Official Level Design Contest Voting: May/June

[Mystic]

Welcome to the May/June 2006 contest. We've broken our previous entry record AGAIN, totalling at 32 entries.

The voting works as follows: Play a few games of the stage in question, in the intended gametype for judging, and give the map a vote from 0 to 10. You can not vote on your own map. To encourage voting, if you are an author and you judge all of the competitor's maps, the lowest score on your map will be dropped. Please be as unbiased as possible for the author or the look of the map. It's all about how good the map plays, nothing else.

Although it's not necessary, it's very helpful to make comments about what you liked and didn't like about the map, so the author can improve his skill for future attempts.

Judging will end June 14th at midnight GMT (June 13th, 7:00 PM EST). The scores will be then averaged, and the person with the highest score is the winner.

The maps follow:

Single Player Contest Levels - 922 KB

The single player levels are:
Gravity - Prime 2.0
Magma Base - Blue Blur
SonicT2DRealm - Sonict
Jungle Japes - GCFreak
Arid Ruins - Tets
Rocky Pass - Oogaland
Los Gehts - Penopat
Waterfall Valley 2 - FuriousFox
Techno Peak 2 - ree-c

Match/CTF Contest Level Pack - 571 KB

Match/CTF Pack contains the following maps:

Match:
MAP01 - Geyser Garden - Senku
MAP02 - Sunken Mine - Senku
MAP03 - College Showdown - GCFreak
MAP04 - Soul Calibur - Bouncy
MAP05 - Zim's Bathroom - Sonict
MAP06 - Hell Angel - Sonict
MAP07 - Unsafe Warehouse - a441
MAP08 - Watery Death - a441
MAP09 - Treetop Inanity - a441
MAP10 - Underground Pool - a441
MAP11 - Greenflower Match - Shuffle
MAP12 - Thermal Ravine - Kineso
MAP13 - Triangular Terraces - Blue Blur
MAP14 - One Way Ticket - 1-Up
MAP15 - Lava Valley - ree-c
MAP16 - Glacier Temple - ree-c
MAP17 - Bunker Hills - Chabo
MAP18 - Sheltered Waterfall - Oogaland
MAP19 - Leavey Wood - Penopat
MAP20 - Snowy Valley - Chaos Zero 64
MAP21 - Shoreline Dunes - Senku

Capture the Flag:
MAP22 - Meadow Dome - Chabo
MAP23 - Lily Pads - Oogaland

Please make sure to play the levels in the intended gametype, and above all, have fun judging!

Edit: Finally found the account behind the remaining e-mail address. Remember folks, put your screen name in your submission e-mails!

 

[JJames19119]

Mystic, I was ultra sure I sent you two submissions for this contest. I sent them on May 11th and they have the attatchment with the wads in them. Why are they not in this pack?

 

[Princess Plushima]

Same here, well I only submitted one map but still. I even have screenshot evidence that I'm willing to upload if it becomes necessary.

 

[Mystic]

I have an e-mail from you dated May 11th with the following text:

JJames19119~

m_carriercrisis.wad =
Carrier Crisis Zone - Match

mt_twilighttower.wad =
Twilight Tower Zone - Match

mtf_greenerycave.wad =
Greenery Cave Zone - CTF

There is no attachment.

Several submissions were lost because their authors used SendSpace or another free host to store the file, and the download had expired by the time I compiled the link. I warned people in the topic, but no one appeared to have listened. I made a VERY explicit warning in the next contest's rules, so if anyone does that again, I can throw a very clear "I told you so" in their face.

 

[JJames19119]

I have an e-mail from you dated May 11th with the following text:

JJames19119~

m_carriercrisis.wad =
Carrier Crisis Zone - Match

mt_twilighttower.wad =
Twilight Tower Zone - Match

mtf_greenerycave.wad =
Greenery Cave Zone - CTF

There is no attachment.

I don't know about you but the copy I have in my inbox has the attatchment, I double checked after posting earlier. :|

My guess is there's no hope right? If I resubmitted it now, would I have to wait another two months for the next contest?

 

[Mystic]

My guess is there's no hope right? If I resubmitted it now, would I have to wait another two months for the next contest?

