I can never stick with an idea

[Animalpower]

I am soo glad I am not an artist. At least not in the traditional sense.

I'm an engineer: I like making something that works and is used. A map to me is more like a problem and I like to find solutions.

In fact I got through over halfway the mechanical engineering program before I decided I liked CS better.

Still its very much a grind. I have found ways to help though. If I want to force myself to work on WW2 Diplo after so much rejection and dissapointments I usually just kick on greatest tank battles or pull out my copy of "The Longest Day" or some other WW2 Film.

That was actually a big key. Watching a show, movie, clip or even playing a video game based on the theme really helped to motivate me and a few other mappers have done the same thing.

Which means I have to avoid watching Star Trek or I start doing things like this:

Or I watch Red October (one of my favs) and stuff like this starts comming out:

What has this have to do with Warcraft III? This is StarCraft or something alike.

 

[Drunken_Jackal]

We are not talking about Wc3. We are talking about the fact that most of us cant stick with an idea and why we cant, or how can we force ourselves to stick with it.

 

[Vizel]

Sticking to ideas isn't confined to wc3. If he wants to join in on the conversation in regards to sc2 I say more power to him.

 

[Edhel-dur]

Thing is, a project... any map project, is about more areas of expertise than just one. If you are a graphician, you will enjoy making some skins for your project, will enjoy maybe some terraining, but I doubt you would enjoy the coding. When you have no coding, the project stops there. Same goes for other people who like 1 aspect of modding. It's really hard and time consuming to do every aspect of your map all by yourself.

As to people who start projects but don't continue after day 3... maybe making a map is not for you?

Personally I like Story Concept, so that I'd do for a map. I have this story I want to apply to a map, however in 10 years or so I haven't done one map which would reflect part of the story. That's because... I don't enjoy terraining, or codding or stuff like that. If you really cannot get into any part of modding which is comfortable for you, maybe you are not meant to be part of modding, or you just didn't explore modding well enough for you.

 

[WaterKnight]

Most people seem to have problems with coding here. While I can realize almost everything I want in this area, I have to admit that it's time-consuming, needs a lot of testing and wc3 poses hindrances, circumventions. After all, it's technically the most flexible area. However, to me, it seems like triggering is the most accessible one. The other artistic tasks like terraining, skinning, modelling, dialog writing, storytelling require more general knowledge and common sense. I have not really found out how to acquire/effectively boost those skills yet and therefore they become a greater issue in the long run.

 

[mckill2009]

many of us is not satisfied on what we have, we want more and more...even rich people
want more money (infinite money), that's why they gamble their money in making bussiness...
now what's that got to do with map making?, well we want more and more ideas
and make more maps, but we dont know that's the path of losing interest to the game...

 

[Drunken_Jackal]

many of us is not satisfied on what we have, we want more and more...even rich people
want more money (infinite money), that's why they gamble their money in making bussiness...

You just told my family story

Also, he's right. We are ever hungry for everything. We want to know more and more and more. Blame it on our scumbag brain.

 

[Craka_J]

I lose more and more interest in modding for a number of reasons:

• WarCraft III community feels like it's dying greatly
• WarCraft III maps/mods that DO get played are mostly tower defense maps and DotA
• Developing any kind of project relating to games takes more than one man to complete and it is difficult to get that kind of help with a profit-less project like a mod
• Modding tools for 'more modern' games today tend to be more complex and confusing; could just be my own opinion

Just a few standard reasons why I am disinterested in modding at a serious level these days. I'm trying to get more involved in indie videogame development instead, where there's more room for creativity.

 

[Animalpower]

I lose more and more interest in modding for a number of reasons:

• WarCraft III community feels like it's dying greatly
• WarCraft III maps/mods that DO get played are mostly tower defense maps and DotA
• Developing any kind of project relating to games takes more than one man to complete and it is difficult to get that kind of help with a profit-less project like a mod
• Modding tools for 'more modern' games today tend to be more complex and confusing; could just be my own opinion

Just a few standard reasons why I am disinterested in modding at a serious level these days. I'm trying to get more involved in indie videogame development instead, where there's more room for creativity.

There will always be somebody who plays Warcraft 3. Games can not die. A popular old game can be less popular but not dead.

I hope the Hive does not become deserted. I would still play Warcraft in 2030.

 

[Map Designer]

O.K. I got nice place for everybody to advertise their maps. It is Game Ranger, a place where you can host online games. MANY people played my map with me: it is really encouraging. Unlike other places where you, if do not play dota, have no space to live...

 

[andreasaspenberg]

i am often able to get full games when i test my maps. (even the big ones.) it would certainly help if more people on this website played on battle.net.

