new map...opinions?

[Oldman731]

I don't need to be able to build a car to tell after driving it that I hate it. I don't have any problems with bustr's maps but telling anyone who does to make their own is pretty funny.

Of course this is true (the car part, I mean), but to what end is the complaining?  OK, we know someone doesn't like a map, and why he/she doesn't like it.  Fine, you got that off your chest.  But so what?  The map is what the map is.  You'll be happier when a different map comes up.  Meanwhile you've needlessly offended someone who spent lot of time and effort making that map.  I continually feel bad for the poor soul who made Buzzsaw, and - yes, I'm saying it - I feel bad for Bustr when people complain about one of his maps.

- oldman

[molybdenum]

OK, we know someone doesn't like a map, and why he/she doesn't like it.  Fine, you got that off your chest.  But so what?  The map is what the map is.  You'll be happier when a different map comes up.  Meanwhile you've needlessly offended someone who spent lot of time and effort making that map.

- oldman

The reason I opened this topic was to ask for opinions on Oceania. If you'll read my first and and my subsequent posts you'll see I wasn't trashing anyone but truly was seeking input. I wondered what others felt for two reasons: 1) am I in the minority in this, and if so, to what extent? and 2) Is this the direction AH3 is going? 
8thJinx has made veiled references to other maps in the works but right now the only person putting out new maps is Bustr. His vision for how AH3 ought to be played will be reflected in the creation of these maps, and rightfully so. But if they're (to use a Bustr term lol) a "single finger salute" to my style of game play, then why play? And why single finger salute paying customers anyway, when AH3 needs a critical mass of players to continue and prosper?

[bustr]

You are hiding behind garnering opinions and constructive criticism to attack me, then hoping your post will open a floodgate and a mob to support your opinions to hide further that you are attacking me. Coogan joined in and hid behind accusing me of taking offense at "constructive criticism" and imagining an attack by yourself. Coogan also has issues with me from other conversations.

All players are Napoleons when it comes to opinions about this game. Each is his own tiny expert on what will make this game a utopia for only himself. This is why player opinions and constructive criticism are meaningless because their tiny internal Napoleon will be doing the talking. And it's always, this is how you should create my terrain to make only me happy. Hence the canard of "constructive criticism" is a lame way to take a drive by revenge shot and fly under the Skuzzy radar. Then if you get push back from your target, you claim your are a victim and try to get a mob to come to your rescue and attack me for being mean to you.

It's because of the tiny internal Napoleon I tell all of you to build your own terrain and then we can talk. Otherwise posts like this one from upset Napoleons happen. There also is no stated outcome you want from attacking me this way either. What do you think you will accomplish if either a MOB rescues you and dumps on me or, Hitech suddenly gets the light that your way of building terrains is the one true and only way to an AH utopia?

1. - Are you trying to use a MOB to shame me into building terrains your way or to never build terrains again?
2. - Are you hoping Hitech will do either to me with the same end results? And force everyone to build terrains to make you happy.

The single major difference between Buzzsaw and other terrains is all the strats, city and HQ are in the center of the terrain so any passing squirrel can drop acorns on them by just sneezing while laying in their tree nest. So Moly, build your own terrains with that configuration and submit them to Hitech.       

[100Coogn]

You are hiding behind garnering opinions and constructive criticism to attack me, then hoping your post will open a floodgate and a mob to support your opinions to hide further that you are attacking me. Coogan joined in and hid behind accusing me of taking offense at "constructive criticism" and imagining an attack by yourself. Coogan also has issues with me from other conversations.

All players are Napoleons when it comes to opinions about this game. Each is his own tiny expert on what will make this game a utopia for only himself. This is why player opinions and constructive criticism are meaningless because their tiny internal Napoleon will be doing the talking. And it's always, this is how you should create my terrain to make only me happy. Hence the canard of "constructive criticism" is a lame way to take a drive by revenge shot and fly under the Skuzzy radar. Then if you get push back from your target, you claim your are a victim and try to get a mob to come to your rescue and attack me for being mean to you.

It's because of the tiny internal Napoleon I tell all of you to build your own terrain and then we can talk. Otherwise posts like this one from upset Napoleons happen. There also is no stated outcome you want from attacking me this way either. What do you think you will accomplish if either a MOB rescues you and dumps on me or, Hitech suddenly gets the light that your way of building terrains is the one true and only way to an AH utopia?

