How long was it exactly, that the last payload contest lasted?
September - january? My point i would like to infer is that the previous 'large' competition ran atleast 4.5 months? and had an extention, and there wern't any stages, and used an experienced/tried gamemode, and still most people including myself were not able to release a worthwhile map for the deadline. There was enough time to make a map but things got messy when it came to releasing maps for play testing as most of us had to release maps before they were even ready for it (releasing alpha's for beta's makes me wanna puke). Plus, half of the submissions that actually made it were maps that were already in the works for several months prior to the contest initiation, due to a convinient selection of the game mode matching particular mappers current projects.
Stages arn't difficult to produce but they take time to balance. Time mappers don't have if they are to meet such a close deadline.. unless they are happy releasing orange maps. But then what's the point in having a full mapping contest, you might as well just have a layout design contest.
I anticipated a full mapping contest since it is, afterall, summer. But this is going to require a lot of dedication from individuals regardless of other dedications. I understand you can't cater for each individuals need and handing out custom deadlines is way over the top and complicating thing's too much.
What would seem more logical would be; to assign the majority of summer to layout, optimisation, entity setup and balance testing as people will be free-r than usual, and then allow september > christmas for detailing (detailing will require less playtesting/feedback and allow concentration on schooling, etc). Then mapping jugdement could commence late in the Christmas/New Year holidays by everyone. This way we can keep tabs on each others progress with each playtest. There could be an official contest playtest every 2 weeks to help with this, which would also get contest entrants more involved with each others works; and the frequant play testing would allow for efficient invigilating for the layout/detail transition (which is also a good promotional oppotunity for the community). Or any other invigilating requirements.
Maybe i'm over exagerating the time required to chuck out a map like this but i have a job and a dissertation to write. If i want to make this deadline it sucks that i predict i'd have to shun my social life to do that.
I can understand why this was kept mostly under wraps but it's almost offencive that there was no oppotunity for community feedback on the matter. None at all. Especially since it was obvious, due to summer, this would have been a full mapping contest anyway.
I don't mean to bitch and moan, but i have my concerns; i want this contest to be as much of a success as any of the moderators involved in it. But i do see some fear in running contests too long, which impeeds on the integrity of the contest content (a whole map). I would have thought moderators had learnt their lesson from the last competition but i can't see that they have.
:huh: :unsure: :glare: :angry: :cursing: 
