MapCore Challenge Discussion (Old)

[Minos]

I think my personal preference is more on the 3 texture idea, but that sounds pretty cool too, and would certainly be a bit different to the other contests I've entered.

Yep, both are nice but 3 texture idea would result in some small kickass deathmatch maps!!

[twiz]

Hmmmm... how about a stock brush contest? Someone design like 10 or 20 brush shapes, and everyone has to build a level using those brushes, by scaling(3D scaling only, no 1D/2D scaling)/copying/rotating/arranging/texturing the stock brushes. Perhaps impose a maximum number of instances of each brush, like 20 different brushes and maximum of 3 of each?

Just trying to think of ideas similar to the 20-brush; straightforward and quick, but emphasizing creative usage.

[Vilham]

I like that actually.

[JeanPaul]

512x512x2048 dm map compo .

THIS

[Sentura]

I had a whole set of rules typed up. Obviously this can all change at any moment.

Basic Idea :

- Everyone starts with the same prefab (which they can expand on and adjust)

- Player has to get a door open

- Figure out an interesting way

- keep the gameplay short, sweet , interesting

- try and think outside the "box"

Submissions :

- contestants must submit a hosted video of someone playing through their map

- contestants must upload their map for others to play and judge.

- Keep custom content to a minimum, If you do use it, please pak it into the bsp.

i like the idea, but the submission stuff is WAY too much for what people want to bother with here. i would love a puzzle challenge that was something as simple as "get into the building", with a prefab building. but again, no videos, no other bs, just a map, plain and simple.

[Campaignjunkie]

For the door compo, I think submission should just be a download link + a sequence of screenshots / captions that show at least 1 solution (ideally an interesting one)

[Campaignjunkie]

Another contest idea: take the first VMF of HL2 (d1_trainstation_something_something), preserve the first minute or two of gameplay... but then start making changes to it. Upload a sequence of 4 or 5 screenshots or a video for judging. Awards for the top 3 in "most plausible" and "most insane." Custom assets allowed and encouraged.

[Vilham]

Challenges that take a lot of time up are not going to get many entrys. Keeping it as simple as possible, like the 20 brush contest is by far the best route.

[General Vivi]

Sort of an older site page (it's missing some title stuff) but it shows the process I went through to make the door map.

http://www.generalvivi.com/GC_the_door.html

[KungFuSquirrel]

Bump!

I think we had enough support in the voting thread to do both the door challenge and the 3x 512 texture challenge (or some variation of a texture-limited one), but I had another thought I wanted to toss into the ring for future consideration:

The Design Test Challenge:

You have two weeks to build a 5-10 minute single player level in a given theme that incorporates at least one agreed-upon element (one that I did a while back, for example, required some example of physics-based gameplay). Themes ideas would be collected in advance and then one would be drawn randomly on the day the challenge begins to ensure no head starts

It's a bit high pressure, but won't take much time off the calendar and might be excellent preparation for those among us who are considering applying for jobs and may be taking tests in the future.

Feel free to toss out any other ideas you might have; we can always look at them down the road

[skysilcox]

I'm quite digging the Design Test Challenge. Having been subject to a couple in the past, I know how it makes you really consider what is important and what isn't. It is hard, and fighting that perfectionist bent inside can be hard when you always want perfection. It's easy to let a project wander aimlessly into oblivion of no hard constraints exist.

[Rick_D]

Sort of an older site page (it's missing some title stuff) but it shows the process I went through to make the door map.

http://www.generalvivi.com/GC_the_door.html

generalvivi.com/images/gameplay_challenge/full_image/gc_door_mytry0012.jpg

really nice read