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An Interview with Korean Starcraft 2 Map-Makers![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/ysm7b.jpg)
You might have seen me around the map forums; I really dig TeamLiquid and the mappers that have congregated here. The best part is, as a community, our maps are getting better all the time.
But there are tales of map-makers from a magical land called Korea who somehow get maps into the GSL, the Blizzard ladder and other feats of inhuman strength. Who are these mappers? I wanted to know so I hopped in a medivac and went to find out.
thanks to monolab for the translations
Please introduce yourself.
JP: Nice to meet you, TeamLiquid! I’m Guen ho Park and my nickname is JackyPrime. I created Crevasse, Crossfire SE, and Xel’Naga Fortress for the GSL.
LSP: Hello, my name is Jong hyun Joo, and my nickname is LSPrime. I started making maps at the end of the Starcraft 2 beta. Before that, I used to create Starcraft I but I wasn’t very good at it. My favorite map is Bel’Shir Beach. A while ago it was very hot and the ocean inspired me to make the map. I put together in 3 or 4 hours but it came out really well.
WP: My name is Wonwoong Park and my nickname is Winpark on TeamLiquid and Play XP. I created Aiur Garden, Merry-go-Round, Mars City, Masada and Typhon Ruin. I really like Masada because I learned a lot from it. This year I started a masters degree and I’m really busy so I can’t make a lot of maps. 
We can’t talk about maps if we don’t have a map vocabulary! What do you call these parts of a map?
- LSP: "Bon-jin" [headquarters] or "starting point."
- LSP: "Entrance of the bon-jin."
- JP: "Front yard" or "first multi." In addition, Crevasse has it in the main and in this case we call it the "back yard."
- WP: "Second multi" or "jae 2 [2nd] multi."
- JP: Usually we call it "hwang-gum [gold] multi," but we also call it gool [honey] + mineral: "goolneral." [monolab tells me you can put gool with a body part to describe a good-looking person, so this is a sassy name for a base.]
- WP: "Watchtower" or "Xel’Naga Watchtower."
LSPrime and JackyPrime, “Prime” is in your ID. Are you part of the Prime team? Do any Korean pro teams in Brood War or Starcraft 2 have map makers on them?
LSP: I belong to the clan Prime, not the team. We are not a map-making team.
JP: Prime consists of the pro gamer teams plus the clan. I belong to the clan and as far as I know other pro teams don’t have any map makers.
What is the Korean map-making community like?
WP: We ususlly use the Play XP map forums since there a lot of Starcraft 2 users there. That’s where the most maps are posted in Korea. I share techniques on IRC with members of the Prime map team and Team Galaxy that I belong to.
LSP: Most people know “intothemap” but Play XP is the big one.
JP: Play XP is the most popular community for Starcraft 2. Its map community is also well-developed. Usually when I create a map I share it on Play XP and TeamLiquid. I work with LSPrime (Lunatic Sounds), Winpark who created Aiur Garden, and use map creators [UMS] on Team LC: IUPrime, Drone, Guetelperr, and Kimnosuk to share techniques. We are also very pleased and appreciate help from you guys. :D
You might have seen the Map of the Month contest I help run on the TeamLiquid forums. Are there map competitions in the Korean communities?
LSP: In the Korean community there are just a few map makers, not as many as on TeamLiquid. It would be great if we could have a competition, but the problem is we don’t have any experts to judge it. The Korean mapping community isn’t too good right now.
JP: Currently there is no map competition in Korea. At the early stage of the Starcraft 2 beta right after the map editor was distributed, ThisIsGame had two competitions but no more. I was so sad. P.S. - MotM is quite a good map competition. Every time it features a really great map. It also helps melee map creators improve their skill. :D
What game did you make your first maps for?
WP: Initially I started making Starcraft 1 maps. When I was a student I submitted to a map contest but I didn't get any awards. + Show Spoiler [Blue War] + This map is kind of embarrasing even 10 years later.
