Contest idea thread!

[The Political Gamer]

I don't think ether of those would really "work" in TF2.

Rush would have problems because their is currently no er clean way to display the health of the object on the HUD. I also fear that it would suffer from massive amounts of spam.

As for Conquest we kinda already have that mode in TF2, its called 5CP.

Sorry to sound like a negative Nancy but unless Valve add specific support for those modes. I don't see them working too well.

 

[tovilovan]

Well conquest is not nearly like the push 5-cp gamemode of TF2. It would be more like a gravel pit where all caps are open at the start and either team can cap all three points. I fear that would be a bit too messy though. Nobody would know where to run, and the excellent gameflow in tf2 built around ubercharges would probably be broken.

(The reason why havent entered any of the contests thus far is because) I think there's a problem with the contests always trying to do something new. It's hard to come up with something in a gamemode that you don't know how it works (or if it even works) whatsoever. We saw a few neat takes on the push ctf gamemode but as many failed, nobody really likes PLR due to it's very imminent stalemateness (correct me if I'm wrong) and competitive ctf is broken since 2007. If we'd focused on gamemodes that we know and where we can take inspiration from existing maps, I think the chance of producing good maps is a lot bigger!

My proposal for a contest is simply A/D cp - a gamemode that most people love in both Dustbowl (despite its flaws) and Gravel Pit (which is one of my favourite TF2 maps both from a pub and comp perspective). This will give people rather free hands to do something new, while still sticking to a gamemode that we know works!

 

[Grim Tuesday]

No more non-vanilla gamemode contests please.

 

[Okrag]

No more non-vanilla gamemode contests please.

We've had one.

 

[The Political Gamer]

We've had one.

I think he means no more gimmick contests. IE "comp" ctf and artpass.

 

[Bermuda Cake]

A/D anything

 

[3Dnj]

So, Gravelpit style !!

 

[sniprpenguin]

So, Gravelpit style !!

Wasn't that the first contest ever? With CP_Furnace winning?

 

[DaBeatzProject]

Wasn't that the first contest ever? With CP_Furnace winning?

I uh... Don't think so?

 

[tovilovan]

I think the first contest was the payload contest, sometime around when I first joined the site.

With hoodoo winning?!

 

[sniprpenguin]

I thought we had a Gravelpit-style contest before.

Argh, don't know my site history!

:blushing:

 

[Prestige]

http://wiki.teamfortress.com/wiki/Tf2maps.net

 

[lana]

Maps that have names with capital letters.

 

[Rexy]

This is my obligatory reinforcement of an idea posted multiple times by at least myself in this thread, which is a model/texture/asset creation contest. A lot of arguments against this proposal have been that TF2M is about custom maps--but so much about custom mapping is about custom materials, and given the influence of custom materials in tf2 in it's current state, this is an absolutely realistic proposal. Such a contest could only benefit custom tf2 mapping. And it doesn't only have to be about creating them, I think a contest such as this would need to see the entries represented by implementing them in the source engine, seeing them displayed in tf2.

 

[LateLJ]

Would it be then really hard to vote between models and textures? I mean, how you could say that this texture is better than that model? Or should they be in different categories?

I also don't think there will be so many people joining since not many of us actually know how to make proper models and textures.

I am okay to have model/texture/asset creation contest as a "side"-contest but I would like to keep major contests as mapping contests.

 

[Seba]

While I do agree with Rexy about custom assets being a vital part of TF2 mapping, my personal opinion about new models and materials is slightly different from his.


In my mind, a map that looks great, plays great, and utilises old assets in new ways will usually, if not always, be more appreciated than one which uses brand new materials. I guess that what I’m trying to say is if I manage to make something new and original from things that are dry and overused, I’ll be more proud of myself than if I were to make something with 100 megs of custom content. For this reason, whenever the subject of the next contest arises, I usually suggest 5CP or multistage A/D. Sure, there are many custom maps which fit into the aforementioned categories; during contests, however, entrants find as many ways to stand out from the others as possible, and what better way to stand out than to successfully revive an old gamemode/theme/asset list?


I realise that some (if not most) of you will disagree, but I’d like to see a contest based on the use of assets in a completely new and original way with as little custom content as possible.



tl;dr
quarry_rockpike.mdl contest go

 

[Rexy]

I agree with you for the most part, but my concern is that all the materials/models that exist have been subjected to so much overuse that new content is desperately needed in my opinion.

What I was thinking was something along the lines of a small setup theme, maybe 2-3 new textures with 2-3 new models. So it would be a thematic setup. For instance, say, 2-3 new spytech models and textures. Or 2-3 new alpine models and textures. Something small but still useful for any applications. For a contest like this no one would need to create a whole massive variety of assets, just focus on making around 6 quality assets, and then arrange them in a small scene in tf2 with any existing assets if you'd prefer and use it to create a screenshot. A mini-environment in tf2.

With participants creating as few items as possible and focusing on quality over quantity, I would imagine a good assortment of usable assets to come out of a contest like this.

 

[tovilovan]

I'd love a skybox/environment setting contest.

 

[Exist]

I want a contest not mapping creation related. Just for once, I'd like to sit down in Photoshop and create a skybox. So ah, a skybox texture/ normal texture creation.

 

[littleedge]

How about a mini contest with something like the following:

Create three (3) models fitting to the Alpine Theme
Create three (3) textures fitting to the Alpine Theme
Create one (1) overlay fitting to the Alpine Theme
Showcase your seven creations in a 1048x1048 detailed area.
Whoever made the best creations that fit in with the Alpine Theme would win, decided upon by community opinion (not a poll though - people have to explain why they chose who they chose)