The Team Liquid Map Contest has returned for a sixth time to allow mapmakers to have a chance to show off their best recent works and potentially contribute a map to the professional and ladder map pool for Season 3. This contest has historically produced iconic maps such as Cloud Kingdom, Frost, Ohana, and Habitation Station that might not have otherwise been recognized. Last season the maps Echo, Coda and Cactus Valley were added to the pool and we're already starting to see good games on them. This contest is another opportunity to get your map listed amongst these amazing maps.
Blizzard have once again upped their support of TLMC by providing cash prizes for the top three maps. This is the first time Blizzard have supported this contest in this manner, and shows the respect towards community maps and dedication to community involvement in SC2 that they have. Thank you guys for your constant support.
Similarly to last season, we will not be considering team maps for this contest. This means we are only looking for maps for 1v1 play. Our focus once again is on giving Blizzard as many choices as possible for competitive use between the numerous polished, highest quality maps. We still strongly encourage people to post their team maps (and FFA maps) on the forums. Getting visibility for your team map is the first step towards getting it considered in the future!
How to Enter
Please PM your map file(s) to TL Map Contest with the following format before Thursday, Apr 23 4:59am GMT (GMT+00:00).
Map Name: A picture of your map Main to Main distance: (in-game seconds using a worker from town hall to town hall) Natural to Natural distance: (in-game seconds using a worker from town hall to town hall) Any relevant analyzer images (optional) A download link to your map
Entries not in this format may be excluded from consideration. Please do not send questions to the 'TL Map Contest' account; contact one of the TLMC organizers Plexa or The_Templar instead.
As with last season, we will be accepting three 1v1 entries per mapmaker. In discussing with map makers after the end of TLMC5, the majority felt that allowing three entries was superior to two. We want to see everyone's best works, and this will hopefully encourage mappers to present more diverse maps.
We recommend that maps follow the following design restrictions:
Normal bases are always 8 normal mineral patches and 2 normal geysers
High yield bases are always 6 high yield patches and 2 normal geysers
Don’t change values on Neutral units. For example:
Don’t change Xel’Naga watch tower or destructible rock graphics
Don’t change values on mineral patches, geysers, or rock health/armor values
Don’t resize mineral patches or rocks
Map sizes should be sensible; use the current map pool as a guide.
Additionally, the following map art guidelines should be followed to ensure a smooth QA process if the map is in contention for WCS/ladder use:
- Avoid excessive use of water
- Avoid weather effects like falling snow, snow drift doodads, etc.
- If using the Ice tileset, avoid using the CliffGlacier* doodad series
- Avoid excessive stacking/overlapping of doodads in concentrated spaces
- Excessive use of decals, custom decals
- Excessive use of doodads that produce dynamic shadows
- Doodads under the terrain
- Clusters of large/complex doodads
Maps with locked start positions are okay. This means "two in one" four player maps are acceptable entries.
Maps which follow the above restrictions and encourage the meta-game to develop in interesting ways will most likely score well. A fantastic example of this is the TLMC3 map Habitation Station whose innovative use of gold mineral patches created a unique dynamic on the map.
Entries are not limited to non-Koreans, Korean mapmakers are welcome to submit entries.
Maps which have already been used in premier competition are not eligible for submission. If you are unsure, check with Plexa or The_Templar.
Don't steal other peoples work and try to claim it as your own, although this should go without saying!
Any maps which are selected/considered for the final shortlist may undergo changes which the judges request for balance purposes. Any maps selected for use in WCS/ladder will undergo an extensive QA process by Blizzard. If the QA guidelines above are not followed it is possible that your map may not be considered for use!
The advice Psione provided us last season is still relevant for this contest.
On January 27 2015 09:20 Psione wrote:
One of the biggest issues we run into with community maps is getting performance to a reasonable level. I think it’s no secret that many map makers spend a lot of time making sure their maps look amazing. And while the maps usually look great, the increased focus on complex map art can cause performance issues. I’d like to offer some insight into how our performance testing works, as well as offer some tips to help keep performance at reasonable levels.
