Against my better judgement I have decided to try and run a single player mapping competition. I really hope is a success because I would like to run one every 4 or 6 months.
The theme for this one is: A Combine Sniper.
Everything you need to know is in the main post but please don’t hesitate to ask for clarification.
Objective
To create a single player, stand alone map for HL2, HL2: Ep1 or HL2: Ep2.
How the competition will be judged
Currently, I am the only judge but if other websites/webmasters wish to join me and can contribute to the prize fund then there may be more.
The winning map will be the one that creates an interesting scenario using at least one and a maximum of 3 snipers. I am looking for something that requires the player to think carefully about their surroundings and forces them to use those surroundings and resources to reach a particular objective.
Killing the sniper does not have to be the ultimate objective of the map, just reaching a clearly defined point is enough.
Using custom textures, models and sounds won’t necessarily ensure your map receives more attention, it’s more about the layout and use of assets than anything else.
Closing Date
The closing date for entries is 9:00AM GMT Monday 4th January 2010
Rules
1. The map must be original and not have been released publicly before.
2. More than one entry is allowed by individual mappers or development teams, but iterations of the same map are not allowed.
3. By entering the competition you grant PlanetPhillip.com the right to release the map as part of the Sniperville mappack or mod (which will consist of all the maps entered into the competition) All maps will be clearly credited. Your entry must not appear before the release of the mappack or mod and no sooner than one month after its release on PlanetPhillip.com.
4. No assets from retail games other than HL2, HL2: Ep1 or HL2: Ep2 are allowed.
5. No assets from previously released maps or mods are allowed without written permission from their originals authors, which MUST be included in the entry email.
6. My decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into about it.
Prize Fund
Winner: $70, payable via PayPal
Two Honourable Mentions: $10 each, payable via PayPal
One Random Entry: $10, payable via PayPal (not chosen from the Winner or Honourable Mentions).
To Enter
Send an email with your map attached and any installation instructions. Make sure you include a readme.txt, identifying you, the author, and any other details you feel important.
Files larger than 20Mb should be uploaded to a free host first.
Questions, suggestions and entries should be sent to:
planetphillip@gmail.com
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01 December 2009 at 3:07 pm
This should be interesting. Definitely count me in.
01 December 2009 at 4:10 pm
I’d like to get counted in, but I haven’t started mapping yet. So no mod from me -_-
Maybe if I come up with an awesome scenario, I’ll toss the idea out into comments for someone else to see if they want to use it.
If no one picks it up, I’ll maybe convince myself to jump into modding, kicking and screaming all the way.
01 December 2009 at 4:53 pm
I’ll be happy to contribute to the fund.
If you need a player (only) as a judge. I’ll be happy to.
01 December 2009 at 6:01 pm
“using at least one and a maximum of 3 snipers”
Does this mean a maximum of 3 snipers at any given time or the actual total of the map?
As other mappers know, a Combine sniper is a fixed npc that can’t move from the spot you place it in.
If for example I wanted to simulate the same sniper moving around a certain apartment in a building which has windows towards more than one side of that building, I’d probably use another sniper entity. They would never be active at the same time though, and one could even simulate the time the sniper would take to get from one window to the other.
Are these kind of tricks valid?
01 December 2009 at 8:05 pm
^^^ Phillip, please reply to this question. ^^^
01 December 2009 at 10:54 pm
A maximum of 3 snipers at any one time. I was hoping somebody would try and make a sniper move around a bit.
01 December 2009 at 6:21 pm
Count me in. Guys prepare for some heavy competition, aaarh
01 December 2009 at 10:56 pm
Great
01 December 2009 at 8:14 pm
This is very tempting, but I’m also very busy. Will see if I come up with some good ideas before committing.
01 December 2009 at 10:51 pm
Fingers crossed.