JP: I have created Brood War maps since 2008, I’d like to show some of them. + Show Spoiler +(2) Lateral Erosion ![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/vTbSI.jpg) (2)Dissected Upland ![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/bkNe1.jpg) (4) Rigel ![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/5rhRt.jpg) (4) Trench ![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/xfCKe.jpg) (3) Canalization ![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/iOVG6.jpg)
LSP: My first map was for Starcraft 1. I tried to make Warcraft III maps also, but melee maps are not popular in Korea.
I enjoy kimbop and bulgogi and kimchi pancakes. What other yummy Korean food should I try? What foods from outside Korea do you like?
LSP: Bi-bim-bab is the best [rice, veggies and fried eggs, mixed, with spicey sauce].
WP: I like the above food, also I would like to recommend bi-bim-bob and naeng-myeon [Korea cold noodle]. But it might be too hot or salty for foreign guys.
JP: Each Korean food as a very unique taste. I strongly recommend you try everything. I recommend Bo-ssam [steamed pork], Kal-bi jjim and jab-chae [Korean style chop suey] which is my favorite.
I like spaghetti pasta and sushi and udon. Actually there are a lot of great foods and as I type them it makes me hungry. :D
Do you prefer making 2, 3, or 4 spawn maps?
WP: I really like creating 3-spawn maps because it is difficult to make them balanced and find a layout.
JP: I like making 2 and 3 spawn maps. For 2 spawn it is easy to make a unique layout. For 3 spawn the layouts are very different from 2 or 4 spawn maps. I also like the 4 spawn maps but I like cross position [reflection symmetry?] maps like Metalpolis than the usual rotational maps. :D
LSP: I saw on TeamLiquid that there are many 2-spawn maps. A 3 spawn maps is very difficult to create and its so hard to find a unique layout. The 4-spawn maps have the same problem with finding a unique layout. A 2-spawn is easier to balance and has more room for experimentation.
Where do you get inspiration for maps? Brood War maps? The shape of Korea? The shape of your kitchen?!
JP: My inspiration usually comes from scenary and my imagination. :D
I don’t reference Brood War maps because its a totally different game from Starcraft 1 to 2, and also the map editor is very different.
PS - Someone said that Xel’Naga Fortress is very similar to the Razor company logo, its just a coincidence. I was quite surprised!
How do you test your maps?
JP: I ask high-ranked master league and diamond league players to test my maps. After submitting candidates to the GSL and pro gamers played on them, GomTV gave some feedback to me. I keep doing hard work to get a good balanced map based on the feedback.
LSP: I don’t have many chances to test my maps, but I usually test my maps on the weekend through the map-creator community at Play XP.
WP: Usually I test through wiith the players I personally know or in Korean server XP OB channel. Sometimes it is more interesting to watch master leaguers play than creating the map itself.
Crevasse, Jungle Basin and Aiur Garden are maps that have an expansion in the main base, which you call the back yard. What effect do you think a base like this has on map balance?
LSP: For the back yard, there is no good way to attack it with early units. So it can be a balance problem. At first, [JackyPrime’s] Crevasse was a problem this way. I suggested he widen the main choke and add destructible debris. It is better to have alternative attack routes.
WP: I think Protoss on one base without pressure has the advantage. However I think there are other factors.
JP: Additional multis in bon-jin are good for economy [macro] games. There are more chances to manage the game [offers more possible strategies?]. It allows players to fast expand and get to a huge army. And some players expect the opponent to take an additional base and be focused on economy, so he makes a strong early timing attack.
What map idea have you tried that didn’t work out? Can you show us a map you’ve made that you hate?! (We all have them) xD
JP: I have a lot of incomplete maps that I couldn’t finish. Among them there are some maps I really don’t like.  + Show Spoiler +(2) Landfill ![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/H4JgS.jpg) (4) Haven ridge ![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/pWdxi.jpg) (2) Niflheim ![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/VNrWI.jpg)
LSP: Today I finally finished this map but it didn’t come out the way I envisioned it. I intend to create a map with a front yard (natural) like this except that it didn’t work out.
