The 2012 Crap Christmas Presents Mini-Co Created 12 years ago2012-01-03 07:47:01 UTC by hlife_hotdog

The 2012 Crap Christmas Presents Mini-Competition

Got christmas gifts that you don't want, but you can't take them back? Then this competition is for you!

I am looking for both participants and donators who wish to get involved in a christmas reject competition.

And guess what! There be prizes!

I am starting a Steam Winter Giveaway prize pool. Entrants will be able to pick a number of items from the prize pool (exact number is subject to how many prizes are in the pool). The winner gets to pick first, second place picks second, ect. So everyone is a winner! Note that free gift games will probably be limited to one per person, so that someone doesn't hog all the free stuff.

The rules of the competition are simple:

Download the following map: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=9JSIIU6Z

For Goldsource or Source, turn the map from a concrete eyesore into a masterpiece. You can mess with the geometry and layout as much as you like, even add additional areas, but with the following restriction.

Within the map are certain features textured red, these features MUST exist in your final map with only minor modifications to suit your map. You should avoid resizing and moving them, but you can if you need to, but remember that you may hurt your 'Red Special' score.

For example, if a pillar in the centre of the room is marked red, you can modify it any way you like to look like what you want, but the pillar must remain there. You can't move its location off to the side for example or make it shorter.

Another example is a raised platform textured red. You don't have to have a playable area underneath, but the player needs to be able to stand up on that ledge, but again, it doesn't matter what it looks like.

The competition will close on January 16 at 11.59pm GMT, however, late entrants can submit after this time until I say otherwise (about 12-24 hours), but may receive a penalty. This is just to encourage people to finish on time, but give some leeway to stragglers. To submit an entry, PM me a link to download the map. I will acknowledge your entry with a reply.

It will be judged my myself and one other person who volunteers (obviously someone who didn't enter the competition). A 10 point system will be used to judge entries, with the highest possible score being 50 from each judge and points will be awarded for:

Design (how well it looks)
Gameplay (how well it plays)
Creativity (how unique it is)
Ambience (includes lighting, sound and effects)
Red Special (how well you interpreted the red features into your map)

I am also looking for donators who wish to get rid of unwanted gifts and coupons that you received in the sale. Dontators can also be entrants. If you want to donate, add me on Steam and initiate a trading session. I will give you a receipt and if your donation does not get claimed as a prize, it will be returned to you after the competition ends.

Hlife Hotdog on Steam
http://steamcommunity.com/id/hlife_hotdog

The current prize pool:

Game: Killing Floor + Defence Alliance 2 Addon; RRP $19.99
Game: Men of War: Assualt Squad; RRP $34.99
Game: 1...2...3... KICK IT! Drop That Beat Like an Ugly Baby; RRP $9.99

Studio Coupon: -25% Valve
Studio Coupon: -25% Valve
Studio Coupon: -25% bitComposer
Studio Coupon: -25% bitComposer
Studio Coupon: -50% NordicGames
Studio Coupon: -33% Paradox

Collection Coupon: -50% Frozenbyte Collection
Collection Coupon: -50% Beat Hazard Complete Pack

Coupon: -50% GreedCorp
Coupon: -25% Dead Island
Coupon: -60% Magicka
Coupon: -50% S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky
Coupon: -50% GRID
Coupon: -50% Nuclear Dawn
Coupon: -33% The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Coupon: -50% Mafia II
Coupon: -50% Cogs
Coupon: -50% Capsized
Coupon: -50% Capsized

Happy Holidays

Good prize pool

I am a bit confused about these red areas. Can we modify their shapes, keeping the final space occupied the same? For example, giving those blocky red areas a cut with the clip tool, or making the cylinder in the room look smoother?

It depends on how much you want to modify it. Obviously, you can shape it to look how you want, but the general idea is: If there is a pillar in the middle of the room, your map needs some sort of pillar-like structure in the middle of the map.

Same with the pit. There needs to be some kind of hole there, but there is nothing stopping you from putting a tunnel at the bottom or a ladder going inand out.

