What should we do?

[EdvardMunch]

While BST is out on holiday, I figure us Starchitects should kick start ourselves into making some maps, what better way of bringing in the new year than finishing up our projects in progress and starting ‘05 with a blank slate?

I think one problem is that we rush too quickly into projects, instead of sitting down and talking about how to proceed with a project. Some say talking too much might be the problem, but it wouldn’t be a problem if we talked about the right things.

IMO, one cause of project failure is that some projects don't match the people. As such, I’d like to conduct a quick survey on the current members to see what it is we all want in a project and in a leader.

For rating questions, we should use a scale of 1-7. Here’s how to interpret the scale:
1 - Strongly negative
2 - Moderately negative
3 - Lightly negative
4 - Neutral/middle
5 - Lightly positive
6 - Moderately positive
7 - Strongly positive

Mapping Preferences

1. What are your favorite types of maps to play?

2. What are your favorite types of maps to make?

3. What are your mapping strengths?

4. What are your mapping weaknesses?

5. What would you like to improve on?

Project Leading

6. How good of a project leader do you feel you are? Rate please.

7. How good do other project leaders tend to be? Rate please. (no naming)

8. What strengths with the present project system do you see?

9. What weaknesses with the present project system do you see?

10. Do you feel things should be improved? How?

11. What advice would you give to project leaders?

This should also serve as an informal roll call, since it’s hard to tell which of us are gone and which of us are inactive.

So then, let’s discuss the weaknesses of the Starchitects and what we should be doing.

If you prefer to, use BSTRhino's encoder program (http://bstrhino.reacticore.com/StarchitectEncryptionLibrary.html) to encode your post so only Starchitects may read it.

==================================================

And now my answers. (Grr, stupid post merge)

Mapping Preferences

1. What are your favorite types of maps to play?
RPGs, game show maps

2. What are your favorite types of maps to make?
RPGs, game show maps

3. What are your mapping strengths?
Writing, concise triggers for complicated applications

4. What are your mapping weaknesses?
Modding, terrain, work slowly, getting too ambitious and giving myself too much to do, giving up on mapping projects

5. What would you like to improve on?
Terrain, working faster, sticking with projects, and scaling back my ambition to a manageable level.

Project Leading

6. How good of a project leader do you feel you are? Rate please.
3

7. How good do other project leaders tend to be? Rate please. (no naming)
3

8. What strengths with the present project system do you see?
The current system supports creative and technical freedom and allows us to operate at our own pace.

9. What weaknesses with the present project system do you see?
Often, too many people are allowed on a project and they become hard to manage. The system also tends to put an unnecessary emphasis on group work (why have two people make a map when one can?)

10. Do you feel things should be improved? How?
We need to find some way of encouraging and supporting single-person projects. Most maps are better off as one-person projects anyway (except for things like campaigns and mods. The minigame map is an example of a map best suited to multiple people).

11. What advice would you give to project leaders?
Ask those on your team for a specific deadline for their work (don't assign it, have them tell you what they are capable of). Research shows that when a person sets their own deadline (as long as they feel it is an accurate deadline and not one they were pressured into) they are much more likely to follow it.

[Dark_Soul74]

Mapping Preferences

1. What are your favorite types of maps to play?
UMS! Just about anything well carried out.

2. What are your favorite types of maps to make?
Something fun or challenging to make.

3. What are your mapping strengths?
Inventiveness.

4. What are your mapping weaknesses?
Short attention span.

5. What would you like to improve on?
Short attention span.



Project Leading

6. How good of a project leader do you feel you are? Rate please.
I don't really do much project leading...

7. How good do other project leaders tend to be? Rate please. (no naming)
6

8. What strengths with the present project system do you see?
It's more casual, yet formal at the same time.

9. What weaknesses with the present project system do you see?
Nothing unusual.

10. Do you feel things should be improved? How?
Things are fine. Maybe a little higher member activity, though...

11. What advice would you give to project leaders?
Stay in school?

[King_Templar]

Yea, I did get in on SC Modding, not mapping, but anyway...


Mapping Preferences

1. What are your favorite types of maps to play?
Melee, RPG, UMS in general
2. What are your favorite types of maps to make?
I like making RPG maps.
3. What are your mapping strengths?
Innovative (I like to think so, anyway).
4. What are your mapping weaknesses?
I get discouraged/bored.
5. What would you like to improve on?
Staying on task of working on whatever it is i'm working on.

