Username(creator): Sushin
Map Name: Kishin's Lab
Forum Link: http://www.minecraftforum.net/topic/1402924-advpuzparkkishins-lab-131/
Genre: Adventure, with Puzzle and Parkour
Requirements(mods,texture packs,ect.): None, but there is a suggested texture pack in the download.
Estimated Completion Time: Around 20 minutes.
At first, I didn't know how I'd approach Gloria. Its creator, ColdFusionGaming, has been one of my favorite map creators ever since the moment he posted the first Hero's Quest. Then came the second adventure in the series, a far superior glance into the lands above. And then there was the third map. It blew my mind away. Redstone puzzles, traps, a solid story and some monumental visual appeal. It's now been four maps since Hero's Quest I, and ColdFusionGaming's experience shines like a bright star is a sea of black. Gloria is an incredible phenomenon that has taken the community by surprise, and in doing so, has risen above other such mapping feats such as the Kingdom of the Sky series or his own Hero's Quest series. It's not like any other adventure map out there, and instead treads in its own wake. Gloria is not only one of my favorite adventures available on the forums, it's one of the best maps made to date.
It redefines the adventure genre as we know it today, in a way few maps have. It packs the very same punch that made such monstrosities such as Eronev Mansion Adventure or the Paladin's Quest series, both of which brought new gameplay mechanics to the table in a believable and refreshing way. While ColdFusionGaming may not introduce very many new elements to the table, everything it contains is refreshing and wondrous, save for one gripe I have regarding the progression. Whether it be a staggeringly exciting boss battle or inventive ceiling-credits, there's lots to impress you no matter what corner you turn.
The map has an incredibly solid story. It mentions clearly that it was inspired by the television show LOST, and the way the story is textured and layered carefully in separate parts is evidence. CFG doesn't give you the whole story right away the way most adventures do. It carefully plots its storyline to reveal what exactly is going on at just the right moments. You begin as a survivor of a shipwreck, barely alive, with little to guide you. A short introduction finds you helping out fellow survivors, but it isn't very long before you begin to realize things aren't exactly as it seems. A nuclear reactor is found. You begin a treacherous journey through a plethora of interesting locales, and over time you start to realize something. Your character is growing, learning from his mistakes, interacting with the environments with care. He isn't a survivor anymore. He's an explorer. A fighter. Everything you want him to be. A hero.
There is but one gripe I have about the story. It is all well plotted-out, straight-forward, gripping, until you reach the penultimate point of the story. And it falls flat. You are presented with a maze ("The Maze of Insanity", a name it shares with the infamously clever maze from the first Kingdom of the Sky) which doesn't fit the story at all, and while well constructed, ruptures the atmosphere in a place where it really shouldn't have, considering that the adventure had reached the peak of its quality just minutes prior.
But when I played through the adventure, that's not what was in my notes. It was merely an afterthought. And that's great, because it shows truly how much CFG gets right about adventure mapping. Take the visual appeal for example. Gloria is not so much about scale as it is atmosphere, and so it doesn't try to be. The aesthetics you'll encounter in Gloria are refreshingly original and make use of blocks in ways I truly wasn't expecting. They aren't huge and overwhelming or small and pitiful, instead remaining just in line with the way the atmosphere dictates. It is mysteriously science-fiction in a world that shouldn't be that way, and while that may seem contradictory, it falls right into the path the story creates.
However, none of these reasons are why you'll truly divulge in Gloria's web. Sure, the visuals and plot are great successes, but it all boils down to the atmosphere's strength. And really, not only does the atmospheric value uphold the entire adventure, it lifts it above where it needs to be. Gloria recaptures that feeling of odd and gripping discovery that made LOST so incredible, and improves on such key elements. For one, the background music selection is sound, and yes, pun intended. It is probably the most well-chosen selection of score of incompetech.com that I've seen to date. It does a huge favor to the atmospheric stroke of genius that is Gloria, but it isn't the only element. Gloria is completely unpredictable. You'll never guess where it is going next, and it is for this reason alone that it fails to fall into traditional story clichés.
I won't ramble on further, even if it would be for a good cause. Instead, I'll leave you knowing the following: Gloria is one of the finest blessings ever to fall upon the mapping community. You'll never find another one quite like it, and its only successor I see in true sight is its sequel, set to be released very soon. The adventure is a magnificent triumph, and you'd be doing yourself a huge disservice to not download it. CFG has eventfully crammed all of his knowledge into an hour and a half of his best work.