In both Blizzard and community maps, we start the performance passes once we receive a map that has received final art. This testing involves an automated process where we ensure that a map reaches a minimum FPS value (40) across various systems and graphic settings. Beyond testing on high-end machines, we make sure to test on medium and lower-end machines that are currently supported. This is a major point to remember. Offline tournaments can control the hardware being used at the event (usually very high-end), but the ladder must support a wide variety of hardware from the entire player base.
During this automated process, a FPS heat map is also created. While we look for the total average FPS to meet acceptable levels, we also ensure that no single section of the map has significant issues. For example, the map may have an acceptable average FPS but have performance issues in the middle of the map where a large cluster of doodads reside. Using the heat map, we can pinpoint a problem area like this and make adjustments to alleviate the issue.
However, despite our ability to pinpoint problem areas, getting performance to appropriate levels can be difficult at times. Part of this is due to our desire to alter community maps as little as possible. So usually it’s a balance of trying to make big performance gains while also trying to keep the look of the map intact. While it would be easy to improve performance by gutting the art on the map, we respect the time put into the look of the map and try to stay true to the original vision.
Each time changes are made, the map tests are run again. This is where you find how much was gained from the changes. Making map adjustments and re-testing can take a good deal of time if the issues aren’t improving through small tweaks. If performance issues persist, at some point we’re forced to make more drastic changes to ensure it meets minimum requirements.
A few points to help keep performance reasonable. Try to avoid the following: Hidden effects or doodads
Stuff like doodads or water under the terrain can cause issues.
Excessive splat usage
Splats used to create a snow covered effect on doodads can be difficult to optimize
A series of small splats used to create a “signature” can also be very difficult to optimize
Excessive doodad usage
We’ve seen extreme doodad stacking in the past where several doodads are used to create something “new”. This is fine in most cases, but it can also lead to excessive use of doodads on the map, which definitely impacts performance.
Excessive weather effects
Adding a lot of wind or snow can lower the performance quite a bit.
Excessive use of water
Used sparingly or on a map with few doodads is usually fine. When used excessively it can cause performance issues.
Excessive use of “expensive” or large doodads with terrain materials
More commonly used “expensive” doodads would be the Ice Cliff series. Additionally, cluster of doodads that cast transparent shadows, similar to the minerals or the crystal on the top of the Nexus.
More commonly used large doodads with terrain materials would be Xel’Naga Torn Plates
There isn’t a magical formula that makes performance great. We know it can be difficult at times, especially if you’re trying to push the look of your map to the limit. But if you keep these things in mind, hopefully it will help you make choices that can keep the look right while also keeping reasonable performance.
Judging
Once the maps have been submitted they will be checked for quality and the remaining maps will be passed to representatives from the Team Liquid Strategy team for judging. As the staff members who spend the most time thinking about strategies and the metagame, we feel that the strategy team is the perfect group to decide the best maps. They will also suggest tweaks for the finalists to correct any minor balance issues. We will announce the finalists as soon as possible.
Once the finalists are announced the public will have the opportunity to vote on which map they like the most. Progamer input will have an influence over the final placement of maps. The precise details regarding scoring will be communicated closer to the polling period. Everyone will have at least one week to cast their vote for the contest.
Prizes
Blizzard have one-upped themselves from last season and for the first time ever we're able to offer a cash prize for the top three entries. In addition to this, all finalists will receive Beta access (if they do not already have access) in addition to a Community Commander portrait. The prize breakdown is as follows:
$1,000.00 FIRST PLACE
$500.00 SECOND PLACE
$250.00 THIRD PLACE
Provided by Blizzard.
FAQ
Q: Do I need to send my map file, or will an image or a link to my map on Battle.net be enough?We want the map file for this contest, so a link to Battle.net is not sufficient. There will be a huge number of maps to choose from, so we will need to open many of them up in order to check for details that we can't find otherwise. To send your maps, upload them to a file hosting service such as Mediafire or Dropbox and include the link in your entry.
