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StarCraft Mapmaking Association, or SMA for short, is the first grouping of foreign mapmakers in a long time, consisting of both top tier as well as amateur mapmakers.
The organization’s goal is to establish a reliable center of communication between mapmakers, Blizzard, and the community, serving as a consolidated point to fill the void left by the disbandment of teams such as TPW, Galaxy, DF, and ESV.
Here are the members so far:
Kantuva; creator of Foxtrot Labs, Echo, Ganymede, Kamala Park and Peninsula.
Hi, I’m Kantu also known as Uvantak, I started mapping back in the Wings Of Liberty Beta, but then had to step away, and finally coming back into the scene around late 2012. From there on I have continued to make maps aimed for the highest echelons of play, and trying to shape my map creation ideas into solid things that can be enjoyed by anyone and everyone.
IeZaeL; creator of Coda, Neo Emerald Plaza, Sacred path, and Engines of War.
Started mapmaking from the bottom of 2013 now we here. Played a bit of bw when I was a child, so it has some influences into my map styles. I like to make innovative maps and stuff never done before.
NegativeZero; creator of Terraform, Exosphere and Isomer.
I’m NegativeZero, I started SC2 mapmaking in 2012 after a year or two of making maps for BW. I tend to focus on fairly standard maps with a bit of BW influence, with the occasional experimental map for good measure.
Meavis; organizer/amateur mapper, creator of Solaris Temple, Annihilation Station.
Started mapping in late 2013 and participating in the map community since mid 2014, has not gotten a map in proffesional play and nowadays has stopped mapping but still organizes things within the map community.
TheTemplar; TL fanatic/amateur mapper.
Started casually mapping shortly after WoL release, slowly lost interest and started settling into more of an administrative role with the Map Jam in 2013 and helping with TLMC in 2015.
Monitor; creator of Korhal Compound, Koprulu, and Mystic (2v2).
Hi. I started making WoL maps in 2009 for fun and have made maps off and on since then. My main accomplishment was getting Korhal Compound into ladder. I have judged TeamLiquid Map Contests and I was a long time organizer of Map of the Month, a TL-based mapmaking contest. I’m always glad to play a game of HotS/LotV or take a look at a new map.
sTY_leZerG; amateur sc2 mapper, accomplished mapper in Broodwar at broodwarmaps.net, creator of Broodwar map MoonLight Shadow that gave birth to sc2 ladder map Nimbus by Icetoad & wrl.
+ Show Spoiler +
Hey, I started playing sc2 since the beginning of Wings of Liberty, now in 2015 I am currently working on my skills on sc2 map making.
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With that we hope to make a better enviroment for maps in sc2, any questions are welcome.
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That is indeed a great news ! I hope that having an established organization will help you to talk with Blizz' and the commmunity :-)
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Some ppl in this list I hate for some weird maps :D
On the other hand, that's a great idea to make such association, I hope u guys gonna make interesting and balanced maps in future all together, so there will be no whining at all.
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Russian Federation1613 Posts
I thought that Foxtrot Labs and Terraform were made by the same author (Uvantak)...
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France9034 Posts
serving as a consolidated point to fill the void left by the disbandment of teams such as TPW, Galaxy, DF, and ESV
I took a big slap in the face as I read that (not that I didn't know, just.... ouch...)
Good luck with that! Especially for:
a reliable center of communication between mapmakers, Blizzard
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Great initiative, best of luck!
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Looks good. Once LOTV is out, maps will be the main way to add spice to the game.
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Great! Hopefully this will lead to more great maps, and more fun gameplay for everyone. 
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I hope there's better communication between mapmakers/blizzard.
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GL in advance with the LotV release ! good maps will be needed there !
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Czech Republic12129 Posts
Hmm, I think this is a good place to ask a question: Was there any discussion with Blizzard about design of races and the implication it has on the layout of maps? E.g. ramp on 1 forcefield, wallable natural etc.
Thanks!
Also, I wish you success and girls and fame and moneyz! 
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Congrats to all, specially to Kantuva!!
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Wondeful news !! Amazing news !!
You are and always be the real developers of stracraft.
@deacon.frost
Was there any discussion with Blizzard about design of races and the implication it has on the layout of maps?
haha this is a good one^^
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8751 Posts
What is your stance on 1v1 maps with four spawn locations?
