This is just an idea I've had. I'm not promissing anything yet. I just want to throw around the idea a bit with people to see how it might go. I'm starting to get a bit bored of the stock maps, and the community has more than its share of mappers whom I'm sure could make quality polished maps if they were so inclined. --So for that reason and because I think Empires players should support their mod, here is my idea. I think I would be willing to pay a small amount of money for quality polished maps. If there are others with simular sentaments. I was thinking we could setup a small commissioning system. A group of people would agree to put maybe $1-5 towards a chosen map from time to time, and then mappers would submit thier in-progress map to the group. The group would choose one and then make a bid with requirements for payment completion. If the mapper accepted the bid, when the completion requirements were acomplished the mapper would get payed for thier map. $1-5 dollars is almost nothing and would ensure high quality and frequent map developement. Mappers would be more willing to make maps, and do it in a timely and high quality fasion if they were going to get payed for the map... --So I guess that is my idea. Time for some feedback and brain storming.
Are you INSANE? Paying for a map? We will end up like Bethesda did with Oblivion... blah. I know that mapping for Empires takes a lot of time and is very hard, but seriously... the devs are working for free too. Empires has way too less maps and starting a system where you have to pay 5$ to play a map and 25$ to put it on your server wont help... Give me the map and I may compile it.
I THINK you misunderstand. I'm not suggesting all mappers get payed for thier maps, or that all players have to pay to play maps, or that servers would have to pay have a map. I wasn't suggesting anything close to that.
If i would've been able to buy my new pc, i could've easily compiled maps at a fast pace, but noooo, mommy won't let me. Anyway, if people would stop nagging so much i'd feel motivated to work on maps, but all they do is ask for updates all the time. This circle only goes down, and when it hits rock bottom, it won't get up again.
Oh! Is the word "pay" the thing that is tripping people up? "Pay: to give, offer, or make freely or as fitting." Even with a more strick definition which also implies so service due. i.e. "Pay: to give in return for goods or service." Making a map is a good/service and we are talking about giving the mappers money. "Donate: to contribute to a public or charitable cause." Donations ARE payments. I wasn't suggesting we "Buy" maps.
Maybe if real maps got real attention, people would map more. I don't see Shadows/Smokies in a real server, so it is meh to work on them at times. Money is nice, but just people having fun is the reason I want to map. People have played that map hundreds of times. After a while, normal play is boring. Screw around and have fun.
I just thought awarding mappers with a bit of walking-around money, would be a good way to show appriciation for quality mapping. In my mind getting "payed" for mapping is definitely a sign of 'real attention.' Plus it would ear-mark the good maps for server inclusion. --But it is just an idea, and it is getting fairly negative reviews, so so-far it doesn't really look like it is going to happen. I like both those maps, it is a shame they were dropped from the trainingserver's rotation. I used to be a big mapper for CounterStrike1.6, so I know all about mapper frustration, appreciation, and map critisism.
No, this is not bad at all. The appreciation though is bigger when the map is played itself. That is why Shadows RC8 is made for a better gameplay for everyone, so people will play it. Money is a great way to show that you created quality work, but if it is not played, there is no real point.
I wouldn't accept money to map, much less pay for it. It's not difficult to do, just time consuming, so paying for it wouldn't make it go faster.