01 December 2009 at 11:30 pm
I didn’t exactly get it. But, is it something like this:
The player is a combine sniper soldier, then he as to eliminate a determined target using the environment. Something like these flash games where you play as a sniper and then for an example you need to shoot like a lamp that then falls and kills the target. Something like that? Or…
The player is a combine sniper that must protected a determined target, and eliminate the enemies after him or other snipers?
02 December 2009 at 1:46 am
Looking at the rules it seems that you can use the sniper(s) in any way you want. The player could be the sniper, or the player could be against the sniper. Presumably we are to interpret the idea however we see fit.
02 December 2009 at 7:30 am
If you want to make yourself the sniper, that’s fine but that’s not what I envisaged when I created the competition. I think the images I used gave that impression.
02 December 2009 at 7:27 am
No. You play as either GF or a rebel and you are in an area with 1, 2 or 3 snipers. You objective as a mapper is to make an interesting map. I admit that the images I used could be misconstrued.
02 December 2009 at 5:12 pm
Oh good, cause my idea had totally been for just about the exact same thing. I’ve already worked out about 80% of the details too. Now I don’t have to worry about not knowing mapping in time to enter myself, cause my idea wouldn’t qualify anyway. I can work on it at my leisure.
01 December 2009 at 11:55 pm
I’ve got some ideas. I’ll definitely try to make something.
02 December 2009 at 12:31 am
Hey this looks interesting. I’ll try to whip up something before the due date.
20 bucks says crowbarska wins.
02 December 2009 at 2:35 am
haha, I had this Idea for a cetain map a while back, but never finished/released it, this will be fun…
02 December 2009 at 7:30 am
Cool, I look forward to playing it.
02 December 2009 at 2:59 am
I might enter… But I think there should be a limit of more than 3 snipers!
02 December 2009 at 7:31 am
Sorry, but 3 is the limit.
02 December 2009 at 11:04 am
Just some clarifications:
Friendly snipers don’t count towards the 3 sniper limit.
Your character *can* be a Combine sniper, but that’s optional.
02 December 2009 at 11:44 am
Why not for HL1, too?
02 December 2009 at 12:04 pm
Because there seem to be more mappers working on HL2/EP1?Ep2/OB mods, so I might get more entries that way. Also, I don’t want to have to compare odler engines. Lastly, was there even a sniper in HL1?
03 December 2009 at 1:04 am
Yeah, there are Grunt snipers just outside that building with various explosives, and once you get in that place, there’s an injured Barney about to die.
04 December 2009 at 4:57 pm
Well, you can have brush based turrets/tanks as a sniper in vanilla Half-Life, so I don’t see why you can’t have Half-Life on your list. There’s many people who still use GoldSrc (including me).
02 December 2009 at 1:18 pm
Hmm, this sounds like something I could try doing. If I find the time between my studies etc… I hope so, because I think the results would be great.
Also, you can use unreleased assets (vmfs), yes? Does that mean I can release a sniper-version of a map I am currently working on, and release the ‘normal’ version at a later date?
02 December 2009 at 2:52 pm
Yes, you can do that.
02 December 2009 at 8:48 pm
daaaaaammmmn, I already have so many wonderful ideas just after reading that, but I still wasn’t able to learn mapping for source
02 December 2009 at 10:39 pm
Count me in too. I have 3 months before Uni and want a challenge.
I don’t think I have much chance of winning but I’d love to submit a map.
Time to engage the brain again. lol
Thanks Phillip for the competition.
03 December 2009 at 12:50 am
Ha! I’ll be the winner!
03 December 2009 at 5:37 pm
This might be a quite retarded question, but can there be any other type of npc in the map or is it snipers only ?
Also, can there be used models/sounds/textures from other source games like L4D, TF2, DoD:S (as their not really considered custom models/sounds/textures) ?
Thankssauce
04 December 2009 at 12:10 am
There is no posted restriction on other NPC’s. So you should have no problem adding rebels, Combine, birds, Striders, etc. As long as the map’s focus is “a Combine sniper” and you use at least one npc_sniper.
03 December 2009 at 6:08 pm
Apparently the second question i had was pretty stupid.