WP: I would like to say a lie that I have none.
Consider the Blizzard ladder maps (and exclude Tal’Darim Altar). Which Blizzard map has the least flaws? Which map supports the most styles of play?
JP: The least flawed maps is Xel'Naga Caverns. It is different from the usual ladder maps because the rush distance between the nats is enough. It supports a diversity from cheesy styles all the way to economy styles.
WP: Xel'Naga Caverns is the least flawed, except the gold multi in the center is the best place to have a planetary fortress and also the main ramp can be blocked by 3 pylons. The rush distance of 39 seconds serves as a standard for other maps. None of the GSL official maps allow a shorter rush distance to limit aggressive initial strategies. In the Korean community we have complaints about close positions on Lost Temple and Metalopolis (The worst ones are Slag Pits and Delta Quadrant.)
LSPrime, congratulations on having your map Tal'Darim Altar get into the Blizzard ladder pool, that is excellent! Can you tell us about how that came to be? Did Blizzard contact you to discuss the map? Or did you sign on to play one day and say, "WHAT--THAT'S MY MAP?!"
LSP: Two months ago I got a message from David Kim that they were going to put Tal’Darim Altar in the ladder, but they wanted to make some changes which I debated. We debated how many resources to have at the 2 multi (foreigners say third base), but by the game’s conventions the resources should be 8 minerals and 2 gas (I was angry they wanted to sacrifice balance for the convention).
David Kim suggested adding destructible rocks but I didn’t agree with him, because the rocks are temporary ["the rocks are temporary" is the direct translation but it doesn't seem to be the true meaning. Here's the original if someone can decipher it->].+ Show Spoiler +David Kim이 파괴가능한 암석(Distrutible Rock)을 두자 얘기했지만 동의할 수 없었습니다. 파괴가능한 암석(Distrutible Rock)은 일시적일 뿐이니까요.
결국 자원량은 8M 2G로 조정되었고 이후 문제가 있다면 수정을 하는것으로 됬습니다.
Eventually the base had 8 minerals and 2 gas as Blizzard wanted and they decided if they see a problem they will change it. And from the North American server I heard Protoss is too strong on Tal’Darim, but I’m not sure if Blizzard will change it.
You made a tool for a 3 player map symmetry calculator which I think is very cool! Do you use other tools like my map analyzer when you are working on a map? Do you have ideas for other tools?
WP: I don’t use anything except my 3-player calculator and the map analyzer. Actually my calculator can be very helpful at first, but when refining the terrain the map creator’s sense of balance is more important. Usually I’m using the 3-player calculator to decide the position of the starting point, the entrance of the bon-jin, and each multi and watchtower. Also, I use both of the tools when I have to do a final check on overall terrain balance. My suggestion for the map analhzer is that it didn’t work quite well detecting the footprint of doodads. [haha, been on my todo list for nearly a year now, oops.]
Here are some interesting maps to come from the foreign community. Do you have any comments about them?
Sanctuarium
LSP: Due to the multi structure [expansion layout] the middle is meaningless except in cross positions. Terran is going to have advantages in the other spawns because there are multiple attack routes.
JP: This is a very great map from first sight. I saw other maps made by funcmode and they are so awesome. The one thing I want to point out is there are two expansions nearby the nat, so I suggest he reduce the resources.
WP: It is [a nicely fitted?] 4 spawn rotational map. Other than cross-positions, the middle and watchtower are not useful. 2byung-young’s pressure [2rax pressure] is strong because the route from the front yard is too narrow and T-shaped.
The Eighteenth
WP: This map was my competitor in MotM #4. The texturing reminds me of a golf course which is really interesting. However, the terrain and resource locations (especially the location of the front yard gas makes moving out difficult, particularly at 6 o’clock and also another big problem is that it has different opportunity to be scouted from the starting point). Also, the (expansion?) lines are too narrow, the bases are overcrowded and at the same time the spawns [grouped with the nearest bases?] have much separation. Its harder to avoid empty space on the outside of a 3-spawn map but I suggest reducing the map boundaries.
