So yesterday I was working on finishing the map editor section of the Far Cry 2 guide. But I had a very tough time staying focused. Why? Instead of writing, I found myself completely sucked into the map editor. At first I was just going to create a simple map to illustrate how all the tools worked. But then I got side tracked by carving out ponds and streams. My stream cut across a road I had placed earlier…so I just had to build a bridge. It kept going like that for a couple of hours. I just kept adding objects and tweaking the environment until I had a pretty awesome looking map set in a jungle clearing.
Although I’ve been playing shooters for more than a decade, I’ve only dabbled with map editors in the past. Largely because they were very difficult to use, meaning it would literally take days or weeks to create anything worthwhile. But with Far Cry 2’s powerful tools, creating an awesome map is shockingly simple. Considering what I accomplished in a couple of hours, I’m very excited to see what the community can come up with in the days and weeks following the game’s release. One really exciting feature is the ability to download and edit maps created by other users. So if you upload a map and get a three-star rating, someone else could download, edit it, and upload the updated version and possibly get a five-star rating. But the editor doesn’t get full credit; the original creator’s signature remains on the map for its lifetime. This could result in the formation of a very robust map-making community, with multiple users applying input to fine tune a single map. However, one thing I am concerned about is that the map editor is so much fun to use that there might be fewer and fewer gamers playing the actual maps. But one thing is certain. There will never be a shortage of Far Cry 2 maps to choose from.
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