el Competitione Thrẽad Officiale

Questions, comments, progress, in here please. :smile:

And for the benefit of some.. :rolleyes:

We've been discussing this in the forums, and a lot of people seemed to want a 'themed' contest, and a lot seemed to want 'flat-shaded' maps. Some peons even wanted texture limitation, and I personally wanted to have 'incorrect dimensions'.

So, seeing as we're a democracy ruled by a dictator, we're going to have a themed competition, but what the theme is is up to you. Flat shaded, texture limitation, concept art again, too big/too small, whatever- make a map with some kind of twist to it. It's the last HL competition we're ever going to have, so go for it and make your last ever HL map! The only limitation is it should be a playable Half-Life Deathmatch map (i.e. have weapons and player starts, and not have stupidly high r_speeds). You can "retheme" existing, released maps if you want, but we will be biased against them unless there's a fairly radical change (this rule doesn't apply to existing but unreleased maps).

Bearing in mind it is the summer and a lot of people will be having exams, the deadline will be set for Sunday 1st August. Of course, should HL2 come out before that (you never know..!) the date will be changed. We'll also see about prizes and getting the entries properly judged this time!

It's all on the front page.

Dont think il be entering this one, but im looking forward to seeing entries :smile:

OK, i think i am allowed a second stupid question..

PLEASE READ THIS SLOWLY

may we, take a previously released map, and re-texture it to flat-shade, as long as we understand that we do not expect to win by doing so?

i mean, i have no time to build a map from scratch, but i can re-texture one easy enough..

this at least, would prolly increase the entries..

or, since the guidelines do not expressly forbid it, the judges could decide if its a worthy entry, and might have a chance to win.. second or third place?? defering of course to those mappers who actually put in the effort of making a whole new map..

Yeah, it might be an idea to clarify if it has to be a previously unreleased map or not, as with it simply being 'themed' you could end up with mappers entering every map they ever made under the pretence of it being 'themed' :/

I wouldn't mind entering dm_osiris as it was a cats whisker too late for the last contest but I understand fully if that would be inappropriate :smile:

well, the difference i am proposing is, the map i would pick, would be radically re-textured, which in itself is no small task..

osiris, was released, but not in any significant way.. IE it hasn't been reviewed here :smile:

i would vote yes, but would also say it would need to defer to anyone who made a completely new map from scratch.

my goal is to get the largest participation level possible.. and the clear understanding that any map not made from scratch cannot win 1st place..

Ok, rules updated. Adam you're perfectly fine, and Orph it's okay if you make massive changes :smile: As the judge's descision is final, we can worry about if you'll be penalised or not later.

That's fair - i'd happily defer to a newly built map. I'd just like to enter it as it was built for the previous contest but missed the deadline. Since it was built with a fairly specific theme which also applies this time round I don't see a problem in its entry - but like I said, if there's an objection, i'd be more than happy to not enter it :smile:

EDIT Lep, you beat me to the post :smile:

cool, well this might/should help those short on time.. at the very least, it should increase the potential total a bit..

now all i need do is get a clear definitive on the term "flat-shade"

i have the texture set duncan is using..i assume those are flat-shade textures.. now all i need ask is, do we have to limit the map to 2 or 3 textures? or can we utilize the entire set?

sorry if i am re-asking questions, but i honestly did not follow the other threads, as i assumed i would have to little time.. when it became apparent others were balking for the same reason, i became devoted to solving the time constraints if at all possible.

radical re-texturing is no easy task, but it is simpler by far than totally from scratch construction..

Oooh, a good excuse to map.

/me opens VHE

Yay, sounds like a good idea to solve all the problems Lep, good call :smile:

Flatshading is actually a term that we are using somewhat incorrectly, but for the sake of simplicity it seems like a fitting title. As far as all of us need to be concerned, it is using flat coloured textures to create a map. Some people have taken this to the extreme of using only 2 or 3 textures, but that isn't necessary for it to be flatshaded - for example I've used around 10 textures. You also don't need to bypass lighting like most of us have - Kingnic is making a flatshaded map with proper lighting and its looking pretty cool (screenshots in the other thread). Be aware that it can be difficult to do well however.

