The eve of the Canalzone
So here we are on the eve of my Canalzone final 1.0 release. I have a lot of feelings about this map, even though I didn’t play it in the glory QWTF era. I feel like the game mode is unique in TF2, and is very fun. I feel like I’ve done a good job at making this map look awesome while retaining a more traditional TF2-ish theme. Granted, it’s set in a more urban environment, but it still fits in. If all custom maps were set in the same stock environment then they wouldn’t be “custom”. I’ve already decided to (eventually) do another unique map with a different game mode, but I feel like the reception of CZ will be what makes or breaks my enthusiasm. TF2 players have obviously embraced complex game modes with maps like CP_Steel, so I don’t see that being a large barrier to its success. If I were a member of a community like Somethingawful or Shacknews I’m sure I may get a few more (a lot more) ardent supporters, but those communities are not especially appealing to me. I guess the map has to stand on its own merits.
I think bringing a great deal of attention to fun and details to my next map will make it stand out. You don’t see unique game mode maps with large amounts of detail work done to them. They usually look pretty… bland. I guess I have a lot invested in Canalzone, its modified Domination game mode (thank you BladeRoden for Dom), and its graphical fidelity. I believe the fun factor was originally engrained in Quakeworld, but I’ve made many changes that make CZ retain its fun factor.
I do have one extreme worry. The Heavy update next week is going to absolutely devastate the custom map community once again for another 2-3 weeks, probably longer with a new PL map. I think we’re still recovering from Goldrush, in fact. While I love these updates, I just hate that they destroy any chance of people getting their hard work played. I guess if a map is heavily requested it will be included in an update. Steel has proven that well enough. It seems like Valve is aiming for 2 solid maps each release, so I presume 2 custom maps will be in the update after that. While I don’t really expect them to ever use mine since they are remakes, I hope that this PL map included with the Heavy update doesn’t further ruin custom map popularity.
