Contest idea thread!

RaVaGe

aa
Jun 23, 2010
733
1,210
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST
WE WANT A CONTEST

Please.
 

Ravidge

Grand Vizier
aa
May 14, 2008
1,544
2,821
There's already a contest RIGHT NOW.
And stop worrying, I already said earlier things are under control, a major contest will begin soon.
 

Pocket

Half a Lambert is better than one.
aa
Nov 14, 2009
4,709
2,587
Someone, I think it was Frozen, mentioned while we were playing Foundry yesterday that it seems like basically an updated version of Fastlane, and that Valve should use that as an excuse to "retire" Fastlane.

Which got me to thinking.

There are a few community maps out there that are in pretty dire need of an update — some more radica than others — but whose creators are no longer interested in doing so. What if we partnered with Valve again for an official contest to fix them up? Pick some maps that clearly need a rerelease, post the source files, and let our mappers have at them. For every map that ends up being picked, the best edit/remake gets bought and made into the new official copy.
 
Mar 23, 2010
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i say valve makes stamps you can buy to remove maps from the game. i think this would be a good way to "retire" fastlane.
 
Sep 1, 2009
573
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Maybe a reverse payload? A ap were the payload is on the ceiling? XD
 

PMAvers

L6: Sharp Member
Jan 29, 2008
389
142
I had this idea for a contest, maybe a mini-one, called "Bigger Isn't Better."

The idea would be to make a full-featured map that was under a certain file-sized when compressed. Say, 10 megs. The idea being that the smaller file sizes would be more of a boon for the community & server operators since they download faster.

It wouldn't be a hard limit, though, but if you went over a bit you might be docked a few points in scoring.
 

Draco18s

L9: Fashionable Member
Sep 19, 2009
622
136
Would be an interesting challenge. It'd rely a lot on pre-existing models and textures (a single 1024x1024 texture is a meg!)

As well as a simple approach to brushwork and sparing use of displacements.
 

henke37

aa
Sep 23, 2011
2,075
515
I have been thinking of a contest idea myself:

The bad idea contest. People would have to pick a "bad idea" and design a map around it. Entries would be judged on how drastic the idea is and how well it manages to work out in the end (good=good).

This wouldn't be the same as "the silly idea" contest. This is not an excuse to be silly. It's an excuse to test the unwritten rules.
 

AppleJim

L1: Registered
Mar 5, 2012
10
5
Recently I've acquired a liking for the whole idea that is (or was D:) Territorial control. Simply because one map that was introduced with the game was horrific, everyone has swayed away from poor ol' TC.

I guess it ties in with henke's proposal of a 'bad idea' contest. Now TC wasn't really a bad idea, but anyone who starts one is instantly presumed to fail... terribly.

That's why i suggest a TC contest where everyone aims to create a 'good' TC map by any means possible (keeping the idea of the 6 territories and progressing through them). Hopefully a surge of TC maps will flow, with creators brimming with urrr... enthusiasm in tow.

Iunno, possibly one of the worst ideas in history?
 

Pocket

Half a Lambert is better than one.
aa
Nov 14, 2009
4,709
2,587
Make it a contest where people are allowed to collaborate and it might work. You'd need to offer bigger prizes, though. Maybe we could get Valve involved and have them offer free games to the winners or something. You know, since they probably have as much interest in reviving TC as anyone.
 

Deodorant

L6: Sharp Member
Oct 31, 2011
263
214
Speaking of TC, do you think it would be possible to make the game mode enjoyable by basing it on koth? Like, only a few hills, with several territories leading up to each one.
The koth format would make turtling and scout rushes less viable, and prevent stalemate. The way several territories would be combined into a single landmark-y area would make it less confusing. The extremely short duration of normal koth matches would probably make the duration of the map pretty tolerable.

There is one giant problem with the idea, though; Balancing areas against each other would become even more of a headache than it is with CP-style TC.
 

Fruity Snacks

Creator of blackholes & memes. Destroyer of forums
aa
Sep 5, 2010
6,394
5,573
In my opinion, and I've looked at TC a lot, the best start at going about fixing TC, would be to use Koth.

You want to not use choke points, or corridors, like all TC (Custom and Hydro) have atm, you want Yards. And to prevent one team from turtleing you want an objective that forces offensive play.

So it would be in my opinion that the best TC map, with be one that uses the KoTH mechanic, rather than the 2CP A/D mechanic, and has "yards" (much like a koth map) rather than corridors.
 

Idolon

they/them
aa
Feb 7, 2008
2,128
6,140
(unrelated to the TC conversation)

A list of ideas/concepts with associated point values is provided for the contest, like such:

  • Asymmetric: 15 pts
  • Ocean: 10 pts
  • Dynamic element: 20 pts
  • Production plant: 10 pts
  • Volcano: 20 pts
  • Capture the King of the Payload Race: 40 pts
  • Cats: 20 pts
  • Real-world location/landmark: 25 pts
  • Alien invasion: 20 pts
Each map made must contain any number of these ideas/concepts, so that their point value is above an arbitrary number. Let's use 50, for example. An asymmetric map with a dynamic element based around sardine production plant in the Pacific would be (15 + 10 + 10 + 20) 55 points. However, a map with cats based on the Empire State Building would only be worth (20 + 25) 45 points, not meeting the required 50, would not qualify for the contest.

I think that a contest like this would force mapmakers to think creatively, and maybe map for things outside of their comfort zone. A serious list would be considerably longer so we don't get 5 maps all based around Attack of the Alien Volcano Cats, and would have less stupid ideas than what I've shown here.
 
Oct 6, 2008
1,969
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Team Contest Idea?

Say why don't we have a team contest?

1 person does the alpha then
1 person modifies it to beta - but still dev textures only
1 person details
1 person lights it

the team can test it and give feedback to the other team members

contest has time limit