Leviathon
JP: When we create a complicated layout at least one part can be awkward, but I couldn’t find anything like that here. However I think that some parts of the terrain give an advantage to Terran.
LSP: It reminds me of Xel'Naga Caverns. The map is so huge, it would be nice if it could be optimized. Also, the front yard’s back hill [cliff behind the nat] is crazy.
ICCup Testbug
WP: Initially it really motivated me since it is 3-spawn and it has well-mixed textures. I can say its one of the cutting edge maps. However, I would like to point out that now it is imbalanced by current standards. I’d especially like to see an improvement in the width of the vertical and horizontal entrance to the bon-jin [main choke].
JP: All of these maps are good work. I learned a lot from them. :D
Finally, what would you like to say to the foreign map-making communities?
JP: Even though this has been quite a long interview I really appreciate all the foreign map creators. I will put more effort into making creative and interesting maps. :D
LSP: I hope that there are more map makers in Korea and in the world. TeamLiquid and ICCup fighting!
WP: If you are interested in the Korean Starcraft 2 map community feel free to visit the the Play XP map forums. You can see some map images even if you cannot read Korean.
Keep up with JackyPrime and LSPrime at sc2prime.com and WinPark at Team Galaxy. Also check out what the foreign map community is up to right here at the TeamLiquid Starcraft 2 map forums!
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Still working through this, but great read so far, A+ job!
Nice to see them liking XNC as much as I do.
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Wow, that was on hell of an interview!:D Awesome done! was really interesting to hear their oppinions and especially where LSPrime about tal'darim and how he and blizzard had debated, there is way to many destructible rocks on maps atm.
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hah, blizzard changing taldarim altar 3rd base mineral patches. i wonder why they decide to do that
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Oh my god, David Kim is actually the Destructible Rock- Guy. We've made a mistake!!
Awesome intervie dim, thanks for sharing. Nice to see it from the aspect of a Korean mapper. Funniest part:
JP: Even though this has been quite a long interview I really appreciate all the foreign map creators. I will put more effort into making creative and interesting maps. :D
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Even their 'bad' maps look good! Impressive.
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Great interview, really interesting. thanks!
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I found the bit with David Kim to be quite humorous. Thanks for sharing. It is a shame that there isn't more people making maps for Starcraft 2.
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Awesome interview--would love to see more like this in the future. It's important for the whole community to see stuff like this in order to have a productive discussion about maps. Thanks!
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but by the game’s conventions the resources should be 8 minerals and 2 gas (I was angry they wanted to sacrifice balance for the convention).
Great reasoning Blizzard -_- As if noobs are like "noo, two minerals less, that fucks up all my three base timings" lol
edit: Excellent interview btw, really cool that you could interview those guys, they are great mapmakers (: I hope they can be even more creative in the future.
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Awesome job and interview, I hope to see amazing maps in the near future.
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Please introduce yourself.
JP: Nice to meet you, TeamLiquid! I’m JackyPrime and I created Crevasse, Crossfire SE, and Xel’Naga Fortress for the GSL.
LSP: Hello, my name is Jong hyun Joo, and my nickname is LSPrime. I started making maps at the end of the Starcraft 2 beta. Before that, I used to create Starcraft I but I wasn’t very good at it. My favorite map is Bel’Shir Beach. A while ago it was very hot and the ocean inspired me to make the map. I put together in 3 or 4 hours but it came out really well.
WP: My name is Wonwoong Park and my nickname is Winpark on TeamLiquid and Play XP. I created Aiur Garden, Merry-go-Round, Mars City, Masada and Typhon Ruin. I really like Masada because I learned a lot from it. This year I started a masters degree and I’m really busy so I can’t make a lot of maps.
nerf JP!
lol that guy got some sick talent, then again all of them have
thanks for the interview, glad the mapmakers are getting some love =) they deserve it 100%!!!!!!!!
