Contest idea thread!

[Zwiffle]

1.) "Fill in the missing area." If someone has a map that's not finished, we could have a contest to fill in the area that's missing using that map. Of course, it would have to be a map that's pretty easy to map for, be relatively easy to understand, not require a super computer, among a bunch of other high-end requirements, so it might not work out/be too hard to set up.

2.) "Interesting cap point design." Design a single CP that's interesting/innovative in both looks and game-play. Assume a 5 cap point, symmetrical map? An attack/defend cap point, asymmetrical map? Some different kind of cap point map? Open to interpretation?

3.) "Make a haunted house/mansion map for Halloween." Or something.

 

[Sgt Frag]

I like the prefab idea myself. I've done a few contest maps for the Thief Community
One thing that is alwasy consistant there is that the promoter always picks a size area (much like the last contest) to build within.
This is cool 'cause you get alot of variety and everyone does their own thing.

But I think the prefab thing would be cool soley for the fact that everyone starts with the same thing and in the end you know they'd all be different. I think it's a great idea to show how many ways a certian area could be laid out.

Also, if it's just a small area it won't be a map, so it's not like we'll end up with 10 playable maps that all have the same layout but 10 areas with similar layout that could be prefabed into maps.
So maybe I end up liking Snipergen's area, I might choose to use that in a map, but not the other 9. Or maybe one for red and one for blue on a symetrical map.

It might also be cool to have 2 prefab bases that could be chosen from. Both would need to be similar in size and style just to keep time/limts similar.
example: either both are a 'dead end cap point'. or both are a middle area that has access on both sides.

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Another idea is a 'Displacements Contest'.

Some of the other contests seem to be a 'Learn How to do something new' contest so I think this would fit in. Give everyone a little more practice making nice cliffs, etc... See what comes up.
I know some of the newer missions are starting to get pretty decent looking cliffs but alot of older ones are pretty blah.

 

[cornontheCoD]

for the custom texture contest, a larger version of that could be a texture pack (all with the same type of theme)

I love the smaller contests, because I have time to do them. I can't see doing a normal map and a contest map at the same time.

 

[ll4mma]

Team-Based Texture Competitions? Such as best Red-team Wood / Blu-team concrete.

How about a tree making contest? We need some Alpine trees now that its picking up prop development.

The only other one I can think of is the best prefab, displacements only in the desert/alpine theme.

 

[nfreader]

1. Build a prop room (those areas with all the computers and stuff) along with the adjacent room (can be a hallway, spawn room capture point etc).

2. Fit a complete CP map within a small space 1024x1024x1024 (Yay trends! )

3. Make an asymmetrical CTF map.

4. Round robin. Not really a contest, but what if everyone works on one map? IE: Person A starts it, passes it to B, who adds a section, passes to C etc... Everyone adds their own "touch" to the map. Could make an EXCELLENT learning opportunity (everyone groups their addition on a separate layer).

 

[Username]

Hm. I like that 3rd one. Perhaps extend it to "Make an asymmetrical cp or ctf map."

 

[laghlagh]

4. Round robin. Not really a contest, but what if everyone works on one map? IE: Person A starts it, passes it to B, who adds a section, passes to C etc... Everyone adds their own "touch" to the map. Could make an EXCELLENT learning opportunity (everyone groups their addition on a separate layer).

YES!

 

[YM]

And what happens when one person fails to submit their part to the next? the project will fall though. I don't want to stifle such enthusiasm but there are way way too many ways for that type of project to fall though and never happen.

We can't really do a tree making contest since we're a mapping site not a modeling site, very few can actually model so entry numbers would be miniscule.

An asymetrical CTF map is one we've thought about, making an entire map is more along the lines of propper contests like the payload one and the CP one we had ages ago, the ones its hard to pick topics for are the smaller contests really.

Did anyone like the idea of us just giving a theme and a short-ish timelimit with one criteria: 'impressive'? (so that could be a model, a prop-room, a cap point area, a skybox, textures, combinations of those.. anything really)

 

[MangyCarface]

3d skybox suggestion has my vote.

 

[TheDarkerSideofYourShadow]

I like the skybox idea as well. However, there is the issue of if people could actually use it, because the skybox you made might not actually fit any maps.

 

[laghlagh]

We can't really do a tree making contest since we're a mapping site not a modeling site, very few can actually model so entry numbers would be miniscule.

I kind of agree, but with your logic you couldn't have texture (overlay) contests, because youre a mapping community, not a texture community.

 

[YM]

I kind of agree, but with your logic you couldn't have texture (overlay) contests, because youre a mapping community, not a texture community.

Well not really, the quantity of people who have at least tried to use photoshop, the gimp or an alternative is hugely higher than those who have tried XSI, 3DS, etc. and since use of image manipulation programs is much more common and on the whole a more useful skill (not saying that modeling isn't usefull, just that image manipulation has more everyday applications) having a texturing contest is much more justifyable.

You don't have to apply the same bit of logic to everything you know, you have to pick the right reasoning for the right things.

 

[Zwiffle]

I know from experience that chain maps (round robin maps) are really tough to get going/finish.

But, there could be a "modular" competition where each person just makes one section of a map, with rules designed to make that section modular (such doorways have to be a certain size, pick a theme, neutral design, etc etc.) Once everyone uploads it somewhere, pack them up and have people put them together in some way.

The problem with things like these is that they take a great deal of coordination and determination, and it's often frustrating working with other peoples' work. A competition should be something that people do on their own in their spare time, without the requirement that something they do relies on the shoulders of someone else.

 

[drp]

make the best tutorial contest? (try to make a very original one..)
make a famous building?
...

i love this idea.

 

[drp]

we should of done a Halloween themed map

i think the tf2 art style suits it extremely well

 

[DaBeatzProject]

i love this idea.

both ideas? or only the tutorialcontest?

 

[00000000000000000000000]

Modeling contest anyone?



...sorry if someone has already said it, I only read the first two pages of the thread.

 

[bomc]

1) Take a stupid orange map, and make it team fortress 2 style, without changing the basic map layout. (balance it, texture it, make displacements, etc) For example in cp_orange_x i would make the floor sand/dust, i would add somthing to the middle building, and make some hills, and small buildings in the big area by the 2nd cp.

2) Best (new) custom gamemode

3) Best valve map with new gamemode. (cp_goldrush, pl_gravelpit, ctf_ravine, cp_2fort, pl_lumberyard, tc_steel etc.) Dont allow obvious and easy solitions such as arena_turbine. People should be able to pick the same, sine there's 99% chance that they will make it completely different. You could choose 5-7 maps with new gamemodes and let people choose one of them. I dont know if this will work, but i like the idea

 

[TheDarkerSideofYourShadow]

The thing is that decompiling other people's maps and then trying to pawn them off as your own is generally frowned upon here, so I don't think that would go over well. :-(

 

[Tigger]

Some1 maps an orange map and test it till perfect balance and the let that be the map that needs a new skin. But I don't think that's a good idea, because we get 20 of the same maps (with different skins)

I think that's the point though... if everyone starts with the same basis, you do yours, and then you get to see how other people approached the same problem.

Less of a contest really, more of a mapping exercise. But I think it would be awesome to see how different people dress up the same map.