RunThinkShootLive's Ville Competitions Created 5 years ago2019-01-07 16:03:37 UTC by monster_urby monster_urby

Created 5 years ago2019-01-07 16:03:37 UTC by monster_urby monster_urby

Posted 5 years ago2019-01-07 16:03:37 UTC Post #341574
For those not in the know, RunThinkShootLive.com is no longer going to be hosting the "Villes" competitions as Phillip has now stepped away from the site and gaming indefinitely.

These Villes were basically competitions, based on making themed single player maps, specifically for Half-Life 2: Episode 2. For example, SniperVille, HalloweenVille, BridgeVille etc. The time scale for each competition was usually no longer than a month, meaning that mappers would need to be creative and resourceful in order to produce something that would be of a reasonable size and quality within a small timespan. Some truly remarkable maps came out of these and it's a shame to see them go.

Having entered the most recent TWHL competition, making a single player map in the same style as the original game, I really enjoyed giving it a go myself as well as playing the other entries. So I was thinking, why not start a similar thing on TWHL? Every so often, have a shorter competition to make a single player map in ANY Half-Life game, Source or Goldsource, with a specific theme? No mods or custom code or new models or anything like that. Just use the base game content to make a map that fits the theme.

Hell, it doesn't even need to be official and put more pressure on Penguinboy, but something like the minicompos that used to run from time to time.
monster_urby monster_urbyGoldsourcerer
Posted 5 years ago2019-01-07 20:05:39 UTC Post #341577
Well, I didn't say the Villes were done with. We'll see what the future holds.

That said I'm 100% behind Urby's suggestion. One of these days I really will finish and submit a map on time here.
Posted 5 years ago2019-01-07 22:34:44 UTC Post #341580
I stand corrected... Still, I do like a good, themed, single player mapping competition. :D
monster_urby monster_urbyGoldsourcerer
Posted 5 years ago2019-01-08 03:41:22 UTC Post #341582
I like the idea, if Urby (and others!) wants to help organise them, I'll make them official competitions too. Why not! People keep asking for more compos anyway.
Penguinboy PenguinboyHaha, I died again!
Posted 5 years ago2019-01-08 03:43:13 UTC Post #341583
Does the site support official minicompetitions? I seem to recall you saying you wanted to implement that.
Jessie JessieTrans Rights <3
Posted 5 years ago2019-01-08 06:54:55 UTC Post #341586
It supports multiple competitions running at once, not that it'll probably happen much. I think a smaller competition could still be labelled as a regular competition on the site though, there's probably no need for a mini-competition distinction.
Penguinboy PenguinboyHaha, I died again!
Posted 5 years ago2019-01-08 11:37:51 UTC Post #341588
I guess my main other question would be who would judge? I would presume an Urby would like to join in the mapping.
Jessie JessieTrans Rights <3
Posted 5 years ago2019-01-08 13:44:43 UTC Post #341589
That is a pickle.
monster_urby monster_urbyGoldsourcerer
Posted 5 years ago2019-01-09 00:33:01 UTC Post #341594
We could have challenges instead of competitions, no judging involved. Or a user poll instead.
Posted 5 years ago2019-01-09 01:02:01 UTC Post #341595
TWHL already supports community voting for competition judging!
Penguinboy PenguinboyHaha, I died again!
Posted 5 years ago2019-01-09 04:14:36 UTC Post #341596
That's right, the beta's one was that, wasn't it? I forget, what's the mechanism behind that? Was it a simple vote for winner, count the votes deal?

Either way, that'd be the way to go, I imagine.
Jessie JessieTrans Rights <3
Posted 5 years ago2019-01-09 05:27:41 UTC Post #341598
Yeah it's pretty simple, you can vote for up to 3 entries (you can't vote for yourself), and the winners are whoever gets the most votes.

You'd still want somebody to do the write-ups for the entries, but that could potentially be done by someone who entered (probably not for their own entry though), or I'm sure you could rustle up some moderators/admins/randoms to do the write ups.
Penguinboy PenguinboyHaha, I died again!
Posted 5 years ago2019-01-09 05:52:13 UTC Post #341599
Well, I'm satisfied. What's first up? :P
Jessie JessieTrans Rights <3
Posted 5 years ago2019-01-09 05:56:25 UTC Post #341600
First up, I give Urby permission to create competitions. ....Done.

And then I run away.
Penguinboy PenguinboyHaha, I died again!
Posted 5 years ago2019-01-09 07:26:50 UTC Post #341601
"They're waiting for you Gordon, in the TWHL competition."

