I just started reading about map making, and thought I'd like to try, but as a beginner, the loss of circles does add another barrier to a newbie like myself. Not sure I understand the argument for getting rid of them? Is it because it makes it easier to make a map?? Strange reason.

paulharrow wrote: I just started reading about map making, and thought I'd like to try, but as a beginner, the loss of circles does add another barrier to a newbie like myself. Not sure I understand the argument for getting rid of them? Is it because it makes it easier to make a map?? Strange reason.

It's basically because the game directory at Warfish is littered with hundreds of substandard circle-mode maps, such that map designers who come from Warfish have developed a certain amount of contempt for them.  The hope is to find ways to avoid that sort of thing on WarGear and maintain a higher level of quality.

I tend to view circle-mode maps as being like training wheels on a bike; really helpful when starting out, but embarrassing to be seen using once you have some experience.  Banning circle-mode maps from the game directory is like saying you can't bike with the big boys until you've learned to ride without the training wheels.

Red Baron wrote:

I tend to view circle-mode maps as being like training wheels on a bike; really helpful when starting out, but embarrassing to be seen using once you have some experience.  Banning circle-mode maps from the game directory is like saying you can't bike with the big boys until you've learned to ride without the training wheels.

My post earlier about never having training wheels as a kid wasn't just allegory. I didn't. And I learned to ride a big boy bike before everyone else.

The first map I ever made at WF was a circle-mode map as well. And I redrew it for fill mode after 2 test games with my friends. I consider myself lucky that I never shared it publically; I'd be embarrassed today if anyone still on WF had ever played it.

The idea to make circle-mode available for beginning map-makers to play private games while they figure out the general ideas behind board design is a good one.

Yeah, go ahead and do whatever you want behind closed doors. As long as you don't make me watch, I don't care what you do.

There are circle maps that are very playable and actually couldn't be done any other way......wait, that's not right, they could be done another way!

paulharrow, the point of getting rid of it is to make map making something you want to do and take pride in, not just something you do because you have an hour to kill. On another site that I used to play and design on I made a bet with someone for the number of circle maps I could make in 2 hours and have them all playable and have at least 30 territories. I got 5 of them done but would never want to release any of them. Wargear has a great design tool, integrated forums with a whole section devoted to map making and some people that can be great sources of information and are around a lot.

Why give a crutch when we can just heal the injury?

Circle mode maps have now been blocked from submission to Live status... I'll add a note to the Designer in the next release.

Circle Mode is Dead! Long live Fill Mode!

Long live Fill Mode!

So Say We All......