AVA terrain builders wanted

[captain1ma]

hi all, the AVA is looking for some terrain builders for the AVA in AH3.
we are looking to augment our already fabulous terrain building team.
if you're interested pm me. we have lots of ideas, we just need more people
to make it happen!

[captain1ma]

wow, not even a nibble?

[Easyscor]

You forgot to mention the free beer you provide on staff night.

[ghostdancer]

Same experience here in recruiting captain1ma.

[bustr]

I don't know if you are trying to attract full fledged builders who can hit the ground running or players with the interest and love of terrain building who you can bring up to speed on your projects. The former, that's show biz and it's breaks. The latter, here is an idea to get some nibbles.

When Hitech needed us to test the terrain editor in the alpha with those awful colored tiles, I tested the terrain editor knowing zilch about how to use it. Going through that process was entertaining and I kept at it because of an idea from TT on AH2's CraterMA. I wanted to create a gunnery terrain to help tankers learn their sights and estimate range. And figure out how to get a wirbel within 500yds of a drone. The rest is history.

Personally I think the AH3 terrain editor is a fun tool and one heck of a way to loose a few hours without knowing it.

To interest the first time TE player in the idea of the terrain editor in AH3.

"You" create an un finished terrain with a map and zip it up with instructions how to setup the directories and files. Say a small island with all elevations set as flat plateaus in need of sculpting and finishing with no terrain painted on yet. Place an airfield and a town on it for visual continuity. Allow the players to do anything they want from there including adding on more ground and more objects. Adding in ports and task groups, GV spawns, PT spawns, air spawns, whatever. As long as they end up with a final product that has shore lines, no gaps on the terrain next to objects, and you can run it offline to check it out.

Include a short write up so they can quickly get to adjusting elevations by hand, painting terrain by hand and add\moving\rotating\deleting objects by hand. New maps if they expand the ground, saving and "build". Link them to the new terrain editor manual in process by Easycor, and set them loose.

Post up screen captures of the rough starter terrain in a POST here with a link to download the project and be available for questions. Skin in the game so to say while there are no guarantees you will get a single nibble. Or, you will get subsequent posts with pics by players to show off their progress. When people can see pictures of what you guys talk about at the nuts and bolts construction level like I've posted up in Oboe's POST about using aircraft as terrain objects. The secret handshake boys club aspect falls away and makes the process identifiable with, inviting, and demystified.

[ghostdancer]

Well I could do something similar for the SEA. Setup a terrain with the height.raw already setup from actual DEM info for a certain region. So the people don't have to struggle with Microdem or L3DT or something else to get real world historical info. The problem the SEA has is we want 512 mile by 512 mile terrains or at least 256 mile be 256 mile which can be rather daunting for somebody new.

Let me think of this.

[bustr]

If you can talk about it in here along with pictures, then you make it less frightening for people to want to get involved. Full sized terrains are mind numbing time wasters. You have to be really into living with something like that clicking and plinking with your mouse. On the other hand, it's not really a case of the TE being mind numbingly complex, it's pretty simple to use. It's the talking about it in terms only those already able to work with those terms are able to appreciate. That makes it seem like another photo shop master level endeavor and not for the newb or young.

Easycor is de-mystifying much of the TE with the new document Skuzzy asked him and Greebo to work on. Some parts are still advanced photo shop seminar level confusing. But, I've always noticed reading those instructions is always more complicated than the actual process when you are on a computer with someone doing it. Posting pictures of the TE being used to work on such things and writing in less insular technical language helps people feel invited to the fold.

Every time I've sat down and taught myself another aspect of the terrain editor, it's rather simple but, the people discussing it made it complicated beyond the actual results.

[Easyscor]

If you can talk about it in here along with pictures, then you make it less frightening for people to want to get involved. Full sized terrains are mind numbing time wasters. You have to be really into living with something like that clicking and plinking with your mouse. On the other hand, it's not really a case of the TE being mind numbingly complex, it's pretty simple to use. It's the talking about it in terms only those already able to work with those terms are able to appreciate. That makes it seem like another photo shop master level endeavor and not for the newb or young.

Easycor is de-mystifying much of the TE with the new document Skuzzy asked him and Greebo to work on. Some parts are still advanced photo shop seminar level confusing. But, I've always noticed reading those instructions is always more complicated than the actual process when you are on a computer with someone doing it. Posting pictures of the TE being used to work on such things and writing in less insular technical language helps people feel invited to the fold.

Every time I've sat down and taught myself another aspect of the terrain editor, it's rather simple but, the people discussing it made it complicated beyond the actual results.

LOL
Remember back last fall when I told you I wouldn't be exchanging text instructions with you? As I said at the time, voice or Skype, is so much faster getting someone up to speed that text exchanges aren't worth the time it takes the teacher.
That documentation with all the hours it has taken is intended for two levels. There's the beginners section, and the deep end of the pool sections. IMO it has to be both simple and comprehensive and I couldn't come up with a better approach. I'll always recommend getting with an experienced builder before tackling a terrain. The shortcuts alone are worth it and the support and faster pace of progress keeps the new builder from becoming discouraged.

[bustr]

Just reading our combined deep stinky stuff will discourage 99.999999999% of the people reading it. Terrain building itself is simpler than interacting with people about it. The building process is Just time consuming to the point of giving you a headache. I know only one other skill more time consuming. Gem faceting, and I have a faceting machine on the table behind me as I write.

Pictures of the process inspire people to try it. And the pictures often show how easy it really is versus the image many people create when they talk or write about this kind of process. They make the mistake of communicating in broad strokes as though their audience was at their level because they no longer think about the process in discrete steps but, in holistic imagery. Communicating digestible bits for the new person is very often beyond the skill, patience, and tolerance of most who master the tool. So their broad strokes end up making the tool look out of reach and overly complicated.   

[Easyscor]

I should let you you take over the documentation.

Okay then!

          

[USRanger]

Terrain making is for weenie lamers.

[ghostdancer]

And Tile Set / Texture creators are for nerd wanna bes.

[Easyscor]

  @ Ranger

[captain1ma]

we're looking for terrain builders that can augment our terrain guys. the AVA has some of the finest in the game, not saying that others aren't as good, only basing opinion on what we have in the AVA. we're looking for people that are willing to try, willing to learn, and willing to put up with easyscor and usranger! LOL

if they could hit the ground running that would be nice, but if they want to putter, that's fine too. its not something you learn over night. and after awhile they might learn neat tricks, like rangers flames!!

for the record, I'm not downplaying the ability of any other terrain builder, ghost dancer and mr midi and some of the others are great builders!  i'm just partial to my guys!! <S>

[captain1ma]

oh, and  did I mention sheep, we have sheep too! and beer! lots of beer!