Official Everybody Edits Forums

MIHB

Guest

Farewell from EX Crew and map-making clinic

Friends,

Speaking for myself and on behalf of mustang and MFL, we will no longer be taking regular part in playing and creating maps on Everybody Edits.   Although some EX members may remain to play and create, the crew as a whole will no longer build maps.

We will be in our tinychat, tinychat.com/ex1, for the next few hours to answer any questions and give as much information about playing the game and creating maps as we have gained in our time here.   Furthermore, I will add as much of my own knowledge as I can to this forum before leaving.

We thank you so much for playing and enjoying our maps, and wish all of you the best with your own playing and mapmaking, now and in the future.
MIHB

The EX Crew
PS Thank you to chips, wahaha, starblinky, just_bean, doh, wpg, circa, misa, smiley, xelenai, the_orange, ro9ge, and super_luigi for helping make the past couple months so much fun.

PPS Thank you to aslai for your kickass animator.   Also thanks to twipply, gcommer, cyclone, and chris benjaminsen.

Last edited by MIHB (Aug 18 2010 6:34:10 pm)

Watashii

Guest

Re: Farewell from EX Crew and map-making clinic

Goodbye. This game will never be the same without your maps ;_;

Last edited by Watashii (Aug 18 2010 6:39:45 pm)

musketgamer

Guest

Re: Farewell from EX Crew and map-making clinic

farewell and good luck to you all. you've inspired many, and set the bar quite high for all of the other builders of EE. within the small time i have known you, i (and many others) have learned so many new things. your maps exploded with creativity and pushed players to their limit. never before have i left a level uncompleted (rainbow roadrage) or spent hours trying to do so. the Ex crew will no doubt try to be replaced. many crews will be formed. but none, i believe, will be able to live up to the challenge and become anywhere near as admirable. you are and will always be the greatest. we will miss you greatly and hope for the best. farewell Ex crew.   :/

Chips

Guest

Re: Farewell from EX Crew and map-making clinic

And with that, I shall also be leaving the EX Crew. It's been a good time, not gonna lie about it.

I got recruited after finishing one of MFL's .. MFL level, but couldn't join his tinychat back then. Afterwards, I finished another MFL level and I was able to join it. Since then, I've been testing a lot of levels of the EX Crew. But today, I say goodbye. Goodbye to the EX Crew, goodbye to Aslai for all his help and goodbye to Chris, the designer of Everybody Edits who I never actually spoke.

People, enjoy Everybody Edits as much as I did!

Goodbye

Last edited by Chips (Aug 18 2010 6:54:13 pm)

MIHB

Guest

Re: Farewell from EX Crew and map-making clinic

Question from Musketgamer:

when you create maps, what steps do you go through in the process?

My answer:

To give you an idea, I will discuss what was going to be our next map.   The following map would have been a "trolled" minigames map, in which a full map of minigames has been destroyed by trolls who have gotten the code.   I originally thought of this a couple months ago, and was reminded of the concept by the fake EX crew that made a trolled map .  

Usually for our maps, the path of development goes from concept, to development of an outline that will support that concept, to actual creation, which tends to be a haphazard affair as members join in to work on different areas, test things out, and rework them until we are satisfied.   Due to our possession of mustang's saver, we have the luxury of taking our time to maintain high quality, which we hope other groups will also engage in when saving becomes available for all.   An example of our dedication to quality came in our most recent map, fall of zeal.   We were forced to cut out large sections of the level, including many completed rooms, because we were unsatisfied with the overall appearance of the map.

Going back to our development process, the concept of the trolled map appealed to me because of its possibility for anarchy.   Most EE platforming maps follow a very strict room-to-room layout, sending the player through an endless tunnel.   Even when the map is opened up, there is usually an obvious direction the player should go.

In our map Illusion, we toyed with this trend by making paths that were not obvious, with misleading room setups.   The troll map would have taken this to another level: large destroyed areas that are easily traversible, but where passage to the next "region" would have taken dedication and creativity to locate amidst the rubble of the destroyed level.   An early concept developed for this map involved a section where the back-to-start arrows of a minigame room would have shot the player through a destroyed section of the map into the next area.   If the player did not fall into the arrows, they could readily move on to the next minigame room, unaware that they had missed the exit, and later forced to backtrack.

Depending on the concept, we either work on room structure or map structure first.   If the concept is an adventure with readily adaptable ideas (such as Ice Level and The Fall of Zeal), we will usually work on the layout first, then create the rooms.   For the trolled map, because of the specificity of the types of rooms and the needed misdirection, I intended for the group to create various misleading room concepts, then I would plan a map layout around these room concepts.

Actual map development would then follow, with all the creators contributing to art and room design, and testing out different rooms, for quality, for difficulty, and for tricks to beat the room the creator may not have realized.   Following completion of the overall layout and room design, the art will be tweaked until we are satisfied.

Last edited by MIHB (Aug 18 2010 7:08:59 pm)

musketgamer

Guest

Re: Farewell from EX Crew and map-making clinic

Now after that sloppy farewell, some community (as well as my own) questions.