Project Leading

6. How good of a project leader do you feel you are? Rate please.
Dunno, never been tested, really.
7. How good do other project leaders tend to be? Rate please. (no naming)
I've not been active enough (sad, i know), nor keeping up enough with Starchitect activity to feel qualified to comment on this.
8. What strengths with the present project system do you see?
See answer to 7
9. What weaknesses with the present project system do you see?
See answer to 8
10. Do you feel things should be improved? How?
See answer to 9
11. What advice would you give to project leaders?
Make sure that people know what a project is about, etc. Also, see what qualified people you have for doing a project and contact them. And don't use the word etc. (j/k)

Anyway, like I said, I got in on modding and haven't done a whole lot in the Starchitects. Well, I did the iscript for the Terran Lodestar in the PMP, but other than that, I've done beta testing on Orbit Defense. So, meh. Anyway, I do have a map on my website (URL (http://www.freewebs.com/king-templar/)), and I guess you can look at it if you want. Maybe not the best example of my skill in map making...but meh. (Ok, I said meh twice in on post...ok, three times now. >.< ) Well, as it is, I've not really been called into any project by anyone. So there it is. I'm just rambling now, so I'll shut up after the next sentence.

What in the world does corderoy have to do with anything?

[Sikawtic]

Mapping Preferences

1. What are your favorite types of maps to play?
UMS, ones that are well carried out, particularily RPGs
2. What are your favorite types of maps to make?
I like menus and such... doesn't matter the map.
3. What are your mapping strengths?
I'm... full of strange ideas.
4. What are your mapping weaknesses?
I get bored and quit working on it.
5. What would you like to improve on?

Project Leading

6. How good of a project leader do you feel you are? Rate please.
I've never tried.
7. How good do other project leaders tend to be? Rate please. (no naming)
Never had one yet.

The rest are dittos of above.

[StealthyDeath]

Mapping Preferences

1. What are your favorite types of maps to play?
Anything that has a creative edge to it.

2. What are your favorite types of maps to make?
RPGs, campaigns, melee.

3. What are your mapping strengths?
Triggers, terrain, work quickly.

4. What are your mapping weaknesses?
Giving up if it takes too long.

5. What would you like to improve on?
Keeping up with duties, longer attention span, and being more creative.

Project Leading

6. How good of a project leader do you feel you are? Rate please.
5

7. How good do other project leaders tend to be? Rate please. (no naming)
6

8. What strengths with the present project system do you see?
The present system allows everyone to take their time with what they are assigned.

9. What weaknesses with the present project system do you see?
Often, the project is ignored when the project leader is not around. When too many people allowed on to a project and it slows the project down. In large groups, decisions are harder to make, work speed is decreased dramatically when one has to upload and another to download the map off of the server and wait for another to finish before they can start.

10. Do you feel things should be improved? How?
We need to change the system a bit. If one is busy, have them upload whatever is completed and allow another to work on it. Format the first post to inculde ideas that have been posted in the thread and will be used, member names that are currently on the project team, overall percentage of the map, what needs to be finished, and who is working on what. More active members too.

11. What advice would you give to project leaders?
Nothing as of now.

[UED77]

Mapping Preferences

1. What are your favorite types of maps to play?
I don't usually like to play SC anymore, but when I do, I enjoy creative trigger-driven UMS games.

2. What are your favorite types of maps to make?
UMS maps with lots of triggers that propel the map beautifully when done.

3. What are your mapping strengths?
Good at triggers; thought out; (very) organized; can excel when I have the "drive"

4. What are your mapping weaknesses?
Very susceptible to losing steam, especially when project leader is gone, inactivity is prevalent, or school work is more than I can handle

5. What would you like to improve on?
Not losing interest in mapping so quickly in the situations described in #4;
learn how to make customs from the pros.

Project Leading

6. How good of a project leader do you feel you are? Rate please.
Never been in a situation, but if faced with it, I believe I would be 4

7. How good do other project leaders tend to be? Rate please. (no naming)
4

8. What strengths with the present project system do you see?


When everyone has the right amount of devotion, we can achieve extraordinary feats
No strings attached; no deadlines; this loose confederacy values the individual and thus makes the individuals more likely to want to participate in making maps (than compared to a hierarchy, where one might not be happy with his position)
Equality -- you're not in a hierarchy; your actions shape the way others think of you
Democracy -- everyone has a saying in decisions
Despite democracy, strong central leadership -- BSTRhino's decision-making

9. What weaknesses with the present project system do you see?

Loose confederacy instead of strict hierarchy results in frequent inactivity
Loose confederacy also results in lack of patriotic feeling toward the group
If the Leader is unavailable, the decision-making usually grinds to a halt, as we are used to BSTRhino having a final say in everything

10. Do you feel things should be improved? How?


Pro tempore leaders should be elected whenever the supreme Leader is unavailable
The supreme Leader should designate trusted officials to make some decisions. The Leader, although usually doing a wonderful job, can not always think about each decision as much as he should, mainly because of the sheer number of decisions.
Each member striving to be active

11. What advice would you give to project leaders?
Promote the project and give frequent pep talks. However, as even I have experienced it once, inactivity is caused by the members themselves. Therefore, each member should do their best to remain active.

