TF2Maps.net Major Mapping Contest #12: Dynamic CP

[Moonrat]

Oh yeah! Looks like I am first to post a map! Well, I don't have my truly dynamic element yet, but.... I do have a finished layout I should prolly test!

http://tf2maps.net/threads/eturnius.25888/#post-343922

Oh yeah!

 

[Davekillerish]

I decided just to not include any Dynamic elements for my map's A1. I don't have much experience with them and I feel that I will be wasting time trying to fight things I don't have a good weapon for. I'll keep messing around, but I'm going to release a version so that kids can start playtesting now, and I end up with a decent map to throw gimmicks into. I know the Dynamic elements will change how the map plays when I do get it in, but I might as well release. I have a finished A1 right now.

So, how are you kids going on so far, got any maps cooking up?

I have a lil somethin somethin cookin... "Faint evil lauph"

 

[worMatty]

Hi, there. Could we have a bit of clarification on what constitutes a dynamic map? I ask because the second bullet point in the list of rules appears to make it quite clear (a CP attached to an elevator, or a CP unlocking an alternative route) but some of the maps featured in the trailer do not have what I would consider to be a dynamic element that directly affects gameplay, so I am a little confused.

Snowplow, for instance, is a two-stage A/D map with the addition of a train and an unusual way of working out round time, but neither really affect the game play. There are no unlockable alternative routes and the points are static.

IIRC, Edifice works the same as Gravelpit. A and B must both be captured before C is unlocked. Capturing either point does not alter the layout.

Strata and Hydro: Territorial control could be considered dynamic in the sense that each time a control point is captured, some areas are locked down by doors, but only to produce static fighting zones for each round. Nothing changes in these zones during the course of a round. The game play is just 2CP push in each zone (bidirectional for the most part, and unidirectional in the final zones). While it is clever to use the same areas for each battle in this way, dividing them from their outlying neighbours via the use of doors, such dynamic elements do not directly affect the course of the game.

I am concerned because I do not want to see work turned down because it did not fit the criteria in the rules, because the author was confused by the trailer.

Thaaaanks!

 

[saph]

Could we have a bit of clarification on what constitutes a dynamic map?

A lot of the same rules from the Dynamic Payload Contest apply. If you have an idea, just message Berry with a thorough, clear explanation of your idea.

What is a dynamic element?
Good question. We are not entirely sure what this would encompass ourselves, but we like the sound of it. Any sort of payload gameplay element that involves moving, turning, lifting, teleporting, cloning or turbo-boosting the payload cart is in my opinion okay. You more or less have completely free hands here to exercise your creativity for what can be done as a interesting feature in a otherwise uneventful and simple payload map.
It doesn't need to be much! As long as it's fun and well executed that effort will be reflected in the final scoring.
You are not tied to manipulating only the cart. If you so please, you may raise/lower platforms, open gates on various conditions or whatever you can think of, as long as it makes for a good map.

Just note that spawns do NOT count as dynamic.

 

[Auwi]

I wish you guys a lot of luck, you'll need it.

 

[Adobe WH]

???

Not to be cocky, but I'm not someone who downloaded hammer 5 minutes ago.

Occupation: A guy who wants to get into mapping, yet has not made a map that someone can say,
"Oh hey. Adobe made that, and its really fun and well made!"

OT: I'd be down to collab with someone. I've got a few ideas bouncing around, and plenty of free time coming up.

Same. Add me on Steam if you see me as worth to.

 

[LeSwordfish]

The trailer should not be treated as part of the rules, it gives an idea only.

 

[Kube]

Odd question- can I use custom content I've made myself before the contest was announced, that hasn't been released to the public, and will be later?

 

[Adobe WH]

Odd question- can I use custom content I've made myself before the contest was announced, that hasn't been released to the public, and will be later?

Anything that is released to tf2maps.net or steam workshop a month prior to the deadline, if not released already.
Lel. Read the rules scrublords.

 

[Kube]

Anything that is released to tf2maps.net or steam workshop a month prior to the deadline, if not released already.
Lel. Read the rules scrublords.

I read the rules in their entirety, and I feel that my question falls in a gray area. Since the content was made before the contest began, and not publicly available at the time the contest began... I'm just not sure.

And that's Dr. Scrublord to you.

 

[Grizzly Berry]

Odd question- can I use custom content I've made myself before the contest was announced, that hasn't been released to the public, and will be later?

This is always a question that comes up during these things. Idolon made this helpful flowchart for the 72hr, and I'd assume the same rules apply here.

 

[Izotope]

I read the rules in their entirety, and I feel that my question falls in a gray area. Since the content was made before the contest began, and not publicly available at the time the contest began... I'm just not sure.

And that's Dr. Scrublord to you.

Any custom assets are allowed, if:
- They are made by you, or your collaborators, or somebody unrelevant to the contest, if this person has made the assets publicly available
- The assets are made publicly available by you and/or your team at least one week before the deadline.

EDIT: got ninja'd with an epic flowchart

 

[Kube]

This is always a question that comes up during these things. Idolon made this helpful flowchart for the 72hr, and I'd assume the same rules apply here.