 

[Map Designer]

i am often able to get full games when i test my maps. (even the big ones.) it would certainly help if more people on this website played on battle.net.

B.net!! No, it is too hard, and the games are spammed. People will not find my game. I do not remember any who has joined my game in B.net, at all.

 

[Vizel]

Not unless you have a bot at least

 

[andreasaspenberg]

i dont use bots and people join each time. i am playing either on the european or u.s east gateways.

 

[sonofjay]

Hive should host maps (maps that are good but not popular) so it will encourage more modders to continue their work,

 

[Ash]

Hive should host maps (maps that are good but not popular) so it will encourage more modders to continue their work,

You mean, kinda like a hosted maps forum? This is a genius idea!

 

[andreasaspenberg]

good idea sure but the problem is to put it to use.

 

[Stabra]

reply to the 1st message

Creating a map is very time consuming indeed, but it's an art. when i play the game i enjoy most of all the art, the spirit (so i play a little slowly and eventually loose haha) So when you make a map know that most of all you create a piece of art. Be an artist, no need to rush or stay more than you like on it

 

[Vizel]

Creating a map is very time consuming indeed, but it's an art. when i play the game i enjoy most of all the art, the spirit (so i play a little slowly and eventually loose haha) So when you make a map know that most of all you create a piece of art. Be an artist, no need to rush or stay more than you like on it

Sorry, I don't use that part of my brain, so I'll stick to the more logical side,

PS - not trying to bash you or anything, so please don't take it the wrong way.

 

[Drunken_Jackal]

Creating a game/map is art. I would call somebody foolish if they said it wasn't.
Even ask those CEO's of big game companies, im sure they would agree.
Creating a game is logic + art, but more on art, since we use our imagination.

 

[Vizel]

I was making more of a joke on logical brain vs artistic brain.. It wasn't meant to be taken so literal... -.-

 

[Graveworm]

i've started a few maps too. some became finished, some not. a few years ago i started to fix the "ultimate angel arena 11.0"...and when i reached the point where i had to fix the triggers, i stopped for years, cuz i have 0.1 experience with that. some days ago, when i had a wc3 lanparty in my room, i started to work on it again...and now i try to get behind all the trigger-stuff. atm i'm stuck again (with a star flying from a spelltarget to the caster; dummy doesnt wanna work like i want him to), but i got time, beer, a bit weed and so i work at the champs again
maybe u just get bored bcuz u'r too sober to forget everything else =)

 

[MasterTrainer]

When I create maps, I always prepare for one thing: that is when I think that too much detail is required, and that takes away the effort of map-making.
I think of doing many maps at once, then just finish one of them when I feel like it. Some I leave alone, and never really finish. Then someday when I browse through my library of maps, I find an unfinished one, and either finish it, or delete it.
I also just discovered this: It's a little fun to turn a spell test map into a part of a campaign, but somehow I lose motivation a little while later. Ironic because when I'm far away from the Editor I think of doing a lot of great maps.

 

[leventopoulo]

I believe that people try their best at making maps, some people try for months. But unfortunately, moderators or cocky commenters discourage them. They bring their spirit down in a way that crushes their dreams. Thus they never make maps again.. Believe me it is true.

 

[morbent]

Why nowadays map making is failing? Cuz Warcraft 3 is old, I don't want to say it but it is. I tell my friends "hey lets play Warcraft 3", "nooo, look at the dumb graphics we got Diablo 3" and I say "is it all graphics that matter? Don't you remember when you played this game and said Woaaaah the best game ever!". It's like... DotA, people play the dumb League of Legends and say DotA is dumb, we hate it - it has dumb graphics. Well it is Warcraft that gave birth to the games you play now, wow. I believe it's just because people have no respect to Warcraft 3 anymore, and less and less people play it. People just don't want to make a map that will be played for 3 days from their friends and they're going to go play Diablo 3 after that. It won't be worth the time, lets say it. There aren't many players left, you can host your map and play it with randoms but it can't get famous... it will be one for one game. You won't get a reward lets call it. Because the feeling of seeing your map hosted randomly in Warcraft 3 just makes you feel... good? I've hosted some of my maps and when I saw one of them hosted by random players I just opened War3 Editor and started making a map, the ideas came into me... but I'm a different case, I got lazy and forgot about it at like 2/5 finished of it. The moment I read CloudWolf's saying that he and his friends will go in Starcraft 2 to make maps just... made me feel like we lost other good Map Makers, modelers...Warcraft is just... old. Admit it. We need Warcraft 4

 

[WaterKnight]

It's not just the graphics I do not like about DotA in comparison to League of Legends. When I say that the graphics of DotA do suck, it's less because of the wc3 engine but rather the style that I dislike. In that aspect, Heroes of Newerth or DotA2 do not please me either. Style matters a lot. Even the sharpest detail cannot make up for it.

