Map Editors: Quality Requisites

[V-Man]

Hi.
Recently there have been many new threads asking about map requirements, or why you can't vote for a map you've made.
AssaultCube 1.1 has new requirements for map dimensions and contents; if a map does not fit those requirements, the game will not load that map in a playing mode.
Additionally, most servers will not accept new maps, while there are some set up that allow admins to upload new maps. Rumors abound that there may even be a few servers that allow non-admin users to upload their new maps.

The requirements are:

- You cannot have a big open area in your map more than 10000 cubes
- You cannot have a high ceil mean value (not greater than 30 cubes over all map)
- You cannot have pick ups too close each other (the exceptions are health pack and pistol clips, which can stay 3 cubes)
- The same for the flags... at least 30 cubes

Note, as we find more crap maps in 1.1, we create more restrictions to block these maps... so, read Mr.Floppy manual for more info...

Mr.Floppy's guide

In 1.1.0.4, specific messages (regarding which dimensions of your map are outside acceptable limits) are planned to replace the generic message announcing that your map does not meet quality requisites.

Follow these steps in attempting to play your new map publicly:
1) Make sure your map fits the requirements listed above.
2) Find a server that allows map uploads.
3) (If the server requires uploaders to have admin) get admin.
4) Type /sendmap [Your Map's Name Here]
5) You can now vote for your map in that server! (e.g., /ctf mynewmap)

Remember, even if your map doesn't fit quality requisites, you can still use /sendmap and co-op edit it (/coop mynewmap) on an upload-friendly server. Other game modes won't work until it is within the requirements.

[Gibstick]

It takes half a dozen threads asking the same thing to make a sticky. Good job V-Man!

[GunZ|Maj.Hillis]

Finaly! :D

[JamJamTheCalcMan]

i understand the need for requirements to keep weird maps out of maprots, and i totally like the idea of what is specifically wrong with your map rather than playing hide-and-seek to find what's the matter. i am in a mapping clan and we deal with that message quite a bit lol. Maj.Hillis can vouch for that lol.

[anywaste]

This whole thing is a terrible idea. A big part of the fun of AC was the "weird" maps. Yes, they were often annoying, but it was worth it, to have a totally user created map experience.

[V-Man]

The time and place to debate that is not here or now; rather,
a long, long time ago in a thread far, far away...

[bballn45]

10,000 square things. WOW, would lose count after 35 xD

[titiPT]

This whole thing is a terrible idea. A big part of the fun of AC was the "weird" maps. Yes, they were often annoying, but it was worth it, to have a totally user created map experience.

[JGAN]

that quote was taken from my thread! :D haha

10,000 square things. WOW, would lose count after 35 xD

if you stick any type of entity, pickup, mapmodel, etc into your map, and then start selecting cubes, it will tell you how many cubes you are selecting (look below):

[SELECT ALL] Code:

closest entity = ___ (#,#,#,#), selection =  (width, length)

just multiply them together to get area (LxW=A ftw) :D

[bballn45]

lol f**k xD

[pen!]

Adding restrictions to the maps is the most retarded thing the AC admins could have done. seriously. I want to play Headshot city or Twin Towers again.

[Panda]

I want to kill people on real maps. So who is right? :P

[Mael]

Adding restrictions to the maps is the most retarded thing the AC admins could have done. seriously. I want to play Headshot city or Twin Towers again.

Headshotcity and Twintowers were the first servers to come up.

[Bukz]

YEA LETS PWN ON THE WORST MAPS EVER!!!1

[Ramius]

As a new map creator I find that the challenge of making a map that fits the constrants a great lesson on how to create quality maps that players can have fun with.

Learning to use colors

Or only 28 squares high ceiling

---

oops forgot the pics

[VenteX]

how close is "too close" for pickups? same as flags?

[IBiteBack]

Adding restrictions to the maps is the most retarded thing the AC admins could have done. seriously. I want to play Headshot city or Twin Towers again.

I agree. It seems that if somone makes a dumb map, it will die out. I don't see any reason for this in the long run. It just messes people up.

---

Adding restrictions to the maps is the most retarded thing the AC admins could have done. seriously. I want to play Headshot city or Twin Towers again.

Headshotcity and Twintowers were the first servers to come up.

Yes, but no new maps like them can ever be made again.

[#M|A#Wolf]

The point is not about making good or bad maps. Maps like Twin Towers, Headshot city, etc., are the kinds of maps that never intended to be done. Take a look at the official maps and a few other great maps from the Custom Map Pack to see how even with these limitations, great maps can and are being made. Twin Towers is just a map with a hole 50+ cubes deep in the middle. I'm not gonna deny it may be fun, but it's not what the we are supposed to be playing.

And IBiteBack, this thread is about 1 month old. Please look at the last post's date before posting again.

[Sarin]

funny fact...

In 1.0 : TwinTowers was a bad map
In 1.1 : RifleCamper and all the new "TwinTowers" are even worse

[VenteX]

Heck yeah, never got my question answered!

[Gibstick]

Ventex, I don't know. It should be sensible.

[Ronald_Reagan]

Wolf, I think its ok to grave dig on sticked threads :P
If they aren't supposed to be posted on, then they will be locked. Like the rules.

[SnowOak]

I think the devs could loosen up on the map quality requisites just a little so that the maps can have more open space. Otherwise it'll all just be claustrophobic. And that's certainly no fun :P

[jamz]

...loosen up ... just a little ... Otherwise it'll all just be claustrophobic.

Hmm, I can feel the walls closing in on me when I'm in the middle of the arena in ac_douze.

image courtesy of FunkyHamster

[let1gre]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to the forums but not the game. I just returned after a bit of a hiatus but I've been playing since (I think) March of '09. I'm honestly a bit disappointed to hear of these requirements - when a game runs on an older, outdated engine, it seems the only logical way to make it different and interesting is to allow creativity. The creativity being expressed in some maps like TwinTowers, EzJemVil, OldeVillage, Rabin's Oasis, etc made them a lot more fun. I understand that that wasn't "how it was meant to be played", but what I don't understand is why they can't coexist. Can the masses really not dictate what is allowable based on what is fun? I was disappointed to learn that several maps I spent a ton of time on back in the day are no longer applicable with no way of becoming re-playable. Also, I had some trouble: I edited one down, removing all offending pickups so none of them were "too close to each other" (it didn't give me an error when loading the map) and yet I still could not load it in a multiplayer server.

I guess I'm just really disappointed in the selfishness here. I get that I'm just preaching to the choir and I fully expect either a "tl;dr" reply or an exasperated "JEEZ just READ THE DAMN THREADS" but I felt I should say something, on behalf of my opinion.

[OpenSource]

Thats your opinion.
Some, like me, has a different one.

Maps like TwinTowers and EzJemVil was destroying the fun for me.

There are servers running this types of maps.
Just look at the server list and you'll see them.
"riflecamp@xxxxx", "twintowers_xxxxxxxxxxx" etc etc.

So knock your self out and keep playing on servers running this maps.

[Mai Mee Tur]

Darn you, OpenSource for posting before me, the picture has lost it's value now

[let1gre]

I guess what I mean is that these requirements put into place to stop maps like those have also, as a by-product, rendered other, more creative ideas from being played.

[Mai Mee Tur]

You can be as creative as you want.

It's a matter of if the map is good or laggy

[Alien]

It is possible to create new branch of the game by one map, for example that map in Warcraft 3. Devs think they will attract by tuning weapons or improving gameplay but the real progress is made by mods. This game is ideal for mods, but so many restrictions you will not find even in commercial game.

The example of gema (hates, bans) shows there is no sense to do something for this game.