1 reply to this topic

[Glaeken]

Hi guys, I hope Minecraft hasn't taken IP completely away from BFME.
In the hopes of generating activity I thought I'd ask a few questions concerning your map making process.

1. What is your own personal method for making single-player maps using the skirmish style of World Builder?

2. What is your method for providing resources and units for the players?

3. Are your single-player maps typically limited to just 1 player versus the computer and how do you include a balance to achieve those goals?

4. Are your single-player maps campaign style and/or quest-like? If not, how would you describe the mode?

5. Do your single-player maps encompass broad areas or are they confined to terrain limiting avenues or pathways? How do you keep them from being maze-like?





That's probably enough for now.
And I should preface this by saying I'm not necessarily looking for answers to particular questions, but am hoping to generate dialog about the processes and individual style.
Also, when you read "You" or "Your", I mean 'you' the respondent and am not referring to IP as a whole...unless IP has a standard procedure concerning the question.

Edited by Glaeken, 25 November 2011 - 06:10 AM.

[Pasidon]

Oh, sorry I haven't gotten to this yet. But yea, we're still registered as BFME nuts. Jimmy Man may be the last official member in the industry, but I can answer your questions based on my golden years as a mapper.

1. I go for realistic in the sense of natural real world features with the sensible Middle Earth fantasy mixed in. The reason people liked my Tower Wars map so much was the amount of detail I put. Take away the detail, it was just an ordinary tower wars. From just blending the terrain one block at a time to just putting rocks in the right places with the lighting complimenting the terrain, I won favors by ambiance. I also kept in mind area balancing and advantage, which most map makers fail to do in their skirmish maps at time.

2. Like I said, balancing is crucial. I measured out my maps with that handy measuring tool lots of people don't take advantage of and made sure each player got the same amount of room to build and equal access to bonus resources. When looking at a siege map where one or more player owns a central fortress, I make sure the fortress has the same advantage as the numbers outside by calculating Resources Per Second. For instance, if there were three players sieging and one defending, you enable the defender room for at least six 100% functioning resource units with the obvious room for the attackers with the ability to gain 2 100% functioning RS each. If you don't want to measure it out, just watch where you put hills and obstacles... your map may give an unfair disadvantage with a single rock.

3. I never made a single player map that was limited to one player. My Tower Wars was designed to house 4 players but could be played with one. Even War of the Realms 2 would have been 1 player if we finished it. It's just a matter of good scripting and making that difficulty factor high or low.

4. I don't recall any of us designing any single-player only maps. I could be wrong... but most of our work turned out to be quest maps that had single player options. But like I just said, we kept balancing in mind for how many players there are, such as one player. In that instance, we would limit enemy spawning or balance in other creative ways.

5. I'm going to take a wild guess and say you're designing a single player map. It's a universal map design to keep your terrain revolving around its purpose. If you're doing a quest map, make sure to keep your paths wide and start in your map's lower-left corner so you have lots of room to work. Have a design in mind and always make sure your paths work. I always found myself getting blocked for no reason on several quest maps; hinting why I said to make paths wide. And if there is an area made for battle, make sure to keep that area wide so the spawns don't get funneled. I also like to block paths at certain areas so heroes can't backtrack or flee. And in terms of one large area, all I can say is make it interesting. Make certain tactical points or just cool ambient features to keep people visually and interculturaly entertained.

And one piece of bonus advise... don't start a huge project unless you plan to finish it. Wish I would have done the same...

Keep us updated on what you're doing. And even if you like, join the clan. You get more resources and attention that way rather than going solo on your projects.