The Questionnaire of Campaign-making

[HelpMe]

I've been meaning to make something like this for a while, since I've always felt curious about it. And now with the Campaign Creations Campaign Contest attracting numerous participants, I believe this is the best opportunity to make such a topic.

I want to know how all of you campaign-makers -- or simply creators of custom content -- proceed to bring your ideas to life. For that end, I've designed a few questions which are listed below; it's all very straightforward, so it shouldn't take you too long to answer. You can just quote the questions from this post and write your answers between them:


1.Firstly, how do you start a project or campaign? Is there a particular order in which you do things?

2.What do you think are your strengths as a creator?

3.What about weaknesses? Do you have any?

4.Do you consider yourself productive? Do you follow a schedule or routine when you have a project?

5.Name in order of importance the elements that you value the most in a campaign (story, modding, music, etc).

6.Which aspect of making a campaign (or any other creative process) do you enjoy the most? And which do you dislike?

7.What inspires you, motivates you to create?

8.Finally, what are the goals you aspire to as a creator? Do you think you are close to achieving them?


C'mon people, get to it!

[Church]

1.Firstly, how do you start a project or campaign? Is there a particular order in which you do things?

Starting a project is tough to answer, because it seems a lot like it's different for each of my campaigns. With Reuniting, The Major, and Resonance it was, "Hey, cool, a contest, maybe I'll join!" I thought up a plotline and just went from there. Gas was a bit different - I had no obligation to make it, but I was like "The Bob Levels is really cool. I should make some kind of funny campaign too."
New Armania was, actually, started in 2010. I started about 500 terrible campaigns around that time. Earlier this year, I found the old files, and thought, "Those aren't so bad. Maybe I'll resurrect it."
NOMAD was a bit similar to New Armania, but of course, Pr0 hopped on board at one point, and Crescendo was born!

2.What do you think are your strengths as a creator?

I think my strongest points are dialogue and terrain.
Dialogue is so fun to write, it's great exploring personalities and adding to characters. If anybody's played my released campaigns (Reuniting, Gas, and The Major) you can really see how I've developed in this aspect.
Terrain is much more recently a strength. I made some good stuff for NOMAD, and I personally really like the terrain I've done so far for Resonance. I started a terrain thread on SEN and I think that helped a bit.

3.What about weaknesses? Do you have any?

A lot.
I think my biggest problems are triggering and iscripting. I can do a lot of basic trigger sequences, but not a lot of fancy stuff. I'm pretty weak with iscripting, too, and I can't make all those fabulous animations that modders love so much.

4.Do you consider yourself productive? Do you follow a schedule or routine when you have a project?

I'm productive 70% of the time. I can be pretty lazy, though.
I think the last time I followed a written schedule was with Reuniting. Sometimes I'll say to myself, "Okay, dude, you're getting this map done by next week," but nothing written.

5.Name in order of importance the elements that you value the most in a campaign (story, modding, music, etc).

Oh, boy.
It's hard to say any aspects are more important than others, but I suppose it goes like this for me:
Story, gameplay, modding if you include it, and audio such as voice acting and music if you include it. I probably forgot something, but whatever.

6.Which aspect of making a campaign (or any other creative process) do you enjoy the most? And which do you dislike?

I absolutely love terraining. Creating vast ice worlds with abandoned Terran camps, lush jungle planets with grand Protoss cities... there's just so much you can do.
As for disliking, probably the triggering and testing process. With big maps, I have to test it about 69 times to get all the bugs, so I get sick of it after a while. Testing is fun the first few times, but it gets a bit much eventually.

7.What inspires you, motivates you to create?

Primarily, playing other campaigns. Being able to check out the amazing stuff other people pump out is great. I love playing campaigns, and they really make me want to make something to. Anybody whose known me for a while will know that I love Life of a Marine. That's the most inspirational campaign I've ever played, by far.
Music is also a motivating factor. Listening to awesome soundtracks can really set the mood. I always listen to music while terraining, and often while doing other things too.

8.Finally, what are the goals you aspire to as a creator? Do you think you are close to achieving them?

I think my goals are to create something that I and others will enjoy, and to create the best possible campaign.
So far I've made stuff that I've liked as well as other people have liked, but creating the best campaign ever is a long ways off.

[IskatuMesk]

I've been meaning to make something like this for a while, since I've always felt curious about it. And now with the Campaign Creations Campaign Contest attracting numerous participants, I believe this is the best opportunity to make such a topic.

