Custom Map Club -- let's all install the same custom maps so we can play good customs.

from Sins Forums


Are you getting tired of playing the same maps over and over and over? Getting sick of Maelstrom and the not-so-random "Random" maps? (The planet types change but the starting positions, the planet positions, and the phase lanes are the same; just open them up in Galaxy Forge and take a look.)

Maybe it's time to start a Custom Map Club. At present the game will not auto-download custom maps, so if we want to play them they need to be installed and downloaded separately. If a bunch of people would do that for certain maps that have been judged to be worthwhile and good for online multiplayer then we could play them online.

Sadly, as I understand it, many of the older custom maps won't work with the newer versions of the game because a number needs to be changed in a line of code (and unless everyone's willing to go do that, it's a no go.) However, maps made after the 1.04 patch will work for now.

Let's all install and get started with these maps. There's one 3v3, one 5v5, and a couple 4v4. They are available in the Map Downloads area. (Click on Download at the top of this webpage, find the Maps Download area, and then "Sort by Last Updated".)

Let's start with these and see how they play online:

P5yys Soase 4 vs 4 MapPack (6 maps)
3v3 Ring of Risk LE-101
5v5 Red Crush LE-101
3v3 Asteroid Belt LE-101 (currently available at www.Sins.bz)

I'm the author of the last two. The 5v5 map isn't too big (for a 5v5) so it should work out well for online play if you can ever get 10 people who have the map together at once. It could also be played in 4v4.

Once you've downloaded the .zip files, you just take the Mapname.galaxy files (the maps themselves) and move them into your main Sins GALAXY folder. If you see any files called Name.tga (the title pictures) you move them into your TEXTURES folder.

If you know of any other worthwhile maps that would work with v1.05 (without our having to modify them) please suggest them.




multiplayer
8,643 views 13 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top
I like the idea of a Custom Map Club.

Inorder for everyone to download the same maps , what we need is a community mappack with one single installer and a single definitive place to download this mappack.

Atm , the official map place is a bit disorganised. If I download a map there and host it online , how many others online will have had looked on page 23 2nd row , and downloaded the same map inorder to join my game, How many people can I convince to goto page 23 2nd row and download , unzip , find the folder and install the map , Could I do this 9 times for a 5 vs 5 ?.

The Custom Map Club would instead offer a single place for people to download a single installer that automatically places the dozen odd maps right into their folder.

I ran the same intiative in Homeworld 2 with great success. Its all about Cohesion.

We should get more people into the Club , contributing online maps so we create a proper Custom Map Club.

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top
i got an idea, let's post something telling people how to open ports or something because OBVIOUSLY sins didnt figure this out or make it obvious how to change it so more than 1 person can host a game =O

What a fabulious idea!!!
(YES I SPELT THAT WRONG)

rofl
Groupy 2 - Organize multiple applications into grouped tabs on your Windows desktop
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top

I like the way the www.Sins.bz site handles things. I just submitted a new one I designed, 3v3 Asteroid Belt LE-101 and hope to play it tonight. It's up at Sins.bz now and I also submitted it to Stardock though I don't know if that one "took" or not. In case anyone's wondering, the LE-101 at the end of my maps is a convention from Unreal Tournament clan maps. It stands for "League Edition version 101".
Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top
Yeah I like this idea too. The way P5yy suggested a community map pack that updates maybe twice a month or more should do the trick. Someone could just make an installer that puts all the maps in the right place and upload it somewhere for everyones benefit. However I do see many problems with this cause few people who play sins ever check for custom maps to begin with.
Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top

A biweekly map pack might be a good idea. I'm not so sure about having an auto-installer--what happens if the map files are already installed? Once people figure out how to add the maps and title texture files the first time they'll be able to do it again, easily.
Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top
I have them installed when is game time?
Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top

Maybe that wouldn't be such a bad idea. Times could be designated for custom map lovers to play customs. We could also help people who are trying to join the games but who can't get in to get the custom maps. I won't be around Friday, Saturday, or Sunday though because I have to go bring home the bacon, but you guys don't need me.
Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top

(Bump!)