UED77

[Hawthorne]

Mapping Preferences

1. What are your favorite types of maps to play?
UMS, what else :)
2. What are your favorite types of maps to make?
UMS, don't be surprised
3. What are your mapping strengths?
Triggers,unit placement,that's about it
4. What are your mapping weaknesses?
Terrain,can't do a s**t of it
5. What would you like to improve on?
Terrain,ufcourse

Project Leading
6. How good of a project leader do you feel you are? Rate please.
3
7. How good do other project leaders tend to be? Rate please. (no naming)
6
8. What strengths with the present project system do you see?
Well freedom of thoughts,lots of ideas,good management ...
9. What weaknesses with the present project system do you see?
Not much of 'em they're not very big ones
10. Do you feel things should be improved? How?
Well maybe more single-player projects that's 'bout it.
11. What advice would you give to project leaders?
None at this time...

[IceFlare]

My preferences are like the people here. But what I suggest is to make some maps trigger intensive meaning advanced stuff that makes revolutionary maps. But half of the maps you make enjoyable by the largest audience for a long time. Something with staying power like diplomacy can mean more success than a trigger intensive map imo.

[Hawthorne]

IceFlare I absolutely agree,most of the maps that I've noticed are played are easy to play with little triggers,not much than a day's work even for me.I've always wanted there to be a control that can allow you to change the map while the players are playing,when they get to a teleport they seem to be teleported to another map.
(I've read some pretty cool books,where they jump from one planet to another,I thought that something like that would be just awesome)
But I can't figure out how that owuld be achievable,if someone could mod it into the x-tra editor it would be fantastic, 'cus I'm sure such a rpg would be loved but I don't see how it'll happen and even if it did how such maps would be downloaded...

[StealthyDeath]

Hotorn, you are not a Starchitect. Refrain from posting in a Starchitect thread.

[EdvardMunch]

(When I say maps, I usually mean mods too, I just don't think to write maps/mods)

From what's been posted, these are the following problems with the way things are done:
- Inactive members
- Too much reliance on project managers
- No single projects

The cause of inactive members seems to be given by what is the biggest weakness with us, as individuals: Basically, a short attention span.

Making Yourself More Productive

Psychologists have done research into goal setting, and have developed a method that works pretty well for keeping one on task. It's called formulating an implementation intention.

The overall idea is to realize the goal and why you want to do it, then break it down into steps with start dates and deadlines. Next, you imagine yourself completing each and every step, and you also imagine yourself being attacked by whatever it is that distracts you.

So for example, let's say you want to make an RPG. First, ask yourself why you want to make the RPG. So you can improve your own map making? So there will actually be a decent RPG on the market? So the masses will love and adore you? (Who doesn't want their map to be popular on b.net?) Know your reasons and narrow-mindedly focus on them. If you forget for what rewards you're doing this for, you're likely to stop working since you don't see the point.

Next, divide up into the steps needed to complete the RPG, say...
1. Write the story.
2. Make the terrain.
3. Plan out the really complicated or long triggers.
4. Make the triggers.
5. Bug test it.
6. Difficulty test it.

Next, visualize yourself going through each step. This is not fantasizing or wishful thinking, where you imagine how great it would be to have the map completed. Imagine yourself working on the story, then working on the terrain, then the triggers, and etc.

Also anticipate anything that will slow or stop your progress (like a bug that will not go away, windows crashing, a fear of failure) and visualize yourself dealing with it. For example, researchers did a study where two groups of students were to solve complex math problems while a TV next to them would randomly play distracting commercials (probably Old Navy ads). Both groups were warned of the distraction, but Group 1 was told to imagine themselves keeping their attention focused in spite of the commercials. Group 2 wasn't told any of this. The results? Group 1 solved a lot more math problems than Group 2.

If the project is particularly large (a really ambitious RPG) it's important to break down the game into chunks. To complete a project is rewarding, but if the project is too large, the reward won't come soon enough and one will lose interest. However, if you break it down into smaller chunks then you'll feel rewarded after completing each chunk. The project will also feel smaller from doing this.

Deadlines are also important. Deadlines keep us from lagging in our work. However, I have seen that there seem to be two types of deadlines you can set for yourself, and you should choose the one that applies to the project:
1. Leisure Deadlines - This deadline is one you set for what seems like a realistic amount of work given your current pace, and is relatively long. You won't have to work yourself to the bone to meet this one. Make long, leisurely deadlines for leisurely projects so you don't have to worry about forcing yourself.
2. Challenging Deadlines - These are tight deadlines that push us to work harder and faster. You'll want to use this deadline if you want to get better at map making. This deadline carries a greater chance of not being met. Don't meet a deadline enough, and it's possible you'll feel incompetent and unable to complete the map.

