World Map Update (Version 1)

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Hi everyone! 

You may have noticed that we changed the way our map looks and we would love to hear your feedback! Let us know in the comments below what you think!

Happy Classcrafting! :)

15 comments
Date Votes

We thank all of you for your feedback. We just posted an update to our world map in this new publication. We'd love to hear what you think about it, please

share your opinion in this new thread: https://help.classcraft.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/360043821714-Updated-version-of-the-World-Map-now-available-?sort_by=recent_activity

Official comment

This is the comment I left on Facebook but I thought I would leave it here too, because I really mean it! I really think this change is a mistake!

"Honestly I thought it was a joke! How can this be a real thing?? The maps were beautiful and they helped to create the ClassCraft universe that students loved. With ClassCraft there was finally a tool that was made for older students (talking about high school students here) but this is changing... Are you seriously changing the maps for this babyinsh/cartoonish design? I really can't understand the reason behing this change. The older maps were beautiful and worked perfectly, why changing them?? I remember 2 years ago I had a student who looked at the smartboard when I had ClassCraft on and she said : "wow, this is aesthetically pleasing!" I am telling you that this kind of comment will not come from a high school student with that kind of design. If you are trying to appeal to elementary teachers, please have a different game, call it ClassCraft Junior or something like that, but don't babyfy our ClassCraft!"

I thought when that map was posted to Facebook, it was just an idea sketch. Not a true replacement of the current map. It hasn't been changed in the actual game system from what I can tell, so perhaps it's still just a sketch?

Mine has changed just for the overview map. the previous maps are still available for the "cutaway" quests.  If anything, maybe give us a toggle if we like the more "cartoony" look or the "high fantasy" old look

Thank you for pointing this out to me. I agree wholeheartedly.

Classcraft has clearly abandoned all good sense yet again. It started with the removal of the weapons and shields and now here we are again. Yet another feature being taken away instead of improved upon.

They're making my renewal choices more and more clear.

Shame. I really had high hopes for this platform.

Really disappointed with this map design. I teach middle school and this isn't the look I've come to expect from Classcraft. It doesn't match the look of the other cutaway maps why would they decide to make the overworld look so cartoony?

 

Classcraft was different because it looked like it was geared toward older learners. With this look, it feels more like classroom dojo or something for elementary. If they keep moving this way I will not be renewing premium for next year. 

Thank you for the honest feedback everyone. We really appreciate it when you take the time to answer and rest assured that we read every comment and we will bring this to the attention of the Creative Team!

Dear classcraft team,

I know I have been pesky one year ago so I kept quiet for a while and let the others speak their mind. Since that time the community didnt waver; they continuously told you to steer for classroom-functionality. Please allow me to be more precise on that matter:

During the last two years, you succeeded in accessing external sites and apps. There is nothing wrong with that, although we would have been capable of navigating there on our own. But it did not really change the possibilities of classcraft. It only made it easier to walk away from your product.

Apart from that, we were given cosmetic changes: The teacher page: cosmetically altered. The weapons: cosmetically altered. The quest map: cosmetically altered.

Where are the self-correcting quizzes in quests? Where is the possibilty to customize all of your powers? etc..

I know you have been though a rough time. You changed your staff, your roadmap and so on. This "announcement" (please forgive me) falls short again, while I am certain there is a good explanation (maybe vector-based vs pxel based). But you have to deliver at some point. Once again: Those who speak their mind right here are just the tip of the iceberg, and as you might have noticed, the uproar you caused with the cosmetic "sword and shiield", which I silently watched from the sidelines, has subsided now. I would be careful with self-righteous assumptions at this point. Maybe your community does not care anymore and has given up hope. Try to learn from communication-powerhouses like riot games: There the player-base is an integral part of sketching the roadmap itself. Major changes are made public and are debated one year in advance.

I for instance feel mocked by hollow phrases like "we read every comment and will bring this to the attention of the Creative team" now. I have stopped using classcraft and plan to end my pro-membership this year.

This gives me the opportunity to see you rise or fall. I still hope for the first.

Sry for the direct approach,

V

My class of fifth graders were not fans of the new map. They thought it looked too cartoon-like instead of the realistic fantasy islands that were previously in place. We were saddened by the change.

I thought this was just concept art, not the actual map. This is a horrible change. My 8th graders are not on board. I have been using classcraft for 4 years and I am unsure if I'll use it next year. The new changes this year have made it too childish.

I'm sure someone worked really hard on the new map; however, I also believe it was a 'step down' as it pertains to graphics. The original looked a lot more lifelike and vivid. This approach looks much more cartoonish (which would have been great in the beginning but, now that we know the previous look, it looks rather flat).

I do not care for the new map's aesthetic either. Please change it back to the previous iteration and do not head in this direction for any of the other art used in Classcraft. I teach 5th grade and I can say that we do not want this style in our game.

I concur with everyone here so far that the overworld map is too cartoon-like. I joined just a few days ago after wanting Classcraft for over a year and finally getting it approved, but my individual teacher premium is not as likely to go beyond that if changes like these are not reversed.

I was very disappointed when I saw the screen with the map in comparison to the quest cutaways, I actually thought I had navigate to the wrong page, as at least two others have mentioned. I think the team should remember: Longevity of a tool Is important. Appealing to younger kids is nice, but your audience ages through the system and the rapid changes to our world have raised their expectations. The lessons and story truly need the most stunning visuals you can manage, not the sugarplum version of LOTR endpapers.

I am a middle school librarian, teaching 7th and 8th information literacy and the ISTE Standards, coaching EdTech for the whole district. As I said, I paid this time, but it might be difficult to continue growing the user base or keeping my own subscription past April of next year if the trend toward infantilism continues.

Please reverse course or find some compromise and then immediately refocus on the non-cosmetic changes that have apparently been long-requested, as evidenced by other user feedback.

Lauren Goldman

I recommend this thread be deleted or archived because this map is not in use anymore and the one in use has been around for months. It is much better. Put an update at the top with the newer map and thank everyone again or whatnot. It is good that it went back to something resembling the former beauty.

Hi everyone, this thread is now closed for comments as we have posted the Version 2 changes to our world map in a new thread. We thank you all for your feedback!

Please head to this thread in order to continue the discussion and let us know how you like our new version: https://help.classcraft.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/360043821714-Updated-version-of-the-World-Map-now-available-Version-2-?sort_by=recent_activity 

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Sometimes it’s good to challenge yourself. 

A few months back, we released an update to the World Map that was designed to bring the map into alignment with the Classcraft universe. It was also an attempt to find a “sweet spot” between the painstaking approach that you’ve come to know us for and a more efficient one that would allow us to improve the map — and allow us to move on to enhancing other aspects of our IP.

So where did we end up? Well, we think that that version of the map was good, but there was no doubt it could be better. It also was too much of a departure from what our loyal users are used to seeing. Given where we are in the school year, it was a departure that wasn’t particularly well-timed.

Some of our users were generous enough to provide some constructive feedback that reinforced this conclusion. And us?

We listened.

For the past few weeks, we’ve been hard at work on a new new version of the World Map that’s closer to what you’d expect from Classcraft. It’s available to all users starting today.

We’re already hard at work on some more updates that we plan to release this summer. Rest assured, we’ll give you plenty of warning, and we’ll make sure to have all of the changes done by the fall. 

Thanks again for your feedback and for your support of Classcraft.

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