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Share Your Opinion! -- The Map Foundry: Stamp of Approval?

Old issues and old threads regarding various newsletter things.

Moderator: Community Team

How often do you frequent the Foundry?

Poll ended at Tue Jun 09, 2009 1:06 pm

I go in all the time, and I comment on a lot of the maps in the process.
4
9%
I go pretty frequently, I like seeing all the maps being made, and I comment on the ones I really like.
8
19%
I pop in to see what's new sometimes, but I don't really post. I don't know that much about maps.
12
28%
The map making process confuses me and I'd rather just wait for the maps to come out than get involved with the process.
2
5%
I've tried to go in before to add some ideas but I didn't feel very welcomed since I wasn't a regular.
10
23%
I am in the process of making a map and I am finding it hard without the community's constructive help.
3
7%
I am in the process of making a map and I love all the help I am getting in the Foundry.
2
5%
Other -- Please leave your comments below!!
2
5%
 
Total votes : 43

Re: Share Your Opinion! -- But Only If It Is Positive!!

Postby oaktown on Tue Jun 16, 2009 12:29 am

pimphawks70 wrote:I have tried to read through the map foundry on occasion and 1. much of it is so far over my head (the technical part of map making) and 2. when somebody makes a legitimate suggestion they are shot down often with the response "well why didn't you say that 2 months ago". I think the problem is that only people who frequently visit the map foundry forum are taken seriously.

You are spot on, pimphawks. To address your first point, you probably find that things are over your head both because some elements of mapmaking are somewhat technical (like working out the code and how bonuses will work) and because a great deal of Foundry work depends on institutional memory, ie. comparisons to past maps, lessons learned, informal standards, how individuals work, etc.

As for the second point, yes mapmakers occasionally play the "you should have said that earlier" card. I've even done it a couple of times. It is usually said out of frustration, because it takes anywhere from three months to a year to make a map, and it can be really disheartening when after six months of hammering out gameplay somebody says "Hey, why don't you give a bonus for holding X." But (and I am saying this with emphasis so that I am not misquoted) the fact that a suggestion is made at an inappropriate time does not mean the mapmaker is free to rip the poster a new one. [-X

The Foundry is different than other CC forums in that it is a place where real work is being done. And in order for work to proceed everybody who ventures in there has to recognize that they have some responsibilities. The casual poster has the responsibility when posting feedback to determine whether or not his criticism is constructive and appropriate; this can be extremely difficult for new posters who aren't familiar with the process or the institutional factors I mentioned above. A mapmaker has the responsibility to accept that criticism is being offered in the spirit of trying to make the map better, and to respond accordingly; this too can be extremely difficult when you've put a lot of hours into a map and you begin to take criticism personally.

As I see it we could use two things... first, a better introduction to the Foundry for new posters. If everybody understood how the foundry worked it would be easier to jump into. Second, better support for mapmakers. It's a long and very frustrating process, and while we want CC's standards to remain high it would be nice if the process were easier. But to do make both of these things happen takes a serious commitment of time on somebody's part, and unless CC is ready to take on a full time Foundry Guide I don't see either happening to the extent that it should.

This same discussion is being had in the Foundry... I'd invite you all to join it there so we don't have to say everything twice.

viewtopic.php?f=127&t=89075
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Re: Share Your Opinion! -- The Map Foundry: Stamp of Approval?

Postby jpcloet on Tue Jun 16, 2009 6:00 am

the.killing.44 wrote:so when someone comes in in the final stages or even post-development, and states that there's a glaring flaw on something deemed "finished"


Define "deemed". Sounds like someone or some people are making assumptions about it fully being through a stage vs significantly complete. If this is happening, maybe a more thorough review needs to take place before it gets a particular stamp. If getting a stamp means that there are no possible map issues, then we do have a problem.
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Re: Share Your Opinion! -- The Map Foundry: Stamp of Approval?