1. When you are making a map, what are the steps you go through in the process?
2. Will mustang be releasing the map-saving program to the public?
3. How do you go about creating maps offline?
4. What are some tips for a map to be successful?
5. Will there be ways for the community to stay in contact with the Ex Crew?
6. What allowed your crew to become so successful?
7. Will the animator be released to the public?
8. Where do your original ideas come from? (Obstacles and such.)
9. Will you be leaving someone to fill in your shoes?
10. What were the jobs of each individual member?
11. What was your inspiration?
12. How did you come together?
13. What were some of your future map ideas?   (You don't have to answer this one. )

For all of the future answers, thank you.

Last edited by musketgamer (Aug 18 2010 11:05:37 pm)

glidergirl12

Guest

Re: Farewell from EX Crew and map-making clinic

OMG! I have only known you guys for like one week, two weeks MAXIMUM.   I still have realized in the short time i have known EX crew, is that you guys are really nice, have a bunch of fans, and never and i mean NEVER steal ideas.   Everyone will miss you, and we hope you decide you were wrong and come back!   I personally will continue to talk on here, because i will never have the skill to do what you guys did!   If you EVER come back to do levels PLEASE post it on here, because that is something i cant miss!   I can full heartedly say that i don't like your decision.     THERE IS NO CRYING FACE ON HERE BUT IF THERE WAS IT WOULD BE HERE_____      :/

Ciro

Guest

Re: Farewell from EX Crew and map-making clinic

Bye EX Crew, your levels are awesome and original, and the EX Crew was the first group of Everybody Edits. My congratulations to all members of EX Crew.

Zap

Guest

Re: Farewell from EX Crew and map-making clinic

Damn....your maps kicked so much ****, it'll suck to not have you here. Farewell though!!

Snackfast

Guest

Re: Farewell from EX Crew and map-making clinic

Your maps were awesome, I only passed 3-4 of them. Now there will be no equal challenge

Haka

Member

Joined: 2015-03-25

Posts: 24

Re: Farewell from EX Crew and map-making clinic

I'd just like to say thank you for making such well designed and creative maps over the past few months. Your maps were a pleasure to play and I wish you all the best of luck for the future.

Goodbye Ex Crew.

MFL

Member

Joined: 2015-04-02

Posts: 68

Re: Farewell from EX Crew and map-making clinic

We are reposting all of our maps, search EX Crew in the lobby!

MIHB

Guest

Re: Farewell from EX Crew and map-making clinic

4. What are some tips for a map to be successful?
Title.   The name EX Crew was in the interest of branding, to stand out, so that people who have seen our maps before will recognize our map and play.   I believe that "Crew" may be a fairly useless bit of branding now, due to the many groups who have taken on various combinations of two letters and the word Crew.   I would recommend anybody who intends to brand their maps to use some other naming method.

Although the words minigames and super mario often show up as the titles of popular maps, i tend to believe its because those maps are easy to make, so those maps tend to be finished and playable far more often than developed maps.   I would hesitate to use either of those phrases just to try and get people to play: you still have to provide entertainment.

Make the first part of the level both easy and varied.   Avoid hookjumps or any tricks that you have to do more than twice in a row and have any sort of probability of failure.   Difficulty leads to unpopular maps, almost across the board.   We knew Rainbow Roadrage would not be popular, due to its high difficulty level.   In most of our other maps, we actively work to nerf large sections of the map to make the rooms easier, especially close to the start.   Noobs are extremely important to making a map popular, because even if hardcore players enjoy the map, noobs keep a map high enough in the lobby for the hardcore players to find.   Make sure the front of the map is easy enough to keep the average noob busy for a while, but not so hard he quits right off the bat.

Color scheme: though there are exceptions, generally ugly color schemes do not keep players.   This includes using too much red, gold, or bronze, for large sections of the map.   Stick with neutral or pleasant colors: blue, white, green, and grey.   This is less of a concern for minigames, where the rooms are often different colors and the walls are all one block thick.

A fun idea.   Climbing through a cave has been done to death.   Climbing a big-**** snake is fun, even if the platforming is dull.   First thing to think when making a map: is this crap cool?   Would I be excited if I entered this room and this is what I found?

5. Will there be ways for the community to stay in contact with the Ex Crew?

I cannot speak for MFL or mustang, but I will continue to post on this forum occasionally if people ever have questions about map creation and design.

6. What allowed your crew to become so successful?

Branding, originality, and dedication.

9. Will you be leaving someone to fill in your shoes?

We hope other players will continue to work on their maps, and hope some of the other groups currently forming are able to do some great stuff.

10. What were the jobs of each individual member?

We all contributed in large amounts to art, room, and map design.

MFL pretty much kept us together, on track, and moving forward.   Terrific leader, and it has been my honor to work with him.

Mustang is a room-making genius, as I'm sure you can see from his room-design thread on this board.   He also developed the saver which was invaluable to us, for obvious reasons.

Most of our maps were based in some or large part on concepts I developed.
I will leave the other members to discuss their own contributions.

