The contest... 3rd annual tf2maps.net sponsored by Cc...

[Original]

I guess we can discuss the contest, entries, ideas and whatnot here if anyone is interested.

Not going into detail right now but there is a choice of 2 modes.
Official thread
http://forums.tf2maps.net/showthread.php?t=7009

1:ctf avanti style. 3 sections like dustbowl. 2-4 caps per section.
2:PL race. 3 sections just like pl_pipeline.

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I don't have much interest in pl_race really.

I'm thinking I might try to do a quick ctf one just to support Cc in the event. Not that I have time with 2 unfinished arena's and a ctf I'm trying to finish up.
But I was thinking a castle invasion could be cool. Would look alot like medieval, but would feel a little more like redfort. cap the drawbridge, cap the courtyard, cap the throne room...
If anyone else has a cool setting idea I might consider it. I don't really have any other ideas but I have been asked to do ctf with medieval and I've thought a redfort style would be cool in a castle. So I guess this contest would be a good time to do it.

[captainAngry]

I like the castle idea. Thanks for posting about the contest. I was going to post an announcement at some point.

I donated Plants Vs. Zombies and Peggle Complete to the prize pool for the contest. We will be running events on the server in which the only maps in the rotation are the contest maps. This won't happen until towards the end of the contest. I will be including the contest maps in the regular rotation.

To any of you interested in doing this or any tf2maps.net people that happen to read this, anyone who makes an effort to talk to me about their map will get more support from the community. I am more prone to update maps for polite people and people that make an effort to tell me their map is updated.

Also, like the contest Original won for the forklift he made, if our community has a favorite we could probably choose the winner all on our own since we have enough votes to tip the scale. Keep this in mind.

[Riftoff]

TO PROSPECTIVE MAP MAKERS, RIFTOFF EXPERT COMMUNITY PSYCHOANALYSIS AHEAD. IF YOU WANT TO WIN, OR AT LEAST MAKE A POPULAR MAP, READ THIS SHIT.I HOLD NO LIABILITY IF MY PREDICTIONS ARE WRONG, OR IF YOUR MAP SUCKS. DO NOT EAT. MAY CAUSE DEATH/SERIOUS INJURY

WHICH MAP TYPE:

Go with avanti-style. Both map types are unproven (in TF2 anyway), so go with the lesser of two evils. The contest is going to be flooded with "derp-a-derp PIPPELINE OWNS WAHT THIS HAMMER THING", judging by the more subpar entries from the last contest. Avanti-style has not been fleshed by a particularly skilled map maker, and is very limited in the few maps that exist of it. In terms of layout, don't do the typical "cap point on top of tower/middle of building/end of cave" on all of the points. Make at least a few points in an semi-open area (think cap B on Steel) but at the end of a moderate push. In fact, a tighter, sleeker Steel-style layout with avanti "clothing" has a high meme-complex potential and thus, could get good word of mouth with a promising beta early on. (Think Cashworks, alpine single-stage payload at the peak of both archetypes' meme-complex potential)

ART STYLE/TEXTURES

Don't do an alpine/sawmill rain map. There's going to be a lot of them. Redfort capitalized on gaping whole in TF2 design theory, so I'm expecting a small, semipopular minority of copycats. If you want to do a rain map, at all, set it in the desert. As an added bonus, name it ctf_texasflood or ctf_vaughn. The names are reference-y, catchy, and recognizable. (Unlike cp_*japanese word*, pl_*name of creator*, or the ever-so-popular ctf_*pointless science term*). Otherwise stick with a basic desert, but to make it stick out, try using a more reddish tinge in your natural textures. Look at pictures of the Painted Desert for inspiration. (Yes, this means you can/should make your own textures. As shown in this last contest, custom maps with medium-sized downloads can survive in our bandwidth-capped, attention-drained world)

Try to keep an open air feel to your map. As a "rule" try to make buildings that you can see the exit from as soon as you enter it. All/mostly indoor maps have horrible meme-complex potential right now, keep that in mind.

That's all I got to say for now, might add more when my eyes don't feel like they are going to fall out.

[Beetle]

from what ive seen on tf2maps.net, not many people want to do the PLR compared to the CTF style.

[captainAngry]

That's because PLR is stupid. Why couldn't they just release 4 teams and VIP?