Postby jiminski on Tue Jun 16, 2009 6:14 am

jpcloet wrote:
the.killing.44 wrote:so when someone comes in in the final stages or even post-development, and states that there's a glaring flaw on something deemed "finished"


Define "deemed". Sounds like someone or some people are making assumptions about it fully being through a stage vs significantly complete. If this is happening, maybe a more thorough review needs to take place before it gets a particular stamp. If getting a stamp means that there are no possible map issues, then we do have a problem.



in my experience the stamps are Awarded after the maximum scrutiny.. i guess it depends upon artist quite a lot and how open to criticism and advice they are... Usually at the point where a person comes in and says "hmmm well actually i think it should be green instead of red over there..!" the artists patience is so stretched by compromise that the advice may not be adhered to.

Saying this, i did make a suggesting on clarifying the wording of the grounds for game victory on Mogul (a player having realised that he must hold the winning territory for a round) and what seemed to be a fairly sensible fine-tuning was overlooked due to any mistake being the fault of anyone silly enough not to understand the nuances of convention.
I thought that this was a little inflexible and unnecessarily intransigent but as i say the process is usually protracted and exacting and patience is generally spent by the last stage.
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Re: Share Your Opinion! -- The Map Foundry: Stamp of Approval?

Postby oaktown on Tue Jun 16, 2009 9:27 am

jpcloet wrote:
the.killing.44 wrote:so when someone comes in in the final stages or even post-development, and states that there's a glaring flaw on something deemed "finished"


Define "deemed". Sounds like someone or some people are making assumptions about it fully being through a stage vs significantly complete. If this is happening, maybe a more thorough review needs to take place before it gets a particular stamp. If getting a stamp means that there are no possible map issues, then we do have a problem.

There have hundreds of cases of somebody coming in to post suggestions of maps that have been "deemed" complete and loaded on the site for live play. If I spend nine months making a map and it goes live, I'm always a bit bewildered at the comments that then come back for the first time... stuff like
Its a great map one bug though in coding and thats Italy cant attack Germany, only Austria-Hungary.

Please fix.

This is a real example of somebody who didn't notice that there are mountains between Germany and Italy on my Eastern Hemisphere map, and as a result I went back into the map to add a bit of legend pointing out what mountains look like and that they are impassable.

Sometimes we miss things, and sometimes we assume that CC users are smarter than the average bear, but more often the late comments are subjective opinions. Again, this is a real comment made after my Berlin map was live:
Color would greatly enhance this map. I love the concept, just can't stand looking at it.

So... after six months of laboring to make the image look like a 1960s monochrome map, I'm now supposed to heed this one entirely subjective comment and completely redo the map? This is what I would call a comment that came in too late.
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Re: Share Your Opinion! -- The Map Foundry: Stamp of Approval?

Postby Qwert on Tue Jun 16, 2009 5:24 pm

Im retired from Making map,and im retired from posting in Map foundry,because process become to long and many thing become very iritating. Some thing what whas anoing,is that CA can do many things,like Creating Classic Art map totaly closed for all regular foundry posters,and product is much low in graphic,and these map not spend 6 month in hard work.And what is most worse 6 people get medal for that,totaly not right to all other map makers who are kick for 6 moth in executing sugestions for improving a map. Any mine attempt to get some explanation,how its these possible that these Elite Map MAkers(half is CA) can create map against all rules in Foundry process,i get sarcastic answers. If rules is not same for all,then its normal,that some people have some kind of privileges in creating a map,and that many new map makers,will be ignored,and will not get support.
OFcourse you can be headiness,and maybe can manage to move your map up, but for that you will need to spend very large period in map foundry,and to have great patience,to repeat all explanation,more time,to people finaly accept yours explanations.
MAny time i give opinions and sugestions,but 95% of mine sugestions,whas ignored and rejected,and i stop posted in other map topic. If mine sugestions is rejected(and im a so kind of map maker),what is chance that yours not foundry regulars,be acepted?
Any way im quit with Map foundry,so these is mine last post opinion abouth Foundry process.
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Re: Share Your Opinion! -- The Map Foundry: Stamp of Approval?

