Contest idea thread!

[Fish 2.0]

alpha 1 map contest. who can make the best a1. you only get 1 map test, no more allowed

actually i take back the 1 map test idea that means not everyone can play it

I would just say you get to make one map, fully detailed and everything but testing is an absolute no. You submit your map, and then it's play tested and the best maps are picked.

TLDR: You have once chance so you better fluke it hard.

 

[Archmage MC]

Heres an idea, Most impressive/complex map feature.

Stuff like day cycle skyboxes, and other stuff that is tricky to do.


Rules:
Must give full documentation on how to do what you did.
No custom models.
Custom Textures are OK, but must give documentation on what you did to change the VMT if anything.
Whatever you submit may be put on the VALVe development wiki, credit going to you.

 

[Digaag Wa Riz]

I don't want to look like I'm desperately promoting myself, but how about a contest using this?

Working on a prefab that includes 32 independently controlled ones that can possibly be used in a racing map contest. Although I guess the only "racing" maps allowed would be plr maps.

 

[Berry]

Prop contest.

Sounds dumb, but everyone is given a single prop they have to work somewhere into their map (ie badlands spire)- Only large / game-changing props counted (ie foundry roof cover, large cargo crates, doomsday rocket, doomsday elevator)

 

[takabuschik]

Prop contest.

Sounds dumb, but everyone is given a single prop they have to work somewhere into their map (ie badlands spire)- Only large / game-changing props counted (ie foundry roof cover, large cargo crates, doomsday rocket, doomsday elevator)

corrugated_metal_cluster001.mdl
quarry_rockpike.mdl (the badlands spire)
upward_bridge_supports1.mdl (the upward 3rd point)

center_cap_building_harbor.mdl (foundry's mid)
blue_steam_whistle_harbor_ref.mdl (foundry's wistle)
red_steam_whistle_harbor_ref.mdl

med_classroom001(/001a/001b).mdl

props_nucleus stuff

cliff_bridge.mdl (the hightower_event light-path towards the clock)
road_railing01.mdl (hydro's road railing)
loading_tower.mdl

mine_elevator.mdl (bigrock's mine elevator)
dome_roof.mdl (some dumb 17000x17000 units model)

Pick one or more
must be used creatively
must be important to the map- landmarks and/or important gameplay elements
must not be used for detailing only

 

[Another Bad Pun]

Joiner Contest:
Make a map entirely out of brushes made only by Joiner

 

[YM]

i approve of this contest idea. does anyone actually use joiner other than me?

 

[Fruity Snacks]

i approve of this contest idea. does anyone actually use joiner other than me?

How many maps in the past few months have gone that far into detailing to require joiner?

 

[YM]

How much do I pay attention to the maps made here that aren't my own?

Very little, especially considering I've only really returned in the last month. Joiner has been around for over a year now and in all that time I've barely been active here at all

 

[Fish 2.0]

How much do I pay attention to the maps made here that aren't my own?

Very little, especially considering I've only really returned in the last month. Joiner has been around for over a year now and in all that time I've barely been active here at all

I used joiner half a year ago once in my 72 hour entry. I thinks it's a great tool, but like frozen I never really have the need for it because I don't get past a1. It would be way better if it had some kind of door/opening support (I have no idea how, though).

 

[seth]

I'd really like to see a non-standard gametype contest. We are lacking in good, well thought out non-standard maps. There are so many crappy maps that get stuck in the rotation for VSH, dodgeball, and prophunt. I think it would be really fun as prophunt allows you to go wild with details and dodgeball requires no logic. It'd be nice to get some new maps in those rotations instead of all these stupid minecraft maps.

