The Importance of Map Naming

[Cheez]

Naming your map has more of an influence than you may first assume.

For example, there are may maps titled something along the lines of "Fun" or "Cool map." These are particularly made by people with fairly little mapping experience. The name does not attract one's eyes to the map, nor does it reflect anything about the map. Maps named "Fun" often have one or more of the following:

Spammed items/enemies
Random z-snapping
Poorly constructed tilesets
Poor item placement
Not playtested enough/at all

These types of maps often end up with no comments or rates, or get sniped. I've seen it happen lots of times. You need to get creative with your map naming. Name it after what your theme is, e.g. "Sky on Fire", "Sea of Dread", "Urban Warrior", etc. Just don't give your maps boring names, and you will almost be certain to have at least a comment and rate or two.

[Tunco]

Actually, you just wrote something that everybody knows, but, good point.
Sometimes I think my maps name for a half an hour, because it presents you the maps concept. If you use more deep vocabulary, and more technic words when naming a map, it would be better.

-A maps name should go with the concept.
-A maps name should present the gameplay.
-A maps name should present it's visuality.
___________________________________________________

Now lets take a look at description of the map.
Description of the map is quite important; important as the title.
It should give hints about the concept, gameplay, and tileset, visuality, etc. you got the point.
If a maps name is nice but not the description, player wouldn't play your map, it's same as the other way.( When the title is bad but description is nice ).

Description

A description shouldn't be too long, or else it can't explain the all of the facts that map has. And I strongly suggest you to NOT use these words in a description:
-Fun
-Very
-Hope
-XD
-Enjoy(optional)
-Nice
-İn my opinion (or any expression that says your thoughts about your map)
-Description
-Random letters or numbers
-Don't say things like "ıt's very hard but beatable" or "When I'm doing this map..." or "Inspired by...." exc... you got the point.

Title

-A maps name should go with the concept.
Examples:Smoking Kills, Death Wish
-A maps name should present the gameplay.
Examples: hPathological 2, Gunner
-A maps name should present it's visuality.
Examples: Squares With roundy edges..., seeing stars

I hope this was helpful.

[unoriginal name]

First of all, look at the names of any number of successful authors. For example, Yahoozy/Skyline. They have names such as, "Aventine" and "Granny Diner." What does this indicate? That, in fact, naming a map after its concept or feel is not necessarily a good idea. If you can't make it very good, like atob, then you shouldn't at all. I would never willingly click on a map called "Urban Warrior," and "Squares with roundy edges..." I would avoid like the fucking plague. A map name should make you stop and look, but that doesn't mean you need to use it descriptively.

Okay, regarding description: First of all, it's okay to acknowledge inspiration, and "Inspired by . . . " is a perfectly acceptable phrase. But more importantly, you really don't need to use the description space to describe the map. I find that people don't need the map explained to them, beyond important notes, such as "Jump only." It works much more to provide information on the circumstances under which it was made, e.g. who it was made with, opaque comments relating to other community members, inspiration, a snippet of lyrics, maybe even a video of it being created.

What I most want to stress, though, with both paragraphs, is that that naming and description writing are arts, rather than sciences. There are no concrete rules. One can even pull off "cool" if it's done with the right amount of irony.

[T3chno]

Jeez, the title isn't that important. I've played some fantastic maps with crappy titles. If titles mean that much to you, p_o

[TribulatioN]

The title could be anything, really. I've asked people on the irc (gloomp!), used song lyrics, made up words, even use unorthodox terms. I tend to be creative with my map names, sometimes relating to the map, most of the time not. It could compliment the visuals of the map, would I would definitely not base the name of the visuals.

What I most want to stress, though, with both paragraphs, is that that naming and description writing are arts, rather than sciences. There are no concrete rules. One can even pull off "cool" if it's done with the right amount of irony.

I second this. Map naming is based on the author. Whether or not they want to name it one way or another is entirely up to them.

[squibbles]

I would never willingly click on a map called "Urban Warrior," and "Squares with roundy edges..." I would avoid like the fucking plague.

