22 May 07 · Remaking old maps pt.2

So to continue on from the last post: if all of the other dev members oppose remakes, and even I was reluctant, why do I allow it?

Well, because it doesn't hurt me in any way. On the other hand it does help new mappers learn, and people enjoy playing old maps. Let me grab another of my posts from the same thread to explain it in more detail:

• New mappers often learn how to map by copying and redoing older maps. The first maps that I did were a copy of goldeneye's complex and q1dm4 for q3. I never released them, but that was always the intention. By copying and extending older maps I learned the aspects of map construction without having to worry about design issues. It's hard enough building brushes correctly without worrying about getting the layout and aesthetics right. Even the first map I released borrowed a lot of ideas from q1dm4 and q1dm6. So if new mappers feel like remaking one of my maps I'm only too happy to let them.


• Most experienced mappers want to create their own maps, not copy someone else's. I don't think any mapper is going choose to copy my maps when they could release a brilliant map of their own.


• I'm fairly confident my current maps are pretty good, and a mapper would have trouble improving them. And if they do, I can steal their ideas and they can't do a thing about it. Murhahaha. :)


• I've hardly ever seen a remake actually get played much in the wild. Maybe auto downloading will change that, but I doubt it. The only case I can recall is with abbey2 in 3.0. When it first came out it sucked for TS play and clans often played a copy of the original. For a later release I fixed Abbey and the copy ceased to be played. So in that specific case the copy/remake helped to make me realize that the map had issues and made future versions better. :) So if I stuff something up. The community has a recourse


• Outside of these forums it isn't really possible to stop someone making a remake. So better the devil you know I reckon :)

Of course the most important point is missing from that list: people get to play and enjoy a map that is no longer supported by the original author!

So if there are so many reasons why remakes are good why do so many people generally oppose the idea?

That's what I'm going to look at in the next post. The arguments against remakes.