It’s in the rules =)
Sorrysauce
03 December 2009 at 6:37 pm
Are we allowed to post work in progress screenshots?
Are we allowed to submit multiple maps (level) with map loading/switches in between? (minimod?) or are we restricted to 1 map for 1 level?
04 December 2009 at 12:11 am
If anybody wants to post map screenshots or WiP screenshots, then I can recommend the forum on Interlopers.
http://www.interlopers.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=31317&p=386859#p386859
04 December 2009 at 1:03 pm
You can post links to WIP screenshots here if you want. I lvoe ‘Lopers but since this is my mapping comp, here is better. Post the link and I will approve the comment ASAP.
04 December 2009 at 1:39 am
http://i347.photobucket.com/albums/p461/marnamai/pp_sniper0015.jpg
04 December 2009 at 1:35 pm
Wow… That looks pretty good already. I’m feeling quite intimidated now.
04 December 2009 at 1:06 pm
Yes, you can post links to WIp screenshots.
Good question about the minimod. The answer is yes, but since it’s supposed to be just a small Sniper level it hadrly seems worth it. That said, go fo it!
04 December 2009 at 5:29 pm
I’d love to enter, but I don’t think I’ll have time. Good luck to you all!
04 December 2009 at 8:43 pm
Why don’t we use a forum thread to post our wip work and discussions about the mapping competition? Its much faster and gives us the libery to edit our own posts and we won’t have to to wait for authorizing?
anyway, here is a quick texture test http://i347.photobucket.com/albums/p461/marnamai/pp_sniper0017.jpg
04 December 2009 at 11:37 pm
http://i347.photobucket.com/albums/p461/marnamai/pp_sniper0025.jpg
05 December 2009 at 1:07 pm
Looking good Marnamai
06 December 2009 at 4:05 am
Would it detract from the score if the map does not focus only on the sniping part?
06 December 2009 at 6:57 am
i’m wondering the same thing because having only a sniper would make the level be kind of short lol
06 December 2009 at 12:05 pm
I recently played a level that ahd two snipers. It was uite a small area but took me about 20 minutes to kill them both. I had to get to areas that contained the right weapons to kill them, then I had to reach areas to use those weapons, all the while fighting Combine soldiers. It was small but very well built. Size doesn’t alway matter.
06 December 2009 at 12:03 pm
Yes, this is what the whole theme is about. But, consider that reaching the sniper section can also provide some intersting possiblities. Perhaps you can see and hear the sniper’s actions but he can’t see you yet. The could provide some foreshadowing of events still to come.
08 December 2009 at 6:56 am
Nice idea, I hope we get a lot of well designed and original entries!
I would join but I’m already busy with another project and also I think I would need more time than that.
08 December 2009 at 4:13 pm
This sounds very interesting, I will be trying to enter with some small level, small story and limited weaponry … aaaah the possibilities of restriction are wonderfully huge!
08 December 2009 at 4:30 pm
Great, I look forward to playing it.
08 December 2009 at 6:28 pm
sounds interesting, i think i want to make a small mod. Whit 2-3 small maps
10 December 2009 at 1:20 pm
what a shame, i allready had write here;
i will join this contest !!!!
and said how it maybe would be nice to join with my latest small sp-mod that will be released before 31 dfec 09. but, then i decided to read the rules above again clearly. and then i noticed the line;
Your entry must not appear before the release of the mappack or mod and no sooner than one month after its release on PlanetPhillip.com.
a shame that i don’t want to wait untill febr with the release of this mino mod of mine. because the whole purpose was to release it this year as thank to all donators for my videocard (can be found here on PP), and, also to close this bussy mapping year with one last nice project.
still, i will add a sniper in the mini mod, just for the fun of it.
leon
13 December 2009 at 7:59 am
Despite all the crap people may give you about your methods, people still gotta respect your ability to consistently produce content. Keep it up Leon, you are an inspiration to us all.