I have to agree there. Especially for Squares with roundy edges.
I came up with a good metaphor here:

You know that story in the Christian Bible where Jesus cures the leper?
Yeah, well, pretty much, your the leper, diving on Jesus, licking your hand, and shoving it down his throat.

[KlanKaos]

Man, my map names are fucked.

Most of them come from songs. And descriptions? They talk about the circumstances under which the map was made, and sometimes aren't related at all.

It works out OK.

Gloomp has it on this one.

[DigitalDuck]

Well, my map names started out as long-ish words that were very, VERY loosely connected to the map, but I soon got bored of that, and did song name fish puns.

[lolzers]

I defiantly agree

[29403]

Naming maps well can cover up the bad qualities of the map.

I usually name my maps 'PLACE' or whatever. Crappy names may deter from one's map.

I also name my maps stupidly long words just for a joke.

It isn't really important. It's the gameplay, not the naming. It's like rating a game just because of the graphics.

[Cheez]

I defiantly agree

Defiantly?

29403: I see what your getting at. But, bad graphics deter people away from the game...

[29403]

I defiantly agree

Defiantly?

He resists to agree with you :S

29403: I see what your getting at. But, bad graphics deter people away from the game...

I'm with you there. Good graphics can be nice, but it's the gameplay that's important. Good graphics are like the icing to a cake. I may show my friends SMB3, and say they have shit graphics, but if they were in 1989 they would be happy.

On the subject of naming maps, it's the icing on the cake. Not very important, but tasty. =P

[Erik-Player]

29403: I see what your getting at. But, bad graphics deter people away from the game...

I'm with you there. Good graphics can be nice, but it's the gameplay that's important. Good graphics are like the icing to a cake. I may show my friends SMB3, and say they have shit graphics, but if they were in 1989 they would be happy.

On the subject of naming maps, it's the icing on the cake. Not very important, but tasty. =P

I would think the similarities would lie here:

Map = Game
Name of map = Name of game
Aesthetics = Graphics
Gameplay = The game

---

I just like making my map name sound cool, but have something to do with the map, (mostly visually).

[29403]

Map = Game
Name of map = Name of game
Aesthetics = Graphics
Gameplay = The game

That's actually a more appropriate categorisation =P

[Ampersand]

Looking at the usernames in this thread, I think we rather need to focus on user naming.

[Cheez]

Map = Game
Name of map = Name of game
Aesthetics = Graphics
Gameplay = The game

That's actually a more appropriate categorisation =P

Agreed.

Looking at the usernames in this thread, I think we rather need to focus on user naming.

Right back atcha.

[squibbles]

Looking at the usernames in this thread, I think we rather need to focus on user naming.

oh, snap.

Wait, I'm not one of the bad usernames am I?

[29403]

Looking at the usernames in this thread, I think we rather need to focus on user naming.

oh, snap.

Wait, I'm not one of the bad usernames am I?

Of course not.
What & says is the best post on this thread :P

[SkyPanda]

There's so many other factors that affect whether a map is played, such as the thumbnail, so the map name is extrememly unimportant in comparison.

[George]

Looking at the usernames in this thread, I think we rather need to focus on user naming.

Bahahahaha. <3

[chume14]

A description shouldn't be too long, or else it can't explain the all of the facts that map has. And I strongly suggest you to NOT use these words in a description:
-Fun
-Very
-Hope
-XD
-Enjoy(optional)
-Nice
-İn my opinion (or any expression that says your thoughts about your map)
-Description
-Random letters or numbers
-Don't say things like "ıt's very hard but beatable" or "When I'm doing this map..." or "Inspired by...." exc... you got the point.

I totally disagree

"Enjoy" is the most important thing to have in any description and the most important part of rce which people tend to forget these days (I now find rce a bit of a turn off when I see it in maps to generic).

"Inspired by ..." is not only good but mandatory if you were inspired by another map of someone elses

and yes random letter and numbers can be bad but they can also be absolutely fantastic

I also think hard about my map names

[blackson]

I cleverly craft my titles out of the handbook retrived from the bottom of the deepest parts of my soul.