Speaking of collaboration projects I had an idea. What if we had a TWHL secret Santa? If you don't know what a secret Santa is, here's how it works: everybody puts their names into a hat, and then one person randomly picks out a name. That person is your gift recipient and you then become their "secret Santa". You get them a gift but they don't know and they have to try and guess who got a gift for them.

So

What if we apply the same thing to our members here, only with maps?
Say everyone (all those who wish to participate) randomly gets a partner and they have to make a map for them which is delivered sometime near Christmas. Everyone PM's me a link to their map and I distribute from there. After a week of guessing feel free to upload to the vault so we can all see the creations!
You can put a secret in the map that reveals the "secret Santa" or just keep them guessing for ages! ( or until the map is in the vault)

So if you're interested, let me know and I'll organize everything including the randomization, and informing everyone of who their recipients are. I will have a recipient but I will not receive a gift map (the downside of being the 'project leader')

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Update - October 23

Alright! The Secret Santa Assignments are complete!
Everyone should have a PM in their inbox with their assignments and Engine Types. If there's any GENERAL questions, ask em here. If there's any questions regarding your assignment, PM me, and we can work something out.

Here are some general rules:
Map names should be SS_<target_username>_<map#>
example: SS_tetsu0_01, if you made your map for Tetsu0.

All wads are to be wadincluded, to protect your handiwork, and just to make everything neater. I'm sure everyone can spare another 3 or 4 MB on their hard drives.

If you're making a mod, please structure it for steam.

I will be test-playing all the submissions to make sure they work, so i can hopefully iron out the bugs before we need to distribute.

Also, I suppose there should be a deadline.

I'm going to say the Deadline is December 17th.

That should give everyone enough time to get SOMETHING in, and it will give some leeway to the stragglers.
ALSO, it'll give me time to make sure everything works, and get them distributed for Christmas.

If you can't make the deadline, let me know (PM) at least a week in advance so i can cover you smile - I'd like to keep everything on schedule, and I'm pretty much giving everyone a week post-deadline to get their stuff in.

I'll dig up some of my disposed maps, give em a polish and personal touch, then send em off in your favor.

Good luck everyone!

Silly and fun, exactly what the community needs. I'm in.

I like it. Sign me up!

if I get archie, then it's time for a map called '5 weird ways to die'
Let's get a mod going!

Its not a compo with "glory" or anything. You should allow yourself a map Tetsu0.

Sign me up. I haven't mapped in a long time, and I think this would be a good excuse.

Sounds fun, but I barely have any time to map

im in

I thought your idea was to actually send each other gifts in the post, which I actually would have been down for. But I'm in, although I'm a somewhat slow mapper. :

Count me in!

If I had time to make one, I'd do it. Computer's not really in any condition to map, but when the time comes to start, hopefully I'll be able to give a definite yes.

I'm in.

So in.

I thought your idea was to actually send each other gifts in the post, which I actually would have been down for. But I'm in, although I'm a somewhat slow mapper.

My public mailing address is in Nepal.

This sounds fun. I just hope our secret Santas can keep to their schedule

PS: You'll know I was your secret Santa when your map is nothing but a bunch of dicks. I won't even seal the map off -- it'll just be a bunch of dicks floating in the void.

Well this is why I'm starting it a few months ahead. I know there's a compo looming in the future so the maps don't have to be crazy. But I think it'll be interesting trying to make a map FOR someone out of the goodness/ creativeness in your heart/ head.
Unfortunately I cannot recieve a map as a gift because I will know everyone's secret Santa because I'm organizing it. But I CAN however make a map for the "odd one out" if there is one.

There are no rules for the maps other than the following:
1- must be a .bsp ( playable/ walk-aroundable)
2- that's it

Have fun, make something neat, something the recipient will enjoy/ get a laugh out of
I'm REALLY excited at the interest in this already so with hope, in a week or so, I can have the list made and the assignments posted to all involved

So I counted 10 definite entries and 2 maybe's:

Archie
The mighty atom
Grim
Dimbark
TJB
stoje
Jeffmod
Rimrook
Urby
Soup miner
2muchvideogames
Discostu

Greens are maybes
Is this correct?

