Campaign Makers: Where are you?

[Lavarinth]

Almost spot on AA. Programmer, and no rent but a mortgage. I can find time. Just you wait. ZIA, Archangel, ZIA.

He's my programmer, that makes me fall in that category, too.

[IskatuMesk]

No work, no rent, most certainly no beer, don't want any of them nor do I want a social life.

Plenty of time for campaign making, just no talent to make a campaign with (I'd need to model characters and skin/animate them since I don't make campaigns or mods based in other people's universes), and no story that would fit into any game on the market. So I make mods.

[GnaReffotsirk]

Back in the dizzay, we were all pretty creative kids.

Pretty creative kids = School, homework, absolutely no social life = Plenty of time for campaign making.

Now, 10 odd years later, we're Pretty creative quasi-adults.

Pretty creative quasi-adults = Work, Rent, absolutely no social life but incrementally more beer, More work, Mmore beer = No real time for campaign making.

Any adults here who are planning on a SC2 campaign are either kidding themselves, or they're programmers and this is what they do while on the toilet, at lunch, shagging their girlfriend or otherwise in their sleep.

[youtube=425,350]JuPZ67E1qMs[/youtube]

[Marco]

I can compose myself of 40% social life, 40% hobby, 20% work.  Always 20% work, and for the next year at least.  Social life and hobby can both vary depending on which one I'm in the mood to blow off.

[RazorclawX]

Any adults here who are planning on a SC2 campaign are either kidding themselves, or they're programmers and this is what they do while on the toilet, at lunch, shagging their girlfriend or otherwise in their sleep.

This is generally what I do when I'm bored and have nothing else better to do. Especially when the alternative is either do nothing or play World of Warcraft. I often do things while I'm watching TV... whenever the heck it is I bother to watch TV.

Which is pretty much why I don't crank out campaigns as fast as I used to.

[The Oracle]

I have the body of an adult but the soul of a kid.  Does that exempt me?

Back in the dizzay, we were all pretty creative kids.

Pretty creative kids = School, homework, absolutely no social life = Plenty of time for campaign making.

Now, 10 odd years later, we're Pretty creative quasi-adults.

Pretty creative quasi-adults = Work, Rent, absolutely no social life but incrementally more beer, More work, Mmore beer = No real time for campaign making.

Any adults here who are planning on a SC2 campaign are either kidding themselves, or they're programmers and this is what they do while on the toilet, at lunch, shagging their girlfriend or otherwise in their sleep.

[youtube=425,350]JuPZ67E1qMs[/youtube]

[Archangel]

I have the body of an adult but the soul of a kid.  Does that exempt me?

Back in the dizzay, we were all pretty creative kids.

Pretty creative kids = School, homework, absolutely no social life = Plenty of time for campaign making.

Now, 10 odd years later, we're Pretty creative quasi-adults.

Pretty creative quasi-adults = Work, Rent, absolutely no social life but incrementally more beer, More work, Mmore beer = No real time for campaign making.

Any adults here who are planning on a SC2 campaign are either kidding themselves, or they're programmers and this is what they do while on the toilet, at lunch, shagging their girlfriend or otherwise in their sleep.

[youtube=425,350]JuPZ67E1qMs[/youtube]

No, because you have the e-mail presence of a schizophrenic ghost.

[Legion]

Any adults here who are planning on a SC2 campaign are either kidding themselves, or they're programmers and this is what they do while on the toilet, at lunch, shagging their girlfriend or otherwise in their sleep.

Campaign can mean lots of things. A bunch of levels strung together is a campaign, technically. Anyone can do that in a year, without making any notable sacrifices.

Also - I've known very few programmers that had regular stool, lunch or sleep. Let alone sex.

[Meta]

Any adults here who are planning on a SC2 campaign are either kidding themselves, or they're programmers and this is what they do while on the toilet, at lunch, shagging their girlfriend or otherwise in their sleep.

Campaign can mean lots of things. A bunch of levels strung together is a campaign, technically. Anyone can do that in a year, without making any notable sacrifices.

Also - I've known very few programmers that had regular stool, lunch or sleep. Let alone sex.

Yeah. As long as one doesn't overtax himself or plan the ultimate revolutionary campaign that's gonna redefine the game and needs a staff of 20 people, it should be possible.

[Marco]

Making campaigns on the levels you generally see aren't anywhere near the level of programming though.  I love StarCraft 2 because I'll finally be able to create a fully customized gameplay modification and integrate that to create a consistent experience of unique and fun gameplay throughout the campaign.  Much better than having to create a new way to creatively kill enemies on Tileset X just to keep things interesting.  I'd much rather develop a fun system that works throughout the length of the campaign and can be used repeatedly.  Gameplay will be different enough from the core game, and hopefully I can modify it to the point where it feels like an entirely different experience in a completely familiar environment.  That's pretty much my gameplay goal with Celestial Reverie.  Too bad the map editor wasn't included with this beta yet.  I hope future versions of the beta will eventually have it.

[bajadulce]

I love StarCraft 2 because I'll finally be able to create a fully customized gameplay modification and integrate that to create a consistent experience of unique and fun gameplay throughout the campaign.

