uncadonego on 12/10/2019 at 10:34
FM authors, have you ever dumped a mission because you weren't satisfied with it, maybe even after a lot of work on it?
nicked on 12/10/2019 at 12:10
Many, many times. I've started probably 10 times more missions than I've finished.
uncadonego on 12/10/2019 at 12:49
How far were you into them? How large did you let them get before you decided? Have you ever gotten far enough to finish objectives, and then change your mind about release?
nicked on 12/10/2019 at 13:14
No, furthest I've got would be all terrain done and textured, most objects placed. If I've got objectives in there, it's because it's got far enough to be worth seeing through to the end. I've only abandoned stuff if I've not been sure how to tell a story in the space, or earlier if it's just not much fun to explore.
john9818a on 12/10/2019 at 14:39
I scrapped my very first mission... the only one I made with TG. I later ported it over to T2 before scrapping it, but my architectural methods were so pitiful that I didn't want to release it. IIRC there were two objectives, loot & rescue the hermit.
R Soul on 12/10/2019 at 16:39
Yes.
I'd been trying things out in Dromed for a while but didn't get very far, so I decided to try the stepwise refinement method (do the whole thing very simply, then go back over and add details). I built a full mansion and got the basic texturing done. I learned about using stacked brushes to make wood trim and wallpaper, and how to make nice looking door frames, rugs surrounded by tile/wood, stairs with properly aligned textures etc. When it came to adding furniture and lighting I realised everything was too big, so I decided to start again with something smaller.
There was no meaningful story, so it felt more like a useful learning experience rather than something I'd poured my heart and rsoul into.
uncadonego on 12/10/2019 at 22:07
So you all think it's better to start again, rather than release if you don't have a good feeling about it?
R Soul on 12/10/2019 at 23:08
It depends if it's a fundamental problem with the mission or if it's something that can be fixed. For my second full sized FM, Stones and Glass Houses, I was having serious doubts about the story, so I made some major changes and I became much more enthusiastic.
You FM is of course your hobby, and your free time, so only you can make the decision. And you can always change your mind.
uncadonego on 12/10/2019 at 23:23
The reason I want to scrap this is amateur building....
Can't see that improving any time...
bbb on 13/10/2019 at 00:30
Almost scrapped my first mission which was the KOMAG tutorial enhanced.
When I expanded it I (for some stupid reason) built a mansion brick by brick (actually wall by wall). I created lots of angles to add interest but each room was 4 walls (1 foot thick solid brushes) a floor and a ceiling with nooks. Room brushing was an absolute nightmare and I nearly gave up.
I am someone who really hates to give up on anything so I ultimately finished it. Not a great mission but it started my love/hate relationship with Dromed.
As far as amateur building, all my missions are probably somewhat amateur-like with all stock resources and no real WOW moments. But I do my best and understand my missions get played and some enjoy them. Don’t be so hard on yourself. I actually love simple missions - break in places, steal loot, knockout, climb and blackjack.