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Is the foundry officially dead?

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Re: Is the foundry officially dead?

Postby degaston on Thu Jun 11, 2015 2:55 pm

blakebowling wrote:I believe there are too many maps already, and if anything the least popular maps should be removed.
I think you might be on to something, but you're probably not going far enough. If they simply remove all of the maps, then people will have to come back to the foundry, right? :roll:

Saying that there are too many maps here is like saying that Amazon has too many products. The problem is not too many maps, but that there's no easy way to differentiate them. They're all just thrown into the map browser as one big pile of 244 maps. How is a new player supposed to digest all of that and figure out which ones to play? They need to fix it so that people can sort and/or filter maps based on any number of categories - size, popularity, difficulty, XML features, real/fictional setting, suitability for various game options, etc.

Once that's done, they need to restructure the mapmaking process to focus on gameplay before graphics. Who cares if a map looks pretty if the gameplay doesn't work well. There should be a way to allow "Alpha" maps to be uploaded (or externally hosted) and played by anyone at any time (for no points), so if a mapmaker gets an idea, they can draw up a quick & dirty map, make the XML, and try it out. If the gameplay is thoroughly tested first, then there should never be a need to throw away hours of graphics work because someone found something about the map that doesn't work well. There might be some interesting things that could be done with transformations and stages, but they'll never be utilized properly if the mapmaker has no way to try them out without making a huge commitment in graphics work. There should be no way to break the site through bad map XML, and if there is, then the game engine needs to be improved.
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Re: Is the foundry officially dead?

Postby waauw on Thu Jun 11, 2015 3:14 pm

degaston wrote:
blakebowling wrote:I believe there are too many maps already, and if anything the least popular maps should be removed.


Once that's done, they need to restructure the mapmaking process to focus on gameplay before graphics. Who cares if a map looks pretty if the gameplay doesn't work well. There should be a way to allow "Alpha" maps to be uploaded (or externally hosted) and played by anyone at any time (for no points), so if a mapmaker gets an idea, they can draw up a quick & dirty map, make the XML, and try it out. If the gameplay is thoroughly tested first, then there should never be a need to throw away hours of graphics work because someone found something about the map that doesn't work well.


I really like this idea.

As for any map browsing method, I'd suggest making a lot of the maps 'tournament/clanwar only'. This should captivate a lot more players into the tournament and clan-scene, so as to promote further community-integration. After all, once you attach a social aspect to a game, it becomes much more difficult for said player to leave the website. Simultaneously novice players will be deprived from too much map access. They aren't the ones checking the tournaments and clans anyway.
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Re: Is the foundry officially dead?

Postby Butters1919 on Thu Jun 11, 2015 3:17 pm

waauw wrote:As for any map browsing method, I'd suggest making a lot of the maps 'tournament/clanwar only'.


Great idea, although you'll anger some folks by removing their "favourite map" from general access. Shockingly, even crap maps like Crossword have their backers!
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Re: Is the foundry officially dead?

Postby degaston on Thu Jun 11, 2015 3:27 pm

waauw wrote:As for any map browsing method, I'd suggest making a lot of the maps 'tournament/clanwar only'. This should captivate a lot more players into the tournament and clan-scene, so as to promote further community-integration. After all, once you attach a social aspect to a game, it becomes much more difficult for said player to leave the website. Simultaneously novice players will be deprived from too much map access. They aren't the ones checking the tournaments and clans anyway.

Out of curiosity, what maps would you restrict?

Personally, I'm not in favor of restricting access to any map, but if the map browser was improved, I would not have a problem with the more complicated maps being hidden by default for novice players. They should still have a way to see all maps, though.
Last edited by degaston on Thu Nov 05, 2015 10:02 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Is the foundry officially dead?

Postby waauw on Thu Jun 11, 2015 3:37 pm

degaston wrote:
waauw wrote:As for any map browsing method, I'd suggest making a lot of the maps 'tournament/clanwar only'. This should captivate a lot more players into the tournament and clan-scene, so as to promote further community-integration. After all, once you attach a social aspect to a game, it becomes much more difficult for said player to leave the website. Simultaneously novice players will be deprived from too much map access. They aren't the ones checking the tournaments and clans anyway.

