Add Maps to Steam Workshop

[Freyja]

I've voiced my opinions on this before. I think it's a bad idea. Multiplayer maps just don't work on the workshop, unless there's some system in place that lets servers subscribe. Even then, the concerns in the rest of the thread still come into affect, we here strive for quality, the workshop wouldn't.

Valve can already add official maps easily enough, and we've got plenty of exposure on their blog. If they add a workshop, we might get more people interested in mapping, but that's all we'll get from it.

 

[Leminnes]

I've voiced my opinions on this before. I think it's a bad idea. Multiplayer maps just don't work on the workshop, unless there's some system in place that lets servers subscribe. Even then, the concerns in the rest of the thread still come into affect, we here strive for quality, the workshop wouldn't.

Valve can already add official maps easily enough, and we've got plenty of exposure on their blog. If they add a workshop, we might get more people interested in mapping, but that's all we'll get from it.

I pretty much disagree with everything you said. It is not a BAD idea. It's a very bare-bones idea that probably needs more elaboration as well as a bit of work from Valve to make sure things are run smoothly.

As far as I'm concerned, the negatives people have voiced are very minor. It's not like if this thing comes to exist that TF2M will cease to exist. We'll still be here making sure maps are high quality. But a more general area, officially created and enforced by Valve cannot be a bad idea.

Also, I highly disagree that TF2Ms and the mapping community on a whole is getting enough exposure. Custom maps are criminally underutilized by Valve and TF2 servers. What was the last custom map they added anyway? Gullywash? One that was years old that they took forever to add. Besides the fact that it was added in super quietly with barely a mention.

It's just sad to see, I think.

 

[Freyja]

Yeah, you're probably right. And like anything else, it'll probably all be fine once it all settles down a few days later, if of course this even happens.

 

[Ravidge]

When I think map workshop, I see it being a centralized, reliable, distribution service.

Not a place for discussion, not for testing, not for feedback, not for communities, not for reviewing, not for ranking (I don't trust people to rank maps in a workshop environment, it would be too inaccurate and devolve into popularity contest). And so on.
Simply a distribution service, that makes running and (automatically)updating custom maps easy for server owners.

Looking at it that way, there is absolutely no negatives with it. And I would be happy with just that functionality, the rest is not needed.

 

[Leminnes]

I would like that as well, ravidge. But I do think a rating system wouldn't be the WORST idea. It'd just need to be a bit more complicated than just a thumbs up/thumbs down system they have now. If they do add them, though, I doubt they'd change it.

 

[Harribo]

I think the reason for not complicating the rating system in the workshop is the same reason Youtube simplified their rating system. People will rate all or nothing i.e. 5 stars or 0 stars even when given middle ground to choose from, complicating it would be pointless.

 

[Fruity Snacks]

I wonder if Fireslash would be willing to answer "hey, is there anyone at valve at least interested in making a workshop for TF2Maps?" Instead of asking "Are you working on it"

If that was the case, we could find out who the person(s) are, and shoot them a proposal, saying "Yo, we heard you are interested in this, here is something that we came up with, that we think MIGHT work. What are your thoughts"


Rule #1: If something isn't happening, start it yourself.

 

[Bloodhound]

Rule #1: If something isn't happening, start it yourself.

I actually had the idea of a distribution for map updates in February, I discussed very long with grazr but he hadn't such a good opinion about it and I found too less admins that would use it.

However, I found this:
https://twitter.com/l4ddev/status/214583590703480832

A there is a map workshop in work for left4dead.
The TF2 maps aren't that big, so technically it seems like it's already possible.

 

[infectedfury]

How about we just start uploading maps to misc items section until valve give use as section for maps.

 

[colacan]

That wouldn't be a good idea I think. And L4D2 campaigns are more complicated to make then, for instance stuff like cp_orange_x maps. So a L4D2 workshop will probably get a lot less crap then TF2.

 

[Fruity Snacks]

How about we just start uploading maps to misc items section until valve give use as section for maps.

We tried. You can't have anything more than a 10mb zip file.

Most of the new-theme custom maps are greater than that.

 

[Seba]

10mb is a small arena map with no customs. Hell, Capricorn is 25mb and it has like three custom textures.

I don't think that uploading maps (or anything map-related) to the Misc section is a good idea, as it might be taken as harmful spam and quickly removed and the user banned or what have you. The best way of handling this, imo, would be to contact a Valve employee directly - that way you know they're actually reading it (assuming they respond), unlike a SPUF thread of a discussion on the workshop which could go unnoticed for weeks on end.

 

[Leminnes]

I emailed Robin on Saturday. I have no idea if it'll go on deaf ears or not. I'm hoping not.

 

[YM]

We tried. You can't have anything more than a 10mb zip file.

Most of the new-theme custom maps are greater than that.

When did you try? I've been told the upload limit has been greatly increased

 

[Harribo]

I emailed Robin on Saturday. I have no idea if it'll go on deaf ears or not. I'm hoping not.

Robin is working on DOTA2, i'd try emailing the whole TF Team: http://www.valvesoftware.com/email.php?recipient=TF+Team , It seems to get a better % of proper emails replied to.

 

[Bloodhound]

However, I found this:
https://twitter.com/l4ddev/status/214583590703480832

A there is a map workshop in work for left4dead.
The TF2 maps aren't that big, so technically it seems like it's already possible.

Wow, I really said some weird things, of course it's already possible to upload maps. Look at the portal 2 workshop. Half of the system (uploading to automatically to server) is already done with p2.

 

[Boylee]

Maybe an open letter from the mapping community to the entire tf2 team?

 

[Fruity Snacks]

Maybe an open letter from the mapping community to the entire tf2 team?

I've already emailed robin a semi-"pushy" letter about it.


We got the Mappers medal 3 months later.

 

[Jeremy]

Considering 90% of the "Featured Items" that appear in the Library page when I click on Team Fortress 2 are now either spam posts or trolls, I suddenly have a strange feeling about this.

 

[Leminnes]

I've already emailed robin a semi-"pushy" letter about it.


We got the Mappers medal 3 months later.

Ah, the Mappers' Metal. I have mixed emotions about that thing.

But yeah, they're not known for their responsiveness. It's kind of frustrating, really.

Considering 90% of the "Featured Items" that appear in the Library page when I click on Team Fortress 2 are now either spam posts or trolls, I suddenly have a strange feeling about this.

I think it should just be added for functionality as well as higher visibility to Valve. They're very super serious about adding custom items into the game, I wish they'd be as serious about adding custom maps. I think making a category for maps on the Workshop is a good step for that.