3x24 Mapping Competition Series Announcement

[planetphillip]

I am very pleased to announce the next PlanetPhillip.Com mapping competition series.

As I am sure you have guessed it’s called the 3×24.

This is just the series announcement. A proper site and full details, hopefully including the intro video, will be available in the New Year.

Basic Details
A mapping competition series of 3 events, each lasting 24 days – that’s 4 complete weekends.

Each competition will have a detailed theme and have the possibility of each entrant continuing on from their previous entry or just submitting a stand alone entry.

There will be an 8 week’s break between each competition. The exact dates and times are below:
Competition 1: 11:00pm GMT Fri 11th January – 11:00pm GMT Sunday 3rd February
Competition 2: 11:00pm GMT Fri 5th April – 11:00pm GMT Sunday 28th April
Competition 3: 11:00pm GMT Fri 28th June – 11:00pm GMT Sunday 21st July

If a mapper enters all 3 competitions then they will have the opportunity to polish all three entries and release as an updated mod.

The objective is to provide mappers with a global framework for a proper mod, with a beginning, a middle and an end.

Once the second competition has been announced, mappers will be allowed to make small modifications to the end of their last entry, but nothing too significant. Larger changes will be allowed if they enter all 3 competitions.

As with the 6×10 Series, I won’t be announcing the themes until the start day of each competition so mappers won’t be able to continue working on their maps.

To ensure that entrants don’t simple continue working on their mod, there will be some thematic elements that will provide additional design decisions. Hopefully this will make it difficult for them to simply create something and then try to “fit” it to the announced theme.

I will also require entrants to include (NOT make) at least 2 new models per entry. I will encourage them to PakRat them, just in case others try to use a different model for the same item (the barrel, for example) causing me issues with creating a mod. The use of freely available textures is also encouraged.

Both of the above points are to ensure each entry can have its own atmosphere and design, but still have the overall feel of being in the Half-Life universe.

General rules will apply to all competitions for example a maximum of 2 maps per entry, and also competition specific rules.

There will be a small prize for each competition and and overall prize for mappers who enter all three competitions.

That prize will be awarded after a period of “polish”. I will then be judging the final, finish mod not the 3 individual entries. Significant changes will NOT be allowed at this stage.

I hope to make this prize by far the biggest, making it worthwhile for mappers to seriously consider entering all three comps.

So, for now, just ponder and wait for the first competition’s proper announcement.

Please don't hesitate to ask questions and I'll do my best to answer them.