Out of curiosity, what maps would you restrict?

Personally, I'm not if favor of restricting access to any map, but if the map browser was improved, I would not have a problem with the more complicated maps being hidden by default for novice players. They should still have a way to see all maps, though.


None specific jumps to mind. I have played CC for a long time, despite 2 big breaks. I don't have the need to impose any map restrictions of any sort, I've played them all at least once I think.
Anyhow I think with a restriction as proposed, themed tournaments fit to a restricted map will become common as a means of counterbalancing.

EDIT: Maybe also add speedgames to the list. They dearly need to be revived.
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Re: Is the foundry officially dead?

Postby waauw on Wed Jun 17, 2015 3:44 am

Oh for crying out loud. We're out of cartographers again. Seems Manbungalow was but a temporary guy.
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Re: Is the foundry officially dead?

Postby Dukasaur on Wed Jun 17, 2015 4:59 am

degaston wrote:
blakebowling wrote:I believe there are too many maps already, and if anything the least popular maps should be removed.
I think you might be on to something, but you're probably not going far enough. If they simply remove all of the maps, then people will have to come back to the foundry, right? :roll:

Saying that there are too many maps here is like saying that Amazon has too many products. The problem is not too many maps, but that there's no easy way to differentiate them. They're all just thrown into the map browser as one big pile of 244 maps. How is a new player supposed to digest all of that and figure out which ones to play? They need to fix it so that people can sort and/or filter maps based on any number of categories - size, popularity, difficulty, XML features, real/fictional setting, suitability for various game options, etc.

Once that's done, they need to restructure the mapmaking process to focus on gameplay before graphics. Who cares if a map looks pretty if the gameplay doesn't work well. There should be a way to allow "Alpha" maps to be uploaded (or externally hosted) and played by anyone at any time (for no points), so if a mapmaker gets an idea, they can draw up a quick & dirty map, make the XML, and try it out. If the gameplay is thoroughly tested first, then there should never be a need to throw away hours of graphics work because someone found something about the map that doesn't work well. There might be some interesting things that could be done with transformations and stages, but they'll never be utilized properly if the mapmaker has no way to try them out without making a huge commitment in graphics work. There should be no way to break the site through bad map XML, and if there is, then the game engine needs to be improved.

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Re: Is the foundry officially dead?

Postby JamesKer1 on Wed Jun 17, 2015 1:38 pm

waauw wrote:Oh for crying out loud. We're out of cartographers again. Seems Manbungalow was but a temporary guy.


He's on vacation. Don't worry, that's what I thought too ;)
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Re: Is the foundry officially dead?

Postby Lord Arioch on Wed Jun 17, 2015 1:42 pm

Maybee some kind of register .. history maps, ww1 maps, ww2 maps idiotic maps (crossword ...) ?
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Re: Is the foundry officially dead?

Postby RedBaron0 on Thu Jun 18, 2015 5:22 pm

Well how about that, I hadn't even realized my color was gone... XD
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Re: Is the foundry officially dead?

Postby t-o-m on Thu Nov 05, 2015 9:04 am

  • There are some wonderful solutions suggested in this thread.
  • Is there any chance of these suggestions being acknowledged by those who can implement them?
  • Or do we need to start a guerilla map foundry with our own rules and ways of doing things?
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Re: Is the foundry officially dead?

Postby ViperOverLord on Mon Dec 07, 2015 2:39 am

The next beta map release will be serious cause for celebration. I doubt there's ever been a drought this long.
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Re: Is the foundry officially dead?

Postby Keefie on Mon Dec 07, 2015 1:28 pm

ViperOverLord wrote:The next beta map release will be serious cause for celebration. I doubt there's ever been a drought this long.


WW1 Gallipoli was quenched a couple of weeks ago mate.
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Re: Is the foundry officially dead?