I want to know how all of you campaign-makers -- or simply creators of custom content -- proceed to bring your ideas to life. For that end, I've designed a few questions which are listed below; it's all very straightforward, so it shouldn't take you too long to answer. You can just quote the questions from this post and write your answers between them:

Alright, although I think my various Coffee Hours and the Black Sun Dev log + the CC podcasts might answer these better than I will in text. The 2042 GEC is also a great place to read if you want to get in-depth with my kind of approach to games; I am currently writing an enormous article for it, actually. It's just that my hands hurt so much...

1.Firstly, how do you start a project or campaign? Is there a particular order in which you do things?

I find that structuring my work is a bad idea. I get too focused on order and not working. Typically, most projects I start have had their concept or primary ideas in my head for a few years. I almost always start with graphics because I find that seeing my stuff in motion empowers me to keep working. Graphics are also my weakest attribute, so getting those out of the way first for any given element is key to my succeeding in that element.

If we're talking specifically about a campaign, I started most of my wc3/sc2 projects by plotting out graphics and then terraining. The idea was to get the computer AI and my Active Map concept working as best as it could on those maps. In the wc3 maps I discovered the game's pathing and computer AI wouldn't work out, so I learned this early into my projects and saved myself a lot of work and cancelled them early. For SC2, I first entered an exhaustive phase of testing the engine. I focused on TPS maps and computer AI, and discovered the game performs very poorly, so I have yet to get a campaign beyond these initial phases.

In a project like AO or Black Sun I typically focus on individual units at a time; a campaign would be the same way if I knew it was going to work out. In ETMK3's defense map, the one I posted videos on a time back, it had a lot of fairly simple custom units made but every time I added any for the computers I extensively retested the map over and over to study how they effected the map. In Black Sun the workload for individual units was much more significant. So, I started with models, then SFX and particles, then worried about the comparably insignificant in-game implementation. Making the assets above and beyond took the longest time in Black Sun, followed by recording and compositing.

If I were to, say, pursue an alternate (and realistic) campaign project in sc2 I estimate that the data editor could take years off my life. I'd probably focus on per-unit implementation BEFORE triggering maps and the like. I would terrain and detail as many maps as possible and then cherry pick or rebuild them when it comes to actual implementation. I would build test examples of maps that would feature large numbers of CPU players so that I could stress test the really inefficient AI and the changes to it I would need to make so it supported new races. This alone is one of the reasons I don't attempt an sc2 campaign; making custom AI would entail being a Galaxy master, which I am not.

Of course, adding sounds and such to those units is critical, those would go in during data implementation so I can focus on syncing them and such there. Once I reach certain stages in each race's completion I would pursue more in-depth attacks on completing maps.

2.What do you think are your strengths as a creator?

Well, I feel I am capable of tackling any writing challenge thrown at me and I have a lot of experience in design. My audio work surely will rise to the challenge and I have a colossal library of SFX and musical material. I am entry-level in graphics and could model ships, vehicles, structures, weapons, and potentially armor for characters. I could model many types of doodads as well. I have experience in ripping graphics from many different games, including Gambryo and Unreal games, so I could take their assets, remaster/kitbash them, and update them to fill the gaps. I have not, however, experimented with the data editor past the basics of beams and such for my test maps as it took freaking forever just to do super basic stuff.

I do have extensive experience in 2d editing and spriting, so if I decided to make a mod/campaign in a sprite based game I have little doubt I could rebuild the entire thing graphics-wise and sound-wise.

3.What about weaknesses? Do you have any?

I'm not a programmer, don't have hardly any experience with JASS and none with Galaxy. Preferably I'd like to learn C/C++ so I could go into the UDK and ditch modding. I also have severe disabilities when it comes to learning things and even though I've been working with this stuff a lot there's still many things I can't do; texture, UV, animate, for example. When it comes to female voice acting I am in a bit of a pickle, and Ric Flair is one of my biggest squeezes.

4.Do you consider yourself productive? Do you follow a schedule or routine when you have a project?

I think I have the potential to be productive, but it comes down to defeating myself to harness that energy. As Black Sun demonstrated, even simple things can take me an extraordinary amount of time to do. But as 2042 (for Age of Wonders 2:SM) taught me, I can definitely get a lot done very fast. I don't follow schedules or routines, other than telling myself I should get at least 2-3 important things done a day.

5.Name in order of importance the elements that you value the most in a campaign (story, modding, music, etc).

Story and how it's deployed is definitely the best, followed closely by custom elements like modding. I rate Graphics, Gamplay, Sound, and Computer AI as equals. I consider them to be the four pillars of good game design. These pillars are there to give life to your story, and each should be given equally immense attention when making a project. Having good graphics and gameplay but really poorly put together computer AI will completely destroy a campaign, its challenge, and any immersion. Of course, good musical choices (part of the sound pillar) are paramount to helping the story immerse the audience.

