Starcraft Ums Maps

Ok, I'm putting this in vent becuz I'm more angry then talking about the game*lol*.

Ok, as a map maker for StarCraft BW, I know how hard it is to make a good successful, popular(and words missing?) map. But I believe that Blizzard isn't helping this, they just make it harder for us.

Now before I start venting, I'd like people to agree/disagree with me on this statement. (my own words)

"Without UMS Map would Starcraft even exist? More people play UMS maps then Melee, there are hundreds of GOOD UMS maps that people play consantaly. But melee maps are all the same, fast possible, temple, all blizzard made maps. I see more UMS then melee. People would get bored of melee maps becuz it's all the same. You play, you win, you play, you lose. Over and over!"

Now, myself, I have made about 5 maps...Semi-Popular, and still more coming. A lot of people make RpG(Role Play Games) and A lot of RpG's require computer AI(Artificial Inteligence, seriously, it's like playing with a cockroach). During about 1.10 AI scripts were used mainly for making computers act like they do in melee maps, exepct more advanced, and faster acting. Once 1.11 came out AI scripts never worked properly. Wanna know why? They're outdated!

When you go to a blizzard support channel, they will NOT help you with UMS troubles(triggering). One of the old ones actually told me that UMS Maps were irrelivent. Why would they say this? Without UMS maps I believe starcraft wouldn't exist!

Lets do the math.

1 Game can hold max 6 players *IF* they're 2 computers, which most UMS maps hold 6 players. You can usually see 2-3 of the same map in the game list. So, full house, 6 players. That's six players in ONE UMS map. With over 2 of the same one, over 18.(sorry if this confuzes you). So 18 people playing the same UMS game. There are over 10k people playing games at one time(you see this once you login) 10k people playing games, most being UMS. Just imaging if there were no UMS maps. 3/4 of those people would be channel grounded.

Why Channel Grounded?

I have a lot of friends online, now most of them are 10..11..12 years old. You really expect a 10 year old to develop a strategic strike against his opponent(about 5 years older then him) that will work? It's not being mean to the youngers, but it's sometimes a fact. A lot of 10 year olds can make good stratagies, but most can't... SO for the people who aren't good at melee, wouldn't play at all since there are no UMS maps.


What are UMS maps?

Use Map Settings, is what it stands for. It's basically a person who is skilled with triggers(actions) that like to make these maps, what they do it combine triggers in combos and make a reaction.

Example:

Condition:
Player 1 brings exactaly 1 <any unit> to location <spawn>
Player 1 has accumalated exactaly <10> minerals.

Action:
Create <1> <marine> for player 1 at location <1>
Subtract <10> minerals from player 1.
<Preserve>

That's a basic buy trigger. The people who make maps need to add HUNDREDS of triggers, locations into one map to work. If you've ever played a well balanced madness game, with buying power, it's VERY difficult.

Back to my vent. After all you've seen, you see that the people who've made UMS maps that have become popular work really hard deserve credit, but Blizzard just throws this fact away like it never existed. They never update UMS scripts, so AI never works properly anymore. Say you want an opponent to make a full fledged base, they'll make one unit. Attack. Lose. And never build anything anymore. Doesn't sound right does it? This may sound harsh, but Blizzard doesn't care about UMS, starcraft(wow) as much as they do other games.

This may suprise you!



YOU'RE KIDDING ME RIGHT?! That patch messed up hundreds of UMS maps, replays(replays get cut to 2 minutes once a patch comes out) for a stupid TYPO? What is blizzard thinking?!?! *That quote was taken directly from there site*

Well, I've wrtten enough here, so in conclusion, I belive without UMS maps, starcraft wouldn't exist. Blizzard needs to pay more attention to scripts that we work so hard to put to gether, then some stupid type that it almost unoticable.

Thanks for listening and reading down this far. I appretiate your attention. I'm sorry if anyway this confused you aswell. Please post comments/conserns/questions. I've been playing sc for 4 years, I've been through the worst, so I can answer all questions!

I do agree with you on that the ai scripts they have now sort of suck, cause they dont prove much of a challenge as you'd expect them to do. They should really consider updating it. I've made some maps that need an ai script, so i wont have to do any advanced triggering, but after an hour or 2 of game-play, the computers stop doing what you've told them to do. Which sucks, cause that stops my maps from being hard, as they're supposed to be. I do believe ums maps is what keeps starcraft alive. If it weren't for ums maps, and the ability to create your own, i would have left starcraft a long time ago. The only good thing about the patches it that it prevents hacks from working. Which is a map maker's worst enemy.