Postby degaston on Mon Dec 07, 2015 1:31 pm

Keefie wrote:
ViperOverLord wrote:The next beta map release will be serious cause for celebration. I doubt there's ever been a drought this long.


WW1 Gallipoli was quenched a couple of weeks ago mate.

I guess somebody hasn't been reading the Conquer Club Dispatch. :lol:
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Re: Is the foundry officially dead?

Postby Dukasaur on Tue Dec 08, 2015 12:18 am

Keefie wrote:
ViperOverLord wrote:The next beta map release will be serious cause for celebration. I doubt there's ever been a drought this long.


WW1 Gallipoli was quenched a couple of weeks ago mate.

An overdue quenching is anticlimactic. A new release is exciting.
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Re: Is the foundry officially dead?

Postby Arama86n on Tue Dec 08, 2015 7:52 am

degaston wrote:
blakebowling wrote:I believe there are too many maps already, and if anything the least popular maps should be removed.
I think you might be on to something, but you're probably not going far enough. If they simply remove all of the maps, then people will have to come back to the foundry, right? :roll:

Saying that there are too many maps here is like saying that Amazon has too many products. The problem is not too many maps, but that there's no easy way to differentiate them. They're all just thrown into the map browser as one big pile of 244 maps. How is a new player supposed to digest all of that and figure out which ones to play? They need to fix it so that people can sort and/or filter maps based on any number of categories - size, popularity, difficulty, XML features, real/fictional setting, suitability for various game options, etc.


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Re: Is the foundry officially dead?

Postby owenshooter on Wed Feb 10, 2016 12:10 pm

OFFICIAL FOUNDRY DAY CELEBRATION!!!!



HURRAH!!!-Jésus noir
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Re: Is the foundry officially dead?

Postby JBlombier on Thu Feb 11, 2016 6:24 pm

Damn it, I missed the Foundry Day Celebration!

Congrats anyway, to whoever feels like being Foundry.

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Re: Is the foundry officially dead?

Postby Butters1919 on Thu Feb 11, 2016 9:16 pm

lostatlimbo wrote:Is the foundry officially dead?


Yes.
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Re: Is the foundry officially dead?

Postby IcePack on Fri Feb 12, 2016 5:02 pm

Butters1919 wrote:
lostatlimbo wrote:Is the foundry officially dead?


Yes.


More like dying, alone, on a street, after being shot, with pedestrians walking past and over the body as the foundry gasps its final breath...
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Re: Is the foundry officially dead?

Postby SimplyObsessed on Sat Feb 13, 2016 1:26 am

It has been a couple of years since I was last here (strange being a free player!) and I must say that i'm disappointed that the whole site generally is no longer as active as it once was.
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Re: Is the foundry officially dead?

Postby Armandolas on Tue Apr 19, 2016 6:12 pm

Armandolas wrote:
blakebowling wrote:We're currently having a discussion in Foundry Private. Hopefully we'll have some news shortly.


So what did you achieve in that super meeting?

A dancing gecko map»?


..almost a year later..is the gecko still dancing?
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Re: Is the foundry officially dead?

Postby dolomite13 on Sun Jun 26, 2016 8:08 pm

I've been gone for a long time as well and just noticed I still have a map sitting in Beta ... i'm guessing the foundry is dead but I would like to actually send in a xml update... would that get updated or should I not bother?

=D13=
Where Have I Been? ... Testing a prototype board game that I co-designed called Alien Overrun!
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Re: Is the foundry officially dead?

Postby IcePack on Mon Jun 27, 2016 2:42 pm

dolomite13 wrote:I've been gone for a long time as well and just noticed I still have a map sitting in Beta ... i'm guessing the foundry is dead but I would like to actually send in a xml update... would that get updated or should I not bother?

=D13=


Update it :)
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Re: Is the foundry officially dead?

Postby HuSongHua on Thu Aug 04, 2016 3:00 am

After a long period of absence I wanted to get involved in map making. Mainly overall concept and graphic design. But stumbling on this thread + seeing that it's almost the only one with recent activity, I wonder if it is worth the effort ???
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