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I enjoy kimbop and bulgogi and kimchi pancakes. What other yummy Korean food should I try? What foods from outside Korea do you like?
LSP: Bi-bim-bab is the best [rice, veggies and fried eggs, mixed, with spicey sauce].
WP: I like the above food, also I would like to recommend bi-bim-bob and naeng-myeon [Korea cold noodle]. But it might be too hot or salty for foreign guys.
JP: Each Korean food as a very unique taste. I strongly recommend you try everything. I recommend Bo-ssam [steamed pork], Kal-bi jjim and jab-chae [Korean style chop suey] which is my favorite.
I like spaghetti pasta and sushi and udon. Actually there are a lot of great foods and as I type them it makes me hungry. :D
Bibimbob is fucking amazing. I eat it every week, and I'm not even Korean.
Anyways, it was interesting to hear about the debate about Tal'Darim's 3rd base. Some sacrifices had to be made for Blizzard's ladder.
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On May 19 2011 02:43 FlopTurnReaver wrote:
Oh my god, David Kim is actually the Destructible Rock- Guy. We've made a mistake!! Haha, maybe David Kim has been praying his affair with drocks remains a secret!
Glad you all enjoyed the interview. Part of why I did this was just to get to know what the mapping community and testing process is like in Korea. What I got out of it is they do it the way we are doing it at TeamLiquid in terms of how they see map balance, how they go about testing and collaborating with each other on techniques.
The big thing is they have the GSL tournament, willing to take the best maps that surface. I hope some of the foreign tournaments will consider injecting new maps into the scene instead of waiting to see what Korea and Blizzard do. And I am aware of the custom map debate. The bottom line: GSL is willing to make/ask pros to test maps and willing to risk a map in the pool that know one really knows if it is good yet.
In any case, I encourage the map communities to mix more. (:
EDIT:
On May 19 2011 04:05 eviltomahawk wrote:
Bibimbob is fucking amazing. I eat it every week, and I'm not even Korean. I like a lot of the Korean dishes I've tried but I've never heard of bibimbob--if anyone knows where to get this somewhere in Orange County let me know.
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Great interview - really enjoyed it!
LSP: Two months ago I got a message from David Kim that they were going to put Tal’Darim Altar in the ladder, but they wanted to make some changes which I debated. We debated how many resources to have at the 2 multi (foreigners say third base), but by the game’s conventions the resources should be 8 minerals and 2 gas (I was angry they wanted to sacrifice balance for the convention).
David Kim suggested adding destructible rocks but I didn’t agree with him, because the rocks are temporary
Seems like Blizzard have a lot of love for their destructible rocks, and especially David Kim.
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Great interview guys, glad that the korean map making community is in touch with the team liquid scene, I hope we see more of your guy's maps in iccup map contests!
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On May 19 2011 01:52 dimfish wrote:Here are some interesting maps to come from the foreign community. Do you have any comments about them?SanctuariumJP: This is a very great map from first sight. I saw other maps made by funcmode and they are so awesome.
:O
This is quite inspiring. I haven't made a map for a while, and I'm sorry I've been totally AWOL, moved house and still trying to get things sorted. I'll do my best to make a triumphant return.
Thanks for the awesome interview dimfish <3
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People can't really hate on david kim tho - he wanted an standardized map pool for ladder players, where you don't really have to deal with half-bases and alike. Destructible Rocks were the best thing they could do to prevent mass expanding(like 14hatch-14hatch-14pool).
Hopefully this "standardizing" mentality will change over time.
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On May 19 2011 04:47 Zephirdd wrote:
People can't really hate on david kim tho - he wanted an standardized map pool for ladder players, where you don't really have to deal with half-bases and alike. Destructible Rocks were the best thing they could do to prevent mass expanding(like 14hatch-14hatch-14pool).
