Staredit Network

Big release - Release a good tested map. Keep it to few versions.

Public betas - Release beta versions of your map to public. Allowing public to report balance issues and bug fixes.

So what do you think? How do you like to release your maps?

I think this is worth discussing. This is mainly about multiplayer maps with many players needed to play...

Discuss

Versions make me sick . Get it right the first time!

It isn't exactly possible with a real map

I mostly make campaigns and RPGs. Once I finish a map, I like to be done with it. It's just very hard for me to pick a project up again once I've "set it down." Occasionally I will make minor fixes, but mostly because of spelling errors. Those drive me nuts.

This hasn't happened so far, but if someone were to report a big trigger malfunction or blaring error or something, I would probably fix it and update the map, but like I said, it hasn't happened.

I agree, but how can you balance a map like Defence all by your self?

I don't suppose you can. All but 1 of my maps that I've submitted are single player, so I test the hell out of it while I'm making it, and I either have my brother play through them or ask for a few testers here. But I certainly wouldn't trust my own judgement when making a multiplayer map. The one I submitted that IS multiplayer was tested many times by me and my friends. But in almost all cases, once I submit a map, then that's the final version. I just like to be finished with my projects.

I normally have tons of alpha versions and very few betas. (Of course you could always call my finished products still in testing, as they never seem to be fully complete, theres always something else that can be done to them.)

i dont really care how i release the map. i usually have it tested with friends for usual bugs. then i release it to the public. i just spread as fast as i can untill no one joins

I really don't know how to release Starcraft Fortress. Yes, I can test it with friends and stuff, but the map is meant to be played with at least 4 players. Besides it just have to be well balanced, or else all that tactics stuff I said would be waste...

A good tested map should have some beta and alpha versions so that others can tell you what to do to make the map better, or if you have different styles of the same map, playres would tell you which one is best.

Make sure it is is bug free before you release it to public. While you are still making it test it with a few friends to check for errors. I don't like a load of version

Tank Defence! Fixed! Fixed again final! Fixed final final gold!!

Even if I release Starcraft Fortress 100% bug free, It has pretty much ways how to attain your goal, many different units and specials. How can I release balanced version by first time. I think it has to be played a lot to spot all the balance holes, and not alone...

I think that public betas are generally the way to go, so that all the bugs can be worked out, sometimes you and a few freinds won't find everything there is to find, while a huge base of public testers probably would.

Yea, but on the other side, many many versions. And only 1(latest) is what you want everybody to play. Also, you cant stop the bad versions from spreading.

public betas. IMO i dont see any point in making such huge releases of my maps.


In my maps that require at least two players, I would make the other human players computer players and have them just sit around. I would test one players abilities, then change it to computer and test another player's abilities.

Well, yea I do the same but can't actually balance that way.

BTW are you still making those reviews? You never made the one I asked for [GTA classic]

I am, it was just that I was kinda busy with school.

Before going on vacation, I did have time to play it once, but i didn't get to know the map once. As soon as I get back from canada (the 26th), I'll play it a second time and then write a review for it. I've got like two other reviews to do as well, both of which are way overdue.

A little of both, but I would prefer a big release that Blizzard would know about and appreciate the gameplay of my Maps and Modifications combined.

I suppose my question would be is it better to release the map without any preparation, or make a map production thread and get people interested early on.

I believe that thread is the best way. Also you can advertise your map in there

I always preferred the public alpha and beta method. See, I like to make sure that a given piece of the map works before I move on to pieces that may depend on it; it's far easier to fix a bug when there's only one possible place that it could be. I'll test things alone if they can be tested that way, but it isn't always possible. Until everything works, the version is always numbered 0.x, where x increases as the map nears completion. Once everything works, only then do I call it the finished version, 1.0. However, 1.0 is seldom the final version of a map. After 1.0 come gameplay tweaks and additional features based on how the map actually plays. Sometimes I'll even redo systems in a different way to make it work better. Of course, this means that 2+ years after they were called 'complete', some of my maps are still being modified, but it doesn't really bother me.

Well, I went the public beta way, but I went to europe to test