In the end, it's open to interpretation which is why there is a score for it. We can judge how well we think you stuck to the rule.

Cool idea! i'm in, but i'm giving myself a limited time budget so i can stay focused on c32 and the kepeler contest. Oh and btw, i'd be willing to forfeit my entry if you can't find a judge.

Nicely done Hotdog!

hey, looks great, how 'bout a -75% off napoleon coupon?

This looks like fun and like it wouldn't take too much time out of c32. I'll take a look at it, I has a few ideas.

Prize pool updated to include:

-33% Valve - Donated by TJB
-50% Valve - Donated by Brendanmint

hey, looks great, how 'bout a -75% off napoleon coupon?

I'll have whatever you don't want. If it doesn't go in the comp then I'll send it back afterwards.

wow super unique contest parameters with the near untouchable red elements, very clever.

I'm not sure, it's hard to interpret text but I have a feeling that the word 'super' refers to sarcasm, lol

Also:

Donated by: 2muchvideogames

Studio Coupon: -25% idSoftware
Coupon: -75% Napoleon TotalWar

donation from me: free digital download of Lab Coat Arbiter

This is a pretty cool idea.
Won't be able to join though, got tons of coursework to finish by mid-January.

Nice Tetsu0

Also, I can't quite tell if you're being sarcastic or not Rimrook XD To me, if the word 'Super' is used in a sentace, it means sarcasm. lol, sorry if it's not, but I just can't tell

LOL i'm pretty sure he WAS NOT being sarcastic; notice he also uses the word "clever"

It's a great concept and it's small, so anyone can do as much or as little as they want to do, and still submit an eligible entry. Really cool! =)

That didn't sound sarcastic. This competition is great because you are given a base map and elements to adhere to. These simple guidelines will make for a fast easy mini competition. Any harder and it might not see the light of day during an official twhl competition.

BWAH! Only 5 more days and by the looks of it there should be a few entries.

Also, totally missed Testu0's music donation! So that gets added in there too

oh shi.. i totally forgot about this! Mine is half done, i'll try to submit it in a day or two, thanks for the reminder!

Oh crud, thought we had longer. Lemme take a look see.

Haha, I thought as much ^_^

But no worries, you can be late if necessary...but it might hurt your score. Also, if everyone is late then it really makes no difference and I'll give a small extention of a couple of days or so.

So hands up who think they need a few extra days.

[quote]Another example is a raised platform textured red. You don't have to have a playable area underneath, but the player needs to be able to stand up on that ledge, but again, it doesn't matter what it looks like.[quote]

Ta hotdog? where is dem platform of which you speak?

There isn't one, I was just using that as a clear example because it was the easiest to describe and (hopefully) understand.

Hotdog: This was fun sir, thank-you for hosting it! i just sumbmitted my entry. I might be able to get one more revision in before the deadline, but it's doubtful.

Warning: my entry is a highly conventional. I doesn't follow the true spirit of the your idea, and i definitely could have utilized the space better, but i just went with the flow and really had fun with this.

I love these map from base competitions, you can bang out an entry in almost no time.

I'm doing all the nono's in hammer to get this thing done, it's great.

What's that exactly?

Weird nulled skybox to avoid leaks. Not properly trimming brushes. Using vertex manipulation's scale tool with alt e which creates brushes that cannot be edited. Going extremely complex for gold bc of it's tiny size.

Only 4 hrs work.

That's terrifying and I am intrigued.

...

I'm with DiscoStu...it's extreme!

Thanks guys, just wait! I just finished the structure and am working on detail. This will probably take all day tomorrow. I'm trying to hurry bc I have lots I want to do before school starts including comeptition 32.

Edit: Looks like i've got an epic battle against max clipnodes already. So much for vigorous detail.

Nice zeebs! Try using cliptype simple to maximize your clip budget, and also, encase crazy stuff in clipbrushes, -or make them func_illusioanry and and then give them a simple clip brush. (i do the second)

And as far as the "no-no" tools like alt-e scaling and ctrl+m scaling, those are highly useful tools, they just take a bit of care and preparation to use

Can't wait to see your entry!

