How about something new?

[Myth]

Fellow mappers, how about something new?

It's called collaborative mapping, but instead of a few mappers gathering together and discussing over MSN, how about making open collaborative maps on this forum?

So the idea is that I post a small part of a map. I mark the brushes from where it can be extended. Then you can download it and do the same.
The main ideas are that
• anyone from this forum can join it.
• every one of us who joined in has the same amount of authority over the map.

There are further rules to be specified so that we avoid conflicts... but before that:

What do you think?

Would you join in?

(I made another poll)

[Creavion]

Actually this was tried with a single player map a very long time ago on unrealsp.org... however, it failed, there was not really anybody willing to join, so the project was closed very fast.

Regarding gametype, I think the best choice would be Monsterhunt.

[Myth]

I don't know what happened at sp, but I'm talking about small map parts that take only a few hours to make.

So if 4 mappers make 1 every day, in 5 days we have about 20 rooms and from there are we can start cleaning up and tweaking what we already have and have a neat map whit mixed styles, every room being different in style.

Standard mapping takes a lot of time. Here mappers don't join in. You aren't assigned a part. Just download, add a piece and upload. Everything should go as fast as a multicore cpu.

Regarding game-type, MH and SP maps are linear. I believe it removes a lot of the freedom in this type of mapping such as extending the map in all six directions.

[exceed91]

On the surface this seems like a good idea. However...

Say two mappers download a level at the same phase and they each expand on the same part of the map,
how will the community decide which one to keep? Or will mappers have to call dibs on certain areas?
Also, the synthesizing of different styles sounds cool but it would end up either being brilliant and fresh or a complete failure.
It's like seeing a movie with an all-star ensemble that ends up being terrible due to poor writing and bad chemistry.
There will be much debating as to which mapper killed the levels flow or was the least competent.
However ...this could be an excellent learning experience and bring about some peculiar and therefore interesting results.

That said. I'd be glad to help.
Most of my maps never make it past a couple of rooms anyhow.

[Myth]

On the surface this seems like a good idea. However...

Say two mappers download a level at the same phase and they each expand on the same part of the map,
how will the community decide which one to keep? Or will mappers have to call dibs on certain areas?

@exceed91:

This is why it all needs to be guided by some rules.

I think it's the best if the mapper specifies which part he's building on, and makes a placeholder post. This way other know not to build there, or to choose another part. When it's finished the placeholder post is edited. This will significantly reduce that risk to almost 0.
Otherwise the one that was posted first will be put in. (or decide which one fits better )

But I doubt that there will be that many mappers.

But everything is debatable. We can all agree to keep the style consistent, but I think mappers will naturally do this. We can decide the fate of bad parts or ask the mapper to remake his part to make it fit better.

And yeah. In the end your post sums up why it's definitely worth a try.

[gopostal]

The best I've ever seen this work was an Invasion map where all the mappers made their own houses. That way they could work all they wanted without waiting. Once the houses were finished they were conjoined in a large open map.

Now this won't work with the limits of UT, but the idea is valid. Perhaps someone could make a blank map with prescribed areas for each mapper. Set a few rules and then call it the ut99 collaborative DM project. Let each section be flavored by the person making it.

Asking for it to be MH will be a disaster. It's hard enough to make an MH map, let alone do this with one.

Some rules I saw figured out as it went along was:
1. No super weapons
2. No hidden bullshit actors like "killall"
3. Your area cannot affect other areas
4. Music is all local sound actors
5. Custom textures are set to a max per person (say 5-10MB?)
6. One playerstart per area (some bastard added 100 so you almost always spawned in his)

Sign me up for this. I'd be fired up to join in. You guys can ping me if you need a (semi?)public ftp spot to house the files.

And yes it will look like an old cur dog of a map when it is done, but it will be OUR cur dog of a map

[papercoffee]

The map will be a great mess but fun to build ...I join in.

[Hook]

I think just a DM map would be best and of course easiest.
(It could always be converted to something else anyway from there)

Greatly Limiting Custom textures would be great!
I don't think that we want some un-playable humongous monstrosity, do we?

I think also that the one-at-a-time mapper building on the map would also be best.

PS: I have a lot of maps I am currently trying to find time to finish, but I too may be interested in joining in here on this one.
We have actually started on this same sort of project over on my site a number of times, but it stalled out on every one.
We do however still plan on finishing them!

[[did]Madis]

This is interesting. I'll certainly think about it.

[Filipe]

This locks nice, im in

But maybe if we choose one or more texture packs with similar textures the map will lock very better with different ideas but with the same textures. If not, one room may be like egypt other ancient

[exceed91]

One mapper at a time:
How about whomever starts the map passes it along to the next mapper privately without uploading screenshots and then that mapper does the same so when the map is complete we'll all be surprised.

As for one texture pallet:
If we're going to do that there might as well be one lighting scheme. But I think this will make the map so uniform
to the point where it kills the original idea of sythesizing different styles/themes. We could have the doorways and
corridors be neutral and consistent to provide a pseudo "portal" from room to room.

[gopostal]

If it's all "variations on a theme" that's gonna be boring. Mappers like total freedom, let them have it.

[Hook]

Gopo is correct!
I think it would be really cool to go to all sorts of different creations in one map!

Also, any stock textures can be used.
Maybe very limited use of small file sized custom textures?

[rohitggarg]

Okay .. now that requires great deal of work don't you think?? The map could become a mess but who knows it shapes itself so well that it becomes a part of our everyday schedule to visit the same ...

That's why consider me in ....

[Myth]

I can see that there is interest.
Currently I have a limited access to the internet. (STOOPID ISP)
But I will start it when I get some proper internets again. Around next week, max 2 weeks.

Until then I'm just going to write down a few more ideas.

I think there should be 3 phases.
• Phase 1: Keep building until we have enough, or run out of ideas.
• Phase 2: Modify the current level, fix issues, add sections that fix the flow of the map.
• Phase 3: Finalize the game-play, inventory, bot paths + testing. We decide the music and the name of the map.

PS: When I post the first section, what kind of style should it have? (textures, ect.)