... I can modify it to the point where it feels like an entirely different experience in a completely familiar environment.

Starcraft 2 will definitely have more content and be more accessible for modifying that's for certain.  Being able to do what you've described in Broodwar was/is possible as well and a very select few modders have been able to accomplish just that (tho I feel most only scratched the surface before "burning out" and fell well short of the true total conversion experience). 

By combining both mapping + modding, the possibilities seem almost endless.  The 2 united as one however never caught on in SC1;  you were either a mapper or a modder, but certainly not both.  ShadowFlare's SCMLoader would have been without doubt the most revolutionary thing to ever happen to SC1 for both mapping + modding, but unfortunately was cast aside.  Instead we were content to play non-modded UMS maps or "melee" mods that eventually began to all look and feel the same.  It appears Blizzard was snooping around SFRealm and recognized this potential if you ask me. 

So yes, I wholeheartedly agree that SC2 will be amazing because the 2 factions will finally come together.  I also feel that SC1 could have benefited immensely as well as accomplished the very thing we are all looking forward to in SC2.

[Lavarinth]

I have the body of an adult but the soul of a kid.  Does that exempt me?

Back in the dizzay, we were all pretty creative kids.

Pretty creative kids = School, homework, absolutely no social life = Plenty of time for campaign making.

Now, 10 odd years later, we're Pretty creative quasi-adults.

Pretty creative quasi-adults = Work, Rent, absolutely no social life but incrementally more beer, More work, Mmore beer = No real time for campaign making.

Any adults here who are planning on a SC2 campaign are either kidding themselves, or they're programmers and this is what they do while on the toilet, at lunch, shagging their girlfriend or otherwise in their sleep.

[youtube=425,350]JuPZ67E1qMs[/youtube]

No, because you have the e-mail presence of a schizophrenic ghost.

And you have the availability of one.

[Marco]

Starcraft 2 will definitely have more content and be more accessible for modifying that's for certain.  Being able to do what you've described in Broodwar was/is possible as well and a very select few modders have been able to accomplish just that (tho I feel most only scratched the surface before "burning out" and fell well short of the true total conversion experience). 

Maybe to an extent it was possible, changing up units, doing different damage, new graphics - all great stuff.  But you couldn't edit a lot of stuff without making sacrifices.  To create a new race you had to replace stuff, not add stuff.  I don't plan on creating a new race, but a new build using existing units, with units that have new abilities, and new hero mechanics using triggers - ideas which I won't discuss but can only be done with an editor on the level or greater than that of WC3.  Gone will be the days where you have to come up with some mini-game every other map to keep things interesting.  The core gameplay itself will be enough, and it'll be extremely time saving after your unique core modifications are in place.  Sure, gameplay will be the same every map, but you'll still have an experience unique to your campaign which won't be found anywhere else.  It's essentially making a rudimentary mod which will require minimal trigger support.  And if there is one thing I spent a lot of time doing, it was messing around with triggers.

One thing about playing any campaign in SC, is that gameplay was ultimately generic between them besides a few variations here and there.  That changes with SC2.  It probably won't be rocket science, so people who get creative are going to be rewarded with a unique experience to present to fans.  Sure, there's still room for the occasional unique map or trigger based level, and many cinematic events still rely on triggers.  But it opens up time saving possibilities that just weren't there before.

[Death_Wing]

The 2 united as one however never caught on in SC1;  you were either a mapper or a modder, but certainly not both.

Everytime I read this my heart skips a beat...

[bajadulce]

Yes, SC2 editor sounds quite amazing and although my 800mhz laptop probably won’t be capable of playing SC2, I will for sure be tinkering with the core itself just as I do now. 

I personally haven’t played many SC1 campaigns, but I have certainly been downloading them here for many years and have peeked at a few.    I can definitely relate to your comment about coming up with a new mini-game to keep players interested!  Well put and how unfortunately true this is when dealing with such a limited game engine.

At the same time I find really odd that most of the campaigns found on this site contain minimal modding content other than some new portraits and a shitload of .wav files.  Basic modding files like aiscript.bin or iscript modifications seem to be completely absent.  And let’s not forget powerful Firegraft exe edits or things that can be done with simple plugins.  Talk about being able to change gameplay and deliver a total new experience!

So yes, I am very sad that SC1 never reached the full modding potential of things like the BWAPI project or even smaller immediate things like Shadowflare’s SCMLoader or all the fantastic user friendly tools made by poiuy, BKiller, DofA, and others for that matter.  Instead we got mappers and mapping sites who feel modding is limited to being able to change unit stats or add some new graphics, and modders who churned out crappy mods while shunning the ultimate power of UMS maps.  We all lost thnx to the 2 groups not collaborating and this is what upsets me the most. 

I apologize if any of my comments seemed combative in any way, but for a site who’s focus is geared towards the single player experience (campaigns); where there are no version specific bnet worries nor multiplayer desync issues etc, I find it rather sad that modding didn’t have much of an impact on the many campaigns that the makers most certainly toiled endless hours over.  I find it equally sad that modders never utilized UMS maps for their mods, yet alone a simple campaign.