1. - Are you trying to use a MOB to shame me into building terrains your way or to never build terrains again?
2. - Are you hoping Hitech will do either to me with the same end results? And force everyone to build terrains to make you happy.

The single major difference between Buzzsaw and other terrains is all the strats, city and HQ are in the center of the terrain so any passing squirrel can drop acorns on them by just sneezing while laying in their tree nest. So Moly, build your own terrains with that configuration and submit them to Hitech.     

Past has nothing to do with this thread.  Get over yourself dude.

Coogan

[molybdenum]

It's because of the tiny internal Napoleon I tell all of you to build your own terrain and then we can talk. Otherwise posts like this one from upset Napoleons happen. There also is no stated outcome you want from attacking me this way either. What do you think you will accomplish if either a MOB rescues you and dumps on me or, Hitech suddenly gets the light that your way of building terrains is the one true and only way to an AH utopia?

1. - Are you trying to use a MOB to shame me into building terrains your way or to never build terrains again?
2. - Are you hoping Hitech will do either to me with the same end results? And force everyone to build terrains to make you happy.

The single major difference between Buzzsaw and other terrains is all the strats, city and HQ are in the center of the terrain so any passing squirrel can drop acorns on them by just sneezing while laying in their tree nest. So Moly, build your own terrains with that configuration and submit them to Hitech.     

1) I am incapable of building my own terrain, as are most players, so that standard answer from you just blows off legitimate points people make instead of addressing them.
2) I am indeed posting my displeasure of your creative vision (NOT ability) because it directly counters what I enjoy doing in game. I'm sure I am in a minority, but probably a decent-sized minority who share this opinion, hence my opening this topic--I'd like a sense of how many players out there also do not like it. And yes, I'm hoping HT uses input from me and others to tweak future maps to appeal to nearly every player, not a specific segment of the population. Crater is probably the very best in that regard: I cannot remember anyone ever criticizing it, and whatever you like to do in AH, there's a place and way to do it there successfully.

[Vraciu]

Which brings up a major issue, namely the difficulty in map-making.  Even with Bustr's help I still can't even get mine to load.

Other games that have map-making capabilities are far more intuitive than the current AH3 system.  If it could be streamlined (automated?) to be more like a point, click, drag, drop interface we would see an explosion of terrains.    Think SIM CITY, MINECRAFT, STARCRAFT, etc.

As it is I've thrown my hands up trying to figure it out for now.   I will give it a crack again one of these days perhaps, but color me frustrated.   

[8thJinx]

I actually found terrain making to be easy, once I let go of my preconceptions about the TE interface. 

[hitech]

I actually found terrain making to be easy, once I let go of my preconceptions about the TE interface.

What were the preconceptions?

HiTech

[8thJinx]

Honestly Hitech, it was me, not the software.  I'm an engineer used to dealing with CAD, PV Elite, structural design software, and MatLab.  The very first time I looked at the TE interface, my first reaction was "how could this interface possibly construct a gaming terrain."  I'm used to dealing with dozens of tools in floating lists or along the margin of the design window, with multiple spaces you can jump to and from.  The TE is very streamlined, clean, without much to see, really.  I actually thought I was missing part of the download, like what I was seeing was a partial package.  I didn't think it was going to work.  But then again, I had zero experience with any terrain builder, period.

So I dove in to see what I could get accomplished.  Once I figured out how to start a terrain and play around with it, though, it was really very easy.  Way easier than AutoCad.  It's to the point now that if I want to test a design idea like a valley or an approach to a town, or nail down a process to build repeatable features using L3DT Pro to jazz something up, I'll start a whole new terrain.

I now have so much I want to accomplish with the TE and Object Editor, that I have to actually block out time in my calendar for it.  I'm hooked. 

Edit:  The two things that helped me the most in getting me off my butt from "this will never work" stage to "hey this actually works" stage were Kanth's videos on YouTube, and the info Waffle gave me on scaling the terrain during the initial set up.

[DubiousKB]

The community strikes again... I always rely on the kindness of terrain builders..     Keep at Jinx!