Official Level Design Contest: January/February

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FuriousFox

AKA FuriousFox
Retired Staff
Welcome to the official level design contest topic. Please read the following if you're interested in entering the contest or are just curious as to what the rules and regulations are.

There are four divisions, match, capture the flag, circuit and single player. Here are the important parts of each type, for those who would like the specifics:

Match stages are arenas for players to fight. 32 deathmatch starts are necessary to randomize the spawning, but if the stage loads and runs okay, it’s an acceptable entry for the match contest. You should also have a Player 1 Start to keep the level from crashing if loaded improperly.

Capture the Flag stages are arenas for two teams to battle it out. They must include a red team and blue team base with a flag, and should include 32 deathmatch and 16 red and blue team starts. There should also be a Player 1 Start to keep the level from crashing if loaded improperly. It is generally better to make the map symmetrical to be absolutely sure that it is fair for both teams.

Circuit stages are race tracks designed for Race mode. They should include a Circuit mode finish line and several Star Posts to ensure the stage runs properly. Please use the Star Post Activation sector type to make sure it's not possible to skip the Star Posts, and do not use enemies in Circuit mode. There should be a Player 1 Start at the starting point.

Single Player stages are designed to play in 1 player, and have to include a start and end, and obstacles in the way. Generally, it’s a good idea to give the map support for Cooperative and Race mode, but it’s not necessary.

The full rules of the contest are as follows:

1. All levels must work correctly in their selected mode. Support for other modes is suggested, but not required. Levels will be judged in Match, Capture the Flag, Circuit or Single Player, depending on the contest you’re entering.
2. The map may not have been publicly released before. In other words, if you have released the level on the Addons section or on the forums, you may not enter it. However, if it’s unreleased, that is just as good as being completely new, and is a legal entry. Basically, don't fix up an old map and enter it, make something new.
3. The map has to be your own work. If you base it on another map, that's fine, but a straight port or slight modifications are against the rules.

For the match, circuit and capture the flag contest, there is another rule in place:

4. Custom textures, music, SOCs, and other lumps other than a header and the map itself are not allowed in the Match, Circuit and Capture the Flag contests. These levels are going to be combined into a single WAD file, so in the interest in getting the entries out on time, you have to be creative with what you have.

Submissions are to be sent to my e-mail at FuriousFox@gmail.com.

Submissions need to have "Contest Submission - January/February" as the subject line, and contain the name of the stage, your nickname, and the contest you are submitting the map to in the e-mail body. If you do not give me a nickname, your e-mail's given name and e-mail address will be used to attribute the file. For multiple maps in one e-mail, make sure to put the information for each map included. I prefer attachments, but links in the body of the e-mail are also alright provided they are to your own webspace. No SendSpace, Rapidshare, or other similar file hosts. Files hosted on such servers will not be included. Note that maps that are considered unplayable will be rejected.

The contest submissions period ends on March 1st, 2008 at 12:00 AM GMT. (February 29th, 2008 at 7:00 PM EST). Any submissions that are late will be possible to get in if you get them to me before the judging starts, but if you’re late, you’re taking a risk that you might have to wait for the next contest, so please get your file in on time.

Judging will consist of voting on the message board. Any member can vote, giving a number for each map from 0 to 10, zero being the most abysmal piece of crap ever, and ten being total perfection. You cannot vote on your own map. To encourage voting, if an entrant votes on everyone else’s map in the contest they are entered in, the lowest score on all of their entries will be dropped. (Example: If someone enters a single player map and votes on all the other single player maps, their lowest score is dropped.)

Judging will start the instant the files are uploaded, and continue until a week after they were uploaded. The exact time when voting will end will be shown when the files are uploaded. At that point, all votes will be averaged and the map with the highest average in each category will be declared the winner.

The section on the Addons section for showing contest winners is still under revision, but the winners will get special treatment on the website.

All entries are welcome, from beginners to advanced level designers. Even if you don’t win, this is an excellent way to get feedback on your stage to help improve. Collaborations are allowed, and testing is encouraged strongly. There is no limit to the number of entries you can have, but I encourage you to limit yourself to 3-4 so each map can get the attention it deserves. Quality over quantity.
 
The only hint's to my guarenteed entries are "You don't know True Glaber Syndrome" and "See Sonic 3"
 
I've got a circuit level complete, but I'm going to wait a little while before sending it in.
 
Did you get my map FF? I intentionally sent it early while I had no internet because I obviously couldn't access the internet whenever I wanted. But, does sending it in early still work?

And before anybody else asks me anything; yes, i did put "January/February Contest Submission" in the title.

So yeah. Emerald Valley should be in this contest. Like I said before, I want critiques and tips on how I can improve, because Co-op maps are new to me. (well considering I haven't been mapping for long, mapping is new to me anyway :P)
 
I may want to send a level for this contest, for I started making one yesterday. I think I'll continue with it now...

Anyway, it's called Vast Woods Zone.
 
Well, this time I'll enter something real, as last months 'Aquatic Basin' sucked.

This time I'm making a level called Ivy Caverns zone, So, I hope it does well

:)
 
I'm entering; oh my god. I had planned 3 different stages with the same name, for 3 different multiplayer modes, but it seems that the only one that will be ready is the CTF one... Oh well, good luck EVERYONE WHO'S ENTERING.
 
Forever Forest really isn't what it should be right now. I'll probably have it sent in by the end of the month, but it's really depressing that technical limitations, of all things, are keeping me from improving it. Gosh.
 
I decided to give out more hints to the levels
Hint 2 for both levels are: Mode 7 and wrap around.
 
I submitted one of my maps in my first ever contest. I submitted Spring passage CTF map, and would be interested on how it goes here.
 
RedEchidna said:
Special stage?
No. That's beeing saved to go with Daimondus. (in other words I do have a special Stage but that not the one with the hints of "You don't know True Glaber Syndrome" and "Mode 7")

Hints 3
Wooden Track

and Dank.
 
Has this got something to do with Battle Woods zone?
For those interested, If you have read the topic about my Mod, Raw mobius, then you will be pleased to hear that Lavender Lagoon Act 1 will be in this contest!

Azure Hawk
 
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