The Tale of Archon Discussion/Updates

sounds like such a good idea.

Ian you mean you willl make the cinematics in newerwinternighs? Omg that would kick so much ass, so crazy stuff

<to soulreaver's signature> alas it is happening all too speediously, but what new RTS of such great majesty shall replace it? May we let wc3 stand until DoF's release? or shall we abandon our micro management tastes and pick up UT2004, so we can all play ian's maps....

Can't people see that the only reason wc3 is dying is because of YOU!?

I'm not meaning to flame anyone, but fair enough if people are bored with it, but then don't complain about it if that is the case. SC was pretty old when some of it's best mods were made. Blizz have given us the tools, yet no-one has ever given us a really exceptional campaign (nothing to do with ttoa, I mean playable). There hasn't been much in the way of campaigns at all, because everyone seems to want to run before they can walk. Something else like deicide's campaign etc. (or a non-buggy, non-crappy RoK/FoK) needs to be done before people decide to make 70 map 4 race total conversions with new everything and it will be done soon honest we're nearly done no you can't see the progress it's secret...

/rant

hmmm, u got a point there alp. And Maybe your right, i dunno how the hell the cinematic goin to work for this new game but i dooubt we'll get any furthur with that than we did here with WC3. I have always thought and still think the problem is motivation, if i can just get my hands on that story! I can maybe turn it up or restart its flame. But sticking with WC3, dont mind at all.

Well for one thing it has to do with the community.

90% of Warcraft III's community is a bunch of n00bs, people who have no idea how the hell to make mods, and then theres a portion of that that make horrible maps.
5% make some fairly neat maps and have good ideas, but don't do anything ground breaking.
4.75% of people are really quite good, very skilled but either - sloppy, lazy, they don't make Total Conversions, or they lose interest.
.25% actually have what it takes to make a mod that would make even Blizzard drool. These people are very good, and either - lose interest, don't have the time, or want to work on something more advanced because they're capable of it.

Theres a hell of a lot of cool people in the Warcraft III community, but then then theres also people who are just like "OMG l33t l33t l33t", the noobs. When you're making your project, and you know that 90% of the people playing/watching it are just noobs, who have no idea how to really criticise a story, it doesn't really inspire you (at first it does, but not after a while).

People modding games like UT2k4, etc, know what the hell they're doing. These people are REAL artists. They can skin a person with an unwrap for each body part that is 1024x1024 big. They can convert Ut2k4 into an RTS game (Check out the early early alpha of Uskaarj: http://uskaarj.beyondunreal.com/) Warcraft III is easy. Anyone can make a map, its not that hard if you have an idea of what you're doing. It just takes time. With games like Ut2k4 though... not only does it take time... but it takes SKILL.

Notice that many people have left, like Ganon, KDEWolf, Mock1, etc...
These people had skill, they're moving on to Half-Life 2, Doom 3, and greater things.

Project Revolution is a good example of a team of people who know what the hell they're doing. Their art is almost a replica of the 2d art from Starcraft in 3d form, and they are making a TC that I think will be finished.

Realm Design is another good example of people that know what they're doing. They've stuck with their Dawn of Chaos, they painstakingly correct all the little bugs and problems. I've seen many mods that appeared to have potential, but were let done by numerous stupid bugs, an overall sloppy effect, or trying to mod the game TOO far, but DoC is not one of these.

^ Notice the above two projects listed are both based off another Blizzard game. So why are they succeeding?? Hmm... perhaps because Warcraft III is a Blizzard game. Warcraft III is obviously the best choice to make a mod based on another Blizzard game, whereas TTOA for example... is not. TTOA is a cinematic... detail = ultra important. If Warcraft III had 1500+ poly models, an easy way to add animations, and actual hands on their models, that would add a lot more to cinematics. And that brings up another point. One big reason the Warcraft III mods that are good are rare, is because people can't model for it easily. You can't just convert the mdx, open it up, add 10 nice new custom animations, and then convert it back to mdx and have it work... you have to Reanimate it if you want to do that. Now theres ways around this, like merging the anims back onto the model once you've reimported it, but this is still something thats a pain in the ass. Also modeling, is not something people learn in 1 day (though some are capable of it), it takes time, and teenagers like me, might not have the time to put effort into learning something as complicated as modeling, and working on a project all the time.

Truth is, I just don't have the motivation, when theres nobody else whos done anything groundbreakingly impressive yet.

- Iron_Ian

PS: Hope nobody is offended by this, I don't mean to downgrade Warcraft III or any of the people modding it. Some things I said are a bit rude I suppose, but IMO they're truthful.

Im mostly talking about bnet and ladder games. For some time ago i played alot of ladder games, you could play a nice game with no flaming and people saying: "gg/hf/gl" Now if you make one mistake or if u lose people flame you like shit. A fine example i played ladder games this morning and i wanted to try the BM for once. I took banish as my first spell and my oponent scouted me and saw my banish. Then i recieved a message from my oponent: "OMFG n00b Ally". Well BM does suckass (at least banish does) :(. (also lost) Im also talking about Custom games. Now the only maps being hosted is maps like "FOOTMANWARS EXTREME BEST VERSION" and Escape The maze or Run kitty run. Its too gay.

No its not. Im doing my best to host maps and be good player in ladder and im also pretty acitve on www.warcraftstrategic.com

aaah! quoted!

and i didn't mean you, i meant people who moan about 'wc3 dying' when they do nothing for the community. sadly i don't think any of those people come here to read it.

Oh yea, i understand im a n00b.......well moding is just too tough, i'm not really good at anything, and it looks like im getting and going more active, I definetly want a Varsity football championship more than make a mod or map. Ill be around but yes i am one of those 'n00bs'.

I wouldn't consider you as a n00b dude. It depends on what you think 'n00b' means. A n00b to me is someone that - Has know idea what they're doing... or doesn't appear to have a brain. You don't fit that description at all :8

Well anyway... I just wanted to clarify on a few things.

Firstly I'd like to appologize if anyone was offended by my post above. I don't want to downgrade people just because they may not have great computer talent. People are good at different things & are all unique in their way of learning, comprehending, and doing things. There are plenty of people here that have what it takes to get there, so I don't want to sound like some kind of arrogant fool.

I'd also like to thank the people that have helped me in making TTOA, and have stuck around for a long time - particularly AmericanHoser and alpengeist36. Kudos to everyone that was on the team as well, though the team has basically scattered now, back in the day we were cookin' ^_^

I'm not sure if my point was clearly gotten across from that huge blurb I posted yesterday, and a few of my last posts, so I will clarify.

I will write the book before I do anything more, from the words of AmericanHoser "build the structure before you paint the walls". I will also be putting up the website, and perhaps polishing up part 1 & 2 with voice acting.

- Iron_Ian

W00t, today, the 16th of October, is my 17th birthday! ^_^ ^_^

My parents got me some sweet Altec Lansing speakers with a Woofer as a present. They rock ass

I'm sitting here rocking out to Stratovarius as I type ^_^

- Iron_Ian

heh...lucky you Ian....One day before mine lol!

Hehe ^_^

Happy B-Day to you

EDIT: BTW you guys like my avatar
That was originally a pic of Sean Connery.

hehe, ya nice avatar ^_^

Happy birthday to both of you

Hope u guys had a happy b-day!