I'd like to get back into WC3 mapping..

[D.a.r.k.s.t.a.r]

Hello people,

this goes into Offtopic as i didn't know if there was a better subforum for this, so bear with me here:

For years (literally years) i've been trying to get back into WC3 mapping. from 2005 to 2009 i've been a part of the great Clan CBS until it went down. I don't know if that group is still known around here, but it really shaped my youth and provided me with the greatest fun in my gaming life. I think a huge part of that was the community activity on the forums. For me it was like a smaller Wc3sear.ch, full with friends.

Anyway, since that community is no more, i've always since played WC3 with one or two friends, but nowadays it's really only those two left that can still be moved to play the old game. I created one or two fun maps just for the three of us, but that also means that they're full of real life references, in German language and so on... not really suited for public release.

My problem? Today, being 10 years older, i feel like my skills are ten times greater and i would really like to use my creativity to create a cool, innovative map again. After all, i freaking love being able to build my own maps! But everytime i start something in WE it get's lost and abandoned in my folder of unfinished projects, simply because i cannot keep up the motivation and in the end i think there will never be anyone who plays the map anyways since the community is dead. I think a huge part is also the big burden of starting from scratch. I love designing and tweaking a game, also adding new content once a map is already playable. However starting from scratch everytime is a huge downer whenever i open the editor. I get really tired of object editing after years and years of doing the same stuff all over again.

I guess there is no real 'solution' to this, but i'd like to ask if any of you guys that are still active overcame similar problems and if there is still a community to support fun mapping? Is WC3 an ancient thing for old people? Am i simply not loving the game enough anymore?

Please help me, i want to build a map!

 

[Ardenian]

Our community supports any kind of maps! There are still many people around creating and modding!

About the loss of motivation, I know many users, myself included, facing the same problem.
One thing you could try is using templates instead of starting with zero in the WE.

What worked for me is that I don't say 'Oh, I would like to finish this map asap and present it to the community'. This simply does not work.

If you want to build a map I can recommend you to take a lot of time, don't rush it, don't work every day on it, consult the community while you are progressing about parts you are unsure of.

 

[LordDz]

My way of getting inspiration:
Don't do the same thing over and over, play other games, do other stuff, go outside, listen to a lot of music.

Then work on it when you have the energy for it, instead of feeling that you have to work on it.

 

[D.a.r.k.s.t.a.r]

My way of getting inspiration:
Don't do the same thing over and over, play other games, do other stuff, go outside, listen to a lot of music.

Then work on it when you have the energy for it, instead of feeling that you have to work on it.

I feel like it is not about inspiration, because i have plenty. I played a lot of different games lately, especially modern ones that i didn't care about before. That's actually one of the parts why i want to start mapping again. However i have build up a sort of fear of failing to pass a certain point in mapmaking, which is when i usually drop the map and lose it. I don't want to get all psychological, but when i started out it was definatly not the case. Back then i was so excited about every trigger i got to work, every unit i created and tested, it was awesome.

Maybe i'll just try to combine mapping itself and the community aspect, because that's what did the trick in the past. If Hive is still active i think this should be great and exciting.

 

[Rex.]

About the loss of motivation, I know many users, myself included, facing the same problem.
One thing you could try is using templates instead of starting with zero in the WE.

Not a problem to me. I got real innovations all the time.

Am i simply not loving the game enough anymore?

No, You love War3. You will soon love and addicted to Hive as well. -Getoutfrom herebeforeyou'readdicted! -

i think there will never be anyone who plays the map anyways since the community is dead

Yes, you're right. But you're wrong. Becos Hive is the world most active War3 forum you ever enter now!

However starting from scratch everytime is a huge downer whenever i open the editor. I get really tired of object editing after years and years of doing the same stuff all over again.

My advice is to try to start with something simple and small. Then make it bigger and better to Director Cuts map!

Please help me, i want to build a map!

No, NEVER!!! Haha, just kidding. You have us. We are a community who helps people like you 24/7! For R.E.P.S? If u understand what I mean.

Today, being 10 years older, i feel like my skills are ten times greater and i would really like to use my creativity to create a cool, innovative map again.

10 years? How old are you? 20 yo?

no real 'solution'

The real solution is to upgrade World editor to something like UNITY Engine.

 

[Ardenian]

The real solution is to upgrade World editor to something like UNITY Engine.

This might be worthy a thought if you would like to make a step forwards.

 

[D.a.r.k.s.t.a.r]

10 years? How old are you? 20 yo?

I'm now 23. I know there are people much older than this in the community, but i feel like it has been ages since i started out as a stubborn kid.

Starting simple is probably the best thing to do, thanks for the reminder. It's only a problem when you see the real complex maps of today and imagine a bigger, better, and even more complex one for yourself. I need to stop thinking of the great finished and polished game and instead try on a simple mechanic and build around it i guess.

This might be worthy a thought if you would like to make a step forwards.

What exactly is UNITY? Is it like WEU?

 

[fladdermasken]

For years (literally years) i've been trying to get back into WC3 mapping. from 2005 to 2009 i've been a part of the great Clan CBS until it went down. I don't know if that group is still known around here, but it really shaped my youth and provided me with the greatest fun in my gaming life. I think a huge part of that was the community activity on the forums. For me it was like a smaller Wc3sear.ch, full with friends.

Oh mah gawd, CBS went down in 2009? Feels like a year ago. What happened again? Did they score too much money and bitches for their clan life to measure up?

 

[Ardenian]

Please do not double post, it is forbidden. You can quote multiple users with pressing 'MQ' and 'Add Reply' or 'Quote'.

What exactly is UNITY? Is it like WEU?

No, it has nothing to do with WC3 modding. Unity is an editor used to create stand-alone games, especially flash games of any genre.
It is free if not used for commercial purposes.

 

[LordDz]

Unity is a game engine that you can create games for, it's like unreal or frostbite.
However, if you have trouble finishing maps for the World Editor, I don't recommend going into unity as it's a bit more complicated and you have to know C#.

@Ardenian, unity is free as long as you don't make over 100k with it. "Yes, if you meet the requirements to use Unity Personal Edition, mainly, that you did not earn/receive more than $100,000 in revenue/funding in the last fiscal year. Please refer to our Software License Agreement for further information."http://unity3d.com/legal/eula

I'm 24 btw.

 

[D.a.r.k.s.t.a.r]

Oh mah gawd, CBS went down in 2009? Feels like a year ago. What happened again? Did they score too much money and bitches for their clan life to measure up?

Haha, i don't exactly recall if it was 2009, but from that time on i wasn't as active anymore and i think other users abandoned it around then as well. SC2 kind of sealed the deal as it split us in half and the Galaxy editor was not what many of us had envisioned. I can't speak for the other guys, but no money and bitches involved for me (sadly!)

Still, CBS was one of the best...