TF2Maps.net Major Mapping Contest #11: Mercs vs. Aliens - Sponsored by Ronin

[Freyja]

I was talking with frozen. He says the objective has to be the thing triggering the motherships explosion somehow.

I gave him the example of the mothership just randomly crashing when the game ends, he said that's not allowed and it's explosion has to be linked to the team winning in some mechanical way, not just "happen when win," has to be linked to the map.

 

[Ælement]

I'd say that's pretty restrictive, but then again, i've been surprised before.

What i'm very curious about, is how many people are having the exact same idea right now.

 

[Sergis]

there are a few ways how an asymmetrical map could be done with mothership dying no matter who wins

id just have preferred if this was handled a bit differently, without hiding the third party behind "things to come". otherwise its "here you go guys, a tf2m contest ---> lol you've been working for these guys the whole time mwahahahahaha"

also id like to add that as batt contest with its five participants and dynamic payload with 90% maps having a single elevator or animated cart delay had shown, creativity of tf2m is highly overrated. the mothership thing is up there with batt and dynamic pl challenges in that overcoming such challenges sounds great in theory but in practice very few people will actually come up with something interesting, much less get it done

 

[Ida]

Let me just ask a couple of simple questions and I promise I'll stop complaining:

What is the specific reason there has to be a dynamic narrative in the map, and this exact one at that?

Why is it absolutely not allowed to have an alien attack theme without the required ending?
(I've already provided examples as to how I could do that)

I'd still like to know this, to be honest.

 

[Jethro]

There's only one thing I personally want clarifying: I don't need to come up with a weird way to crash the mothership if RED loses on a MvM map, right?

 

[A Boojum Snark]

There's only one thing I personally want clarifying: I don't need to come up with a weird way to crash the mothership if RED loses on a MvM map, right?

nevermind

 

[Seba]

no fun, motherships only, final destination

 

[Fruity Snacks]

I'd still like to know this, to be honest.

Because thats the contest. I don't mean to be rude or anything, but thats why.


Also, fear not people who are stuck, there is a way out for those who think their creativity juices aren't up to snuff.

There's only one thing I personally want clarifying: I don't need to come up with a weird way to crash the mothership if RED loses on a MvM map, right?

Regarding MvM: If the players win, the mothership MUST be destroyed. If the BOTS win, the mothership does NOT have to be destroyed. The reasoning for this is that the mission doesn't actually end when the bots, it merely restarts at the same wave (compared to normal maps which completely restart after the winning condition is met). No winning condition is met for Red in that sense, thus, no need for the mothership to be destroyed. (Should note, it does make a lot of sense for the bots to be attacking whatever the players have to destroy the mothership). This will be the official ruling on MvM.

That being said, if you are able to narratively have that make sense, I will highly encourage you to do that.

 

[TyeZenneth]

I just don't get why these rules are so arbitrary. Say you have a multi-stage A/D map like Dustbowl: how the hell do you justify blowing up the mothership if Red is able to repel Blu from completing even the first stage? It's not the final objective, so why the hell would the mothership blow up, but it's also a winning condition for Red, so it has to blow up, and that' fairly convoluted and restricting.

 

[evanonline]

It's not really that hard to come up with narratives for asymmetrical gameplay. RED has a laser and is going to destroy the UFO, BLU wants to be the one to destroy the UFO and doesn't have a laser, BLU fights through the RED compound so they can use the laser.

Payload? BLU is pushing the cart into a tractor beam underneath the UFO that's near the RED base. If BLU wins the UFO explodes and takes out RED's base, if RED wins a laser activates and the UFO crashes on BLU.

Shrug.

 

[Fruity Snacks]

I just don't get why these rules are so arbitrary. Say you have a multi-stage A/D map like Dustbowl: how the hell do you justify blowing up the mothership if Red is able to repel Blu from completing even the first stage? It's not the final objective, so why the hell would the mothership blow up, but it's also a winning condition for Red, so it has to blow up, and that' fairly convoluted and restricting.

I've said it once, I'll say it again. You have got to be hella creative now, go all out and don't worry about whether or not it 'fits for TF2.' (I mean, comon. We just had an update with mutated sentient bread created by teleporting) Worry about the map and the gameplay, the mothership destruction can be a gameplay thing, or a cosmetic thing adding in artpass. It's up to you.

EDIT:

It's not really that hard to come up with narratives for asymmetrical gameplay. RED has a laser and is going to destroy the UFO, BLU wants to be the one to destroy the UFO and doesn't have a laser, BLU fights through the RED compound so they can use the laser.

Payload? BLU is pushing the cart into a tractor beam underneath the UFO that's near the RED base. If BLU wins the UFO explodes and takes out RED's base, if RED wins a laser activates and the UFO crashes on BLU.

Shrug.

Nerdbot's got a good thing going. These are just a few of the ideas I've seen. Stop worrying about the aethestics, the "does it fit" ... just make the map, be creative.

 

[xzzy]

For a site dedicated to creative expression, you guys sure get angry when asked to be creative.

 

[Hanz]

Yay another attempt to get back into mapping!

 

[A Boojum Snark]

don't worry about whether or not it 'fits for TF2.'

-50 coolpoints
I'm pretty sure the mutant bread DID fit the tf2 universe.

 

[Fruity Snacks]

I didnt mean to say 'forget about tf2 competely' but more meant 'dont worry about standard tf2 canonical conventions and go nuts' if that makes sense. The worse thing to happen is you have an awesome idea that needs to be toned back a little.

 

[Ida]

I'm really bothered whenever somebody makes an argument that anything can happen in TF2 because the canon is just so wack-a-doodle sillypants anyway. It's really not. Sure, some of the Halloween maps are pushing it, but at least they're up-front about being special silly fun events and have a lot of lore supporting them.

But okay, I promised to stop complaining, and I can see that most people seem to be on board with this, so I'll just take my grumpy ass with me and make something to my liking I guess.

 

[A Boojum Snark]

I think frozen needs a new forum title: "Most Controversial Contests"

EVERYTHING WAS SO PEACEFUL BEFORE YOU GOT IN CHARGE :O

 

[Idolon]

I think frozen needs a new forum title: "Most Controversial Contests"

EVERYTHING WAS SO PEACEFUL BEFORE YOU GOT IN CHARGE :O

before the fir- er, ice nation attacked?

 

[Fruity Snacks]

You may now bow to your new master, Fire-Lord Frozai.

 

[YM]

There's been a LOT of words posted in here, so forgive me if I'm recovering already trodden ground.

Here's how I see this going, it'll need some more organisation if it's to happen though:
-Buncha maps made with the 72hour contest, mostly for this contest.
-Afterwards the authors of the top 3 maybe 4 maps to come out of that band together to finish them with consistent alien theming
-Some modelers join the project to help with new alien theme
-Alien themed cosmetic items are made
-Alien themed weapons are made
-An SFM guy or two join to make a 2-3 minute short about it

-6-12 months later it's all picked up by valve as a community update.

I know for a fact that they want exactly this kind of thing to come out of the community, so you don't have to do this but I'm just saying that it'd be a good thing for y'all to do.