Some legitimate questions, so I shall attempt to answer.
1) Why is it acceptable in the foundry for anyone to refer to another person's creative work as shit? Seriously, someone, answer me that? I don't care if Mibi and Porkenbeans don't get along. How is that acceptable? Between two adults, no less?
Because the moderation policy of the entire CC forum is hands-off to language used, as well as forbids the deletion of virtually all posts. While I would agree that being a little more proactive about inflammatory posts (removing them), the policy doesn't allow for it to be addressed, and even if it did, with all the other things the Foundry Staff need to handle, worrying about every single maybe-over-the-line post is the straw that breaks the camel's back. If you follow the "but there are some posts that are just straight wrong" line of argument, we run into the quintessential conundrum "where is the line?" And that is a whole can of worms that can be handled far better (and has been historically shown to be a good idea) of ignoring the bad post.
2) Why are other threads moderated to be on topic, but in the Foundry I get to hear about 20 other maps and past vendettas in each thread?
That is a biased viewpoint. You said yourself you follow pork's maps, and not many others. His argument/complaint/debate/whatever with the "foundry elite" has gotten to the point that any post they make, for good or ill, will offtrack the topic. I reference moderation policy as stated above that says "no deletion" for why it spirals further and further out of control. I know for a fact most of the maps I find interest in (among them Danyael's Goblin Tribes) do not get that derailment.
3) Why do map makers ignore helpful community comments to debate opacity brush settings and if the fact that an old map uses 49%, then this map can't use 48%?
I know you were playing to audacity and don't mean that literally, but with 146 and growing maps comparisons are inevitable. This is made "worse" by the fact that a lot of the people who have been around a long time have personally been around and commented on maps all the way back to at least to #77 (my personal mark, Prohibition Chicago), and I know there are ones still older. I do not think comparisons are bad. I think it raises the bar for the requirement of a map of distinct theme, gameplay, and graphics. It's a challenge to the mapmaker to make the map distinct. My own The Citadel faced comparisons of CCU-clone from practically the very first post. It ended up not playing a thing like CCU, but I had to justify that difference countless times.
Addressing the community comments angle, I say that responding is purely in the hands of the mapmaker. Me personally, I will pay attention to all comments and try to make some response or change based on them. I know of several others that do the same, and they happen to coincide with the "Foundry Elite" as well as some of the more successful starting mapmakers. That, in my opinion, truly is the difference between getting a quenched map in a decent amount of time and sitting around spinning wheels. Listening and considering every opinion regardless of source.
4) Why do maps start out with fledgling support, scratching along tooth and nail, then some experienced map maker comes in and offers a laundry list of foundry to-dos, then disappears? If you are going to use your experience or knowledge to promote your ideas, then do it with some meaning. We need people to stop popping into a new map makers thread, listing ten complaints, saying "Well, from my experience with other maps", then disappearing.
Hey, what's with the complaint against my Attacks, huh? I kid, I kid. I don't think that an experienced mapmaker coming in and suggesting a lot of ways to improve the map all at once is a bad thing. Heck, if anything the mapmaker is armed with a large list of things to consider and look at in a new light. And I don't consider them complaints either. No commenter is complaining in the "zomg you just don't get it, you suck" sense, unless they explicitly say that (different subject, see above). Even the most humble and self-critical mapmaker is going to miss things, and the more things to take a closer look at, the far higher the chance of a much better map.
5) Why does the foundry spend so much time discouraging new map makers? Why not give them the tools? Think about it, the revamp contests are cool, but really, it is the same 6 people who really have any sort of chance. Why would I even try when I know there are at least 5 people who will definitely do a better job than me?
I would disagree. There is a difference between discouraging and giving the straight truth. The Foundry is hard work that will require months of effort to produce just one finished work. NOT saying that and tempering expectations is just inviting the newer mapmaker for greater disappointment. I would also disagree on there not being tools. There are a slew of tutorials ripe for the picking in the "Foundry
Tips and Discussion" forum of all places. Additionally, most experienced mapmakers attempt to suggest not just a change, but roughly how it would be accomplished. So instead of "the map is too dark," they'll add "consider using a Brightness adjustment, or lighter colors on the bonus regions."
Something implied that needs to be considered is that tone through text is purely subjective to the reader, and perception becomes the reality. If one reads a post and thinks that the entire thing is in a beat-you-over-the-head tone of voice, then it is so, even if the poster writing it was thinking from a "hey, this is something to look at, just saying" tone of voice. We are strictly limited by the medium we use, and we have to consider those limitations. I have always interpreted all but the most venomous posts in a bemused, you-see-what-happened-was tone of voice. As a result, I'm not pissed off at every post of potential improvement (not complaint!) from people.
6) Why do mapmakers always whine about maps not quenching fast enough? Oh wait, I guess just because this is CC and we already whine about Sugs and Bugs not moving fast enough, C&A not moving fast enough...
Because it used to take less time, far less time. The development cycle used to be 2-4 months, then 4-6, and now it's at 6-12 for just one map. That's a long time investment, a lot of it spent waiting for people to just post something to do. I stated earlier in topic that nostalgia is a very powerful human emotion. Knowing how it Used to Be™ and wishing it were so can cause a lot of posted grief over the fact that it is not.
