Whats up my fellow brothers. I wanted to run a cool idea I had by you all to see if this is something you guys the community would be interested in. So there isn't many Twitch Streams/Youtube Videos dedicated to the full process of making Multiplayer maps. So my idea is to start a Stream that functions like a class/discussion about everything involved in making maps. It would be a weekly stream. I also would take the streams and upload them to YouTube as a backlog so you could go watch whenever you want. The cool thing about this format is it would be live, therefore we could interact while we cover the topics. Also I would want to cover topics that you would want to hear about. This project will allow us to have a extensive catalog of information about the entire process from start to end. It would cover everything from pre-planing/gathering ideas all the way to playtesting/finishing and everything in between. Right now I don't have a name for the Show so any ideas on that would be appreciated. I wanted to use Design Talk but @MartianMallCop has that name. Also any feedback or questions about this project would be appreciated also.
I know it would be a lot more work, but I think this would be better as a series of edited videos instead of a stream. Still, it's a great Idea.
It would be cool to see something like this as it's just slightly different to all these other map design or forge videos. Doing it as a stream would allow people watching to give opinions so it's not just your own. Of course, you would need to get plenty of people on board or streaming would be pointless. Also, I'd suggest if you go ahead with this to edit videos before uploading to YouTube. Just cut them down a bit as no one wants to just watch a 2 hour stream or whatever. They just want the key stuff and ideas discussed during the stream.
classroom format markets this to more hardcore forgers, so you should definitely be aware of the length of each session. i'd keep everything under 40 minutes because i think people are more likely to catch the archive on youtube than tune in live, since watching someone Forge isnt a popular stream scene.
Sounds like a great idea! I'll be on later to write up a more detailed response, but would you consider working with our growing stream team on this?
@Xandrith - I would love to do edited stuff also. I could do both for sure. The Streams could be more fast paced information and long/open discussion. Where edited videos could be vary precise, short and to the point. @GrayishPoppy210 - I planned on dividing the streams up into separate sections based on the topics that are discussed. Because no one wants to sit through hours of video for sure. @A 3 Legged Goat - Ya keeping it in a timely format will be important for me. Especially knowing how I can go on long talks about nothing sometimes LOL. @Qrrbrbirbel - I cant wait to hear your thoughts. In terms of the working with a team you can PM me about that.
Firstly, the premise is amazing. At the very least I would devour these lessons whole, and I think it's safe to say many others would. There are (and will continue to be) more and more ways to forge than ever before, with new tricks discovered often. Secondly, to address the pull of the stream vs waiting for the YouTube version: If this turns into the Super sweet collab my brain is just starting to tickle at, the benefits of showing up to the stream will outweigh waiting for the video. You can ask questions in real time. There could be 'project Frankenstein'-esque hands on time, ranging from everyone working syms with set forge goals to a freeform asym group project. Twitch Bots are always fun too, so setting something up that rewards "attendance" for exchange on prizes at the end of a "term" is a possibility. This is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of ways you can pull people into the stream. Thirdly, the YouTube videos themselves can be released a week or two (maybe a month?) after the stream. This waiting would further boost attendance to the stream, but also give the lovely folks in the art/media portion of the community to edit them into super cool pieces of well organized and more lesson-like style learning. These videos could also contain questions for those attending the next stream to encourage back and forth viewing of both media outlets. Fourthly, you could talk about so many topics that you would never run out if content. Asyms, lighting, 'gimmick' techniques, donuts, scripting, interviews, forge bugs, and on and on. Tldr Yes
I'll tell you the same thing I tell anyone with similar design video ideas: You've got to have the kind of drive that allows you to push forward knowing that the effort you put into it will only appeal to a very small crowd of people. The reward will not be worth the work, so you will need to do this because you simply want to. There have been attempts like this before, with varying levels of success. But, they are all done now. With that said: I'm all for it. I'll probably be one person that'll check them out.
just save the streamed videos and edit out the boring parts. you don't need to do anything fancy with the editing. Great idea, though!
@xzamplez - I have always understood that its a small community. My thing was more like...Whats a teacher without students. So I was mainly looking to see if there is interest in the idea at all. I been wanting to do this for a while. @ExTerrestr1al - Ya that was the general idea. Thanks for the support everyone. I am currently putting together Ep.1 in terms of whats going to be talked about. I know the first thing I need to do is get a name so I can start some official thread dedicated to this Show/Video Series.
I really like this idea. To counterbalance having a small forge community, I would suggest you focus on more portable design concepts. It would be cool to talk about design in kind of an abstract sense, and show both forge and non-forge examples.
"How to not suck at Halo 5 Forge" Or "Forge Chronic-les" - you get stoned and find yourself playing with some forge blocks in the corner of a random canvas, for hours on end, building nothing.
I think it isn't a terrible idea to just have it be about different styles of design and how they correlate between different mediums. This would create a larger audience. You could simple just use forge as a tool to explain PVP philosophies.
Instead of the lesson thing, maybe you should consider doing it as a gaming talk show. Twitch has a Gaming Talk Show channel, and most of the streams don't show any gameplay, so a channel about Forge could really stand out there. Plus, I think you have a lot more options for interacting with the community with the talk show format. Classrooms are mostly a one way street as far as communication goes. Talk shows are, by design, more entertaining and encourage discussion. You could attach prominent members of the Forgehub community as correspondents and/or special guests. And instead of breaking the subjects down into lessons, I suggest breaking them down into 10-15 min segments. That way, you could touch on more topics per episode. If you only cover one subject per episode, and one episode's subject is something that a particular person doesn't find interesting, then that person might skip the episode altogether. On the other hand, if the subjects are broken down into segments people will be more likely to sit through the ones they don't like, just to see the ones they enjoy. Even if they still skip that part, it's better to have them skip 15 minutes rather then an entire episode. If you create a schedule and stay on topic, it should save you a lot of time on editing as well. Instead of sifting through all the video for a particularly insightful clip, you can just crop out full segments and create separate playlists for them.
Thanks everyone for the positive feeback and general interest in this idea @purely fat - Ya I was generally going to keep it more on the concepts and theory so that it could be applied to every experience. I planned on using Forge, Google Sketchup, Google Images and Some UE4. While it will have a lot of Halo examples I will also be covering other games farther down the road @Alex Parsons - Thanks for the great post. Thats for sure the format I will be aiming for. That's why I wanted to call it Design Talk. My first episode has 5 segments right now that cover different topics in my personal process. I for sure want guest, especially ones that are expert at particular subjects ex. Color Theory, Scripting ect. I for sure wanted to do it as atalk show because it allows me to do ait in segments. I Then can have open discussion before moving to the next segment. I used the word classroom but I for sure it wanted to feel more open discussion and not i talk and you listen
I think it might help to make easy / instant examples of topics by taking existing great maps, grouping certain sections together and having them appear when you activate a switch. The maps floors could appear or exist already, walls appear next to show line of sight development, ceilings, lighting afterwards. This would help showcase some great maps that exist already and their design process. Thinking about it, a simple block out loaded in first to show the sketch or quick layout for testing and then the art overlaying that via switches would be pretty cool. This would work well with extermination, 2 vs 2 and 1 vs 1 maps that aren't a ton of detailed objects. You could possibly have forgers of certain expertise or design processes help build samples for each topic that they specialize in.