Is battlecraft a good thing?

melee · 06-11-2003, 08:50 PM

Alright well i have had the alpha for a while and really like Battlecraft. It has a user interface so friendly that made me wonder. Is this a good thing. currently only the very skilled can make maps and they are all usually very good. well with battlecraft anyone that can use MS paint can make maps. So I bet that over the weelend there will be 2000 new maps 60% being from Saving Private Ryan. Is this a good thing? No longer leaving maps to pros?

Cpl. Reynolds · 06-11-2003, 08:54 PM

I, of course, have to vote no. I've seen what easy mapping tools can do to the mapping community for other games. Hundreds of files that are a total waste of time just so you can find and download the one or two really good ones. And you can't trust posts online because the noobs get their buddies to say how good their crap is.

The only thing that will make this work is a trustworthy source for custom map reviews. Once we have a source most people like and trust, that will make things better for everyone.

Loki · 06-11-2003, 09:01 PM

I was working on my map for a while now, trying to get in done before the inevitable surge of custom maps after BC was released. Imagine the crushing blow I felt when I read that the beta was out

Oh well, Back to stalking celebrities.

Cartoon Corpse · 06-11-2003, 09:27 PM

is it just terrain bldg location, elevation stuff? or can i make the nme's hookers and bikini babes, and add a mai-tai,fishin pole to my kit, and turn tanks into dune buggies? and cloth myself in tshirt and shorts and baseball cap?

Picus · 06-11-2003, 09:32 PM

I voted yes. I only DL maps that I have seen good reviews from this site about, so it's very few and far between. Yet I have wanted to get a few more and hopefully this is the way to go. I can hardly wait to try it out and see what both it and I can do.

Best way to judge before DLing them I have found is to see if any servers ever seem to play them which is another reason I don't have many at all.

melee · 06-11-2003, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cartoon Corpse

is it just terrain bldg location, elevation stuff? or can i make the nme's hookers and bikini babes, and add a mai-tai,fishin pole to my kit, and turn tanks into dune buggies? and cloth myself in tshirt and shorts and baseball cap?

just maps, although i have found that if you wanted to make something like that its not too hard to mod for Bf just takes alot of time.

Aerovoid · 06-11-2003, 10:19 PM

so what if there will be tons of shit maps? don't downlaod them. it's as simple as that. it's not like all the servers are going to instantly have 1000 noob made maps.

don't know why you'd worry about this.. half-life had lots of user made maps and lots were pretty crappy too, but it didn't have a negitive effect on anyone.

TEXAS NIGHTMARE · 06-11-2003, 10:26 PM

The problem comes when you go to down load a map you have to go thru all the shit maps to find a good map.Now do you see the problem?

Cpl. Reynolds · 06-11-2003, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aerovoid

so what if there will be tons of shit maps? don't downlaod them. it's as simple as that. it's not like all the servers are going to instantly have 1000 noob made maps.

How do you know they are crap until you download them? Duh...

We need a review site. How can you argue with that?

Aerovoid · 06-12-2003, 02:06 AM

well yeah i'd assume there would be a review site...

PxR|GrimJack · 06-12-2003, 06:18 AM

Tribes2maps.com use to (still does?) this for Tribes.....

as long as they dont add one of those silly code add-ons that automatically d/l's any map you dont have you're ok

melee · 06-12-2003, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PxR|GrimJack

Tribes2maps.com use to (still does?) this for Tribes.....

as long as they dont add one of those silly code add-ons that automatically d/l's any map you dont have you're ok

I like those, Its bad when you dont;t have a map but you don't want to start looking. Maybe if it let the admin give a link for someone who wanted to join th egame download it, in game. So you try to enter a game with bagdad airport and you don' t have it. It starts downloading form Megamirror.com or something.

thunder_or_fd · 06-12-2003, 07:43 AM

the more maps that are out and didnt come with BF then the less servers we're gonna be able to play on. hopefully the GOOD servers will only use maps that come with bf patches and so on - that way we wont have to go out and download X map to play in the server

spngbhb · 06-12-2003, 08:03 AM

well it's good for the very few folks that will make any kind of quality map. For the other 99.9% it means map spam. Give me a $20 xpac anyday over hrs of wading thru dumbass map files.

well anyway battlecraft is like bf42. people make or break it. it can used for good or evil.

Beyond_Valor · 06-12-2003, 10:16 PM

To say that battlecraft is bad because 85 % of the maps will suck (and 85% probably will suck). Obviously 15% of them will be pretty good why be prejudice against all of them instantly, you'll just be missing out on some good maps and obvioulsy there are tons of pretty good BF42 sites out there that will even review them maybe even EA??? with cash potential $$$$$ CHa-Ching!!!!!!!

