***2nd MAPPINGCONTEST POLL [UPDATED 25-7-08]***

    Portal falls under no specific game or mod so people can still make a Portal map if they want but other people can map for anything else.

    Quote from Psycho

    Portal falls under no specific game or mod so people can still make a Portal map if they want but other people can map for anything else.

    Like psycho said.

    I'm interested in taking part, not fussed about engine, game, whatever, just as long as it gets going sometime soon! Although, a 1024 portal contest map might be kinda cool...?

    Ladies and gentlemen,


    we finally have a winner. the contest will be on no specific game or mod within the source engine. we are finally comming close the final shape. only questions that need answers are these:

    1. will we have a theme? if yes, wich theme?

    2. rules

    Quote from n8braker

    1. will we have a theme? if yes, wich theme?

    The theme might depend to the modification thought... We can't make medieval themed map in a space-opera mod...

    I'd suggest to choice with one from the Free mods list:

    SP

    Eclipse

    MINERVA

    MP

    Age of Chivalry

    D.I.P.R.I.P.

    Dystopia

    Empires

    Eternal Silence

    Fistful of Frags

    Fortress Forever

    GoldenEye: Source

    Half-Life 2: Wars

    Hidden: Source

    Iron Grip: The Oppression

    Insurgency

    Perfect Dark: Source

    Pirates, Vikings and Knights II

    Resistance & Liberation

    StargateTC II

    SourceForts

    Zombie Master

    Zombie Panic! Source

    [EDIT]: Pool updated!

    ffs! If we are going to have a mapping contest we need to make a decision right here, right now. There is no need for anymore polls as the last poll decided that the mapping contest would cover no specific game or mod.

    As the map entries will cover all sorts of games and mods we need to decide on something that will become the criteria for the entries.

    I'd like to see a contest that challenges people to think about how a level affects the player's perception and/or emotional response. Most of us are aware of design tricks such as vertical lines suggesting vertical movement, 'leading' the player with light and door/hallway sizes, etc; all these little things that have a big impact on how the player moves around the level. That is just one example of the sort of thing I mean.

    I suppose I am hoping for a more art/design/psychology-orientated contest, where making a believable environment is not important but the level concept and execution as a whole is.

    For example, a contest to see who makes the most thrilling level that explores the theme of deception and illusion.

    I'm particuarly thinking of the MOD 'Half-Quake' when I think of this, which was mostly in black & white with abstract geometric forms, with an emphasis on sensory stimulation through simple designs.

    The idea is to focus less on environment creation and more on environment perception, to the extent that a level with nothing but black and white walls is perfectly acceptable.

    This reduces the pressure of large effort required for asset creation, as simple abstract models or materials may be used, and emphasises thinking about level structure and sensory manipulation of the player. These are attributes that once learnt can then be carried over into more usual levels in disguise.

    If anyone is having trouble understanding what angle I am coming from with this idea, consider the contest more of a university project for a design course, where often you are encouraged to experiment and explore abstract ideas to 'stretch' the brains thinking space.

    Whatever the nature of this contest, I ask that environment design and image is not a large factor, but rather how it feels and plays. I'm a bit bored of feeling like a map's score should be tied to how beautiful it looks, when really there are far more important, and fun to explore, ways to 'score' a map. I'd almost go as far to say that I hope visual beauty does not matter at all, so long as the main design concept is realised and expressed.

    i think merkaba is right and I'd vote for something like this. maybe we can have 5 colored textures (rgb+bw) and the challange is to create the most out of these 5 textures (maybe add some arrow decals and variations with self-illumination) in an already existing source game by creating an outstanding gameplay or game design.

    edit: maybe not RGB (at least as long as not everyone can use color correction) for the textures but something not so eye-cancerish :S (or allow for 3 color tones to pick in each map)

    Quote from merkaba

    Whatever the nature of this contest, I ask that environment design and image is not a large factor, but rather how it feels and plays. I'm a bit bored of feeling like a map's score should be tied to how beautiful it looks, when really there are far more important, and fun to explore, ways to 'score' a map. I'd almost go as far to say that I hope visual beauty does not matter at all, so long as the main design concept is realised and expressed.

    I agree that gameplay is an important factor but, to me, visuals are equally important. A technically brilliant map that looks like shit is just as bad as a good looking map with shit gameplay. Both gameplay and aesthetics should be taken into account. A map doesn't need to be complex or utilise custom content look good, just follow simple design principles.