Q: How do I attached a map file or image to a PM?The TeamLiquid PM system does not support attachments. Instead, use an external image/file hoster such as Mediafire, Dropbox or Google drive for map files or Imgur for image files. Please sent those links along with your submission.
Q: I want to enter a team map/FFA map into the contest.The Team Liquid Map Contest has traditionally allowed team play maps to be entered and evaluated separately from 1v1 maps, and some of these submissions did eventually reach the ladder map pool. Unfortunately, this season we will not be considering team play maps submitted to the contest. If you're really passionate about making high quality team play maps then we strongly encourage you to post your work in our Maps and Custom Games forum.
Q: Will the winning map automatically be included in WCS? No. A list of the top maps will be submitted to Blizzard for consideration for use in WCS/ladder. At least two of the shortlisted maps will be selected for use on the ladder. It's possible that the winning map just isn't what Blizzard is looking for next season, and may decide to choose another map.
Q: I'm also submitting a map to Mapximum Season 2, can I submit the same map?Absolutely! We at Team Liquid are really grateful for the work put in by the Korean mapping scene and the fact they are reaching out to our community with Mapximum. Indeed, if you're preparing a map for TLMC we encourage you to also submit your map to Mapximum. We look forward to seeing the similarities and differences between the maps selected by our respective competitions!
Q: How crazy can my maps be?Maps need to be ladder appropriate. This means that features requiring specialist knowledge (rising lava, geysers used to block ramps, etc.) will not be accepted. If your map passes that test and complies with the guidelines above then your map is acceptable! Of course, if you are concerned that your map may not be suitable for ladder then please PM Plexa or The_Templar and they will tell you whether or not it is appropriate.
Q: I’m interested in the contest, but I’m horrible at map making. What can I do to support the mappers?Post in their map threads and give them support, encouragement and replays on their maps! Giving your favorite mapper support will be much appreciated by the mapper. Replays are especially valuable as it helps the mapper align their design goals with the map with the reality of how people play their map.
Q: What are the prizes for this contest?At the moment prizes beyond being considered for WCS/ladder use have not been confirmed. Once we receive updates on this we will communicate this information.
If you have any unanswered questions please do not hesitate to ask them below or PM Plexa or The_Templar who will be happy to answer them. Best of luck in the competition.
On April 04 2015 08:34 Yhamm wrote: awesome to see blizzard continuing using community maps, and the prizes get even better each time :o
Hopefully we can completely get rid of maps like Inferno Pools/Secret Spring >.>. Good to see Blizzard/TL doing this, it serves a very important community function, aswell as provide solid maps so the professional scene enjoys the highest degree of professional integrity.
i think you can assume if a map ends up being so good that it sticks around or goes into the beta, blizzard can lotv it.... no reason to promise it, in case it doesn't stick around
The money isn't huge but it doesn't have to be, a starving artist isn't too tough to motivate, and the mappers are a core to what we have going on as we know blizz maps are either awful or bland and usually nowhere between. and i like the idea of growing partnerships between content creators and customizable games/engines
i think you can assume if a map ends up being so good that it sticks around or goes into the beta, blizzard can lotv it.
I think plenty of HotS maps will still be viable to play on in LotV, just like some Wings maps were fine in HotS.
Of course we'll see, but I don't think anything being added is as map-influencing as, say, sentries were in Wings or Swarm Hosts in HotS. The major change is the econ, but imo 6 bases per side / 12 bases total is still ok as long as not too many of those bases are difficult, especially the 3rds and 4ths.
