mapping = money?

[DESE]

Hi all,

I was wondering if some people here make money with mapping...
Not that I have the intention, but I know there are many skilled mappers here on SolidSurf,
I wonder if they go professional.
Seems like a stupid topic but I'm just curious.

[Chuck Norris]

With the skill of most ppl here, you never earn money as a professional.
Making Surfmaps is rally easy so this is absolutly not professional.
I know some guys with an absolutly incredible Mapping skill and even they don´t earn money with mapping.
Today most important thing in making games is Modeling. Brushwork like in Hammer is an old way of mapping that will disappear in the future.

[T I L T]

Only some stupid lazy clan leaders (cough wirelezz) pay for maps, or for their clan decals in someone else's maps.

[DESE]

That's too bad about it going to dissapear...

I thought Hammer could be like a basic program for even architecture and shit...

[T I L T]

Brushwork like in Hammer is an old way of mapping that will disappear in the future.

Who told you that?

[Ryan_S]

Brushwork like in Hammer is an old way of mapping that will disappear in the future.

Ha, I lol'd. Any game that will ever have mountains or terrain will be using brushwork.

[Buck Nasty]

I've been paid to make maps on the side.


...Now that's motivation.

[silverlol]

i have been offered money for making maps 3 or 4 times, but i kinda lose interest in mapping when im not doing it for fun.

[T I L T]

True. Probably only valve employees map for moneyz. It's really stupid to ask/pay money for your maps imo.

[Helix]

It's not even allowed to earn money with Valve's SDK. That is copyright violation.
YOU earn money with using free tools made by someone else.

[Buck Nasty]

I never requested to be paid. It was simply an offer from a repeat customer.

So, you're saying that I violated the copyright?

Last I checked SourceSDK was free...

[Black Sheep]

No helix is right buck,
They are free for non-commercial work
Though, I wouldn't necessarily say that making a map for pay is commercial work because he is not reselling it
It is somewhat of a gray area
Same reason mods can't be sold because you have to have a Source License

Taken from the EULA
-Your Subscription(s) may contain access to the Valve software development kit (the "SDK") for the computer game engine used in Half-Life 2 and other compatible Valve products (the "Source Engine"). You may use, reproduce and modify the SDK on a non-commercial basis solely to develop a modified game (a "Mod") for Half-Life 2 or other Valve products compatible with and using the Source Engine. You may reproduce and distribute the Mod in object code form, solely to licensed end users of Half-Life 2 or other compatible Valve products, provided that the Mod is made publicly available and distributed without charge on a non-commercial basis

http://store.steampowered.com/subscriber_agreement/

[Buck Nasty]

Well I get paid for my services, my skills, that someone is unable to do themselves. They really aren't paying me for the map though.

It's not like I'm demanding people to pay me so that they can put my maps on their servers.

[Black Sheep]

Exactly
That is fine because the map is made publicly available and distributed without charge on a non-commercial basis
So if you make money from a private buyer from your work it is fine because everyone who plays the map doesn't have to pay for it and it is publicly available

What I was pertaining to was that just because it is free doesn't mean you have all the rights to do whatever you want with it

[Buck Nasty]

Well, yeah.

Was just for clarification.

[bravesurf]

I've also been asked one time, but I didnt want to do it... it would eat me up trying to make a map that's worth money.. I map to realize my own ideas, so making a map on command would lack the finesse motivated by the egoistic need to please myself.. we all have it..
The second thing is the copyright violation.. this could be overseen, and there's probably not any chance of anyone finding out.. and like almost no way to prove it.
Because of this not being legal, it would be impossible to get down a contract.. so you'd be bound to get paid either before or after making the map... so either you get tempted to just fuck the map and keep the money, or you'll sit there making a mediocre map because you're not sure you'll get paid for it...
Last thing i can think of, is that it would be just stupid.. since we all learn more about mapping for each map we make.. in other words, you shouldnt buy a map, you should buy the map after the map you were thinking of buying, and then again, you should buy the map after the map after the one you first planned to buy, and so on..

My thoughts on the subject. .

[FAJ]

I haven't made money on mapping since the Akron mapping competitions 

[bonkers]

What? I didn't know we could make money back then. And at that point I'd shit out a map for about any reason.

[FAJ]

Didn't you make dunes for an Akron competition?

[bonkers]

Didn't you make dunes for an Akron competition?

I made dune for the one you put godlike in, but I didn't know there was a cash prize. In fact, I didn't even have the admin prize for as long as the winner was supposed to have it, though that didn't matter.

I still think it's funny I tied you with a map that couldn't spawn more than one player.

[FAJ]

Godlike should spawn zero players.

My ears still ring, in the deep of the night.

[bonkers]

Godlike should spawn zero players.

My ears still ring, in the deep of the night.

At the time it was pretty interesting. Still couldn't figure out what the fuck was going on most of the time.

[spoz]

Better still be considering D2 Mr Bonk.

[Rajan]

insane guy keep it. just mapping

[Electric™]

Couldn't agree more about mapping being for fun not money. Once money comes into the picture it just becomes monotonous. I mean it would be nice to somehow get payed afterward to just add to the excitement of a release. But the fun of mapping is using hammer as an outlet to make ideas literal for others to see. (play) Yet again money = happiness amirite?

[spoz]

The easy way
- Enter mapping contests

The hard way
- Practice and improve weekly/daily.
- Get a masters degree in environmental design
- Apply for jobs

[The-Goose]

Why doesn't solidsurf have mapping competitions? I can understand money restrictions, but why not just map for the hell of it?

[Ryan_S]

Why doesn't solidsurf have mapping competitions? I can understand money restrictions, but why not just map for the hell of it?

Because we president now

[spoz]

I considered it, but very few people on here stick to deadlines

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