I hate the chance involved in scouting, especially for PvP, though it's significant for many PvT and PvZ strategies as well. I also hate that many of the maps with four spawn locations are intended to be the plain macro map choices of the pool, even though it's not possible to get to that stage of the game without first dealing with the luck involved in scouting. As I see it, the apparent purpose of the map is undermined in the very first stages of every game played on it.
Personally I don't see the value in this map feature at all. I don't think players get satisfaction from winning because they got lucky with their scouting direction. They don't enjoy choosing their strategy from a limited selection, having crossed off any strategy that gets screwed by unlucky scouting (whether getting scouted first or scouting the opponent last). And similarly viewers aren't entertained by this facet of randomness. SC2 already forces players to take enough guesses in the dark. And while it's somewhat interesting to go into a map not knowing which way you'll have to play it, because you don't know which way the players will be oriented on it, I think map pools as big as 7 maps already give players enough opportunity to find different ways to play.
Do you like maps with four spawn locations? How frequently do you think they should appear in map pools? Am I correct in thinking that they're at cross purposes with macro maps? Do you think the current four spawn maps, Iron Fortress and Cactus Valley, would instantly be improved by making them three spawn or two spawn maps? If no, then why not?
Having complained so much about them, I still wouldn't mind a four spawn map making its way into the pool every once in a while. But I think the default should be none and I think a reasonable compromise is allowing 1-2 three spawn maps into every map pool.
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On September 03 2015 01:25 NonY wrote:
What is your stance on 1v1 maps with four spawn locations?
I hate the chance involved in scouting, especially for PvP, though it's significant for many PvT and PvZ strategies as well. I also hate that many of the maps with four spawn locations are intended to be the plain macro map choices of the pool, even though it's not possible to get to that stage of the game without first dealing with the luck involved in scouting. As I see it, the apparent purpose of the map is undermined in the very first stages of every game played on it.
Personally I don't see the value in this map feature at all. I don't think players get satisfaction from winning because they got lucky with their scouting direction. They don't enjoy choosing their strategy from a limited selection, having crossed off any strategy that gets screwed by unlucky scouting (whether getting scouted first or scouting the opponent last). And similarly viewers aren't entertained by this facet of randomness. SC2 already forces players to take enough guesses in the dark. And while it's somewhat interesting to go into a map not knowing which way you'll have to play it, because you don't know which way the players will be oriented on it, I think map pools as big as 7 maps already give players enough opportunity to find different ways to play.
Do you like maps with four spawn locations? How frequently do you think they should appear in map pools? Am I correct in thinking that they're at cross purposes with macro maps? Do you think the current four spawn maps, Iron Fortress and Cactus Valley, would instantly be improved by making them three spawn or two spawn maps? If no, then why not?
Having complained so much about them, I still wouldn't mind a four spawn map making its way into the pool every once in a while. But I think the default should be none and I think a reasonable compromise is allowing 1-2 three spawn maps into every map pool.
The 4 spawn issue will only be aggravated because of the 12 worker start in LotV, but they do offer more variability on the map pool for spectators and casual players, and as such they should stay on the pool*.
At the end the problem boils down to how does Blizzard wants to handle the map pool, and if are they ready to make concessions regarding splitting the map pool into a competitive map pool and a more casual one, this also brings a whole array of discussion about splitting the player pool and what to do with those that like playing on the same maps they see progamers play on.
Things such as randomness do generate excitement even when they can be seen annoying or gimmicks, things such as the fog of war can be seen as a very big randomness factor compared to a game where there is no fog at all, scarabs themselves, we laugh at them by being unreliable, but the excitement factor is there.
The point of SMA is to have mapmakers have a say on Blizzard decisions regarding the map pool, which atm is something that does not happen. 4 player maps is only one of a myriad of other things that need to be discussed.
Sorry if my post seems like random thoughts, I slept very badly yesterday :/
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Cool! Templar you are an amateur mapper now? GL people
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Sounds awesome GL everyone!
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EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/liKgWm0.png)
![[image loading]](http://www.panschk.de/mappage/pics/4077.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/oYYhENQ.png)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/W0XQzD2.png)
