- Joined
- Nov 14, 2012
- Messages
- 154
xXThe First Thirty SecondsXx
The First 30 Seconds are very important when testing a map out to see if you like it or not. If you aren't going "This map is cool as #$%$" within the first 3o seconds, chances are the map won't be all that good. If I have to play for an hour and then discover the map is cool, that's not good because most people don't do that. They go "Wow, this map sucks." then leave the game. Just like a blind date, the person is going What is this map/guy about and is the map/guy interesting. If you roll up to a blind date in a yellow T-shirt, Khakis, and a fanny pack. Chances are, that date isn't going anywhere. But if you show up looking like a goddamn rockstar the girl's going to be interested. The same idea applies to maps. Take Founders of the North, an RPG style game. The first thirty seconds you're in a town with awesome models and lots of interactive elements. You have literally endless options. You can be a farmer, warrior, merchant, a bandit. Practically anything. Your map HAS to invoke some sort of response within those first 30 seconds or Most of the time, I'm not saying it's impossible to recover, the player is lost. Other maps are: LOAP Gold, Real Life for Morons, Battleships, TKOK Eastern Kingdoms. All great examples.
If you have any other questions about the map post a comment or PM our tech. SuperbAvalon.
Sincerely, Black Hand Industries™
EDIT: Expanded.
The First 30 Seconds
The Intro
Today, we’re going to discuss my theory behind the importance of the first impression of a map (the intro.) Then we will look at the construction, through the use of some guidelines, and of some examples to help relate. Some of you might be thinking that the first 30 seconds or so couldn't be that important, even if it is just the hero selection area or the scenery the player sees, but they would be very, very wrong. There is some great science and experience behind the idea that it’s the most important thing, so, let’s take a look at it closely.
I compare the first 30 seconds or so to the first five seconds of a blind date and as a life and dating coach, (read one of my father's articles over at Love Detour for some idea of what I mean http://advice.lovedetour.com/dhitt/...a-mystical-power-over-women-yes.html#comments) I can tell you that if you set a bad first impression in the first 5 seconds of a blind date you are in for an epic battle just to have a chance at a relationship, but if your first five seconds are strong, a good 30% of your work is done and done very well. It’s the same with your intro.
You might be thinking that 30% is WAY TOO HIGH, that the first 30 seconds couldn't possibly effect the player in such a profound way, but what you should understand is that our mind makes snap judgments as a survival mechanism (read Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink, as one of many examples of how fast judgement really happens), in every single thing we do and playing wc3 is certainly included in that. It’s a means of survival that we are unable to put aside because we are, in fact, mostly controlled by our instincts. That doesn't mean we can never overcome a bad intro or impression, (you can with A LOT of work) it just means that it’s so much easier to capture a player’s imagination with a great first intro so we should all strive to do just that. Let’s take a closer look at what happens after the first 30 seconds.
So, we play through a map for a little while and judge it, then each successive few minutes of time that we keep playing for is compared to our judgement of the first 30 seconds until we have what we feel is a reliable view of the whole. For some that’s a few seconds and for others that might be up to 20 minutes, it’s different for every person. The important idea here is that we are now looking for more of what we experienced in the intro.
We know what happens when we play a great map for the first time, it’s much like when we meet someone for the first time that we’re really attracted to. We approve and want more. Then we have the merely serviceable map that is okay. A middling intro will cause us to withhold judgement until we play more, while a bad intro will turn on a critical evaluation process that will scrutinize everything that follows and cause us to want to decide against what we’re evaluating.
I hope this helps guys!
The First 30 Seconds are very important when testing a map out to see if you like it or not. If you aren't going "This map is cool as #$%$" within the first 3o seconds, chances are the map won't be all that good. If I have to play for an hour and then discover the map is cool, that's not good because most people don't do that. They go "Wow, this map sucks." then leave the game. Just like a blind date, the person is going What is this map/guy about and is the map/guy interesting. If you roll up to a blind date in a yellow T-shirt, Khakis, and a fanny pack. Chances are, that date isn't going anywhere. But if you show up looking like a goddamn rockstar the girl's going to be interested. The same idea applies to maps. Take Founders of the North, an RPG style game. The first thirty seconds you're in a town with awesome models and lots of interactive elements. You have literally endless options. You can be a farmer, warrior, merchant, a bandit. Practically anything. Your map HAS to invoke some sort of response within those first 30 seconds or Most of the time, I'm not saying it's impossible to recover, the player is lost. Other maps are: LOAP Gold, Real Life for Morons, Battleships, TKOK Eastern Kingdoms. All great examples.
If you have any other questions about the map post a comment or PM our tech. SuperbAvalon.
Sincerely, Black Hand Industries™
EDIT: Expanded.
The First 30 Seconds
The Intro
Today, we’re going to discuss my theory behind the importance of the first impression of a map (the intro.) Then we will look at the construction, through the use of some guidelines, and of some examples to help relate. Some of you might be thinking that the first 30 seconds or so couldn't be that important, even if it is just the hero selection area or the scenery the player sees, but they would be very, very wrong. There is some great science and experience behind the idea that it’s the most important thing, so, let’s take a look at it closely.
I compare the first 30 seconds or so to the first five seconds of a blind date and as a life and dating coach, (read one of my father's articles over at Love Detour for some idea of what I mean http://advice.lovedetour.com/dhitt/...a-mystical-power-over-women-yes.html#comments) I can tell you that if you set a bad first impression in the first 5 seconds of a blind date you are in for an epic battle just to have a chance at a relationship, but if your first five seconds are strong, a good 30% of your work is done and done very well. It’s the same with your intro.
You might be thinking that 30% is WAY TOO HIGH, that the first 30 seconds couldn't possibly effect the player in such a profound way, but what you should understand is that our mind makes snap judgments as a survival mechanism (read Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink, as one of many examples of how fast judgement really happens), in every single thing we do and playing wc3 is certainly included in that. It’s a means of survival that we are unable to put aside because we are, in fact, mostly controlled by our instincts. That doesn't mean we can never overcome a bad intro or impression, (you can with A LOT of work) it just means that it’s so much easier to capture a player’s imagination with a great first intro so we should all strive to do just that. Let’s take a closer look at what happens after the first 30 seconds.
So, we play through a map for a little while and judge it, then each successive few minutes of time that we keep playing for is compared to our judgement of the first 30 seconds until we have what we feel is a reliable view of the whole. For some that’s a few seconds and for others that might be up to 20 minutes, it’s different for every person. The important idea here is that we are now looking for more of what we experienced in the intro.
We know what happens when we play a great map for the first time, it’s much like when we meet someone for the first time that we’re really attracted to. We approve and want more. Then we have the merely serviceable map that is okay. A middling intro will cause us to withhold judgement until we play more, while a bad intro will turn on a critical evaluation process that will scrutinize everything that follows and cause us to want to decide against what we’re evaluating.
I hope this helps guys!
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