Postby AndyDufresne on Tue Jun 16, 2009 7:15 pm

Qwert brings up some interesting points. Lets look at them:

Im retired from Making map,and im retired from posting in Map foundry,because process become to long and many thing become very iritating.

I'm sorry to hear that Qwert. You've had some good maps. But as everyone knows, the Foundry goes through cycles of cartographers, and as some of our veterans start to retire, some great new blood starts to step up, as evident in some of our recent BETA and soon-to-be-BETA maps. So as we say farewell, we can still say hello to new faces. :)

Some thing what whas anoing,is that CA can do many things,like Creating Classic Art map totaly closed for all regular foundry posters,and product is much low in graphic,and these map not spend 6 month in hard work.And what is most worse 6 people get medal for that,totaly not right to all other map makers who are kick for 6 moth in executing sugestions for improving a map. Any mine attempt to get some explanation,how its these possible that these Elite Map MAkers(half is CA) can create map against all rules in Foundry process,i get sarcastic answers. If rules is not same for all,then its normal,that some people have some kind of privileges in creating a map,and that many new map makers,will be ignored,and will not get support.

This point is really a moot point, but I'll address it anyways for clarification. As we've long discussed Qwert, you (and others) are perhaps forgetting some of the, hm, various legal reasons behind why the original Classic was taken down and replaced. And then why, after some discussion about Classic: Shapes, that a new alternative might be nice. Because of a specific time frame, a very, very, very short time frame, we found a small group of Foundry Regulars/Cartographers, that were available at the time, to work speed style to come up with an alternative choice. Had others been available, we surely would have had others join in. Because of the pressure on this group, to succeed essentially in the face failure speeding towards them on a freight train, we awarded special medals to the individuals involved. I don't see something like this ever happening again. Sometimes unique circumstances require unique procedures. I think this is understandable.

OFcourse you can be headiness,and maybe can manage to move your map up, but for that you will need to spend very large period in map foundry,and to have great patience,to repeat all explanation,more time,to people finaly accept yours explanations.

Some of the great keys to mapmaking: endurance, patience and vision = all breed success. Cartographers who lack endurance may start off with a great flurry of activity, updates, and show a lot of promise, but if they lack the time commitment or the commitment to periodic updates to keep activity and people commenting in their map topic, it may well be destined to fall to the way side.

Those who lack patience may get frustrated with other commenters that come into the topic new. As we all know, many people do not read every post in a topic, so when people come in to comment, they are often commenting on the latest update---which can be good, when new things are being tried out and shown, and also bad, when old things that have been rehashed have been brought up again. The trick is patience---in addition to keeping a good "First post" with a list of fixes and the pages they are on, and the suggestions that were noted but were not taken into the map. The cartographer can do a lot to increase their patience.

And for the last one, vision---cartographers that lack the great idea to grip an audience, and how everything will play out in their map topic---directing feedback on specific issues or concerns, etc, may also not have what it takes to see a map all the way through.

All of this sounds daunting---and frightening, and perhaps even disheartening. A lot of ideas to fail, that is the nature of the Foundry that we have created. But those ideas that do succeed really go on to have great success and are met with fantastic enthusiasim. One piece of advice that more new cartographers should follow? --- Partner up with someone. A great example of this recently is thenobodies80 and pikkio. They recently finished Castle Lands and Oceania. We've had other great pairings in the past, Coleman and Gimil, Gimil and Edbeard, Yeti_C and Widowmakers, Mibi and Coleman---and quite a few more.

MAny time i give opinions and sugestions,but 95% of mine sugestions,whas ignored and rejected,and i stop posted in other map topic. If mine sugestions is rejected(and im a so kind of map maker),what is chance that yours not foundry regulars,be acepted?
Any way im quit with Map foundry,so these is mine last post opinion abouth Foundry process.

Qwert brings up an interesting point here. His exaggeration is noted---however, not every suggestion someone has for a map either: A. Fits within the cartographer's vision, or B. Adds significance to the map, C. May be more personal preference.