Sadly, yes. I can't easily insert more submissions once it's already started. We really need a better way to submit files, but that still doesn't explain why there is an attachment on your end and not on mine. Did you name it virusthatnortonwilldeletewithoutatrace.exe or something?

 

[JJames19119]

I blame it my email provider's inability to handle attatchments very well at all. It refuses EXEs in ZIPs and attempts to block any ZIPs that have some sort of EXE header in it. Sometimes this doesn't work too well and doesn't pass through all the filters...this isn't the first time it's happened to me. I bet if I tried to download my own attatchment right now I'd get a 404.

 

[Princess Plushima]

You know, I was really looking forward to having City Scape in this contest. But if you can't be bothered to add it in, then fine. It's not like you would've liked it anyway.

 

[Shuffle]

Just submit it for the next contest, it's the same thing.. only you'll have to wait 2 months.

 

[Princess Plushima]

Just submit it for the next contest, it's the same thing.. only you'll have to wait 2 months.

Something I don't plan on doing after counting down the days. Besides, it's just another level, you've already got 32. The only difference is I don't plan on downloading the WAD this time.

 

[Sun]

Maybe you can make your level a bit longer over the two-month period :)

 

[Flame]

mystic? what ever happened to the wads i submitted in for the contest wad? (they were match levels, and yes i remember sending them WITH a link)

 

[FuriousFox]

mystic? what ever happened to the wads i submitted in for the contest wad? (they were match levels, and yes i remember sending them WITH a link)

Several submissions were lost because their authors used SendSpace or another free host to store the file, and the download had expired by the time I compiled the link. I warned people in the topic, but no one appeared to have listened. I made a VERY explicit warning in the next contest's rules, so if anyone does that again, I can throw a very clear "I told you so" in their face.

 

[Bouncey]

<Post Deleted>

 

[Sun]

Gravity - Prime 2.0: 5/10
Nice concept, as gravity change IS an new idea, but you'll die A LOT your first time though, plus I couldn't beat the boss due to it being confusing...

Magma Base - Blue Blur: 8/10

Nice amount of paths to take, but like Mystic said, much lack of detail.
Also, the first lava hall may well be a "bottemless pit" the first time though(I got lucky though).

SonicT2DRealm - Sonict: 2/10
Zone 1 and 2 together took me less then 40 seconds, and the boss + 2-d = crap. ANd the sky blurs in Zone 3.

Jungle Japes - GCFreak: 2/10
Can't find a way out of that right cave in the big pool, so I can't finish with Sonic.

Arid Ruins - Tets: 9/10
Please throw this into your level pack once you get Zone 2 done(if your working on one thas is). Anyway, very amazing, as there was nothing "annoying" at all, plus the sand switch is nice. Make this a bit harder, and Chaos Zone will start pwning.

Rocky Pass - Oogaland: 7/10
Honestly, I though this was somewhat too easy, and I also seem to get lost sometimes. And the raising water isn't anything fun.

Los Gehts - Penopat: 8/10
Its fun, but theres really not much you can do there once you've beaten the level once. Also, the last part can be completely bypassed via spindash-jump.

Waterfall Valley 2 - FuriousFox: 8/10
Its ment to short, as its just part of the first zone in Acid Missile. But I haven't rreallt explored yet, but from what Mystic says, theres plenty of goodies around.

Techno Peak 2 - ree-c: 8/10
Long, and quite a lot of routes to take, but the only problem is theres not enough detail to somethings, plus a LOT of graphic errors.

I removed my ratings for Match + CTF levels mainly because I just don't feel like I've played enough of them.

 

[Callum]

Single Player

Sonict2D Realm -Sonict- (7/10) - It's an OK zone of 2D Levels, but the third zone has god all that HOM. Try to fix that.

Gravity -Prime 2.0- (8/10) - Loved it. Absolutely loved it. It was very challenging, with the gravity room and the hard eggman battle. But the only gripe I have with the level is that it's far too dark, It was basically pitch black in Software. I would of given it a 10 if it wasn't for this.

