There has to be a better way.

by **Ham** on Mon Jan 08, 2007 9:49 pm

Iv noticed the map foundry is always full of great ideas but they hardly ever get made into actual maps. I think we need a new system of some kind to hasten the production of new maps. Too many great ideas just dont get made into maps.

by **AK_iceman** on Mon Jan 08, 2007 9:59 pm

Ham wrote:Iv noticed the map foundry is always full of great ideas but they hardly ever get made into actual maps. I think we need a new system of some kind to hasten the production of new maps. Too many great ideas just dont get made into maps.

Its not the system, its the map creators. The system is fine, we are producing new maps with creativity, good visuals, excellent playability, originality, and I dont think they take too long to become playable. I would much rather have it take longer, than to crank out some poorly crafted map worthy of Landgrab.

by **Ham** on Mon Jan 08, 2007 10:08 pm

Unless Im just not up to date on the maps. The most recent ones I can think of are alexanders empire and North America. And theyve been out a goodwhile.

Plus I see a couple of maps stay active in teh foundry for a while then some new ideas come along and you dont hear anything from the other maps.

by **sully800** on Mon Jan 08, 2007 10:24 pm

You're at least missing World 2.0 from that list.

But anyway, I don't think we should hasten the map making process. For one thing, we have plenty of maps- the focus should now be on making much BETTER maps.

by **KEYOGI** on Mon Jan 08, 2007 11:03 pm

sully800 wrote:You're at least missing World 2.0 from that list.

But anyway, I don't think we should hasten the map making process. For one thing, we have plenty of maps- the focus should now be on making much BETTER maps.

I completely agree. I was all eager to get the Australia map up as quickly as possible, but taking the time to read others suggestions and improve the map has been very worthwhile.

by **LewisJB3** on Mon Jan 08, 2007 11:12 pm

Still, you look at the map foundery and some of the maps look twice as good as ones that are already in and they haven't been touched in a long time.... It just feels like some of the maps have been over produced and look worse than they did before.

by **DublinDoogey** on Mon Jan 08, 2007 11:22 pm

The worst thing that happens is when someone leaves and production stalls to the ground. The only update to the foundry that seems neccessary is for someone to be a conisseur of sorts, where they act as a fileholder for people who know that they won't be back for a while. That way, the file could be handed down to someone who would be worthy of completing a map.

by **oaktown** on Mon Jan 08, 2007 11:56 pm

If a map is worth completing, it's worth taking the time to do it right. I started a map a few weeks ago and I thought I had a good product, but the feedback I've received has pushed me to keep improving it - both the graphics and the playability.

Dublin and AK are right: the lack of production is usually the result of creators dropping projects. What is needed is a system for handing off a map that the original creator loses interest in - and we need people willing and able to pick up a project that somebody else has started.

Some of the maps in production, however, have stalled due to larger issues, like the monopoly and london underground maps, which weren't going to get past copyright matters.