So since the first Map making competition is in the final stages and all the maps are submitted. Why not allow the designers to get started on the next competition so there's not 6 months in between the start and end dates of the next one.
Discuss....
I really like this idea, and have even envisioned having two contests running concurrently. Maybe a short term one and a long term one. I guess the real question is: Is there interest by the map makers in another contest. I had a good time in this contest, and would be interested in another.
I think things went pretty well with this one, and the rules we settled on (voting, etc.) seemed to work pretty well, but this would be a good time to bring up any proposed changes.
I would like a little longer to be able to effectively test the board before release. I feel that I did not thoroughly dev test my board (the release had untested changes). This is really just me and I am never fully happy with the boards I have so really it is just a suggestion.
As a whole, I believe the first contest has gone well so far and I am interested in seeing how many players participate in the voting. What about coming up with a new theme?
How about a Castle Siege theme? That would tie in scenarios as well, which could be fun. Heck, maybe Cram could even be coaxed into reviving his Helm's Deep map!
I already have a great board under this theme which I was thinking of revisiting soon so it sounds good to me.
I might even get involved in that one.
sounds good, that'd lead to some cool boards i bet
I'm not a designer but from the player's perspective I'd love a good Castle Seige map.
~ATH
I like that theme. How about, 'Castles, Fortresses & Sieges' to sort of broaden & define the theme.
Kjeld what did you mean - "That would tie in scenarios as well"?
Alpha - I also would like a bit longer. Even if I can make a map in a few weeks (doubtful), it can easily take a couple of months to test & tweak it.
I just meant that a castle siege theme would generally be more conducive toward tactical scenarios with a particular starting setup (as opposed to the Pangaea maps which were all sort of random distribution geographic-style boards).
I'd be happy to offer a $100 prize on a regular basis for map making competitions - something like a 3 month cycle for each competition so 4 per year. There should be a defined timescale within each cycle for the theme selection, design, test and voting stages within each cycle.
A 3 or 4 month cycle sounds great. If it's going to be a perennial type of thing, it would be nice to know what the theme(s)/special rules are 6, or even 9 months out.
How about a 6 month cycle?
Month 1 - determine theme and special rules
Month 2-4 - develop maps
Month 5-6 - play and vote.
This may be too fast a scale, but it can be overlapped.
i say an 8 month cycle, starting every 4th month (3 per year). works out very nicely where there are no two competitions 'developing' at the same time. could even tweak it where that 6th month is more developing instead of playing but you'd end op overlapping developments then.
1 - determine theme
2 - develop maps
3 - develop maps
4 - develop maps
5 - develop maps 1 - determine theme
6 - play and vote 2 - develop maps
7 - play and vote 3 - develop maps
8 - play and vote 4 - develop maps
9 5 - develop maps 1 - determine theme
10 6 - play and vote 2 - develop maps
11 7 - play and vote 3 - develop maps
12 8 - play and vote 4 - develop maps
13 5 - develop maps 1 - determine theme
+1 for weathertop
Weathertop's plan works for me!
Weathertop's plan gets my vote.
I'm against WT's plan, but that is just because we are still fighting.
(+1 for me. This is what I was thinking, but he beat me to putting the idea down on paper.)
I also like Weathertop's schedule.
I tried to capture what I feel like the 'Rules' are for our map making competition. I think it would be useful to have these all in one place, right now they are kind of all over the forum. This is what I remember coming out of all of our various discussions, although I think there is more I'm missing. I'll use italics for whereever I don't think there is a consensus or is my suggestion.
Theme
Deadlines
Voting
Promotion
Prizes
it might be nice to eventually add a "Map Competition" tag to the board list (or something like that).