Map Battles - Ranking

[chromaphobic]

Personally, I love the battles, so I'd hate to see them go away. It's a great way to test out your skills and especially hone them, better to be challenged with something you might never have tried otherwise than keep making the same stuff over and over on your own.

A few ideas:

One problem seems to be the amount of time given to work on them. It seems every battle there's people who drop out due to time constraints or just don't even start simply because they think they won't have time to get anything done. So, maybe more time needs to be given for them? Turn it into a monthly map battle? Which leads me to my next point...

Another problem might be that people never know when a new one is starting, and can't plan for it in their schedule. So, building off the monthly map battle idea, have each new battle start on the first of the month and complete on the last day of the month. Easy schedule to remember. Which leads me to my next point...

Lag between battles. This gets me every time. I really get into a battle and get myself into that map-making frame of mind, having a blast. The battle ends, and boom! Nothing new for a couple weeks (or more.) Momentum lost, map-making fire extinguished. If they're only being done monthly, why not overlap them? One battle ends, the next begins immediately, and voting for the previous battle takes place for the first week during the new battle. No lag.

So, in short:
Monthly battles.
Always begin on the first of the month.
Always end on the last of the month.

More time to come up with new stuff, no wondering about when the next battle beings or the current one ends, no lag between battles. Less work for Barra and the other admins as the contests are less frequent. Win. Win. Win. Win.

Maybe also spotlight the winners map on the front page? Perhaps some front page fame-whoring will get some more people into it.

Plus, even if only four or five people participate in each one, that's four or five cool new maps to look at each time! I'd say that's pretty good! Plus, I think if it's run in a clear and consistent way, it could build up momentum over time and continue to grow.

[chromaphobic]

Oh yeah, and I kinda like the map something outside a window idea. That could be really cool! Perhaps even cooler if you require that it's a view from outside our window, as in what we see from a window in our apartment/house/car/office/whatever.

[KILLA-COW]

I had lots of bigger battles planed, but am I suposed to take some chances doing those, when i get less them 10 people on the last battle? For example I remember reeke giving the idea of making a battle in wich you had to make a view outside a window. It was a really good idea, but after talking with blink we realised that it wouldn't work, since probably most users would say that the theme sucked. I don't know wath was the secret on the first themes that got so much atention, neither the problem with the last ones.
And all the other stuff you mentioned it's really not doable, since most of the mappers that could make a decent map for a mod, or to form a team against other foruns, already have lots of projects on their own, and don't have time for battles. I'm really trying to figure out wath to do next, but i won't do anything if people don't show interest on it.

remember my murder scene idea?

[Ale]

Know we are talking

[Blink]

Some good ideas guys, glad to see people still want the section. Will look into it, but you must remember the first few battles were during everyone's holidays, there will be less entrants now I think.

[tr0mb0ne]

I wa going to enter something in the last one, but I learned that Source mapping is much, much different than 1.6 mapping.

My maps still look like blocky 1.6 maps

[Shifty31]

We have done fy and aim maps. I know you all hate surf maps so how about we all try to make a good looking one ?

[BaRRaKID]

I think the problem is solved. Stay tuned for more info

[wiggle987]

I think the problem is solved. Stay tuned for more info

Any word from Blinkage on the thing?

[BaRRaKID]

yes, all good to go

[Jest@]

ooh exited....

[strait-2-the-point]

wo0t, i may join this, depending on how much time i have and what its about, never the less i want to see the out come of peoples stuff, sooo exiting!

[Ale]

*droooolling* Enter the competition you must

[BaRRaKID]

ranking updated, ferret takes 2nd place with his last win

[Terminator]

Needs another update for the Skyscraper challenge...

Except there was no third place. That throws things off a little...