What I miss about mapping
Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 1:00 pm
So I came to Japan to study last September - partly because I thought it would be the best way to learn the langauge, and mostly because as a fifth-year 'super senior' I had tired a bit of college.
I've had fun, but there have been some things I've missed. Friends and family, greasy (tasty) foods, cheap movie tickets, free refills, and the convenience of having a car, to name a few. Also making a strong showing on the list (maybe to the shame of my level of 'cool') is mapping and MOHAA. Some may say it's a bit sad, at my age especially, to be willing to spend such enormous amounts of time creating something that will most likely get little use, and even then only appeal to a small group in the online gaming community; only getting praise from others who spend their nights and weekends doing the same. But there are reasons we do all of this, and I'd like to point out a pair of my own.
It's FREE!!!
Yes, it's free. You can spend six or more hours of each day feeling creative and entertaining yourself for the cost of electricity, and maybe a medical bill or two (unless you have someone patient enough about your hobby to cook for you while you work, one usually ends up eating in a less than nutritious way. High cholesterol, obesity, heart trouble, and malnutrition can all eventually hit the pocket book. What am I doing? This is about the glory of mapping).
It's challenging
Yeah, I love competition, and the best kind is against yourself. No matter how comfortable you get with scripting and texturing, in brushing out fun-to-play designs, you can always do something better - you can always do something different. This is the element that addicts people. This is what draws us into communities to show off works and get praise. This is why mapping competitions are spawned. This is why we map.
So, living in Tokyo without my computer, without my MOHAA or my Radiant for a year has been a pain. It's left me with a small hole, yearning for something to create, and it's been terrible on my wallet. I'll be home in two weeks, and, I don't know when I'll be paced and making maps again, but I'm sure I'll be on the PC feeling my way around Radiant again shortly thereafter. Expect to see me roaming the boards again and being a bother pretty soon.
That rambling dude I scant remember,
Chris... in Cali <- ;(
I've had fun, but there have been some things I've missed. Friends and family, greasy (tasty) foods, cheap movie tickets, free refills, and the convenience of having a car, to name a few. Also making a strong showing on the list (maybe to the shame of my level of 'cool') is mapping and MOHAA. Some may say it's a bit sad, at my age especially, to be willing to spend such enormous amounts of time creating something that will most likely get little use, and even then only appeal to a small group in the online gaming community; only getting praise from others who spend their nights and weekends doing the same. But there are reasons we do all of this, and I'd like to point out a pair of my own.
It's FREE!!!
Yes, it's free. You can spend six or more hours of each day feeling creative and entertaining yourself for the cost of electricity, and maybe a medical bill or two (unless you have someone patient enough about your hobby to cook for you while you work, one usually ends up eating in a less than nutritious way. High cholesterol, obesity, heart trouble, and malnutrition can all eventually hit the pocket book. What am I doing? This is about the glory of mapping).
It's challenging
Yeah, I love competition, and the best kind is against yourself. No matter how comfortable you get with scripting and texturing, in brushing out fun-to-play designs, you can always do something better - you can always do something different. This is the element that addicts people. This is what draws us into communities to show off works and get praise. This is why mapping competitions are spawned. This is why we map.
So, living in Tokyo without my computer, without my MOHAA or my Radiant for a year has been a pain. It's left me with a small hole, yearning for something to create, and it's been terrible on my wallet. I'll be home in two weeks, and, I don't know when I'll be paced and making maps again, but I'm sure I'll be on the PC feeling my way around Radiant again shortly thereafter. Expect to see me roaming the boards again and being a bother pretty soon.
That rambling dude I scant remember,
Chris... in Cali <- ;(
). You'll see them often.
).