Map Editors: Quality Requisites

[jamz]

You can't stop haters from hating, but no gema maps or servers have been banned since 1.1 was released Alien. Stop living in the past. Still.
There are so many valid complaints that someone who was playing AC three or more years ago could have about the direction that the game has taken, but your insistence on moaning about the mapping restrictions is tiresome and misplaced. New maps are appearing all the time; I have had 324 created in my mapping server since the start of the month.
I occasionally stumble into the busy custom servers, or look through the maps on my server which are closer to completion. I see good gameplay possibilities, inventive layouts, realistic texture use and, sometimes, touches of artistic brilliance in even the most simple maps. Evidence of creativity being stifled is, somewhat strangely if you are to be believed, missing.

Creativity arises out of the tension between spontaneity and limitations, the latter (like the river banks) forcing the spontaneity into the various forms which are essential to the work of art or poem.

[DeafieGamer]

Would Be Nice

To reduce the map restrictions

and to form more restrictions.

[Alien]

You cannot except a creativity if you get what you want, it is fulfill of your imaginations. If authority (and not players) chooses what fit for him, you limit the creativity.

Next Rollo is talking about barriers which you (as mapper) must cheat to create that variation. During cheating you add your way. Cube itself is that barrier but you created next barriers which should fit your imaginations.

I will moan till you will remove that stupid limitations. This is the game i like as you.

[VenteX]

Lets all act like those restrictions were made by the developers to be a nuisance to the community, and to make creative map creation a pain in the ass. NO, those restrictions were created for the sake of the game's overall appearance. If mappers were responsible enough to make maps that didn't run at 18 fps, then maybe they wouldn't exist.

If there's anyone that should be getting mad, it's those who created and have to maintain this game. First, people complained that there were too many crap maps. So they tried to fix it. Now, crap maps STILL exist, and people are complaining that the restrictions are preventing people from being creative? Make up your freaking minds, people.

[let1gre]

Alright, so I did a little research on the subject and found a thread in which it outlined some of the general reasons for the requisites. I understand and am not entirely against them now. It might help to have a quoted passage or a couple links to those reasons in the first post of this thread. That way, you guys trying to help people like me figure this out won't come off as being dismissive and/or general a$$es. Just a thought.

Another question: how is the average height of a map found?

[V-Man]

Out of curiosity, which posts helped to change your opinion? I could add them in to the original post here (perhaps before closing this last bastion of map restriction flamewar).

[Mr.Floppy]

Actually, this is linked in the first post already, but here again: Map Design

You'll find the particular interesting stuff at the introduction paragraphs and there's another paragraph about 'map quality' on the very end. It really should explain why you never can have total freedom at map creation, no matter what game you're mapping for. I hope this will help to clear up a few things.

[Nightmare]

The map restrictions aren't a big deal at all. They haven't altered any of my attempts in mapmaking, as anything breaking their easygoing rules would be a silly, bad map anyways. 10,000 cubes in one wide open area/super room ? Would be very pointless.

[Frogulis]

Another question: how is the average height of a map found?

This delightful thread should help you with your question, and may even answer others.

[Nightmare]

Another question: how is the average height of a map found?

This delightful thread should help you with your question, and may even answer others.

Foo Fighters-Rope ftw?

[Nightmare]

btw question. @ 10,000 cubes in open area.
do you need a full wall cutting off the open area?
or can you stick a little 4 cube high miniwall here and there and get away with it?

[Gibstick]

The wall needs to be solid.

[Nightmare]

The wall needs to be solid.

So it needs to be a full wall? 4 cube high doesn't count? .-.'

[Gibstick]

I don't think it would, but you can try.

[eftertanke]

A 1x1 four cube tall wall will remove one cube from the area. So no, it wont work.

[Nightmare]

I was thinking it'd split the 15,000 into two different open areas of 7,500 :(

Guess I'm just gonna have to shrink the map and kill it's idea. :(

[eftertanke]

I was thinking it'd split the 15,000 into two different open areas of 7,500 :(

Guess I'm just gonna have to shrink the map and kill it's idea. :(

Sorry.

[hamolton]

Would restrictions look anything like this on Sauer? My AC2 I might someday code w/ help won't want restrictions on creativity :D

[Nightmare]

@ hamolton
If you ever pull off the extremely difficult task of AC2, and then decide to not touch mapping creativity, then good for you. ;)

[JOKKEBROKKE]

Hello Assault Cube members,

I have played Assault cube for a several years now, but the restrictions for map making that have been made are in my opinion not a good development.

I don't understand the statement that alot of maps don't fit ''How the game is supposed te be played'' subject. The game has been played for years the way it did until now? It was a rich environment for everyone that had some imagination, and on top of that nobody can say for somebody else what a good or bad map is!

If you create ristrictions you push somebody into a certain corner, you take charge of how the maps have to be. Okay if you want this game to be played different, it is your choice. But you had to make these ristrictions in the beginning when Assault cube was released, not now years after! Why not make a Assault Cube 2 with the same graphics rules gameplay, wich has the new vision?

I think you should be proud about every single map that has been made, they are al worth it! The easy way of map building and sharing was the power of Assault Cube, it was a unique place for creativity. Now some dumb people that are in charge have changed the rules, becaus e they wanted it thier way after several years. You cannot have everything go it your way that is part of the bussiness!

