Jump to content
XCOMUFO & Xenocide

Map Or Nap


Violazr

Quite a few UFO2000 players are making maps for everybody and enjoy doing so. But is it worth the effort, apart from personal enjoyment? How do YOU feel about custom maps?  

24 members have voted

You do not have permission to vote in this poll, or see the poll results. Please sign in or register to vote in this poll.

Recommended Posts

That's what I think as well, so a poll in this foum is probably not very representative.

Still, at least it says something about the people who are here.

 

Maybe the map depot could be advertised upon entering the server chat?

Or the forum, at least...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I voted for the the last one because it more honestly reflects my actions, rather than my words. And I suspect that some people who don't browse the forums would vote for it too, for a lot of reasons.

 

To put them simply, City is a well designed map, is already included in the distributive and I won't have to lift a finger to get it, plus it's one of the original terrains.

 

The problem with the other terrains is that they don't have all of this qualities. Custom made maps also tend to suffer from the attitude of their designers: "I've had all the fun to create this terrain, so I will design it as I would like to play it". Which is perfectly OK, as long as the designer also accepts that probably a lot of people who bother to download it like to play in a different way.

 

So, that's why I voted for City: everyone has it, no waiting for them to download it and restart (after convincing them first), and it is still fun. The other 10% on which I decide to play some other terrain (sometimes even my own designed ones), don't really count.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Don't have much time to write a long reply now, but we need an extensions management system built into te game. On map depot there will be a small xml file (autogenerated, maybe by php script) which will contain a list of all maps, their versions, checksums, small descriptions, links to thumbnail and to the package itselt. It should be possible to query the list of all extensions directly from the game (url of this xml file will be specified in the ufo2000.ini file and set to official map depot page by default). The game will display a list of available extensions, suggest to download and install them, also if new versions of extensions appear in depot, the game should be able to upgrade them. Will add this idea to mantis as I get more time.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

That would be really useful.

 

Because, even though what Hobbes says is true to some extent, all those people I actually got to download and play custom maps were positively surprised, and also liked maps that played differently (well, except for one who really plays nothing but city, because he "doesn't know the other maps").

 

The problem is really that most people don't even know that there is such a thing as custom maps, or think it's complicated to get and install them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like custom maps, can't get enough of them, and i am probably the only UFO2000 player who doesn't have city, modified city, and warehouse. There are about a total of 4 maps that i don't have, because they were lost in one of my updates a while back
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Who are the people with "problems getting/installing/playing"?

 

Tell me what's the problem, it should be easy to solve.

 

The downloads and instructions on how to install are in the Map Depot, with specific instructions in the included README-Files.

 

To play, just get your opponent to download and install them as well! :)

 

 

 

(sorry, quoted again... my bad)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have to say that if I had a choice of only 2 maps, I would go for Farm and City. Reason is, I have played them the most, I am the most use to them graphic wise and functionality wise, I like the way farm can be deceiving through battling, and I like city for its classic gameplay.

 

The following maps i hate with a simple reason:

TFTD maps - graphics, functionality, and gameplay (industrial, easter island, etc.)

base maps - Gameplay (alien base ++, xcom base ++, etc.)

ufo maps - Gameplay (mothership, ufo Yard, etc.)

indestructible terrain maps - Gameplay (alien crypt, paintball field, beaches of normandy, etc.)

forever playing maps - Gameplay (warehouse, xcom sandcastle, etc.)

Cydonia - bugs, but once they are fixed I don't mind playing it

 

The following maps I like for the same reason, gameplay, graphics, and functionality:

Abandoned Base

City, Modified City, Mad City, Apartment, Polis, Slums

Farm, Modified Farm

Native

Area 51 - Fences I hate somewhat

Desert, Jungle, Mountain, Forest, Arctic

 

Mine don't count because self maps are always biased upon opinion. And I realize a few are TFTD maps that I like.

 

Those maps that weren't listed is either I hate them or I haven't played them, but most likely I hate them. I realize many of you put some kind of hard work into certain maps, but I am just stating what I like and what I hate about them so you understand what an ideal map would be played. IMO, the perfect graphics for a map is original xcom 1 graphics.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

yes, the fences on Area51 are evil, huh ;)

 

you don't have airfield listed, that map rocks. It is one of the coolest there is

I also like the ships, the one problem is that the client can bomb the enemy from above

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Beaches of Normandy has no indestructible terrain, except for the ground itself.

 

 

If the ground was destructible, terrain being destroyed would cause people to fall into big square holes that suddely appear, shots digging all the way through the hills, and the slope pieces hanging in the air to become visible.

- The major flaw of all forest/desert/mountain terrains.

 

Believe me, I tried.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I thought about that, but it would require another tileset to be custom made, which also has to fit into the 253 tile margin.

And all it would do is create some scorchmarks on the slopes, which I didn't really miss so far.

 

Another possibility is to make every slope piece become the one which is one step lower, until destroyed. - But still, the others with holes below would become visible, and the terrain could become impassable for soldiers.

To fill the holes, I would have to make seaprate graphics for every height. And then a scorched version of each? Not really worth the effort.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...