I'm in the process of writing up a tutorial on flatshading, though I feel its a bit long winded and complex, and may do readers more harm than good by simply confusing them! I'll see what I can do about writing up a basic guideline tutorial instead of an in-depth theory one.

Just try to think back to how virtual reality used to look (before texture mapping). A single colour per face of a polygon/brush :smile:

How many entries per-person?

My map looks much better with shadows, but takes about... oh, say FIVE HOURS to compile with everything on full. Looks quite nice with it though, I must say.

One, "obviously".

Only one entry? Spoilsport :razz:

Hey does this mean that if I finished my castle, I could enter that? Does 'castle' count as a strong theme? The map hasn't been released... I was thinking I could do a flatshaded-with-shadows map in the same style as that, so I wouldn't have to spend so much time thinking up architecture ideas and stuff.

I agree with ReNo, good call :smile:

Good call on all but the one entry part, in my opinion. Personally I think with a deadline that far off, some people (such as myself) could certainly come up with two or three entries. I guess it could mean some people start having a monopoly on position chances, but regardless of how many somebody has thrown into the mix, it doesnt necessarily mean one of them becomes good enough to place.

How about people can enter as many as they want, but only one of the maps can place in a top 3 position (so if their maps came both second and third, the third would be discounted)? That way the more a person enters, the higher the chance of them placing (well, in a sense), but they can't go grabbing all the top spots.

It would result in at least one or two more entries I'd wager, and allow people who need motivation such as myself to always have some sort of goal to be mapping towards. And of course the truth is some people like Cass and I seem to be pretty well on in our project already, and so that leaves months of no contest mapping ahead of us if these can be our only entries.

So what happens when millions of n00bs all around the world send me 50 of their latest killbox variations??! (blue light-theme, red-light theme, etc.) :wink:

Good idea. I think letting people have many maps but only including in the ranking the map that was judged best would be a good idea. It wouldn't have to be 'no limit', but for the likes of ReNo, you could allow say 3 each.

/sends blue light map to recycle bin

I have a few maps in progress that I forsee being able to complete in time for the deadline (if I stop playing Divine Divinity :wink: ) and would like to enter a few covering different themes. If that means only one is counted in the final results then fair enough :smile:

Is that likely Lep? Obviously not to the extent you said, but in the past contests have you been inundated with poor quality maps? And if so, you seem to have discounted them from the off since I never saw them listed :biggrin:

I think Jeff might be right, perhaps allow 2 or 3 per person max.

<!-- ZoneLabs Popup Blocking Insertion -->hmmmmm, this is the only non-judo competition i'll be in....if i do enter.

/me starts thinking of a theme

<!-- ZoneLabs Popup Blocking Insertion -->

So what happens when millions of n00bs all around the world send me 50 of their latest killbox variations??! (blue light-theme, red-light theme, etc.) :wink:

Throw them in the "laughably bad" themed map section, and judge those maps seperately. Then mail the winner of the losers a bag full of toenail clippings, or a sock or something. Be creative!

Good idea :biggrin: Not my sock though, else they'll do something wacky with the DNA and find out my Terrible Genetic Secret, or make a voodoo sock or something.

I was planning on doing something similar back for April Fools day- run some contest where people submit the crapiest map they could think of, while still making it playable. Then having random prizes like that... I still might do that sometime, I think it would be a hoot.

Boo Yacka I'm in this contest... But there'll be hell to pay if I recieve a bag full of toenail cippings WHEN I win.

Why not combine the two and have a sock full of toenail clippings?

This will be the first contest I enter on the site, to bad it will be the last. I'm going to make a weird themed map just totally radom stuff nicely placed in a xen type environment I may even throw in some melted clocks.

why is it the last contest anyway?

Last contest as if all goes well, HL2 should be out by the end of the year :smile:

Last contest for regular HL, I assume, not the last contest ever for the site. I hope not at least!

It says this is the "last HL competition" we're having, not the last competition ever!

oooooooooh I don't know if I'll be able to map for HL2

<!-- ZoneLabs Popup Blocking Insertion -->when the results are through.....will there be rankings e.g. 1st place up to say 20th?

