Contest #1 - Discussion Thread

[redon]

Alright, so I don't know if it's ok I make this thread here or if there's going to be an official one, but I thought a thread for questions concerning each specific would be helpful, rather than having a mixed mess of threads in the subforum. If the admins or mods disagree with that, feel free to move/rename/delete this thread.

Anyone is welcome to post questions here that will hopefully be answered by one of the guys who organize the event.

I'll start with a few, concerning the template map before we get started:
How much freedom do we have to modify white and orange areas?
The picture shows different colors, of which green is explained as paths that have to be maintained, and purple as free game areas. What's the middle between that, namely the white and orange areas? How much can we modify them or use them to make additional paths?

Are we allowed to add little textures with the map?
I've heard from Killer that we're limited to the resources that are included in the game. Obviously that prevents teams from using huge amounts of custom mapmodels or textures, but what about little details? Are we allowed to add, for instance, a texture for a little sign on a wall?

Thanks in advance for the help and good luck to everyone taking part in the contest

[RaZgRiZ]

Truth is that the color codes are seriously messed up, and its a shame that non of us has taken yet the liberty of fixing that, so i'll do a little explaining. Purple areas are totally at your mercy. green areas MUST remain smooth paths that will allow for easy passage. blue areas are gaps, and the rest is free edit, as long as its not entirely removed or altered to a point where it becomes unrecognizable.

You can, however use some custom content, like a skybox or an extra texture or two, but not more. We'd rather keep this competition to a level where people will compete with what they have, instead of free choice of means. Play it safe.

[Windecker]

Alright. The template itself will have most colors removed. They just overcomplicated things. There will be green, purple, and blue, and red( General Path, absolute freedom, division marker, and blocked path )

You can edit as much as you feel fit, as long as the general layout remains. ( a hallway is still a hallway, a bridge is still a bridge, etc )
You may make a path slightly narrower, wider, taller, shorter. You could make it shift to one side, or make it have an 'S' curve to it. As long as it still runs from point A to B. As I said, as long as the "General" Layout remains, all will be fine. ( You may also make it slope slightly, if you want )

As for custom textures, I'd generally say no, but in this case I'll allow them fo rSmall things only.

Textures for little things would be alright, such as signs, as well as a custom sky-box. But I do not want to see large new textures on entire buildings.
We want this to be Fair, and not everybody is able to make their own textures.

** Raz summed it up pretty well perfect. But Green areas MAY be modified in terms of general smoothness/direction, but I do not want to see them seriously altered. They must still run from point A to B.

[redon]

Hmm thanks for the help, but I have to say I'm kind of disappointed with the changes on the layout in comparision to the screenshot that was released a few days ago. Where did the purple box go for instance, that was going to be the big free game area? If you allow us to still edit that white block to a building then I'm happy, but the colors made such things easier to understand. Of course some things were unclear about the orange and white areas, but I never meant to say the color codes were stupid, in my opinion they were pretty helpful to have an overview of what parts have to remain and what parts can be modified.

Anyway, I don't know if it's too late now for changes on that but I wanted to ask if we're still allowed to freely edit that purple box that now turned into a big white thing and if were allowed to move the paths closer to the middle like in the screenshot, because I'm not sure how well such huge gaps would work with the idea Killer and me worked on and I'd hate to rethink the whole map (And definitely add more colors again at least in the next contest, theyre a good help )

[RaZgRiZ]

personally i don't mind the colors, work has been great so far, and i've made pretty much 40% of the total landscape, the gaps are useful for more stuff than i initially thought about, and the fact that i do not have to worry about the layout has me really hyped ;D

[Windecker]

Redon, my apologies. But you may edit the geometry as much as you wish, as long as the bare bones layout remains.
That white area where the purple box used to be , for instance, you could raise it, lower it, stretch it back, bring the wall forward, make the entrance into a hall, or completely change it as long as the pathway is somewhat similar. Rigth now, its a kind of M shape.

Just go all out.

[Windecker]

In much simpler terms, ( now that I sat down to think about it )
Use your own judgement. If it was your layout of a map, and you were satisfied with the layout, what would you change in terms of appearance? It could be a huge change.
Just use your own judgement; I know yours is good.

[SheeEttin]

So where exactly is the edge of the map? Is the wall the edge, or can I, say, add teleports to the structures outside?

[Windecker]

The map ends wherever you want it to.
If you wish to add accessible structures outside the map, you may.

[alternate]

can you texture blend?

[Windecker]

Yup.

[Church]

im confused on how to post a map up for download, i mean i know that its on the base folder but what do i put in the zip file and where can i locate it?

[Windecker]

- For making the zip -
Create an empty folder structure as follows
packages/base/
and then put map in base, and any other custom files that go in packages.

Compress your new made folder structure. You should get a Packages.zip. Rename it to a name of your choice.

The best place to upload it would be to www.mediafire.com/
It's free.
Just upload your Zip folder there, and provide the download link given.

( Mediafire is generally quite fast, and provides no wait time, which is why it is preferable of other sites. )
If your map is under 1mb, you can attach it to the forum. But if it is under 1mb, it is likely not up to spec for the detail contest. You may attach an image to the forum with the attachment button.