12 December 2009 at 5:14 am
hmmm, sounds interesting, i only regret that i waited so long to listen to podcast 17, i might not have enough time to make a full map for this
you might get a half textured/ dev-textured (them orange and gray squares that i know you love) map XD
13 December 2009 at 7:56 pm
Hows everyone doing then?
*pretends he is just being friendly and not checking out the competition*
Presumably we loose points for the snipers not being the main feature…
I may have got side tracked…
Also it would help if hammer didn’t want me dead.
Just a piece of advice to anyone contributing: Carve will ALWAYS come back to haunt you. Some how. Some way. It will get you. While you sleep or while you work. It WILL find a way. And when that happens you better hope you have backups.
13 December 2009 at 8:34 pm
Mmm, I suppose that depends on how good the sniper section is. If the section is the best of all those submitted but only a small part of the map, then it would still win.
14 December 2009 at 6:50 am
I guess I need to kick it up a notch then…
Also
It would be good to hear some live judgments on podcast 17
14 December 2009 at 6:20 pm
Yea, it would be cool if podcast 17 would review the top3 maps in the podcast!
18 December 2009 at 8:37 pm
Sounds like fun, might give it a try!
21 December 2009 at 2:01 am
I would like to ask for an extension of the mapping competition (+1 weeks seems reasonable)
- most of us aren’t gonna be able to map on the x-mas and new year’s eve.
- to give late contestants more chances!
- to polish our maps
21 December 2009 at 1:03 pm
I know exactly how you feel marnamai
The deadline draws near and so does Christmas and new years.
As much as a i would like my map to be Phillips new years eve present. It will have very sharp edges.
But.
Rules are rules.
We all knew the deadline when we started.
Even if we started late.
21 December 2009 at 1:20 pm
I really don’t want to change the deadline. I felt over a month was plenty of time, especially sicne there would be holidays that modders could use to spend more time building. At this point in time there will be no change to the deadline, but I promsie to reconsider if enough people request it.
Clearly, I don’t want lots of half finished maps, but as Joe says Rules are rules
25 December 2009 at 8:15 pm
I feel the pressure and I’m not 100% sure if I can finish in time, but I support Phillip sticking to the deadline. I will be able to wrap up the level’s content in time regardless, it’s just a matter of how much I can include before having to finish up.
21 December 2009 at 7:04 pm
Well if I can’t finnish in time with the desired level of quality, I won’t enter the competition, simple as that.
I cannot stand to hand over a half finnished map.
21 December 2009 at 8:59 pm
Maybe next time then.
25 December 2009 at 8:16 pm
There’s no need to despair. Just do what you can and submit it for the competition, then keep working on it and release it on Interlopers.
22 December 2009 at 3:53 am
That’s disappointing. The screenshot you had looked absolutely sublime.
22 December 2009 at 7:03 pm
I am doing my best to get it done in time. But if I can’t I will release it later on.
22 December 2009 at 9:23 pm
Great, at least we get to play another SP level, and that’s really the main aim of the competition and site.
22 December 2009 at 9:35 pm
I second that
27 December 2009 at 2:22 pm
Hey, i can become tester of you map, steam name is “EricFong1993″ If you really need tester just find me.
28 December 2009 at 12:39 am
Well this is annoying.
I have little time left to complete my map and im stuck at my mothers after yet another christmas dinner.
Im concidering enbarking on an epic jorney in the middle of the night so i can get home and work on it. This being my first mapping competiton Im determined to get it done. Hope everyone else is doing well. Im really looking forward to playing some of these.
lots of Christmas love.
Joe
x x x
30 December 2009 at 2:36 am
I’m gonna be pulling out of the competition because I bit off more than I could chew for a month’s worth of work. I have a lot of content created and polished…but the way my map has been planned, the sniper battles are going to take place toward the second half. So far, I’m only just starting the mapping on the second half of the map. So I just don’t have anything to submit that actually involves snipers.