I know I'm going to give it my best shot, I have aireal photogrphs of the actuall battle fields of Stalingrad. And plan to recreate them to the best of my ability. Of course it will only be parts of the map, Stalingrad was after all a big city.

Pred@tor · 06-12-2003, 10:36 PM

saying you'll have to sift througha load of crap maps is an exageration. I mean the good maps will get to be known and will have thier own web sites. It only takes one person to try it and it doesn't need to be you. Its not exactly a big chore is it. This easily manevurarable map maker is a good thing this time your favourite maps will probally take ttwo times less than they did b4. Also if you don't have programming experience you could make a map yourself I know I'll be having a go.

maverick514 · 06-12-2003, 10:44 PM

Hmmm, maybe we should ask Rexxie to make a website dedicated to map reviewing. Maybe he can give us a forum? Reynolds, would you be up for that?

Gort · 06-13-2003, 12:48 AM

BC being release is a good thing, it's only been months since they promised it. Undoubtedly there will be a huge volume of maps that aren't worth downloading. I don't mind downloading a map to find out that it's garbage. I can easily delete it and log the name of it somewhere so I don't make the same mistake twice. I look at the work Reynolds has done with the previous editing tools that were out there and he has done a superlative job. Hopefully BC will make life easier for guys like Reynolds.

Beyond_Valor · 06-13-2003, 01:23 AM

Also...

I don't know about you guys but I get tired of the same maps over and over pretty quickly. Its always nice to see something new every once and awhile.

Cpl. Reynolds · 06-13-2003, 03:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beyond_Valor

To say that battlecraft is bad because 85 % of the maps will suck (and 85% probably will suck). Obviously 15% of them will be pretty good why be prejudice against all of them instantly,

You're right. Let me explain why I think Battlecraft is bad purely on the basis of Battlecraft:

1) No AI support at all. None. Zip.
2) No RtR support at all. None. Zip. Won't be included later, either. I suspect that also means no Secret Weapons support in the fall.
3) Less detailed textures compared to other tools.
4) Buggy
5) No support for adding custom objects to maps.
6) No support for already existing custom maps.
7) Squidgy, weird interface.

I could go on. Basically the only advantage to this is making maps without having to pack and unpack your map files. That's it. I don't find that a persuasive argument for using it, and I've yet to see a map from it that's as good as what guys like Neutron (Xhaos series), Perfectionist (Battle of Bilston), and others have already been doing without it.

So, my conclusion... lots of new maps of lower quality then we have been getting already. Instead of sites highlighting a map release in their News sections, they will be ignored under the flood of maps coming out.

A good review site will alleviate that problem. Planet Battlefield started to set one up, but they haven't done anything with it yet. They need a small staff of trusted reviewers to check maps out and post reviews regular.

View Poll Results: Is Battlecraft a good thing?
Yes	23	79.31%
No	6	20.69%
Voters: 29. You may not vote on this poll

06-11-2003, 08:54 PM	#2 (permalink)
Cpl. Reynolds First Lieutenant Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Hiding in a foxhole, protecting my hiney. Posts: 1,923	I, of course, have to vote no. I've seen what easy mapping tools can do to the mapping community for other games. Hundreds of files that are a total waste of time just so you can find and download the one or two really good ones. And you can't trust posts online because the noobs get their buddies to say how good their crap is. The only thing that will make this work is a trustworthy source for custom map reviews. Once we have a source most people like and trust, that will make things better for everyone. __________________ http://www.planetbattlefield.com/longestday

06-11-2003, 09:27 PM	#4 (permalink)
Cartoon Corpse Specialist Join Date: May 2003 Location: Winston-Salem, NC Posts: 239	is it just terrain bldg location, elevation stuff? or can i make the nme's hookers and bikini babes, and add a mai-tai,fishin pole to my kit, and turn tanks into dune buggies? and cloth myself in tshirt and shorts and baseball cap? __________________ There is no \'U\' in team either. So i guess we\'re both out. Vidi Vici Veni : \"I saw, I conquered, I came\"

06-11-2003, 09:32 PM	#5 (permalink)
Picus Chief Warrant Officer First Class Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 978	I voted yes. I only DL maps that I have seen good reviews from this site about, so it's very few and far between. Yet I have wanted to get a few more and hopefully this is the way to go. I can hardly wait to try it out and see what both it and I can do. Best way to judge before DLing them I have found is to see if any servers ever seem to play them which is another reason I don't have many at all. __________________ No hippies wanted. Use that rifle you stupid plane camper.

