Entropy
02-02-2009, 02:38 PM
We’re providing MSUC entry feedback in this forum so our comments are available to all entrants. The suggestions and comments posted on this forum are mere observations, the implementation or application of which may not have any effect on the chances of success of future or revised entries. Please refer to the judging criteria specified in the rules.
Determining what makes a good map can be very difficult. There are countless factors that go into designing and building a map, and you have to account for the gametype, target audience, personal tastes, and many other factors. In order to quantify these factors, Make Something Unreal entries are judged based on the following criteria: Creativity, Visuals, Innovation, Fun, Quality, Polish, and Gameplay (see the official rules). So, in the case of this contest, a "good map" will be one that delivers high marks consistently across all of these categories. Making a pretty map will only get you so far. Coming up with a perfectly balanced hardcore DM layout is not enough. Maps like CTF-CBP3-Arean or vCTF-Apex are strong in several of the above categories all at once.
I've been making maps professionally for over a decade, and doing it as a hobby for twice that time. I've seen people make maps out of their bedroom or office (both on miniature scale as well as gigantic). I've seen industrial warehouses, beautiful gardens, alien planets, fantasy settings, just about everything. As such, I really appreciate something that pushes creative boundaries. I'm especially impressed when someone can push those boundaries within the framework of the game and gametype they're building around. Maps like vCTF-FrozenTomb and DM-SteamTemple both bring something new to the table with innovative gameplay that helps them stand out from other entries. DM-Worm and DM-Windbook are both instantly recognizable and highly memorable because of their creative visuals. Again, this is wholly different from the quality of their visuals or gameplay, I'm speaking from a purely creative and innovative point of view. A successfully creative or innovative map will almost always be memorable - even from a single play through - because it makes an impression.
Keep in mind, however, that just adding a gimmick to your map is not enough to make an impression. Overall quality is important, including how well that gimmick integrates into the core gameplay loop. As such, quality and polish often go hand in hand. Is your map full of "sticky spots" that players will snag on when running around? Are there collision holes where the player can fall out of the world? Do the bots path effectively through the entire level and use all the weapons, vehicles, and features of the map? Are there any glaring flow problems that imbalance a map or create dead space that never sees gameplay? Does ambient audio fill the space without any awkward holes, skips, or gaps? Is your scale correct, and does it accommodate the intended gameplay? Is performance in line across a wide selection of hardware? Have the tools been used effectively (BSP on grid, proper use of instanced mesh work, optimized materials/shaders, clean bug-free scripting, etc.)? These are just some examples of factors that combine to determine the overall quality and polish of a map. A map like CTF-Dreary is what we call solid: it is professional quality, practically ready to ship with the game itself.
Finally, despite the presence or absence of all other things, the two most important factors that must be present in your map are gameplay and fun. Your design has to demonstrate a solid understanding of the core gameplay loop and fundamentals of the gametype. I don't care how pretty, memorable, or polished your map is if you've just dropped in two Power Cores and called it a Warfare map. A good map is designed specifically for the weapons, vehicles, and gameplay present. A good map is balanced, well thought out. Most importantly, a good map is fun to play - everything else is just pretty wrapping and presentation. While this is the most difficult thing to accomplish with a map, there are some basic guidelines that you can follow: Vehicle maps shouldn't be too tight or snaggy to drive vehicles through. Make sure that whatever vehicle or weapon you put in the map serves a purpose and is there to enhance the gameplay; don't just put a manta in because it's your favorite vehicle, or drop in a shock rifle because the map didn't have one. Think about the specific location that you're placing particular items. Is there too much health near the Flag base? Why is the bio rifle set out to cover a huge wide-open field? Is there a good balance between short-, mid- and long-range combat? Can I counter that sniper? Why can I shoot that Power Node from this turret all the way across the map? Are powerups balanced in terms of risk and reward? And finally, does the map have wide appeal? A perfectly balanced, cyclical DM map with good z-axis gameplay and a clan focus probably won't garner much notice outside of a very small group of hardcore gamers. That's not to say these maps are bad, and they most certainly have their place, but the average gamer needs to understand your map and have fun as soon as they start playing or chances are that they will tune out and move on to the next thing. If your map is only fun after hours of play, or only if you play it the way you want it to be played, then chances are good that (in reality) the map is not fun.
Balancing all these separate factors is no easy task. As stated above, we look for maps that really can juggle each aspect of map design and pull it all together in a unified presentation. As judges, we play the maps alone, vs. bots, vs. each other, online, and on a LAN. We look at them in the editor as well as in game, compare notes, and talk in depth about the strengths and weaknesses of each. The list of finalists is the outcome of all these discussions and observations. Regardless of the final rankings, our hope is that you'll have as much fun playing through all these maps as we did.