Anyway this is getting off-topic since the contest basically says to ignore LotV.. so I'll just say - cool! Hope we have lots of awesome maps (especially with 3 entries per contestant we should see a little more experimentation) and I'm glad Blizz seems to be finally (somewhat) taking mapmaking seriously
We have some very competent map-makers in the community and I suspect that this will allow the blizzard in-house mapmakers to spend more time on other aspects of the game. And I think this prize pool is cheaper than paying blizzard employees to do the work, AND the community will do the quality check for them.
On April 04 2015 17:11 Xiphias wrote: This is actually really smart by blizzard.
We have some very competent map-makers in the community and I suspect that this will allow the blizzard in-house mapmakers to spend more time on other aspects of the game. And I think this prize pool is cheaper than paying blizzard employees to do the work, AND the community will do the quality check for them.
On April 04 2015 18:32 Superouman wrote: I just swallowed the bait, the hook, the fishing line, the fishing rod and the fisherman
Holy shit folks! Did the iconic map maker SUPEROUMAN, creator of beloved map Cloud Kingdom, the first foreign map maker to have a map in a GSL say he's entering the competition?!
Are maps that competed in TLMC5 eligible (sorry if that's already written in the OP but I didn't seem to find the information) ?
Anyway I have to say that TLMC seems a bit rushed to me. We haven't even seen a lot of games on Coda/Echo etc. The contest could have taken place during the summer holidays instead.
On April 04 2015 22:30 [PkF] Wire wrote: Are maps that competed in TLMC5 eligible (sorry if that's already written in the OP but I didn't seem to find the information) ?
Anything that hasn't been used in premier competition is allowed. So yes, stuff from TLMC5 is allowed (and we're expecting to see a fair number of resubmissions since it hasn't been very long).
On April 04 2015 22:30 [PkF] Wire wrote: Are maps that competed in TLMC5 eligible (sorry if that's already written in the OP but I didn't seem to find the information) ?
Anything that hasn't been used in premier competition is allowed. So yes, stuff from TLMC5 is allowed (and we're expecting to see a fair number of resubmissions since it hasn't been very long).
On April 04 2015 22:30 [PkF] Wire wrote: Are maps that competed in TLMC5 eligible (sorry if that's already written in the OP but I didn't seem to find the information) ?
Anything that hasn't been used in premier competition is allowed. So yes, stuff from TLMC5 is allowed (and we're expecting to see a fair number of resubmissions since it hasn't been very long).
On April 05 2015 12:19 IronManSC wrote: Wow those prizes... WHHYYYY did I stop making maps D:
Why did you stop, why can't you start again?
It's been nearly 3 years and to be honest I've lost all my passion and heat for mapping in Starcraft. I went as far as to un-install the game. I guess what I meant by my comment was why did I have to lose my drive and energy for mapping? I do mission creation in arma 3 now. I figure if you love making maps or content, you have to love the game as well, and I guess I don't care for Starcraft that much anymore. But either way it's nice to check back and see blizzard really putting the ball in our hands now, something myself and older mappers really tried to make work way back.
I think it's cool to make maps/mods regardless of the game if that's your thing. I used to make maps for Heroes of Might and Magic (3 and 4, a little in 5) before coming to SC2 so I am totally with you.
On April 05 2015 12:19 IronManSC wrote: Wow those prizes... WHHYYYY did I stop making maps D:
Why did you stop, why can't you start again?
It's been nearly 3 years and to be honest I've lost all my passion and heat for mapping in Starcraft. I went as far as to un-install the game. I guess what I meant by my comment was why did I have to lose my drive and energy for mapping? I do mission creation in arma 3 now. I figure if you love making maps or content, you have to love the game as well, and I guess I don't care for Starcraft that much anymore. But either way it's nice to check back and see blizzard really putting the ball in our hands now, something myself and older mappers really tried to make work way back.
Always loved your work. I'd love to see what you come up with if you change your mind!
So I was just reading the rules in detail and saw the thing about trying to limit your map's doodad count.. is that something that is actually being enforced? I ask because certain maps that are currently or very recently used have exorbitant doodad counts (overgrowth has over 4500 doodads lol).