12. How did you come together?

I believe this has been answered in previous threads.   If more information is desired, please ask.

Last edited by MIHB (Aug 18 2010 8:05:23 pm)

Zap

Guest

Re: Farewell from EX Crew and map-making clinic

Will these maps die forever when the current reposting has ended?

glidergirl12

Guest

Re: Farewell from EX Crew and map-making clinic

Please come as often then as you can to check the forum:(

Rurigok

Guest

Re: Farewell from EX Crew and map-making clinic

Farewell EX Crew.

D-rock2308

Guest

Re: Farewell from EX Crew and map-making clinic

What was your First level ever made? Remember how many members or hours it took?

MIHB

Guest

Re: Farewell from EX Crew and map-making clinic

What was your First level ever made? Remember how many members or hours it took?

My first level individually?   My first level with other members?   Our first level as a group?   Or our first level under the EX Crew name?

Each has a different answer.

D-rock2308

Guest

Re: Farewell from EX Crew and map-making clinic

As a group, what was it?

MIHB

Guest

Re: Farewell from EX Crew and map-making clinic

dragon2041 asked:

when you guys design levels, did you sketch them out beforehand?
In most cases, yes.
http://img20.imageshack.us/i/icepalacedesign.jpg/
http://img718.imageshack.us/i/fallofzeal.jpg/
http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/4711/cube06.jpg
As you can see, I can't draw for crap.

As a group, what was it?

http://img651.imageshack.us/i/crap.jpg/

Ascend the Throne.   Didn't even finish before we were kicked, but we were finishing the rooms in the castle.
I believe this is the only map we made as a group before we took on the EX Crew name.

Last edited by MIHB (Aug 18 2010 8:51:39 pm)

D-rock2308

Guest

Re: Farewell from EX Crew and map-making clinic

1.Keys to make a succesful group are?           
2.How did you, as a group, get your map ideas?
3. Are your levels going to die forever?
4.Longest group project took?
5. Additional advice for groups: Ideas,members,level creation, just any cool tips for anything.

Bye Ex Crew, won't be forgotten!
Good luck to you all!

capasha

Member

Joined: 2015-02-21

Posts: 4,066

Re: Farewell from EX Crew and map-making clinic

This is a sad day, but it needs to come some day. And it's today.
I'm gonna miss so much good persons from Ex-crew, and i will maybe still play the game.
I hope the other crews/groups out there is gonna make more good maps to the peoples now. When the ex-crew is on the way down.
I have seen a lot of good maps from other groups, and i hope it will still be more groups and good maps out there.
Stair, bosses, minimaps and art is just too repeated. I think that the peoples out there need more good maps like EX-crew did.

Here is a package with the big minimaps and the big collage. If someone want to look at them.
http://img194.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=collagek.png

Dominator

Guest

Re: Farewell from EX Crew and map-making clinic

I must say,farewell Ex Crew.Will you still be on the forum?

MIHB

Guest

Re: Farewell from EX Crew and map-making clinic

1.Keys to make a succesful group are?           

Hell, I dunno.   It just worked for us.   Its all about finding the right people, people who want to make the same things you want to make.

2.How did you, as a group, get your map ideas?

As the concept guy, I developed most of our ideas.   How, I couldn't say, except that I was always looking for a way to do something new and interesting, either in terms of adventure, or in terms of gameplay.   For the former, I would generally try and think of things that are tall, to look good in the vertical map (volcano, tower, mountain, etc).   For the latter, I would try and think of concepts that had not been done before, such as of doing a level designed to actually reflect the behavior of snow and ice (ice level) or creating a level with paths that change over time (cube).

3. Are your levels going to die forever?

Don't know at this point.   If saving comes along and somebody wants to hold onto them for posterity, I will probably donate the levels so they can be put back up whenever.   That said, I hope that other designers reach a point where it doesn't matter if our levels come back or not.

4.Longest group project took?

Oh crap Bears.   We didn't have the saver back then, and were pre-making levels and macroing them so we could put it back together quickly if it crashed.

5. Additional advice for groups: Ideas,members,level creation, just any cool tips for anything.

Nothing comes to mind immediately offhand, but I will continue posting on here whenever things occur to me or in answer to any inquiries.

MIHB

Guest

Re: Farewell from EX Crew and map-making clinic

13. What were some of your future map ideas?   (You don't have to answer this one. )

I didn't see this question originally.

I already mentioned the destroyed minigames concept.   We also had planned a map using an animated clock made by EX Crew member Xelenai that kept accurate time and that opened to different areas of the room depending on the position of the clock's arms.   Also, we planned a megaman level that had vanishing blocks that followed the timing of the vanishing blocks in the original.   Based on the slow speed of change of the vanishing blocks, i believed we could have very large rooms with vanishing platforms.   The megaman level would also have had various "falling" rooms similar to falling rooms in different megaman stages.   It would have culminated in a vanishing platform room based off the floating green dragon at the end of MegaMan 2 Wily stage 1.

I think we had a couple other concepts we planned, but I do not remember them offhand.   I will also upload a couple other concept sketches I had for people to use if they like (if I can find them).