Things I learned from our Third Annual Contest

Armadillo of Doom

Group Founder, Lover of Pie
aa
Oct 25, 2007
949
1,228
On a personal level, I learned that I can in fact sufficiently balance my time between school/work/rl stuff, enough to create a decent a map in the time allotted. I just got lazy, and caught in my biggest shortfall of not planning the final area; thus ensuring extended writers block & neglecting the rest of the map. My spawns were broken, of all things, so I had to drop my entry :( Anyone remember my old payload map from the second contest? I am just now finishing the last area and getting it ready for b1, lol.

As supreme overlord, *ahem* community leader, I learned that people really want their maps to be finished, moreso than for any other event. I think this is mostly due to the fact that big contests are a chance to show off and let the community see what you are capable of on a grand scale. Even the most humble will feel a bit nervous/hesitant about submitting anything that isn't a final beta or higher. Course the amazing selection of prizes doesn't hurt either ;)

As both a mapper and community person, this whole experience was definitely worth the effort. I might actually be a top contender for the next contest :p So what have you guys taken away from all this?
 

lana

Currently On: ?????
aa
Sep 28, 2009
3,075
2,778
Too many extensions for such a contest. In my opinion, when starting the next contest you should add three months to the deadline initially.
 

Armadillo of Doom

Group Founder, Lover of Pie
aa
Oct 25, 2007
949
1,228
Too many extensions for such a contest. In my opinion, when starting the next contest you should add three months to the deadline initially.
There were only two extensions, believe it or not. The first one was half-way through the initial period, and granted half a month. The second came like 2 weeks before the deadline, and added a full month. It was inconsistent, and working under such a tight time-frame only to find an extra month, really threw off a lot of people. As I said before, pretty much everything we do here is a learning experience. So expect the next prize-worthy event (whatever that may be), to last longer, and likely be simpler as well.
 

Fraz

Blu Hatte, Greyscale Backdrop.
aa
Dec 28, 2008
944
1,152
I want another big mapping contest starting in April or something. That gives people time to finish their maps ready for the next AMC, which I hope to gawd I will enter, (plus if we start the next one in april, then we have most of the summer months and summer hols to get moar work done >: D
 
Feb 14, 2008
1,051
931
KOTH, please, or something like that.
 

Nutomic

L11: Posh Member
Feb 7, 2009
888
177
I've learned that i need to get on writing that [GUIDE] on preventing exploits and unintended ledges. It happens way too often that I can jump onto things.

I just create the top sky brush of the beginning of my map, and as i add a building, i also add a clip brush on top of it. Never had any problems.
 

Altaco

L420: High Member
Jul 3, 2008
484
120
I think we should have the next contest just be "Symmetrical CP," allowing typical 5CP maps but also allowing interesting changes to the gameplay.
 

Nutomic

L11: Posh Member
Feb 7, 2009
888
177
If i can enter with my actual map, that would be perfect :)

(How is that handled with already released maps?)
 

YM

LVL100 YM
aa
Dec 5, 2007
7,135
6,056
You can't unless the map has not been released publicly before the contest starts.

This.

My suggestion is if you want a head start make the layout for a map of every possible gamemode as well as any models or textures you might want for them and simply keep them secret until we announce the next contest then pick the one we went with..


......:lol: