Trial by Hammer: A 72-hour mapping contest.

[Jethro]

logo credit to PX1K on the Facepunch forums.
Trial by Hammer is a 72-hour mapping contest. As the name suggests, you've got 72 hours to make a map based on a certain theme/gamemode. Rules are as follows.

Rules

• You must create a map within 72 hours.
• Custom content is allowed, but only made entirely by yourself using your own resources, Valve's content or if is available to the public as of now (Made by someone else). (Copy pasta'd from TPG's mini contest)
• Unless you can somehow make two maps within 72 hours, only one entry is accepted.
• Map filenames must be "(GAMEMODE)_tbh_(NAME)". If after the contest you decide to do more on the map/polish it up, you can remove the "tbh".
• When submitting your map, you MUST upload at least ONE screenshot and the .BSP.
• The map has to be functional.
• You can start your "72-hour" timer at any time, as to be flexible with mappers in different timezone, as long as you submit a finished map by the contest end-date.

Contest end date: None
Current contest theme/gamemode: KOTH

There are no doubt some rules not clarified but any questions do ask me. Also, if you do not wish to use TF2maps.net uploading area or your own dropbox, PM me and I'll set up a dropbox shared folder on my account.

 

[Ezekel]

points that need clarification:

- how can you enforce that people will stick to a 72hr time limit given that there's more than 3 days till the deadline
- is it 72 hrs of actual mapping time, or 72hrs from when you 1st open hammer, or 72 hrs from when you first start scribbling down ideas/layouts?
- starting this so close to the ctf contest is probably a bad idea since people are gonna be focused on that, and those who might enter this will probably be wanting to take a bit of time away from mapping once the ctf contest ends to recuperate
- your gamemode is "cp", but which type? granary style, dustbowl style, gravelpit style? or is it open ended in this regard?
- for the file name submission criteria, it'd probably make mor sense to make it "[gamemode]_tbh_[name].bsp" - if only to follow convention of map naming (remember that recognised gamemode abbreviations at the start of a filename are not shown in game on the loading screen).

 

[Randdalf]

I'd have thought koth/arena was better suited for a contest like this.

 

[The Political Gamer]

Having 2 contests going on at the same time is bad enough. (In the eyes of some) However, I have to admit 3 is a bit crazy.

 

[Jethro]

Alright, I'll delay for a while then.

 

[YM]

You know....
@tpg and jet.. WE only say custom shizz must be your own/publicly released because getting someone else to do models for you like rexy's intels etc is a real blur on "your entry must be your own"
So it starts getting unfair if one mapper has a dedicated modeller working with them, when real serious prizes are involved.

For mini contests though, i'm reasonably sure in the past it's been either no custom stuff at all, or whatever you like.

 

[The Political Gamer]

You know....
@tpg and jet.. WE only say custom shizz must be your own/publicly released because getting someone else to do models for you like rexy's intels etc is a real blur on "your entry must be your own"
So it starts getting unfair if one mapper has a dedicated modeller working with them, when real serious prizes are involved.

For mini contests though, i'm reasonably sure in the past it's been either no custom stuff at all, or whatever you like.

I know people can make their own stuff or use others stuff and "cheat" but I wanted to see what would happen. If it turns out it was a bad idea ok then now we have an example.

 

[Ida]

This is a really nice idea.

However, I think it could be good to delay it until most people's summer holidays start (or at least have the last half or something during the summer holidays). This isn't really something you can partake in if you have a lot to do, after all.

 

[Micnax]

I'd give it a blast, even though I'm dreadful and level design :O

 

[sniprpenguin]

Sounds interesting. Will try after my finals are over.

 

[Mick-a-nator]

Contest end date: None

This needs to be set quite a way into summer holidays in my opinion. Lots of people having exams around now, and trust me, mapping is not main priority when trying to remember complicated stuff for half a dozen exams...

 

[Owlruler]

By 72 hours, do you mean 3 days or 72 hours of work on the map?

 

[Geal]

Idea to help enforce the 72-hour rule. Assuming you mean 3 days to make a map, and not 72 total hours.

Announce the contest about a week in advance. Best time would probably be during summer, when people have lots of free time. Say that there'll be a gamemode/theme, but don't announce it until the contest starts. Then at midnight on the first day of the contest, announce the theme and give people until midnight three days later to turn in a map. That way people have ONLY the three days to create a map.