New Maps?

Yo all. Let me begin by saying it's awesome seeing all these people coming back in a matter of days, with a renewed sense of enthusiasm for the game, plus the fact that there is a strikingly muffled sense of bitterness anywhere makes for a lot of excitement. On that note, I have a plea/suggestion about maps...

Calling all talented old school mappers: I think it would be really nice to commemorate the rebirth of Tribes 2 by creating a new batch of maps for, say, 10v10 CTF. If things snowball from here I can tell you now there are like three map packs worth that I've totally lost touch with and another one or two I quit before they were put into rotation. That's a lot of fucking maps... And the fact is I think a lot of us were in High School/College and prioritizing Tribes and we've now moved on and have jobs/lives and going over 40+ maps is a bit much. Even if that applies only to me (I am a capper afterall), I think if folks managed to turn out some new shit we could encourage a level playing field, keep things fresh, encourage people to pursue new tactics/routes/strategies. I know it may sound like a contradiction at first (if new maps are created, don't people then spend time studying them like the old days, thus defeating the purpose), but I guess I'm saying like 10 solid maps that can represent a new generation of T2, just keeping a few of the classics, and working with this new rotation for Pubs/PUs/and any comp that may open up in the coming days/weeks/months.

Ideas? Takers?

Comments

  • edited January 2009
    I want to say that non-dedicated servers wont work right, but be prepared for me to quickly mark out this sentence. It seems like you can do it, but you will have some bearable problems like having to use -nologin instead of -online.
  • I'm sorry but I can't agree with anything you said. It seems illinformed to me. I'm not trying to be mean I'm just calling it as I see it. You want new maps so that people don't have routes, spam points, and generally just strategies already for the map? Your reasoning being you don't have the time to spend to learn the maps and its unfair because some people who spend time doing so have it all down. Well getting new maps won't change that it will infact make it even worse for pub play as we have people with no clue where to go or what to do. We have enough of that now with the old maps.

    Beyond that playing tribes does NOT require you to memorize routes and spam points. Sure you can and doing so might help to some extent. Though with personal skill you can overcome...For example become a better ski'er and you can make routes on the fly. Most vets can do this(to my knowledge anyhow). Learn distancing and so on and you can spam from where ever your heart desires(or lacking that suicide run and place beacons).

    Really though I don't see where your objection to the current maps comes from. Perhaps you could explain it a bit better and help me understand?
  • I'd be ok with it if the new maps were all good. But doing it just for the sake of having new stuff is kinda pointless and counter-productive. Old school maps have stood the test of time for a reason, and I would never advocate moving on from them when they are still great maps.
  • I'd be ok with it if the new maps were all good. But doing it just for the sake of having new stuff is kinda pointless and counter-productive. Old school maps have stood the test of time for a reason, and I would never advocate moving on from them when they are still great maps.
    I would agree. And really, it used to piss me off how only very specific maps were played to death despite the abundance of really fantastic official maps being released (Titan, along with many others come to mind). I do think it is a good idea to unify people on a set number of maps though.
  • Personally, I prefer the official maps. The only custom map I have right now is flatland for construction.
  • I know absolutely nothing about T2 map-making.


    But I'd be willing to help , just point me at a tutorial and I'm your man.
  • If maps are being made, I think it would be a good idea to concentrate them into a single map pack that's available for download right alongside the client from this site.

    The less people have to search around for things to download, the better.
  • I'll throw together some new maps. I know alot about map making. Just tell me what you want and I'll work on it. (I didn't read all the posts above because I g2g to work)
  • I'd be ok with it if the new maps were all good.
    Precisely why I called for both old school and talented mappers. We're all rusty or past our primes on the gameplay side but at least, 9 years down the line, we know what works and can make a good map appropriately.
    If maps are being made, I think it would be a good idea to concentrate them into a single map pack that's available for download right alongside the client from this site.

    The less people have to search around for things to download, the better.
    Yeah, didn't say it but that's what I had in mind - this project would be for the purpose of TribesNext.

    Right, so in response to Wildcard here, this is what I'm going for: A small, consolidated pack of GOOD maps, made directly with TribesNext (and the subsequent player base resurgence) in mind, to give the people something fresh and create a level playing field. I'm thinking something like 10 new maps paired with 10 classic (not as in T1-remakes) maps, resulting in a manageable 20 map rotation of old and new.

    I listed a grievance not with the design of the maps, but that, like many other players who are returning, we've quit before many of the later maps were released, PLUS lost touch wit the great abundance that we did play on. There is inherently nothing wrong with this and it's not even a big deal to me. Ignore everything else I said about time commitments and blah blah blah. On a basic level, I think the above idea would just be cool and fun.

    Anyway, Wildcard, you don't have to school me on how to play this game. If anything my gripe was not that I didn't know how to go about doing these things ("ski well to cap good!" lol), but that it was a matter of time that I can confidently state most of us no longer have. But I'm much more interested in your response to the idea without my personal bullshit attached - you and all others, of course.
  • I know absolutely nothing about T2 map-making.


    But I'd be willing to help , just point me at a tutorial and I'm your man.

    Don't look at me, ask Blnukem!

