Rant: Mappers, stop treating the command map as ad space

(DeAtHmAsTeR) #21

good ques…

(Ifurita) #22

My original point is still valid. My personal preference is for immersion. Meaning that when I pull up the command map, I want to feel like I am spreading a map out on a table and looking at troop dispositions, etc. You connect the dots.

However, you know what might look very cool, is the name of the map or operation done to look like it was written in grease pencil across the top of the map

(Dawg) #23

Exactly. Subtlety. Make it non-descript. Something you will notice if you are looking for it but doesn’t distract from the whole. Kinda like an easter egg.

Dawg

(ziege) #24

Fairy nuff. You just gave me an idea too, I think I’m gonna draw my command map by hand with notes on the objectives, and scan it :slight_smile:

[Edit: Damn the notes thing won’t work right because both teams would see the same objectives, duh]

(G0-Gerbil) #25

The solution to that is to make the tunnels in your map form the outline of a big hummer :slight_smile:

Personally I think it’s pointless really - I can’t believe people will download a map and run it without at least having an inkling of who did it and what it’s called.

I’m going to stick with simply putting a blurb up in the loading text - that fits in to a certain degree with the server box where people put all kinda crap, and it’s not ‘ingame’ as such.
The actual loading picture is a bit small for anything other than an image in my opinion - we are not talking about the heady fullscreen days of RTCW :slight_smile:

As for the command map - leave it alone, have just as a map. While of course ET is not the definitive by-word in realism, it does bother me a bit to be running through a level with the map up and a big ‘made by XXX’ (film character also makes maps shocker) over bits of the screen.

It’s entirely up to the mapper of course - I just think it takes away from the professionalism of the map. If you haven’t got space to chuck your name and a few WWW’s in the loading text, then you should become a story writer, not a mapper :slight_smile:

(SaBBeS) #26

I agree qith Ifurita :banana:

(Dark Killer) #27

ok first of all you know its a game when you are playing it, people put their name in the command map so they would know who created it and what kind of maps to expect from this person, if you are such a consumer/customer as you say you are then I will accept $5 for a version without my name in the command map, you owe it to the mappers for spending countless hours making something but then somebody bitches at them because they put their name in the command map who cares, I only look at the command up once or twice, or whenever im using weapons that require the command map and thats it I think it’s a very nice touch to see who made it and I can visit their website and see what other maps they have made that I would like to play!

(Ifurita) #28

Fair enough Dark Killer. It’s totally my opinion and people are free to agree, disagree, or ignore as they wish. I certainly do appreciate all the work that people put into this game for free, whether it be maps, mods, scripting tutorials, FAQs, or just helping out in forums.

Ultimately, if a map sucks, will not having the mappers name splashed across the command map make it any better? Nope. Would having the mappers name in the command map make me not want to play an otherwise top-notch map? Nope. However, do I think that little details like this (and others) prevent an A map from being an A+ map? Yep

(chavo_one) #29

I see merits to both sides on this matter. A mapper without any sense of style, sense, or tact will create a horrid mess on their command map screaming the fact that they are the creator. Luckily, people without any style, sense, or tact usually don’t make very good maps, so this problem cancels itself out.

The true problem exists because ET has removed the author’s creative expression that used to be through the RtCW loading screen. A mapper could create a loading screen that set the tone of the map, and also gave enough real estate to place their name and url.

With ET, you have this extremely small spot to put a levelshot of your map. This leaves no room to place an author’s credentials. The only other place to do this is the command map. So, I see nothing wrong with an author placing their name and url on the command map, AS LONG AS IT DOES NOT INTERFERE WITH THE FUNCTIONAL USE OF THE COMMAND MAP! At no time should a player see the author’s name in the compass!

Just my 2 cents…

(G0-Gerbil) #30

Not strictly true - you can (and I do) use the loading text to dump your name, email, URLs etc. I’d say this is a better place to have your info, cos it’s the one place people can’t swap out of - how many people do you know that use the limbo screen for anything other than class selection?

I would also say I’m pleased with what I did for the Church command map - IE the bits that aren’t actually relevant to the map I fade out using the alpha channel.

To me the command map works best if it’s uncluttered, and the info you need is as clear as possible without distractions.
Logos etc ARE a distraction, and at the worst obscure part of the screen you might otherwise see enemies in. Using the alpha channel I remove as much of this unused screen as possible.

Every little helps - particularly since as players get better (especially in clan play) you find yourself using the command map more and more, even while just running around. The CM is useful, and as I play more, getting more and more useful all the time. IMO putting other unecessary stuff up there detracts from the gameplay, and could conceivably get you killed :slight_smile:

(duke'ku) #31

i prefer smaller credit, i.e. a hidden easter egg on the map that has the mapper’s name. it’s always interesting to find those.

([DeaD]-SLOTH-) #32

Any place on the map, imo, is fair grounds for advertising. If it’s not taking away from gameplay, then I see no reason why it can’t be used.

(G0-Gerbil) #33

That’s my point though - using the control map in-game with a logo means it DOES detract from gameplay - the simpler the command map is the better and the less likely to get you killed accidentally.

(ziege) #34

Ghosts, swinging chandeliers, church organs, don’t distract from gameplay? Using that line-of-thought we should be creating white box worlds with nothing that might grab the players attention in case he gets killed.

(G0-Gerbil) #35

All the things you list from my maps are distractions of CHOICE, and apart from the ghosts (since some people don’t believe in 'em) they are all part of the theming of the map.

A bit fat logo which ends up covering 20% of the screen is neither theming nor necessary, but simply a distraction.

(Ifurita) #36

LOL

IMO, the mappers name on the command map adds nothing to the map while swinging chandeliers, waves on the water, organs, smoke, etc add tons of character and atmosphere, and differentiate it from its peers

(SCDS_reyalP) #37

What about mutant sea bass with giant freakin lasers on their heads ? Is that OK ?

(Ifurita) #38

You know, if the map was set in an undersea research lab where the nazi’s were working on experiments with mutant fish, it’d be ok with me.

(WolfWings) #39

Fairy nuff. You just gave me an idea too, I think I’m gonna draw my command map by hand with notes on the objectives, and scan it :slight_smile:

[Edit: Damn the notes thing won’t work right because both teams would see the same objectives, duh][/quote]

Actually, draw in the command map by hand, place another sheet of paper on top and draw each team’s objectives over top of that on a seperate piece of paper, then cut-and-paste the icons into custom ‘spawnflags’ for all the objectives. :slight_smile: