How many maps will be finished?

Asraniel · June 2002

<div class="IPBDescription">Tell if you can finish your map...</div>A question.. hoe many maps will be finished for the mapping deadline? Lets count... i think the two official maps.. but how many others?
I think i can finish my map... i just need to make the readyroom.
And you?

Sono · June 2002

Let's count:
ns_hera
ns_bast
your's <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>
ns_freon
ns_penumbra (not sure)
maybe ns_eniant (but I'm not sure)

makes six, and I bet I have forgotten some maps, eh?

Nay · June 2002

think i can, not sure in its name yet probably ns_?

Kaneda · June 2002

I think I can make the deadline (i hope)

Ns_Need's a name!

Kaneda <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/siege.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':siege:'>

KungFuSquirrel · June 2002

Eclipse will be playable this weekend. So will SS Nothing, if I understand correctly, but take Ken's word for that, not mine.

ChromeAngel · June 2002

NS_NEXT will be submitted for playtesting. <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tiny.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':tiny:'>

After 8 months work and 3 beta versions I hope it's good enough...

Yamazaki · June 2002

NS_Penumbra will definitely be ready. It's layout is finalized and its architecture is receiving a few tweaks, but right now I'm just taking a break and creating textures instead. The major issue with Penumbra was that it's sleek look wasn't appropriate to Natural Selection, so I've been working with Cory to extend the NS wad. The fruits of my labours will be publically released, but probably not in time to be of any use to the existing mappers.

Prema · June 2002

Kaneda : maybe ns_name? how original.... <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':0'>

doctopepa · June 2002

I probably won't. I have other things to do.

<img src="http://w1.650.telia.com/~u65008723/smiley.GIF" border="0"> <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/turret.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':turret:'> <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/pudgy.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':pudgy:'>

Sono · June 2002

So at least 7 to 8 or 9 <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>

Seems good to me when considering that the maps are quite big and the battles can take quite long.
And think of that there will come a flush of maps short after the release, by ppl that haven't met the deadline.
N@rby's doing another one at the moment.

Asraniel · June 2002

Sounds good to me too, because then i have a chance to get in the first release...

My problem is at the moment, that i dont know how the map will be played.. i dont know how NS is played, ok, i know more or less how it works.. but are 6 resource points enough? is my map strategic enough? is it possible to play as a level 5 alien? I dont know his size... there are so many things, too bad that im not in the playtest...

DOOManiac · June 2002

my map *should* be playable by the deadline, but won't be exactly finished. heh.

MonsieurEvil · June 2002

I've got my money riding on TommyD's NS_Tanith.

There are also a few mappers out there who drop in on me from time to time and have been working in utter secrecy. They may surprise you...

Asraniel · June 2002

ohoh... it makse me fear.. i had never a bigger wish than to get in a offical release of a mod with my map... but we will see.. i like my map, and i think it could be very nice too play... but i dont know... we will see.

Killtoy · June 2002

Plaguebearer has ns_olympus ready, and there is a chance he'll have ns_ares for us too.

Asraniel · June 2002

Hmm.. there are many maps out there that can be finished in time... now there is another question, how many maps will be in the first release?

Killtoy · June 2002

The first release will contain all of the maps that are accepted by the devs. <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'>

coil · June 2002

I hope we have time to PLAYTEST all of them!!! Sheesh. (:

Insane · June 2002

I'm gonna wait for the release, so I get a good idea of how the dynamics of gameplay run, good places for resource nodes etc. Those playtesting will already know these things, so I expect that the majority of maps submitted and tested will be by playtesters.

Asraniel · June 2002

I also think so... the outsiders have not many chance to make a map that realy fit in the game....

blueman · June 2002

well, as seeing everyone wil send it, i will also send my ns_ttro, although theres still lots to work on, and im will exams still till 28 June (deadline), but.... i wanna try <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>

Slycaster · June 2002

If the way it works out with the current maps and how they play and all, im going to guess at LEAST 6, maybe even up to 10! for beta1 release, thats quite alot considering some mods... *ahem* existence. <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'> My bets for SURE (because of importance in the community and great mapping):

ns_bast
ns_hera
ns_freon
ns_penumbra (i willdestroy flay if he does not put this in, penumbra > all)
ns_nothing
ns_eclipse (phoenix?)
ns_shaft (go ekaj, come-on&#33<img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'>
ns_romana (if it tests well <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>)
ns_tanith
ns_eniant (i hope&#33<img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'>
ns_sync (that is -if- badmofo can pull it all together)
ns_elysium (if kaytee can pull of the deadline, this looks promising <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>)

Those, in my opinion, look exceedingly well for maps that i KNOW are going to be submited, however i dont really know how many you guys are submitting, so we may see alot of unfairmiliar names that will be great, by no means is this too put you down, im just saying that guys, this is turning out that we might have a huge map release for beta1, w00t.

tommyd · June 2002

there will probably be 12-15 maps that are submitted by the deadline. however, the only ones that go official are ones that PLAY well - and, of course, we dont know which ones will play good until the playtesting begins. i would much rather play a map that is fun than one that only rides on visuals. of course, if all the submitted maps play well, i say include them all <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'>

KungFuSquirrel · June 2002

I think another concern is the overall learning curve -- we may end up with 15 maps that play absolutely wonderfully, but do the players really want to <i>learn</i> 15 maps? Playtesters have the advantage of a staggered curve -- Bast and Hera, then Penumbra and Freon, Romana and hopefully Eclipse and Nothing this week, and then the remaining submissions after that -- but even for someone like Cyanide who claims to memorize all maps in 5 minutes, 15 maps is a lot to learn. Along those lines, it may still be best to go with 7-8. I recall original estimates of 4-5, but I think that number will actually be higher upon final release. It's anyone's guess right now, though, aside of Bast and Hera.

(Oh, and Cyanide, the Phoenix name is for the next project, which has already been renamed to ns_kara -- I should have a back story for that next week when I start it up, and that will explain everything.)

Tzarcon · June 2002

Maybe, just maybye, if I map for 300 hours straight until the 28th I could make it, but likely not. I'll have to wait for another release, but I would think that a mapping release is likely short after, since the deadline was released on such short notice. I kinda just posted the layout (which I finished 2 nights ago) on the forums, so I don't think I could make it

Zazi · June 2002

Widow will NOT be finished by the 28th. I'm shooting for a later release date. I'll still post shots and all of it up, but for now, I'd rather take my time and do it right, rather than rush through everything and having it look like crap. Hope y'all understand. <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'>

Trane · June 2002

Wow, thats going to be alot of map submissions, I wouldn't mind learning 15 maps thats for sure. BTW, I think you guys are going to need more playtesters for all these submissions if they make it that is, <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'> lol

Asraniel · June 2002

I also think if the map plays well, you shoud add it. Because of many reasons (and only one is that my map would be in the release).
Yes, you can say thet it6s hard to learn 15 maps, but there are so many different players out there and they dont all like the same kind of maps. You dont know what they like, because of that, when you have many maps, after a few weeks you will see the favorites. Like in CS. There are more than 15 maps i think, but most of the players knows 10 and more by heart.

PS: the name of may map is ns_napo

KungFuSquirrel · June 2002

And how many of those maps came with the first release of CS and how many have been added in the numerous betas and updates since then?

MonsieurEvil · June 2002

I personally think the map count should remain low. You have to understand that NS gameplay is quite a bit more complex than most games. For most mods, their gameplay is very, very simple. They need more maps to break up the gameplay, which tends to get old rather quickly.

Releasing 15 maps has a few other undesirable effects as well;

1. The size of thge download would be signifigantly larger.

2. Most server admins only run 4-5 maps in their rotation at a time, and a bunch of the maps would wither and die before they got a chance to be played and get accepted.

3. Not all of them would be at the same level of quality, and undoubtedly some would not get into most server rotations.

4. There would not be any possibility of doing a supplemental 'official NS mappack'.

CyonPro · June 2002

Damn... I probably won't have my map done in time for the first deadline... college sucks like that... clinical depression sucks more tho.

I don't really mind if it's not done for the first release though; from my experience, there will be plenty of opportunity for mappers to put out additional maps in-between the official releases. I think that the suggested release of supplemental map-packs could easily achieve this.

How many maps will be finished?

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