Now Assault Cube is a ordinairy shooter, hopefully someone is smart enough to start his own version of Assault cube (new brand) and make it as Universal,free, easy, realism as Assault Cube. With the easy online map maker. This version should accept people to be creative, with the mix of standard maps and vague gameplay wich made Assault Cube famous!

I think Assault Cube is at a dead end, meaning that it has nothing cutting edge to offer anymore, there is no ''special'' reason anymore why somebody would use Assault Cube, exept making ordinairy maps.

To end this message, I also made a test map, and it did not fit the rules, it was jut a simple tactic map nothing extreme.

but beside of this, thanks for al those years of fun!


An ex Assault Cube player

[Nightmare]

They are good for attempting to get rid of junk maps.

Though the open space rule does limit the size of wide-open arena maps and forces a douze-size limit, very small. Good way to make sure Douze never goes obsolete.

[Orynge]

I think Assault Cube is at a dead end, meaning that it has nothing cutting edge to offer anymore, there is no ''special'' reason anymore why somebody would use Assault Cube, exept making ordinairy maps.

Actually, people usually play because it plays on bad PC's, and has a good gameplay.

Also, the requisites add a challenge.

[V-Man]

The requisites also ensure a level playing field between high- and low-end computers.

[Gibstick]

JOKKEBROKKE, we don't want to be famous for GEMAs. 9_9

[VenteX]

Now some dumb people that are in charge have changed the rules, because they wanted it thier way after several years.

Those "dumb people" made this game, and those people that wanted it "their way" were half of the entire community.

[Apollo{TyD}]

A lot of people aren't getting tired to throw in the argument that this requisites are limiting creativity.

The shortest definition of creativity is "ability to recombine information". Assume that the mapping requisites and the mapper's ideas are some kind of information. In this case a mapper would be creative if his map represents a combination of both - quite simple.

So my conclusion of this: Requesting over and over again to remove the requisites "to liberate creativity" shows that these admonishers are limited innerly in their ability to recombine. And to be honest - it's not that verrrry creative to place 50 nades with a 1 cube distance.

Whatever - like several other discussions here which took place during the past years this is also an example of a proxy war. The true reason is that A lot of people aren't able to accept any kind of restriction or limitation; so they feel personal affected (it doesn't matter if they are mappers or not) and therefore they are showing adverse reactions. Thereby the most people are missing the point (or they just don't know it) that there have been some informal requisites before (like the acceptable WQD value, which was always a bit vague).

So do me a favor and stop mourning for the wrong reasons. Try to learn to deal with the requisites, like a lot of other mappers did before. Good luck and have fun with mapping.

[Viper]

The game has been played for years the way it did until now?

Just like everything in the past was done the way it was done until now. TBH that's awfully redundant.

It was a rich environment for everyone that had some imagination, and on top of that nobody can say for somebody else what a good or bad map is!

It still is a rich environment for people with imagination. Just look at this! And yes, we can judge maps if we want to. Whether or not the map's creator takes offense at this is his/her own problem.

If you create ristrictions you push somebody into a certain corner, you take charge of how the maps have to be.

No it doesn't! The maps can be as creative or unoriginal as the map maker wants! And who pushed who into a corner? Was it V-Man? I bet it was V-Man.

Now some dumb people that are in charge have changed the rules, becaus e they wanted it thier way after several years. You cannot have everything go it your way that is part of the bussiness!

Do you even know what you're talking about? The developers aren't dumb. For God's sake, if they were dumb you'd have no game to play at all. Second, they do it for free. Did you get that? There is no business (hey look I spelled it right...) here. Just a fun, free, opensource game developed by some nice guys.

Now Assault Cube is a ordinairy shooter, hopefully someone is smart enough to start his own version of Assault cube (new brand) and make it as Universal,free, easy, realism as Assault Cube. With the easy online map maker. This version should accept people to be creative, with the mix of standard maps and vague gameplay wich made Assault Cube famous!

So basically... Someone should make a new AC that has the same gameplay, the same opensource platform, the same map editor, and the same community.

*Viper copys/pastes.

there is no ''special'' reason anymore why somebody would use Assault Cube, exept making ordinairy maps.

*Cough- What about actually playing multiplayer on the official maps - *Cough

To end this message, I also made a test map, and it did not fit the rules, it was jut a simple tactic map nothing extreme.

EXACTLY!!! AR jumpin, nade flyin, clip floatin, it can only be done by true strategists. xD

but beside of this, thanks for al those years of fun!

What all us AC lovers think :D

An ex Assault Cube player

Don't leave! NOOOOO!

[Nightmare]

A lot of love in this thread today. :D

[Lantry]

Actually, there is a version of AC without map restrictions. In fact, twin_towers is in the official maps iirc. There also happens to be nobody playing it, but I'm sure the two aren't related.

[Waffles]

Stravinsky and Stephen Sondheim also expressed the sentiment that restrictions give structure to brilliance. Nothing is more daunting a task than pure creative control.

If it is pure creativity you seek, don't play a game based in a virtual realm of other peoples' brilliant creative (and fun) expression. Create your own world and hope that people will flock to it.

As far as the actual requisites go, I find them to be quite helpful as my FPS is notoriously terrible. Great job guys.