Beta Maps section open at Real Maps

[Guest]

Our Beta Maps section is open and accepting all real world beta maps. Please read the beta maps guidlines here http://www.planetunreal.com/realmaps/betamaps.htm before you submit to us, and if you could include 2 screen in jpeg format that would be great. Also please try and label the beta number or your map to cut down on confusion.

We have two up right now AS-Escape and DM-Fulton, so please submit some maps and check it out
Thanks
CC

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Want to be an Infiltrator? Get the goods at:
http://www.planetunreal.com/realmaps/

 

[Andirez]

Realmap's is just getting better and better.

One thing about the realitymeter though...
As you said, AS-Terrain made the criteria to have a really good map go up, but all the previous maps that have had a totally real score just kept it.
Wouldn't it be possible to have some sort of factor with which you could multiply the previous scores of all the reviewed maps, depending on the map that has the highest standards so far ? So everything would be updated when there's a new standard.

Hope you understand what I'm trying to say. Having some difficulties explaining this in english. (If you speak dutch...) .

Andirez.

BTW. Does anybody have some textures of wallpaper ?

 

[Guest]

I cant speak for the other reviewers, but the reality meter seems to be serving us pretty well, the only other maps that I have given the Real! award to was DM-Tyard, and even with AS-Terrain, the map still deserves it, it is truly an amazing map and stands on its own. Im not sure if well be adjusting the scores that often, it is alot of work, and what is more likely to happen is that well have an archives section going where the lower scoring maps live, so they dont take up space. In effect, the maps that survive on the main page well be the ones that have withstood the test of time.

You want textures? I just uploaded 19MB of textures and they are ready for your dowloading pleasure on the textures page http://www.planetunreal.com/realmaps/textures.htm

You can use some of the tile textures as wallpapers as long as they dont have a 3D quality to them...just a thought. Hope they help.
CC

------------------
Want to be an Infiltrator? Get the goods at:
http://www.planetunreal.com/realmaps/

 

[RegularX]

I think it works well for the site. The reality meter lets you know the overall realism in the map, but reading through the review gives you that "it's a fun map, but it's not real because it has an alien head in the fridge."

 

[Andirez]

Don't get me wrong, I really like the reality meter but I just don't think that maps like DM-Bigclapper & DM-Archives deserve a full real. They are nice but compared to AS-Terrain... Anyway, I like DM-Bigclapper very much, but I also think that it lacks many features to give it this high score (in general it hasn't much eyecandy, no real windows, just white walls). Gameplay is excellent though.

BTW. About the new texturepacks : Terrific work !!!!!!!!
Thanks /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

 

[Buddy_Pickle]

The main reason for not changing scores based on new maps being better,(A trend we hope continues...), is the same reason that magazines dont go back and give Doom II a lower score because Q3 is a better game. (Just as an example...)

We may make notes to a review...as we have done already. We may even knock a score down based on bugs people report that we did not find in the testing of the map. Other than that, if it is just a matter of new maps getting better and better, we will let the old one stay where they were, when they were.

Buddy Pickle www.planetunreal.com/realmaps

 

[Sylvester]

One mistake in your reasoning...you can't buy doom II at the stores. And yes, doom II was great for it's time, but the difference with the maps is that when a new guy comes to the site he'll download all the maps with a perfect score and now there are maps that don't have the perfect score and still are better than some that the new guy downloaded.

In my opinion it is dissapointing for new mappers to see that their map doesn't score as high as a map that is worse, but just got lucky that they where reviewd much earlier.

I'm with andirez on this one. IMO it would be better to give all the maps a score based on a standard map.
Ex:
if as-terrain got a 10:
-in relation to as-terrain, this map deserves a 9
-in relation to as-terrain, this map deserves a 13

For each different gametype you could pick a different map that you compare all the new maps to.

Or, invent your own system that allows to give new maps a chance to beat the old
(if there better of course)


Just giving some tips...i like the site, visit it every day.


Sylvester out...

