The Mapmaking Chump

[Blacksheepboy]

I'm sure you've known of other mapmaking chumps

Quick intro: this is basically what went on behind my getting into Soldat mapmaking. I typed it last night out of kicks.


My first maps were out of pure innocence. I did them to customize my fun.

I released them thinking others would enjoy my gimmicky s**t.

Then I learned, "Ooooooh, other people give me approval and brownie points for mapmaking..."

Then that became my motivation for mapmaking. It wasn't about fun anymore; it was about brownie points.

That motivation eventually fizzled after I exhausted all possible ideas, and just kept making s**t. No more brownie points; no more motivation.

I still mapped for strictly my own enjoyment+brownie points for a long time. Occasionally I'd get some pure, unadulterated ideas, and my motivations for those would be mixed. Brownie points were just kind of a bonus.   

Man, I'd still made gimmicky s**t full of boyish ambition and emotions. I always wanted to make the best INF maps, and I wreathed my maps with emotional appeal. Otherwise, where's the tension and fun in release when you put out a new and very shiny map, and you hope everyone goes "Oooooooooo"?

But now, I come to realize that my maps were still... gimmicky. They weren't reasonable, and when played reasonably, they sucked. All my maps were role-playing maps, basically. "RP server man! Let's do this!!1!1 Okay, we're stuck on an island . . . Play along, damnit." "Yeah. No." That's why I made INF maps. I was all about emotional appeal and gimmicks... You can only laugh for so long--you can only play "I'm marooned on an island...durp" for so long.

But as has been said before, at the end of the day, it's all about how many dudes you can kill. Hi dudes.

Now, if I don't have my head on straight, I can't map worth s**t. I can make some gimmicky garbage, but you know the layout isn't going to prime, logical, competitive awesome material. It won't be some classic timeless goodness that "just works," because emotional appeal only lasts... for so long, and then, "Poof, fizzle... gone." Fireworks.

Damn you office building map!

[jrgp]

No one ever liked or played my maps, but for years (like 2005-2008) I considered my "role" in the Soldat community to be a map maker, albeit a shitty one.

[thegrandmaster]

I enjoy making maps simply because it's making kinda gimmicky art using a very simple concept of joining poly's and adding images PLUS you can play in them :O

[Blacksheepboy]

No one ever liked or played my maps, but for years (like 2005-2008) I considered my "role" in the Soldat community to be a map maker, albeit a s**tty one.

Hell yeah, it's a cocky role to have, like, "Nuh-uh you new mapmaker, in your place, I've been mapmaking for years and you suck" (lol)

PLUS you can play in them :O

Exactly: the immediate appeal. You get to have fun in them, and then push it onto others and get your ego stroked! How much better can it get?!

[PANZERCATWAGON]

im gonna create a full makeover mod for soldat one day and youll all s**t yourselves

[Blue-ninja]

I map because I like seeing the before/after transformations of a map sketch on paper into a fully playable soldat map. What frustrates me the most, however, is that the map doesn't always turn out exactly like I have envisioned in my mind.

And why is this in the Lounge?

/shrug

[Blacksheepboy]

im gonna create a full makeover mod for soldat one day and youll all s**t yourselves

do it.

[PANZERCATWAGON]

does anyone know what the name of that mod was called which had the phrase 'reticulating splines' played sometimes when you got killed

cause that was my inspiration

[Horve]

The olden days without backflips nor polyworks:

first climb map ctf_vig_walk ~<2004

first jet climb map ctf_vig_plusx ~2004

dm_vig_dsrtjngl played on some servers a long time ago.

ctf_vig_joy2 2004+ played on worldtour's server. can be confirmed by user ctf_worldtour.

dm_vig_serbia

[jrgp]

ctf_vig_joy2 2004+ played on worldtour's server. can be confirmed by user ctf_worldtour.

Oh my god that brings back memories.

[smiluu]

Worldtour was some good shit, is it still around?