Wait, wha? So just create brushes with clip texture around hefty jiggamaconstructions and it will lower clip node count?

Of course. Clipnodes are spaces you can walk in, so logically if you put a clip brush there the game won't bother placing clipnodes there.

Good to know. Well i'm finished with my entry. Just have to tidy it up and add ambience. I think i'm going to link the map with the original through a teleporter.

Edit, she's in the vault. I utilized the original base map as a museum

I'm making a map, but I'm not entering. I just like the idea.

Well, less than 12 hours to go and I think that's about all we're gonna get.

I've gotten three very good entries and since nobody but CT volunteered to judge, I'll just do it alone so that he doesn't miss out on prizes.

If there is anyone else out there entering, then let me know so I don't close off the comp before you enter, that would be LAME!

I'm not entering. Been using up my holidays on long overdue chores such as tidying up my room, which was a mess. I suppose I could volunteer to judge, but I'm afraid I'm not much of a writer. I don't think I'm the right man.

Alrighy, and that's it.

Got three maps in total which isn't too shabby. I just have to do a quick writeup about each one and I'll post the results probably this time tomorrow.

Best of luck all!

I would have offered to help judge, but for the moment I can't guarantee access to a computer to play anything. At the moment I have to access the Internet through an iPod. Sorry about that.

iPods are internet-enabled?

What the fuck.

Yeah, think iphone without the ability to make calls.

So the iPad is pretty much a giant iPod?

Fuck, I hate apple.

(iPod touch X 4) + Duck Tape = iPad.

My god man! How could you?

Think of the ducks!

YOU CRAZED DUCK MURDERER!!

So, if you got three entrances that means, Everybodeh winz

THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!!!!!1

Hahaha

Iv'e been set up pretty radically for that in my life, but this tops them all. You should get a trophy for that.

Zing-zang! The little bit of Michael Scott in my heart would not let me pass that up.

2012 Minicomp Entries

Okay, sorry this took longer than I liked but I got there in the end. I was very impressed by the quality of the entries considering the nature of the contest and the short period of time allowed, not to mention the official TWHL comp that was running at the time. Everyone did a very good job interpreting the rules, but it seems everyone succeeded and failed equally, which was very surprising. Everyone deviated in one area just a bit. Still, it was a great turnout and I've done a short writeup on each map and the final scoring.

1st PlaceZeeba-G

I will admit it took me a minute to orientate myself as to where I was in relation to the base map, but I quickly figured out that you start at the top of hte 'pillar'. I was quite surprised by the rock walls that made it feel bigger than it actually was. Running through it, I realized there was more to it than I originally thought.

The fact that you made it linear was a nice touch and the creativeness with utilizing the elements of the base map without deforming it too much was also great to see. Adding your own little bit with the cart tunnel was also brilliant. I originally thought the barrels were to block it off, but once I got the crowbar I tried it and was surprised to break through. Most of the time you find someone has blocked off a tunnel with unbreakable objects, even though you can break others.

The design is very good and solid, but was let down a little with the texturing. I noticed quite a few horribly stretched faces on the rock walls and the minecart tunnel was awful to look at. Otherwise, the rest of the map was textured nicely.

I felt you were a little mean gameplay wise. The breaking boards over the ravine was fine, but very unexpected and a bit unfair. You could have given the player some kind of warning they would break. The minecart was also unexpected, I was expecting it to just stop at the end rather than plough into the wall and explode. Though it was funny and technically an endgame element.

Now as for the red aspects, I felt that Zeeba did a very good job transforming them into something that obeyed the rules but suited his map very well. The ravine was perfect and the the pile of silt(?) was well done. The doorways and the hole was a nice touch. As much as I hate to say it, the pillar did not feel like it was there. I understand your transformation into the scaffolding was a great touch, but it didn't really serve as the pillar. Perhaps if the scaffolding revolved around a stone column or something, it could work, but in any case I felt this was the biggest leftdown of the map concerning the rules.