Well, it's been about a month-and-a-half since I put up this thread and it's time to refresh the subject. I've hosted several games on Asteroid Belt and now more and more people have the map and seem to like it, so at least we can have Asteroid Belt games.

Why play custom maps and not the standard maps? On a good map, you'll have:

(1) Fair starting positions for everyone.
(2) Balanced if not symmetrical map for both teams.
(3) Start near your allies or at least not surrounded by opponents.

How do you get custom maps? Since Sins won't auto-download custom maps; the one's made with Galaxy Forge (and not the Map "Designer") you have to download them and install them yourself, but it's very very easy and after you do it once you'll be able to do it anytime in about two minutes.

(1) Go to the website that is hosting the map you want. This site has them and so does https://www.sins.bz

(2) Download the map. To get my maps and the often-played Asterod Belt, go to the Sins.bz site and look on the right of the page where it says Downloads/Newdownloads. The ones I try to host are: 3v3 Asteroid Belt (must have), 3v3 Ring of Risk, and 5v5 Red Crush.

(3) Unzip the .zip files.

(4) Open your main Sins folder (NOT your Application Data Sins folder).

(5) Put the (mapname).galaxy files into the Galaxy folder (which is where your maps are).

(6) Put the .tga files (like a jpg, the title box picture) into the Textures folder.

That's it. You're done. You don't even need to exit the game to do this.

Asteroid Belt has been played often and a number of people like it, but I've never tried to get a Red Crush game going. Maybe tonight or this weekend.
Reply #9 from Sins Forums Top
Hey , I might try it.

Currently my Work In Progress New Mappack has over 20 4vs4 maps and 12 3vs3 maps and its rising.

Wipes the floor with my old mappack. None of my old mappack maps are good enough to be included in this new mappack. Currently im tidying them up to make them "officially" presentable.


Heres a sneak preview pic...

Map : 3 vs 3 , Name : Tangerine

Simple map. Outskirts utlises a gateway style setup to the enemy ( asteroid-dead asteroid-asteroid ) , but a desert (low militia) instead of the asteroid. Towards the middle , ive introduced a asteroid belt asteroid mix to make for some interesting contestment and team orientated tactics.

Reply #10 from Sins Forums Top
I'd been wondering what was going on with your mappack. I hope you decided to include my maps in it. I'd consider trying to host some of your maps but if you think it's hard trying to find 5 people who will download a map it's even tougher to find 7.
Reply #11 from Sins Forums Top
I wonder if we could get SD/IC to "approve" some of these maps as official maps. Then people will be able to download them as new Impulse updates and voila!!! (My 2c idea)
Reply #12 from Sins Forums Top
I have risk and red crush in the mappack. Ive also included fixed versions of Twinempires , malestrom and aerolian.

Atm , ive redone pretty much all my maps.

24 maps in total.

Reply #13 from Sins Forums Top
I just put a new map together today. Introducing 3v3 Gateway to Paradise which offers Sinners a chance to fight over a lucrative, empty star system.

I designed this map for 3-on-3 clan matches and public games and players start near their teammates. The home system is symmetrical so it's fair for each team.

I wanted to make a map that would be somewhat similar to the standard map, Gateway, but with better starting positions for all of the players. It ended up having little relation to Gateway other than having a second, small empty star system. Instead of a single "gateway" to the sun, each team has its own path to the home star, but that doesn't mean you can't fight over access to them! This map is for 3v3 only; it really won't work for FFA or 2v2v2.

Note that I moved the location of the second star to show detail for the screenshot. It's much further out and doesn't overlap the home system in the actual map.

I look forward to hosting games for this so that we can see how it plays. I can say that you will win or lose as a team and that some sort of division of labor and communication is going to be required. You can get it at https://www.sins.bz and I submitted it to Stardock.