Bugs/tips -my only major gripe is with the Maze of Insanity and the "added math", neither of which even remotely fit where the story was approaching. Either alter the story at least slightly to compensate, or remove it completely. In either case, get rid of the math, which made no sense and was random in a map that seemed so well thought-out prior to that.
-signs, god darn-it! They got in the way of the inventory space so many times! Any chance you could provide a hole to dispose of them or simply collect them with some fancy redstone? Just a thought.
Kmilley / Stream, I'm just wondering, when I do finish my map, will one of you be able to just rate it, without a review and all that, just so I know anything else I have to do. I really want to make sure it's perfected before I properly release it, but I don't want to go through the review process again. All I ask is for you to give 2 or 3 sentences after playing to tell me what I need to do.
Thanks
Priestbob
I'll post it on Boulefield's thread, then, so you don't have to keep checking here. Just PM me when the final version is up and ready!
Kmilley, I just saw the link to my map (The Learning) is replaced by someone else's link in the first post of this topic. Could you fix that please?
Also, (I'm sorry I forgot to mention this in my application), the map I submitted is still a WIP (along with the other elements I put in my app for genre).
If you are reading this, I can safely assume that you are looking for a good map to play. And if you're like me, you have scoured the entire maps section of this forum in the hopes that you'll stumble across an amazing map. And if you're like me, you may feel disappointed and/or frustrated when you download, play, and finish a map that effectively wasted your time with tedious gameplay or a weak storyline. The Syndicate is yet another example of this, I'm sad to say.
At the beginning of the map, it shows promise. A mystery to solve, a tricky redstone trap, and absolutely malicious signs set a fantastically oppressive mood. Then all of a sudden, a pathway through a world-generated mineshaft, abrupt and out-of-nowhere story exposition, and a nether portal? This is already about the first half of the map, and so far it has only taken me around 15 minutes to get through. This map is unsatisfyingly short!
The only true challenges of this map are small parkour sections, and they are extremely easy and boring. There is no real way to lose or die in this map, as the creator gives the player gratuitous amounts of gear, often providing swords for the occassional monster, and eventually, a full set of diamond armor. I didn't even see any true need for swords or armor anyway, because the only place where monsters could spawn was a tiny cave. I breezed through this map on account of it being far too forgiving. There's no fun in overcoming difficult tasks when they don't exist in the first place.
The story was confusing and rushed. Because the map was so short, the explanation of the story was more or less squished into a single room. This sudden jump in the progression of the plot, I believe, tears the pacing of the rest of the map apart. It barely makes any sense, because the map wasn't making much of an effort to explain it's world beforehand. Sure, the map had notes for me to read, but there were so little of them (five) that they felt thrown in and random. I wasn't able get a feel of the world that I was playing in, and that ruined my experience.
I can see that the creator of The Syndicate tried to do many things with it. I saw a few jumping obstacles, a small semblance of a story, and the slightest hint of world-building. But it's so short, it's so easy, and I hate to say it, but it all felt lazy and sloppy. From the challenges, the story, the pacing, to even the architecture, I did not notice any part of this map that was executed with much effort or simple consideration to gameplay. There was no consistency between the story and the challenges, there was barely any substance to the map, and the entire thing felt like the definition of unremarkable.
If you read through this, I can safely assume that you are looking for a good map to play. And if you're like me, you have become bitter and critical because maps like The Syndicate have become so common to the point of them being considered generic.
Bugs/tips
-The mineshaft area is a mess. Block off areas you don't want people to go, or they just might get lost.
-Stop being so generous with the equipment!
-Pace the map more smoothly. Sudden and full exposition to a story isn't good, and a really short journey with an anticlimactic end is definitely not the way to go. Time these things better. Imagine what a player might think when they play your map. And on that note...
-Get playtesters. This is so that you can have various opinions on certain areas, challenges, and bugs.
-Get more creative with your challenges. Also, make them harder.
-Read articles on game design and level design. Take some time to think about what makes a fun game.
-Don't let this review get you down. There is always room for improvement, especially as this is your first adventure map. Keep trying!
Kmilley, I just saw the link to my map (The Learning) is replaced by someone else's link in the first post of this topic. Could you fix that please?
Also, (I'm sorry I forgot to mention this in my application), the map I submitted is still a WIP (along with the other elements I put in my app for genre).