On April 05 2015 12:19 IronManSC wrote: Wow those prizes... WHHYYYY did I stop making maps D:
Why did you stop, why can't you start again?
It's been nearly 3 years and to be honest I've lost all my passion and heat for mapping in Starcraft. I went as far as to un-install the game. I guess what I meant by my comment was why did I have to lose my drive and energy for mapping? I do mission creation in arma 3 now. I figure if you love making maps or content, you have to love the game as well, and I guess I don't care for Starcraft that much anymore. But either way it's nice to check back and see blizzard really putting the ball in our hands now, something myself and older mappers really tried to make work way back.
Always loved your work. I'd love to see what you come up with if you change your mind!
What's the point of coming back and making good maps if they're going to be butchered by Blizzard mapmakers when brought to the competitive scene ? I'd do the same as him, watch you drown in Inferno Pools and get ridiculed by the community for mistakes (unwallable ramps, graphics issues) any decent mapmaker would not make in a million years.
On April 05 2015 12:19 IronManSC wrote: Wow those prizes... WHHYYYY did I stop making maps D:
Why did you stop, why can't you start again?
It's been nearly 3 years and to be honest I've lost all my passion and heat for mapping in Starcraft. I went as far as to un-install the game. I guess what I meant by my comment was why did I have to lose my drive and energy for mapping? I do mission creation in arma 3 now. I figure if you love making maps or content, you have to love the game as well, and I guess I don't care for Starcraft that much anymore. But either way it's nice to check back and see blizzard really putting the ball in our hands now, something myself and older mappers really tried to make work way back.
Always loved your work. I'd love to see what you come up with if you change your mind!
this is gonna sound rube but, maybe you shouldve supported the map scene earlier and he probably would still be around.
On April 05 2015 12:19 IronManSC wrote: Wow those prizes... WHHYYYY did I stop making maps D:
Why did you stop, why can't you start again?
It's been nearly 3 years and to be honest I've lost all my passion and heat for mapping in Starcraft. I went as far as to un-install the game. I guess what I meant by my comment was why did I have to lose my drive and energy for mapping? I do mission creation in arma 3 now. I figure if you love making maps or content, you have to love the game as well, and I guess I don't care for Starcraft that much anymore. But either way it's nice to check back and see blizzard really putting the ball in our hands now, something myself and older mappers really tried to make work way back.
Always loved your work. I'd love to see what you come up with if you change your mind!
this is gonna sound rube but, maybe you shouldve supported the map scene earlier and he probably would still be around.
Idk if I agree, they supported him, they used his maps on the ladder even, and some other on his tournaments, sure there wasn't real prize money but, they did support map makers.
On April 05 2015 12:19 IronManSC wrote: Wow those prizes... WHHYYYY did I stop making maps D:
Why did you stop, why can't you start again?
It's been nearly 3 years and to be honest I've lost all my passion and heat for mapping in Starcraft. I went as far as to un-install the game. I guess what I meant by my comment was why did I have to lose my drive and energy for mapping? I do mission creation in arma 3 now. I figure if you love making maps or content, you have to love the game as well, and I guess I don't care for Starcraft that much anymore. But either way it's nice to check back and see blizzard really putting the ball in our hands now, something myself and older mappers really tried to make work way back.
Always loved your work. I'd love to see what you come up with if you change your mind!
this is gonna sound rube but, maybe you shouldve supported the map scene earlier and he probably would still be around.
Really Meavis you're a great guy and you're a great asset to the mapmakers' community, but you should step back a little, take a deep breath and get rid of all this bitterness that flows through you lately.
On April 05 2015 12:19 IronManSC wrote: Wow those prizes... WHHYYYY did I stop making maps D:
Why did you stop, why can't you start again?
