StarCraft 2 N00B!

[TheGosuBox]

Hello! I am a noob at StarCraft. I've just recently finished installing the first one and it's expansion (Brood War) yesterday and I've never played a game my entire life. The very first Blizzard game I've played was WarCraft 3 TFT.

The main reason why I'm so interested in getting StarCraft 2 (already have the Beta version) is its World Editor.

Having been a map maker for WarCraft 3 TFT for a really long time, I am VERY excited and GREATLY impressed about the new tool which is the SC2 WE!

Now I'm wondering... how hard is it to learn StarCraft 2? And are there gonna' be similarities with the 2 World Editors (WC3 TFT & SC2 WOL), or are they gonna' look/work completely different from each other?

 

[Lyerae]

No one really knows anything about the editor at the moment.
The majority of our knowledge is in Galaxy, I believe, and we don't really know too much about that.

 

[Renendaru]

I've seen some screenshots of it, and the regions look really complex and confusing for just their single-player missions. o.o

 

[TheGosuBox]

Haha I guess we'll all be learning together?

Damn, I heard a rumor that said we'll have to pay to download user-maps. WTF?! It this true? o.o

 

[Renendaru]

Damn, I heard a rumor that said we'll have to pay to download user-maps. WTF?! It this true? o.o

Well, some maps yes. Some people can opt for a 'Premium Map' option for their published map, so you have to pay a fee, like a micro transaction. Probably like 1$ or something. But, most maps will be free.

 

[Lyerae]

I read somewhere that games like DotA (very popular) wouldn't meet the requirements for premium maps.

 

[Zwiebelchen]

I read somewhere that games like DotA (very popular) wouldn't meet the requirements for premium maps.

Lol, what would meet requirements more than an uber popular map? :nuts:

 

[Vestras]

Lol, what would meet requirements more than an uber popular map? :nuts:

Just because it's popular, doesn't mean it's good/polished.

 

[Daskunk]

Lol, what would meet requirements more than an uber popular map? :nuts:

What he said is true. DotA doesn't have enough custom content that it made itself: Models, Skins, sounds, ect. And the base idea, an AoS, isn't that original. The idea was that they would pay you for maps that costed you money to make. (IE: Hiring Artists and such.)

You could argue the coders and such costed them money, yes. But overall it doesn't have enough original content.

Anyways, this isn't MY opinion - It is what blizzard said.

 

[rover2341]

Note: I don't want to take this too far, because it will become a dota thread. Also I agree to disagree, I am not trying to tell you your wrong just the way I see it.


What I believe is needed for the sale of a game:
I don't believe custom content , or code , or cost of the project defines good or bad project. Even if you think dota isn't a good enough project. I believe popular demand is really what is required for the sell of a game.

Example:
Alot of people pay for Iphone apps that do nothing. And have 1 feature, like fart sounds. But it was popular, more so then alot of other so called great apps.

Final Thoughts
I am not here to debate the quality of dota, and custom content in it. I am here to say I personally don't think quality of a map directly relates to if it is sale able. If the quality of a map, directly relates to players appeal then yes it does. But I think popular demand is the most important.

I personally think that for something to be popular it has to have some appeal to alot of people. Personally I would rather play games that appeal to me then games that may be great but I less appeal for. Dota is in example of a game that I have more appeal for just because my friends have appeal for it. The fact they enjoy gives me more reason to want to play it.

For me Personally Dota would be on the top of my list to pay for.

You Read this Where?

I read somewhere that games like DotA (very popular) wouldn't meet the requirements for premium maps.

 

[TheGosuBox]

Hmm... the problem I'm seeing here is that, would that many people be willing to PAY for MAPS? I mean $1 per song, I can understand... but MAPS? Really?

I know that Blizzard's doing this so that the countless hours spent by map makers gets rewarded.