But as Valve says…it’s better to release an excellent piece of content late, than to release a shitty piece of content early. Or on time.
So look for my Sniperville entry at the end of January, it just won’t be in the competition. It should still adhere to the rules set forth by the competition. And good luck to everyone else involved in the competition. This has taught me a lot about setting expectations and goals for my projects, and this is still going to be my very first official map release…so I have more to learn.
01 January 2010 at 2:58 am
NovaSniping – Get ready to kick some combine sniper ass with your wits!
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e205/Mintomay/Omaarandomia/novasniping0003.jpg
I have to do some playtesting and stuff but the map will be ready before deadline. You can complete my map without killing a single poor sniper or just blow the shit out of ‘em. I leave it all up to players choice and wits.
01 January 2010 at 11:15 am
Great, I can’t wait to play them all.
03 January 2010 at 12:41 pm
How many entries were there Phillip if it’s ok to ask?
03 January 2010 at 12:59 pm
So far, just 2.
03 January 2010 at 4:03 pm
I predict a huge barrage of sniper maps at 8.59AM tomorrow
04 January 2010 at 9:48 pm
Well, the deadline has past and I have received about 5 entries. I will play and post the winners ASAP.
Thank you to all who submitted maps. Stay Tuned.
05 January 2010 at 9:27 am
I may have just found a fatal flaw in my map…
What if there all absolutely awful. Like ‘eyes bleed’ awful. Do you still have to pick a winner?
05 January 2010 at 10:39 am
I hate to say it but I think I do. I never said that there needs to be a minimum number of entries, so I feel obligated. I do say my decision is final so, if they are all really bad then I suppose I could use that. Hopefully I won’t need to even worry about it though.
05 January 2010 at 8:31 pm
I hope to god my map doesn’t make your eyes bleed phillip…
… or your pc explode 8/
05 January 2010 at 12:16 am
If there are five entries, only one “lucky” guy won’t get anything.
08 January 2010 at 12:00 am
how many have you played through so far?
08 January 2010 at 3:56 pm
Phillip hasn’t been as active as of late. Perhaps this means he is hard at work judging the sniperville maps. Then again, Perhaps not. Something map have cropped up and he hasn’t even started yet
08 January 2010 at 6:03 pm
Not been active so much lately because my GF is on holiday and around the house – cutting into my PP time. Grrrh.
08 January 2010 at 9:04 pm
My gf was on holiday when I was making the map she cut my mapping time too. ;D
09 January 2010 at 7:43 pm
If it’s not breaking the rules or you just don’t to say but what is your map called?
09 January 2010 at 8:51 pm
Believe it or not.
Super Awesome Sniper Arena.
10 January 2010 at 12:50 pm
I’ll pay special attention, Joe.
Can barely wait
10 January 2010 at 1:04 pm
:O
Scary stuff
Why don’t you pay special attention to the winner instead.
They could use the extra scrutiny.
08 January 2010 at 6:02 pm
All played and winner chosen. Just finishing the post and getting the mod made up. Details very soon.
10 January 2010 at 3:57 pm
The suspenders are killing me. Or was that the snipers?
10 January 2010 at 6:24 pm
Whoa. Way too much information!
When I do get to play your entry I’ll a vision of you in suspenders.
Vision? I mean nightmare. Very distracting.
I hope to see it here soonest Sirocco.
Very much looking forward to playing the entries.
10 January 2010 at 8:43 pm
UPDATE:
Beta testing of the mod happening now. Assuming there are no issues I will release very soon. Sorry for the delay.
15 January 2010 at 12:30 am
could ahve another update?
15 January 2010 at 12:41 am
Yes, Things have been strangely quiet.
15 January 2010 at 5:54 pm
i think phillip got sniped.
15 January 2010 at 6:03 pm
More than once probably…
15 January 2010 at 7:27 pm
Please accept my apologies for the delay. I’ll post the winners and all the details later today or at the latest early tomorrow.
16 January 2010 at 3:58 am
cool