Deadline:
Voting ends 8:00AM 20th August 2023 UTC+0
Please see below for local time
PT -- 1:00 AM, 20th August 2023
MT -- 2:00 AM, 20th August 2023
ET -- 4:00 AM, 20th August 2023
BST -- 8:00 AM, 20th August 2023
CST/SGT/AWST -- 4:00 PM, 20th August 2023
JST/KST -- 5:00 PM, 20th August 2023
AET -- 6:00 PM, 20th August 2023
NZST -- 8:00 PM, 20th August 2023
Scoring:
Maps are scored on a 0 to 100 scale, using 50 as an average scale.
Provide a score for each map, taking into account not just the visual fidelity, but also anything else that impacts your experience, such as sound and interactivity.
Written feedback is encouraged but not required.
A ballot must contain scores forall entries to count, with the exclusion of your own map, if you have entered the contest.
Ballots may be thrown out at discretion of staff. A public log will be kept of any ballots that are disqualified for the sake of transparency.
If you wish to submit your ballot privately, DM it to me on the forums or discord. Any private ballots will be made public at the end of voting for the sake of transparency.
Use this table in your posts to cast your votes:
(tip: use the built-in table creator next to the spoiler function in the toolbar!)
MAP
THEME
SCORE
a freakin' knight
Hot & Cold
Anderpan
Cold
August101
Cold
CriticalFeesh
Cold
Dasprucegoose
Hot & Cold
DrSquishy
Hot & Cold
Emil_Rusboi
Hot
fiend
Cold
Freyja
Hot & Cold
GuardianAngel
Hot & Cold
KrazyZark
Cold
Mattie
Hot & Cold
Phe
Hot & Cold
Puxorb
Hot & Cold
Ray is Sucky
Hot
Rhamkin
Hot
Seacat08
Hot & Cold
WinterWiz
Cold
You can open each map by typing in console:
map hotandcold_"username"
Make sure you also use the "flush" command between maps to clear your game cache!
The starting area is a bit bland and could use some refinement, indoor areas use some neat lighting, but wow that ice cave! it immediately puts this map pretty high for me.
Anderpan
Cold
70
Very good spytech detailing and that train depot room looks pretty cool brushwork and texturing could use some refinement however
August101
Cold
40
Very flat detailing i would suggest next time using more brushwork than props, i think that factory scene in the cold area looks pretty cool though
CriticalFeesh
Cold
10
Dasprucegoose
Hot & Cold
100
AMAZING! The natural landscapes, the interiors of the barn and the house are just perfect the attic looks real the basement looks real you even included floor vents in the house! I think this is a masterclass in detailing
DrSquishy
Hot & Cold
70
The rocket test and its bright light are very cool as well as the blizzard outside but beyond that it feels a bit empty?
Emil_Rusboi
Hot
80
Very good rock detailing, i like the 3d skybox and lava the indoor detailing leaves something to be desired however... its a bit too empty?
fiend
Cold
30
Very flat and square
Freyja
Hot & Cold
90
Very Creative prop usage e.g the turbine props underground, well executed theming in the above ground section and makes good use of the hot and cold theme the interactive lavagate also adds a lot of character, classic waterfall secret entrance as well
GuardianAngel
Hot & Cold
80
Very cool town detailing
KrazyZark
Cold
90
Looks like an antarctic base and the ice cave is very neat
Mattie
Hot & Cold
90
Very cool building and good use of the scaled up clock props, i think the cooler in the right side store might be backwards? anyways very good brushwork use of props and that skybox looks pretty sick also looks cold, the tennis balls stuck up in the windows is too true
Phe
Hot & Cold
90
You did a really good job of making a burning town! the use of treesway corn and trees is a nice touch
Puxorb
Hot & Cold
100
This is another masterclass in detailing, you perfected the quarry and lava temple themes perfectly this is a certified hood classic
Ray is Sucky
Hot
90
Very good lava spytech theme, melted details are nice but the long elevator ride is very boring
Rhamkin
Hot
50
Outside detailing and lighting are too flat, the water should probably be changed to a more bluish version indoor detailing looks nice
Seacat08
Hot & Cold
60
Outdoor fog is too bright, log cabin and underground spytech areas look nice
!!!VERY IMPORTANT!!! If you are downloading the maps from the map pack and not the download pages, I need you to know that you HAVE to walk through mine normally, NOT NOCLIP!!!
A valid and constituent component of our scores is "anything else that impacts your experience". So, I will be taking into account whether or not the maps actually feel hot/cold.
By the way, I have no idea what's making those spoiler blocks misaligned like that, nor how to fix it. The table editor resists all my attempts to backspace them. Please help!
Map
Theme
Deranged Ramblings
Score
01 - hotandcold_a_freakin_knight_rc1.bsp
Hot & Cold
The spawn area immediately doesn't inspire me with a lot of confidence. The industrial facade is nice but not anything ground-breaking, and turning around I see a view designed to frame the 2dsky (which is still painfully 2d), and I don't know why you thought turqoise fog and and orange sky would ever be a good combination. Here's an excerpt from one of YM's nodraw.net guides: "The fog colour you pick should be roughly the same as the colour of the skybox texture near the horizon. Think about it, when it’s foggy, what colour does everything get as its further away? What colour is the sky, at the horizon? If you answered both those with the same colour then you are correct and understand the principle. Pat yourself on the back."
The indoor area is much nicer, being set up to frame the window shadows. Now, I can't say these are gorgeous, since people will see it as bias, but I will say that they create a nice light-and-dark contrast that the outdoors lacked, and it generally reminds me of the spytech concept art in a way that can only be positive.
Going up the catwalks, you find a dark room with a ridiculously bright flashlight shining from a vent. It's very artfully placed, and reminds me of Black Mesa.
However, when you fall down the hole to the other corridors, they don't have that same attention given to their lighting, so it reveals how repetitive they are, with the same pipe, conduit and light props used on nearly every 256-unit section.
Through one door, you're given a tiny glimpse into a room full of pipes which I can only describe as as absolutely gorgeous.
Parts of these tunnels have that horrible smearing effect you get when lightmaps transition from "somewhat lit" to "total darkness".
Going further through the tunnels, you get to a very Half-Lifey room using a fire as its light source. The shadows are nice (BIAS! BIAS! EVIL LIGHTMAPS!), but despite being lit by a fire, this room doesn't feel very hot, and the flame effects are sort of lackluster, being just a few particles with no smoke or glow.
Going through a room I had missed earlier, there's a little cave area lit by an opening in the roof, and it looks great. I especially like the reflective mud floor.
Through there, you get to a room with a crazy amount of signs (a joke I never found funny), and into an area where you can't see 2 metres in front of your face. But you can see the cave entrance, and going through it reveals an expansive ice-cave area which is the reason why the turqoise fog exists. (You do know you can swap between multiple fog controllers in a map, right?)
This ice-cave area feels somewhat cold - definitely better than the outside area or buildings - feels expansive enough to hide its relatively unimaginative detail choices, and has a nice metal mining-tower area that stands out because of the choice to make it wholly from red metal.
This area has lighting warm enough to make it feel a little hot, but because it's all red metal, you didn't use any spotlights and thre aren't many wall details, it seriously lacks detail.
There are also weird side rooms with stained-glass windows. What is this, the Palace of the Earth Spirits from Touhou 11?
This map gave me a bad first impression when I loaded into it, but overall it had enough attention to light placement, and enough areas with competent details, and did enough of a job making me feel hot/cold that I really couldn't give it a low score.
Solid effort!
I probably would've rated this map higher if it was just the ice cave area.
62
02 - hotandcold_anderpan.bsp
Cold
AAAAAAH! MISSING TEXTURES!!!
Oh well, I'll just ignore them.
The map starts off with some classic spawnroom detailing. It's very competent. There are some areas that lack detail, like that upper corridor with the Frontline metal, but it's a better start than the last guy had!
The visual of being trapped in a big warehouse is pretty cool!
I find the outdoors altogether too bright for its nighttime setting, too lacking in detail, and too obvious where the world ends and the 3dsky begins because of the insanely abrupt transition from "no fog" to "lots of fog".
The lighting in the vents is nice!
My least favourite part of this map is the underground merc park area. It has truly flat, uninspiring lighting, not an amazing amount of detail, and it transitions into a spytech area with no real flair or warning.
The spytech area has lots of detail, and is laid in a way where it also looks like a really fun arena to fight in. The lighting and texture choices are pretty "meh", but I'm willing to forgive that.
The map is so unbelievably expansive that it would be wasted effort for me to talk about every room, so I'll write a closing statement here:
This map's placement of detail is very competent, but its lighting is lackluster and it fails to ever make me feel cold.
