Every mapmaker I know of wants a successful map release. From a massive amount of downloads, to having the biggest and funniest YouTubers feature the map in a series. It’s no secret that mapmakers LOVE seeing their work being admired by the community. In some ways, it’s why mapmakers do what they do. Every once in a while, a Minecrafter will ask me this very question. How does someone effectively release a map so it will catch the community’s attention? Truthfully, I’ve been lucky with my maps. I seem to be in the right place at the right time. So I’m not sure I have the magical answer, but I can tell you, based on experience, there are a few key factors to keep in mind. And it does go beyond simply having a good map.

If you are looking to get a hyped map release, you’ve got to think of it as a movie. The most successful map releases have these elements:

An exciting trailer An invested audience A clean clear public post Publicity A featured Let’s Play



The Trailer

Nowadays, a trailer is basically required to grab people’s attention. I realize there are a lot of maps without trailers. The Dropper, one of the biggest maps of all time, never had a trailer from Bigre. But that was then and this is now. And now is a lot more competitive than then. Your trailer is your most important item for effectively “selling” your map. You may have the greatest map of all time, but if you don’t have a visual representation of the gameplay, your release will suffer.

But gameplay footage alone is not a trailer. Here’s a guideline of how your trailer would work best (my opinion of course).



Variety

From colours to shapes, show the most variety the map can offer. Mini-games are tougher to sell because the mechanic is typically short and doesn’t have the most variety to showcase. But simply changing camera angles and using quicker cuts can achieve a better end result. AVOID long cuts. You should include a good mix between gameplay and structures.



Less Is More

It’s a trailer, not a short film. There’s no reason you can’t tease the entire map in under 1:30. Remember, you want to grab people attention so they download the map. You don’t need to show them the entire thing. Save your best “non-spoiler” thing for the last shot and you second best for the first. The rest goes in the middle.



The Music THEY Want

When choosing your music, choose something upbeat, quicker something that suits the theme of the map. People are drawn into positive music. Dark music can work under certain circumstances but it better sound cutting. Avoid the epic Hollywood scores which can’t be edited down to a minute. And ALWAYS use royalty free music.



Absolutely NO Command Blocks

Mapmakers love command blocks. Mapmakers want to show them off and say “Look Mom! See what I did!”. Your viewers, however, have no clue to what they are doing, and don’t care. By placing command blocks in your trailer, you’ve wasted footage for something better to be displayed. If you absolutely must include your god-forsaken command blocks, save it until the end.

Show, Don’t Tell

Enough of the “No Mods Required” or “4 Epic Boss Battles” jargon. Look, I realize you’re extremely proud of what you pulled off, but SHOW it. If you have an epic boss fight, show a glimpse of the boss fight. Leave most of the map a mystery. Most people hate reading anyway. Use very little text.

When in Doubt, Use Shaders

No don’t do that. That’s a dumb idea. Well… you could, but it’s a gimmick. I hate shaders.



An Invested Audience

What is an invested audience exactly? Well, an invested audience is those who believe in the mapmaker. They trust what he/she will do before the map is released or even built. This is basically unachievable without some level of fame or recognition. It’s the reason why some well known YouTubers can release a very poor map and still get thousands of downloads. Unfortunately, if you haven’t developed a name for yourself, it’s likely you won’t be able to take advantage of this aspect. And this is also why you need to work even harder with the other points for your release.



The Map Post

You definitely need a really clean and clear post for the map. It’s the main page people see when browsing through hundreds of maps to play. So what’s going to be eye-catching when they come across yours? First, you should do a draft on your own computer and read it several times before making it public. Make darn sure you have your spelling and grammar properly organized. You may be an amateur but you want people to believe you are a professional.

When posting your map publicly, you should place your trailer at the top of the post, easy for everyone to see. Next, your download link in BIG letters. Those are the main selling features. Next, I used to say leave the description, but as of current events, I’ve been in the habit of placing the Let’s Play permissions and credits right under the download link as many YouTubers ignore any info below the scrollbar and neglect to give any credit. As for the description, a single paragraph should suffice. Don’t overload people with info. Next, you can post a number of features, recommendations, rules, etc. Try to keep to the point. Bold the sections so the players easily skim down the post and find the info they need. Near the bottom, include some screenshots in a spoiler tag. You need to ALWAYS include 5 or more screenshots of your map. If you don’t have screenshots, DON’T post your map. It’s that simple.





Publicity

This is very difficult to get, considering most times, you have no control over this. Publicity comes from outside sources, usually without your knowledge. But the idea is to get a reputable source to start discussion about the map. Many times, this can come from multiple posts you create. A single reddit post can make a map famous. You could try and contact the Minecraft Forums Content Administrator and ask them to feature your work on a post. Or create a submission of various popular websites like PlanetMinecraft.com. Don’t rely solely on your YouTube channel or your website alone to market the map - especially if you’re unknown as a mapmaker.





A Featured Let’s Play

One of the best ways to achieve map recognition is to use a Let’s Play of better known YouTubers along-side with your map release. This is key for mini-games especially. This means you need to get people to play your map, record it, upload it, and post all before or at the same time the map releases. If people see how much fun your map is, they will generally look to download it. But it’s difficult to build a relationship with a YouTuber who is well known. However, sometimes an email can get you a result. YouTube private messages are typically a bad way of contacting a YouTuber, and don’t bother with comments. Twitter likely won’t get you an answer, but if you try to send an email, you may get some response. Typically, YouTubers will include an email address on their YouTube page.







Woah! You made it to the end. I’d give you a cookie if I had one. I hope that gives you some insight. You can copy my approach if you like. Take a look at my public posts and trailers and see what makes sense to you. It’s your map, so you choose. But learn from what inspires you. Find the maps you love, and mimic what those designers have done with their releases. Don’t be afraid to ask a mapmaker their opinion. Most are not bigshot YouTubers and will respond pretty positively if you need advice. Good luck! And remember, no shaders (probably)…