THE 512kb MAPPING CONTEST

[EvilGrins]

yea, but making it point downward would be even weirder

That depends. Which way does the pad bounce you?

[UnrealGGecko]

yea, but making it point downward would be even weirder

That depends. Which way does the pad bounce you?

Just play the map and try to use it, it won't kill you or anything .


Hey, TomcaT! Always wanted to meet you!

[papercoffee]

Hey, TomcaT! Always wanted to meet you!

Hi TomcaT112 ...welcome to the forum.

Damn Grins keep your chit chat out of the contest thread I missed because of you the entrance post of TomcaT!!

Spoiler

j/k

[jay2]

TITLE: CTF-512k-Belacrue
Release Date: 30th October, 2014
Author: Jay
Gametype: Capture the Flag (CTF)

INSTRUCTIONS:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Put the .unr File in UT Directory\Maps
DESCRIPTION:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A CTF map created for the ut99.org 512k mapping competition with an ancient theme. Enjoy.

Note: Will most likely make a good Instagib map.

CREDITS:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Me and everyone I have gotten information from
Skybox is from CTF-Dreary

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inventory
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2 Shock, 2 Rockets, 2 Sniper, 1 Shieldbelt

[EvilGrins]

New reviews are up · viewtopic.php?f=12&t=3434&p=69256#p69256

[cro_xt]

Duel or TDM map, made to be playable, less detailed.

[Carbon]

New reviews are up · viewtopic.php?f=12&t=3434&p=69256#p69256

Is it just me or does anyone else find publicly pre-reviewing maps intended for a contest a bit odd?

By doing this you are making personal comments on the maps that while they may serve the mapper well enough (finding bugs), they also can influence the general perception of the maps. I am not sure who will be judging this contest, but most of your reviews start with "I didn't like this one" or "I liked this one"; hardly objective feedback (which is what these 'reviews' really are: feedback).

Maybe a storm in a teacup, but I think it would be best to have these 'reviews' done in private. The maps shouldn't be publicly commented on until the contest is over or at least until the submission date has passed.

Part of making a good map is knowledge; a map that isn't good/doesn't work from the start and it gets tested and discussed before submission, then tweaked based on the comments, then re-submitted. This seems like a kind of crutch, no? At least an unfair advantage unless all of the maps get reviewed in a timely manner allowing each mapper to make changes. Additionally, and I am just saying here, who should be making these subjective comments at this point? If it is a judge, then that is perhaps unethical and if it is just a member, then of what real value are subjective comments? They will certainly ask the mapper to re-evaluate the map and give them motivation to make changes, but is that a good thing in such a contest?

If the maps are considered done when they get posted here - no tweaking after the fact (which I don't think is the case as many have updated their maps and re-posted them) - then comments are less influential on the process, but still, IMO, shouldn't be done until the submission date has passed. Maps full of bugs won't win; that is part of the process, right? We shouldn't be eliminating any area of knowledge from the contest.

Of course I want a huge batch of great maps, but they can be tweaked after the contest is over. Until then, I think we need to step back from commenting directly.

[papercoffee]

Just to clarify this judging thing.
The only public vote for everyone is the Gamers Choice vote.

...Gamers Choice is not equal the winner of the Competition.
It's just a title you can pin on your map or your ego.

The vote that matters is a different thing. I explain (even so I wanted to explain it in the vote threads later)
The vote of the contestants:
It's not made with the poll system of this forum.
Every mapper who did send in a map have to write a post and can give 1, 2 and 3 points to three different maps from other mappers. Not to his own maps of course.
The Favorite map gets 3 points, 2 points for the second liked and 1 for the map he liked also but not as much as the other two maps.
The staff will count the points together afterwards and declare the winner of the contest.

And then there will be cake.

This is how this contest will be decided.

[Chamberly]

Here is the cake for everyone!

Er... cupcake!

Spoiler

This picture is bigger than expected.
Link: http://i.gyazo.com/c136e01ef049243634af75758cb1a695.jpg

Great job on the maps so far! Hahaha.

Edit: I'll upload my map.

DM-512K-StalwartBasement

Fun stuff added for the bots.
Secrets are in the map as well! Can you find them without digging into unreal editor to peek? (Bots know how to find them)
& great thanks to Higor for the botpathing and a few tweaking to the map.

https://www.mediafire.com/?xkpvx7b4ddd1zao -nuked-
Those who have previously downloaded the map, delete it and use this one.
http://www.mediafire.com/download/4i71f ... sement.rar

[Carbon]

Just to clarify this judging thing.
The only public vote for everyone is the Gamers Choice vote.

...Gamers Choice is not equal the winner of the Competition.
It's just a title you can pin on your map or your ego.

The vote that matters is a different thing. I explain (even so I wanted to explain it in the vote threads later)
The vote of the contestants:
It's not made with the poll system of this forum.
Every mapper who did send in a map have to write a post and can give 1, 2 and 3 points to three different maps from other mappers. Not to his own maps of course.
The Favorite map gets 3 points, 2 points for the second liked and 1 for the map he liked also but not as much as the other two maps.
The staff will count the points together afterwards and declare the winner of the contest.