Partner up with the guy above you and I bet you can make something great together, with his attention to lighting and your attention to detail.
72
03 - hotandcold_august101_v2.bsp
Cold
I'll start trying to keep these brief.
This map feels like it tries to go all-out on the "cold" feeling more than the others.
The idea of a big christmas popsicle factory which you enter through a snowman head is awesome.
However, this map seriously lacks detail, and feels unfinished.
There's an outdoor area which just ends really obviously, there are a lot of walls that are just a texture with no wall details placed on it, all rooms are just a box basically with nothing to vary their shape, and every room including the outdoors is overlit so there's no contrast at all.
It feels like a lot more effort was put into the weird underground room you teleport into.
The colour correction is a cool idea, but just putting an Instagram filter on my screen isn't gonna make me feel cold. You have to make me feel like I'm really standing there.
Overall, I can't give this a high rating, and I'm sorry for it.
32
04 - hotandcold_criticalfeesh.bsp
Cold
I'll start being a little more brief with these.
The spawnroom detailing is good enough, and the multi-section doors are nice.
The space theme is a good choice, since space feels creepy and cold.
The spawnrooms are overlit, use light_spot exclusively if you can and try to light rooms with a single spotlight.
The outdoor section should be more than just a single flat plane.
Not sure how to open the rocket pit, and it too is basically just a box.
There could, and should have been a lot more detail in the small space this map had.
27
05 - hotandcold_dasprucegoose.bsp
Hot & Cold
The starting room is laid out reasonably well.
It sticks out to me that the dedicated spotlights are not actually very bright, and for a night it's not very dark at all.
Not a fan of how everything is clipped, even stuff it looks like you should be able to jump through.
The scripted events are interesting.
The farmhouse on the hill is very highly detailed.
Overall, the placement of detail on this map is better than competent, but the lighting doesn't excite me, and it makes the night fail to make me feel cold, and the interiors fail to make me feel warm.
Ah, but the lighting of the final scripted event is quite nice with how it interacts with the snow's normal map.
It's not the worst attempt ever, of course. Clearly an immense of work has been put in to realise this vision, and it deserves a high rating, but I think with an extra few hours of attention to the lighting, it could have looked even better, and even better is what we aim for when we follow in the footsteps of Valve.
87
06 - hotandcold_drsquishy.bsp
Hot & Cold
The intense fog combined with the infinite expanse of nothingness is interesting, but it feels like a trick designed to hide the lack of exterior detail.
The fence stuck inside the snow looks jumpable, but isn't.
The map constantly floods my console with errors (seemingly some textures have missing bumpmaps).
The rocket testfire scene is interesting, although it kind of feels like "dollar-store Black Mesa".
The lighting is competent enough, but many walls are just textures, and lighting and fog only go so far to hide that.
The rocket testfire is bright and burns you to death, but with how white its light is, it doesn't really feel all that hot.
The exterior of the map does an... okay? job at feeling cold.
54
07 - hotandcold_emil_rusboi.bsp
Hot
The theme is pretty well-evolved.
Sadly, I haven't seen any Star Wars movies, so I couldn't tell you for sure which one this is ripping off.
The lighting is lackluster and low-contrast throughout the entire map. The light produced by the lava is pathetic in brightness, the sun can hardly be said to cast shadows, and the indoor rooms are overlit.
The indoor rooms generally lack detail, and I find that the texture choices are poor, as if trying to make up for what the lighting lacks, but failing.
The ultra-shiny sci-fi texture is weird, and I almost feel like substituting it with white concrete would have been better.
The 3dsky has a good skyline, but noticeably lacks definition in both modellng and textures.
The lighting fails to ever make me feel hot.
If I had to say one good thing about this map, it'd be that the framing of the initial outdoor scene is nice enough.
34
08 - hotandcold_fiend.bsp
Cold
Feels unfinished.
The map abruptly ends and transitions into skybox, many walls are just textures and large walls do little to break up the shape or hide the texture repetition.
The lighting is very low-contrast outdoors.
The best part of the map is probably that one room with the fireplace.
Sorry, but I can't give this a high rating.
28
09 - hotandcold_freyja.bsp
Hot & Cold
This map's outdoor area leaves a bad first impression, just like with entry 01.
Pink and blue is not a colour scheme that excites me.
There's a lot of detail, but barely any of it is framed in a way that makes it pop, which entry 01 at least bothered to do.
It also feels a little confused. Snow is meant to be cold, but an onsen is meant to be nice and warm, and even if that microcontrast mattered, the somewhat intense sunlight (even with its pinkish tint) dashes any hopes of this scene feeling cold.
The onsen interior doesn't get me excited either. All the detail of the beamwork is lost cause it's all just the same brown wood and the lighting is unimaginative and uniform.
The semi-realism is nice, but it doesn't really feel as relaxing as an onsen should, at least in my opinion.
I like the wooden aqueducts.
The caves under the well and waterfall are probably the only area of the map I'd call well-lit.
The concrete corridors underground are uniformly and unimaginatively lit, don't have an outstanding amount of detail and what is there is very similar to what we've seen before in Valve maps.
Having all this under an onsen is particularly strange. I know 2fort has a sudden secret base in a farm theme, but the thing about 2fort is that it made the farm feel fake; a cover only there to disguise the spybase.
Here, the onsen feels fully serious and completely defeats the purpose of having a spybase under it.
The actual spytech area overseeing the lava cavern is very nice, another highlight of the map.
The room with a ridiculous number of pipes and some cobbled-together machinery is also pretty nice; finally, some innovation within the samey concrete corridors of this map.
I also noticed some nice sharp shadows on the wall of this room!
The light given off by the MASSIVE exposed lava patch is pathetic, and completely fails to make me feel hot when it can be completely drowned out by a few artificial overhead lights.
Overall, this map has very few areas that impress me, and with its failure to make me feel hot OR cold, I can't really think of a reason to give it a high rating.
41
10 - hotandcold_GuardianAngel.bsp
Hot & Cold
The subway which the map starts you in lacks detail.
I've never seen a London pack map with good lighting, and this map is no exception; the indoor areas are lit unimaginatively, and the exteriors are altogether too bright for the nighttime, completely ruining the distant mountain visual and letting you see how unexpansive the 3dsky truly is.
Oh, the Gray Mann's Metal Marvels exhibition centre is actually very nicely lit!
It feels like the moment-to-moment detailing on this map is great - each individual building has juuuust enough detail, and their facades are creative enough to sell them as real buildings.
On the whole it's a very solid effort - I could see it taking off as a trade map!
The lighting does bug me though. It's a nice map, but it feels like it just doesn't put in that extra effort to make me feel hot or cold.
A more professional lighting pass could have seen me rating this in the 80s or 90s, easily.
If you want to know how to REALLY light a night map, play through this game.
74
11 - hotandcold_mattie.bsp
Hot & Cold
Some of these maps take a LONG fucking time to load.
I skipped past the custom blackboard text. Sorry! You can understand me wanting to play the map sooner after such a long wait time.
For those of you wondering; only 12 MB of this map's garguantuan 140 MB is lighting information, even though it has some sharper shadows than usual.
The rest of its filesize is the disgusting 131 MB pakfile.
42 MB of this alone (more than the entirety of sd_offload) is textures for the map's various custom props.
You start in a courtyard with cool lights on the walls of the building to the left.
It looks like the light's coming from nowhere, but never fear - the lights are just near-invisible in the snow, and have no env_sprite or anything.
That's not just a nitpick; it characterises all of this map's lighting. "Much good work is lost for the lack of a little more".
A ton of effort went into the lighting on the map, but it feels like it tripped right before the finish line.
For starters, it's supposed to have this strong blue-orange contrast, but in reality, the shade of yellow light that was used more commonly creates pink when mixed with the bricks and snow of this map.
Blue and pink is, again, an unappealing colour scheme, and this map isn't even pretending to justify it with a sunrise skybox.
The best lighting is found indoors; I would even go so far as to say that it's very good, although bland in some areas.
I maintain that I have never seen a London pack map with good lighting. Much good work is lost for the lack of a little more.
It goes without saying that the map's level of detail is more than enough.
But it's all too clean to feel like TF2 to me, and more importantly it completely fails to make me either feel hot or cold.
Realism only gets you so far.
TF2 is a long way from being real life.
And much good work is lost for the lack of a little more.
64
12 - hotandcold_krazyzark.bsp
Cold
Cutscenes annoy me.
I won't dock the map points for it, though.
I guess there's music too. Wasn't this supposed to be a TF2 contest?
Again, I won't dock the map points for it.
Judging by the Arctic theming, I'd say the map wants me to feel cold.
All the elements you'd expect from an arctic base are there, and well-built.
The theme is unexciting in terms of contast, something I assume the multicoloured walls are there to make up for.
