Report, edit, etc...Posted by MillenniumArmy on 2004-09-10 at 01:06:50
I know soo many people who just let down when trying to make maps. It's fun for them to make maps but they just can't get into the "fun" of it. They just give up on making maps not because they lack the knowledge of making them, but the patience to making them. I let down sometimes when i try to make maps but over the 4 years of my map making experience, i've come to realize that there is a mental factor to making maps.
Here's my philosophy:
In golf, the sport is basically You Vs. the Ball. In map making it's You vs. your Map. You must "win" over your map by staying focused and just concentrating on what must be done just like you would in golf where u just get the ball into the hole.
When you try to make maps, especially big ones, some of you just feel lazy but still desiring to get it done. As you make a map, you have a steady "rhythm" going. You work at a good pace and you focus on your work. It gets you engrossed into what u're doing. The hard part of this is to actually find your "rhythm" and keeping it going at a steady pace. If you really soo lazy yet you really want to get a map done, just try, with all your strength, starting up the map by doing basic things to it. If you do that succesfully you will get a "rhythm" going and u will feel motivated to work on it. However, if you speed it up (getting too far ahead of yourself) or if u slow it down (getting distracted, daydreaming, etc) it will ruin it. So Decide what sort of pace you will want to work on ur map with, find your rhythm, and keep it going.
Every human being has two selves: The Teller self, and the Doer self. The teller is the internal voice inside your head. It tells u waht to do, nags at you, and sometimes scolds or encourages you. The Doer self is the one that supposedly follows The Teller self's commands; its the one that does everything. When you are working on your map, your Teller self keeps telling you "Ok, do this, do that... work on the triggers, fix the units." This nagging will sometimes frustrate ur Doer self and disrupt your rhythm, bogging you down. Usually when I make maps, i just let my Doer self go, do everything by instinct. When i ignore my teller self's nagging, i tend to work better and stay more focused.
Also when you are making your map, dont get too far ahead of yourself. Do what must be done one at a time. Say for instance if you're workin on making locations, just keep your mind on locations; dont drift off into how you will do other things. Keep both your Mind and your Doer self on the same thing; never seperate them.
Think about what your map will be like when it's done. Imagine how people will play it and what they will say about it. Will it spread? Is it going to last? Are you proud of it? You must keep these things in mind when u are making your map. There is a difference between a GOOD map and a FUN map. GOOD maps are of high quality and is well made, but FUN maps are really the ones that spread. Make sure your map consists mainly of the "FUN" qualities if you want ppl to play it. Also before your map is done, picture and predict what the downside of the map will be like. What flaws could there possibly be and how can you prevent them? Think of possible reasons why ur map wont spread and try to avoid it.
All of what i said is what i use to keep myself going. Ok it might be just plain jibberish and stupidity but i think it's really useful, at least for me.
What are some of ya'lls ways of doing maps?
Here's my philosophy:
In golf, the sport is basically You Vs. the Ball. In map making it's You vs. your Map. You must "win" over your map by staying focused and just concentrating on what must be done just like you would in golf where u just get the ball into the hole.
When you try to make maps, especially big ones, some of you just feel lazy but still desiring to get it done. As you make a map, you have a steady "rhythm" going. You work at a good pace and you focus on your work. It gets you engrossed into what u're doing. The hard part of this is to actually find your "rhythm" and keeping it going at a steady pace. If you really soo lazy yet you really want to get a map done, just try, with all your strength, starting up the map by doing basic things to it. If you do that succesfully you will get a "rhythm" going and u will feel motivated to work on it. However, if you speed it up (getting too far ahead of yourself) or if u slow it down (getting distracted, daydreaming, etc) it will ruin it. So Decide what sort of pace you will want to work on ur map with, find your rhythm, and keep it going.
Every human being has two selves: The Teller self, and the Doer self. The teller is the internal voice inside your head. It tells u waht to do, nags at you, and sometimes scolds or encourages you. The Doer self is the one that supposedly follows The Teller self's commands; its the one that does everything. When you are working on your map, your Teller self keeps telling you "Ok, do this, do that... work on the triggers, fix the units." This nagging will sometimes frustrate ur Doer self and disrupt your rhythm, bogging you down. Usually when I make maps, i just let my Doer self go, do everything by instinct. When i ignore my teller self's nagging, i tend to work better and stay more focused.
Also when you are making your map, dont get too far ahead of yourself. Do what must be done one at a time. Say for instance if you're workin on making locations, just keep your mind on locations; dont drift off into how you will do other things. Keep both your Mind and your Doer self on the same thing; never seperate them.
Think about what your map will be like when it's done. Imagine how people will play it and what they will say about it. Will it spread? Is it going to last? Are you proud of it? You must keep these things in mind when u are making your map. There is a difference between a GOOD map and a FUN map. GOOD maps are of high quality and is well made, but FUN maps are really the ones that spread. Make sure your map consists mainly of the "FUN" qualities if you want ppl to play it. Also before your map is done, picture and predict what the downside of the map will be like. What flaws could there possibly be and how can you prevent them? Think of possible reasons why ur map wont spread and try to avoid it.
All of what i said is what i use to keep myself going. Ok it might be just plain jibberish and stupidity but i think it's really useful, at least for me.
What are some of ya'lls ways of doing maps?
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Crispie on 2004-09-10 at 01:38:52
Thats actually quite helpful, I find myself having this problem often. Seems like if I force myself to start working on a map again I get motivated to start working hard at it. Heck I finished half of my map in 1 week (constantly worked on it) then outta no where almost halted. Its been 2 weeks and I started working hard on it again, and now Im back into my "rythm". Its all about discipline!