Hopefully this "standardizing" mentality will change over time.
We're just playing! :p I like to use destructible rocks a lot in my own maps, actually. They're really useful so it's tempting to overuse them.
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Cool read man, reasonably in-depth and some interesting answers and opinions there. Gonna start calling my natural my front yard now for sure.
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Great interview. Really well done.
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Would love to see more maps from these guys like Dual Sight or Belshir show up in the official pool! ^^
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Great interview, I thought making maps toke more time. But they were able to make some in under 4 hours and they turned out amazing. Good read!
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Awesome job man, really nice interview! I always wondered about these guys creating all those awesome maps.
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Wow this was an awesome read, interesting to read the tension between LSP and dayvie. Love to see these kind of interviews because you never really get into the mind of a map maker until you read things like this.
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Nice interview, always interesting to have their point of view as well. I cant beleive they listed 3p maps as some of their favorites to make, that stuff gives me a headache and wants me to quit mapmaking 
About Tal'darim Altar I beleive the official explaination to it was that Blizzard didnt consider the average player to be able to understand the difference between 1gas/6min and 2gas/8min expansions and would make the game unneccesarily complicated. Blizzard have high regards for their players
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If you claim that was "official" I assume you have a source for that?
Otherwise, believing is hardly official.
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On May 19 2011 05:38 blackone wrote:
If you claim that was "official" I assume you have a source for that?
Otherwise, believing is hardly official.
The second expansion has been changed to include full minerals, but destructible rocks have been added to compensate for this base's increased value. We want players to be able to plan their strategy on an expansion-per-expansion level, not on a mineral patch-for-mineral patch level. We also feel that partial resources can be a confusing way to balance maps for many players and, in general, it's not something we want to do for normal ladder play.
Link here
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Nice interview, it's so nice to be able to read how they think. If there's ever a more in-depth interview, or article describing map-making, I will certainly read it. Personally I love 3 player maps, there should be more of them, so elegant! 5 player maps would be nice too, scouting would be a lot harder and it allows for some great geometric fun.
And of course, Blizzard are being a bunch of snowflakes with their yammering about standard resources in expos, goodness gracious me...
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The more I play on Bel’Shir Beach the more I love it. Especially it can get pretty warm these days and playing on that map on a weekend afternoon is a great day to spend time! Looking for more great maps from talented map makers.
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SC2 mapmakers are going to be the backbone of eSports in SC2 in my opinion.
The only problem I have with them, is they don't seem to use towers/rocks effectively, or not at all from what I've seen. They seem to just ignore them and don't like putting them in their maps. Or am I mistaken?
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frekin david kim!! hes the one who adds the stupid rocks on the maps -_-
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I`m wondering if David Kim reads this. If he does "please get rid of the rocks, that block the expansions" The interview was really interesting and I didnt know Taldarim Altar was made by a korean fan. right now this is my favorite map - thanks for it!
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On May 19 2011 06:30 Greatness wrote:
SC2 mapmakers are going to be the backbone of eSports in SC2 in my opinion.
The only problem I have with them, is they don't seem to use towers/rocks effectively, or not at all from what I've seen. They seem to just ignore them and don't like putting them in their maps. Or am I mistaken?
The rocks on crevasse are how they should be used (destroying them allows alternate attack paths, instead of blocking expansions like how Blizzard uses them).
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Mmm, yummy! Who do I thank for the spotlight?
On May 19 2011 06:30 Greatness wrote:
SC2 mapmakers are going to be the backbone of eSports in SC2 in my opinion.
The only problem I have with them, is they don't seem to use towers/rocks effectively, or not at all from what I've seen. They seem to just ignore them and don't like putting them in their maps. Or am I mistaken? I think you are quite mistaken! Towers are probably overused in the custom maps right now, and rocks have been used in all kinds of cool ways like on ICCup Testbug the rocks are on top of a tower so you have to devote some actions to accessing it.