It's been nearly 3 years and to be honest I've lost all my passion and heat for mapping in Starcraft. I went as far as to un-install the game. I guess what I meant by my comment was why did I have to lose my drive and energy for mapping? I do mission creation in arma 3 now. I figure if you love making maps or content, you have to love the game as well, and I guess I don't care for Starcraft that much anymore. But either way it's nice to check back and see blizzard really putting the ball in our hands now, something myself and older mappers really tried to make work way back.
Always loved your work. I'd love to see what you come up with if you change your mind!
this is gonna sound rube but, maybe you shouldve supported the map scene earlier and he probably would still be around.
Really Meavis you're a great guy and you're a great asset to the mapmakers' community, but you should step back a little, take a deep breath and get rid of all this bitterness that flows through you lately.
On April 06 2015 06:18 Grebliv wrote: Good thing I'm really up to date on sc2
But things haven't really changed all THAT much!
On April 06 2015 14:18 Fatam wrote: I think it's cool to make maps/mods regardless of the game if that's your thing. I used to make maps for Heroes of Might and Magic (3 and 4, a little in 5) before coming to SC2 so I am totally with you.
I used to make maps for warcraft2! come at me bro! Just kidding just kidding. I wish there were more hours in the day so I could come up with some time to throw my hat in the ring for this one. I really feel there is still a huge amount of uncharted territory in the sc2 map making world.
On April 08 2015 20:06 Big J wrote: Is taking the SH redesign into consideration a plus?
Won't that patch be out by the time entries close?
Yeah, that's what I figured. So an entered map could feature current no-goes (Daybreakesque middle), has to consider zerg's lategame ability to win on maps with linear pushing design might be significantly worse and has to consider locusts flying into bases from all angles if there are close by spawning points.
for those that want to participate but don't have much of a clue on how to make a map, I just finished a video guide on how to get started on making maps in sc2 http://www.twitch.tv/meavissc2/c/6500957 it's about an hour long and covers pretty much all of the basic stuff
On April 09 2015 05:19 Meavis wrote: for those that want to participate but don't have much of a clue on how to make a map, I just finished a video guide on how to get started on making maps in sc2 http://www.twitch.tv/meavissc2/c/6500957 it's about an hour long and covers pretty much all of the basic stuff
Ooooh that's great. I've got a lot of layout ideas but could never get past the editor. I hope this helps. Thanks !
Yeah, I expect a flood of maps a few days before the deadline. Right now people are figuring out whether they can actually make three new maps or if they're going to re-enter one or two.
I think it's more then fine. Mappers have tons of maps they could easily tweak up and resubmit if they wanted too. Eventually if TLMC's end up happening constantly like this then you'll start to see that more often where maps that did fairly well but didn't quite make it will get a couple tweaks according to the feedback they were given and resubmitted.
I for instance, tweaked up one map I submitted for TLMC 5, completely changed up a map I submitted waaay back in TLMC 2, and in the process of creating something brand new. Layout & most of the textures are finished for my new map, just need to go ahead and doodad the hell out of it. Whenever I get that finished I'll go ahead and throw my submissions in this thread like I always do.
I think if we are to get used to this pace we should reduce submissions to 2 per person next time.. This is killer, my friends hate me right now for blowing them off to spend time with my precious maps :D
On April 13 2015 11:22 SidianTheBard wrote: I think it's more then fine. Mappers have tons of maps they could easily tweak up and resubmit if they wanted too. Eventually if TLMC's end up happening constantly like this then you'll start to see that more often where maps that did fairly well but didn't quite make it will get a couple tweaks according to the feedback they were given and resubmitted.
That's also a really good point. I've been doing that with one of my submissions for 6.
On April 09 2015 05:19 Meavis wrote: for those that want to participate but don't have much of a clue on how to make a map, I just finished a video guide on how to get started on making maps in sc2 http://www.twitch.tv/meavissc2/c/6500957 it's about an hour long and covers pretty much all of the basic stuff
oh wow cool thanks always wanted to mess around and make maps but didnt know how to start this looks awesome thanks again.