 

[Setokaiva]

I get this problem all the time. So many good ideas swimming through my head but I find I haven't got the energy to do them all at once, then my initiative dies out. Best thing is to keep your momentum going; find a simple idea, i.e make a new unit, and do the map one step at a time.

Try and link what you've made to the rest of the mapmaking process; for example, let's say you've made some units, now you need some terrain for them to run around on. Spawn a few enemies for them to fight, watch the battle and adjust their specs accordingly. Devise new arenas and bits of terrain where the battles could take place; and if the map is going to include bases, simply start by making the areas more open and link them together by pathways. Now that you have a terrain and some units running around, try enhancing things by using triggers and imports -- knockback systems, teleporters, music, custom models, better looking doodads and tilesets, things like that. Just keep the momentum going by doing one little thing at a time and thinking about how this could either link to something else or enhance the quality of another feature.

 

[Vizel]

If Starcraft 2 or the launch of D3 is any indication, I don't want Warcraft 4. Warcraft 4 will suck worse than SC2 in this case. SC2 flopped because activision is a bunch of morons who just want shit to get pumped out for the monies and don't care about the players.

Blizzard merging with activision screwed it up for everyone.

I did not buy sc2, and I'm glad I didn't.

I did not buy D3 (Online only? screw you!) and I'm glad I didn't, even though i have waited 12 years for it.

The fact of the matter is, mergers in the gaming industry screw the players.

Squaresoft merging with Enix destroyed the final fantasy series (wtf was ff13? SERIOUSLY, a disgrace to the name!) pumping out side games and rehashes instead of putting some effort into making a decent new game that actually fits their franchises.

Activision-Blizzard merger screwed us just as well. WOW Cataclysm? PANDAS? SC2 and it's poor execution, loads of bugs and lack of documentation? Hello Activision watermark.

Blizzard as some of us once knew it is dead. Activision has their greedy claws in every aspect of Blizzard now, and it's dead to me, and many others. Blizzard coming out with Warcraft 4 WOULD be the end of warcraft 3. SC2 took away a chunk of the community and WC4 would take another fair chunk to another worthless game that will flop as bad as SC2.

 

[Reaper51]

If Starcraft 2 or the launch of D3 is any indication, I don't want Warcraft 4. Warcraft 4 will suck worse than SC2 in this case. SC2 flopped because activision is a bunch of morons who just want shit to get pumped out for the monies and don't care about the players.

Blizzard merging with activision screwed it up for everyone.

I did not buy sc2, and I'm glad I didn't.

I did not buy D3 (Online only? screw you!) and I'm glad I didn't, even though i have waited 12 years for it.

The fact of the matter is, mergers in the gaming industry screw the players.

Squaresoft merging with Enix destroyed the final fantasy series (wtf was ff13? SERIOUSLY, a disgrace to the name!) pumping out side games and rehashes instead of putting some effort into making a decent new game that actually fits their franchises.

Activision-Blizzard merger screwed us just as well. WOW Cataclysm? PANDAS? SC2 and it's poor execution, loads of bugs and lack of documentation? Hello Activision watermark.

Blizzard as some of us once knew it is dead. Activision has their greedy claws in every aspect of Blizzard now, and it's dead to me, and many others. Blizzard coming out with Warcraft 4 WOULD be the end of warcraft 3. SC2 took away a chunk of the community and WC4 would take another fair chunk to another worthless game that will flop as bad as SC2.

Agreed.

Lets take a look at the features coming out with HOTS.

Multiplayer resume from replay
Global Play
Multilanguage support
Clan/group system
Unranked matchmaking
Multiplayer replay viewing
Blizzard Developement Tools
An improved map editor

Now tell me why Blizzard waited until HOTS to release all of these things sc2 should have had 2 years ago plus LAN.

 

[andreasaspenberg]

i got starcraft 2 but the editor is difficult to use so i dont use it much. i dont feed trolls though. if you must troll please go somewhere else.

 

[sonofjay]

meh, gonna stick on warcraft 3 for now, I don't like diablo 3 and starcraft 2 either(can't use the editor properly >:C)

But still warcraft 3 I love it than the other game this day, graphics, graphics, graphics, fuck your gameplay sucks.

warcraft 3 is great game, the editor offers you lots of things.