In the end, it is a solid creation and very nice to look at. Aside from a few flaws, its a very good map, more than I was expecting.

Design : 8/10
Gameplay : 5/10
Creativity : 7/10
Ambience : 8/10
Red Special : 6/10 (only because of the pillar thing)

Total : 34/50

2nd PlaceBrendanmint

One thing I enjoyed about his minicomp was the utter variety of entries. There was a house, a cave and then we have a spacestation built onto an asteroid. It really was nice to see the base map interpreted in so many unique ways.

This map was definately very different and had some very nice elements to it. I spent a few minutes just reading the diagnostic report, which was quite amusing. The array of monitors was also a nice touch, but I felt they could have been better placed. The texturing was a bit bland to my liking, you stuck to combine textures mostly throughout and some textures didn't make sense. I don't know what the big round thing with the moving texture was supposed to be and I was missing a texture at the bottom of the ravine.

The design had some spots that I thought were great, and then there were some that were very bland. The cave room, which I assumed was inside the asteroid, wasn't very cave-like and could have used a bit of displacement warping.

It seems everyone had a little difference when it came to the red objects. This map overlooked the red pit and although it was there, the floor over the top does kinda cancel it out. Aside from that, it was quite well done and all the other objects were very well implemented.

A few extra points for adding a little more creativity, humour and story to the map. It is a great map and a great entry for the contest. Aside from a few little design elements that didn't quite fit (as mentioned before) this could have taken first place.

Design : 5/10
Gameplay : 5/10
Creativity : 9/10
Ambience : 7/10
Red Special : 6/10 (only because the pit was missing)

Total : 32/50

3rd PlaceCaptainTerror

When I loaded this map, the first impression was wow. The size of it and the awesome cars in the garage; I was stoked to be able to run through it and see what was inside.

The house was definately well layed out and took advantage of the space it was given, but I just felt like it was a bit empty and it did have more than a few noticable brush errors. Mostly just holes where there shouldn't be any. Otherwise, the house was magnificent to run through, the texturing was very good, but again, a few errors here and there. For example one of the doors opened on the latch instead of the hinges.

Some parts of the house were really well done. The spiral staircase was a very impressive room and I felt a little cut when I couldn't get up there. I ended up noclipping just to have a look. The fishtank was also a nice interpretation of the hole that was there in the base map.

The interpretation of the red objects was very good, even if most of them remained mostly unchanged. The only thing I could disagree with was the bathroom where the ravine or trench was supposed to be. Although you could get down there, it made no sense that you could drop under the bathroom floor through the bathtub. I didn't feel it was really in keeping with the rule, and in any case it really didn't work, but it is a difficult piece to work with so it was a decent effort.

Although it lacks a polish, it's still a very good map and was very fun to look at. Perhaps you could do it up into a DM map perhaps? I would definately like to see this map worked on some more.

Design : 5/10
Gameplay : 4/10
Creativity : 8/10
Ambience : 3/10
Red Special : 6/10 (only because of the bathroom)

Total : 26/50

It's good with this scoring system, because there was no way I could just pick one winner. The scoring allowed me to think about each aspect of the map and how well it was done. Even doing it this way, it was very close.

So congratulations to everyone! You all did a great job. I will PM you with the prize list shortly and how many you can pick out of it.

Congrats everyone!

A big thank-you to hotdog for hosting this, 'twas great fun!

Wow, What an awesome thing to find out. Thanks for the fun competition and congrats to you guys. I'll be sure to review your maps as well.

Oh yea, hehe that "pile of silt" was a pile of gold. By the time I got to texturing I guess I got a little rushed bc the map took so long. Thanks for the great in depth review.

I also admit I sort of regreted the mine cart killing you. But it was fun to try to make it look real and if it simply stopped it would have simply returned you to an explored map. Andif you are as sharp as 2muchvideogames you'd jump out in time lol. Didn't expect anyone to though.