Unknown Worlds looking for artists for Natural Selection 2

[robert.briscoe]

Sent of an email this morning, hopefully there's something i can do.

[requiem2d]

Good luckto all who applied, it's a cool project

[Flayra]

Hey guys,

That's right, we don't need mappers. That's because we're planning on buying the maps from the community.

We're going to give everyone a technology release (NS2TR) with materials, sounds, the .fgd, mapping guidelines and some of the core NS2 tech (dynamic infestation, commander mode, etc.). Then everyone can start creating maps and we can buy our favorites from you for release in the game.

We're working on the NS2TR now and are focused on releasing it as soon as it's going to be valuable for you!

Thanks,

-Charlie

[FMPONE]

That sounds like a plan to me

Can't wait personally.

[JeanPaul]

Well thats an interesting approach to level design. I find it real lame though, its almost like getting maps cheap without having to put up with extra employees. You also don't have to worry about hiring anyone for that department, so really you guys get a better deal out of this. But one question, how do you know how to tweek the gameplay if there is no maps available at launch?

Anyways, best of luck with you guys and I cant wait to get my hands on that sick infestation tech.

[FMPONE]

Well thats an interesting approach to level design. I find it real lame though, its almost like getting maps cheap without having to put up with extra employees. You also don't have to worry about hiring anyone for that department, so really you guys get a better deal out of this. But one question, how do you know how to tweek the gameplay if there is no maps available at launch?

Anyways, best of luck with you guys and I cant wait to get my hands on that sick infestation tech.

Well truth be told both sides come out of the deal in great shape, as many of the guys on Mapcore can tell you NS has served as the bridge to jobs for several quite a few mappers. In addition to being featured in a commercial product and getting paid once you're map is purchased I imagine all the NS2 devs will be very familiar and supportive of your future NS2 maps. In turn Unknown Worlds who probably can't afford to pay for part time work gets to buy individual maps to pad their upstart dev game, which means that people working with Source tech get to make a few more great maps.

So its pretty much a win-win.

[sk3tch]

That is an awesome idea...Who needs mappers when you can pick and choose like that?

Awesome.

[KungFuSquirrel]

This is pretty much exactly how the first Natural Selection worked. Aside from merk and Relic25 with Bast and Hera, all the other official maps came about by Charlie tossing out the NSTR to the community and basically hand-picking maps to enter official playtesting.

FMPONE hit the nail on the head; not only does it a) help Charlie and the rest of the core team get NS2 out the door at lower cost than dealing with full-time salaried positions and b) lower the risk of committing to just a couple people (who, in this sort of online-only setting, can be awfully flaky at times), it's a fantastic opportunity for entry-level amateur designers to have work featured prominently in a potentially (and hopefully ) major project. NS1 under my belt practically counted as having a shipped game.

I can only speak highly of how well it worked the first time around both for NS and for my own personal gain; I can only imagine it'll do even better for both this time around.

[Minos]

Yeah that sounds like a good plan to me. Valve did it with CS and DoD maps and it worked quite well. I also think that having your work published in a commercial game is way more important than some money, at least for those who plan on working in the industry. I see this rather as a good opportunity to draw attention to my portfolio than to make easy/quick money.

[FrieChamp]

Hi Charlie,

hope you'll stick around and post here from to time, I've always enjoyed reading your blog(s) and still am!

See you around and keep it up!

[PhilipK]

Hey Charlie

[insta]

I ask Philip daily about when the tech-release will be, but he always deflects the question by saying that I'm dumb and that I smell

[Zeta]

interesting albeit risky idea

[dux]

Phils on the team?~

[PhilipK]

Phils on the team?~