Normally I would say these multicoloured metal walls aren't very TF2, like with laborde, but these are given enough subtle stains to fit in.
The unexciting lighting of the above-ground is mostly made up for by the underground's spectacular UFO and reflective ice walls.
The cargo elevator and ice caves are flawless, in my opinion.
The interior lab is littered with detail, and it feels like it would almost be rude to complain about the lighting in such an environment. It works.
However, I don't really feel cold in this map. Yes, it's blue-white, it's snowy, but the necessity of the sun in providing brightness-contrast kind of overrides that.
Like, to feel cold, I need to feel like my Engineer is isolated, alone and minutes away from freezing to death, but here he's just safely contained within the fences of an Arctic lab at daytime where it's not even a snowstorm.
The lab doesn't improve that for me, and neither do the ice-caves.
It's an impressive detail map, but not really a cold one if you ask me; even entry 06 felt colder.
89
13 - hotandcold_phe.bsp
Hot & Cold
The initial burning town setting is impressive; highly detailed, decently framed and maybe the hottest I've felt so far.
Music again!?!
I feel betrayed.
The clipping feels angry at me, not wanting me to go in various places it looks like I should be able to go.
Since the burning town is so impressive, you can imagine my surprise when I found out that was all that the map was.
I spent several minutes with noclip and ent_fire trying to find a location or scripted event that would turn the map cold, but I never did.
I guess the nighttime theming is meant to make the map feel cold, like some kind of burning ghost town?
I can almost see and feel that vision, but it's kind of ruined by the, well... blazing inferno?
And even then, Ravenholm doesn't make me feel cold, y'know?
It's a hard decision to make, docking points from such an impressive map that clearly has a vision that achieves the goal of the contest, but no matter how much I try, I can't make myself feel cold in this map.
84
14 - hotandcold_puxorb.bsp
Hot & Cold
Another night map with lighting that doesn't feel nighttime-y at all.
The first chapter title reveals the growing tone_alley.wav fandom that entry 13 was also subscribed to.
With the formalities out of the way, the level of detail of the cave is suitable, its framing is nice, and I really like all the blocked passageways. I don't think it feels anything close to cold, though.
The bottom of the cavern is a lot more promising.
Finally, a map with intense lighting to match its blazing infernos!
It all feels very like some old gladiator-combat movie, and although the level of detail in these rooms is at most "acceptable", the lighting - and particularly that awesome bumpmapped stone brick texture - make up for it.
Honestly, I'd say that the pits of this map, although less detailed, make me feel even hotter than entry 12. That has to count for something, so I'd say this map deserves a similar rating.
82
15 - hotandcold_rayissucky_fix4.bsp
Hot
"The Kais made me crazy?"
This map starts you out in an underdetailed yet decently lit room with nice jungle sounds playing in the background.
Then, you take the longest, most boring elevator ride ever, in an elevator shaft with not much to look at except weird cardboard cutouts.
Not my idea of a good time.
Then you go through a moody red metal corridor with lighting that looks like it should be better than it is (although it isn't bad).
But it's all worth it, because the engine-room-like place you enter is very nicely detailed, lit and framed.
The door with lava having melted a hole through it, the catwalks around the metal pipes and the various catwalks over the lava caverns are all very cool.
I found the secret Mr. Meeseeks room.
This map has a LOT of cool setpieces, and is maybe the second hottest so far, behind entry 13.
However, I feel that it's a little low-contrast, has many underdetailed corridors, and is overreliant on that one red metal texture.
But it's definitely a solid effort, and because it isn't even pretending to be cold, it gets to be rated slightly above entries 13 and 14. Good job!
85
16 - hotandcold_rhamkin_fix1.bsp
Hot
If you turn around right as you spawn, you get a pretty underdetailed scene directly in your face.
This will characterise the rest of the map.
The reason why it looks so bad is because most of this map's santorini buildings are custom props. This not only majorly inflates the filesize, it means they're lit a lot less well than brushes. I was convinced that they were all in the 3d skybox when I first saw them - that's how bad their lighting looks. Certain angles look fullbright.
As for the rest of the map - it's a single cafe. Its level of detail is quite good, but its lighting is bland and uninspiring, and I can't quite figure out how I'm supposed to feel hot in here, under these cool white lights.
The santorini exterior also doesn't do it for me in terms of heat. If literal deserts aren't enough to feel hot in this game, Greece isn't gonna be enough.
39
17 - hotandcold_seacat08_final2a.bsp
Hot & Cold
The custom goal string warms my heart.
Maybe this is the part of the map that's meant to feel hot?
Jokes aside, this map goes for the classic "log cabin in a wintry landscape" aesthetic, and does it well enough.
Yet again it's a night map with weirdly bright lighting, and the indoor light isn't the best I've ever seen - but not the worst either.
The displacements are well-done, and the distant scenery is well-framed, but too low to the ground, and the bright white fog ruins it.
I'm not convinced that this map has cubemaps, since the reflection I get in the water is yellow - a telltale sign of engine/defaultcubemap.
The architecture and level of detail of the log cabin are quite good.
The map doesn't make me feel very hot or cold, but it has a bit of soul and work put into it.
That has to count for something, right?
42
18 - hotandcold_winterwiz.bsp
Cold
Another map that spams my console with errors.
This map has very competent arctic theme detailing.
I feel that it even has an edge over entry 12, because it's doing all this with assets and colours that feel very natural to the TF2 universe.
Additionally, where this map does use custom assets, it uses them to fit in, not to stand out.
Subconsciously, this map feels like home to me; something I can't say for a lot of other maps in this contest.
Sadly, it falls into the ever-present Arctic theme trap of low-contrast lighting, and fails to truly feel cold because of that.
With these factors taken into account, I think it deserves the same rating as entry 12.
89
I'll rest easy now that I can purge this horrific 712MB zip file off my ever-full hard drive.
-Jagged displacements around the door--these should be smooth and "bubble out" of the wall. The rock props stick out a bit unnaturally and have blobby shadows.
-The fog color should match the orange glow at the horizon!
-Bloom is quite high and the snow is blinding, though strangely realistic and it works for how bright the interior lighting is.
-The spotlight entities in the windows is a neat trick! I've never seen it used to this extent before and it works quite well, even if the illusion falls apart from the side. I especially love how it looks poking through the less-opaque parts of the window. The sunsprite is appropriately intense.
-The high lightmap resolution is awesome. (shoutout pipe room!)
-The concrete tunnels look great, (especially the rocky one with the light shafts coming through), but are really too dark in some spots. (remember, TF2 has no flashlight).
-The underground cavern is...weird. But I love it. The geometry of the vault room reminds me of quake. The only thing I dislike is the stained-glass windows which don't make sense in the locations they are in.
-Overall I thought this was good, with some truly screenshot-worthy areas (I did take a lot) but its brought down by a lack of polish in other areas, and by how dark it is. I also feel it could have used some ambient_generics to really round out the feeling of each room.
Anderpan
Cold
70
-Immediately I am present with missing models and console spam! I tried to warn people about this while there was still time to fix it! I can't help but take off points.
-The starting area looks pretty good. Small details like the icicles coming out of the gutter work well.
-Soundscapes need better placement. Dropping into the ice next to the bridge plays an interior hum which ruins the illusion! Make sure if distance set to -1 that its visible from all areas (put it higher up in the air).
-I think the entrance to the base could have been more visible as you're walking towards it. The rocks around it are pretty much black. I actually missed it the first time and went through the sewer tunnel instead.
-The interior spaces are interesting and nicely detailed, but lack an overall cohesiveness. There are a lot of different conflicting highlight colors, and weird geometry that make the room feel unnatural and unfocued. That being said, there are a lot of spaces I still find really cool.
-There were more missing inside. The textures on the angled pillars were misaligned. Some props were floating, others were lit poorly and had blobby dark patches.
August101
Cold
30
-The entry is very boxy. There is hardly any surface detail geometry, like trims and beams. Some doorways lack doorframes.
-The lighting is pretty flat.
-The metal roof is insanely thick! 2-4hu is normal, 8 being passable in some situations.
-There is a complete lack of soundscapes or ambient sound on this entry, that would have seriously improved the quality and feeling of each space.
-The buttons to open the doors are just developer textures. There are so many interesting ways you could have worked them into consoles, panels, screens, etc.
-The theming is interesting, and I like the actual shape of the giant freezer. The frozen spy got a chuckle out of me. Why is there a library/lounge in a freezer? And a giant raygun that can't shoot at anything? It looks like the freezer was built around it because I don't know how it would have gotten in there otherwise.
-I love the popsicle posters
CriticalFeesh
Cold
10
-This entry lacks any serious detail.
