Mission Designer/Beta Tester "Fellowship" Suggestion

[laggy 0]

Hi all,

I have made missions with an emphasis on Multiplayer, since the OFP days. After many releases of what I consider BETA missions, I have found that feedback from players is very limited. Not only on this forum, but everywhere in the community. That's OK I guess, but I really wish there would be more comments, positive as well as negative. Feedback is the only thing that will make missions great, and the community would benefit from it. What I'm suggesting, is that anyone who is somewhat experienced and very interested in mission design could sign up for a "Mission Designer/Beta Tester Fellowship" right here in this thread. Signing up would mean that you will both design your own missions AND beta test others, like a fair "give and take" exchange agreement. Getting yours tested, would mean that you have to comment on at least one other mission in this thread. The feedback would sum up things like:

- Any bugs found (mission design related or others)

- Overall impression (positive and negative)

- Spell checks and briefing clarity

- Pointing out exceptionally great stuff (if any)

- Suggestions for improvements

I recommend that anyone interested would not put up their missions in this thread, before some serious playtesting on their own. If the mission is designed for Multiplayer, it should always have been tested on a dedicated server. This you can do by yourself, I do it all the time. Testing missions that are unfinished or completely broken is very boring, and as mission designer it is embarrassing and frustrating to get bashed all the time. So, only put missions up when you really think they are finished, because they probably still aren't. You will realize that issues you hadn't anticipated are often found by other players. Feedback and communication should of course be honest, but friendly. It usually helps telling others where you come from. I for instance much prefer realistic and immersive missions over CTF-base respawn.

I can playtest Singleplayer and Multiplayer (if min. players == 1) quite frequently, like 2 times a week, while a PvP or other Multiplayer (min. players >= 2) would be at the most once a week.

Anyone interested in this exchange? Please sign up! Otherwise, if you have any suggestions or comments on this thread, please share them!

I put up these two Multiplayer Missions for a start:

DM 2-20 ENDGAME v0.90

DM 2-14 VALLEY OF DEATH v0.90

All the best,

Laggy

[Kommiekat 11]

Great idea.

I've been looking exactly for something like this.

Would be great of the tester can give advice and of course, the more skilled the tester is, the better for newbie mission makers like myself....

[MissionCreep 12]

I am not a mission maker (I wish!). I think feedback is limited because if there is a problem with a mission, no problem ... people revert or restart and hope that it was a 1-time glitch or else Abort and choose another of hundreds of other missions. I think most Arma players are conditioned to playing through glitches and bugs :).

It is rare that I feel the need to report or critique a mission, unless it is so immersive, compelling or unique that I feel that I HAVE TO complete the mission (Sick1 - do you copy?). I suspect the feedback on campaigns is more than the feedback of individual missions. If you have invested 3 days of getting to the middle of a campaign and there is a problem, I'm sure you are much more likely to contact the creator.

Regarding DMs, I wonder why there are almost no SP DMs, aside from the Official DM in Arma2, the only one I am aware of. Even 2-person DM is not that much fun IMHO. For me, DM - the more the merrier, and I would like to see the option to play DM against AI too.

Anyway, just my 2 cents.

[laggy 0]

I think feedback is limited because if there is a problem with a mission, no problem ... people revert or restart and hope that it was a 1-time glitch or else Abort and choose another of hundreds of other missions.

You might be right and that is one of the reasons I wanted to start this thread. I think many mission makers feel the same way I do. But, if there is a like I said a "give and take" philosophy I think it could work well.

[76 0]

I have found that feedback from players is very limited. Not only on this forum, but everywhere in the community. That's OK I guess, but I really wish there would be more comments, positive as well as negative. Feedback is the only thing that will make missions great, and the community would benefit from it.

Funny you say that... try give negative feedback here (to be fair BI forums

users have grown a slightly thicker skin), but go to armaholic and give

negative feedback!... you'll get flamed and ripped apart, retaliate to the abuse

and most likely be banned.

Hope you get the feedback you need, nice missions too :)

[laggy 0]

Funny you say that... try give negative feedback here (to be fair BI forums

users have grown a slightly thicker skin), but go to armaholic and give

negative feedback!... you'll get flamed and ripped apart, retaliate to the abuse

and most likely be banned.

That's why I suggest you don't submit any missions here, unless you are willing to read BAD feedback. I am for sure.

[MissionCreep 12]

Funny you say that... try give negative feedback here (to be fair BI forums users have grown a slightly thicker skin), but go to armaholic and give negative feedback!... you'll get flamed and ripped apart, retaliate to the abuse and most likely be banned.

Hope you get the feedback you need, nice missions too :)

Nothing but criticism of the maker or the mission is unfair to the person who is making missions on their own time and available for free. I DO think any criticisms or suggestions should be of a constructive nature. Rather than rubbishing someone's work, improvements should be suggested.

Edited September 17, 2011 by MissionCreep