Woah! You probably thought we weren’t having an April Fools contest! At this point, it might as well be a pattern. Crash ran one in 2016, and then in 2018, so it only makes sense to have one this year.
This year I want you to submit your best joke maps, whether it be something you’ve had on the backburner since 2011, or something you’re going to start a week before the deadline, you fool. All entries should be new ones, though, if its been publicly released before, it’s not eligible for the contest portion. Of course, I’ll be running the usual April Fools gameday, where we’ll play everything everyone has submitted!
Here’s some submission guidelines:
- Maps must function! Have fully functioning objectives, spawns, etc. Don’t just submit a mess!
- Maps should be free of leaks, since having one will shoot your lighting and optimization.
- No fullbright!
- Must be able to spawn for a full 24 player server, shoot for 32 players for best results.
- As stated above, only new maps are eligible for the judging portion. You’re free to update a previously submitted map to the gameday portion, but it will not be judged.
- Modification of already existing “serious” maps are allowed, but there should be some major changes. Your score probably won’t be helped by just submitting Turbine but its covered in piss.
- Any use of point_servercommand must be passed by staff first.
- One entry per user.
- I (or someone else) will go through each entry as they’re sent to me to make sure they work and fit these rules.
Mann vs Machine maps:
This year, I’m allowing MvM maps to be submitted. They should follow these guidelines:
- All MvM maps should follow the above guidelines, minus the one about spawns.
- Your submission must include the bsp, nav, and population files needed to play your map. You can package these into a zip file to keep them together.
- Any custom icons you include should be packed into your map, follow this guide for more information on that.
MvM FAQ:
Can I submit a mission for an already existing map?
At the current moment, only MvM maps are being included in the contest portion. You are free to submit missions for already existing maps for the gameday, but they won't be judged. If there are enough mission submissions, however, I will run a separate judging block for those missions.
Can I collaborate with a mapper to fill my missions with?
Yes! If you can find a mapper to work with, you're free to submit your missions with those maps.
What difficulty should I aim for?
Preferably missions should be intermediate mode or above in terms of difficulty. Look back to the Potato's Memes vs Machines campaign for references, since all of those missions were intermediate difficulty.
At the current moment, only MvM maps are being included in the contest portion. You are free to submit missions for already existing maps for the gameday, but they won't be judged. If there are enough mission submissions, however, I will run a separate judging block for those missions.
Can I collaborate with a mapper to fill my missions with?
Yes! If you can find a mapper to work with, you're free to submit your missions with those maps.
What difficulty should I aim for?
Preferably missions should be intermediate mode or above in terms of difficulty. Look back to the Potato's Memes vs Machines campaign for references, since all of those missions were intermediate difficulty.
Judging:
At the current moment, I will be the only judge for this contest. This is probably going against something 14bit said at some point, but I have faith in myself. If you’d like to be a judge, send me a DM.
Contest entry maps will be judged on these categories:
Fun - How fun was it to play your map? How funny was it? Did it keep me going for multiple rounds, or was it just a good one-off? For MvM, how fun/funny were the waves?
Gameplay - How well does your map stand on its own? Does it have a decent layout to support its gimmicks, or is it just a literal graybox?
Originality - How original are your gimmicks/jokes? Is it something that’s been seen many times before, or is it something that I wouldn’t have ever dreamed of?
Submitting:
Send me a PM on the site so I can keep track of everything. Title your PM “April Fools 2020 Submission” so I can keep track of which ones are for this year. You can either attach the map directly to your PM, or drop a link to the download. I’ll use this PM you send me to communicate any changes I may need, or to just send you an acceptance message.
You have until April 1st, 2020 hits on the US Eastern time zone. All entries submitted will be considered final at this point, unless critical bug fixes are needed.
https://www.tickcounter.com/countdown/1823725/startackers-april-fools-2020-mini-contest-deadline
Prizes:
- 1st place gets two picks from the game prize pool (and mega bragging rights)
- 2nd place gets one pick from the game prize pool (and cool bragging rights)
- 3rd place gets one pick from the game prize pool (and mini bragging rights)
Have fun!
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