Official Level Design Contest: November/December

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FuriousFox

AKA FuriousFox
Yeah, about a month late, I know. We've done worse, though.

Also, I'm extending the deadline for one week to give you guys extra time to get things in. I imagine that many of you (myself included) will be busy enjoying Xmas presents and spending time with family near the end of next month, so this will give us extra time to get everything ready.

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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 - November/December" 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 January 8th, 2007 at 12:00 AM GMT. (January 7th, 2007 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
 
Well topic opened with 5 weeks left to work on the entry... I'm working on a ctf map with a similar theme. My original plan and ultimate goal is to have a match, a circuit, a capture the flag, and a NiGHTS map all sharing the theme and gimmicks of VDZ. (I'm also planning on adding some more overall direction to VDZ, but that's not for a contest)

I can't wait to see some of the other entries!
 
Well, when I have the chance to enter this contest, I'll make a two levels, one Match map and one Single Player map.

Kaysakado said:
@glaber: When you say Diamondous Act 2, I hope you mean the CTF Diamondus kthxbai.

I think glaber ment the Single Player Diamiondus, not the CTF one. Because glaber Is working on Medivo CTF.
 
With any luck, I'll be able to finish and submit Forever Forest 1, although chances are looking pretty slim at the moment...
 
BlueZero4 said:
With any luck, I'll be able to finish and submit Forever Forest 1, although chances are looking pretty slim at the moment...
More buttons and "YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR"s plzkthxbai
 
Submitted Leafy Cave Zone. Good luck to everyone!
 
I would like to participate as well. Once I'm finished (and barring major errors) that is. I think my sp level, Meadow Mountain Zone, is probably about 35% finished, but I could finish it by the deadline if I would just have time.

Honestly though, I'm trying to add a lot of detail, and a few areas are kinda glitchy, so I'm still debating whether to wait until the next contest or not. I've seen what happens when projects get rushed. *looks at Sonic 360*
 
Good luck to me if I EVER finish my stupid SP level I've been going on and off working on it. It's been about a month or three and it's still not even 50% done I think...I might be trying to hard to make it nice, playable, and etc.
 
My crappy SP level is finished but i keep forgetting to put it on my USB to email it to FF at school (which I'm done with for this year), etc. so you won't be seeing it until I get the internet at home again.

I'm not too proud of it anyway. Winter Twilight was legendary IMO, but this one I just made is horrible, but if I post it I can at least get criticism that can improve my skill.

Anywho, it was a Singleplayer level called Emerald Valley Zone, and it's very short, but there's a nice surprise at the end. ;)
 
Well, I'll probably make a CTF level for the contest.

I would throw together another SP level, but Grassy Grove comes to mind... I've improved. (I laugh at it now.)
 
At this point with the Christmas Wad going on Daimondus acts 2 WILL be delayed to next contest. Medivo CTF will be released this contest though.
 
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