Sounds good.

Heh, what a great idea. Why not, I'll give it a go.

Awesome idea - I'm in.
Hopefully I can actually finish my entry for a change.

I'm so in. =)

Hey Tet, you can be in it, just have a third party handle distributing the maps so you can receive a gift too?

Daubster: Oh i think Tetsu0 forgot to mention, that failing to finish your gift map results in PERMABAN. =p

I'm a maybe. I'm not sure if I'll be able to do it because of some technical difficulties right now.

Well the whole idea behind it is that I'll know who made what map so I can't guess lol
And this is a FANTASTIC turnout!

Lol @ every one writing my name wrong

I wish i could get Captain T xD

Tetsu0: it's pronounced Stojkens. =))

Stojkens: if i get your name you are going to LOVE your gift..........

Hehe, I bet it would be awesome! : D
Lucky one who gets it xD

Agh crap. I'm sorry I'm doing all this from an iPhone at work. Apologies

I'll join in.

No worry, im used to it.

Ok so let's say all entrants must be accounted for by the end of September. I can then get the assignments made up and PM'd by the next day. You will have October 1 - December 24th to finish the maps, pm me a link / email them to me and then I will upload them to my file host and send links ( via pm ) to whom they are to be delivered.

If you guys REALLY want me to have a map the only way it's going to work is if someone maps it and someone else PM's

The titles of the maps should be "to_username"
So if I had to make one for stojKe, it'd be: "to_stojke"
And I suppose this is half-life1 only to unsure EVERYONE can play them

And if you don't have Halflife 1, you're a bastard.

Count me as maybe in. Don't know how much free time will be on my hands nearing christmas.

After new years, would we have a thread where we can give feedback and reviews?

Correct, Rim.
Sure thing Spag!
And Jeff, after the compo is over everyone should upload to the vault, but we should definitely discuss the maps further in this (or a similar) thread

So this is exclusively half-life 1. very good then. =)

It will be fun guessing who the presents are for before they are revealed and/or figured out.

Also after all is finished and we start uploading maps, maybe Tet, u could as well make a nice little compilation of all the "gift maps"? there are plenty of fun+quaint ideas you could use to present the maps.

)

Rooms or castle disposed-style menu map, perhaps?

I'm thinking of spreading out a bunch of presents underneath a decorated Christmas tree. Think de_rats style. So you walk into each gift and it teleports you the maps.

Awwwww. HL1 exclusive? :/

Well i'm not sure if everyone has both hl1 and hl2.
Also, if someone does have hl2, is it Ep1? Ep2? Vanilla hl2?
I suppose if everyone posts what games they own I can give the assignments as well as an engine type. But then at the end of it all the map compilation pack will be split between 2 engines.

For simplicity's sake,right now, it's hl1.
But the floor's open for discussion of the matter until September 30th.

I already started mine for source. It'll be cool.

But, I haven't mapped for goldsource in a long time. The lack of complicated entity setups and the I/O system might just make me go crazy.

Do HL1, don't be wussies.

I wanna know who Im making it for, before I start.

Mapping for HL 1 is like dating a hot chick! MEEEN!

Dimbark you'll get the assignment on October first

Meh, I guess I'm in, I make moderately good source maps now. With crappy voices, and music. mY friends all like that. DEAL WITH IT.

Oh, I don't know wether I'll find the time, what with last term of school coming up, but hell, I'll throw myself into the fray and see if I come out on top.

Count me in.

In regards to Goldsource/Source, perhaps entrants could state whether they have HL1 and/or HL2 and which they can map for, and Tetsu0 could connect us off of that?

Sounds like phuun, I'm in

Yes I'm going to need everyone's engines.
Please list the engines you map for. If I don't have a good, comprehensive list, goldsource will be defaulted as the engine.
Y'all got 7 days

This excel spreadsheet is legit
By the way!!! If you fail to produce your map in a timely manner I will create a map and deliver it to the recipient. In that map I will criticize you for being a holiday Scrooge.
That, or I'll give em whatever excuse you give to me

Goldsource for me, both what I can make and what I can recieve.

Same here. GS is the boss.

I choose source, but I can play either.

Goldsource