06-11-2003, 10:26 PM	#8 (permalink)
TEXAS NIGHTMARE First Lieutenant Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: San Antonio, Tx Posts: 1,572	The problem comes when you go to down load a map you have to go thru all the shit maps to find a good map.Now do you see the problem? __________________

06-11-2003, 09:01 PM	#3 (permalink)
Loki Private Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 36	I was working on my map for a while now, trying to get in done before the inevitable surge of custom maps after BC was released. Imagine the crushing blow I felt when I read that the beta was out Oh well, Back to stalking celebrities.

06-11-2003, 10:19 PM	#7 (permalink)
Aerovoid Private Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 51	so what if there will be tons of shit maps? don't downlaod them. it's as simple as that. it's not like all the servers are going to instantly have 1000 noob made maps. don't know why you'd worry about this.. half-life had lots of user made maps and lots were pretty crappy too, but it didn't have a negitive effect on anyone.

06-12-2003, 02:06 AM	#10 (permalink)
Aerovoid Private Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 51	well yeah i'd assume there would be a review site...

06-12-2003, 06:18 AM	#11 (permalink)
PxR\|GrimJack Sergeant Major Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 647	Tribes2maps.com use to (still does?) this for Tribes..... as long as they dont add one of those silly code add-ons that automatically d/l's any map you dont have you're ok __________________

06-12-2003, 07:43 AM	#13 (permalink)
thunder_or_fd Master Sergeant Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Florida Posts: 525	the more maps that are out and didnt come with BF then the less servers we're gonna be able to play on. hopefully the GOOD servers will only use maps that come with bf patches and so on - that way we wont have to go out and download X map to play in the server __________________

06-12-2003, 08:03 AM	#14 (permalink)
spngbhb Private Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 14	well it's good for the very few folks that will make any kind of quality map. For the other 99.9% it means map spam. Give me a $20 xpac anyday over hrs of wading thru dumbass map files. well anyway battlecraft is like bf42. people make or break it. it can used for good or evil.

06-12-2003, 10:16 PM	#15 (permalink)
Beyond_Valor Master Warrant Officer Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Earth Posts: 1,090	To say that battlecraft is bad because 85 % of the maps will suck (and 85% probably will suck). Obviously 15% of them will be pretty good why be prejudice against all of them instantly, you'll just be missing out on some good maps and obvioulsy there are tons of pretty good BF42 sites out there that will even review them maybe even EA??? with cash potential $$$$$ CHa-Ching!!!!!!! I know I'm going to give it my best shot, I have aireal photogrphs of the actuall battle fields of Stalingrad. And plan to recreate them to the best of my ability. Of course it will only be parts of the map, Stalingrad was after all a big city.

06-12-2003, 10:36 PM	#16 (permalink)
Pred@tor Staff Sergeant Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Somwhere over the rainbow Posts: 260	saying you'll have to sift througha load of crap maps is an exageration. I mean the good maps will get to be known and will have thier own web sites. It only takes one person to try it and it doesn't need to be you. Its not exactly a big chore is it. This easily manevurarable map maker is a good thing this time your favourite maps will probally take ttwo times less than they did b4. Also if you don't have programming experience you could make a map yourself I know I'll be having a go. __________________ \"ANY TIME\" Mac from the movie predator

06-12-2003, 10:44 PM	#17 (permalink)
maverick514 Colonel Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: People's Republic of MA Posts: 6,061	Hmmm, maybe we should ask Rexxie to make a website dedicated to map reviewing. Maybe he can give us a forum? Reynolds, would you be up for that? __________________

06-13-2003, 12:48 AM	#18 (permalink)
Gort Warrant Officer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Southern BC, Canada Posts: 825	BC being release is a good thing, it's only been months since they promised it. Undoubtedly there will be a huge volume of maps that aren't worth downloading. I don't mind downloading a map to find out that it's garbage. I can easily delete it and log the name of it somewhere so I don't make the same mistake twice. I look at the work Reynolds has done with the previous editing tools that were out there and he has done a superlative job. Hopefully BC will make life easier for guys like Reynolds. __________________ 8)´

06-13-2003, 01:23 AM	#19 (permalink)
Beyond_Valor Master Warrant Officer Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Earth Posts: 1,090	Also... I don't know about you guys but I get tired of the same maps over and over pretty quickly. Its always nice to see something new every once and awhile.