Build Around The Track

littleedge

L1111: Clipping Guru
aa
Mar 2, 2009
986
605
Build Around The Track Contest

battcontest.png

From the mind of Supersandvich (You already know it's probably some messed up crap) and the hands of Littleedge (We're screwed) comes the best thing since sliced bread - Thinly Sliced bre-- Err -- The Build Around the Track Contest!

TIME LIMIT
Start: It's going on RIGHT NOW!
End: Ends on November 13 at 05:00 ET. Countdown clock; Check your Timezone

RULES
  • This is the Track you must use.
  • You may not increase or decrease the physical size of the track. The first path_track is placed for you. The last path_track must be located at the last piece of the track (256-unit long track) - the participant places it where they need it to be for their endpit or whatever it is they are creating. The first path_track must not be moved. You may add as many more path_tracks for the rest of the track as you like.
  • Rollback zones, Rollforward zones, and properties of the cart (like the speed) are determined by the participant
  • Obstacles, similar to the turntable in Barnblitz or the moving bridge in Thundermountain, may be implemented, however you may not alter the physical length of the track.
  • The participant must place between 1 and 3 capture points onto the track. The location and number is up to you - 3 is the standard. This does not include the endpit.
  • Essentially, do whatever the hell you want in the map. The start and end points must be the same for everybody, and the physical track must remain the same. If there are added tracks for detail, that is fine as long as the cart travels along the original track.
  • This is a mapping contest. It includes detailing. If the majority of participants are having an issue with the time limit, there may be an extension. Related: If Ravidge's Assignment Frenzy produces an assignment that is very extensive, it takes priority over BATT. There will be an extension to allow participants the time to work on Assignments. Ravidge is a cool guy.
  • Maps must be able to spawn 32 players (16 per team per spawn).
  • Testing maps is not only allowed but recommended.
  • Collaborations are allowed. I've always hated that rule.
  • Custom content is allowed It is requested, but not mandatory, that everything become public at the end of the contest.
  • Your submission will follow this format: pl_batt_<forum username>_version.bsp As is required of any contest: If your name is annoyingly long (Velvet Fist Iron Glove, I'm lookin' at you) you may abbreviate. But it should be obvious who you are. I'm suggesting your submitted version be _c.
  • You may submit as many entries as you want. But why would you.
  • Must be a TF2 map.

FAQ
"What the fuck, Edge. What do you mean by the physical track must remain the same if you're allowed to have obstacles?"
If you reach point X on the track, and want a unicorn to fly into the map with the piece of track that is next, you can! Maybe that unicorn is slow and takes 10 seconds to arrive after you reach X. That's okay as long as the piece of track that the unicorn is placing was the same piece of track that was originally in the vmf I supplied to you and it's being placed in the original location.

"You said the last path_track must be on the last piece of track. What if I have a pit and it needs to go down into it? What if I have an elevator it goes up and then explodes?"
As long as the final path_track that sets BLU team as having won is located on the final piece of the track, you're good. You could have the cart fly off the track and explode a bird for some reason if you wanted to, as long as the win condition for BLU occurred on that last piece of track.

"Where is the beginning?"
Where the only path_track is.

"Payload is a confusing gamemode to set up entities for. Can you do it for me?"
Nope. Use Snark's Library of Magic Voodoo for the cart and game entities that are in a single stage Payload.

"What were you thinking when you made the last hill-thing portion of this track?"
Who the hell knows.

"Should I stream my Hammering while I'm working on this contest?"
Yep. You should. If you plan on doing it, gimme your link somehow and I'll paste it here.

"Who made that awesome header up there?"
Nineaxis! And he did it for free too after I expressed to him my undying loyalty and affection for him (Ladies, I am straight, I promise).

JUDGING
When all maps are submitted, there will be a 24 hour grace period in case custom content isn't properly packed or other similar minor errors occur when you procrastinate and submit your map in the last 5 minutes.

