement gameplay elements, which elements I should leave in or remove, how to make them accessible to players, how to make them balanced amongst one another... all that jazz. I don't know yet if I'm starting to get the hang of this stuff; that's kinda what I want to find out here, really.

Don't worry, I'm sure you'll fail spectacularly.

Quote

I've been spending almost as much time in making this map as I have in both planning it out and trying to make it accessible to average players, and I think I'm getting it down now to about the rough equivalent of Starcraft itself to perhaps a first time player. That's still probably a bit much for the average bnet bloke, though.

Good maps have transcended this barrier before. Feel free to do so again.

Quote

I'm not under any delusions here. This won't be a big bnet spreader. I've a theory that any map with more than 50 triggers is almost invariably destined to fail amongst the bnet crowd. And of course, in classic tux fashion, this one has over 5000.

~1600 triggers never stopped one of my maps.

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When the time is right, I will be getting ready for my usual testing run. Though I'm loath to propagate an unfinished product in the name of balance testing, I feel keeping testing privatized isn't something practical any more given the state of the community. However, I will be keeping testing sessions organized, like always. If you're interested, please let me know here and I'll arrange things when I'm ready to begin.

I'll let you in on a little secret. The modders don't really make mods, ever. They just play maps. You can call on them for privatized testing.

I am ready to help you (especially in the next 2 week, since I'll have a lot of free time). Yes, I am not just interested in the map, I want to help you as a fellow-mapper. The only possible problem is that I'm +2...

I am ready to help you (especially in the next 2 week, since I'll have a lot of free time). Yes, I am not just interested in the map, I want to help you as a fellow-mapper. The only possible problem is that I'm +2...

Sounds like an interesting project. I'd be willing to help test and evaluate.

Sounds like an interesting project. I'd be willing to help test and evaluate.

I am devoted to working on testing this with you, if you allow me. I just droppe one of my classes, and I find I have way too much free time now. I'm so glad you choose to gear towards AoS play(what I voted for). I've taken 2 university classes dealing soley on game design, and a memeber of a DeVry based game programming group making games in XNA.

I am devoted to working on testing this with you, if you allow me. I just droppe one of my classes, and I find I have way too much free time now. I'm so glad you choose to gear towards AoS play(what I voted for).
I've taken 2 university classes dealing soley on game design, and a memeber of a DeVry based game programming group making games in XNA.

Just for everyone's information, ShadowRune and I have already tested this map for Tux and I gotta say it's lookin pretty fuckin good.

Just for everyone's information, ShadowRune and I have already tested this map for Tux and I gotta say it's lookin pretty fuckin good.

Isn't even close to that yet, Damin. I had to skim off a bunch of stuff for that test. I'll get it looking/working much better when I finish the formal test version.

Isn't even close to that yet, Damin. I had to skim off a bunch of stuff for that test. I'll get it looking/working much better when I finish the formal test version.

Edit: Added to top post. This one is redundant.

Edit: Added to top post. This one is redundant.

[b]Update:[/b] Ok, I've since embarked on my third round of late-development feature replanning, but I won't let it delay my intended testing time frame by getting wrapped up in it just yet. That means that when the test version is ready, I will have more features still to come that won't be available until later. If the fountain hasn't already turned into a fire hose, it's about to get worse. :lol:

Update: Ok, I've since embarked on my third round of late-development feature replanning, but I won't let it delay my intended testing time frame by getting wrapped up in it just yet. That means that when the test version is ready, I will have more features still to come that won't be available until later.

If the fountain hasn't already turned into a fire hose, it's about to get worse.

[b]Update 2:[/b] Man, I can tell I'm in for an uphill ride to get this one to catch on. Hardly anyone has even posted thus far. :lol: Regardless, work continues uninterrupted to get this playable. A few more rounds of private testing (pro tip: You can NEVER have enough testing :P) has uncovered a sizeable list of improvements I need to make (not including the aforementioned new late-dev features I'm going to put in later). Still, I may yet get this done by week's end! Anyway, to help things along, I'm gonna cook up a webpage for this soon. Threads don't always hold people's attention, and I can do more with a webpage in the way of managing and presenting information that I could with a thread anyway (especially when certain forum admins go MIA :lol: ). I really do think this map ought to be worth it's own page by now, so I expect to begin on that when I'm finally ready for beta testing. For the record, I only give my favorite and best projects their own sites. So far, for Starcraft, Rush has been my only other project to have come close enough to merit having one.

Update 2: Man, I can tell I'm in for an uphill ride to get this one to catch on. Hardly anyone has even posted thus far.


Regardless, work continues uninterrupted to get this playable. A few more rounds of private testing (pro tip: You can NEVER have enough testing ) has uncovered a sizeable list of improvements I need to make (not including the aforementioned new late-dev features I'm going to put in later). Still, I may yet get this done by week's end!

Anyway, to help things along, I'm gonna cook up a webpage for this soon. Threads don't always hold people's attention, and I can do more with a webpage in the way of managing and presenting information that I could with a thread anyway (especially when certain forum admins go MIA ). I really do think this map ought to be worth it's own page by now, so I expect to begin on that when I'm finally ready for beta testing.



For the record, I only give my favorite and best projects their own sites. So far, for Starcraft, Rush has been my only other project to have come close enough to merit having one.

[b]Update 3:[/b] Project migrated to maplantis, for the time being. Eventually I hope to get it its own site up as well. When IP wants to get SEN fixed up [I]properly [/I](map db, tutorials... at least all the v4 stuff), I [I]MIGHT [/I]return...

Update 3: Project migrated to maplantis, for the time being. Eventually I hope to get it its own site up as well.

When IP wants to get SEN fixed up properly (map db, tutorials... at least all the v4 stuff), I MIGHT return...

[b]Beta is Ready![/b] Please visit the [URL=http://www.maplantis.org/index.php?topic=1909]maplantis thread[/URL] and read the first post for instructions if you're interested in helping.

Beta is Ready!

Please visit the maplantis thread and read the first post for instructions if you're interested in helping.

Too bad I was banned from maplantis >:O

Too bad I was banned from maplantis >:O

[quote=Dark_Marine_123]Too bad I was banned from maplantis >:O[/quote] Well, I moved the thread there only because I'm getting irritable with SEN's instability lately. But with the way things are going, you probably aren't missing out on much at the moment.

Quote from Dark_Marine_123

Too bad I was banned from maplantis >:O

Well, I moved the thread there only because I'm getting irritable with SEN's instability lately. But with the way things are going, you probably aren't missing out on much at the moment.

Probably not, Oh well, This is halloween! :D

Probably not, Oh well, This is halloween!

Beta 2 released to testers on maplantis. Anyone here want to join?

Beta 2 released to testers on maplantis. Anyone here want to join?

sure i might wanna

sure i might wanna

Mee :D

Mee

http://astrogears.emberquest.com/

[b]Update:[/b] Map release date set: Monday, December 3rd.

Update: Map release date set: Monday, December 3rd.