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Maps and stories
Posted By: MrHenDate: 1/27/07 12:41 p.m.

In Response To: Just what IS needed for a project? (Very long!) (RyokoTK)

: I'm a mapper; that's almost all I do (I write, too... more on that later).
: And, having worked for a scenario (and having led another), I'm going to
: make a statement that I believe firmly, but most other people probably
: don't: Mappers are the most important members of a scenario team.

Short preface to my post: yeah, I agree with you. I love a good plot and probably enjoy it more than the average bum since I really get into stories and writing and the like. But when it comes down to it, Marathon is a game where you shoot things.

This does not mean there cannot be puzzles or thinking or plots or cool looking things, but shooting things is fun.

: 2. Making a map that fits snugly into a plot outline is a damn difficult
: task. I can attest to this, having done both the mapping and the plot
: work for TGI. I'd come up with a plot idea, and start to design the level,
: only to realize that the plot idea just won't work well. At that point,
: there are two options: change the level, or change the plot. Since the
: project leader basically always does plot work, if the leader has been
: mapping for a while, he'll realize that vague boundaries and flexibility
: are required as far as the plot is concerned. That way, the mapper can
: make a map that's fun while only having to stick to a general outline as
: opposed to a strict, detailed mission, and then the plot can conform
: itself to the map design. It works out pretty well that way.

Having not mapped since... oh, lord knows when, I completely agree with this. Plots are incredibly flexible (or, at least, I think they should be). Considering that nearly every event that has ever taken place in all the universe has occurred in a location. The location was not built for that event, the event occurred because the characters ended up together in that location.

: Oh, that one bit about writing: I have to have faith that the leader knows
: English. One thing that I absolutely, 100% can't stand is poor grammar in
: terminals. Good writing is such a minimal thing in comparison to
: everything else that failing in this regard is completely inexcusable. If
: the project leader is okay with letting poor writing, among other critical
: details, slide, I cannot work for him. Maybe that's just one of my silly
: caveats, but man, it just burns my biscuits.

Again, I agree. I tend to really demand a lot from stories and plots and get disappointed if I think the story is poorly written. So I remind myself that Marathon is a shooting game and just read the terminals for instructions on what to shoot.

But if the terminals contain crap like spelling and grammatical errors it tells me I should not waste my time with a project that was obviously never proof-read. If the project was not taken seriously by the creators, than I will not either. It just shows laziness.

The only area I may disagree with you is on monsters. I love fighting monsters. I would love to see new monsters to fight with clever ideas behind them. Part of this is because I think I have a pack full of great ideas in my mind involving monsters. New, awesome monsters to fight can make a project great.

But they still need a map on which to roam about and die, so the maps can destroy an otherwise great project. Mediocre maps with great monsters is a great project, assuming that the monsters really are frickin' awesome.

My ranking goes Map, Monsters, Story, Weapons, Graphics, Sounds. Story gets third mostly because it is really hard to tell a good story in this medium. It is hard to tell a good story at all, actually. I think the chances of telling an amazing story are pretty slim.

It still beats weapons, however, because I really do not care about weapons. It is ridiculously hard to balance weapons. I care not about graphics or sounds.

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Pre-2004 Posts

Replies:

Anyone ever heard of the WMaiD fusion mine weapon?Pfhorever 1/17/07 6:36 a.m.
     Re: Anyone ever heard of the WMaiD fusion mine weaForrest of B.org 1/17/07 8:16 a.m.
           Re: Anyone ever heard of the WMaiD fusion mine weaPfhorever 1/17/07 8:32 a.m.
           Re: Anyone ever heard of the WMaiD fusion mine weaPfhorever 1/17/07 9:02 a.m.
                 Re: Anyone ever heard of the WMaiD fusion mine weaSnowCrash 1/17/07 2:34 p.m.
                       Re: Anyone ever heard of the WMaiD fusion mine weaPfhorever 1/17/07 3:19 p.m.
                             Re: Anyone ever heard of the WMaiD fusion mine weaSnowCrash 1/17/07 3:28 p.m.
                                   Re: Anyone ever heard of the WMaiD fusion mine weaPfhorever 1/17/07 3:30 p.m.
                       Re: Anyone ever heard of the WMaiD fusion mine weaPfhorever 1/17/07 3:29 p.m.
                             I say go with the french! VIVA LA RESISTANCE! *NM*Johannes Gunnar 1/17/07 9:58 p.m.
                                   Re: I say go with the french! VIVA LA RESISTANCE!Pfhorever 1/18/07 12:03 p.m.
                                         Anyone home?Pfhorever 1/19/07 2:01 p.m.
                                               Re: Anyone home?ukimalefu 1/19/07 6:54 p.m.
                                                     Re: Anyone home?Pfhorever 1/20/07 4:46 a.m.
                                                           Re: Anyone home? *LINK* *LINK*Pfhorever 1/20/07 7:34 a.m.
                                                                 Re: Anyone home?thermoplyae 1/20/07 9:03 a.m.
                                                                       Re: Anyone home?Pfhorever 1/20/07 9:39 a.m.
                                                                             Re: Anyone home?thermoplyae 1/20/07 8:37 p.m.
                                                                                   Re: Anyone home?Pfhorever 1/25/07 1:00 p.m.
                                                                                         Re: Anyone home?thermoplyae 1/25/07 5:29 p.m.
                                                                                   Re: Anyone home?ukimalefu 1/25/07 6:21 p.m.
                                                                                         Re: Anyone home?thermoplyae 1/25/07 6:37 p.m.
                                                                                               Re: Anyone home?Forrest of B.org 1/25/07 6:50 p.m.
                                                                                                     Re: Anyone home?thermoplyae 1/25/07 8:48 p.m.
                                                                                                           On Projects and Passive BystandersMrHen 1/26/07 5:31 a.m.
                                                                                                                 Re: On Projects and Passive BystandersForrest of B.org 1/26/07 8:52 a.m.
                                                                                                                       Me! All about me!MrHen 1/26/07 9:07 a.m.
                                                                                                                             Re: Me! All about me!Forrest of B.org 1/26/07 8:20 p.m.
                                                                                                                                   I can take a look at it. :)MrHen 1/27/07 12:18 p.m.
                                                                                                                                         Re: I can take a look at it. :)Forrest of B.org 1/28/07 4:40 p.m.
                                                                                                                                               awesome.MrHen 1/29/07 5:44 a.m.
                                                                                                                 Just what IS needed for a project? (Very long!)RyokoTK 1/26/07 9:53 p.m.
                                                                                                                       Heartily seconded *NM* *NM*kyjel 1/26/07 10:05 p.m.
                                                                                                                       Maps and storiesMrHen 1/27/07 12:41 p.m.
                                                                                                                             Re: Maps and storieskyjel 1/27/07 12:59 p.m.
                                                                                                                             Re: Maps and storiesgoran 1/27/07 6:28 p.m.
                                                                                                                             Re: Maps and storiesRyokoTK 1/28/07 4:20 p.m.
                                                                                                                                   slight correction...MrHen 1/29/07 5:50 a.m.
                                                                                                                                         Re: slight correction...RyokoTK 1/29/07 6:20 a.m.
                                                                                                                                               :) *NM*MrHen 1/29/07 8:43 a.m.
                                                                                   Re: Anyone home?goran 1/26/07 5:48 a.m.
                                                                                         Re: Anyone home?thermoplyae 1/26/07 6:46 a.m.
                                                                             Re: Anyone home?goran 1/26/07 6:15 a.m.
                                                                                   haha, that link is awesome *NM*MrHen 1/26/07 8:11 a.m.
                                                                                   Re: Anyone home?Andrew Nagy 1/26/07 6:34 p.m.
                                                                                         Re: Anyone home?Forrest of B.org 1/26/07 8:26 p.m.
                                                                                               Re: Anyone home?Andrew Nagy 1/26/07 10:00 p.m.
                                                                                                     we could if you LINKED it... *NM*MrHen 1/27/07 12:10 p.m.
                                                           Re: Anyone home?ukimalefu 1/20/07 11:00 a.m.
                                                                 Re: Anyone home?Pfhorever 1/20/07 11:40 a.m.
                                                                       Re: Anyone home?McNutcase 1/20/07 12:15 p.m.
                                                                             Re: Anyone home?Pfhorever 1/20/07 12:20 p.m.
                                                                                   Re: Anyone home?McNutcase 1/20/07 12:23 p.m.
                                                                                         Re: Anyone home?Pfhorever 1/20/07 12:27 p.m.
                                                                                               Re: Anyone home?McNutcase 1/20/07 12:31 p.m.
                                                                                               I can proof websitesMrHen 1/21/07 1:12 p.m.
                                                                       Re: Anyone home?ukimalefu 1/20/07 4:51 p.m.
     Re: Anyone ever heard of the WMaiD fusion mine weagoran 1/17/07 9:23 a.m.

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