Competition 29 Created 13 years ago2010-11-23 19:56:31 UTC by AJ

Rightio, Competition 29: Map Something Historical is a go. Details are on the page. All whinging about the topic of the compo goes here where it will be promptly ignored by your friendly Admin team!

I'm posting the requirements for the compo in this thread, along with a FAQ.

Rules and Requirements

• You may use any custom textures, sounds, and models that you wish, but absolutely no custom coding.

• Your entries may be made for Half-Life, Half-Life: Deathmatch, Counter-Strike, Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Deathmatch, Half-Life 2: Episode 1, Half-Life 2: Episode 2, Counter-Strike: Source, Team Fortress 2, Left 4 Dead, Left 4 Dead 2, or Portal to be accepted. If you have a game in mind that isn't listed here, please contact the judges before entering. Please keep in mind that any exceptions to the list will only be for GoldSource and Source powered games that are directly connected to Valve's titles.

• You must include a readme mentioning your TWHL username and what game your entry has been made for.

• Your entry can be either single or multi-player.

• Your entry must NOT be in mod format. If you have custom content, the content should be zipped in the appropriate folder structure.

• Goldsource and Source entries will be judged separately.

• All entries must be in ZIP or RAR format. Do not upload just the .BSP file.

• For entries over 1MB, you will need to host the file externally and paste the link into the appropriate field when entering.

• It MUST run without error: no excuses! We will not chase authors. If we do, it just slows down the already slow process of putting up results.

FAQs

Day of Defeat: yay or nay?
I will discuss this with Penguinboy, but I'm going with a tentative 'yay'.

Pb also says 'yay'.

I need to put this into a mod format!
I'm going to discuss this with the other admins and see if we might change that rule for this and future competitions. It may make things neater, particularly for anyone submitting a Source entry.

I'm fed up with screwing up the SDK so I think I should map nao.
All coding and no maps makes Jack a dull boy.

A few questions; Are we allowed to use mod format if we
A: need/want custom soundscapes? (HL2 doesn't support adding new ones without changing the manifest)
B: Use custom weapon skins (It'd make no sense for modern/scifi weaponry to appear in the past)

I have a few pending ideas, a couple of which I can't do at all with what I have, but I'm going to have a look and see if I can't find some custom models to use.

Wait, nothing after 1990? So I can't map my own birth? That's like the most historical event in the history of history!

Edit: I'm born before 1990, so map my birth for instant first!*

*Not a guarantee. - Ant

(Comment buried)

Hello. What about Day of Defeat: Source? Can I make a map in that engine?

I'm fine with that. I'm not sure if Penguinboy has DoD: S though.

This will be fun!

Edit: damn, I forgot I had formatted my hard disk. Gotta install HL and Hammer and all that shizzle again.

Question: Only one entry per user, right?

I'm fine with that. I'm not sure if Penguinboy has DoD: S though.

Yeah, he does own it, not sure if he has it installed though. I checked his Steam profile

I doubt he would. I don't have it installed myself. In fact, I've never played it, I just bought it because it was dirt cheap.

I probably have it installed. I don't uninstall stuff most of the time. Easy to reinstall if it's not on there, though. Mod formats should be allowed, but custom DLLs will be deleted before the mod will be run. This includes Spirit DLLs. If your map doesn't work with the DLLs deleted, your map will not be judged.

GO GO GO

TIME WARP INITIATED.

Anyway, for some reason, A russian missle silo from the cold war popped into my head. dunno how interesting of a map that'd make, but who knows.

Ah damn. The SDK for DoD: Source is broken, so there goes my idea of recreating the 'Battle of the Bulge' I think I'll move to CS:S for I have yet another brilliant idea, over a very controversial event in history. Who can guess??

It took place in the Summer of 1972...

I'm mapping the great pyramid of Giza.

edit: done. Total brushes (excluding sky) = 2.

real edit: what to map -.-?

/me googles historical structures

Hmm I didn't like this idea because I like to make my own stuff but I shall seeith. Good job gettin things rollin guys!

Could I map attempt La Sagrada Familia? It was designed and went under construction in the 1800s but it is still incomplete.

Don't see why not.

Do Source weapon scripts count as custom code? Because I want my weapon skins to be historically accurate if possible, in terms of clip sizes.
I assume soundscapes don't count, because they're just added ambiance, something which is necessary to make a great map. I wouldn't expect (or want, seeing as this is a mapping compo) extra points, but I'd rather my AK-74 have 30 rounds and my 1911 pistol have 10, if only because I like things accurate.

Is mapping for Ep2 still messed up? Last time i gave it a chance, the grids still did'nt look right. That and a bunch of other bugs/glitches that appeared since that engine update a couple of months ago.

• Edit -

Just started up Hammer for Ep2 using engine version 2009 to see how it behaves now. Grids look just fine so there's still some hope left. Next thing to try is see if it actually compiles a map without problems.

I think I'll move to CS:S for I have yet another brilliant idea

CS:S Is broken as well. In fact every game utilizing the sourcesdk is broken [when it comes to using the sourcesdk].

EDIT: Or is it working now Muzz?

How long since you mapped for source?

Refresh your sdk content.

Looks like its working now (Ep 2 mapping using 2009 engine, no mod).

Trying to think of an idea....
Hitchhiker's Guide?

