Official Level Design Contest: January/February

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Mystic

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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 three divisions, match, capture the flag 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.

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 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 or IRC channel, you may not enter it. However, if it’s unreleased, that is just as good as being completely new, and is a legal entry.
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 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 and Capture the Flag contests. Match 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 mystic@srb2.org.

Submissions need to have "Contest Submission - Jan/Feb" as the subject line, and contain the name of the stage, your nickname, and the contest you are submitting the map to. 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. Note that maps that are considered unplayable will be rejected.

The contest submissions period ends on March 1st, 2006 at 12:00 AM GMT. (February 28th, 2006 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 will need to be revised soon for the winners, 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.

I look forward to the entries, and let's hope that the Capture the Flag contest produces some good results without making the other categories have nothing =P
 
Mystic said:
It is generally better to make the map symetrical to be absolutely sure that it is fair for both teams.
Um...should that be symmetrical? :P

Anywho, I actually (with the help of HD03) shall be entering this contest, with a wad that will most definetly lock us a good spot in the rankings this time :P.
 
Next time, slowly read your post for that. You seem to make a mistake every time.

I'll see if I get a change to enter this time. I miss it.
 
Chaos Zero 64 said:
Next time, slowly read your post for that. You seem to make a mistake every time.

I'll see if I get a change to enter this time. I miss it.
I do proofread. I just always miss something stupid.
 
Here is a suprise: I'm entering the contest! And better yet, I've already got my level in the works. Don't expect some sort of "OMG AWESOME" map , but do expect something novel and fresh. Anyway, I look forward to the judging(and no, I haven't sent it in yet).
 
i'm not sure i'll be joining the contest this time, but i may come up with a match map or two.
 
I might enter the contest for the first time. No CTF maps from me, though, I'll probably make 2 or 3 match maps and (hopefully) a 3-act Single Player Stage.

On a side note, due to the lack of reactions and comments, and SRB2's crashy netgames, I'll probably pause NANDE Groove indefinately. I'll just release the maps one by one. Two of them are probably making the contest. At least I hope so.

EDIT: So, when is the new addons page due to release? I can't stop thinking about all the n00bs that'll be upset 'cuz there's no Shadow.
 
Ugh....I've been absent from here for such a long time due to lack of interest in making maps. I missed out on the past contest. x_x I still do have maps that are ready to go after a few finishing touches though so I might get into this contest...might.
 
I think its because ctf maps are ment to be semetrical. most people would rather have a bunch of random crap every here and there instead of having a semetrical map.

...also i dont think many people play ctf anyway. its usually only matches and races. ctf is occasional.

If you really want, I'll make a CTF map. It may suck, it may now. depends on if I have free time to make it or if i spend more time than a day on it :P
 
CTF maps don't have to be symmetrical - in fact, they'd be a heck of a lot MORE interesting if they aren't symmetrical. You see, no matter which side you're on, whatever impediments you may face by starting on one side will be shared by the other team once they've gotten your flag and are trying to make their way back. In effect, no matter which side you start on, you've still got to travel both to and from the other base; all that changes is which way you'll be going to get to the flag in the first place.
 
Shadow Hog said:
CTF maps don't have to be symmetrical - in fact, they'd be a heck of a lot MORE interesting if they aren't symmetrical. You see, no matter which side you're on, whatever impediments you may face by starting on one side will be shared by the other team once they've gotten your flag and are trying to make their way back. In effect, no matter which side you start on, you've still got to travel both to and from the other base; all that changes is which way you'll be going to get to the flag in the first place.
Actually, Shadow Hog, that's not true, really. The trip TO the flag is much easier than the trip carrying the flag back to base. Non-symmetrical CTF maps can be made, but they have to be very well balanced, and really, I suggest no one attempt it, because even IF the sides are perfectly balanced, one team will always complain that it's not anyhow. Just look at Counterstrike.

If they're symmetrical, there is absolutely no question that the teams are on equal footing, so there is less complaints about level design and more about lag, as it should be ^_~
 
I'll enter the CTF contest. Do I have an idea? No. But come on, this is me. I got an idea and made a (crappy, but playable) map for the last contest in a few hours flat.
 
I could enter the CTF contest if I have the time. (...and inspiration. x_x) I have a couple ideas floating around in my head.
 
I'm entering the match contest. It's okay if I test a wad on IRC, right?
 
Good, because I tested it, and I got good feedback, I think. BTW, when voting starts, keep in mind that it's dark for a reason. You're meant to only be able to see shadows. I plan on testing to see if you need fog, and therefore OGL, to see, today. *tries in software*
EDIT: It works, but I sent the untextured one. Uh, oops. *resends*
 
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