Los Gehts -Penopat- (9/10) WOW! This level is very nice and big. I like very much. The only problem is the friction on the ice is not strong enough. Increase linedef legth to make the ice slipperier. If it was slippier, it would of gotten 10, but still this level is gorgeous. Praise yourself.

Arid Ruins -Tets- (9/10) One of the best desert levels I've seen, next to Mystic's Golden Sands. Very challenging, and very confusing. Good job, Tets. Your levels are awesome.

Magma Base -Blue Blur- (7/10) Like the previous levels, this is awesome! However I have a few issues:
The lack of starposts in the level makes me concerned. It took me many tries to get the level finished. Some of the lava outside the factory bit with the bobbing platforms are less obvious and can confuse the player.

Techno Peak 2 -Ree-C- (8/10) WOW! This level is nice and big aswell. No problems here, just a wonderful level.

Waterfall Valley 2 -FuriousFox- (9/10) Wonderful! Nice! Bravo. This level is wonderful. There is nothing that I'm concerned about with this, apart from that the trees in this level is too similar to Tets' Dark Palisades Zone. Please be more creative.

Rocky Pass -Oogaland- (10/10) Too fast, too furious! This level gets an instant 10! The different rock formations gives you a speedy feeling that your travelling through different terrain, I love that feeling so much! Congratulations, Oogaland.

Match

Capture the Flag

 

[FuriousFox]

GCFreak, you do know that you have to play these maps in a netgame before you can rate them, right? I don't think it's been long enough for you to have played through all of those maps.

 

[Callum]

GCFreak, you do know that you have to play these maps in a netgame before you can rate them, right? I don't think it's been long enough for you to have played through all of those maps.

...Netgame? It doesn't say there? OK, screw the match and CTF votes.

 

[FuriousFox]

GCFreak, you do know that you have to play these maps in a netgame before you can rate them, right? I don't think it's been long enough for you to have played through all of those maps.

...Netgame? It doesn't say there? OK, screw the match and CTF votes.

The voting works as follows: Play a few games of the stage in question, in the intended gametype for judging, and give the map a vote from 0 to 10.

 

[Tets]

Right then, single player submissions...

Gravity - Prime 2.0: 5/10
Nice concept, but poorly executed. I ended up wasting what I believe added up to eight lives due to cheap deaths. Framerate drops to a severe extent in some areas while playing with the software renderer, I'm assuming partly due to a set of FOFs with far too many tiny holes. Additionally, there should never be more than one turret in any room, no matter what they're guarding.

Magma Base - Blue Blur: 8/10
Basically a pretty generic level with a unique look. Bonus for alternate paths. Non-linear level design rocks.

SonicT2DRealm - Sonict: 7/10
One of the better 2D zones I've played. Could be longer, but I do like that it's somewhat non-linear. Unfortunately 2D boss battles simply do not work in SRB2.

Jungle Japes - GCFreak: 4/10
The beginning of this level is boring and more difficult than it needs to be simply to get through. It seems this submission never got the testing that it should have. There are holes in the top of the trees, and once you get to where the level actually starts, there are platforms in the water with no water below them. Adding to that, sub-par level design with unclear motives led me to eventually quit. I simply couldn't bother myself to go through the trouble to finish it.

Rocky Pass - Oogaland: 9/10
Geez, this level is going to kick my submission's ass. It's almost perfect. It has loads of alternate paths and lasts longer than most other levels I've played. I did end up getting lost in a few areas, though, as it's not very clear where you're meant to go in some places.

Los Gehts - Penopat: 8/10
I like it. It's big and fun to play through. The ice could definitely do with reduced friction, and I noticed a few mismatched linedefs which caused some rendering errors.

Waterfall Valley 2 - FuriousFox: 8/10
Sort of reminds me of my own Dark Palisades Zone, but that doesn't make it any less awesome. The level flows smoothly, a bit too smoothly in fact. I didn't notice I had reached the end at first when I made it there.

Techno Peak 2 - ree-c: 7/10
A nice, generic factory-themed level. Plays pretty well. However, Tets says no to steep stair inclines. They look ugly and are annoying to climb up. One of the slime pools near the beginning is missing slime below where some pipes cross over top.