We need more contests

JeanPaul

L6: Sharp Member
Aug 5, 2010
284
279
This is a really good community but we need to incentivize people to come out of their caves and make some maps! But the problem with the current contests is their are very involved and very time consuming where people lose interest before even finishing the contest deadlines.

So about half my idea comes from Mapcore.net where we did contests once in a blue moon. Some serious shit was produce from that contest over there.

Solution:
Quick (2-3 week) tf2 level design contests with 1 large ass inhibiting factor

Examples:
-Best 1 stage attack defend (like a section of dustbowl) using no more than 100 brushes and 6 props (gameplay props like doors for blue spawn dont count)

-Best tf2 map within a 2048 x 2048 x 2048 cube (meaning thats all the space you are allowed to use) Maybe use koth or something as the game mode

-Best job detailing a certain room or something. I could even whip up a cool room for everyone to detail or something.

Thoughts?
 

tyler

aa
Sep 11, 2013
5,102
4,621
We did the limited brushwork one and space one once. Rav called it "Assignment Frenzies". About 5 people entered each one. We tried other stuff that was more imaginative and people didn't get it.

We used to hold detailing contests too. Just make an intel room or CP or spawn room in a certain area and bam done. That kind of petered out as less people were active on the site.
 

JeanPaul

L6: Sharp Member
Aug 5, 2010
284
279
We should make announcements and posts and shit on a ton of forums and websites to get everyone knowing about it and then be as strict as possible with the timeframe, deadlines, and rules. If you hold fast to the rules, more people will enter and stay, uh, entered?

We should totes get this going again
 

Sergis

L666: ])oo]v[
aa
Jul 22, 2009
1,874
1,257
We did the limited brushwork one and space one once. Rav called it "Assignment Frenzies". About 5 people entered each one. We tried other stuff that was more imaginative and people didn't get it.

We used to hold detailing contests too. Just make an intel room or CP or spawn room in a certain area and bam done. That kind of petered out as less people were active on the site.

first two frenzies went great actually

then came the create a model and create a texture and with them came the death of assignment frenzies
 

Fruity Snacks

Creator of blackholes & memes. Destroyer of forums
aa
Sep 5, 2010
6,394
5,571
We should make announcements and posts and shit on a ton of forums and websites to get everyone knowing about it and then be as strict as possible with the timeframe, deadlines, and rules. If you hold fast to the rules, more people will enter and stay, uh, entered?

We should totes get this going again

As the "PR" guy...

I do that. A lot. What you see in the past few contests, is the result of posting (and asking to get posted) on a LOT of forums/communities. I always email valve, shot a message out to RPS, PCGamer a couple times too. SPUF, Reddit (3 sub reddits), and a load of other "Hey, <Enter person I know> could you toss this up on your community forums please?"

What you've been seeing, is what we're getting after I make sure nearly every person I can contact knows about contests.
 

Seba

DR. BIG FUCKER, PHD
aa
Jun 9, 2009
2,364
2,728
Yeah, frozen does a lot to promote our contests and site in general, but people don't seem that interested in anything we do, for three reasons I think: 1) the editor isn't the best; 2) it's hard to create a good proper map; and 3) if you actually do create a good map, there is basically no reward for the dozens of hours put into it as compared to items.
 

JeanPaul

L6: Sharp Member
Aug 5, 2010
284
279
Hmmm thats a good point.

Ill have to talk with you some more frozen, see what we can figure out.
 

xzzy

aa
Jan 30, 2010
815
531
The game is 5 years old now. It's natural for interest to wane.

Whatever's left of the community is focused on the making and wearing of hats.
 

grazr

Old Man Mutant Ninja Turtle
aa
Mar 4, 2008
5,441
3,814
Yea, each month that passes by now and the term "beating a dead horse with a stick" comes to mind, TF2 is 5 years old; and Hammer/Source is a decade old now. I'm surprised it's lasted half as long as it has, although games like L4D2 and CSGO will have a lot to do with keeping the editor and Source mapping alive. Partly it's Valves piss poor attention to the mapping scene in the past 2 years that has stagnated interest, but also there are more modern editors and popular games out there currently in the lime light.

Each contest sees fewer and fewer entrants and fewer sources on interest, which although we'd like to do something about, we have no control over it, we can't force people to be interested in TF2 or us.

Also although it's been nice we've had community run contests not moderated by our staff specifically it's meant our official contests have suffered from diluted interest. Additionally alf the people who want contests can never seem to commit to them or don't like the brief. So although there's apparently plenty of interest at first the contests seem to waver and wilt.
 
Last edited:

Pocket

Half a Lambert is better than one.
aa
Nov 14, 2009
4,694
2,579
When you say "modern editors and popular games," I feel there needs to be a big fat asterisk, because the two are pretty much mutually exclusive. Outside of Bethesda's games, I don't know of any popular games nowadays that support fan-made maps at all.
 
Sep 19, 2010
475
499
I would love to enter some contests, but my lack of knowledge holds me back in some aspects. However, I feel it would be a great way to learn, I just get rather impatient. In my opinion, it would be best to hold shorter contests (less than a month) that I only have to spend 30 minutes to an hour on a day. Maybe there have been some like that in the past that I've missed. As someone who has been on the site for 2 years (on and off) and has never entered a contest, I thought my reasoning might be helpful. :)