And then there will be cake.

This is how this contest will be decided.

Cool...very clear. I still say we should be holding off on any detailed/opinionated reviews until afterwards however. The screenshots are enough to comment publicly on until judging.

and on that note, Chamberly, I love the look of the map.

[jay2]

Is it just me or does anyone else find publicly pre-reviewing maps intended for a contest a bit odd?

Will not other peoples votes influence others though?

[Carbon]

Is it just me or does anyone else find publicly pre-reviewing maps intended for a contest a bit odd?

Will not other peoples votes influence others though?

I suppose to an extent, but I think you can see the difference between a simple vote being made during voting and a detailed review/feedback of the map made before people vote. One will clearly have more bearing than the other. Leave it up to the individual voters' tastes, I say, without interference of influence.

To be clear, I am not against map reviews per se, not evilgrins doing them, but reviewing maps that have yet to be voted on may not be a prudent course of action becuase:

~ It introduces bias into the community who will be the judges.

~ It provides feedback tot he mappers and thus an unfair advantage. Some maps get feedback and the authors can go back, fix/tweak them and re-submit, while others don't get the luxury of such feedback.

~ As a corollary to the above, mapping involves a wide range of skills, all of which will be part of the overall assessment of these maps in the contest. Pre-judging the maps provides the opportunity for those who get such feedback time for revision. In my opinion, by providing feedback before the competition judging begins, one aspect of mapping is given a crutch. If there are glaring problems with a map, then it has a significantly less likely chance of winning because the mapper overlooked that aspect. Others who did not miss anything will have a better chance of winning because on the whole, they could be considered a better mapper. So, providing feedback to a select few maps again gives an unfair advantage that otherwise might have cost them the win; Darwinian, in a sense. May the best mapper win, without assistance or with equal assistance for all.

I won't post on this again because I have made myself clear. It is just a matter of agree or disagree I suppose, but it is hard to argue with the potentials pitfalls which I have mentioned. How significant they might be is where we might have a difference of opinion, but that they are indeed potentially problematic, I believe there can be no disagreement.

[Chamberly]

May the best mapper win, without assistance or with equal assistance for all.

I believe he mean by mappers getting some outstanding votes like a celebrity regardless of supporting the reviewing of the map properly. Make sense? Or am I getting this wrong?

[Hellkeeper]

You're reading too deeply in this I think, Carbon. No map is ever pefect on the first build; you always have a couple of stuff to change and fix, even if very little. It'd be quite unfaire to judge maps that are in the stafe of early build without testing. Feedback is an integral part of mapping IMO. If some people don't get any, then maybe their map doesn't need much, isn't interesting enough or was submitted too late because the mapper took too long... I think it's also part of the contest to be able to make a map that stands out and not too late.

Anyway, since the mappers will have the final word, I believe it's not a serious issue. We most likely all have our opinions on what makes a good map, what themes we like and so forth. It'd be interesting, however to have every voting mapper write a few lines for each maps to say why he rates it this or that. I know I'll be doing that; that's how we progress and we might end up debating some stuff.

[Carbon]

You're reading too deeply in this I think, Carbon. No map is ever pefect on the first build; you always have a couple of stuff to change and fix, even if very little. It'd be quite unfaire to judge maps that are in the stafe of early build without testing. Feedback is an integral part of mapping IMO. If some people don't get any, then maybe their map doesn't need much, isn't interesting enough or was submitted too late because the mapper took too long... I think it's also part of the contest to be able to make a map that stands out and not too late.

Anyway, since the mappers will have the final word, I believe it's not a serious issue. We most likely all have our opinions on what makes a good map, what themes we like and so forth. It'd be interesting, however to have every voting mapper write a few lines for each maps to say why he rates it this or that. I know I'll be doing that; that's how we progress and we might end up debating some stuff.

You may be correct about my being too into this; I do get myopic when I have an inclination. I realize that mapping needs feedback for iteration towards perfection and mapping isn't done in a vacuum, but this is different; its a competition. I am not at all against mappers getting their work playtested, but I think it should be done privately and by request, not done by having the maps reviewed in the open.

@Chamberly: What I mean is that some mappers get the benefit of feedback from evilgrins, while others may not. Review them all in a timely and similar manner with a clear set of review guidelines, or review none. The reviews are pointing out things that may have some bearing on the outcome of the contest, which again, favors those who get this feedback.

But, I will let it go. I am not trying to cause trouble but I just can't help but feel odd about competition maps being reviewed openly while the contest is still running. Past that, I am all for each and every one of the maps made so far to eventually be at their best, to be enjoyed for many years to come. Mappers, please don't take anything I have written the wrong way. I certainly don't mean to come across as unappreciative.

Selah.