 

[andreasaspenberg]

i prefer warcraft 3 myself plus that i have more warcraft 3 projects so until some of those are done warcraft 3 will be my focus. besides, there is still plenty of players playing warcraft 3.

 

[sonofjay]

mostly, my maps are not intended for marketing purposes, its more of a map made for my friends.

 

[Drunken_Jackal]

You mean Warcraft 3 is not meant for profitable games
But, hey Warcraft 3 gives aspiring game developers (although the real thing is 1000% harder) a sort of boost.

 

[NightElf125]

The real thing involves a lot of experience with other more complicated software, true (as I know because I'm majoring in Game Design), but the basic fundamental aspects of designing the game are very much like the ones in making a Warcraft III map. You can learn a lot and it's good to start modding in whatever way you can.

I think a good tactic to avoid the pitfalls of not ever releasing a map is to switch to making different, short and simple maps that still interest you and keep your motivation to make maps up. Participating in the contests here is a good way to do that.

 

[Ham Ham]

*sigh*
It's time to face it, guys.
You should have expected it before. Warcraft 3 is an old game, and it's becoming a cult game. One kind of game that is not played by 12 year old boys that think graphics should be the most important thing on any game, but played by real gamers. It's happening the same thing with Warcraft 3 that happened with many other games like Doom, Quake, Age of Empires, Starcraft 1, Mechwarrior, and many others: it's becoming a classic game.
This doesn't means in any way that Wc3 modding scene will die. Things will get a bid slower, but change for the better,with more mature players and modders, with people that care more about gameplay than awsum grapikx!
Fear not! In the Doomworld Forums (the Doom equivalent of The Hive Workshop) there are still hundreds of people working on levels, gameplay enhancement mods, and updating source-ports at full steam like if we still were in the late 90s, and I am talking about an almost 20 year-old game. What makes you think that Warcraft 3 modding will disappear if Doom modding didn't disappeared?

Warcraft 3 will never fade away. It's a classic, and it will live forever. Don't hesitate to start a brand new map right now, because there WILL be people to play your map. There will ALWAYS be.



About people having problems to do it's first map, all you need is focus. Get ANYTHING done. When I started mapping back on 2006, I made at least 5 or 6 small maps in a single year. It helped me to get enough experience to start with bigger maps.

 

[andreasaspenberg]

my problem is mostly energy to work on the maps.

 

[NightElf125]

Eat lots of healthy foods, drink lots of water, avoid sugar/junk food, will do wonders.

 

[andreasaspenberg]

i drink plenty of water but that just makes me weaker.

 

[NightElf125]

How about food? You need both, they go hand in hand. Also try eating lots of fish, if you don't like it then take omega 3 in a supplement form. Great way to get the energy you need in my opinion.

 

[sonofjay]

@Ham Ham, thats what I call words of wisdom...

3 to 4 years from now, you'll see who the real warcraft 3 fan is, they will remain and never stop modding.

 

[Drunken_Jackal]

On food, many popular programming-based companies used Coke and sweets to keep them awake at their early stages.
Ahh the programmers life

 

[WaterKnight]

I also find myself eating chocolate when trying to concentrate.

 

[NightElf125]

^ What kind? Dark chocolate is the good stuff

 

[sonofjay]

@Warerknight

same, but I always eat tobleron or sneakers

 

[Drunken_Jackal]

I eat nutella with bread when trying

 

[Vizel]

I eat nutella with bread when trying

<3 nutella, omfg. It's amazing.

If you need a quick energy boost, a handful of peanuts will do the trick. And it's natural, for you people who don't want to drink caffeine or energy shots.

Unless you're allergic to peanuts. In which case,I recommend mountain dew,

I run off mountain dew when I need to concentrate. Taking breaks from it to drink some water is a good idea, though. I practically live off caffeine anyway, without it I can't think or function very well at all, lol.

So, don't become reliant on caffeine, but it may help you focus. As stated many times above, try something small and work your way up. Alter an already existing map like one of the hundreds of arenas, like angel arena. Put some unique twists in it, fix some things, change some stuff around. Move up to a minigame, perhaps. But don't do something too complicated or it could get painful (Like me..I tried to create yahtzee in wc3...didn't go well...). Or, help someone out with their project.

 

[Statharas]

If you want to stick to an idea, do something that looks cool, share a screenshot with everyone, see that everybody likes it and get motivation to continue.

 

[andreasaspenberg]

my problem is that get tired of each project after a while and then it helps to switch project.

 

[_lycan]

look i'm a resourceful person i don't know how to code a sh*t in the editor but i always get to make my maps , i even was making a mod for editors for warcraft 3 , but since i had to format my pc i stopped mapping.