Map Design Contest - The Results

noobmapmaker · Post by **noobmapmaker** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 6:14 pm

So it has come to an end! After three months 37 maps have been entered by 21 mapmakers! Thanks everyone for making those maps!

First a couple links:
- The opening post with the rules.
- The submissions
- The online spreadsheet with all the individual jury scorings

Without further ado... the winner is... are.... Madness & American Blunt!!

Madness made the map Desert Rats and American Blunt made the map Red Zone. They both scored 135 points out of a maximum of 148 points. They will share the first ($40) and second ($20) prize and get $30 each.

The category winners where a bit harder to pick as some have more than one category and bla bla. Anyhow: I first looked which was the highest Mod that did not win a prize and after that in the order of the list in the opening post (1v1, 2v2, etc) determined the category winners.

The Category Winners are:
Best RA map: Crossfire by Janitor
Best CnC map: Glowing Crater by Janitor
Best Dune2k map: Red Ridge by Concret
Best 1v1 map: Ad Arma by Janitor
Best 2v2 map: Tandem by Kyrylo
Best Big map: Gates of Hell by American Blunt
Best Single Player map: M.A.D. by American Blunt
Best Modded Map: Tournament Revision by Blackened
Best FFA Map: X-Lake by Janitor
Most Beautifull Map: Hypothermia by PizzaAtomica

Finally here are all final results (again, for idividual juryratings see the provide link to the google spreadsheet) for all maps.

Some things are left to be done: winners please answer my PM about sending the prizemoney. Also a random categorywinner will recieve $10. I will have to find a way to randomize the prize in a controllable fashion. Will get back to this. Furthermore in the upcoming week I will delete all maps. Mapcreaters can reupload their map under their own name.

And a last thanks to everyone who participated to the contest. A big thanks to Anjew and SoScared - the judges. Extra thanks to SoScared who has donated $50 and made this contest alot more serious that way

noobmapmaker · Post by **noobmapmaker** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 7:20 pm

OK Ive done some chatting in the IRC about a way to generate a number for the category in a way that is verifiable by everyone (wanted to do it in SoScared's stream, but he is on vacation). Unfortunatly we didn't really find a good solution so we decided that you all just have to believe my ass that I clicked it only once

The Categorywinner is....

Nr 5 = Best 2v2 map: Tandem by Kyrylo

Graion Dilach · Post by **Graion Dilach** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 7:25 pm

Congratz to the winners!

A suggestion for the next time: Please let more maps be voted (say, 1 vote per every 20 entries or dunno) because it felt really wrong to see 40 entries and only had one choice here.

MustaphaTR · Post by **MustaphaTR** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 9:12 pm

Thanks for doing the contest. I really needed a reason to make another map. I read about your thought about my map in shapesheet. I'll update the new units in future for all my maps and rebalance it. I need ideas and graphics tho. You only wrote about edits, i really want to learn what do you think about mapping of it.

AmericanBlunt_ · Post by **AmericanBlunt_** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 11:21 pm

thanks for holding a great competition

Norman_ · Post by **Norman_** » Mon Jul 18, 2016 4:30 am

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â•šâ–ˆâ–ˆâ–ˆâ–ˆâ–ˆâ–ˆâ•”â•â•šâ–ˆâ–ˆâ–ˆâ–ˆâ–ˆâ–ˆâ•”â•â–ˆâ–ˆâ•—
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Concret · Post by **Concret** » Mon Jul 18, 2016 5:42 am

Congratulations to the winners! Really great maps in the competition so could imagine a lot of work was put in.

Also wanted to thank you guys for setting up this competition. I've been spying on this forum for years, but this competition got me to actually participate and make some maps.

Btw, would love to see a replay from my maps.. Especially Red Ridge D2K map and Calitz Dam... Feedback always welcome!

noobmapmaker · Post by **noobmapmaker** » Mon Jul 18, 2016 6:14 am

Graion Dilach wrote: ↑Congratz to the winners!