Why does Blizzard care about these map competitions if they always destroy the aesthetics of the map. Remember how they destroyed Yeonsu? And now they've destroyed Echo. I don't know why they do that. >.<
On April 13 2015 13:37 zelevin wrote: Why does Blizzard care about these map competitions if they always destroy the aesthetics of the map. Remember how they destroyed Yeonsu? And now they've destroyed Echo. I don't know why they do that. >.<
How is Echo "destroyed"? Are you talking about the LotV beta version where they screwed up the cliffs in a couple places? Because the current HotS ladder version is extremely similar to the original - sure they removed a bunch of pipes, but the overall aesthetics are the same. It's not like they completely retextured the map like on Yeonsu, now that was a legitimate map molestation.
I think them editing aesthetics is a big who-cares for the most part, as long as the map's functionality stays the same (i.e. they don't go editing terrain and such.. which they somewhat did with the painted pathing stuff on a couple maps :-\).
Aesthetics are there mostly just for readability and to make the map a bit more pleasant than looking at plain terrain. Of course it's nice when the mapmaker can go above and beyond and make amazing aesthetics, but the layout is 99% of the equation.
Anyway @ the pace, I think it's a little bit of a barrier of entry to newer mappers (older mappers who are really pro at the editor will have no problems getting maps out in 3 weeks, whereas new people it will take a little longer) which is a little unfortunate, it would be cool to have someone who is completely new have an awesome layout idea and win or place highly, but cest la vie and honestly contests more often means more chances to replace blizz maps with community maps, so how can you complain :-P
Posting my three map submissions. I'm not going to send them into the email just yet because I want to do a few more tests and tweak maps if needed. Just thought I'd post these up & a couple aesthetic shots for some TLMC hypeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!
Paradisia A brand new 2 player map I created for TLMC 6. 2 spawn, 3 gold bases, 3 watch towers, beach theme!
Korhal Killzone A 2 player map I made for TLMC5, did some feedback on it, opened up the map a bit, changed up the middle a bit, changed up the middle base a bit, more zerg friendly now while still being a smaller aggressive map.
So I was feeling pretty confident about my maps thus far. Time to feel slightly less confident.. at least aesthetics-wise, lol. The pretty.. :-O
Theyre all pretty cool, I think Journey Overgrown is the weakest link of the 3, but others may disagree. I want to hate Paradisia cuz I hate gold bases (and holy crap @ 15 bases in a HotS map) and getting to 4 bases seems a little too easy, but a lot of the terrain is really smartly done and even though there aren't a lot of super open areas there's plenty of paths to make up for it. Looks fun. Korhal is a nice cutthroat map, the first thing that struck me was how impactful and cool those rocks are despite being that far from the main/nat. I do think more smallish maps would be cool for the map pool.
Moonlight Madness Decided to get rid of Journey Overgrown, after messing around with it a ton I decided I didn't really like it as my final submission. Decided to bring back Moonlight as I feel it's a stronger map then Journey was, removed the gold base and replaced it with a regular base, also moved around a few of the d-rocks, now no matter what you have to break rocks down to get into the backdoor, which definitely helps out protoss/terran early game.
It occurred to me when I attempted to publish a map (as usual, I must remove one to add one), that a really, actually awesome (and yet simple) prize other than the money prize pool would simply be more map slots (for winning the TLMC). So rather than having a limit of 20, the winner (or top 3) might get 30 or even 40 map slots - that way they can host almost every good map they have made. Is that perhaps a possibility in future contests?
Might as well throw my entry in here. Uvantak really wants to make his map list as I understand. ;p
Overview might look a bit blurry, as the image export tool doesn't seem to have a good time with the Agria tileset, but trust me, it looks better close up. I even made a small preview video for it, which can be seen here.
Besides the farm theme which I pulled off, I really liked working out with the cliff details. Example I would like to thank Blizzard's slight terrain rework on Cactus Valley to remind me, that darker textures underneath rocks really makes them stand out better.
first submission, might be my only completely original one. name is subject to change, for now you can just think of it as "the spiral map" if you want.
