IMHO, focus on the editor so we can make content for you

[xaxazak]

If the game officially releases with a lot of custom user content already available it could massively increase its desirability.

Also, your own team will make better levels faster if the editor is better.

And you'll get feedback on the editor - you seem very eager for feedback which is good.

There's plenty of people with great custom game ideas out there, just wanting a RTS engine with a decent editor.

The editor doesn't need to be perfect before you release it - the game is in EA, so the editor can also be in EA. Even if we can only initially make PvP maps without a unit editor or scripting, that's still something to play with.


Also note: WC3's editor was awesome and so widely used, but then SC2's editor was considered worse to use - if Blizzard had somehow had early feedback (and acted on it), maybe SC2's editor could've been as popular as WC3's.

[StimJunky]

No one is going to make content for a dead game that's not even pulling in a quarter of the numbers Concord did before it got canned. The reason people made customs for Warcraft 3 was because of the fantastic world building and compelling characters Blizzard had made in addition to the strong IP and brand recognition from the previous two games. SG has absolutely none of that.

Devs went all in on the e-sports as a service game, despite people telling them what a colossal mistake it was, and here we are.

[xaxazak]

There's some truth to WC3's editor popularity being largely due to fanbase size, but it was (is) also an awesome editor in its own right, and for most custom maps the story/worldbuilding of the official campaign is largely irrelevant. As long as there's a good amount of content (models etc), a powerful scripting engine, powerful unit customization, and a usable editor that can do simple stuff simply, I'm pretty sure you'll attract people, since it's free.

One issue is, (how) do they make money from people that only play custom maps on a F2P game?

[BHZ]

Originally posted by StimJunky:

The reason people made customs for Warcraft 3 was because of the fantastic world building and compelling characters Blizzard had made in addition to the strong IP and brand recognition from the previous two games. SG has absolutely none of that.

I mean this is the answer already, there is not much to add.

[Sel Und Irae]

Originally posted by StimJunky:

The reason people made customs for Warcraft 3 was because of the fantastic world building

If the editor is better than Warcraft 3's then it can solo carry the game, Look at how DOGWATER reforged was and people are still using it because the editor is so versatile for making custom maps. Stormgate doesn't need a fantastic world it just needs to have better creative tools than the competition.

https://youtu.be/heAgZLH0waE

https://youtu.be/EZoO0dTCmeQ

https://youtu.be/rrKv60ree6A?t=169

https://youtu.be/itXuQ1Y2Ct4

https://youtu.be/0z0iHw8-YQU

https://youtu.be/2hGTKi3_Vrc

Just a few older examples, If a game from the early 2000's has an engine which can support this kinda stuff exists and a modern game like Stormgate can't support even 1/8th then they might aswell just not add editor. I know a few who are waiting to see if Stormgate editor is worth anything before trying to port their maps, A lot of people are fed up with Blizzard and would willingly move if the new location had better QoL.

If their editor isn't good this game will not grow, People have already made it VERY clear nobody cares about pro players and what they want. Your E Sports push failed, Stop doubling down on it and make the game.

This game can very easily grow, Especially since It's (1) on steam & (2) F2P which opens a lot of doors.

[Mothvibe]

Originally posted by Sel Und Irae:

Stormgate doesn't need a fantastic world it just needs to have better creative tools than the competition.

Couldn't agree more!

And it wouldn't be hard either, most editing tools are a joke.

They're either so simple as to be useless ('You can change Bob's name to Harry!') or so complex that the amount of effort needed to use them is LESS than it would take to learn how to code.

That's a little oversimplified - but not by much.

[AgustinAbadi]

i made some mods for warcraft 3, and if stormgate ships with half the tools that warcraft 3 had, then i honestly believe it could be saved. the engine works really nice, it only needs good content.
they really should trust on the community, we could save stormgate if they let us.

[RBTV_Red]

If the editor allows me to build the Stormgate I want easily then it is a good idea.

So they should add:
01: a procedural map generator so I can define patterns for maps that will generate maps of this pattern.

02: Nice looking walls for each faction, so I can easily implement it without being an artist.

03: A resource system where I can add more resources and can make big changes to them how they work. Like structures that produce one type of resource or a resource like tiberium with the difference that it grows so it blocks the field for units and structures and you can harvest it like wood. Or I can build power plants that support only a limited number of structures and I can dymanically change which structure should be on the power net.

That would be enough features for me to build the rts I want. The first one is the most important.

[Spartan dropkick]

They shouldn't need your feedback on the editor.
On their startengine page they are industry veterans with AAA track records and worked on franchises that have made over $1 billion collectively.

[[SNP]Rancor]

The editor is coming, funnily enough both later and earlier than I would like at the same time. On one hand I want to get it NOW so I can make content right away, on the other hand as per the schedule the editor will first come in a preview version - which I honestly also would kinda like to see full editor when it does come out instead of preview, so yeah. Both earlier and later than I would like

But we do have some good stuff that the dev team said about the editor and it was like solid 6 months ago. They are focusing on making the Editor more like WC3 than SC2 - which is great news, because SC2 editor at launch was basically unusable, while WC3 is pick up and play.

They also already had systems to re-create the WC3 hero system in our custom content back when that chat took place, though at the time it was still done via triggers - the plan is for the players to have this option baked in by the time the editor is available