Determining what makes a good map can be very difficult. There are countless factors that go into designing and building a map, and you have to account for the gametype, target audience, personal tastes, and many other factors. In order to quantify these factors, Make Something Unreal entries are judged based on the following criteria: Creativity, Visuals, Innovation, Fun, Quality, Polish, and Gameplay (see the official rules). So, in the case of this contest, a "good map" will be one that delivers high marks consistently across all of these categories. Making a pretty map will only get you so far. Coming up with a perfectly balanced hardcore DM layout is not enough. Maps like CTF-CBP3-Arean or vCTF-Apex are strong in several of the above categories all at once.
I've been making maps professionally for over a decade, and doing it as a hobby for twice that time. I've seen people make maps out of their bedroom or office (both on miniature scale as well as gigantic). I've seen industrial warehouses, beautiful gardens, alien planets, fantasy settings, just about everything. As such, I really appreciate something that pushes creative boundaries. I'm especially impressed when someone can push those boundaries within the framework of the game and gametype they're building around. Maps like vCTF-FrozenTomb and DM-SteamTemple both bring something new to the table with innovative gameplay that helps them stand out from other entries. DM-Worm and DM-Windbook are both instantly recognizable and highly memorable because of their creative visuals. Again, this is wholly different from the quality of their visuals or gameplay, I'm speaking from a purely creative and innovative point of view. A successfully creative or innovative map will almost always be memorable - even from a single play through - because it makes an impression.
Keep in mind, however, that just adding a gimmick to your map is not enough to make an impression. Overall quality is important, including how well that gimmick integrates into the core gameplay loop. As such, quality and polish often go hand in hand. Is your map full of "sticky spots" that players will snag on when running around? Are there collision holes where the player can fall out of the world? Do the bots path effectively through the entire level and use all the weapons, vehicles, and features of the map? Are there any glaring flow problems that imbalance a map or create dead space that never sees gameplay? Does ambient audio fill the space without any awkward holes, skips, or gaps? Is your scale correct, and does it accommodate the intended gameplay? Is performance in line across a wide selection of hardware? Have the tools been used effectively (BSP on grid, proper use of instanced mesh work, optimized materials/shaders, clean bug-free scripting, etc.)? These are just some examples of factors that combine to determine the overall quality and polish of a map. A map like CTF-Dreary is what we call solid: it is professional quality, practically ready to ship with the game itself.
Finally, despite the presence or absence of all other things, the two most important factors that must be present in your map are gameplay and fun. Your design has to demonstrate a solid understanding of the core gameplay loop and fundamentals of the gametype. I don't care how pretty, memorable, or polished your map is if you've just dropped in two Power Cores and called it a Warfare map. A good map is designed specifically for the weapons, vehicles, and gameplay present. A good map is balanced, well thought out. Most importantly, a good map is fun to play - everything else is just pretty wrapping and presentation. While this is the most difficult thing to accomplish with a map, there are some basic guidelines that you can follow: Vehicle maps shouldn't be too tight or snaggy to drive vehicles through. Make sure that whatever vehicle or weapon you put in the map serves a purpose and is there to enhance the gameplay; don't just put a manta in because it's your favorite vehicle, or drop in a shock rifle because the map didn't have one. Think about the specific location that you're placing particular items. Is there too much health near the Flag base? Why is the bio rifle set out to cover a huge wide-open field? Is there a good balance between short-, mid- and long-range combat? Can I counter that sniper? Why can I shoot that Power Node from this turret all the way across the map? Are powerups balanced in terms of risk and reward? And finally, does the map have wide appeal? A perfectly balanced, cyclical DM map with good z-axis gameplay and a clan focus probably won't garner much notice outside of a very small group of hardcore gamers. That's not to say these maps are bad, and they most certainly have their place, but the average gamer needs to understand your map and have fun as soon as they start playing or chances are that they will tune out and move on to the next thing. If your map is only fun after hours of play, or only if you play it the way you want it to be played, then chances are good that (in reality) the map is not fun.
Balancing all these separate factors is no easy task. As stated above, we look for maps that really can juggle each aspect of map design and pull it all together in a unified presentation. As judges, we play the maps alone, vs. bots, vs. each other, online, and on a LAN. We look at them in the editor as well as in game, compare notes, and talk in depth about the strengths and weaknesses of each. The list of finalists is the outcome of all these discussions and observations. Regardless of the final rankings, our hope is that you'll have as much fun playing through all these maps as we did.