-The buildings are simple box structures. There are no trims or surface details to break up shapes and add contrast or interest.
-The lighting is completely flat and uninteresting.
-The flat ground surface has a blotchy shadow across the entire map. I'm not even sure its displacements.
-There is no sound except for the doors opening.
-The diamond grip pattern on the door makes no sense; you usually only find this material on horizontal surfaces. It would wear out the door mechanism quickly.
-I tried for a long time to see if anything happens with the big door other than opening, and noclip revealed that there is a rocket underneath. But no way to launch it, or even see it without cheating.
-Its not communicated well if the setting is in the arctic, or space.
Dasprucegoose
Hot & Cold
99
-GREAT theming, art, use of sound, and scripted sequences.
-There are a lot of great visual sightlines like the distant barns, the house up on the hill, or the burning barn down below. It feels like effort went into how these places were revealed as you progess through the level.
-The storytelling here is very strong.
-The skybox is detailed well.
-I love how you made the record player using the taunt and the bell prop!
-Great usage of props and assets in the house. Material usage here is great, and the layout of the house is believable.
-The custom waterwheel is great. I wish you'd made a custom waterfall with displacements, but it still looks good, and the sounds work well.
-The creaking wood on the bridge that foreshadows falling into it later is brilliant.
-The contrast in lighting during the fire is awesome. I love how the orange glow casts over the trees and spills onto the surrounding hills.
-Very, VERY, well-polished map. The only thing that bothers me are the snow particles clipping through the basement of the house. I will deduct 1 (one) point for that.
DrSquishy
Hot & Cold
60
-I like that I have to follow the sound of the rocket test to find the building. The blizzard is intense and the fog usage reflects that. I like the horizontal icicles on the outside. I do sort of wish the fog wasn't as intense so I could see more of the building. One solution would be to have more structures that I can "discover" as I walk around blindly in the storm.
-There's a good contrast between hot and cold themes. (I did something similar to this for my 2019 entry so I might be biased)
-The building itself is very simple. I get that's part of its design, but more detailed geometry would have helped a lot. Plus more assets. Some blowing powerlines would add a lot of ambience to the map.
-I do not like the door sounds, but I do like how they are properly thick and heavy, which is communicated well by how slowly they move. My advise would be to use a different door moving sound but play that ratcheting sound slightly to the side, to give the illusion of machinery gearing operating it nearby.
-The effects of the rocket blast and the smoke trailing down the nozzle look cool.
-I think you needed some deep rumbling sounds to really sell the power of the rocket, the sounds chosen are a bit underwhelming.
Emil_Rusboi
Hot
70
-The environment looks good; the skybox and displacement work match the rock cliff props texture and lighting pretty well.
-I've never seen this lava before. Its not my favorite but it works well enough. (I think it repeats a bit too much in the skybox though)
-Particle usage is excellent. The lava bubbling, boiling, and splashing everywhere is good. The smoke volume looks good.
-I wish there were more sounds. The lavafall on the right is completely silent, and the bubbling pool you walk past when you first spawn in is as well.
-The interior room is pretty bland. Do they really employ all those people just to flip one switch each? That's actually pretty funny.
-The metal texture you use is too shiny. I think a dull concrete texture would have worked better, or a custom .vmt for the metal that removes its shininess.
-The underground "The end is nigh" room and the tunnel leading to it are great, though the mattress looks weird.
fiend
Cold
30
-There are some missing textures on this map.
-Texture scaling could have been better. Both the interior and exterior ice texture repeat a lot. Increasing the scale to .5 or even 1 would have solved this. The water could also be increased.
-A lot of the interior environments are flat and sparsely detailed. The wooden beams and stairs have their textures misaligned.
-The exterior details are very simple and boxy.
-I'm not exactly sure what this facility is for other than storage rooms and an office.
-The interior soundscape is a constant humming light noise that I don't think fits the type of light fixtures being used.
Freyja
Hot & Cold
95
-Immediately struck by the contrast in light and shadow. I think its very complimentary and works well.
-The displacements look good, the skybox looks good.
-I like the lighting on the trees; how they subtly glow against the background. It might not be realistic but its nice artistry.
-I appreciate all the snow piles on everything, and how they even cut off on railings where roofs or other structures overhang.
-The interiors of the wooden buildings look nice, but the lighting is a bit flat. I think the ceiling should realistically be darker given the type of light fixture you're using.
-I like the glass-like reflection on the water.
-Waterfalls and lavafalls are a great contrasting theme; cold and hot.
-I like that there are two ways to enter the underground!
-The steam generator room has a really nice color palette. The shadows look really nice. The repetitive pipes add detail without any visual noise. Sound usage is nice.
-The spytech computers looks especially good with the different shades of red and brown. Its a very classic bit of detailing.
-I really like the ceiling beams and pipes in the lavaflow room. Subtly lit but all the same color again adds detail without visual noise.
-The glow and heat effect off the lava look nice, and I like that I can dam the flow to increase the level. I wish the lighting would have matched the increasing height of the flow.
-I can't find much to fault this one on.
GuardianAngel
Hot & Cold
75
-I really like those brick arch details.
-A lot of buildings look plain on the outside, and the inside too. The lighting is a bit flat in spots.
-But, there are a lot of cool details, like the nursery/playroom using the pyroland overlay, the red team graffiti outside by the docks, the entirety of the pub including its sign outside, etc.
-There are a lot of props casting shadows indoors in ways that don't make sense, like the chairs and paintings.
-The entire robot exhibition is cool! There's some great storytelling with each of the dioramas. The lighting is also pretty good. I wish they used the robot voicelines, though.
-There's not a ton of theming of hot and cold going on, but its enough.
KrazyZark
Cold
95
-The intro sequence is fantastic. I love the sound effects going on in the dark. You can really feel things moving around you without seeing it.
-I like the subtle alien particles coming up through the snow, and the sound cues hinting at what is coming up. The storytelling here is fantastic.
-This entry relies heavily on assets and props, but this isn't a bad thing at all since they are all used really effectively in detailing. Each space feels lived-in and used, and the prop placement tells a story.
-The slow descent down the elevator builds the mood.
-I think the initial ice cave could have been made a bit better. (There are noticeable transitions around the corners). I would have tried to hide it with props or other displacements sticking out.
-The final reveal is just spectacular. Overall, I love this one for its excellent use of visual, sound, and scripted sequences.
Mattie
Hot & Cold
90
-The lighting in the initial area is a bit simple, and comes off a little flat. I do like the contrast between the cool blue sky and warm-white lighting. And the building on the left with the skylight has a pleasant glow to it.
-I wish you had used some overlays, or a worn brick texture for some of the tops/bottoms of the exterior walls. They appear a bit too sterile, even for a well kept building.
-The counter display is backwards and this bothers me!
-I love all the custom signage, the music band, the storytelling through the posters and the museum. I love how you made that food truck! I'm really inspired by that detail.
-I really like the look of the tennis court building. The balls getting stuck up top by the windows is a great touch!
-The music hall looks FANTASTIC. This is my favorite part of the whole map. The embers coming off the fire in the kitchen is cool, I couldn't get them to work in my map.
-The lighting in the manor is great, especially in the hallways. The glowing sprites on the lamps feels warm and cozy, contrasting well with the snow falling outside the adjacent windows.
-The scripted elevator sequence was a bit hard to figure out, and the underground tunnels are too dark. I had to turn all my lights off to actually see anything.
-But that final room makes up for it! I love the ambient music and the glowing information screens. That letter was a touching sendoff.
-Overall I think this entry was fantastic but its held back a bit by some areas of questionable lighting and sparse texture detail.
Phe
Hot & Cold
85
-This one is very simple, but I think it executes on its theme superbly. It might not be a large map but it uses its available space really, really well.
-That being said, I do wish there was more to explore. The map leaves you wanting.
-This has the best burning wood of any of the entries.
-This entry also has the best sound design. It's really excellent and foreboding. The droning hum broken up by the creaks and groans of a compromised structure are very effective at conveying tone.
-The fast-moving wind and dust is an awesome touch, and something you would see near a large structure fire.
-I like the cracked ground texture.
-I like the "COME BACK SOON" sign, its thematically ominous.
-Some of the vertical wooden planks are a bit too thick.
-There really isn't anything cold on this map, which isn't a downside, but you do have it listed as Hot & Cold. The map certainly FEELS hot.
Puxorb
Hot & Cold
--
--
Ray is Sucky
Hot
90
-This one really lives up to the HOT part of the theme! (I love the little freezer down below).
-I have no criticisms of the lighting on this map. I think it looks pretty good all throughout.
-The little hints at stuff behind the scenes as you descend the elevator is a nice touch.
-The sound design is good!
- The glass tunnel overlooking the lava falls is awesome. So is the other glass tunnel with all the pipes.
