Contest idea thread!

Eyce

L6: Sharp Member
Jan 13, 2010
370
225
Thought of this one last night:

First Map Contest.

People who haven't used hammer before are free to enter, those who have released a map for TF2 before must go back to their first ever map and remake it with all the things they've learned since.
 

Bakscratch

Finisher of Maps
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Oct 29, 2010
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Weekly art pass, mappers have a week to produce a map which is not based on gameplay but its looks
 
Mar 23, 2010
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would personally like it to be general and as inclusive as possible.....so the whole new mapper thing and just detailin no gameplay would be lame 4 me.
 

Pocket

Half a Lambert is better than one.
aa
Nov 14, 2009
4,694
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Thought of this one last night:

First Map Contest.

People who haven't used hammer before are free to enter, those who have released a map for TF2 before must go back to their first ever map and remake it with all the things they've learned since.
This interests me. The first map I ever compiled was the middle-ish area of a 5cp map I had planned out, roughly, but never got around to finishing and eventually gave up on. Would that count as my "first ever map"? Or would it have to be the first one I released?
 

Egan

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Feb 14, 2010
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Why not go completely outside the box and make a game within TF2 for 1 or multiple players?

Although I really like single player adventure games (ones where you actually do shit, so not like to the moon, dear esther, gone home, etc) I don't think TF2's engine is really the best for those types of games. Like I think if you were really trying to make a single player adventure puzzle game you would be better off using cryengine or hpl2 or some shit. Just that TF2's engine/entities are lacking.
 

Fruity Snacks

Creator of blackholes & memes. Destroyer of forums
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Sep 5, 2010
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Although I really like single player adventure games (ones where you actually do shit, so not like to the moon, dear esther, gone home, etc) I don't think TF2's engine is really the best for those types of games. Like I think if you were really trying to make a single player adventure puzzle game you would be better off using cryengine or hpl2 or some shit. Just that TF2's engine/entities are lacking.

Quite the opposite, actually. TF2 is a fine game to make a small game in, Penguin (I think it was Penguin) did something with a side-scrolling game using TF2. It doesn't have to be mega advanced or something. Just a single map type game (kind of like what I'm doing with my detail entry) that could be fun. It'd just push for more out-of-the-box thinking, break the standard "make X gametype" type of contest and people could actually have some fun. Heaven forbid that TF2Maps.net have a contest that is fun!

It could also open up ideas for new gametypes or help people better understand TF2 Source and it's limitations. Seriously, I think this would be pretty fun.
 

Fantaboi

Gone and one day forgotten
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Mar 11, 2013
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Asymetric KOTH map.
It'll be a really difficult concept to achieve, that's why it'll be a great contest.
 

Bakscratch

Finisher of Maps
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Oct 29, 2010
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Cooperative map making, Make a map this someone else.
Everyone puts there name into a bucket and someone pulls 2 names out, they will work together using each others skills to produce a map based on what they want Or around a theme which could also be set when partners are picked.
 
Mar 23, 2010
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co-op map making would be a disaster imo. mapping requires a lot of decisions and can be very personal(?) and i cant see 2 people, let alone 2 strangers finishing a map and being happy with it.
 
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Meldriz

L1: Registered
Aug 28, 2013
9
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co-op map making would be a disaster imo. mapping requires a lot of decisions and can be very personal(?) and i cant see 2 people, let alone 2 strangers finishing a map and being happy with it.

I think it could be possible if you had a more dominant maker whoi designs the map then makes it and then the other details it and they both peer review each others work or something. If I remember correctly it was done once by some famous cs map makers.

But in most scenarios it'd be a disaster.
 
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RaVaGe

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Jun 23, 2010
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co-op map making would be a disaster imo. mapping requires a lot of decisions and can be very personal(?) and i cant see 2 people, let alone 2 strangers finishing a map and being happy with it.

Actually my collab with Blob goes well, even if sometime we have a lot of difficulties to find an arrangement, but overall if the two are willing to 'cut the edges' it's not hard to do a collab, and the good thing is that your work inspire the other and that way you can create some badass work.
 

Crash

func_nerd
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Mar 1, 2010
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Actually my collab with Blob goes well, even if sometime we have a lot of difficulties to find an arrangement, but overall if the two are willing to 'cut the edges' it's not hard to do a collab, and the good thing is that your work inspire the other and that way you can create some badass work.

Yeah, if you get the right people and mesh with them, it can go really well. Stoneyridge was a 3 person project and we filled in each others skill-gaps perfectly.

A random pairing with someone, however, I could see going pretty badly.

A fun way to do it could be everyone has to create a basic base of a complete, working map, and then it's put into a "hat" and everyone draws out of it. Then it's your job to complete/ improve the map, while sticking as close as you can to the original idea. Might be hard to regulate the latter, but could be interesting.

Or maybe even a partially complete map, like the center of a five CP or something.
 
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Fantaboi

Gone and one day forgotten
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Mar 11, 2013
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Yeah, if you get the right people and mesh with them, it can go really well. Stoneyridge was a 3 person project and we filled in each others skill-gaps perfectly.

A random pairing with someone, however, I could see going pretty badly.

A fun way to do it could be everyone has to create a basic base of a complete, working map, and then it's put into a "hat" and everyone draws out of it. Then it's your job to complete/ improve the map, while sticking as close as you can to the original idea. Might be hard to regulate the latter, but could be interesting.

Or maybe even a partially complete map, like the center of a five CP or something.

Like 1 person does the map's design, whilst the other one works on the detailing/texturing.
 

UKCS-Alias

Mann vs Machine... or... Mapper vs Meta?
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Sep 8, 2008
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Dual payload race. A/D and 1 team has to push 2 carts

It can be gravelpit style. It can be staged. Just as long as a team can push 2 carts at a time. Interaction between the 2 paths (as in cart 1 must have capped A to open the path for cart 2 to B is fine. While in the meantime you can continue to push cart 1 until it reaches a gate before C, once B is capped that route is opened and so on).
They can even make it so both carts must be capped or just a single one.

However, the main part of the map must be focussed around being able to push 2 carts. And the idea on how to do that is free

I did make a concept of the mode before to show it works entity wise. And i would have no issues at all to have people use it (and i dont need any credit for it at all): http://forums.tf2maps.net/showthread.php?t=18744

Im aware that the game isnt fully supporting the looks (1 cart will have a red outline), but since there arent any maps for it in the first place there wasnt a reason anyway.
 

Fantaboi

Gone and one day forgotten
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Mar 11, 2013
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This image just convinced me co-op map making isn't as good an Idea I thought.
c4dFepJ.jpg


But ukcs, your idea sounds really interesting
 

Tupperwits

L2: Junior Member
Sep 24, 2012
62
15
The other day I was thinking about the facade companies and that they're mostly farming, mining, shipping etc. but newer maps aren't conforming to those themes anymore. What exactly is barnblitz supposed to be? The wiki just describes it as snowy alpine
So how about a contest where you have to design a facade company poster/signs/overlay for both red and blue? Preferably rivals rather than just a recolour. There's some really good ones already but having more couldn't hurt
 

RubbishyUser

L7: Fancy Member
Feb 17, 2013
414
488
I think a very plausible contest idea would be to create a popfile for one of the existing mvm maps. It would be easy to test, and easy for people who don't even map to participate in, whilst drawing attention to what I'm hearing is the most difficult part of balancing an MvM map. Obviously we've just had an MvM contest, so we wouldn't get this for a while, but it would be an enjoyable change from the norm a little down the line.