    I like e-freak's idea of limiting the amount of textures you can use. That places everyone on a level playing field.

    I think I was pushing for visual abstraction rather than laziness. I've not been getting much sleep lately, and so I don't think I'm making a lot of sense half the time :roll:

    Maybe....consider the bulk of the visuals as being the equivilent of proper grammar and sentence structuring in a post. They are not necessary but make the post more digestable, and if done well can enhance the power of the post's content.

    HOWEVER, your Visuals have the power to ENHANCE the content, and sometimes even DEFINE it!

    So maybe the real root of what I am trying to get across, is that I want a contest that encourages the participants to be creative, for themselves and others - go wild, don't feel restricted by player expectations, be poets of the level editor! Explore design principles, visual ideas, gameplay ideas...try something new, take a leap, don't do the same old stuff you've done for other levels, don't try and prove anything or stretch your already-established skills unless those skills are truely sublime; focus on exploring the unknown and exciting. Defy gravity. Dive into the abyss. Do something that's just outrageous.

    Yes, I need sleep. [Blocked Image: https://migrationtest.mapcore.org/public/style_emoticons/default/mapcore_smilies/emot_shakehead.gif]

    Quote from merkaba

    I think I was pushing for visual abstraction rather than laziness. I've not been getting much sleep lately, and so I don't think I'm making a lot of sense half the time :roll: Maybe....consider the bulk of the visuals as being the equivilent of proper grammar and sentence structuring in a post. They are not necessary but make the post more digestable, and if done well can enhance the power of the post's content.

    HOWEVER, your Visuals have the power to ENHANCE the content, and sometimes even DEFINE it!

    So maybe the real root of what I am trying to get across, is that I want a contest that encourages the participants to be creative, for themselves and others - go wild, don't feel restricted by player expectations, be poets of the level editor! Explore design principles, visual ideas, gameplay ideas...try something new, take a leap, don't do the same old stuff you've done for other levels, don't try and prove anything or stretch your already-established skills unless those skills are truely sublime; focus on exploring the unknown and exciting. Defy gravity. Dive into the abyss. Do something that's just outrageous.

    Yes, I need sleep. [Blocked Image: https://migrationtest.mapcore.org/public/style_emoticons/default/mapcore_smilies/emot_shakehead.gif]

    Get this artsy fartsy crap outta here!

    Would be a cool idea to explore, but for a contest we'd probably have to nail down a particular sort of 'thing' to accomplish, I assume. Whatever the abstract crazy idea is, make it clear and make it so each entry can be judged against one another fairly and evenly.

    The black and white map idea would work, for example, though that's been kind of done to death in the past...

    Is there a list of previous competitions anywhere? I'm guessing not, and so, can anyone remember them and list them here?

    How about an 'escape the room' style level? A Source version of 'The Crimson Room'.

    Contestants could make it as big or small as they like, e.g. escape the room, escape the building, even escape the cupboard if they can make it fun and interesting. More ideas; escape the prison, escape the park (that could be interesting), or maybe escape the intestinal tract of Nigel Hawthorne. Whatever!

    Submissions could be rated on; quality of overall experience, puzzle inventiveness, sensory experience, difficulty, extent to which original game experience is transformed, quality of overall concept, and a 'would play again' boolean of Yes and No. Even if a level has a bad overall experience score, it should have the chance to score high in another area.

    Right that's it. I'm just 'gona start mapping whatever then submit it to this contest. Hopefully it will be within the specifications.

    If not then I'm submitting a Portal map into a Crytek engine compotition. I will loose.

    Quote from merkaba

    Is there a list of previous competitions anywhere? I'm guessing not, and so, can anyone remember them and list them here? How about an 'escape the room' style level? A Source version of 'The Crimson Room'.

    Contestants could make it as big or small as they like, e.g. escape the room, escape the building, even escape the cupboard if they can make it fun and interesting. More ideas; escape the prison, escape the park (that could be interesting), or maybe escape the intestinal tract of Nigel Hawthorne. Whatever!

    Submissions could be rated on; quality of overall experience, puzzle inventiveness, sensory experience, difficulty, extent to which original game experience is transformed, quality of overall concept, and a 'would play again' boolean of Yes and No. Even if a level has a bad overall experience score, it should have the chance to score high in another area.

    sounds cool!

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