-I like the idea of the portholes showing the flowing lava around you, and it really adds a sense of scale and foreboding, but it does bother me that its lit white around the outside(not much you can do about that except use another prop) and not recessed into the wall a bit.
-I love that spilled lava bit melting the stairs!
-The secret button that drops people down below? Brilliantly themed.
-I also really like those giant displacement stalactites.
-Some of the geometry is a bit simplistic in my opinion, but I really don't have much to complain about. Its got and old-school vibe to it and is impressive in scale.
Rhamkin
Hot
50
-This one looks nice. I like the interiors, but I think it suffers from some flat, uninteresting lighting. A darker ceiling would add more contrast, and there's a lot you could have done with the windows casting brighter light onto the floors/walls.
-Its not really feeling hot/cold to me. Maybe if there was a portion outside on the beach, under the sweltering sun?
-I wish there was some detailing outside that I could walk around and see.
-I don't really have much to say other than I think the materials and props usage inside is excellent, but it falls short in almost every other category.
Seacat08
Hot & Cold
45
-The fog is sort of an intense, bright white. I would try making it darker grey to blend into the horizon more.
-Its cool that the whole cabin is made with brushwork, but it looks really blocky and unnatural. You could probably have found some log assets that work better, or increase the number of polygons for each beam.
-I don't really like the breathing effect on the dynamic lights. It's a bit choppy and looks unnatural to have fire glowing in such a way. I think I would have preferred this if it was a more random flicker.
-There is some good asset use on this map, and I really like those brushwork radiators.
-However, a lot of the texture work is sloppy. Lots of wood beams don't have their textures aligned and although I like the idea of the tarp on the generator, it's stretched a bit too much to look good.
-There is some texture fighting in the caves below, and a few visible seams in brushwork/displacements.
-Material use in the computer rooms is great, but I think it would have looked nicer with darker, more contrasting lighting. Everything is evenly lit and it really detracts from it, visually.
-I LOVE the brushwork garbage cans. I might have to steal that idea.
-The way the ice sticks out of the rocky walls in that last room is pretty jarring. I'd recommend the snow overlay to help blend the transition.
WinterWiz
Cold
65
-The fog on this one also is a bit intense. It matches the skybox, but I feel as though its too close. I only have to walk a short distance before the entire cliff is bathed in grey and stands out against the darker portion of the sky.
-The factory soundscape doesn't make too much sense in a small room with no machinery.
-The giant cliff in the skybox would be blocking out most of the light, but if it wasn't there, I think a steeper sun angle would let you get more interesting lighting on those buildings.
-The water is not rendering for me. There's also a lot of console spam so I think that might be related.
-When you stand in the middle of the map, the fog and sound effects really add to the feeling of a cold winter storm.
-I think the wooden buildings could use more, and thicker, wooden supports.
-Overall there's a good use of materials and props, and each side feels appropriately detailed to their respective teams. I'm just sad I have to deduct points for the missing textures and some minor stuff.
I really like this one! So many really awesome set pieces, namely the building from the spawn, and the entire secret area. The lighting is also really good, the use of natural lighting especially, and even the use of darkness as well, and using light_spots to simulate light rays going through the windows was a wonderful idea that looks really cool! I hope people use that trick more often. The secret area was a really awesome sight, such a big and imposing structure, and the ice cave itself was really well done! Though I could still see the displacement seams in the ground. Kinda disappointed that opening the vault wasn’t an option. Honestly, wonderful job with this one!
Anderpan
Cold
60
The atmosphere of the outside area is really nice! And I really like all the areas you can walk sound in and see in the inside area, odds are I even missed stuff, which is nice for if/when I eventually come back to these! Though the entry seems rough around the edges in some places, namely the shadows on some props and the 3D skybox in the outdoor area. The missile prop in the room with the tall staircase was missing collision, and the prop fade on the crates in the same room was too aggressive/obvious. It could turn out even better with some more polish! As is, still a solid effort!
August101
Cold
40
The map could use some work, the freezer area definitely had the most TLC and it certainly shows, while it is neat, the outside area really needed the same amount put into it, since it really stands out and is noticeably more empty and too lightly detailed. The freezer area is definitely the star of the show here by comparison, but it still felt like it needed a bit more, like maybe a smoke effect to really sell how cold it is. The colour correction partway through the freezer was a really nice touch and definitely helped to sell the coldness of it, even if it felt just a tad too blue. Lots of neat ideas here, but it just needed more.
Criticalfeesh
Cold
20
There really isn’t much to say. Seems to be on the moon, but the outside still seems way too empty despite that. The building has a bit more substance to it, but there’s not really much there still. The button that opens the hatch was neat, but a bit underwhelming, felt like being able to see the missile when the hatch opens would’ve helped.
Dasprucegoose
Hot & Cold
100
Absolutely fantastic entry! This was a spectacular entry to go through, walking through it, seeing new things and having the environment dynamically change as I went through it was such a joy. The attention to detail was fantastic, and I absolutely loved the environmental storytelling with the shed burning more and more as I went through, and the lodge was really well done, it really felt like a lived in place, though the calendar reading “June” took me out a tiny bit. Just seeing how much the map changed as I went on was such a treat. This was a fantastic entry, wonderful job!
DrSquishy
Hot & Cold
55
Not too much to say with this one, it’s just a solid entry! I like how well it captures the desolate wasteland, with a cool atmosphere! The button sequence was also really neat, being able to see it on the monitors was a cool touch as well! Otherwise, just doesn’t feel like much, but still solid!
Emil_Rusboi
Hot
70
This map is cool! The outside area steals the show for me, the lava and lava flows look awesome, and the 3D sky horizon behind the player’s spawn is a really nice sight! I was expecting more of the indoor spytech area, but it’s still really well done!
fiend
Cold
40
I like the ideas here, but it feels like it lacks a lot of substance. A 3D Skybox would have helped the outdoor area a lot, it feels very empty, and the world just..abruptly ends. The indoors area feels a bit better, it achieves a rather cozy feeling pretty well, but it still feels rather empty overall. Overall a fine attempt, but it just feels a bit too barren.
Freyja
Hot & Cold
95
Such a wonderfully well done entry, it’s easy to tell how much effort went into it. It has a fantastic attention to detail, with the sound design and effects like the warping effect around the radiators. The spytech area was really awesome! Going through the waterfall or the well were such creative transitions, and all the little details and interactable objects there were great! The only issue I had was that I prolly shouldn’t have been allowed to walk up the water spouts, made it easy to see the transition to the 3D Skybox and it stuck out a bit. Overall, absolutely fantastic map, well done!
GuardianAngel
Hot & Cold
90
This is a really good entry! The entire town area, the bar and the hotel are all really well done and feel like actual places you’d walk around irl! The Gray Mann Robot Exhibit was a really fun set piece to walk around in and experience, consistently interesting and entertaining! Only real issues I encountered were with the 3D Sky, namely the transition between the walkable space and the 3D Sky being very obvious and odd looking, and the fog felt too blue and didn’t mesh well with the 2D skybox itself, otherwise though, this was a fantastic entry! I really liked it
KrazyZark
Cold
100
This was another awesome entry! A REALLY strong first impression with a cutscene of all things! That was awesome and not something I was expecting! The rest of the map is awesome too, a really cool theme with a lot of attention to detail everywhere! The dog and the “ A safe lab” poster were touches I really liked personally XD The area that the big lift takes you too was awesome! That set piece with the UFO at the end was absolutely magnificent!
Honestly a fantastic entry all around, excellent job!
Mattie
Hot & Cold
90
Really good entry as always! The theme was done extremely well, and the attention to detail was superb! Lots of things to see and all very well done with neat touches! My only real issue is that it doesn’t really feel like a TF2 map outside of the Georgian Lodge and the secret area within it, I imagine it’s supposed to be a slightly more modern take on it but I couldn’t help but feel taken out of it a bit by the obviously modern monitors spread throughout, and I normally hate that kinda criticism but it kinda felt appropriate here due to the rules of the contest ("Map must be TF2 styled"). It was still a fantastic entry though, so it’ll still get high marks from me! Also that resignation letter at the end really tugged on the heartstrings, good luck in all of your future endeavours, genuinely!
Phe
Hot & Cold
80
Really love the oppressive atmosphere of the maps! The lighting mixed with the sound design really sells that. The buildings are really well done and show off the damage very well. The map is one big awesome set piece and I love that, but I wish I was able to explore more of it, like in between the buildings or if at least one of them opened up. Really like what was done here, just wish there was more!
Puxorb
Hot & Cold
90
Honestly not much to say about this one! It’s just a really good entry that has the really cool initial set piece of the chasm, and the build up of descending into the chasm is phenomenal! The atmosphere is so oppressive, it’s really well done and the sound design when you reach the bottom is really good! Great entry all around!
