[Looking for] Scene Manger[s]! Last day to submit application: 7th of July

[Jacko]

Personally I see no need for a dedicated scene team, to use a swedish proverb; "The more chefs, the worse the soup". We want to keep the organization as flat as possible, not bog it down further with more bureaucracy. We already have threads were people can post feedback (which I did use a lot). Do we really need another layer?

What we really need, is a couple of dedicated Scene Reviewers who can provide feedback and good critique to people submitting new maps.

However, the scene managers are free to create scene teams (or whatever you wish to call it) as they see fit, I'm only interested in seeing a functional (for lack of better words), organization, and if that is what they want... *shrug*

The two candidates that have replied so far in this thread are Fips and Teeth. General deadline for applications will be on Sunday (the 7th), after we'll swiftly decide who gets the roles and hopefully put em to work.

A likely 'hierarchy' would looks something like this:

Scene Devs (implementing code and maps, appointing new Scene roles)
Mustikki, [Jacko]

Scene Managers (reviewing maps, fixing and preparing code, adding/removing maps, editing rotations)

Scene Reviewers (reviewing maps, commenting on rotations)
 

[obitus]

Sounds great!  I will be happy to review battle scenes.

i can guarantee that whenever a new scene comes up in rotation that the servers will erupt in cheers.

[Fips]

I think basically every language has this kind of saying, ha. In english they spoil the broth, in germany they ruin the mush...and so on.
Anyway, from the posts here the so called Scene Team was a bunch of people helping the scene manager(s) with the reviewing of maps or just generally advices on the rotation, so basically what you had in mind just with a fancier name^^

[Viriathus]

Fips, my idea of the team is not like you say it is at all.
The idea is to make a voting thread for each map to be added. Then, the team votes until the pole expires, (lets say, one week). And the manager would be only responsible for updating the rotation, and other burocracys.

The good thing about the team, is that the votes would always be solid and reasoned. If you'd put the pole open for everybody it would be anarchy, (not greater good at all)

In conclusion, the team is very inportant and necessary indeed, and its not just for giving feedback.

Hope my english was understandable, Cheers.

[Fips]

Votes on every map for over a week? That sounds like a horrible idea, so much more work and time that is not really necessary.
A Scene Team around Scene Managers sounds like a great idea, especially if it's a mix-up of NA and EU, but a few people who call the shots (and someone you can blame, haha) is definitely a must. But then again, that's basically what jacko was saying from the beginning.
Maybe it's for the best to just wait on jackos decision and see how he/she/it/them will deal with it. As long as we map-makers can finally get back to updating and making new maps, i'm fine with whatever there will be.

[Elindor]

I think that Scene Team = Scene Reviewers

I like the hierarchy you stated Jacko (I think you maybe thought I was implying more than I was, but in reality my thought of hierarchy was similar to what you stated), and I would request to be a Scene Reviewer, not sure I have the time to be a Scene Manager.

For Scene Manager(s), both Fips and Teeth would be great if we need more than 1.  If we need only 1 then I'd go with Fips merely because his humping avatar hypnotizes me and makes me feel calm and comforted.    (also because I know HRE loves their siege...amen)

[obitus]

Maybe it's for the best to just wait on jackos decision and see how he/she/it/them will deal with it. As long as we map-makers can finally get back to updating and making new maps, i'm fine with whatever there will be.

Here here.

I will review battle maps regardless of any official status (as you all know I just can't help myself) but I do have a good sense of what makes a good map despite my trollish ways, and I can usually offer solutions when a map draws groans from a significant portion of the playerbase.

Have some battle mapping guidelines!



1.  Avoid uber-campable positions that are too-easily guarded.

A good example of this is Winter Village (Native) which actually breaks 5 of my guidelines.  XP Barn is by one team's spawn, has one entrance, shields all interior players from ranged, and makes for very dull games when the tactic is used.

Campable positions shouldn't be undefeatable.  The more valuable a camp position is, the further away from spawns it should be.  Valuable camp positions should also be equidistant from spawns, like the ruins in Field By The River (Native).

2.  Use multiple routes, avoid dead-ends as a rule of thumb.

Seriously.  Lots of props and models, unfortunately, have one entrance.  These campable dead-ends should usually be barricaded off with stuff that makes it obvious (doors, gates, not just a random wheelbarrow or cart)

3.  Steep hills should be inaccessible.

Steep hills (over ~60 degree incline) are unrealistic and never fun to fight on.  It's up to us mappers to prevent that from happening, either by keeping these slopes out of the contested areas of the map (example: Glacier Valley) or by using boulders and making some real cliffs.

4.  Unbalanced spawns suck

Unbalanced spawns occur when one spawn is near campable areas and one team is not.

5.  Keep action away from invisible walls, and make invisible walls obvious.

Invisible walls should be in places it is obvious the players shouldn't be able to go.  Have you ever ran in to an invisible wall on Glacier Valley and thought, "WTF INVISIBLE WALL, BS"?  Probably not.  Many, many maps include scenery and cover directly next to the automatic map borders.  I personally fucking HATE those borders more than placed barriers, as unmounted horses vanish when they touch them which is retarded, looks retarded, and is unrealistic as hell.

6.  Every battle map needs an area for cavalry.

Yes, you hate cavalry if you don't play it, but cavalry can only play battle and no other gametypes.  Every battle map I have ever seen that requires dismounting has been removed from rotation.

[Elindor]

Jacko, are the Scene Devs (you and Mustikki) going to have the ability to make things live through server restarting or whatever?  Or is that something that we'll still have to wait on people like chadz/cmp to do?