6.Which aspect of making a campaign (or any other creative process) do you enjoy the most? And which do you dislike?

Seeing it all come together for the first time. Seeing my dreams come to life. It means more to me than anything in life. As for what I dislike, starting. It takes more then what I've got to build up the confidence to try anything. I know I won't complete it, so I don't bother trying.

7.What inspires you, motivates you to create?

I desire to see my worlds in motion. They are my life's work, and mods are merely an extension of this.

8.Finally, what are the goals you aspire to as a creator? Do you think you are close to achieving them?

In a way I have already succeeded by completing Black Sun, AO, ZAPOC, and a few others. But, in a way, I will never be satisfied. There's too many things I want to do that I am incapable of doing. I think I'll keep striving towards them until I no longer draw breath. Nothing else has any meaning to me in the end. I also think it's impossible for me to achieve them.

C'mon people, get to it!

:3

[Falchion]

1.Firstly, how do you start a project or campaign? Is there a particular order in which you do things?

For starters, I generally flesh out my project/campaign in the most basic questions. Which genre is it gonna be? (And I mean Sci-fi/Horror/Mystery/Politics/War...) On what platform will it be based (BW or SC II)? Will be fresh brand new or take a hitch at the universe (Follow SC storyline)? Will there it be custom graphics/characters/worlds?

Most of it, I simply write out in the most pre-historical of programs: Notebook.

Notebook is primitive, doesn't allow most cushion sletouts Microsoft Word can, but I was quite used in writing piles and piles of ideas and quotes and whatever else on it. Whether I have an idea I write it out, let it out to cool off for a moment and then check it out whether it's worth it or not.

Notebook is also where I make out the scripting for missions I have an idea for campaigns. It's also where I write characters and such.

So, if I'm to start something, Notebook, as a guideline, is a first to flesh out what I want. Was like this with old, failed projects like Trial By Fire and Memories of a Queen and future attempts like Duality and Fateway.

For secondaries, I go on planning a story and/or campaign progression in a streamway of ideas so I won't have to change in the middles of making a map. What kind of gameplay should it be? What challenges will it present? Macro or Micro? What do I want to do and when I want it to happen?

The third thing on Notebook is the Characters. I define characters by four traits: Personality, Belief, Look and Development. How will that character behave? What does he/she want? How does he/she look like? Will he/she stick to his/her initial self or will evolve to another thing entirely? After that, it's about making the name and backstory, the roots for things. A good example for name and background can be seen here:

With all that done in Notebook, I can then focus either on starting graphics for the BW custom MPQs or go on straight to map editors and flesh out stuff. Then it's sound editing, voice acting, finalizing, beta testing and so on...

2.What do you think are your strengths as a creator?

Story and lore-wise, I believe I'm quite good in telling a story, making an idea or creating a character. This Killzone 3 Fanfic of mine, The Black Rose, is quite a good example of my reach in writing and detailing a story.



Also, as time went on, I came out being quite solid in not only developing Brood War maps, but mods as well. I could now create custom buildings of mine and color/mashup new units. My explorations with ScmDraft 2 came out quite productive when I wanted to make out those multi-layered heights and extended bridges I viewed when Ascension of Duran came out. IceCC proved to be a challenge until I've read Mesk's tutorial (Recommended reading, BTW), and then it was maniac fun with making stuff...



On the sound department, I have a quite solid record of developing new sounds when I started experimenting with Audition. The voices I've been making for campaigns and sound editing done to other projects is quite a proof.

3.What about weaknesses? Do you have any?

Custom graphics and programming. I'm zero at programming. All I know was the crappy basic C language anyone learns in college. And I'm a VERY slow learner for this stuff, so much in this area as in others.

By custom graphics, I mean 3d. 3d is both a blessing and a curse for my skills. I don't know how to flesh a low-poly model out of a high-poly one. I don't know about normal maps or how to work with them. I don't know how operate those damn texture maps and their material properties without turning them into a shining, colorful P.O.S like my Nathaniel Frigate. Worse, I'm still on Mental Ray level, as I couldn't effectively pirate VRay, leaving unable to access it without resorting to Capitalism.

Also, SC II map editor, as I'm getting started right just now. :p

But a good thing I've learned concerning 3d was modelling (Albeit basic) and UV (Which I do in a VERY slow manner - manual.).

4.Do you consider yourself productive? Do you follow a schedule or routine when you have a project?