...whew. Jemlee's been working on my map for weeks now. i knew it was tricky, but i never would have guessed THAT tricky 0_o.
so is the problem with having too few playtesters, i suppose...although it doesn't help when almost nobody bothers to give any feedback at all when they DL. T_T
If you are reading this, I can safely assume that you are looking for a good map to play. And if you're like me, you have scoured the entire maps section of this forum in the hopes that you'll stumble across an amazing map. And if you're like me, you may feel disappointed and/or frustrated when you download, play, and finish a map that effectively wasted your time with tedious gameplay or a weak storyline. The Syndicate is yet another example of this, I'm sad to say.
At the beginning of the map, it shows promise. A mystery to solve, a tricky redstone trap, and absolutely malicious signs set a fantastically oppressive mood. Then all of a sudden, a pathway through a world-generated mineshaft, abrupt and out-of-nowhere story exposition, and a nether portal? This is already about the first half of the map, and so far it has only taken me around 15 minutes to get through. This map is unsatisfyingly short!
The only true challenges of this map are small parkour sections, and they are extremely easy and boring. There is no real way to lose or die in this map, as the creator gives the player gratuitous amounts of gear, often providing swords for the occassional monster, and eventually, a full set of diamond armor. I didn't even see any true need for swords or armor anyway, because the only place where monsters could spawn was a tiny cave. I breezed through this map on account of it being far too forgiving. There's no fun in overcoming difficult tasks when they don't exist in the first place.
The story was confusing and rushed. Because the map was so short, the explanation of the story was more or less squished into a single room. This sudden jump in the progression of the plot, I believe, tears the pacing of the rest of the map apart. It barely makes any sense, because the map wasn't making much of an effort to explain it's world beforehand. Sure, the map had notes for me to read, but there were so little of them (five) that they felt thrown in and random. I wasn't able get a feel of the world that I was playing in, and that ruined my experience.
I can see that the creator of The Syndicate tried to do many things with it. I saw a few jumping obstacles, a small semblance of a story, and the slightest hint of world-building. But it's so short, it's so easy, and I hate to say it, but it all felt lazy and sloppy. From the challenges, the story, the pacing, to even the architecture, I did not notice any part of this map that was executed with much effort or simple consideration to gameplay. There was no consistency between the story and the challenges, there was barely any substance to the map, and the entire thing felt like the definition of unremarkable.
If you read through this, I can safely assume that you are looking for a good map to play. And if you're like me, you have become bitter and critical because maps like The Syndicate have become so common to the point of them being considered generic.
Bugs/tips
-The mineshaft area is a mess. Block off areas you don't want people to go, or they just might get lost.
-Stop being so generous with the equipment!
-Pace the map more smoothly. Sudden and full exposition to a story isn't good, and a really short journey with an anticlimactic end is definitely not the way to go. Time these things better. Imagine what a player might think when they play your map. And on that note...
-Get playtesters. This is so that you can have various opinions on certain areas, challenges, and bugs.
-Get more creative with your challenges. Also, make them harder.
-Read articles on game design and level design. Take some time to think about what makes a fun game.
-Don't let this review get you down. There is always room for improvement, especially as this is your first adventure map. Keep trying!
fixed
It's hard for me to see a map which is, apparently, this bad and yet gets this many downloads. :/ By the way, I don't really see the point of the note "Get playtesters". How is the map maker supposed to choose the amount of feedback he/she gets? As far as I know, there is little you can do beyond a nice en clean presentation in your topic.
It's hard for me to see a map which is, apparently, this bad and yet gets this many downloads. :/ By the way, I don't really see the point of the note "Get playtesters". How is the map maker supposed to choose the amount of feedback he/she gets? As far as I know, there is little you can do beyond a nice en clean presentation in your topic.
To answer your question, I meant to say to get playtesters to play the map before it get's released.
There is always a possibility for having a select few people play your map before it gets posted. It could be your friends, family, even people you get by making a topic on this forum (before the map's release thread, of course.) It's very important to get other players' insights to your map, because otherwise, the only criticisms, the only compliments and notes for improvement, come from yourself, the map creator. The map creator can't have as many perspectives as other people, because he or she is only one person, naturally. It's good to have critics so you can know what you did right and where you went wrong, and adjust the maps accordingly.
Simply put, playtesters will tell you what they like, tell you what they don't like, point out bugs, suggest gameplay improvements, et cetera. All for the sake of making a more polished game to release to the masses.
