HL2DM University is proud to present its second half-life 2 deathmatch mapping contest!
RULES
1. Map must be an original work (this means you cannot submit a remake of an existing map from HL2DM or any other game) and be completed to prefinal level. Map must be previously unreleased and must remain so for the duration of competition. Mapmaker must agree to allow HL2DMU to release their map as part of the winning trio mappack before promoting it publicly.
2. Mapper must submit .vmf, .bsp, and final compile log for review (.vmf files will only be used to assess technical issues by judges with mapping ability and will not be retained once the contest is over). Email a link to
siteadmin@hl2dm-university.com. Please do not email the files, just provide a URL (filefront etc). You should receive a confirmation email. If you do not, please post on the forums and arrange an alternative method of submission. You are also welcome to submit as much information about the design of your map as you see fit if you think it will help the judges understand the motivation behind your design and the gameplay it was designed to encourage.
3. Deadline for map submission is February 28th 2009. Maps received after this date will not be considered.
4. The HL2DMU Judges Panel consisting of volunteers from community will vote privately to determine the top three maps, and a second vote will be held to determine the winner and runner up from those three.
6. Judges are not permitted to enter a map, or participate in the contest in any manner besides judging.
7. Map must be made specifically for regular HL2DM by Valve. It must not be made for a mod based on HL2DM, nor should it be a capture the flag, nokill, or co-op style map (or any other non-standard deathmatch style of play). While team spawns are permitted, they are not recommended.
8. Map must run on windows and linux servers. If you do not have a linux server to test on, submit your map anyway and HL2DMU will try to assist you with any bugs that cause linux crashes during the testing and judging stage.
9. Map must be fully packed. The only other files that may be included with the .vmf and .bsp are a readme.txt and a .res file that points to it.
10. LDR lightmaps are required. Maps that are fullbright or have HDR lightmaps only will not be considered.
PRIZES
1. $300.00 US for first place and $100 US for the runner up. IMPORTANT: For privacy and convenience reasons, the winner and runner up must provide a paypal account in order to accept the funds. HL2DMU will not be responsible for any transfer fees or foreign currency exchange fees resulting from the transfer of funds to the winning mapper.
2. The top 3 mappers will have the opportunity to work with the Judges Panel to tweak and finetune their maps on a technical and gameplay level through extensive testing and bug checking. Upon completion to final level, all three maps will be included in a special community map pack.
3. There is no limit to the number of maps a mapper may submit, but please note that the same mapper cannot win both first prize and the runner up prize. ie. The prizes are for the winning mapper and the mapper with the next best map by number of votes. Even though there is plenty of time, we strongly recommend submitting one highly refined map rather than several beta quality ones.
GUIDELINES
1. The theme for this contest is "fast enough to 1v1, but big enough for teamplay"
2. Try to make every area of your map count, such as connecting you to another area of the map, being a good area to hold, or storing a useful pickup. An example of something that "doesnt count": a deadend at the back of your map with pistol ammo in it.
3. Map size will also factor into the voting. The map can be big enough to support teamplay for up to 4v4 competition, but note the theme of the contest above. Good examples of maps that are sufficiently big to handle teamplay, while still being connected enough for 1v1 include dm_avalon, dm_zeta, dm_lockdown, and dm_caverns (current versions may be downloaded from
http://www.caleague.com/?division=2v2 in the files section).
4. Please pay careful attention to pickup balance. Maps that are overloaded with items and weapons, or pickup sparse maps like dm_overwatch will have less chance of winning.
5. Although it will not disqualify you from winning, it is recommended that the mapper focus on solid game play and try not to include secret areas, or novelty style maps that are fun to explore but may not stand the test of time, or that cannot be used in leagues.
6. Place resources so you give the player an incentive to move on: put ammo away from the weapon itself; an RPG down inside a narrow corridor or a shotgun out in the middle of an open area will make the player want to move on to where those weapons can be used more effectively.
7. We recommend that you are discrete if you want to put a personal logo or similar in the map. It is traditional to put a button or logo you need to click "use" on to see the map credits so that they do not distract the player during a match.
JUDGING CRITERIA
Judges will review and discuss the following aspects of the map:
a. Technical soundness, including FPS performance and reasonable file size given the nature of the map. (10 points)
b. Quality of gameplay based on layout, control points and flow. (10 points)
c. Visual appeal. (10 points)
d. Balance, including well placed spawns and pickups. (10 points)
e. Connectivity, including the ability to move quickly through the major areas of the map (10 points)
f. Size, ensuring sufficient area for 4v4 (10 points)
g. Overall appeal and fun factor (10 points)
Main Contest Thread:
http://www.hl2dm-university.com/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2629
Contest Questions / Comments Thread:
http://www.hl2dm-university.com/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2647