    And Blnukem (and also, I guess Oath) I'm talking competition-ready maps. I couldn't really give any input past that. Check out all the TWL map maps and whatnot and then be creative and make something that's yours, as long as it provides for fun & balanced classic CTF comp.
  • See where you are losing me is the "creating a level playing field" comment. The maps are balanced. Ignoring that whole side of it though I don't see this happening. Not trying to be negative, but its the truth. The tribes community(and I dislike this fact, but it is a fact) prefers to play old well known maps over new stuff. Given the choice of 20 good new maps or 5 classic maps they will pick the 5 every time. Heck classic mod is a perfect example of this mentality...Tribes 2 base had some great gameplay, but they didn't want something new and good they wanted the same old stuff.

    I would also be wary of this because it seems the tribes community is now all of a sudden scared of any map where the flag isn't outside on a stand waiting to be picked up in a flyby.
  • I think you have a great idea here but for the wrong reasons bro : ) Tribes 2 has been around for quite a while, and could use some fresh turf. My only reservation would be that the stock Tribes 2 maps are already a lot of fun and VERY well balanced. I wouldn't be opposed to trying something new, but replacing the old maps is probably out of the question.
  • The only suitable environment for new maps would be in a competition form. Even still, it would require massive amounts of time and effort to get maps to a match ready state and a month or more of testing?

    A great idea, but be prepared to not have maps easily accepted and the pain in creating something. Good Luck!
  • And Blnukem (and also, I guess Oath) I'm talking competition-ready maps. I couldn't really give any input past that. Check out all the TWL map maps and whatnot and then be creative and make something that's yours, as long as it provides for fun & balanced classic CTF comp.

    Dude... Relax. I've made maps before and I'm an experienced mapper. I'm not some noob who claims to know how to make maps. Just tell me what you guys want and I'll work on it.
  • The only suitable environment for new maps would be in a competition form. Even still, it would require massive amounts of time and effort to get maps to a match ready state and a month or more of testing?

    A great idea, but be prepared to not have maps easily accepted and the pain in creating something. Good Luck!

    A month of testing? It doesn't take that a long... A week or so would be fine for a good map.
  • edited January 2009
    I just noticed... I tripled posted! :D

    Anyways... I'm making a thread specifically on what you guys want on a map. Or a sequence of maps. Some of you are telling each other what needs to be done for a good map, I know this, I've made maps before. As I said, I'm not some noob who claims to know how to make maps. So tell me what you guys want, if you would like to be a map tester, or if you have any other suggestions in the new thread.

    EDIT:
    Link to the new thread: http://www.tribesnext.com/forum/index.php?topic=179.0
  • The only suitable environment for new maps would be in a competition form. Even still, it would require massive amounts of time and effort to get maps to a match ready state and a month or more of testing?

    A great idea, but be prepared to not have maps easily accepted and the pain in creating something. Good Luck!

    A month of testing? It doesn't take that a long... A week or so would be fine for a good map.

    I remember some of the guys going threw the hurdles of getting maps ready for Classic. MPB's falling through most of the maps was NOT fun! But don't quote me as having a definte timeline for map approval. ;D
  • I'd be willing to help make the maps, I'm not the greatest but I've been doing good so far (Mess Up Once In A While When I Try To Save The .ter Files :P).
  • I can map; I know all the tricks. I've just never released one for competition. Might want to give me a pointer in what is expected of good competition maps?
  • How are these maps coming, it's been quite a while since we've(the tribesnext community) anything regarding the new turf. Who is working on them? Is there sufficient enough man power to complete the creation of new maps and the adaptation of TV maps to T2? Let us know, we're watching and anxiously waiting! ;)
  • Blnukem was working on one last time I checked.
  • I'm working on one as well :D. Its almost done, it revolves around teamwork.

    Here's the Mission Description:

    //--- MISSION STRING BEGIN ---
    //[CTF]Enemy Flag Is Mission Objective.
    //Objective protected by FFs powered by team separate gens, 2 other FFs protect these gens which are powered by a global gen near the center of the map. Exposing your enemies gens mean exposing your own, winning should be a team effort.
    //--- MISSION STRING END ---

    I had to shorten it up in the mission file because it wouldn't fit in the load screen map description area (Even without a quote).
  • I'm working on one as well :D. Its almost done, it revolves around teamwork.

    Here's the Mission Description:

    //--- MISSION STRING BEGIN ---
    //[CTF]Enemy Flag Is Mission Objective.
    //Objective protected by FFs powered by team separate gens, 2 other FFs protect these gens which are powered by a global gen near the center of the map. Exposing your enemies gens mean exposing your own, winning should be a team effort.
    //--- MISSION STRING END ---

    I had to shorten it up in the mission file because it wouldn't fit in the load screen map description area (Even without a quote).

    Wow, that's a cool idea, let us know when it's playable! Any vehicle stations?
  • No but there is a respawning Havoc in the Capturable Base that houses the FF gens.
  • There were some damned amazing maps that never saw the light of day made for T2. I remember a guy that made some TRON themed maps that were cool as hell, but I never saw a server run them.

    There seriously plenty of potential for some epic maps in Tribes 2, but that potential falls short because no one ever wants to have to go download the files. If we could get some of the better choices hosted somewhere in "official" packs, some might see the light of day, and it might encourage some more mapping.
  • No but there is a respawning Havoc in the Capturable Base that houses the FF gens.

    Great idea man, I definitely appreciate maps designed with a strategy in mind. What else do we have to look forward to from you?
  • Hopefully a lot more when I finally get all the bugs out of the Editor :P
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