It's hard for me to see a map which is, apparently, this bad and yet gets this many downloads. :/ By the way, I don't really see the point of the note "Get playtesters". How is the map maker supposed to choose the amount of feedback he/she gets? As far as I know, there is little you can do beyond a nice en clean presentation in your topic.
Maxwell’s escape was a truly enjoyable map. The story, while starting out as a quite generic escape mission stands out from the many other maps with the same baseline, evolving into an immersive story the player craves to complete. The puzzles were generally clever but not spectacular. What was best about them was that they blended in with the map so that the gameplay wasn’t like in a typical Minecraft puzzle map: 1. Get into a room 2. Solve the puzzle 3. Get into the next room 4. Rinse and repeat. The difficulty of the puzzles also got harder further you get in the map and they never failed to provide the player with something new and challenging and the player must remember to remain alert and aware of their surroundings and subtle hints for the puzzles.
The best part of the map was indeed the story and how it was told blending well with the gameplay and the puzzles. Overall, the map progressed very fluently and didn’t have much if any trenches of uncertainty and disorientation. The story begins in an unoriginal manner as the player is trapped inside an insert-name-and/or-purpose-here facility and has to escape. However the story evolves quickly, bringing in a vast array of different human relations and conspiracy theories of a small group of escapees in their desperate attempt to achieve freedom. The story was so well built that when finally reaching the end I felt sort of disappointed on how it all finally got to an end, hoping that the final scene would have been more than what seemed to be maybe a little rushed ending. Also in one point during the map there was a sudden lack of storytelling for a while which confused me a little after the more intense earlier parts.
As I already said the puzzles blended great with the flow of the map and the story, usually being subtle enough that the player hardly realizes they are doing one instead of just making progress travelling through the map. While not being wondrously original or well executed the enjoyment factor of the puzzles still rank high at least in my criteria.
While the story and the puzzles were the best parts of the map, the most notable downside was its design and architecture. They aren’t bad per se but they were at their best mediocre. Especially the end area was kind of a “meh” experience for me as I was expecting something more, you know, spectacular? Maybe not the right word to use but I hope you get what I mean. It still shows that the map maker has put some effort for aesthetics but the final outcome isn’t nearly good enough to compete with the story or the puzzles.
Overall the map was very impressive considering that when I downloaded it I really wasn’t expecting much. The sheer enjoyment factor and the flow of the map accompanied with an awesome story and great enjoyable puzzles left me with a big smile in the face (which may have been a little worn out by the end which was in my opinion not in par with the rest of the map) after finishing it. While Maxwell’s Escape may not be visually the most astonishing and pleasing map out there it is still a great pastime. I definitely recommend this map to anyone liking casual, well done custom maps.
Bugs/tips
-The rollercoaster part got me killed.
-After the sewer part there was an odd lack of storytelling as earlier the player had got used to it happening all the time. This might be more of an opinion than a tip/bug.
-The ending was kind of disappointing and I found it a little rushed and bland.
Sorry, but as in most places, people often compare popularity to the actual, in this case, maps they look at. Indeed, the average adventure map you play will probably have beyond 1000 downloads. However, the actual average of ALL maps is way, way lower. My point was just how much popularity depends on luck rather than on quality completely. Of course, it's a bit subjective to say that I know maps that are "better" and yet have less than 650 downloads, however, I believe, for a lot of maps, a majority would definitely also share my opinion.
I have a question regarding WIP maps, as i am in the process of making one.link here http://www.minecraftforum.net/topic/1413811-kingdom-of-aegis-wip/
I was wondering how far along the map has to be in order to be reviewed? Also, my map will have 3-5 different downloads so player can be different races and experience a different storyline and new quests, however it will still be using the same map. Please tell me what you think of the lore as well, as im unsure if this is even a good idea.
If you are reading this, I can safely assume that you are looking for a good map to play. And if you're like me, you have scoured the entire maps section of this forum in the hopes that you'll stumble across an amazing map. And if you're like me, you may feel disappointed and/or frustrated when you download, play, and finish a map that effectively wasted your time with tedious gameplay or a weak storyline. The Syndicate is yet another example of this, I'm sad to say.
At the beginning of the map, it shows promise. A mystery to solve, a tricky redstone trap, and absolutely malicious signs set a fantastically oppressive mood. Then all of a sudden, a pathway through a world-generated mineshaft, abrupt and out-of-nowhere story exposition, and a nether portal? This is already about the first half of the map, and so far it has only taken me around 15 minutes to get through. This map is unsatisfyingly short!