But then again, with everyone sobbing in this thread about rocks at the third on Tal'Darim, that might be a clue that rocks seem like a fun tool for designers but usually frustrating to players.
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waw nice interview Keep the good work 
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Great interview. Very insightful.
LSPrime seems to have good English from his posts in TL. I do wonder if he posts them directly or have someone else does it for him.
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Great interview.
Beside that, why we never get any interview at all of David Kim ? Most of the time, only Browder anwser them. Knowing Kimmore would be nice.
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Even though i dont understand those guys, i sure appreciate their work. Mapmaking is really hard and to find the right balance seems near impossible. I really hope korean and non-korean map-makers keep up their good work, so we can enjoy maps that are not screwd up by blizzard. With all the qualities they have, mapmaking does not seem to be an expertise of blizzard. The mapmakers in sc1 and sc2 are the unmentioned heroes of the community and i think this attention is well deserved.
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I tried to make Warcraft III maps also, but melee maps are not popular in Korea.
Lol, this is why warcraft 3 never got as competitive as starcraft. Too many people played UMS.
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Good interview. Its cool to see the point of view from the mapmaker about the changes to Taldarim, and the influence blizzard had on it.
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Man why cant blizzard make creative maps likes these? I rather play on these maps than ladder maps like crap station, delta quadrant, slag pits -_-
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Wow those foreign maps look really good.
In particular the Golf Course and TestBug.
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Great job on the interview. This inspired me to try and build maps myself.
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On May 19 2011 09:16 coldasice wrote:
Great job on the interview. This inspired me to try and build maps myself.
haha, great! If you get stuck with the editor, check out the Custom Map forum and specifically the Simple Questions/Simple Answers thread. The folks in there are nice.
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Great interview. I was really interested in map making in the beta and must say I've been disappointed with the lack of some features that Blizzard promised and some decisions they've made with the ladder pool. Nonetheless I hope to get back into it soon and hope that the map making community flourishes.
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Very nice interview. Not familiar with the mapping community at all, so this provided good insight.
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Really cool insight into some of the more popular user-made maps... these guys really know their stuff o_o;;
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Korean map makers, please make desert/badlands maps too, and not just jungle/twilight/space maps
PLEASE!
Bel'Shir Beach is a good start.
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Great interview
Thanks for the work
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Thanks for the interview!
And god damnit david - destrucible rocks - kim. Just god damnit.
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i have always been fascinated but also intimidated by the map making community, but now maybe i will try to be a part of it. Great Interview!
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Bi-bim-bab IS FUCKING DELICIOUS all you non koreans eat it :D. dont be a wimp about hot sauce . I wish I knew how to make it.
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On May 19 2011 04:47 Zephirdd wrote:
Destructible Rocks were the best thing they could do to prevent mass expanding(like 14hatch-14hatch-14pool).
I thought the fact that it's actually a terrible opening in SC2 is what prevented three hatch before pool...
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do the mapmakers get paid for their efforts by GSL, or is this a thankless job?
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On May 19 2011 13:57 EchelonTee wrote:
do the mapmakers get paid for their efforts by GSL, or is this a thankless job?
im going to guess no. Since all maps made are technically owned by blizzard they cant sell something they dont own.
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Really cool interview, great job, and thanks :D <3
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Im not that into map making, but it was an interesting post none the less!
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Awesome interview, really enjoyed seeing an insight into something that is looking very amaturish considering the amount of money being put into the sc2 scene (esp korea)
Heres to Sc2 mapping getting more pro!
Oh and if you ever interview them, plz ask them about what their thoughts on custom netural things are (Destructable rocks /w modded hp, dummy units that slow nearby units, destructable xel naga towers, etc)
Oh and about new tilesets. With Sc2's tileset system, I WANT ART!
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Great stuff, thanks for this interview!
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Great interview, thanks!
LSPrime and JackyPrime actually got paid a little for their efforts, as they said in this interview.