A thread for judging will appear shortly after the contest ends (probably within a week). Some Public method of determining who made the most appealing map around a terrible track will be announced at that time.

PRIZES
If you'd like to donate something to the prize pool, send me a PM. Please do. Ritz kindly threw in a total of $30 while TMP kindly threw in the Donator costs.

First Place: $30* + 6 Months of Donator
Second Place: $20* + 3 Months of Donator
Third Place: $10* + 1 Month of Donator

*at the Valve Store or Steam Game Gifts
 
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lana

Currently On: ?????
aa
Sep 28, 2009
3,075
2,778
Can I make a map using nothing but the cat texture?

Edit:

You're seriously offering a month of donator as a reward. That's terrible.
 
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ardysqrrl

L4: Comfortable Member
Oct 26, 2009
173
159
what a disappointingly plain path
 

lana

Currently On: ?????
aa
Sep 28, 2009
3,075
2,778
It's too big. How am I supposed to make a payload race map out of this?

Edit:

It's too big for three points. I want to place five. Why can't I do that?
 
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Mar 23, 2010
1,872
1,696
what a disappointingly plain path

i told him to add something absolutely crazy for each mapper to try to work around, like the cart going up in rainbowride.
 

Wilson

Boomer by Sleep
aa
May 4, 2010
1,385
1,223
I kinda like the track you guys gave us but that start is honestly pretty terrible to work with.
 

ardysqrrl

L4: Comfortable Member
Oct 26, 2009
173
159
do we have to keep the track in the same orientation as here or can we translate X into Y and vice versa
 

Wilson

Boomer by Sleep
aa
May 4, 2010
1,385
1,223
I really need to say this again, the start of the track needs changing.
It curves between the tracks and has massive ramp right at the start, leaving little room to build height difference or balanced starting point for the blue team, only space to build proper spawn area that is not easily spamable due whole ramp, is nowhere near actual start of the track.

Otherwise i really like the track you guys did for us, it is just that the start is terrible.
 

English Mobster

L6: Sharp Member
Jul 10, 2011
355
299
do we have to keep the track in the same orientation as here or can we translate X into Y and vice versa
This. There's no room to make the opening area any good; it's too close to the other tracks. If one of the curves near the beginning of the track could be mirrored (without adding/removing any length from the track) it would make things a lot more versatile without changing any of the fundamental ideas of the contest.
 

tyler

aa
Sep 11, 2013
5,102
4,621
I was all set to call these people stupid whiners but I'm not entirely sure how you expect the blu spawn area to work in such a tight area unless we are allowed to translate the track like Ardy asked.

This is a really small track.

Even if you put the blu spawn across from where it logically should be (so the cart is momentarily easier to push for blu as the game starts) you leave no room for red's spawn area unless you do a similarly weird thing
 
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littleedge

L1111: Clipping Guru
aa
Mar 2, 2009
986
605
Nerdboy said:
Can I make a map using nothing but the cat texture?

Edit:

You're seriously offering a month of donator as a reward. That's terrible.

You can. But why would you.
I am seriously offering up to three months of donator. I'm poor currently.

Nerdboy said:
It's too big. How am I supposed to make a payload race map out of this?

Edit:

It's too big for three points. I want to place five. Why can't I do that?
It's about the size of Badwater. It's a pl map, not a plr map.
Suck it up. The typical number of points is three plus the endpit.

ardysqrrl said:
do we have to keep the track in the same orientation as here or can we translate X into Y and vice versa
You may not mirror the track. That would be altering the track.


I have edited the start slightly but that's the last thing I'm doing. If you already started working on it (Sergis) it's a pretty mild fix. Just mirror it so the cart would turn right to go up the hill instead of left. Download link is the same.

Repeat: TRACK HAS BEEN EDITED
 
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Zhan

L5: Dapper Member
Dec 18, 2010
208
244
Would anyone mind taking a few screenshots of the track since I'm currently away from a computer with Hammer installed?