I don't believe I'm productive at all. I produce at the time of my liking, when something good comes by in my head or when I'm fed up playing SC II, Zeus, K&M or AoE 2. But when I produce, I generally want to come out like if it was worth the time invested, be it in writing, graphic or sound. I don't follow any schedule or routine, and I'm very crappy concerning this stuff, given my fanatical love for games and playing them. So much in digital as in normal life.

5.Name in order of importance the elements that you value the most in a campaign (story, modding, music, etc).

Story is Nº 1 priority. How it presents. How it develops. How complex or basical it is. How appealing or disgusting are the changes, twists, retconns and alike. A story for me, can be imaginative on Inception-level, appealing on Killzone level, ridiculous on SC II/Tron: Legacy level or complete catastrophes on Stormrise level. But it's not only on those, but how I'm attracted by it. I believe I'm an ASS concerning tastes that get my attention. But once it gets, I'm sure to keep a close watch on how it goes out.

Graphics is Nº 2, not just quality, but how creative it is. Stormrise was a terrific example of how well intentioned and creative were the universe, units and actions concepts, but ultimately failed on quality, courtesy of the fuck-ups in Sega and Creative Assembly, who were too enticed with the sorry excuse for a control Whip Select was. If something gets my attention simply through the graphics, I'm on to check it out.

Sound is Nº 3, and it encompasses so much music tracks as SFX as Voice Acting. For ones, I thought Too Human, despite all it's flaws, had a decent library of weapon SFX and a solid music, while Transformers: War For Cybertron had possibly the best Megatron VA Fred Tatasciore ever created, massively overshadowing the overacting made by Peter Cullen (I pretty much compare Optimus Prime to Deckard Cain, sometimes).

Music, I take it on Zimmer level, who might be the most decent composer on the current Western industry. And whether I feel rock/metal/electronic effects are simply placed to add hype I feel they aren't worth it. Knowing what to put and when is key for me concerning music.

Finally, I take gameplay as number 4 priority. How it plays out and how smooth/crisp/quick it is. Games like Darksiders and Batman: Arkham Asylum greatly encompass examples of fluid close combat with simplicity, albeit BAA is far simpler than this. How controls are composed and how can they react to my actions and how CLEAN they are is what defines my standards for playing a game.

6.Which aspect of making a campaign (or any other creative process) do you enjoy the most? And which do you dislike?

Starting. That's what I like doing. Setting a go, letting the hype and emotions and imaginations flood my mind in a torrent of how great it can be and how best it'll affect me and others once I finish it. What I dislike is having to pause, abandon or let go of something for a while, ESPECIALLY if I'm stuck on something, pretty much like happened with The Black Rose and how much it's now happening with a Duality mission...

7.What inspires you, motivates you to create?

My desire to leave my mark on the modding/campaign area. My desire for a small, but tangible legacy. My need to finish something, so I can prove I'm not so worthless. Even if I don't finish, I want to make sure I have something for display so people will have an idea of the universe/story I was creating.

8.Finally, what are the goals you aspire to as a creator? Do you think you are close to achieving them?

A rather over-the-top ambitious goal:

To fully make Duality a mod looking so close to a fully fledged-game. While not being able to change SC II's core concept completely, I'd like to make sure Duality would have entirely new custom graphics, terrain tilesets, custom UI and interface, Blizzard level CG cutscenes, original score, new effects and a more optimized editor than that of standard SC II editor, reminding the simplicity of StarEdit.

My only regret is I'm only at 0,1% at it. Perhaps I may never achieve such a goal, but I also don't give a damn. I'm not in a hurry, and, as I told it, I'm a very slow learner...

[mark_009_vn]

1.Firstly, how do you start a project or campaign? Is there a particular order in which you do things?

Well, I just think of all the mechanics, design elements in my head when I'm away from the comp and and piece it all together by just start doing it. I don't need for orders or any of those jittery for my mods, as they likes to kill my interest for it.

2.What do you think are your strengths as a creator?

Well I had modded before, just not Starcraft. I have studied alot of the designs and balancing theories of many games and mod, so in term of design sense I got them all by the book but not alot in term of practice. I also have alot of experience with map triggers and a little on programming due to this. However, my biggest strength is that I can do practically anything and everything, and that I'm not afraid to try anything. Do you know that my entry for the Campaign Creation Campaign Contest is the first campaign work I've ever done in my life time? And that I have no experience in StarEdit prior to that?

3.What about weaknesses? Do you have any?

Time, that's my biggest enemy. My second biggest enemy is that while I'm adept at all fields of content creations and can learn things quickly, I'm not good at any particular field, and that can hurt my in the long run.