The only true challenges of this map are small parkour sections, and they are extremely easy and boring. There is no real way to lose or die in this map, as the creator gives the player gratuitous amounts of gear, often providing swords for the occassional monster, and eventually, a full set of diamond armor. I didn't even see any true need for swords or armor anyway, because the only place where monsters could spawn was a tiny cave. I breezed through this map on account of it being far too forgiving. There's no fun in overcoming difficult tasks when they don't exist in the first place.
The story was confusing and rushed. Because the map was so short, the explanation of the story was more or less squished into a single room. This sudden jump in the progression of the plot, I believe, tears the pacing of the rest of the map apart. It barely makes any sense, because the map wasn't making much of an effort to explain it's world beforehand. Sure, the map had notes for me to read, but there were so little of them (five) that they felt thrown in and random. I wasn't able get a feel of the world that I was playing in, and that ruined my experience.
I can see that the creator of The Syndicate tried to do many things with it. I saw a few jumping obstacles, a small semblance of a story, and the slightest hint of world-building. But it's so short, it's so easy, and I hate to say it, but it all felt lazy and sloppy. From the challenges, the story, the pacing, to even the architecture, I did not notice any part of this map that was executed with much effort or simple consideration to gameplay. There was no consistency between the story and the challenges, there was barely any substance to the map, and the entire thing felt like the definition of unremarkable.
If you read through this, I can safely assume that you are looking for a good map to play. And if you're like me, you have become bitter and critical because maps like The Syndicate have become so common to the point of them being considered generic.
Bugs/tips
-The mineshaft area is a mess. Block off areas you don't want people to go, or they just might get lost.
-Stop being so generous with the equipment!
-Pace the map more smoothly. Sudden and full exposition to a story isn't good, and a really short journey with an anticlimactic end is definitely not the way to go. Time these things better. Imagine what a player might think when they play your map. And on that note...
-Get playtesters. This is so that you can have various opinions on certain areas, challenges, and bugs.
-Get more creative with your challenges. Also, make them harder.
-Read articles on game design and level design. Take some time to think about what makes a fun game.
-Don't let this review get you down. There is always room for improvement, especially as this is your first adventure map. Keep trying!
fixed
Hey, I know that my map got a terrible review, but for the record, I requested a review well over 6 months ago, and gave up on updating this map pre- beta 1.8. I'm working on other stuff, and I didn't think the map was original enough to become a big 5,000 + DLs, so I just kinda left it as is. So yeah, it's kinda crappy now, but back when I requested a review (and I realize it takes a long time to review tons and tons of maps) it was pretty good, it's just super outdated.
Hey, I know that my map got a terrible review, but for the record, I requested a review well over 6 months ago, and gave up on updating this map pre- beta 1.8. I'm working on other stuff, and I didn't think the map was original enough to become a big 5,000 + DLs, so I just kinda left it as is. So yeah, it's kinda crappy now, but back when I requested a review (and I realize it takes a long time to review tons and tons of maps) it was pretty good, it's just super outdated.
I'm confused. You stopped working on the map before beta 1.8, and yet you have an abandoned mineshaft in the map with a world-generated chest (it's world generated; it was filled with watermelon seeds and cocoa beans)? Aren't world-generated mineshafts from beta 1.8 and after?
Then you didn't think the map was going to become popular, so you just dropped it and left it in that state? I'm not quite sure which implication is more concerning: that you didn't fully flesh out your work but still released it, or that you didn't fully flesh out your work BECAUSE you didn't think it was going to get a lot of downloads?
Please don't say that your map isn't good anymore because it's outdated. There are many maps out there that came out before The Syndicate was released that are fantastic (reference).
I'm not trying to put you down and I don't have any sort of malicious intent here. I'm an advocate for trying your best. I would love to see improvement from you and everyone else I see; that's why I joined this review team in the first place. You can try to justify how bad your map is all you want, but it will still be just that: bad. I have to stand by my principles and suggest that instead of finding ways to defend your shortcomings as a mapmaker, you can move ahead with new-found knowledge and experience without looking back.
Harsh, I know, but I cannot accept mediocrity. It pains me to do so.