I just hope more foreign tournaments take the leap and introduce new maps. I was a bit dissapointed that TSL3 just copied the GSL map pool, when they have the best map makers in the world posting right here on TL.net.
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(I was angry they wanted to sacrifice balance for the convention).
AMEN!!!
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Quite an interesting interview, thanks for the translation~
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I'm kinda disappointed that they weren't flat out asked what they think makes a map balanced and as such what they keep in mind when making maps. Still, a great interview, always nice to hear about the guys behind the games.
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Never heard much about the map making. Great article
These guys should recieve way more attention and praise for their work.
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On May 20 2011 01:15 branflakes14 wrote:
I'm kinda disappointed that they weren't flat out asked what they think makes a map balanced and as such what they keep in mind when making maps. Still, a great interview, always nice to hear about the guys behind the games.
This is a tough question, and I left it out: it could be an entire interview/debate on its own. What are you looking for? A list of elements that you should never use, like cliffs behind the nat (Lost Temple)? Or a list of musts for every map (8 min, 2 gas main)?
There are elements that seem to favor one race or one play style, and a map is really an interplay between lots of these elements. The map community is exploring lots of different stuff, seeing what new (and old broken stuff) might be able to work. And at the same time the players are evolving the game as well.
It's much easier and more focused to take a particular map and ask if its balanced, or a particular common feature that is sort of controversial (like an in-base main) and discuss it's merits in a vacuum. So I asked plenty of questions like that.
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On May 19 2011 04:16 dimfish wrote:EDIT: Show nested quote +On May 19 2011 04:05 eviltomahawk wrote:
Bibimbob is fucking amazing. I eat it every week, and I'm not even Korean. I like a lot of the Korean dishes I've tried but I've never heard of bibimbob--if anyone knows where to get this somewhere in Orange County let me know.
I think bibimbap is the more common translation here. The "Dol Sot" version is better. It's the one in the heated stone pot.
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Excellent interview!
dimfish, by Orange County you mean Florida or Southern California? If the latter I might be able to direct you :D
(Reminds me that I am super duper behind on the wiki D: )
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On May 20 2011 03:37 pyrestrike wrote:
Excellent interview!
dimfish, by Orange County you mean Florida or Southern California? If the latter I might be able to direct you :D
(Reminds me that I am super duper behind on the wiki D: )
SoCal, I'm a grad student at UC Irvine. I think I've seen something served in a stone bowl at a Korean restaurant before, never knew what that was.
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Awesome topic and questions.
Thank you very much
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These kind of games are nothing without these kind of people.
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Wow these guys are some really nice people. I'm looking forward to see what else they create. It was interesting to hear that the words they use for stuff like "expansion" are so different from what we use.
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Do they make money from selling maps to GOM/Blizzard?
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thank you 
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I think after testbug, people got more motivated into making 3player maps
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On May 19 2011 04:47 Zephirdd wrote:
People can't really hate on david kim tho - he wanted an standardized map pool for ladder players, where you don't really have to deal with half-bases and alike. Destructible Rocks were the best thing they could do to prevent mass expanding(like 14hatch-14hatch-14pool).
Hopefully this "standardizing" mentality will change over time.
You can't blame the head of the balance team for trying to make a map imbalanced? When has mass expanding ever been a problem? If zerg 14 hatch 14 hatch 14 pool, you punish them. I guess I'm just missing your logic.
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Lateral Erosion reminds me of Burial Grounds in SC2
Edit: And oh, 3-4 hours to make Bel'shir Beach? Wow that's really fast o.o
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nice interview! very informative
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Nice interview.
They must've spent hours on the computer the to get the right balance...which is a really hard.
I'm inspired to make melee maps myself but i really don't know where to start or how to mirror it. I tried several times making my own melee map and it's crazy hard. Do they use any third-party programs to help them?
These people who spent countless hours on making amazing maps should be given a prize. (I believe they have map making contests)
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EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/tZcGr.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/8dNwf.jpg)