Ray is Sucky
Hot
90
I really like this entry! It handles the Hot theme wonderfully and really conveys the secret lava base really well! You can feel the heat everywhere past the long elevator sequence and it’s just splendid! My only real gripes are that there are a lot of long hallways that look very basic and same-y, and I feel the elevator sequence just goes a liiiiitle bit too long, but otherwise, great entry, very well done! Also, loved seeing the oc cutouts, especially mine!
Rhamkin
Hot
50
The restaurant is super well done! Lots of attention to detail and it looks great! Unfortunately though, as good as the walkable area looks, there’s not much here. I wish there was more to it than just the restaurant, and the buildings outside it look very simple and blocky. I’m also not really sure how it’s s’posed to convey the Hot part of the theme, I imagine that it being based on the Santorini theme, it’s a warm climate but it doesn’t really convey Hot to me at all. What’s here looks really nice, but I wish there was more and that it fit the Hot theme better.
Seacat08
Hot & Cold
75
I like a lot of what this entry does, though the execution is weird in some spots. I really like that the cabin hides a big secret base underneath! The initial shot of the map when loading in is good, the cabin in front of the mountainous 2D skybox looks good, and I like that the water in the outside area hurts you when you jump in! The displacements on the outside have obvious seams, and it feels like the texture for one section of it oddly sticks out. There are some weird texture choices in the cabin too, namely the countertop and the wooden supports inside the cabin look really weird and out of place. I feel like the inside of the cabin could’ve used a bit more detail in spots, namely the main room that you enter in. Otherwise though, a solid entry!
WinterWiz
Cold
60
Honestly a super interesting entry! I didn’t expect a map that was made with both gameplay and detailing in mind! It’s a neat idea and the asymmetric detailing is really nice to see, but I can’t help but I also can’t help but feel the design works against it as a detail entry. Some areas feel oddly closed off and they stick out and feel weird. The ship is really cool as a main set piece and the tall buildings and cliffs really give it a nice enclosed feeling which I think works really well! Overall, I really like that you tried to adapt a gameplay map for a detail entry, while I feel that hampered it a bit, it’s a really nice attempt and that shouldn’t be ignored!
Very atmospheric, but too dark in some places. The ice cave is pretty cool. The outdoor area could use more detail
Anderpan
Cold
64
This map is feels like a regular tf2 map without the gameplay, some areas could use more detail (the cave room + nucleus room). The skybox cutoff is also really obvious, moving the fog further back could of made the transition from the playable space to 3d skybox better
August101
Cold
50
I like the ice cream factory theme and the snowman entrance, though the map doesn’t really feel scream “ice cream factory” to me, some of the detailing doesn’t really make any sense (e.g. the laser), and using soundscapes would make the map feel less empty
CriticalFeesh
Cold
20
Felt really desolate, not a lot to look at, using soundscapes would make the map feel less empty
Dasprucegoose
Hot & Cold
95
Really nicely detailed and lit, I really like that this map has a story and the creative way you pulled it off. Good use of sound and particles too
DrSquishy
Hot & Cold
60
The engine sequence is really cool, but there's not really a lot to look at
Emil_Rusboi
Hot
62
I like the look of the landscape and the 3d skybox, but I don’t really think the lava texture used in the 3d skybox works. The detailing of the interior is kinda odd but I do like the basement room and the vault door. The lighting could be brighter in some areas (e.g. the entrance to the base interior)
fiend
Cold
48
I like the way that the fires light up the rooms they’re in. The interior soundscape doesn’t really match what the interiors are. It's very big and empty, could use more detailing. The cutoff between the playable space and the skybox is really obvious, this map could use a 3d skybox
Freyja
Hot & Cold
87
The lighting and sound effects are really nice. The map is nicely detailed but the area between the waterfall entrance and the lava turbine thing could use more detail. Geothermal activity below a hot spring just makes sense and I like the detail of the lava rising when closing the lava gate and the monitors moving to reveal the windows.
GaurdianAngel
Hot & Cold
63
I like the museum section and how you pulled it off. The buildings are also nicely detailed. However, the lighting is quite flat and could be improved. More barricades could be added to the roads that are between the skybox and playable space to tell players that you can’t go past, as it looks like you can just go around the car blocking the way. Adding a siren noise the the ambulance would be a good idea
KrazyZark
Cold
87
The map looks great and has many little details that just add to it. Very cool set piece and intro sequence. The ice cave looks and sounds great and I like the subtle sound cue. Great use of sounds and particle effects. The seam between the skybox and the playable space is noticeable, but I don’t really think a lot can be done about that.
Mattie
Hot & Cold
89
This map is packed with detail and the basement is very atmospheric. Really cool lighting and sound effects (especially for the elevator). Very nice 3d skybox and the cutoff between the playable space and the skybox is not very obvious. The custom assets add a lot to the map and it wouldn’t look as good without them.
Phe
Hot & Cold
85
Very atmospheric visuals and music. Really nice detailing and particle effect usage. The transition between playable space and the skybox is executed well. Though there isn’t really a lot to look at, the great visuals and sound effects make up for that
Puxorb
Hot & Cold
90
This map has an insanely cool set piece. The lighting and sound effects are great. The interactive objects (elevator, chests, gong) are really neat and add a lot. The sound cues that play along with the text that shows up as you go deeper is a really cool idea. There is a really nice contrast between the hot and cold sections of the map.
Ray is Sucky
Hot
Its my map
Rhamkin
Hot
62
The restaurant interior is detailed quite nicely. But the other buildings outside stand out because of the lack of detail and odd lighting. There's not really a lot to look at. The buildings definitely could use more detail, I also don’t see why the buildings had to be turned into models.
Seacat08
Hot & Cold
54
The map has some nice detailing though the lighting is quite flat and the pulsating light from the candles is odd. I like all of the interactive features around the map, players can actually do something when exploring around the map instead of just looking at things. The spytech area is too brightly lit and the caves look quite odd with the flat ceilings and patches of ice. The transition between skybox and playable space is quite obvious and the fog does not match the skybox
WinterWiz
Cold
57
Nicely detailed. But there is an error with the water that just makes it pitch black. There’s not really a lot to look at, but the map does look nice. I could see this working as a koth map. I also don’t think the skybox texture works with this all of the snow particles and the fog
Very nice lighting and use of dustmotes, the machinery down below looks very cool. Some areas were very dark for me, making navigation a bit difficult. Had to use noclip to figure out how to get to the cave part. I'd suggest some adjustments to HDR to allow the player to deal with extreme brightness and darkness some more.
Anderpan
60
Errors models, as well as error spam in console. Had a lot of fun navigating the level though. Huge and very diverse.
August101
35
Dear god, that snowman terrifies me. Level could use a lot more detail. Also found some floating props and dev textures. Interesting idea to use a teleport to make the level larger.
CriticalFeesh
20
Very barebones, although I see what you're going for. Sadly the interactive part did not work correctly for me.
Dasprucegoose
90
Super cool world detailing. Took me a bit to figure out how to advance past the barn. I love the "story" here. Excellent use of scripted sequences. Favorite detail: the intel vault model used as an oven.
DrSquishy
40
Cool idea, very good use of particle effects. Sadly I was lagging like hell, and my console was spammed with errors. Could not figure out how to get to the hidden conference room without noclip. Could use some more detailing, all in all.
Emil_Rusboi
55
I'm sweating just looking at this entry. Love the volcanic feel. Wish the lava in the skybox was animated, though, feels a bit static. RED base could have used a few more details as well.
fiend
30
I'd suggest a higher texture scale for the rock textures. The scaling doesn't look super great. Also had some error textures All in all I wish there was more detail, although I think there is potential here.
Freyja
95
What can I even say except holy shit, super impressive. The upper area alone is incredibly beautiful. The only thing I can really criticize are some minor lighting errors on a couple of props. Looking forward to the Hidden Onsen asset pack - or at least for some tips on how to get the color correction this good.
GuardianAngel
85
There's some beautiful steam train models available and you're using the ugly american diesel engine for you level? I love the idea of a robot theater/exhibition/cabinet of curiosities though. Well done. Other than that, this entry may not be as refined as some others, but I really love all the little details everywhere.
KrazyZark
100
Hot damn, so much detail You're making the Invasion team look bad. Bonus points for the scripted sequence and the music. Minor nitpick: The level is clearly set on Antarctica, but some signage mentions the "trans-arctic expedition", which would be on the exact opposite side of the planet./SPOILER]
Mattie
90
You did good. May your future ventures be successful.
Phe
90
Fantastic atmosphere, sounds, and effects. Wish there was a bit more to do, but damn. I want this as a map_background now. My game crashed on your entry, but I'm not sure if that's actually your level's fault.