SO TRUE! Exepct! What's a map makers worst nightmare really? Non-Working AI scripts that are needed or some stupid map hack? I don't see hacks as much of a threat. Unless it's a show-all hack and then it pretty much spoils the RPG. Hacks are mostly for melee though. If they're so worried about hacks(and typos) they should just make an anti-hack system. I mean CMON! These guys developed WoW, Diablo II, Diablo II LoD, Starcraft, more.. But they can't make a simple anti-hack system? I mean, they SAY they're cutting down on hacks in diablo. But people still use Map hacks, and never get banned/warned. My friends actually use baal bots and MF bots, they never get banned/warned. There anti-hack system is FEAR!

But you can't run a game offa fear, people will learn it's just a gimick and hack anyways.

My cousin made a few of these maps he is gonna be mad. I however, don't really think its a big deal because they will fix it. Hopefully, for everyone's sake (meaning those who play that game) it will get fixed soon.

No. They will not fix it. Please read this section of my post.



A blizzard rep, said UMS triggering was "irrelivelt. Blizzard will not "hopefully" update this soon. This has been going on since there FIRST patch. Blizzard doesn't care about UMS becuz they're not making the maps! When you say "it will get fixed soon" is...can't think of the word. "Soon" has past "some day" has past. "NEVER" is what we're looking at.

Thanks for your opinion, but this has been going on for YEARS, and they keep making stupid updates that ruin some maps. The last MAJOR update was a couple months ago. This is what they changed;

Added a "Friends" button to see your friends list. ???? Why? Are people complaining that typing /f l is to hard?

Added a "Channel" button that works basically like diablo. Again, were people complaining that typing /join <channel> was to hard? Or even /j <channel>. I Mean, CMON!

Sadly they will never fix the AI scripts becuz they don't care about it. They think it's not there problem.

I did find that update pretty pointless, but i guess it will help out any newbs that havent learn the commands for battle.net.

Well, not entierly pointless but, I find it useless. They should worry more about other things then "Friends" button and a "channel" button. I mean, they're messing up peoples games, and they don't care! All they're worried about are the lazies. And people who don't know the command learn from other people. If you don't know how so many people would be willing to teach you. It's just a matter of asking. The channel and friend button is just another step you have to take to get to what you want.

Well, they're aren't many bugs in the UMS map to me. I've made plenty of maps, like Halo War Of The Races. They've been very popular and they still are. I think UMS mappers help Blizzard game survive. They would lose 3/5 of they're players if they got rid of UMS. ( Yes, it's true ).

Also, those new patches they put in, they fixed useless stuff. Yeah, I just downloaded it. It's completely useless.

I don't think they should edit the UMS map, I think they need to add MORE triggers to it, so players would actually see a REAL change for once. I'm gonna e-mail blizzard about this, and hopefully, they will take my advice and make StarCraft games more fun.

They don't care because they too busy with SC2, they know people gonna play starcraft no mater what anyways, and if not they makin millions from wow already.

I couldn't agree more man. The repetativeness of the BGH, ZC, and fastest maps is a bit sickening. Atleast UMS maps have a personal line of creativity for each individual kind of map maker. There are various type of UMS maps with thousands of different game objectives, some of which even require skill to a gaming perspective. With maps such as BGH, ect. The creativity is thrown away from the most important thing. US? right?... Blizzard though it was neccessary to make Starcraft 2 using the perspective that you needed three seperate CD's to play the game obviously an attempt to promote the campaign version of the game to todays modern standards. A good marketing technique used by Blizzard to generate revenue. Now the most important thing, "US"(the consumer) has to buy 3 seperate CD's, in order to get thef eel of the game in its fullest extent. This technique is to promote the creativity of the game and the campaign storyline written and created by Blizzard staff. So the general marketing technique is 3 seperate CD's possibly with 3 seperate expansion discs...To promote the creativity, being the storyline and the creativity of Blizzard as a company. However they deny us the right to fully functional software because we want to express our creativity? Hmm...Someone I don't feel that important anymore. :`( I hope SC2 has a good map editor!! or three...