Would it be ok if I sent you a 3rd map of my making? Cause I'm making a new map but I'm planning to really work hard for it, and I'm probably going to release it in late August or September (1 month in the making) but I'm kinda shy about letting you guys review my 3rd map when neither my 1st map or my 2nd map were reviewed. Is it allowed? lol, cause I figured you're one of the last popular review centrals available, and I just love making maps. I've learned so much from my 1st and 2nd maps and am quite sure my 3rd map will be the best out of all of them and my 1st map being the weakest (I expect a score of 2/10. Cause looking back at my 1st map, I didn't put quite effort into it I must say)
So is it ok if I send you my 3rd map when it's done?
If you feel like you first map is going to get a bad score, then maybe what you want to do is replace your first map with your second map, and your second with your third. That way, you have your better maps that will be getting reviewed, and you won't feel the guilt of having 3 maps pending.
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Retired StaffMap Name: Kishin's Lab
Forum Link: http://www.minecraftforum.net/topic/1402924-advpuzparkkishins-lab-131/
Genre: Adventure, with Puzzle and Parkour
Requirements(mods,texture packs,ect.): None, but there is a suggested texture pack in the download.
Estimated Completion Time: Around 20 minutes.
Hope you guys enjoy it!
New review by Stream-
It redefines the adventure genre as we know it today, in a way few maps have. It packs the very same punch that made such monstrosities such as Eronev Mansion Adventure or the Paladin's Quest series, both of which brought new gameplay mechanics to the table in a believable and refreshing way. While ColdFusionGaming may not introduce very many new elements to the table, everything it contains is refreshing and wondrous, save for one gripe I have regarding the progression. Whether it be a staggeringly exciting boss battle or inventive ceiling-credits, there's lots to impress you no matter what corner you turn.
The map has an incredibly solid story. It mentions clearly that it was inspired by the television show LOST, and the way the story is textured and layered carefully in separate parts is evidence. CFG doesn't give you the whole story right away the way most adventures do. It carefully plots its storyline to reveal what exactly is going on at just the right moments. You begin as a survivor of a shipwreck, barely alive, with little to guide you. A short introduction finds you helping out fellow survivors, but it isn't very long before you begin to realize things aren't exactly as it seems. A nuclear reactor is found. You begin a treacherous journey through a plethora of interesting locales, and over time you start to realize something. Your character is growing, learning from his mistakes, interacting with the environments with care. He isn't a survivor anymore. He's an explorer. A fighter. Everything you want him to be. A hero.
There is but one gripe I have about the story. It is all well plotted-out, straight-forward, gripping, until you reach the penultimate point of the story. And it falls flat. You are presented with a maze ("The Maze of Insanity", a name it shares with the infamously clever maze from the first Kingdom of the Sky) which doesn't fit the story at all, and while well constructed, ruptures the atmosphere in a place where it really shouldn't have, considering that the adventure had reached the peak of its quality just minutes prior.
But when I played through the adventure, that's not what was in my notes. It was merely an afterthought. And that's great, because it shows truly how much CFG gets right about adventure mapping. Take the visual appeal for example. Gloria is not so much about scale as it is atmosphere, and so it doesn't try to be. The aesthetics you'll encounter in Gloria are refreshingly original and make use of blocks in ways I truly wasn't expecting. They aren't huge and overwhelming or small and pitiful, instead remaining just in line with the way the atmosphere dictates. It is mysteriously science-fiction in a world that shouldn't be that way, and while that may seem contradictory, it falls right into the path the story creates.
However, none of these reasons are why you'll truly divulge in Gloria's web. Sure, the visuals and plot are great successes, but it all boils down to the atmosphere's strength. And really, not only does the atmospheric value uphold the entire adventure, it lifts it above where it needs to be. Gloria recaptures that feeling of odd and gripping discovery that made LOST so incredible, and improves on such key elements. For one, the background music selection is sound, and yes, pun intended. It is probably the most well-chosen selection of score of incompetech.com that I've seen to date. It does a huge favor to the atmospheric stroke of genius that is Gloria, but it isn't the only element. Gloria is completely unpredictable. You'll never guess where it is going next, and it is for this reason alone that it fails to fall into traditional story clichés.
I won't ramble on further, even if it would be for a good cause. Instead, I'll leave you knowing the following: Gloria is one of the finest blessings ever to fall upon the mapping community. You'll never find another one quite like it, and its only successor I see in true sight is its sequel, set to be released very soon. The adventure is a magnificent triumph, and you'd be doing yourself a huge disservice to not download it. CFG has eventfully crammed all of his knowledge into an hour and a half of his best work.
