**Official Map Contest Details**

Termaximus

L5: Dapper Member
Jan 11, 2008
229
32
I guess I read industrial AND mining as industrial OR mining, but reading through thread now I see my mistake. I did see a discussion that the OR might be allowed. Has this been decided? I hope so, because my what I hoped would be contest map (link for Beta 3.0 below) is wholey industrial and I've put a lot of time into it.
 

l3eeron

L8: Fancy Shmancy Member
Jan 4, 2008
593
88
I wish I could be a part of this....


Im knee deep in the sh** with avantiville though.

Im really excited to see what kind of fruits we pluck from this ripe tree :D
 

MangyCarface

Mapper
aa
Feb 26, 2008
1,626
1,325
A question on gameplay rating:

Will the judges do this based on a full server playthrough?
Also, won't maps that have been alpha tested gain a bit of advantage in terms of streamlined playing because the players have already seen the territory before?

Maybe the testers that will be accompanying the judges will have to look at each map themselves beforehand...

I mean I don't care that much about it but someone else might. Just some thoughts
 

Vilepickle

Banned
Oct 25, 2007
372
199
Does spytech with a bit of industry mixed in apply for this contest? :I (I won't be bent out of shape if not)
 

YM

LVL100 YM
aa
Dec 5, 2007
7,135
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since the deadline is fast drawing near I find myself worrying that I may not have bloodstained at a point where I don't want to add any more to it before the 30th.
So what I want to know is "Can I submit an almost complete map for voting and then add the finishing touches to it at a later date?"
I would of course not want the map to be re-judged after the addition of those finalising tweaks because that would be unfair to everyone else.
 

drp

aa
Oct 25, 2007
2,273
2,628
since the deadline is fast drawing near I find myself worrying that I may not have bloodstained at a point where I don't want to add any more to it before the 30th.
So what I want to know is "Can I submit an almost complete map for voting and then add the finishing touches to it at a later date?"
I would of course not want the map to be re-judged after the addition of those finalising tweaks because that would be unfair to everyone else.
you can. but it will be up to the judges to score them appropriately and how they see fit.
 

Spike

L10: Glamorous Member
Feb 13, 2008
716
82
Maps should have a mix of both industrial, and mining

I can't understand this rule. Dustbowl has got only mining theme and is an official map. I don't understand this restriction.
 

trainRiderJ

L5: Dapper Member
Mar 14, 2008
203
31
I can't understand this rule. Dustbowl has got only mining theme and is an official map. I don't understand this restriction.

I guess it's probably a little too late for this, but why do those have to be the themes at all? I mean, as long as you have a visual theme that fits the art style of TF2 and it's consistent throughout your map, shouldn't that be good?
 

Vilepickle

Banned
Oct 25, 2007
372
199
I can't understand this rule. Dustbowl has got only mining theme and is an official map. I don't understand this restriction.

If you have one of them it does count. I have a spytech/industrial theme in my map and it is fine.
 

kimangroo

L3: Member
Mar 15, 2008
111
6
I guess it's probably a little too late for this, but why do those have to be the themes at all? I mean, as long as you have a visual theme that fits the art style of TF2 and it's consistent throughout your map, shouldn't that be good?

gotta agree with trainRiderJ on that. I guess for the first map contest ever you guys wanted quality maps that looked like Valves which is fair enough.

For me though the great thing about custom mapping is that it's not official, you don't have to follow any rules and anything goes. There are many, many different ways to achieve this but at the end of the day if it is fun to play... well that's all that matters to me. (note I hate orange_x because it is not fun to play, but not because it is orange. I love cp_roswell because it is fun to play and is beautiful).

In the future, I was wondering whether "mini" mapping contests to encourage new ideas might not be a good idea. By "mini mapping contest", I mean a contest for which you don't need to make a fully fledged, 32 player, valve textured, final bug free release. A contest that is more like a community brainstorming session.For many beginning mappers (I'm thinking about me here) the problem with a full blown mapping contest, is that if I'm going to enter it, it's going to have to be by forcing the map I'm doing now to fit the contest rules. But if I'm going to spend god knows how many hundreds of hours to make a proper fully fledged map, well I'd rather make it exactly how I want it, rather than to fit contest regulations.

However if there was a mini mapping contest with strict limitations I might be able to roll one out alongside my main mapping project. How about considering some of the following rules for an interesting contest:

1) Small maps only. 4v4 or 6v6. This would be essential to reduce the size of the maps and the time needed to create them. People could make one for the contest alongside their main one.

2) Orange maps only. "WHAT??!??!!?" i hear you say... this doesn't mean that once the contest is over the map can't be textured properly, but it does mean that for the contest itself the mapper's can concentrate uniquely on layout and gameplay. You could still set themes and people would have to focus on their brushwork.

3) King of the hill/Domination/Reverse Ctf etc only. To get more of those custom gameplay maps out there.

4) Any other rule/limitation that would allow people more time to work on the really important part of mapping, making it fun to play. Really quirky rules could be good too, just to get some different maps out there that might be the foundation for something great later.

Anyway, just a few ideas that I thought could be fun.
 
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YM

LVL100 YM
aa
Dec 5, 2007
7,135
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So where are the final maps going to be judged?
We can run them on our custom map server once the deadline is up, just the contest maps so anyone who wanted to play them could hop on any time for the first week in may.
 

MangyCarface

Mapper
aa
Feb 26, 2008
1,626
1,325
In the future, I was wondering whether "mini" mapping contests to encourage new ideas might not be a good idea. By "mini mapping contest", I mean a contest for which you don't need to make a fully fledged, 32 player, valve textured, final bug free release. A contest that is more like a community brainstorming session.For many beginning mappers (I'm thinking about me here) the problem with a full blown mapping contest, is that if I'm going to enter it, it's going to have to be by forcing the map I'm doing now to fit the contest rules. But if I'm going to spend god knows how many hundreds of hours to make a proper fully fledged map, well I'd rather make it exactly how I want it, rather than to fit contest regulations.

However if there was a mini mapping contest with strict limitations I might be able to roll one out alongside my main mapping project. How about considering some of the following rules for an interesting contest:

I can see this being interesting if the conditions were changed so that each map has to have two closed off areas that could be attached to another map. Then perhaps three are chosen after the contest for good gameplay and connected via these areas into a single map. Each mapper then takes a pass at adding their own style of detail. Would take a lot of cooperation but pretty thorough results I believe
 

Vilepickle

Banned
Oct 25, 2007
372
199
Where's the submission thread? You should probably start one, since the date is coming up. I know I'm about ready to submit my map (final version)... perhaps as soon as tonight :I
 

YM

LVL100 YM
aa
Dec 5, 2007
7,135
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The tension is killing me!

Any news on how judging is going (I expect it to take quite a while)?
Or perhaps a reitteration of the prize to further increase tension?
 

DJive

Cake or Death?
aa
Dec 20, 2007
1,465
741
We're sorry for the delay:

We know those who have submitted a map for the contest put a lot of hard work and time into it.

Before the contest started we thought it would be an easy "pick-a-winner" scenario however, being all the work you guys put into making these maps, we are trying to match with the amount of effort we take in picking one.

You each did a great job and honestly its hard to vote just 1, would be great to pick 3 =)
*BTW no, im not going to give out the reviewers names*