 

[RegularX]

No offense, Sylvester, but that's insane.

a) Can't expect the reviewers to review a map based on another's maps qualities.
b) As a newbie mapper, I would hate to think that my map would be rated as "it sucks compared to this other one"

I say let the earlier maps get an overall higher score because they were earlier maps. You gotta give a guy something for getting good stuff out early.

 

[Buddy_Pickle]

I appreciate this kind of feedback. My goal is to try and improve our reviews system as we move along. The fact is, interest in reality maps is growing to the point that we are going to have to do something about sorting these maps, not to mention the rating system.

Let me clarify my point in my last post: (Perhaps my Doom II example was not very good.) Think of it like thisÂ….If a movie critic comes out on a weekend and claims that The Sixth Sense is the best film of the year, but two weeks later sees American Beauty and then says itÂ’s the best film of the year, should we ask him to go back and re-write his review of Sixth and take off a star?

I am not saying it canÂ’t be done, I am just saying it takes more time than I have at the moment. Like mentioned before, we will add notes to reviews to talk about new aspects missed the first time, or bugs and such.

Now with that said, I am currently working on a CGI script that will help automate the rating process, and IÂ’m also working on a system of basing reviews on previous benchmarks, as you have just suggested. (ie If Terrain is the best AS map right now, how does this new map compareÂ….Something to that effect.)

Who knowsÂ….we just love these maps, and I am sure sometimes, the opinion of the reviewer might not exactly reflect the core of the Inf community, but we try hard to hit the best mark we can.

Thanks!!

BuddyPickle www.planetunreal.com/realmaps

 

[Sylvester]

Hey...

thanx to listen to the advice, i apreciate the efforts that you guys put in this!

RegularX...
Maybe my comparance to the other map idea wasn't that great, but i've tought of it that the revieuwers should compare maps to other to give the map a score, but shouldn't talk of in public. Hey...in belgium it is illegal tho do that in a commercial(unlike in america where i saw a commercial from jack in the box, saying that their fries where better than MacDonalds) but common...everybody compares one to another.
I must admit that your right that early mappers should be awarded for their efforts.

Hey, i've even got an other silly idea... why dont you make it so that you give a map a certain playing time... say that you have 100% time to play maps... when you've got 10 maps and they are equally good, than you play each map 10% of your time...
Say that you collect maps for a week and at the end of the week you give them a rating, or you'll wait until you've got 5 or 10 maps and rate them...
at the end of the month you'll rerate the best of the maps that you'll collected during that month...

Kinda complicated, but could work(or not)

Sylvester out...

I'll accept criticism just as I want others to accept mine...if everybody does that, the world would be a better place.

Criticize me!!
Espeacialy when i've mis-spelled criticize.

 

[RegularX]

And like I said, Syl, meant no offense. Replace insane with nutty /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif. Been awfully surly today.

 

[Buddy_Pickle]

Sylvestor, I think you may be onto something here. For example, CoffeyCan and I should track what maps make our own personal and lan party rotations, and report it weekly or monthly, sort of like "What Maps are we playing NOW". Make it a regular feature.

I may have given BigClapper the highest score, but I don't play it as much as say AS-Prisson. (Since it was fixed, it has been hard for me not to play that one.) And that map got a very average review from Dragon.

Is it becuase I am sick of DM or standoff only? Maybe....I just think that at least for now, Infiltration is best played in objective-based maps. (i.e. Assault)

I really like that idea. I suppose I will need to formulate the best way to track and report it, but a good idea none the less.

BuddyPickle www.planetunreal.com/realmaps

 

[Sylvester]

I'm always happy if someone likes my idea...
I you need more ideas, you know where to find me and then i'll see what i can come up with /infopop/emoticons\icon_wink.gif

Sylvester out...
Critisize me!

 

[Andirez]

I also like the idea of Sylly /infopop/emoticons\icon_wink.gif
It would be nice to have a weekly updated top ten of the best maps & most played at the moment.