BlizzCon 2010: Why Is the StarCraft II Team Making Custom Maps?

[John Funk]

BlizzCon 2010: Why Is the StarCraft II Team Making Custom Maps?

What does Blizzard's StarCraft II team stand to gain from making Blizzard DotA and StarJeweled?

One of the most unexpected announcements out of this year's BlizzCon was the news that Blizzard would be actually pretty fun [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/104629-BlizzCon-2010-Blizzard-Adding-L4D-DotA-to-StarCraft-2], but the question remained: Why do it in the first place?

The Escapist sat down with Blizzard's Alan Dabiri - the Lead Software Engineer on StarCraft II - last week at BlizzCon 2010 and asked him exactly that. "Part of it is that we're showcasing the engine and how flexible it is," said Dabiri. "These are a completely different style of games from StarCraft. I haven't worked on any of them [as an engineer], though - I don't need to, it's totally in the engine."

With these four new mods, Blizzard hopes to inspire its mapmaking community and show them the sort of things that can be done. Beyond that, though, Dabiri said that Blizzard wants to understand the difficulties mapmakers are having in order to improve the tools it provides. "We saw a ton of people making custom maps, and we wanted to see the problems that they were facing, so we could get a better handle on the issues."

For instance, take the engine's support for, say, inventory management - a huge part of an RPG map. "Our inventory management was pretty clunky," admitted Dabiri. "And we never used that while making StarCraft II's campaign, so it wasn't on our radar until we were making the DotA map."

Blizzard will be updating the map-maker and the engine as it releases its mods, and Dabiri thinks that the community will put the updates to good use - especially the art assets that come with Blizzard DotA. At the moment, the DotA map had only characters from Warcraft and StarCraft, but Dabiri said that the team was definitely going to add a Diablo presence as well - mentioning the archangel Tyrael by name - to make it more of a pan-Blizzard Smash Bros game.

Beyond that, though, Dabiri said that the StarCraft II team was just hoping to foster the creativity of the community. "Developers can foster creativity - it comes from us making this a flexible engine to work with, and putting in art assets and different units. That's why we're doing this."

The four games are to be released in the coming months for all owners of StarCraft II. Blizzard DotA will be the last of the four to be released, and Dabiri says that the developer intends to keep updating it with new heroes and the like after launch.

Permalink

 

[Woodsey]

I just assumed it was a continuation of their *****-fit at Valve for getting the rights to... something (DotA, Day of the Ancients, DotA 2, D.O.T.A. - one of these at least) before they thought of it.

I mean come on, their own DotA map and "Left 2 Die" right after this?

 

[dududf]

I just assumed it was a continuation of their *****-fit at Valve for getting the rights to... something (DotA, Day of the Ancients, DotA 2, D.O.T.A. - one of these at least) before they thought of it.

I mean come on, their own DotA map and "Left 2 Die" right after this?

My thoughts exactly. I looked at it as a little low blow to Valve.

 

[Grey_Focks]

Hey, Blizzard.

Love you.

Now how about you get rid of that annoying region lock? I want to play with my European friends, dammit.

 

[JerrytheBullfrog]

I just assumed it was a continuation of their *****-fit at Valve for getting the rights to... something (DotA, Day of the Ancients, DotA 2, D.O.T.A. - one of these at least) before they thought of it.

I mean come on, their own DotA map and "Left 2 Die" right after this?

I just assumed it was a continuation of their *****-fit at Valve for getting the rights to... something (DotA, Day of the Ancients, DotA 2, D.O.T.A. - one of these at least) before they thought of it.

I mean come on, their own DotA map and "Left 2 Die" right after this?

My thoughts exactly. I looked at it as a little low blow to Valve.

Next time, why don't you just admit you don't know about the actual situation and save everybody the time? Blizzard made DotA-styled maps before for WC3, it's not like they didn't "think" of doing DotA for themselves, they just never trademarked it since it wasn't theirs. Just like it's not Valve's.

Plus, do you really think this sort of thing could be done in the what, month and a half tops since Valve announced DotA 2? This was probably in the works for a while.

 

[Woodsey]

I just assumed it was a continuation of their *****-fit at Valve for getting the rights to... something (DotA, Day of the Ancients, DotA 2, D.O.T.A. - one of these at least) before they thought of it.

I mean come on, their own DotA map and "Left 2 Die" right after this?

I just assumed it was a continuation of their *****-fit at Valve for getting the rights to... something (DotA, Day of the Ancients, DotA 2, D.O.T.A. - one of these at least) before they thought of it.

I mean come on, their own DotA map and "Left 2 Die" right after this?

My thoughts exactly. I looked at it as a little low blow to Valve.

Next time, why don't you just admit you don't know about the actual situation and save everybody the time? Blizzard made DotA-styled maps before for WC3, it's not like they didn't "think" of doing DotA for themselves, they just never trademarked it since it wasn't theirs. Just like it's not Valve's.

Plus, do you really think this sort of thing could be done in the what, month and a half tops since Valve announced DotA 2? This was probably in the works for a while.

I'm on probation so I probably couldn't say what I wanted.

Needless to say, the timing is more than a little suspect and I actually meant "thought of getting the rights" - not thought of just making something to do with it.

And like I said, I don't think anyone actually knows what exactly Valve is trying to trademark, (not sure if it's gone through yet).

It's possible to pick people up on something - it's called having a conversation - without being insolent.

 

[dududf]

I just assumed it was a continuation of their *****-fit at Valve for getting the rights to... something (DotA, Day of the Ancients, DotA 2, D.O.T.A. - one of these at least) before they thought of it.

I mean come on, their own DotA map and "Left 2 Die" right after this?

I just assumed it was a continuation of their *****-fit at Valve for getting the rights to... something (DotA, Day of the Ancients, DotA 2, D.O.T.A. - one of these at least) before they thought of it.

I mean come on, their own DotA map and "Left 2 Die" right after this?

My thoughts exactly. I looked at it as a little low blow to Valve.

Next time, why don't you just admit you don't know about the actual situation and save everybody the time? Blizzard made DotA-styled maps before for WC3, it's not like they didn't "think" of doing DotA for themselves, they just never trademarked it since it wasn't theirs. Just like it's not Valve's.

Plus, do you really think this sort of thing could be done in the what, month and a half tops since Valve announced DotA 2? This was probably in the works for a while.

Excuse me?

If you wanna be an ass, at least make it clear what you're being an ass about. I know that Blizzard has made 2 mods, 1 of which has a very clear reference to a valve game and the second a Dota mod, from which has been pretty much known for a while that Valve was making a actual Dota game. They made the official announcement not long ago (about them making Dota), but information has been around longer then that, enough to safely make a good guess. Recently Blizzard essentially told off Valve.

That's enough information to make a good guess what what's going on. What makes you're point more valid then mine? Nothing at all, neither is mine more valid then yours.

 

[Georgie_Leech]

Sorry, I didn't read anything beyond "Bliaazrd Smash Bros." Man, I wish there was a game where you could fight Kerrigan and the Lich King in a no-holds-barred duel...

 

[paketep]

Anything to forget they didn't include LAN support?

 

[tautologico]

I'm on probation so I probably couldn't say what I wanted.

Needless to say, the timing is more than a little suspect and I actually meant "thought of getting the rights" - not thought of just making something to do with it.

And like I said, I don't think anyone actually knows what exactly Valve is trying to trademark, (not sure if it's gone through yet).

It's possible to pick people up on something - it's called having a conversation - without being insolent.

Anyway he (or she) has a point. The mods were announced recently, but probably were in development for some time already, being playable at Blizzcon and all.

Further, Blizzard could have tried to trademark DoTA, and/or develop its own variation, ages ago. I think it's some anti-blizzard fanboyism to think that they are somehow "worried" about Valve's DoTA. Someone at Blizzard saying that Valve shouldn't trademark DoTA is just what it is, someone making a comment about this issue, which by the way is the same point of view of other people on the DoTA community.

Do people really believe that Blizzard is "at war" with Valve now or something? Both are successful companies, Blizzard has some of the best-selling PC games of all times, but Valve chose to develop a DoTA game, kinda controversially named DoTA and filing for a trademark for it. Someone at Blizzard, thinking as some other people at the community, says somewhere that they don't think it should be trademarked by Valve, just as a comment. And that's it.

But yes, conspiracy theories are more fun.

 

[Yoshisummons]

For instance, take the engine's support for, say, inventory management - a huge part of an RPG map. "Our inventory management was pretty clunky," admitted Dabiri. "And we never used that while making StarCraft II's campaign, so it wasn't on our radar until we were making the DotA map."

Fixed, your welcome.

Oh ok self amusement grammar Nazi aside I guess I should contribute more to this thread
There *claps hands in self satisfaction*

 

[Ertol]

Why does it matter? If the developers want to sit down and create 4 really well made custom games for everyone to use for free, then I'm all for it.

 

[Squeaky]

lol Left 2 Die..., Valve probly are trade marking DotA as thier probly taking on the Devs and felt it a good idea to take on a well known title name. Its also a genre they've never touched (RTS) its kinda nice Blizzard doing a 'spoof' of Left 4 Dead wouldnt call it an attack or a telling off, but if thats what is intended rather childish.

 

[Exort]

lol Left 2 Die..., Valve probly are trade marking DotA as thier probly taking on the Devs and felt it a good idea to take on a well known title name. Its also a genre they've never touched (RTS) its kinda nice Blizzard doing a 'spoof' of Left 4 Dead wouldnt call it an attack or a telling off, but if thats what is intended rather childish.

Left 2 Die is a RTS map not shooter, it is the starcraft 2 Mission Outbreak co-op mode. The maker of that map said he is a big fan of Left 4 dead that is why he name his map after it. If you didn't notice all other maps are reference to some form of media.
Blizzard DotA -> DotA
Left 2 Die -> Left 4 Dead
Aiur Chief -> Iron Chief (TV show)
Starjewelled -> Bejewelled
Blizzard love to pay tribute to other game or movies.
Just a list of easter eggs in Starcraft 2.
http://starcraft.incgamers.com/wiki/Easter_Eggs#StarCraft_II_Easter_Eggs
From Lilo & Stitch reference to Duke Nukem reference, there are pretty much everything.

 

[GoGo_Boy]

Oh gosh the amount of absolutely and utterly retarded conspiracy theories is amazing.

They're developing 4 higher quality custom maps and release those as well as the extra ingame assets like models and scripts to public and then...
a bunch of Blizzard hater that cannot leave out any single Blizz news join this thread and talk about some Blizzard vs Valve war, how retarded it is to make free custom maps to public etc. pp.

Why that is? Because Blizzard is big and has success. Hating them is mainstream and pretty darn cool...

 

[Rack]

For instance, take the engine's support for, say, inventory management - a huge part of an RPG map. "Our inventory management was pretty clunky," admitted Dabiri. "And we never used that while making StarCraft II's campaign, so it wasn't on our radar until we were making the DotA map."

Fixed, you're welcome.

Fixed, you're welcome.

Anyway this is a nice bit of public spiritedness Blizzard used to do about 15 years ago but if they don't fix the utterly broken custom map system on the back of this it's a bit of a pointless gesture.