Bugs/tips
-my only major gripe is with the Maze of Insanity and the "added math", neither of which even remotely fit where the story was approaching. Either alter the story at least slightly to compensate, or remove it completely. In either case, get rid of the math, which made no sense and was random in a map that seemed so well thought-out prior to that.
-signs, god darn-it! They got in the way of the inventory space so many times! Any chance you could provide a hole to dispose of them or simply collect them with some fancy redstone? Just a thought.
Back on topic: Hey i'm working on a map and when i'm done, could you review it? But maybe not because i may not have the time to finish it though...
I'll post it on Boulefield's thread, then, so you don't have to keep checking here. Just PM me when the final version is up and ready!
Also, (I'm sorry I forgot to mention this in my application), the map I submitted is still a WIP (along with the other elements I put in my app for genre).
At the beginning of the map, it shows promise. A mystery to solve, a tricky redstone trap, and absolutely malicious signs set a fantastically oppressive mood. Then all of a sudden, a pathway through a world-generated mineshaft, abrupt and out-of-nowhere story exposition, and a nether portal? This is already about the first half of the map, and so far it has only taken me around 15 minutes to get through. This map is unsatisfyingly short!
The only true challenges of this map are small parkour sections, and they are extremely easy and boring. There is no real way to lose or die in this map, as the creator gives the player gratuitous amounts of gear, often providing swords for the occassional monster, and eventually, a full set of diamond armor. I didn't even see any true need for swords or armor anyway, because the only place where monsters could spawn was a tiny cave. I breezed through this map on account of it being far too forgiving. There's no fun in overcoming difficult tasks when they don't exist in the first place.
The story was confusing and rushed. Because the map was so short, the explanation of the story was more or less squished into a single room. This sudden jump in the progression of the plot, I believe, tears the pacing of the rest of the map apart. It barely makes any sense, because the map wasn't making much of an effort to explain it's world beforehand. Sure, the map had notes for me to read, but there were so little of them (five) that they felt thrown in and random. I wasn't able get a feel of the world that I was playing in, and that ruined my experience.
I can see that the creator of The Syndicate tried to do many things with it. I saw a few jumping obstacles, a small semblance of a story, and the slightest hint of world-building. But it's so short, it's so easy, and I hate to say it, but it all felt lazy and sloppy. From the challenges, the story, the pacing, to even the architecture, I did not notice any part of this map that was executed with much effort or simple consideration to gameplay. There was no consistency between the story and the challenges, there was barely any substance to the map, and the entire thing felt like the definition of unremarkable.
If you read through this, I can safely assume that you are looking for a good map to play. And if you're like me, you have become bitter and critical because maps like The Syndicate have become so common to the point of them being considered generic.
Bugs/tips
-The mineshaft area is a mess. Block off areas you don't want people to go, or they just might get lost.
-Stop being so generous with the equipment!
-Pace the map more smoothly. Sudden and full exposition to a story isn't good, and a really short journey with an anticlimactic end is definitely not the way to go. Time these things better. Imagine what a player might think when they play your map. And on that note...
-Get playtesters. This is so that you can have various opinions on certain areas, challenges, and bugs.
-Get more creative with your challenges. Also, make them harder.
-Read articles on game design and level design. Take some time to think about what makes a fun game.
-Don't let this review get you down. There is always room for improvement, especially as this is your first adventure map. Keep trying!
fixed
so is the problem with having too few playtesters, i suppose...although it doesn't help when almost nobody bothers to give any feedback at all when they DL. T_T
It's hard for me to see a map which is, apparently, this bad and yet gets this many downloads. :/ By the way, I don't really see the point of the note "Get playtesters". How is the map maker supposed to choose the amount of feedback he/she gets? As far as I know, there is little you can do beyond a nice en clean presentation in your topic.
To answer your question, I meant to say to get playtesters to play the map before it get's released.
There is always a possibility for having a select few people play your map before it gets posted. It could be your friends, family, even people you get by making a topic on this forum (before the map's release thread, of course.) It's very important to get other players' insights to your map, because otherwise, the only criticisms, the only compliments and notes for improvement, come from yourself, the map creator. The map creator can't have as many perspectives as other people, because he or she is only one person, naturally. It's good to have critics so you can know what you did right and where you went wrong, and adjust the maps accordingly.
Simply put, playtesters will tell you what they like, tell you what they don't like, point out bugs, suggest gameplay improvements, et cetera. All for the sake of making a more polished game to release to the masses.
