*Sorry about the length again!*
I suggest productivity is likely to be an issue.
How about the "rules" are based on something like "It must feature a common resource pack" eg WS decos, or...
How about Creavions last Deco pack ?
http://www.gamefront.com/files/9464896/ ... xture_Pack
http://www.planetbunnytrack.com/index.p ... rasTex.zip
http://medor.no-ip.org/index.php?dir=UE ... rasTex.zip
http://unreal-mayhem.com/files/index.ph ... rasTex.zip
http://uttexture.com/UT/Downloads/Mods/ ... rasTex.zip
If a "rule" can expand peoples options rather than limit them (and also keep the overall pack size more sensible), this would be favourable.
Between the WS decos and Crevs pack, you can populate gardens, houses, workshops and anything you can imagine.
FragNbrag makes excellent use of these type of pack, making his maps much more immersive and often interactive.
Other small mods can change the theme of a map completely.
eg. there are some old health replacements that swap them for beer.
1 is available as a mutator, so works in any map. The other 3, are actors that have to be placed or spawned.
All of them can swap meshes, if you map with them.
If you were to install the extra cans and bottles decos, the WS cans and bottles, and the WS and Silveribex street decos, you then even have the vending machines.
Much of the contents of these can be used in a "summer" way. Almost all decos can be utilised as useful movable objects without much effort. Instantly adding more fun and variety.
I'm currently trying to arrange a pack of food decos with the author "bobkakabk BK". He makes mostly mini-mode sniper maps for his clan, such as "DM-lol-Monopoly" which works very well with Chaos, and even better with NW3.
http://www.unrealplayground.com/forums/ ... hp?u=30575
Anyone not sure of the advantages of using decos instead of brushes, should read here
http://web.archive.org/web/200502050922 ... Decos.html
If this is aimed at newbies, then I might suggest that it could be an excuse for some to try something new.
A requirement could be made that all the maps should contain at least 1 interactive or scripted item/event.
eg. a door, lift, mover or trigger.
All of those are things that new mappers should try (and it encourages building booby-traps).
Although I wish the new mappers would get their heads around zoning first (You can easily add zoned environmental EAX with the new audio renderers).
This does not limit the mapper. Any lack of knowledge for a certain thing can be covered in the "Dev School" section.
If the Dev School and a map pack can run parallel, the topics raised and covered should be exactly what new mappers are currently in need of.
They can "feed" each other for a while. Nice and organic.
As competitive as it should be, we should always keep the vibe "We are all in this together".
eg. if a cool new item is made, it should be posted in the map thread for all to use.
The maps should not be judged on who has the best toys, but who makes the best use of them.
The Xmas maps could have all benefited from sharing the knowledge used in the snow footstep sounds.
If this pack has sandy beaches etc. then adding the footsteps should be a Dev topic, with the pack chosen or made for the compo.
The more use of shared map-pack resources possible, the more likely server admins will be happy so actually host them.
People normally bitch about this and you end up with servers that only run stock texture maps (Booooring! and a waste of creative authors making new stuff.)
There could be a category for something as simple as; "Best use of a beach-ball" or "best use of a barbecue".
Again the only limit is your imagination. You can put a beach-ball anywhere. (Maybe think of Serious Sam
)
Anyway those are some thoughts on the topic.
I see too frequently (and agree with other forward-moving people), that the competition rules are often limiting, and usually start an argument before settling down.
The "rules/requirements" should be forward/progressive, not retro/retarded.
More sharing, more options, 1 theme.
But, UT99.org Rule number 1. "It will be educational"
Actually worth raising, in light of another thread here, is the use of extra weapons packs.
You usually don't have to manually add them with a well-designed pack such as NW3 or Chaos, unless you have very specific requirements.
Just use the Unreal or UT weapons that will swap by default to the new ones.
Then recommend in your readme "This map is designed to work best with
mod-x, please download from
www.mod-x"