However, this thread focuses on one type of map, the survival map.
The questions below I thought up to help define what makes a good survival, if you can think of better questions, or other things that might make a survival map better, please post those. "I am trying to find out what everyone is looking for in survivals." Note the questions below are not in any particular order.
"To understand what a good survival is, must we also have an accepted definition of what a survival is? And in which case how do each of use define a survival map?"
**** What is a Survival. - In your own opinion, followed by as to why. ****
1. Lag - Well this is unfavored by all I think, but I thought I would still give it a spot on this list. "Will discuss causes of lag later."
2. Waves or lack their of. - Waves are seen on many existing survival maps. But then their are also survivals that are deviant, "these maps use increasing frequency of smaller enemy attacks, keeping a constant flow of enemy attacks instead.
3. In game Economy. - Many survival maps tend to be "cash" maps. I am more oriented to limited resources survivals myself.
4. Micro vs. Macro. - Again, management of economy and game skill, which should take priority?
5. Map design. - From map height, to layout, and choke points, what is the key to a pretty map that still plays well for survival?
6. Mods. - Some say these are annoying, others say their the maps main feature, and some more even say....?
7. Game balance. - With addition of mods and unique terrain, keeping balance among all sides is rather important.
8. Starting Locations. - On survivals this can vary, and besides separating the computers and players and setting up defensive positions, serves little purpose.
9. Randomness. - How important is it for a survival map to be random, and is it considered good or bad? This prevents stale games that seem to be repeats of every last game you played of it.
10. Level of Difficulty. - I personally beleive that survival maps should be impossibly hard to beat. As a result I have gotten complaints that my survival maps are considered cruel and inhumanely impossible for the majority of players. How hard should they be?
11. Length of time to create a map. - This measure I think is important when doing survivals, because anyone can create a survival map easily and fast, keeping yours unique requires much more additional time. I for one usually will spend an entire month, about 4 hours a day for a map to be called complete after much play-testing.
12. What makes a survival Fun. - Really people I've heard so many different things about this. I'd like to think it was the reward about beating an impossibly hard map. But when I try others survival maps I can usually beat them fairly easily, and the only thing I seem to faintly be interested in these "older types of survival maps" is how much more I can kill then my Allys. "This concept is not survival to me, but indeed a time killer, which usually turns into a lag-fest with slaughter as the goal, instead of survival."
13. Triggers, taskforces, and thought out trigger combination's. - To me this is the heart and sole of a survival, and seems to be left to rot by map makers a lot. Okay not quite true, but I feel many mappers that make survivals hardly do the Survival theme justice, and leave much to be desired from the triggers.
I shall express my opinions on the subject only after people have given an unclouded, unbiased opinion. "I don't want to try and convince people my thoughts on survivals are correct, I'd like to know what others think survivals are, and what they ought to be."
If I can find out what people are looking for in survival maps, I would hope I could make them better.
A short opinion/rant by me.
"I'm just plain sick of people telling me Survivals are boring, or laggy, or predictable, or too easy, or even just to ugly. These things just come from laziness of the mapmaker behind the survival map. Again this is now my opinion, and this is what I want to avoid, I think Survivals have been given a bad reputation by mass produced low quality maps, not to say all are, nor to say they don't have their own merit and fun as well." _________________ Grab my Map Logic Expansion Pack 5.2 here!
Adds random weather patterns into maps.
More disabled navalyards.
Preplaced Neutral buildings.
Additional new features.
Joined: 14 Dec 2009 Location: My map "Eiffel Island"
Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 10:38 pm Post subject:
Where can I get this map that you speak of? _________________ "Taste your mortality!"- a completely awesome elite mind controlled Apocalypse Tank. QUICK_EDIT
Well....erickanimefreak make some good survival maps ( details and difficulty ) i not sure if hes talking about one map...but this is 2 of his newest maps:
Well....anyways...for me an survival map (based that i played some of them) is an map firt detailed (counts an lot for me ) well planned (difficulty but not impossible) and.....well......not infinite resources or fast building...it tests your experience until now...thats what i most like about them. QUICK_EDIT
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum You cannot attach files in this forum You can download files in this forum
What makes a good survival map?
) i not sure if hes talking about one map...but this is 2 of his newest maps:
