The decline of custom stories.

[Russ Money]

Whenever someone started making custom stories for one person, things went downhill.

Your custom story should never be meant for one person, seriously. Especially if it's going to available for everyone. Okay. Bye.

It depends on why you are making the mod in the first place. If you're doing it because you love putting stuff together and watching people enjoy it then get used to bending to the communities whims and settle in as "decent but not exceptional". Make what you think is cool, listen to advice and complaints and then take it on board when you make what you want to make again. People don't know what they want. They're VERY good at finding out someething is wrong, but they're TERRIBLE at figuring out what it is and how to solve it.

You as the creative person behind this endevour need to take the lead. Trust your expert opinion to hear what they're saying and adjust things the way you think you should to try solve their problems. And if you don't think you should adjust things, ask yourself why. If you don't think you have an expert opinion and are willing to just do what people want you're never going to revolutionize anything.


The one thing the internet has taught everyone is that you're not as unique as you think you might be. If you think it's fun someone else probably will too and there's nothing wrong with serving a niche market. You can't make the games you don't find fun. The true art is figuring out how to make it fun for yourself, and experience is the only way.

My friend told me this when I wasn't confident enough in who I was mapping for in TF2; my friends, my community, or myself. Edited out his name just so he isn't bombarded with invites.

Receiving feedback is probably the best tool you can use. Especially when it's honest opinion and you can accept your flaws.

What I think a lot of what people are talking about here are maps with inside jokes and references that end up being really convoluted and out of place entirely are just plain dumb. Now with my experience on the internet is that there's dumb people and you can't change that fact or them for that matter. Oh well, c'est la vie.