A suggestion for the next time: Please let more maps be voted (say, 1 vote per every 20 entries or dunno) because it felt really wrong to see 40 entries and only had one choice here.

The popular vote has me in doubt. On one side I want the people to have a vote as they are the one who will play the map and its nice to be able to have a little influence. On the other hand its difficult to control the popular vote and do it in a fair way. If the contest is done another time we'll have to see what works well.

Also next time maps will only be able to have a single category (and automatically join their mod-category). It will solve some minor problems.

noobmapmaker · Post by **noobmapmaker** » Mon Jul 18, 2016 6:24 am

MustaphaTR wrote: ↑Thanks for doing the contest. I really needed a reason to make another map. I read about your thought about my map in shapesheet. I'll update the new units in future for all my maps and rebalance it. I need ideas and graphics tho. You only wrote about edits, i really want to learn what do you think about mapping of it.

When it comes to your modding of maps I would like to say: keep it simple! Simple so that people do not have to play a map 4 times before they understand the consequences of the modifications and so they easily understand what it does to the balance. I think you had overdone it a little in this regard. But as said: you did some really nice modifications! I suggest you keep the things you liked best and make an improved version?

About the shape: because the teams have two Isles with only 3 crosspoints the game can focus to much on sealing off those 3 crosspoints/crossing the crosspoints. Also each base is very much contained by the cliffs. You can only go out north/south through a small corridor. If you attack that way units will go everywhere (bad pathfinding) or the defender can just choke the attack in the bottleneck. Take a look at the map New Mexico (#6) for instance: it has many routes and broader openings for armies to manouver and more diverse places to start bases, making games more unpredictable.

noobmapmaker · Post by **noobmapmaker** » Mon Jul 18, 2016 6:37 am

The perfect map I had in mind was:
- a map that looks nice: a variety in natural shapes of cliffs, water, placement of towns, trees, debris, etc
- the shape of the map does not feel like it is constructed specifically for the map, rather it happens to be some area in the world where a battle is fought
- symmetrical, but doesnt feel symmetrical because the symmetry is complex. Asymmetry that is balanced is an even higher achievement, but hard to actually achieve.
- the map allows many different viable strategies: expand, tech, sneak attacks, swarm attacks, naval
- the map does not force the players to go for a strategy (e.g.: you must build an engineer to capture all the oilderricks or else you're behind)
- a modification that really adds to the game. One that works intuitively and is fun. It can be a heavy modification or subtle. Incorporate it nicely: image for a new unit, add some introductionary text when the map starts so everyone knows what is up.
- a big plus is when a map is original (not an old map in a new jacket)

I gave bonus points for:
Up to 1 point for modifications. A full point when modifcations are nice/cool/original AND well implemented.
Up to 0,5 points for maps that visibly have taken alot of time and effort because they look nice or have extensive symmetry that has required alot of planning while building the map.

Concret · Post by **Concret** » Mon Jul 18, 2016 7:02 am

Great list for a map-design framework, just one missing:

- Balance chokepoints vs open routes.

One thing I learned since is that chokeyness is a real thing and should be considered. This was the one thing I did not do and had a real impact on the maps I designed.

I will definitely rework some maps to get rid of the chokepoints.

Another thing I find difficult to estimate is the amount of space I should give starting bases. Like Calitz Dam starting base is massive. It gives a lot of space for teching, but it also really supports turtling.

Might be nice to have maps where the spawnpoints allow for a small base, but teching would only be possible in an expension...

noobmapmaker · Post by **noobmapmaker** » Mon Jul 18, 2016 8:09 am

Yes, good addition!

noobmapmaker · Post by **noobmapmaker** » Mon Jul 18, 2016 9:23 am

Prize money transfered! Kyrylo donated his prize to SoScared.

Declan · Post by **Declan** » Mon Jul 18, 2016 1:48 pm

Well done everybody involved. I'm looking forward to playing these maps!

PizzaAtomica · Post by **PizzaAtomica** » Mon Jul 18, 2016 3:50 pm

Congratulations to all the winners!
And thanks for voting Hypothermia most beautiful map