Does anybody know of any final steps one should take before releasing their map/mod?

Well here is something you should do regardless before you release your map. It's not a complete list but, here goes:

First check to make sure that you aren't breaking any copyright rules LINK ( also includes a README template )

Then do a manual clean of your map to make sure that you don't have any extra luggage along LINK

Make sure you have written a complete README file. You don't want to forget that.

PLAY THE MAP, once you release the map that's it. Playing it before you ship it just to be sure that everything is as you like it is very important.

After uploading the mod download and test it before posting it here or on SWBFfiles.

That's all I can think of right now. Maybe others know more and will post too.

Have people beta test several versions of it, and listen to their advice.

Don't release it as soon as you're done. Sit on your map/mod for about a week; just play through it in that time. As soon as you stop playing to test things and just play to play, you'll start noticing things you didn't before.

Make a trailer as your playing your map too, people love em, they are fun too. Just what I do, you dont have too.

THEWULFMAN wrote:Make a trailer as your playing your map too, people love em, they are fun too. Just what I do, you dont have too.

I already have a trailer for my map! Although I'm going to be making one or two more to go along with it as well as several gameplay videos.



@CalvaryCptMike
Off-topic(-ish): By the way, I understand why you did and I appreciate it, but you don't usually need to provide links for things like how to do a manual clean and the sort when it's responding to somebody who is not all that new to GT, not that I'm a veteran modder or anything.

Make sure your sides are an efficient size. Nothing irks me more than downloading a 100MB map that could have been 20MB but people included whole custom IMP, REP, CIS and ALL sides.

This ^

Downloaders are fickle. They'll be about to click the button and see the filesize. A few more clicks and they're on a totally different website. You've gotta rope them in with everything you've got if you want your stuff played. :P

Imo, have some really crisp and fresh lighting. That is what makes a map cool Imo.

modmaster13 wrote:Imo, have some really crisp and fresh lighting. That is what makes a map cool Imo.

Title of this topic wrote:Final steps before releasing a map

Gee, what if a map isn't meant to have "really crisp and fresh lighting"?

modmaster13 wrote:Imo, have some really crisp and fresh lighting. That is what makes a map cool Imo.

Word. Having a good atmosphere makes the difference between a bunch of objects and an entertaining battlefield. Also, giving the impression that the battlefield is only a small portion of a larger geographical location is worth your time.

A good last minute step is playing through the map and making sure every single object is stuck into the floor. Having floating objects seriously takes away from the quality of the map.

True words. The lighting on the stock Mos Eisley sucks, imo. That's one of the reasons I converted the BF1 version, it looks much better.