Making your map attractive to reviewers

[M4stah]

Making your map attractive to reviewers

By M4stah

Hello mapmakers! In this tutorial I will help you to make your map attractive to moderators and other people that want to try out your map and give a review.
Also before reading this tutorial, READ THE RULES FOR UPLOADING A MAP!

Contents

1. An interesting map
   Get people intrested
2. The quality
3. Description and looks
4. After uploading

An interesting map

You may have heard this before, but that's because its true.
When people see your map, the first thing they want to know is: What sort of map is this?
If you want your map to become popular, you need to be: Original, of high quality or/and fun.
DotA is of high quality, a bit fun but lacks originality (There are a lot of AoS out there, even before DotA)
So making a AoS that's is quickly made does not have any of these things.
Also, making your own LoaP will always lack originality.
If you want to get reviewed quick, make sure that your map seems really unique when seeing it (Don't get a name like Five adventurers of Destiny, but try something like Adventures of Destiny) or people already know it. How to do that?

Get people intrested

When people know of your project, you're sure that they will look at your map when you upload it.
These are some ways to do it:

1. A thread in Map development. If you are 50% or more done I would advice you to post here. Add screenshots, a lot of information and if its playable the map itself (Don't worry, people may not upload your map here, and will be punished)
2. Stay active! If you want people to stay intrested, post regular updates, and keep working! I strongly advice you NOT to start a second project. If you have a partner keep talking about his/her opinions.
3. If your project has a lot of potential, is more than 50% done and will be done by people with experience you may apply for a hosted forum. This will give your project an own forum and will give your map a lot of attention.
   Please do NOT ask for a hosted forum for your first map or things that are too simple. The chance your request is rejected is high than.

The quality

I'm not going to say to you how to make an epic map, but just some basic advice.

1. Don't upload maps there are not playable or not over 80% finished, these maps are usually too bugged and unpolished to play
2. Before uploading, make the map development thread and get feedback.
   This will prevent you from uploading a map that lacks quality and will help you improve
3. Not sure about something? Ask somewhere on our site and read tutorials.
   If you upload a map which doesn't work it will be rejected
4. Are you bad at something? Ask someone! I'm a bad terrainer and I got someone for it. Don't stick with bad triggers, models, skins, whatever; Get someone involved!

Don't think: I spent 4 weeks on this so its good. People who are new to mapmaking often make this mistake.

Description and looks

Whenever you want to check a map your first impression is the minimap image and the title. Then you read the description. If these are bad you will not download the map, or would you?

The description

What I see a lot these days is a map with a very bad description. This is one or 2 lines saying:
This is my map I spent 3 weeks on it its good and you must kill the enemy.

That does not tell us anything does it? Make it long, tell us about your map, give credits, add screenshots etc. There is a tutorial on this and you can also check out the descriptions of some good mappers, I suggest the ones of Septimus.
Also you should add a changelog so people can see you're active and the map keeps improving.
In this tutorial you can read more about this and there are some links.

The looks

How your map looks from the ''outside'' is quite important.
Get a good minimap picture, a custom loading screen and add screenshots in your description.
This will make your map attractive to download and play.

After uploading

Now that you have followed all steps and uploaded, don't check your map every 30 seconds waiting for a comment!
People need to test your map, write a review and stuff.
After 2 or 3 days you should have some comments and maybe a moderator review. But what to do with suggestions, critique and other things?

Updating

Once your map is uploaded good reviews will tell you how to improve your map.
If you like the suggestion, add it to your map. Especially when moderators keep your map on pending or reject it until updated use their suggestions!
Also keep removing bugs, exploits and add new ideas!

To finish this chapter, when your map is rejected or an user flames you (Makes a offensive post) you should:

1. Stay calm and work on your map
2. Do not go into discussion. Moderators know what they are doing and flaming people should be ignored. If the user is very offensive report his post.
3. Don't get angry and start spamming maps and/or make threads whining about moderators. Doesn't solve anything

I hope this tutorial helps you in making a successful map.

 

[Dreadnought[dA]]

*How to sucker people into playing your terrible map*

 

[Septimus]

*How to sucker people into playing your terrible map*

How truth.

The tutorial isn't that bad, but you should provide the necessary link. It could be approve if some specific link was provided.

 

[Squidle]

Tutorial - Screenshots = No good Tutorial

 

[Joss]

I really disagree. Screenshots a tutorial does not make.

 

[M4stah]

Squidle what do you expect? Screenshots of descriptions and the update button?

 

[Squidle]

No, or just examples how it should look like.
Maybe with

Hidden

tags on it.

 

[Thunda_God]

meh it was ok

i find this tutorial to be for only people that just start on their first or second map

but watever i find it ok