Report, edit, etc...Posted by qPirateKing on 2004-09-10 at 01:59:37
When I'm stuck I usually come up with a tedious and reptitive task to do. Whether it's laying out terrain or doing a chain of triggers, simple tasks that you don't have to think about give you time to think of other things while still getting work done. That way, you're being efficient without exhausting your mind.
Remember, though, that taking breaks isn't a crime. Don't even open staredit if you don't feel particularly interested. The moment it becomes work, you need to take a break. Sometimes I'll go a few weeks without touching a map, but when I get back to work, I surprise myself with new ideas that I had never considered. Taking a break to enjoy life will probably do you a world of good. Inspiration!
Remember, though, that taking breaks isn't a crime. Don't even open staredit if you don't feel particularly interested. The moment it becomes work, you need to take a break. Sometimes I'll go a few weeks without touching a map, but when I get back to work, I surprise myself with new ideas that I had never considered. Taking a break to enjoy life will probably do you a world of good. Inspiration!
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Revelade on 2004-09-16 at 19:37:47
For me to finish a map, I can't take time everyday. I have to do hard triggering (4+ hours) to actually get work done. That is why I often never have time to do maps.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by exo6yte on 2004-09-16 at 20:31:16
Trigging is such a chore. Good lord, I don't know how any of us are able to do it.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Yoshi da Sniper on 2004-09-16 at 20:42:39
If you think triggering is bad, you should try programming 
Report, edit, etc...Posted by CheeZe on 2004-09-16 at 21:02:53
triggering is more tedious than programming ... 
except maybe with starforge..but it also gets pretty boring.
in programming, you can easily do loops to save time
except maybe with starforge..but it also gets pretty boring.
in programming, you can easily do loops to save time
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Stereo on 2004-09-16 at 22:28:11
Yea, and/ors for conditions and nested ifs are my top wants. If you could say "if deaths < 20 ( if deaths <10 do a, if deaths >10 do b)" then it would save so much time on triggers that have 2 or 3 conditions that change and can be had in any combination.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Revelade on 2004-09-17 at 00:57:35
Triggering has made my right pointer finger uber strong, now I can win those finger wrestling contests... can't say much about my left one though.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by EzDay281 on 2004-09-17 at 01:06:35
I didn't bother reading it all the way, but what I did read, which was very very little, did make sense and sounds vaguely reminescent of something I'd think of.
Very vaguely, with only a couple words being the same, but important words.
O_o
Sounds good, I'll think of that from now on when making a map.
Very vaguely, with only a couple words being the same, but important words.
O_o
Sounds good, I'll think of that from now on when making a map.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by T.s.u.k.a.s.a on 2004-09-19 at 15:08:16
Taht is rather helpful. It presuades me not to give up with my pain in the @$$ maps. It does make a lot of sense. What good is a good but lazy mapmaker?
Report, edit, etc...Posted by FaZ- on 2004-09-19 at 17:32:22
Personally and honestly-- if i make a good map and get positive feedback from most people that take the time to learn the map, thats enough for me. I don't give a 
about the public newbs that want a game completely based on luck, or that is no challenge at all, or even worse the maps that are easy as hell for about 2 hours then get hard instantaneously. The newbs want to beat the game so they play through the exact same 2 hours then get owned again by the next "toughie" level. Sad thing is it takes days for them to figure out that it can't be beat. Except of course it can, as they find someone that is so "1337" that they know a secret and then the newb chain continues again.
Sunken Defense anyone? I want to try to beat level 28 for about the 30th time, i think i can do it if i get all 5 of the secrets that i know. I'm such an expert.
about the public newbs that want a game completely based on luck, or that is no challenge at all, or even worse the maps that are easy as hell for about 2 hours then get hard instantaneously. The newbs want to beat the game so they play through the exact same 2 hours then get owned again by the next "toughie" level. Sad thing is it takes days for them to figure out that it can't be beat. Except of course it can, as they find someone that is so "1337" that they know a secret and then the newb chain continues again. Sunken Defense anyone? I want to try to beat level 28 for about the 30th time, i think i can do it if i get all 5 of the secrets that i know. I'm such an expert.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by chestday on 2004-09-19 at 19:28:39
You said its you vs your map and to win you must finish the map, but some people do finish the map but do a very crappy job due to lazyness. Therefore it is not entirely just finishing the map that gives you victory, its doing the best you can while finishing and if you are not into making maps, you should not be trying to make a map in the first place because it requires a lot of skill.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Urmom(U) on 2004-09-22 at 17:14:07
one way to help me want to work on my maps are to go on battle net and play a short game then work a little bit on your map. then when u get bored play another short game and start working again. just keep doing this.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Lisk on 2004-09-22 at 17:37:35
make sure u use some crappy nick or else your friends will kill you with gaming :]
Report, edit, etc...Posted by IDontChat on 2004-09-26 at 20:13:14
Nice. The mental thing is something I really lack.Gotta get Sadism and SSH_SC done!
Report, edit, etc...Posted by illusion(SS) on 2004-09-26 at 20:57:06
if you ask me. just comeing here everyday and reading about how everyone else is so exited about makeing there maps a posting new ideas just keep motivating me to go on, so i can compete with them.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by MillenniumArmy on 2004-09-29 at 19:58:20
Also, for some reason, what motivates me into making maps is just by looking at all the maps that were submitted to SEN. Seeing all those games just really gets me into making maps lol
Report, edit, etc...Posted by C-r-e-A-t-o-r on 2004-10-05 at 22:00:11
What motivates me into map making is the fact that someday, i know i'll become an uber 1337 great map maker on battle.net just like tux and bolt. Muahahahahahahahaha