Contest #50: Rule of Threes

Idolon

they/them
aa
Feb 7, 2008
2,105
6,106
upload_2021-2-5_15-12-19.png

Main Thread | Microcontest Thread
Minor Contest: Uploads | Voting | Results
Major Contest: Uploads | Voting | Results

Whether you ask computer scientists, storytellers, or Wiccans, people across the ages have agreed: Three is a pretty good number! That's why, for this contest, we're asking you to make a map of any gamemode, so long as you have three of your main objective, whether that's a control point, flag, or otherwise.

Also in the spirit of threes, we're hosting this contest three times! 14bit will be kicking off the next season of Microcontests with this theme to get you started. I'll be hosting a Minor Contest (gameplay-only) with a six week deadline, as well as a Major Contest (fully finished maps) with a six month deadline. The clock starts ticking for all of these contests today - good luck!

(For the sake of record keeping: This is Microcontest #11, Minor Contest #3, and Major Contest #17.)

rules.png

  • You must make a 'standard' map that runs without any server modifications or plugins.
    • Detailing is not required for the Microcontest or Minor Contest.
    • Detailing is required for the Major Contest.
    • Your map must be able to accommodate for a standard amount of players. This means a minimum of 16 spawn points per team for standard maps.
    • Your map must be fully functional; meaning it includes objectives, spawn points, is fully lit and both teams can reasonably win.
    • MvM entries will not be judged.
  • Your map must contain three main objectives. No more, no less.
    • This includes control points, flags, and so on. Maps with three stages also count.
    • This can be counted as the total number of objectives or the number of objectives per team, depending on the gamemode.
    • There is a list of maps at the bottom of this post that covers a wide variety of gamemodes you can use.
    • If you aren't sure if your idea fits the contest theme, just ask!
  • Any map that was made before this announcement cannot be submitted.
    • You can remake old maps for the contest, within reason. Contact me for approval if you want to do this.
    • If you have an in-progress map that you've never published, you can use it for this contest, within reason. Contact me for approval if you want to do this.
  • Judges and contest organizers can participate and have their entries scored, but they will not receive any prizes and their entries will be withheld from placement.
  • Limit one entry per person.
    • This only applies to people who work on the map in Hammer. If you are only an asset contributor, you may be a contributor on as many maps as you like.
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  • Each map can have a team of four collaborators. A collaborator is someone who has contributed to the map either via work in Hammer, or through the contribution of custom assets.
  • Only two members of a team are allowed to work on the map in Hammer. All other collaborators must be asset contributors.
  • People are only considered asset contributors if their custom content has not been released to the public within two weeks of the contest start.
deadlines.png

  • All three contests begin as of this post.
  • The Microcontest ends tomorrow.
  • The Minor Contest ends March 28th, 2021, 11:59 PM (23:59) GMT.
    • That's about one and a half months from now.
    • That's not very long!
  • The Major Contest ends August 15th, 2021, 11:59 PM (23:59) GMT.
    • That's about six months from now.
    • That's pretty long!
  • An upload thread will be created about a week before the deadline for each contest. You must post your map in that thread to submit your map to each contest.
    • You may do whatever you want with your map before then. It is highly encouraged to upload your map and have players test it before the deadline so you can get feedback and improve your map.
  • You will be given 48 hours after the deadline to fix any bugs that crop up. After that, no more updates.
    • If you discover a bug with your final submitted version, you have the option of reverting to an older version of the map, provided that it is already uploaded to TF2Maps.net and/or our game servers.
    • In order to help contestants not stall out during development, periodic map updates will be allowed during the Minor Contest judging phase.
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The Minor Contest will be scored by a fully public vote based on a single overall score.

The Major Contest will be scored by a public vote as well as a panel of judges, with separate gameplay and detailing scores. Contact me if you are interested in judging, as we are looking to have a large judge pool.

Both phases of the contest may have a preliminary elimination phase as necessary to cull the number of maps down to something more reasonable. For the Minor Contest, this will be done by TF2Maps.net staff (in the interest of saving time). For the Major Contest, this will be done by a fully public vote (in the interest of transparency).

prizes.png


The Microcontest is unjudged and has no prizes.

For the Minor Contest, the top three maps will receive a pick from the TF2Maps game pool.

For the Major Contest, the top three maps will receive a pick from the TF2Maps game pool as well as a Mapper's Medallion. The number of medals awarded may be reduced if there is a shortage of entries to the contest.

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Below is a list of maps (and some gamemodes) that fit the contest theme.
Other gamemodes are possible! This is just to help generate ideas for what you might want to make.

CONTROL POINTS:
Mountain Lab
Dustbowl
Gravel Pit
Powerhouse
Standin
Alloy
Outflow
Best of 3 (CP)
Best of 3 (KotH)
Scramble

PAYLOAD:
Nightfall
Thunder Mountain (Full map)
Thunder Mountain (Stage 3)
Jinn
Gemini

FLAGS:
Retreat
Haarp
Moraine
(NOTE: Playing to 3 captures does not count for the contest theme, as this is typically a server setting. You need three different flags.)

OTHER:
Asteroid
Snowplow
All official Passtime maps have three different goals.
 
Last edited:

Asd417

Sample Text
aa
Mar 20, 2016
1,451
1,031
Good idea to host three contests at once. Gives option for mappers to go on and fully detail the map if it scored well in microcontest
 

Idolon

they/them
aa
Feb 7, 2008
2,105
6,106
NOTE: I have added Snowplow to the list of applicable maps after someone asked me if they could do a map in a similar format. You can make a map with any number of stages so long as each stage individually has three objectives.
 

TheMightyGerbil

L2: Junior Member
Dec 23, 2012
79
21
So I saw the contest theme and immediately thought of "Hat Trick" for a map name, and a loose game play concept. Just saying something now before another uses it because it's a pretty obvious name for this, I never name my maps anything but puns, and it would be difficult to change with the game play I am thinking of implementing. Mind you I do not actually mind if another person uses the same name I just want to prevent any future problems by saying I am using it now.
 

Punn Ames Ardum

L1: Registered
Jan 16, 2021
46
26
When it says:
  • You may do whatever you want with your map before then. It is highly encouraged to upload your map and have players test it before the deadline so you can get feedback and improve your map.
does that mean I can upload the map elsewhere or do I need to wait for the post that is a week from the deadline to show up and post it there then?
(also really excited for this, seems like a great one)
 

nesman

master of fast travel
aa
Jun 27, 2016
1,290
1,175
When it says:
does that mean I can upload the map elsewhere or do I need to wait for the post that is a week from the deadline to show up and post it there then?
(also really excited for this, seems like a great one)

You may do whatever you want with your map before then. It is highly encouraged to upload your map and have players test it before the deadline so you can get feedback and improve your map.
 

Idolon

they/them
aa
Feb 7, 2008
2,105
6,106