CS:S Is broken as well

Yes, I'm having alot of difficulty still, but I've found a few fixes so am trying those as well.

How long since you mapped for source?

2 years to be exact, i tried it for 3 months straight until October, at which point i gave up entirely and realized it wasn't going to be fixed any time soon.

Well, my maps' coming slowly but surely. I already have... 1.5/3 areas done.
That's areas I've started, not areas I'm going to map. So, how are you guys going to add that 'historical' feel?

Hmm, I have a few ideas. Making terrain and foliage in hammer sucks though so might as well throw out that idea... Hmm-Thinking. The only way I will enter is f I get an amazing idea. I'll atleast have winter break from school soon so I might have time for this one.

I don't have any ideas for this, or time... so I'll just skip it.

Episode 1 still works like a charm for me and where most of my work is.

However, I did recently, like within the last two weeks, bought EP2 and I am having those same weird glitches, and grid problems. Loads the maps just fine but hammer is definitely screwed up. That lovely update screwed up a few of my other mods too that had some custom coding.

Would refreshing the SDK really help these problems?

I think pushing EP2 to the newer engine is the bigger problem.

Thanks Valve! (i want my money back for EP2)

Well, make sure you're using engine 2009 as the game engine for Episode Two. I know i am and the grids look fine.

Awww, the history one won the poll?

Do not want.

Do Source weapon scripts count as custom code? Because I want my weapon skins to be historically accurate if possible, in terms of clip sizes.

Just to bring this up again.

I'm going with no, you should be fine doing that.

My steam isn't working so I can't map for this even if I wanted to.

Guys can you help me solve this steam error so that I can start mapping for this comp? I get this error every time I click on steam to launch:

Steam.exe (main exception): CMultiFieldBlob(pSerialized): Bad field - extends past end of blob

Have you tried deleting clientregistry.blob?

If that fails, then delete EVERYTHING in your steam folder other then steam.exe and steamapps and it will redownload [and update] all the files again.

Yeah, try deleting clientregistry.blob, and if that fails, just copy your steamapps to another location and reinstall. Though deleting clientregistry.blob usually works the first time you try.

It worked, thanks guys!
Now for the competition itself... This competition is extremely limiting to resources, time, and imagination. I'm guessing I have to remake a well known historical event accurately right? But with any historical event I choose, I would have to somehow find appropriate textures, sounds and models to fit this event perfectly, and for some events these may be very hard to find and one may not have the knowledge or time to create these, so anyone that maps an event taking place within the 1950-2000 would have a massive upper hand since the textures, models and sounds we currently have are based around those times. But then again if I'm allowed to map absolutely anything that might have happened in the past, or perhaps a location of the past, this competition has no point at all, since I could simply create some forest or a jungle and label it 2000BC... Now I read up on the compo page a couple of times, and I understood that I am also allowed to map ANYTHING "historical" that might have actually not happened but just has a good story to it and stuff, but how exactly are we supposed to make a good map with a back story to it in 27 days?

Now I'm not pretty sure wtf this competition is about or what I will be judged on, so can you please explain this to me judges?

Well, I'm not a judge, but the way I'm doing it is this; (I'm using an alt timeline)
1) Pick a point in history where things could have gone catastrophically wrong/changed the face of our planet entirely.
2) Choose the path that humanity didn't take. (In my case, it's a good thing we didn't take it)
3) Make an event that could have happened as a result of that change.
4) Scour the internet for period weapon skins for your chosen game that the author is okay with people redistributing them; make sure to note the author and download page, and put it in the final readme.
5) Map it.

For example, a map where, say, you play a secret service agent and save JFK from a sniper on the grassy knoll.

I think I'm going to map something involving Fidel Castro. VIVA REVOLUCION!!!

lol?

Uhh, guys:

Aside from that restriction, we're leaving it fairly open: it could be historical in a video game context, a world event context or heck, even an alternate history (provided you actually have a fantastic backstory: don't take this as an excuse to flimsily work in a map you've already done). We're definitely looking for creativity and originality here, so crack open those history books and get mapping!

That didn't help much... since I already read the part 10 times beforehand...

So that wouldn't include something like, say, ruins? (Which technically are historical.)

Ruins are the modern day form of ancient structures, so if you made them un-ruined they would be historical, but in their destroyed state, do they count as being part of history?

I am glad you responded Atom cause I gave that puppy another try and
low and behold it works perfectly. I have L4D and mapping for it wasn't a problem. I know it's under the 2009 engine so I didn't understand why EP2 didn't work for me. Thanks for the little dose of inspiration to try again.

Caesarea Maritima would be my pick for historical. I don't know if I will have time to actually finish it though. It's a really rough map and like someone said, it is best to start fresh with these compos.

Sort of like plagiarizing yourself....lol

Ruins are the modern day form of ancient structures

I just had a revelation. The forums of TWHL are ruined :(.

My apologies if I won't be able to map or something. I have semestrial tests until 15th december and mapping something historical is indeed a hard task for 1 month. The competition should have started one month earlier.

School's finalizing for me next week so if I start it will be after that. Plus I don't like this theme. But can't complain, im sure I could make something out of it!

Don't worry Striker, looking as this is the occasional twhl competition, it will be extended by a couple of months like usual.

There'll be no extension.