Extensive pre-planning also limits quite possibly the greatest advantage of modifications: flexibility. When one writes a design document, they typically focus their ideas and somewhat close off outside influence. Granted, there are exceptions, but I prefer more natural methods of development.

Prince of Persia: Sands of Time's design document was, I believe, less than a few pages. (Trying to remember from that Behind-the-Scenes feature at Gamespot) They never really used/needed a design document, but they produced some great stuff regardless. A common vision can be established without paragraphs upon paragraphs of text.

I agree with modifications able to be taken seriously - to an extent. I've seen quite a few mods that think they're part of the gaming industry for crying out loud. Pompous attitudes != good mod

statistically all mods are destined to fail, we all know this, why can we not be supportive anyways..

i already posted this at PFL, same topic, different member.. i almost quit mapping after thrasher, because i couldn't handle the ridicule, and lack of support in the HL community.. it marked me to the point to where i still do not look upon my work favorably.. the stigma is still there..

since then, and particularly here at snarkpit, i have dedicated all my free time to others.. i may not always like the map, or the author, but i try hard not to discourage any future they may have..

if i had a wish about map editing, it would be that everyone shared this belief with me..

/ end rant

... Which is why you wait until HL2 is out, then you can make all sorts of prototypes and scenes! Plus, people still have no idea exactly how much the SDK and HL2 will provide in terms of resources. It's all just guesswork, and I think it's kind of dangerous to start building a concept on guesswork, much less building maps.

Orpheus: Lack of support? Ridicule? I think the community is rather supportive, though I suppose that depends on how much support exactly that you're looking for. Also, IMO, it's better to think lower of your work than be an arrogant idiot and think you're the best. Like the British in World War II - if they weren't sure of something, they assumed they lost, and it turned out they had more resources than they thought.

CJ exactly how long have you been mapping now??

no offense, but the HL community as a whole, was not nor has it ever been on par with snarkpits atmosphere.. the n00b level of support was atrocious 5 years ago. sure their were pockets of gems, but rare indeed..

in fact, snarkpit had its own resident asswipe once upon a time.. not so much n00b, but the atmosphere he generated drove members away ( a comment i cannot verify, nor would i if i were able )

seriously though, snarkpit is a site, a cut above the rest, don't let its success cloud your recollection of how it used to be.

my release date was approximately july of 1999 for thrasher, thats a very long time ago.. most of you were genuinely snot nosed kids back then

And hey, get your cameras out - here's me and Orph agreeing The HL community in the heyday of 2.1 was rude, offensive and generally horrendously condescending. Luckily I learnt my lesson and moved to less "elitist" forums before I was sucked in by their 'charms'.

It wasn't always like this, and if we can create an open atmosphere* to discuss and develop in it's only a good thing - the pros looking down on the "n00b WC-off the HL CD lot" days have gone, where people have moved to educate, entertain and excite rather than slap down and crush them..

(which, despite the flame wars of late and past, I can be safe to say we do have)

wow

admins workin over time to patch up your dirty mouths!

lol

anywas, ya'll get the wrong impression. and i probably would too. based off the 3 pages of flaming i get in 4 hours. I presume there is nothing more i could say to convince you otherwise.

sorry to step into your little world.

(and btw the generic team name is purely functional based, so any of our staff can handle keeping up on threads. grow up.)

For the few that showed support, thank you, be sure to check us out when the game comes out! thanks a lot.

shLep

RTK-Team

? posted by ReNo

To be fair, it was only one page of flaming - the rest was amicable arguments between mostly neutral parties

Dont worry... Its always like that. 1 or 2 persons flames the topic starter and the rest just flame each other.

spoken from a man with experience Dontcha love them 2 way swigning doors? They hit him as he leaves, and then comes back and slaps us who remain.