In regards to A, someone may indeed have a great amazing idea for a map, say adding a wall of neutrals on a map about the Great Wall of China...however, if the cartographer is just looking to make a standard World Domination map, they may not see the addition of neutrals as a good thing.

In regards to B, a suggestion may not add anything of significance to a map. Say we have a map about World Governments. Say there are some Aliens located in space as well. Someone may suggest that, hey, if you conquer and hold the Aliens, that could be a great Objective and way to win the game. But sometimes adding objectives, just for the sake of adding them, or other features such as reseting neutrals, strange bonus structures, etc, may not really add anything to the map and game experience, other than unnecessary clutter.

In regards to C, this is probably what people encounter the most in the Foundry when suggestions are made: the user is suggesting something that would be preferable to them. This may involve say the color of a zone region, where one user may think it looks better with a slight lavender tone, while the cartographer may prefer a pale blue, and someone else a vibrant yellow. The trick of the cartographer is to sift through all the personal preferences, and see if they can find middle ground that most everyone enjoys---including themselves.

Whewphfta. Just letting everyone know that the C.A.'s and I are indeed listening to all this, as are the rest of the Foundry regulars. We all like you people outside the Foundry, but we'd much rather have you in here looking out with us, than out looking in on us. ;)


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Re: Share Your Opinion! -- But Only If It Is Positive!!

Postby Woodruff on Wed Jun 17, 2009 10:37 pm

oaktown wrote:
owenshooter wrote: they truly aren't listening to what those of us with valid issues with the foundry have to say.

Who is "they"? And who is "us"? I've read this entire thread, and I've done nothing to keep anyone from espressing their opinions, as you accuse. Rather I'm just trying to make the point that the "Foundry" is me, and it is you owenshooter, and it is you too Woodruff. Everyone who has ever participated in the Foundry is responsible for making it what it is today.


This is starting to the point...I've never FELT like anyone considered me a part of the Foundry (including me, to be honest, given my very limited participation to this point). And to be honest, I don't think you really do either, at least not when you're not seriously thinking about it...for instance, if you're just generally thinking about Foundry members, your thoughts would naturally and understandably turn to the gimils and Tactixs.
Helping new folks to FEEL like they're a worthwhile part of the Foundry would go a long way to easing this problem, I think.
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Re: Share Your Opinion! -- The Map Foundry: Stamp of Approval?

Postby oaktown on Thu Jun 18, 2009 1:18 am

InsomniaRed wrote:This is for the Community Opinion piece for Conquer Club News.

The Map Foundry is a forum here on Conquer Club (viewforum.php?f=10) and lately there hasn't been quite as much activity around the map-making forum. What are your feelings concerning the forum? Do you have any ideas to make it more interesting or to get the community more involved in the process? Tell us!!

Please vote, post and explain your opinion!!

-Insom

PS - Please don't spam this thread with anything that is not relevant to the topic, thank you ;)

I think that folks have done a nice job of staying on topic and not getting too personal in this thread, but as it was intended to gather some perspectives and not become a debate, perhaps it has served its purpose and deserves to be locked. I would hope that InsomniaRed, who started this thread, could perhaps pay it a visit and decide if it makes sense to continue.

Personally, I'm tired of having this same discussion over and over again with the same people, and won't be coming into this thread again. All I can really say is that the Foundry is what it is; some of us try very hard to improve how it works; we would like to have many more CC users help out and propose new map ideas; and if you don't like it then (like everything else in life) you should spend your time doing something else that you find more enjoyable. Cheers.
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Re: Share Your Opinion! -- The Map Foundry: Stamp of Approval?

Postby samuelc812 on Thu Jun 18, 2009 1:40 am

This thread has served it's purpose and InsomniaRed has more than enough content to write an article.

As Andy said, the CA's have listened to this and have taken it all into consideration. Thankyou to all who shared their opinion :)

Any further discussion should take place in the Foundry Thread --> Combatting Foundry Elitism

This thread is locked.
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