But I think a better alternative is, instead of US paying the mapmakers, why not BLIZZARD pay them instead? Or even better, HIRE them? If their map is really THAT good. :\

 

[Rapmaster]

I think most people (well at least people with jobs) are willing to pay for little bits of content. Music, mobile phone app stores etc have proven it. A dollar or two isn't a significant amount for most people (sometimes I'll buy a coffee and put it on my desk and then go to a meeting and forget to drink it... who cares.) The problem is how they will process the payments. Even if I don't mind paying $1, it's a big hassle to go get my credit card and punch it in each time.

As for why Blizzard doesn't hire these people directly... well that costs too much. Think about it , if someone spends hundreds of hours of their own time working on a map that ultimately fails, it hasn't cost Blizzard a thing. But if you hire them, you need to pay a salary, provide a desk, deal with their sick leave and family issues, deduct taxes etc.

 

[DarkRevenant]

A premium map is a map that you could viably sell if you had made it as a game outside of StarCraft 2, rather than as a map. In other words, you can only sell something if it is worth being bought.

 

[TheGosuBox]

Even if I don't mind paying $1, it's a big hassle to go get my credit card and punch it in each time.

I agree. but I think you can add your credit card information at battle.net. If not, I think this is the way to go. But still, unless it's greater than of equal to DotA/Tower Defense games, then I'm not buying it.

As for why Blizzard doesn't hire these people directly... well that costs too much. Think about it , if someone spends hundreds of hours of their own time working on a map that ultimately fails, it hasn't cost Blizzard a thing. But if you hire them, you need to pay a salary, provide a desk, deal with their sick leave and family issues, deduct taxes etc.

Well no, I meant it can't be just any map makers. Like there has to be a criteria (i.e. amount of map downloads, popularity, etc.).

A premium map is a map that you could viably sell if you had made it as a game outside of StarCraft 2, rather than as a map. In other words, you can only sell something if it is worth being bought.

What do you mean by 'a game outside of StarCraft 2'? Wouldn't the game still be played IN StarCraft 2? :0

Oh and who gets to decide if the map is to be sold or not? If it is up to Blizzard, then I'm fine with it. But if ANY map makers can just sell their maps, then that's the problem. We'll be seeing half-assed maps being sold for like $5 - $10... :\

 

[BANANAMAN]

I only really played Broodwar for the multiplayer and not the custom user created maps. And i will continue to when i get my hands on Heart of the swarm and a working computer.

 

[Failenx]

I just got one of the BETA keys today. I'm very excited about it, but I've NEVER played Starcraft, but I have played WC3, so I guess there's a lot to learn.

 

[Bloodcount]

Just because it's popular, doesn't mean it's good/polished.

It doesn't have to be good or polished. If it is popular then obviously people find something in it that they like so much that they want to play the map even though it has some fauls in it.

 

[EpicFlux]

I saw you asked about the editors looks. Well from what ive seen from the Blizzon 2009 live stream where they showed the two programmers working on the custom games within the editor, it looks exactly like the SC1 World Editor. I'm sure by the way they've boasted it, that it's probably gonna look updated with a starcraft like interface, when really it's probably gonna look simple.

Idk if what they had shown was the final result, but if it's anything like the Campaign Editor or World Editor, it's gonna be a sinch to jump on into.

 

[jhnam95]

I don't know... A lot of mapmakers just make maps for people to enjoy (I mean, what other reason is there?). Also, people are, like above posts said, lazy and don't want to go through the trouble of paying. Some people may not play the maps that cost simply because they cost.

If a mapmaker made a map cost money from the start, very little (if any) would play it. But I think if a huge trend like DotA starts in SC2, and the mapmaker decides to make it cost money after it becomes widely popular, we may see people buying such maps.

 

[Dan]

there probably will be a general guideline of x amount of downloads before it can go premium... i would assume.

obviously selfish and con-like people would break it immediately and put empty maps up for money if the system was as simplistic as some people think at first. it's going to be a small % of the maps you see... and probably none for a good while will qualify.