Puxorb
100
Now that's what I call presentation! Super cool atmosphere, and fits TF2 surprisingly well. Probably the best use of the available space out of all entries. Wish I had been able to pick up the aussie weapons at the end there.
Ray is Sucky
95
Oh boy, this one is immersive. It feels more constrained at the start but wow, the level really unfolds as you delve deepr. Great work. Feels very TF2-y. Two nitpicks: You may have benefitted from a couple more cubemaps in certain places. Also, all the OC cutouts everywhere are disturbing the amotsphere a bit for me.
Rhamkin
80
Honestly, I think my biggest criticism is simply that it's not as expansive and outstanding as some of the other entries. That's not a problem with your map, the bar is just ridiculously high in this contest. Your level is very cozy and I like it a lot. I think the skybox could have deserved some more love, and there's a couple of places where I wished the lighting was better, for example using different coloring or more carfully aimed pointlights. All in all, this is really solid detailing though.
Seacat08
55
Solid detailing it places, but some of the brush-based detailing doesn't fit super well into the rest of the level. One thing that made it very difficult for me to enjoy the level is also the use of dynamic lights everywhere, which made the whole thing very laggy on my end. I caught myself hunting for the light switches simply to get some peformance back. The dynamic elements were cool though, and I like the idea of the place.
WinterWiz
60
Good setting, I like. I'm not going to consider "playability", despite the koth logic, but I suspect this might be a bit tight for a full team fight. I wish the map let me explore a bit more instead of having all the interesting nooks clipped off. Parts of it also feel a bit "prop-spammy", a more careful selection for style or coloring might have been a good idea. Definitely has potential, though.
This one was pretty neat. The opening interior area was actually one of the best interiors in this contest, felt like something you'd see in HL2, I like the creative use of the info_spotlight entity to make fake godrays, but the illusion breaks when you get close to them at certain angles, unfortunately the other interior parts are a but lacking, the dark lighting just makes it hard to navigate and is a bummer. The ending cave however is very good, though I felt like the displacement walls and ceiling could've been a little more bumpy
Anderpan
Cold
70
Missing some models and textures but didn't take away points, I felt the interiors where nicely detailed and the exteriors too, however the transition to the 3D sky is lacking, could have been more convincing, I was impressed with the amount of interconnected routes on this map, if I saw a room, chances are I could go there, I liked that a lot, there were some other minor detailing issues like dynamic props casting horrible shadows on the ground and misaligned cubemaps, amongst other things, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one, unforutantely misused the Hoodoo train bumper prop, sorry I'm the only person in the world that is super anal about that
August101
Cold
20
This map didn't give good first impressions, but did improve over the course of the map, but only very slightly, this is a very under detailed map, the lack of props for lights, the lack of trims on windows and doors, misaligned textures, misaligned overlays, lack of soundscapes, and 3dsky makes this entry look extremely amateurish, I did like the snowman head, but I was confused as the the lore of this map, who is this skeleton in the final area? Why should I care? nothing about that is explained, the lighting everywhere is super flat utilizing point lights everywhere. The custom posters, while cute, needed another pass over, they look pretty rough. The devtextured buttons also shouldn't have made it in the submission and I really don't understand the reasoning for teleporting the player to the second half of the map. The color correction was a nice touch for the freezer area but I think there needed to be a lot more to convince people that this area is cold. The brush based custom truck models were cute though
CriticalFeesh
Cold
10
To put it bluntly this is the most under-detailed entry in this contest, it does have the most unique idea in the contest for the "cold" part but unfortunately doesn't do much with it's unique concept. This map lack polish everywhere, from the lack of ambient sounds, the extremely barebones detailing, the lack of cubemaps, and super unconvincing 3D skybox, there isn't much to look at here, and the detailing that is here isn't up to scratch. The interior lighting for example is super flat, utilizing mostly point lights which don't look all that great and the lack of a tonemap controller really blows these lights up making them super bright
Dasprucegoose
Hot & Cold
90
I like this one, I like this one a lot. I loved the continuity with the lantern falling over causing the barn I was previously in to burst into flames, the interiors felt cozy and welcoming from the harsh breeze outside, I even made a lovecraftian horror on the displacement sink and bath tub when using my spray on them.
DrSquishy
Hot & Cold
50
This one was so cold it brought my pc down to it's knees. This map was the only map that made me feel genuinely cold, probably didn't help I wasn't wearing a blanket. The rocket set piece was neat, but that was really the only interesting thing to see, the everything else was quite baren on the outside
Emil_Rusboi
Hot
60
This map had the best vista out of any entry, genuinely impressive, but the interior bits I felt were a bit lacking and could've used some more polish, I like the outside bits more, I want to see you make a full fledged map out of this. I liked the use of the demo cosmetic on the board, even if it didn't make much sense.
fiend
Cold
30
This one unfortunately didn't impress me much, I felt that the mountain could've been much taller, given the no height restriction, but it kinda just abruptly ends? The lack of 3D sky is also a downer, I'd imagine this map could've had been set in a majestic mountain range. The interior cave bits are suspiciously flat. The interior rooms are also seriously lacking any detail for the size they are, kind of a whole lot of nothing happening in them, doesn't help that most of the rooms have the same texture for the floor, walls and ceiling, there were also missing textures. I feel like this map has the potential to look pretty good if continue polishing it up
Freyja
Hot & Cold
90
This map had my favorite spytech area out of any entry, it is very pleasing to look at, but I think the skybox transition could've been better, there is also weird shading on the displacements, and inconsistent clipping. The lighting is sooooo good omg, especially in the spytech/industrial areas. The traditional Japanese buildings are also well detailed and cozy. Just another excellently detailed Japanese themed map by you
GuardianAngel
Hot & Cold
40
This one was weird. The interiors range from decently detailed to lacking any detail, the lighting inside the buildings especially in the opening area is very flat. The posters look pretty amateurish. There are some texture issues too with slight misalignments. The interiors are however pretty inviting with their warm colors, the whole robot stuff was weird but I don't mind much I guess. I do mind the ugly dynamic shadows being cast by some props. I also liked the play ground area. I also wished the 3D skybox had more going on to it, but it's fine as is.
KrazyZark
Cold
100
This map is one of those maps you show people and can convience them that the Source engine, despite it's age, can still look great. The cinematic intro is a neat touch and every corner of this map is detailed very well. The invasion musical leitmotifs popping in every now in then was a neat touch. Plus unlike some other entries that attempted the arctic setting, this one had a pretty convincing skybox that didn't need to rely on super aggressive fog, though I do wish the level bounds were more clearly marked. This is a must see entry
Mattie
Hot & Cold
80
This one didn't really do much for me, but that's not necessarily a bad thing honestly. It was just a very pretty map, it felt real. I was kinda just taking it all in and felt at ease. The lighting was well tuned and the interiors felt lived in. I didn't feel much like a tf2 map but I also guess that's the idea you were going for. I enjoyed this one, and if you're moving on past tf2 stuff, this is a great swan-song of a tf2 map to end on.
Phe
Hot & Cold
100
Okay okay, call me biased, but I do genuinely think this map has the best atmosphere out of any entry. And while this entry is one of the smaller ones, I do believe it utilizes it's space extremely well, cramming a lot of detail into a small area. This map was the only one to make me uneasy, as it felt like I was witnessing something that I shouldn't have seen. The sound design is phenomenal, haha see what I did there... and due to the excellent sound design and visuals it creates this really unsettling and eerie vibe, that no other map in this contest provided for me. I think there's a lot to like about this map, and I believe once you've seen it you'd be begging to see more of it too
Puxorb
Hot & Cold
90
Wow, this one blow me away, the brush work on this one was insane, and the great texture choice only amplified the details, I genuinely though some of these walls were props until I got closer lol. Great detailing all around and the final view was breath taking.
Ray is Sucky
Hot
50
Holy moly that was a long elevator, felt like an ad break, I wanted to see the map instead of waiting lol, that being said it was adequately detailed, not the best I saw this contest, had enough to keep me entertained pasted the long elevator ride. Bonus points for adding a hyena to the map, pretty pog epic of you to do so
Rhamkin
Hot
30
This one unfortunately felt a little off, the interior space is the best part of the map but isn't as polished as some of the other entries, the main killer is the 3D skybox, it needed some severe polishing, the lighting on the buildings looks bad and unconvincing, I think it would've looked better had the buildings been in the gameplay space. I liked the rather unique idea of a Greek themed map though.
Seacat08
Hot & Cold
40
Extremely poor performance on this map despite it being on the lower end of detailing, this is just some weird visual issues on this one, from the mismatched fog, the weird water reflections and the overly bright spytech interiors. Super flat lighting in the spytech areas too. I think some entries just do what this map does but better. That being said the spytech part is the best looking part of the map, and is done decently well.