Awesome! Yeah, if it's as simple as the chart, I guess I was just making stipulations.

Could this image be linked to in the description? I think it really helped when it was used in the 72-Hour Contest.

 

[worMatty]

A lot of the same rules from the Dynamic Payload Contest apply. If you have an idea, just message Berry with a thorough, clear explanation of your idea.

Unfortunately I wasn't about when that competition happened, and I'm not about to go look up what happened in that competition to try to piece together a vague understanding of what is expected in this one, because it's not relevant or convenient. It's also a barrier to new people to tell them to go and look at the last competition when we could just be explaining things better here.

The rule says our maps should be like Steel, cp_mom and pl_hightower (yes, I know that's a payload map) that have things that move and alter the gameplay directly, like doors to other passages that open on capture, and elevators with control points attached. My complaint is that the trailer could mislead map authors in to making maps that do not meet the competition requirements because it features maps that do not do that. Alternatively, the written rule could be limiting the ideas that people have. The dynamic element's role in our maps should be properly specified. Do they need to actually affect the game play dynamically and directly? Or can they just be thematic things that have no bearing on the game play? One could argue that Gravelpit and therefore Edifice is just a layout and therefore not dynamic. Or that Dustbowl is dynamic because it takes place across multiple stages and shares some spawn rooms and land area.

Maybe dynamic is the wrong word to use? Ordinary capture point gameplay could be called dynamic because control points routinely change hands.

 

[tyler]

Matty is right: what is dynamic should be a little clearer. Yes, you can look at the DPL contest, but you have to read several pages into this thread before that becomes apparent, and even then it's still unclear because I don't think I've seen a staff member explicitly weigh in on it. Would be nice to see Berry post about this and update the rules to eliminate more confusion.

"Just PM Berry" is not a good response because that only helps the person doing the PMing. In a community like ours, where information is best spread freely, PMing doesn't help the other dozens of people who want to enter. Or the other people with the same question. Same bug. Same issue. And so on. We would never say "just PM so-and-so" because that's stupid. It's stupid here too.

With the DPL contest, this was a lot clearer, because we could point to Thunder Mountain's bridge or Hightower's elevator. It made more sense there. In this CP contest, I see a lot more people struggling to figure out what qualifies as dynamic. The examples we were given in the video don't really seem to cover dynamic elements in any way, which essentially makes it a useless trailer. When I watched it I was left wondering if I had totally missed the message behind it.

 

[Davekillerish]

Anything that is released to tf2maps.net or steam workshop a month prior to the deadline, if not released already.
Lel. Read the rules scrublords.

Why so rude....
I dont ask questions and expect to be called a "scrublords (bad grammar btw)". Neither do you, so please dont do it.
Keep it nice,

 

[hutty]

So ... um ... here is my idea
http://i.imgur.com/xWwq07e.png
(image linked because its really tall and hogs too much space)

 

[Auwi]

So ... um ... here is my idea.
*complex gamemode idea*

This sounds really complex and I don't think anyone would really understand what would be going on. On top of having multiple points to cap, how will you have multiple timers too? You can certainly try this gamemode, but understand making this kind of gamemode would probably take weeks if not months to perfect. As another thing I've seen before is people don't like having too many points to try to defend/attack at the same time because then teams get really spread out. Imo, you can try 4 point domination style or something else, but a dynamic cp contest doesn't mean make the best unique gamemode. Focus on making a good map and you will make a good map.

And as stated before:

Dynamic =/= gimmicks

 

[ProfHappycat]

So ... um ... here is my idea.

you could prolly shorten it to 3 points, 2 "home bases", 1 in the center

 

[Leaf_It]

So, Does Crashes wubwubwub count as dynamic? The music doesn't start until the point is captured, and the second time it's captured the map is given low gravity which does affect game play. And there's also all the particles, and the various rockets disguised as sentries, and various classes and stuff, which can kill you, so that definitely affects game play. And then there's the massive shaking of stuff, and the point will randomly launch everyone on it across the map... Like really, can something be more dynamic than this? Probably possible?

Is it dynamic if capping the point causes parts of the map to move without really changing the routes people use to get anywhere, but still breaking the symmetry of the map? Is it dynamic if capping causes gravity to change? Is it dynamic if capping increases, or decreases the size of players? Is it dynamic it capping causes a boss to appear like the horseless headless horseman? Is it dynamic if capping makes a train move like snowplow? Is it dynamic if capping cause the entire map to change to a completely different map with a different layout? Is it dynamic if there's say two capture points, and each one is technically the same capture point, but capA can only be capped by red, and capB can only capped by blue? Is it dynamic if capping the point kills everyone on the map? Is it dynamic if things change because of things unrelated to the capture point, such as the number of ammo pickups in an area, or whether players are in certain areas of the map, so long as it's still a qualifying game mode?

I can go on if anyone wants. I'm sure this gave at least some of you ideas. But really, are all of these dynamic? Are only some of them dynamic? Why? Does the dynamic feature have to involve the control point itself? Aren't all of these ideas technically gimmicks? Really isn't anything that differs from the standard CP just a gimmick? Please clarify this, because I really don't know, and I've read this entire thread through 3 times at this point.