TF2 Map Reviews

NoodleCollie

Stoat fiend
aa
Jul 30, 2009
383
335
This is an experiment I'm doing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xb3OaFQaiTI

I thought it might be an interesting idea to do something sort of like a "shoutcast", but showcasing and reviewing new maps. This is the first video, including the maps that were played in the gameday last night. Don't know how many more of these I'll do (they take ages and my Christmas holidays only last for so long) but I like how it turned out.
 

Micnax

Back from the dead (again)
aa
Apr 25, 2009
2,109
1,585
This is quite good! You showcase a lot about the maps themselves including routes and what makes the map special, such as height variation and such, and you point out their flaws too so it's extra helpful for the authors too.

You should do more!
 

EArkham

Necromancer
aa
Aug 14, 2009
1,625
2,773
I agree. I'm only to the 2nd map so far, but the presentation is really good.

Could stand to bring the voice over volume up to match the music and game sounds. Also hearing 'beta' pronounced 'beat-ah' is awesome, hah.

Definitely do more.
 

GPuzzle

L9: Fashionable Member
Feb 27, 2012
638
414
That was original, advertised us, and was really cool to see.
Congrats!
 

phi

aa
Nov 6, 2011
832
1,815
That is an awesome idea. The feedback is endlessly useful for map makers like myself since it's all condensed information in one place, and all on-topic... certainly something I enjoyed watching.
I'll join the general consensus and say that another one would be well appreciated!
 

Deodorant

L6: Sharp Member
Oct 31, 2011
263
214
Doing video reviews on early WIPs strikes me as a bit odd, format-wise, but that may just be me. I'd absolutely love to see you review finished community maps, though. Preferably with just one map per video. It would make it easier to find and get to know the good community maps amongst the terrible ones, which would be beneficial both for people looking for good community map servers and server owners looking for good community maps.

In any case, the feedback you're giving sounds really useful, so you should definitely keep giving it in whichever medium you prefer.
 
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NoodleCollie

Stoat fiend
aa
Jul 30, 2009
383
335
Doing video reviews on early WIPs strikes me as a bit odd, format-wise, but that may just be me. I'd absolutely love to see you review finished community maps, though. Preferably with just one map per video. It would make it easier to find and get to know the good community maps amongst the terrible ones, which would be beneficial both for people looking for good community map servers and server owners looking for good community maps.

In any case, the feedback you're giving sounds really useful, so you should definitely keep giving it in whichever medium you prefer.

The main reason I started with these was simply because I was there, and it was easy to get SourceTV demos to mess around with. If I were to do released maps (which sounds like a good idea), it would be difficult to get the shots I wanted without finding a SourceTV server with the map on it, plus the better maps would be more likely to be up and have players than the worse ones in the first place. Doing WIPs I suppose could help alert people to the maps that may be out sometime in the near future, as well as possibly providing some insight into how they were designed.

Also hearing 'beta' pronounced 'beat-ah' is awesome, hah.

That's how I've always pronounced it!
 

Dr. Spud

Grossly Incandescent
aa
Mar 23, 2009
880
854
This is really cool and well done, but I do think it would be more beneficial if done for finished / major public releases of maps.

Two reasons:
1) You'll build up an archive of map reviews that people will be able to browse through and get impressions of lots of maps. If these are all reviews of finished/nearly finished maps, they will stay relevant for a long time. An archive of reviews of test builds is not very useful once the maps get iterated upon.

2) Making videos of this level of quality takes time, and at the stage most gameday maps are in, they need rapid feedback and rapid iteration. For the purposes of getting your feedback to the mapmaker, this format is pretty slow.

Either way, the video does a great job of communicating what you think of the map, and you make useful points of feedback.
 

Arne

L3: Member
Nov 22, 2012
114
55
This is a good idea! Keep it up!

But I think there's some points you could make it more better and helpful.

1. KEEP IT UP! *pointless spam*

2. Link the post, as a single post by clicking on the number at the upper right corner at all the posts, which has the .dems like the theharribokid's post with the .dems from nightwatch's 2nd gameday. For people who want to see more of the maps from more and different point of views.

Btw. I second almost all of the posts above this.

This is a good video since you switch between the player's points of views in that video.
 
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Oct 6, 2008
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I watched this on a 32 inch hd monitor = excellent work by everyone the maps looked fantastic!
 

Fish 2.0

L6: Sharp Member
Nov 22, 2012
324
262
I think this is more for the map creators than the people who will be playing them when (if) they finish them.

Really cool reviews, nice to see it more detailed than the !fb from play days.
 

Tarry H Sruman

Large Orphanage Proprietor
aa
Jul 31, 2011
872
1,021
2) Making videos of this level of quality takes time, and at the stage most gameday maps are in, they need rapid feedback and rapid iteration. For the purposes of getting your feedback to the mapmaker, this format is pretty slow.

I don't know about that considering it took him about a day to do this.
 

NoodleCollie

Stoat fiend
aa
Jul 30, 2009
383
335
It's not toooo slow, but considering I'm on Christmas holidays bored at uni and waiting for family to pick me up this weekend, I did have a lot of time to kill.

Many thanks for all the feedback so far, there are a lot of good points to consider.
 

Trotim

aa
Jul 14, 2009
1,195
1,045
Don't overthink the feedback, just keep doing them when you find the time

They're a good incentive for me to be even more silly with taunts and voice commands during gamedays
 

NoodleCollie

Stoat fiend
aa
Jul 30, 2009
383
335
In some ways I'd like to, but the post-recording editing takes a long time if you don't have a full free day (and I'm anticipating that as soon as uni starts back up I will have very little free time).