I doubt it will go up to 20 to be honest...

Could i have a go at something more special like a cross between the concept art and texture limitation themes?

OK if you haven't noticed Lep has cunningly reworded my idea and as far as I know not many people have noticed, 'specially not Reno lol...

The contest is basically make a map... any map you want. A theme can easily be made up for any map lol. Obviously the more it resembles the theme the better, and choosing a theme such as a warehouse wouldn't get you far :razz:

Yeah I guess your right Myrk, I did doubt your earlier suggestion and this is much the same. I've come to realise though that it can work provided people aren't idiots about it. If for example, people come along and say "this is my map, its theme is a military storage facility!", then they are spoiling the contest - its not an original or strong theme, and its not in the spirit of the competition.

However, if people pick themes that are more difficult and unique - such as flatshaded, texture limited, wierd dimensions, or even just very well themed like a convincing castle or horror map - then I think the contest can still work marvellously. It gives people freedom, doesn't give bias toward any mapping experience level, and is likely to attract a large amount of entrants. I guess its the best possibility after all :smile:

scary_jeff said:
I agree with ReNo, good call :smile:

as Orph, the chopped liver stands idly by

yeah, good call lep :biggrin:

Just make a fecking map, who cares, it's the last one you're ever going to probably do!!

Not if I can enter another 2 into the contest after I finish it :razz:

make a map with some kind of twist to it

Okay call me stupid for not reading all the way through the tread (im lazy), but define "twist"? Its it a twist that wouldnt occur "naturaly" in a DM map such as randomly placed brushes with random textures, or could it be a map such as a Black Mesa compound at one end, and slowly as you move from one end to the other it slowly changes to xen, and then to full xen?

ReNo said:
If for example, people come along and say "this is my map, its theme is a military storage facility!", then they are spoiling the contest - its not an original or strong theme, and its not in the spirit of the competition.

However, if people pick themes that are more difficult and unique ...like a convincing castle or horror map - then I think the contest can still work marvellously. It gives people freedom,......

i dont think i could agree with all of that. if someone is most comfortable making a military storage facility for what may well be a final showcase for hl1 mapping, then let it be judged on it's merits. i agree that its not a very original or strong theme, but the fact that its been done so many times before means there's plenty to compare it against for quality. making it easier to rate than some other styles of mapping maybe? but i dont see how it could possibly be perceived as spoiling the competition.

I guess that spoiling the contest was a harsh way to put it, but basically we might as well just say "submit a map" and screw the rules if we allowed any old map to enter. The point is, any map can be said to have a theme in essence, but if that theme is standard HLDM map fare, then its outside of the basic premise of having a theme. The point of this contest, in the words of the news item, is to "make a map with some kind of twist to it". As far as I'm concerned, a military storage facility, or a black mesa lab, is not a twist, and thereby entering such things would be "spoiling the contest".

ReNo said:
a military storage facility, or a black mesa lab, is not a twist, .....

what if it had semi-naked dancing girls, instead of zombies?

Now your getting the idea :dodgy:

Soo... We can have 2-3 entries, right? I'll probably be finishing my flatshaded map and Persian Letters DM then, for the contest. Both of which are going to be pretty small. Must... Destroy... ReNo... :smile:

What's considered "playable" r_speeds, BTW? I would think around 800 wpoly at the most, maybe 1000 wpoly for those lazy people who don't want to bother optimizing their map. But obviously lower wpoly = higher scores. :smile:

Oooooh you bastard, thats your scheme to overcome the might of my map army is it!?

Looks like map number 2 is gonna have to have maximum z-axis combat with minimum w_poly then, while my flatshaded map can be my visual treat :smile:

Is "Cratesis" fair game if I polish it off? I haven't officially released it after all, and it definitely has a unique theme.

<!-- ZoneLabs Popup Blocking Insertion -->Oh yea!!!! this time i have a motivation as to build my Hogwarts map!!!! :biggrin:

/me wonders why you stare at me funnily.

Tracer, I don't think crates are a twist or a theme. Unless, say, they're magical crates which are Awesome.