 

[Fruity Snacks]

Issue with the non-standard mapping for a major contest is that, it's not that good of a contest. Your semi-limited to whatever you can do with entities and dealing with those is horribly frustrating for a new mapper. With contests you want to have a dual-barrier of entry. You want a solid challenge for a new mapper to jump in with and you want something for the vet mappers to be challenged with without it being too easy or 'done already.' For a quality non-standard gamemode contest, that would cater to the vet mappers who really know the entities and what to do, (See, Booj's April fools map, or Egan's 72hr map. Those were new gamemodes, but had a bajillion issues getting set up entity wise). Without that knowledge, you're very likely to get very unthought out or just flat our bad game modes.


I would also like to point out, that the 72hr contest does NOT have a game-mode restriction (barring trade or any game-mode that specifically require server plugins).

 

[seth]

But I thought dodgeball maps weren't hard to set up because they use barely any logic. And the maps are relatively simple as you just want a flat space for 2 walls of teams to bounce a ball between. They can be made pretty fun, however: clever use of height variation, spots only accessible by reflect jumps, and an interesting setting such as an underground hotel like tfdb_catwalk. Prophunt maps are also just basically arena maps. They help educate new mappers on the importance of detailing and how details can effect gameplay. Veteran mappers probably already know how that works but finely detailing a map is still not something they can just blow through easily.

The 72hr contest is not something I feel like new mappers would want to do. Time constraints can be very stressful, especially if you don't know what you're doing or how to fix errors that will surely happen when you're rushing through a map.

 

[Grizzly Berry]

The 72hr contest is not something I feel like new mappers would want to do. Time constraints can be very stressful, especially if you don't know what you're doing or how to fix errors that will surely happen when you're rushing through a map.

I disagree. The most active the community has been was during the last 72hr contest, so it's a great time to ask questions. Being a beginner mapper, I don't think you're going into the contest thinking you'll win, so it's a pretty good excuse to get a lot of mapping in a short period of time.

Honestly, the most I've ever gotten done was during the 72hr contest, and I am by no means an experienced mapper. It's the perfect time to try it out, because if you don't like it, you only wasted one weekend.

 

[seth]

I disagree. The most active the community has been was during the last 72hr contest, so it's a great time to ask questions. Being a beginner mapper, I don't think you're going into the contest thinking you'll win, so it's a pretty good excuse to get a lot of mapping in a short period of time.

Honestly, the most I've ever gotten done was during the 72hr contest, and I am by no means an experienced mapper. It's the perfect time to try it out, because if you don't like it, you only wasted one weekend.

I've watched your videos, you say you've been mapping (albeit not altogether seriously and not in Hammer) for many years. Regardless of how much time you've mapped in Hammer, you still have the mind for it and some experience. Maybe I was speaking out of my point of view. I'm a new mapper and the 72hr contest would be the thing I would do when I've gotten at least a few solid maps under my belt or whenever I've fleshed out errors and things you can and cannot do in the Source engine and gotten experience. Participating in a time-constrained contest would stress me out and I would probably end up getting nothing done.

Anyways, I'd still think it'd be a cool thing to do. I'd enter it because I feel like making a dodgeball map is something I could do and something I could use to familiarize myself with Hammer and learn from mistakes while not having to deal with a big map and lots of logic etc.

 

[Fruity Snacks]

Should note, the first ever 72hr contest I entered (and won, mind you) was when I only had minimal experience after making koth_rundown (which was crap, gameplay wise).

 

[seth]

Should note, the first ever 72hr contest I entered (and won, mind you) was when I only had minimal experience after making koth_rundown (which was crap, gameplay wise).

OK, well that's just not how I feel but I'm not everyone and I am not experienced so you and Grizzly are probably right.

I still think it'd be fun.

 

[radarhead]

How about a contest where everyone makes a detail element like a building, bridge, or capzone and then you have to pick at least three and make a map with them.

 

[wareya]

What about a very short contest like the 72hr ones, but focused on a specific skill? Like how you could have layout, detail, comp, etc contests.

 

[Fantaboi]

What about a very short contest like the 72hr ones, but focused on a specific skill? Like how you could have layout, detail, comp, etc contests.

72 Hour layout contest sounds fantastic, or everyone detailing the same map in 72 hours.