Wonder what would be the next competition's theme/subject.
Posted 5 years ago2019-01-09 22:12:40 UTC Post #341606
Uhm... Oh. I... Oh. Lemme think about this.
monster_urby monster_urbyGoldsourcerer
Posted 5 years ago2019-01-09 23:47:04 UTC Post #341607
I'd love to see more competitions based around set pieces or entities - lifts, some complex entity work like a keypad or bank vault, some gameplay element? Nothing that requires an extensively large map
Instant Mix Instant MixTitle commitment issues
Posted 5 years ago2019-01-10 00:22:56 UTC Post #341608
"Compo 36: Rob a bank!"
Notewell NotewellGIASFELFEBREHBER
Posted 5 years ago2019-01-10 08:32:01 UTC Post #341611
My first thought was "Bossfight" in all honesty. Would be interesting to see people have a crack at making a decent arena and an interesting way of killing the boss. Could be anything like a Gargantua, Tentacles, a Strider, an Apache/Combine Hunter Chopper or hell even something like an Antlion guard.

Give the mini-competitions a corny RTSL Ville style name like:
  • The Whole Boss Life - Map a boss fight
  • The Whole Bridge Life - Make a map focused around a bridge
  • The Whole Crowbar Life - Make a map where the player gets only a crowbar
And so on...
monster_urby monster_urbyGoldsourcerer
Posted 5 years ago2019-01-10 11:23:07 UTC Post #341612
"Map a boss fight" reminds me of this map being played on Jessie's stream
Penguinboy PenguinboyHaha, I died again!
Posted 5 years ago2019-01-10 14:25:11 UTC Post #341614
We can finally utilize the polling function for something beside the color blue.
satchmo satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”
Posted 5 years ago2019-01-14 13:13:55 UTC Post #341647
So a question that was recently put to me on Steam. Will the mini-competitions allow for custom content such as models, sound effects, textures and so on.

While I personally do not have any issue with this, I would say that there are a couple of preferences. Obviously no overwriting of base game content, and assign custom assets to their own directory for ease of removal. Hell, even mini-mods would be preferable if that were the case.

HOWEVER, bear in mind that the competitions will be mostly based on a specific theme and this is what they will be judged on. You can pile in as much custom content as you like in the interest of lore and world building, but if your map/maps don't properly address the theme of the competition then it's essentially a waste of your (very limited) time. I personally will give a much higher rating to the mapper that makes something unique with the vanilla assets, but in the end the community will be the ones casting votes.
monster_urby monster_urbyGoldsourcerer
Posted 5 years ago2019-01-14 15:52:27 UTC Post #341651
Good to know about the custom content disclamer.

Looking forward to this.
Posted 5 years ago2019-01-14 22:41:21 UTC Post #341657
What if the competition provided a base minimod, so that when all the entries get gathered together, they all go into one mod folder for easy grouping?

And can we get an official word specifically on custom code, because I feel like that is sort of a different level of custom content that doesn't tend to fit with these sorts of competitions.
Jessie JessieTrans Rights <3
Posted 5 years ago2019-01-14 22:49:09 UTC Post #341658
Well, the issue there would be the difference between Source and Goldsource. I have no idea how to set up a Source mod. :P
monster_urby monster_urbyGoldsourcerer
Posted 5 years ago2019-01-14 23:19:04 UTC Post #341659
Ah, good point. I'd not considered multiple games.
Jessie JessieTrans Rights <3
Posted 5 years ago2019-01-22 10:57:08 UTC Post #341778
I realise now I only confirmed this to Dimbeak, but there will be a mini compo running in February. It'll be exactly four weeks long.

The idea isn't to build something enormous, just something that fits the theme. Four weeks is plenty of time for a mini compo I say. That's probably MORE than most of the RTSL VILLES had.
monster_urby monster_urbyGoldsourcerer
Posted 5 years ago2019-01-22 12:20:02 UTC Post #341779
Well, the issue there would be the difference between Source and Goldsource. I have no idea how to set up a Source mod. :P
I can handle that.
And can we get an official word specifically on custom code, because I feel like that is sort of a different level of custom content that doesn't tend to fit with these sorts of competitions.
To be fair, the code and binaries would need to be open to everyone even non-programmers.

Time to get myself ready this February then ^^
Posted 5 years ago2019-01-22 13:19:41 UTC Post #341781
No custom code, period. Entries will be base game code only, so no Spirit of Half-Life or whatever.

Any other custom content is fine, but as I said, not the focus of the competition and essentially just wasted time. It will be based purely on the map and how it complies with the theme.
monster_urby monster_urbyGoldsourcerer
You must be logged in to post a response.