WinterWiz
Cold
30
This one to be blunt was pretty boring, I wish there was more going on but what it basically amounts to is a small detailed scene mirrored on the opposite side of the map with only texture changes to differentiate the two. I just feels like a koth map, which is fitting considering it has koth logic in it, I just wish that instead of literally just changing the textures on one side, you could've went with some asymmetrical detailing like 2fort. While I recognize there are a few changes about how the RED and BLU side look, I wish the silhouettes of the buildings themselves where different.The water was pitch black and didn't look very good, there are also no cubemaps built indicating lack of polish
I really like this one! So many really awesome set pieces, namely the building from the spawn, and the entire secret area. The lighting is also really good, the use of natural lighting especially, and even the use of darkness as well, and using light_spots to simulate light rays going through the windows was a wonderful idea that looks really cool! I hope people use that trick more often. The secret area was a really awesome sight, such a big and imposing structure, and the ice cave itself was really well done! Though I could still see the displacement seams in the ground. Kinda disappointed that opening the vault wasn’t an option. Honestly, wonderful job with this one!
Anderpan
Cold
60
The atmosphere of the outside area is really nice! And I really like all the areas you can walk sound in and see in the inside area, odds are I even missed stuff, which is nice for if/when I eventually come back to these! Though the entry seems rough around the edges in some places, namely the shadows on some props and the 3D skybox in the outdoor area. The missile prop in the room with the tall staircase was missing collision, and the prop fade on the crates in the same room was too aggressive/obvious. It could turn out even better with some more polish! As is, still a solid effort!
August101
Cold
40
The map could use some work, the freezer area definitely had the most TLC and it certainly shows, while it is neat, the outside area really needed the same amount put into it, since it really stands out and is noticeably more empty and too lightly detailed. The freezer area is definitely the star of the show here by comparison, but it still felt like it needed a bit more, like maybe a smoke effect to really sell how cold it is. The colour correction partway through the freezer was a really nice touch and definitely helped to sell the coldness of it, even if it felt just a tad too blue. Lots of neat ideas here, but it just needed more.
Criticalfeesh
Cold
20
There really isn’t much to say. Seems to be on the moon, but the outside still seems way too empty despite that. The building has a bit more substance to it, but there’s not really much there still. The button that opens the hatch was neat, but a bit underwhelming, felt like being able to see the missile when the hatch opens would’ve helped.
Dasprucegoose
Hot & Cold
100
Absolutely fantastic entry! This was a spectacular entry to go through, walking through it, seeing new things and having the environment dynamically change as I went through it was such a joy. The attention to detail was fantastic, and I absolutely loved the environmental storytelling with the shed burning more and more as I went through, and the lodge was really well done, it really felt like a lived in place, though the calendar reading “June” took me out a tiny bit. Just seeing how much the map changed as I went on was such a treat. This was a fantastic entry, wonderful job!
DrSquishy
Hot & Cold
55
Not too much to say with this one, it’s just a solid entry! I like how well it captures the desolate wasteland, with a cool atmosphere! The button sequence was also really neat, being able to see it on the monitors was a cool touch as well! Otherwise, just doesn’t feel like much, but still solid!
Emil_Rusboi
Hot
70
This map is cool! The outside area steals the show for me, the lava and lava flows look awesome, and the 3D sky horizon behind the player’s spawn is a really nice sight! I was expecting more of the indoor spytech area, but it’s still really well done!
fiend
Cold
40
I like the ideas here, but it feels like it lacks a lot of substance. A 3D Skybox would have helped the outdoor area a lot, it feels very empty, and the world just..abruptly ends. The indoors area feels a bit better, it achieves a rather cozy feeling pretty well, but it still feels rather empty overall. Overall a fine attempt, but it just feels a bit too barren.
Freyja
Hot & Cold
95
Such a wonderfully well done entry, it’s easy to tell how much effort went into it. It has a fantastic attention to detail, with the sound design and effects like the warping effect around the radiators. The spytech area was really awesome! Going through the waterfall or the well were such creative transitions, and all the little details and interactable objects there were great! The only issue I had was that I prolly shouldn’t have been allowed to walk up the water spouts, made it easy to see the transition to the 3D Skybox and it stuck out a bit. Overall, absolutely fantastic map, well done!
GuardianAngel
Hot & Cold
90
This is a really good entry! The entire town area, the bar and the hotel are all really well done and feel like actual places you’d walk around irl! The Gray Mann Robot Exhibit was a really fun set piece to walk around in and experience, consistently interesting and entertaining! Only real issues I encountered were with the 3D Sky, namely the transition between the walkable space and the 3D Sky being very obvious and odd looking, and the fog felt too blue and didn’t mesh well with the 2D skybox itself, otherwise though, this was a fantastic entry! I really liked it
KrazyZark
Cold
100
This was another awesome entry! A REALLY strong first impression with a cutscene of all things! That was awesome and not something I was expecting! The rest of the map is awesome too, a really cool theme with a lot of attention to detail everywhere! The dog and the “ A safe lab” poster were touches I really liked personally XD The area that the big lift takes you too was awesome! That set piece with the UFO at the end was absolutely magnificent!
Honestly a fantastic entry all around, excellent job!
Mattie
Hot & Cold
90
Really good entry as always! The theme was done extremely well, and the attention to detail was superb! Lots of things to see and all very well done with neat touches! My only real issue is that it doesn’t really feel like a TF2 map outside of the Georgian Lodge and the secret area within it, I imagine it’s supposed to be a slightly more modern take on it but I couldn’t help but feel taken out of it a bit by the obviously modern monitors spread throughout, and I normally hate that kinda criticism but it kinda felt appropriate here due to the rules of the contest ("Map must be TF2 styled"). It was still a fantastic entry though, so it’ll still get high marks from me! Also that resignation letter at the end really tugged on the heartstrings, good luck in all of your future endeavours, genuinely!
Phe
Hot & Cold
80
Really love the oppressive atmosphere of the maps! The lighting mixed with the sound design really sells that. The buildings are really well done and show off the damage very well. The map is one big awesome set piece and I love that, but I wish I was able to explore more of it, like in between the buildings or if at least one of them opened up. Really like what was done here, just wish there was more!
Puxorb
Hot & Cold
90
Honestly not much to say about this one! It’s just a really good entry that has the really cool initial set piece of the chasm, and the build up of descending into the chasm is phenomenal! The atmosphere is so oppressive, it’s really well done and the sound design when you reach the bottom is really good! Great entry all around!
Ray is Sucky
Hot
90
I really like this entry! It handles the Hot theme wonderfully and really conveys the secret lava base really well! You can feel the heat everywhere past the long elevator sequence and it’s just splendid! My only real gripes are that there are a lot of long hallways that look very basic and same-y, and I feel the elevator sequence just goes a liiiiitle bit too long, but otherwise, great entry, very well done! Also, loved seeing the oc cutouts, especially mine!
Rhamkin
Hot
50
The restaurant is super well done! Lots of attention to detail and it looks great! Unfortunately though, as good as the walkable area looks, there’s not much here. I wish there was more to it than just the restaurant, and the buildings outside it look very simple and blocky. I’m also not really sure how it’s s’posed to convey the Hot part of the theme, I imagine that it being based on the Santorini theme, it’s a warm climate but it doesn’t really convey Hot to me at all. What’s here looks really nice, but I wish there was more and that it fit the Hot theme better.
Seacat08
Hot & Cold
75
I like a lot of what this entry does, though the execution is weird in some spots. I really like that the cabin hides a big secret base underneath! The initial shot of the map when loading in is good, the cabin in front of the mountainous 2D skybox looks good, and I like that the water in the outside area hurts you when you jump in! The displacements on the outside have obvious seams, and it feels like the texture for one section of it oddly sticks out. There are some weird texture choices in the cabin too, namely the countertop and the wooden supports inside the cabin look really weird and out of place. I feel like the inside of the cabin could’ve used a bit more detail in spots, namely the main room that you enter in. Otherwise though, a solid entry!
WinterWiz
Cold
60
Honestly a super interesting entry! I didn’t expect a map that was made with both gameplay and detailing in mind! It’s a neat idea and the asymmetric detailing is really nice to see, but I can’t help but I also can’t help but feel the design works against it as a detail entry. Some areas feel oddly closed off and they stick out and feel weird. The ship is really cool as a main set piece and the tall buildings and cliffs really give it a nice enclosed feeling which I think works really well! Overall, I really like that you tried to adapt a gameplay map for a detail entry, while I feel that hampered it a bit, it’s a really nice attempt and that shouldn’t be ignored!
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