Finally, you not only need to decide when you'll be done with your step, but when you'll begin the next one. It's important to decide when, where, (I guess for map making the where is kinda unchangeable, unless you stole a laptop) and for how long you'll work on the map. Research supports this one too: Women who wrote down when and where they would conduct a breast self-examination actually did so 100% of the time during a given month, whereas women who simply had the goal of conducting a breast self-examination did so only 53% of the time.

So then, know what and why your goal is, write out the steps of what you'll do and when you'll do it, and imagine yourself going through each step and dealing with every problem. Specifically, be sure to imagine yourself working in spite of a lack of inspiration. When beginning a project, it's tempting to think inspiration will last forever, but it's important to admit that the inspiration will eventually go away, and the only way for this project is to be completed is if you keep working even without inspiration.

Too Much Reliance On Project Managers

I think we should strike the position of project manager entirely. It's a title that allows us to defer too much responsibility onto someone else. One problem with the title is that we don't even feel that the project is ours. In the end, we're working for the manager. If there is no project manager, then the project will have to be everyone's responsibility. Nonetheless, people just expect the project manager to lead, and if they don't, the project is dead. Furthermore, if a project dies and everyone has equal power, then everyone should feel equal responsibility for it dying, instead of saying "the project died because the project manager let it die."

No Single Projects

When we first started in WB, I suggested we have a monthly map making competition among Starchitects (the monthly part can be negotiated at the start of each new round). The only prize would be to play (and be a part of) other great maps, because the point is to keep making maps. This is an idea we might want to discuss, because it may encourage single projects.
Second, the Starchitects should take ownership of any member-created maps we want to donate. Not only would it inflate our completed maps database, but it would also show that the single maps matter too.

[Dark_Soul74]

Hmm....Maybe we should get started on a new mod project for BST to gape at when he gets back? The purpose of PMP was to prepare for such a thing, so we might as well. :P

I've gotten to work trying to prepare some new graphics for it, and have good versions for the Zerg Burrower, Terran Lodestar, Terran C.O.B.R.A.(New unit), Terran Raven(New unit), Zerg Ceraling(New unit), and the Protoss Merge Templar(New unit). I'm working on making the second stage to the Ceraling, as well as some other things.

[Sikawtic]

RAVEN! you theif... that was mine... i had custom graphics and everything (they wouldn't compile however...)

[Dark_Soul74]

It's just a name... I have stats for it too, but I'd like to see yours.

[Sikawtic]

http://www.freewebs.com/sikawticom/downloads/skconversion.zip

The new graphics aren't in there cuz i couldn't get them to work sadly :(

[Dark_Soul74]

Well, the point was to see just that specific unit. :P

[Sikawtic]

I haven't got the foggiest what you mean.. the unit is in that mod o_O.

[Dark_Soul74]

Well, I wanted to know the specifics about the unit, maybe a frame or two of the unit...

Anyway, think we should start that?

[EdvardMunch]

Another mod could be cool, how much does the mod change? Was this the mod that you wanted to have a campaign go along with?

[Dark_Soul74]

Yep. :D

It's going to add a whole bunch of units, including the Preliminary Modding Project units. An accompanying campaign would be nice, too, since it would add more members to the working pool. I'll make a thread later on tonight, if it's ok with you.

[EdvardMunch]

Do as you wish. As long as BST is absent and only something like 7 people are active we're gonna be in a state of anarchy anyway. Do you have a plot or topic in mind for the campaign?

[Dark_Soul74]

Yet more work for you guys. :D

I'll create the thread later tonight.

[Sikawtic]

don't remember the stats... pics are attatched.

O, and I'd like to be in on the new modding project ^_^

[EdvardMunch]

That looks cool you SiKo! Why doesn't it work? The angles don't match up?

[Dark_Soul74]

SP, that looks like one of those toy plastic birds that you balance on its magnetic stand, and you get at the dollar store. :P

If you need help getting them compiled to .grp, I've got a script on my PSP to batch process them to a working state. Just send me a .zip

[BSTRhino]

Hey guys, I just hopped back on the internet for about five seconds. It's 50 cents per minute.

When we get back, I'll be on full holiday and my plan is to bring the wonderful minigame map to completion.

UED77, if you don't feel like doing that minigame I assigned to you, don't worry about it. I wouldn't mind doing it myself actually. What might be a good job for you would be to finish adding paths to the minefield with that JavaScript program you made if you haven't already. Is that really your first JavaScript program?

I am probably going to ignore all other issues while getting the minigame completed, but I'll decide that later. I need to disconnect now... the internet costs.

[Hawthorne]

50 cents per minute !!!!
Here for fifty cents I can stay an hour and a half, damn those prices are high!
(Sorry that this post has nothing to do with the thread :) )