Former Lead Modeler of Pixelmon
The best part of the map was indeed the story and how it was told blending well with the gameplay and the puzzles. Overall, the map progressed very fluently and didn’t have much if any trenches of uncertainty and disorientation. The story begins in an unoriginal manner as the player is trapped inside an insert-name-and/or-purpose-here facility and has to escape. However the story evolves quickly, bringing in a vast array of different human relations and conspiracy theories of a small group of escapees in their desperate attempt to achieve freedom. The story was so well built that when finally reaching the end I felt sort of disappointed on how it all finally got to an end, hoping that the final scene would have been more than what seemed to be maybe a little rushed ending. Also in one point during the map there was a sudden lack of storytelling for a while which confused me a little after the more intense earlier parts.
As I already said the puzzles blended great with the flow of the map and the story, usually being subtle enough that the player hardly realizes they are doing one instead of just making progress travelling through the map. While not being wondrously original or well executed the enjoyment factor of the puzzles still rank high at least in my criteria.
While the story and the puzzles were the best parts of the map, the most notable downside was its design and architecture. They aren’t bad per se but they were at their best mediocre. Especially the end area was kind of a “meh” experience for me as I was expecting something more, you know, spectacular? Maybe not the right word to use but I hope you get what I mean. It still shows that the map maker has put some effort for aesthetics but the final outcome isn’t nearly good enough to compete with the story or the puzzles.
Overall the map was very impressive considering that when I downloaded it I really wasn’t expecting much. The sheer enjoyment factor and the flow of the map accompanied with an awesome story and great enjoyable puzzles left me with a big smile in the face (which may have been a little worn out by the end which was in my opinion not in par with the rest of the map) after finishing it. While Maxwell’s Escape may not be visually the most astonishing and pleasing map out there it is still a great pastime. I definitely recommend this map to anyone liking casual, well done custom maps.
Bugs/tips
-The rollercoaster part got me killed.
-After the sewer part there was an odd lack of storytelling as earlier the player had got used to it happening all the time. This might be more of an opinion than a tip/bug.
-The ending was kind of disappointing and I found it a little rushed and bland.
Sorry, but as in most places, people often compare popularity to the actual, in this case, maps they look at. Indeed, the average adventure map you play will probably have beyond 1000 downloads. However, the actual average of ALL maps is way, way lower. My point was just how much popularity depends on luck rather than on quality completely. Of course, it's a bit subjective to say that I know maps that are "better" and yet have less than 650 downloads, however, I believe, for a lot of maps, a majority would definitely also share my opinion.
I was wondering how far along the map has to be in order to be reviewed? Also, my map will have 3-5 different downloads so player can be different races and experience a different storyline and new quests, however it will still be using the same map. Please tell me what you think of the lore as well, as im unsure if this is even a good idea.
Hey, I know that my map got a terrible review, but for the record, I requested a review well over 6 months ago, and gave up on updating this map pre- beta 1.8. I'm working on other stuff, and I didn't think the map was original enough to become a big 5,000 + DLs, so I just kinda left it as is. So yeah, it's kinda crappy now, but back when I requested a review (and I realize it takes a long time to review tons and tons of maps) it was pretty good, it's just super outdated.
I'm confused. You stopped working on the map before beta 1.8, and yet you have an abandoned mineshaft in the map with a world-generated chest (it's world generated; it was filled with watermelon seeds and cocoa beans)? Aren't world-generated mineshafts from beta 1.8 and after?
Then you didn't think the map was going to become popular, so you just dropped it and left it in that state? I'm not quite sure which implication is more concerning: that you didn't fully flesh out your work but still released it, or that you didn't fully flesh out your work BECAUSE you didn't think it was going to get a lot of downloads?
Please don't say that your map isn't good anymore because it's outdated. There are many maps out there that came out before The Syndicate was released that are fantastic (reference).
I'm not trying to put you down and I don't have any sort of malicious intent here. I'm an advocate for trying your best. I would love to see improvement from you and everyone else I see; that's why I joined this review team in the first place. You can try to justify how bad your map is all you want, but it will still be just that: bad. I have to stand by my principles and suggest that instead of finding ways to defend your shortcomings as a mapmaker, you can move ahead with new-found knowledge and experience without looking back.
Harsh, I know, but I cannot accept mediocrity. It pains me to do so.
So is it ok if I send you my 3rd map when it's done?