Contact Info
The fastest way to contact me is Discord (@aaron6608 or @Aaron#6608). We’ll need a server in common; I recommend the servers for hellpak or The Fourth Curtain (Alex Seropian’s ⟨podfollow.com/thefourthcurtain⟩), both of which I check regularly. I’m technically still a member of the Marathon server, but please don’t ping me there; I’ll never see it, much less respond. (Please don’t ask why; it’s irrelevant and linked to a lot of unpleasant baggage.) I will respond to DMs eventually, but I recommend DMing me if and only if:
- you’re writing about a work to which I’ve directly contributed in some way
- your question pertains directly to text I’ve written on my site
- you notice errors/omissions on my site
- you have suggestions for additions
If you need help, people would probably provide it on the Marathon server before I’d respond to any DM you sent me, so I recommend asking in its #classic-marathon, #forge, or #tech-support channels. (#development is intended only for engine and editor development, so VAF and Aleph Bet are the only projects I work on that would be relevant there – but again, don’t ping me there: I’ll neither read it nor respond.)
I’m also on GitHub as aaronfreed, naturally. If you notice any errors, omissions, or unclear passages, and you aren’t on Discord, you’re welcome to create an issue, submit a pull request, or start a discussion. I do ask users to be respectful (of both me and others) and note that I maintain this page on my own time, for free, while also juggling multiple active development projects that I also work on, also for free. The rules I outline for my discussion section apply equally well to issues and pull requests.
I’m also on the Pfhorums (as The Man) and Reddit (as u/aaronnotarobot), but I can’t promise to respond to messages on either quickly. Lastly, I do, of course, have an email address, but:
- Email is very nearly the worst way to contact me.
- The days when it was a good idea to post an email address on a public webpage are long over.
What qualifies you to write a Marathon mapmaking guide, anyway?
I’m Aaron; I’ve got a long history modding for the Marathon trilogy. I’ve worked in some capacity (not always mapping-related) on current and forthcoming mods like:
- ⟨eternal.bungie.org/development⟩ (codirector, mapping, music, sound, writing, Lua, graphics, manual)
- ⟨simplici7y.com/items/apotheosis-x-5⟩ (sound, Lua)
- ⟨simplici7y.com/items/dungeons-hellpak-vol-1-not-recommended-by-doctors⟩ (mapping, Lua, music)
- Tempus Irae Redux (mapping, sound, Lua, music)
- Where Monsters Are in Dreams (codirector, Lua, mapping, sound, story)
- Marathon Chronicles (creator, every aspect of the game to some degree)
- and several others (although I’m likely best known for Eternal).
Basically, I’ve been busy mapping for this engine off and on since about 1997, during which I’ve acquired all kinds of stupid arcane knowledge about it. Have you ever heard of ambient light delta? Neither had Aleph One’s developers until I pointed it out. I’m not saying that because I think it’s worth being proud of having acquired so much useless and pointless knowledge, but what I do have are a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me… no, hang on. Sorry, that’s Taken.
Anyway, I want Marathon mapping to be more accessible, so I wrote beginning and advanced guides that document some of its frustrating problems and solutions to them. Other pages you may be interested in:
- My Marathon soundtracks page.
- My discography, which contains a lot of Marathon-related music, not all of it in the preceding link.
- My commentary on my recent original music.
- My portfolio, which includes most (possibly not all) of the important Marathon mods I’ve worked on.
I also have well over a decade of classical training in performing, composing, and arranging music, both on piano and using computer sequencers; beyond my formal training, I’ve also spent thousands of hours working on sounds and music for various creative projects over the decades. As a result, I’ve written notes (sorry!) on:
- musical modes and the circle of fifths, which other musicians may find helpful;
- my remastering process, which those working on sound or music production may find helpful.