4.Do you consider yourself productive? Do you follow a schedule or routine when you have a project?

Nien. I'm lazy as hell. I don't follow schedules but when I create anything, I like to create a good base for it before paying attention to details, like a painter. I also like to limit my testing to as much as possible, to negate the "frog in a well" psychology, which not only hampers my development process, but also make me lost track of what I was doing, which is dangerous. I usually like to leave the more in depth testing to somebody else, and focus my testing mostly on gameplay designs.

5.Name in order of importance the elements that you value the most in a campaign (story, modding, music, etc).

Balancing, but not in the sense of balancing gameplay mechanics (not only at least), but in the sense of balancing everything and anything in my content. I want to balance every single elements in my content to strive at the goal they were designed to, if there are no balancing between the many design elements, some would overkill or underkill each other, making me loosing track of what I'm heading. Balancing also helps to create a far more potent atmosphere, which is an extraordinary important thing to have. An example of balancing would be: If I wanted to do a campaign that is focused on macro heavy play but still be very action orientated, I wouldn't want to have death metal in the background nor the calm, NOMAD style music don't I? I would choose something that is in between of that, like psychedelic type musics.

This way, I can exploit the my strength to the maximal yet keeping my weakness at bay.

6.Which aspect of making a campaign (or any other creative process) do you enjoy the most? And which do you dislike?

Being all like "IT'S ALIVE!!!!! IT'S ALIVE!!!!!!!" when it's done.

7.What inspires you, motivates you to create?

My deep traumatic life.

8.Finally, what are the goals you aspire to as a creator? Do you think you are close to achieving them?

To create content that strives for individuality and professionalism.

[GnaReffotsirk]

1.Firstly, how do you start a project or campaign? Is there a particular order in which you do things?

No particular order but:
1. Map (layout no doodads just concept)
2. The scenario and it's challenges (goals, obstacles, limits, etc)
3. Map (figure out where and whens)
4. Imbed story
5. Forget story and play
6. Add story until tired
7. Play more
8. repeat until tired or wanting to let others play (e.g. Upload)
9. Get feedback (hopefully)
10. Revise if necessary or not feeling tired

2.What do you think are your strengths as a creator?

Not much, but I don't look at the potential audience and just let it run it's course (development). Likes to experiment, I'd guess.

3.What about weaknesses? Do you have any?

I can't handle the fact that I have no creative control over a project. It's not that I'm not good at following orders, I hate to have to think someone might get disappointed.

I can't handle the idea that "I have to finish this project" even if I'm fed up with it.

My phase of being creative only lasts about a week, and probably just a few months in a year. I'm currently logging when this stuff comes about.

4.Do you consider yourself productive? Do you follow a schedule or routine when you have a project?

Yes, I do. Not in the sense because someone tells me I've done what they asked me to do, but that I feel a lot of satisfaction with what I do when I do them.

No, I don't follow a schedule. Tried it but gets me burned out easily fast. Lavvz can attest to this.

5.Name in order of importance the elements that you value the most in a campaign (story, modding, music, etc).

1. The challenge of the maps.
2. The interaction I can do as a player (choices, limits, etc)
3. Terrain and how it offers strategy or tactical options (tricks available)
4. Story
5. Music
7. New content

6.Which aspect of making a campaign (or any other creative process) do you enjoy the most? And which do you dislike?

Terrain and planning how the scenario will play out. What challenges the player will be facing, and what aid the player will be getting or could get.

7.What inspires you, motivates you to create?

I don't know. It just pops out. Maybe due to being so bored to the point of the boredum sinking into depression that it becomes a natural flow for my mind to be creative so as to release the tension.

No idea but it just happens. This type of thing usually gets completed or done.

Others and their likelihood of success:

Money - never gets done
Fame - maybe
Sex - depends
Self-actualization - Always

8.Finally, what are the goals you aspire to as a creator? Do you think you are close to achieving them?

I've realized that to be truly a creator you have to aspire to nothing but to create. Money, work, credit, glory, they dampen and sap my energy.

To be truly in-tune with my creative self is perhaps my goal. To be "in the moment". Man, I miss that week when I was like mad creating that cinematic. I was just doing it, doing it, doing it, and enjoying the process even though I barely get sleep.

9. Final words?

Trust your guts. Stop when you want to stop and move on. Do when you want to do and move on. The important thing is you're enjoying the damn thing.

And watch out for HIV.

[IskatuMesk]

omg gna is alive!

[GnaReffotsirk]

Yeah. It's your most recent podcast's fault.

Loved it.