On April 20 2015 16:30 -NegativeZero- wrote: first submission, might be my only completely original one. name is subject to change, for now you can just think of it as "the spiral map" if you want.
On April 20 2015 16:30 -NegativeZero- wrote: first submission, might be my only completely original one. name is subject to change, for now you can just think of it as "the spiral map" if you want.
Taram is a creature which lives in two bodies. It has to be seperated, otherwise the whole planet would implode, 'cuz of its power. At least that's what a usual Marine got told to belive...
They need to hunt him - or them? - and bring..., but ohoOhO... Zerg? - How do they know about?!
skorpna is almost identical to a template i was fiddling with yesterday other than the middle is a bit different. Insane. Anyway don't sell yourself short those are all quite good I could see any of them doing well
Awesome, some really good submissions here. I knew I didn't stand a chance in this contest!
So lets see... Terraform is pretty excellent and unique, sort of re-thinks the whole idea of attack paths. Vaani Watchpoint offers some interesting expansion and defensive options as well as some tricky terrain. The Gatekeepers is a style of map reminiscent of BW but with chokes and attack paths designed for SC2. Chandra's Eclipse looks like it would produce action-packed games without overly favoring aggression. Super!
On April 04 2015 07:51 Plexa wrote: Maps need to be ladder appropriate. This means that features requiring specialist knowledge (rising lava, geysers used to block ramps, etc.) will not be accepted.
What about creep from neutral tumors blocking bases (like on Arkanoid)?
Wasn't quite feeling confident enough in Sky Blue's aesthetics (the overview makes it look so bleak, even though it looks good in game.. and let's be honest, the judges will be mostly judging from overviews until the final stage). Also it was my most recent map so some of the proportions felt rushed as I hadn't had time to test as much. So I made a small edit to Flame Crest and sent it off. It might be too unconventional to do anything in TLMC but I do like the layout a lot. I felt better having 1 small, 1 medium, and 1 large map as my submissions but at the end of the day I didn't think Sky Blue had a chance so this made more sense.
Not sure any of these have a chance to win since this competition is a shark tank (you guys are OP) but maybe one will place at least. Good job on all your maps so far, there are so many excellent ones (and we haven't even seen some mapmakers' submissions yet)
Updated my entry: -Removed rocks at the 4ths - this is to help zergs defend against pushes down the side corridors by offering a flanking opportunity -Widened rock blocked chokes at 12/6 - makes late game army movement slightly less annoying
Submitted before close but hadn't had a chance to upload images till now. Just signed up to TL forums so can't post imbedded images but I've linked a gallery for anyone interested.
This contest is bringing the best and new blood. Blizz is smart by doing this and also they need to up the $$$$$ for this is bringing lots of nobs that think they can be pros. The true story of this is that this fricking AWESOME new maps are extremely well done and exceptional time was spend on them. So to Blizz I say up the $$$$$$ for this masterpieces.
As far as 3 player maps go Azura is clearly one of the better ones, but please, no more 3 player maps. If this map makes the short list I swear I'll submit something asymmetric next time.
I agree. It's really really pretty but 3p maps just don't produce as good games as others because of the severe limitations on how interesting you can make them. Of Iezael's maps I'd 1000% rather see emerald plaza place highly than the 3p map. Please based plexa/judges let the 3p maps rest in history
for TLMC 5 it was ~9 days between the closing date of submissions and the TLMC finalists / voting thread. For TLMC 6 we are on day 10 I believe so in theory we should hear something soon. TLMC hype? :-P
On May 03 2015 12:17 Fatam wrote: for TLMC 5 it was ~9 days between the closing date of submissions and the TLMC finalists / voting thread. For TLMC 6 we are on day 10 I believe so in theory we should hear something soon. TLMC hype? :-P
I hope not, I would rather wait and have them test the maps well.
On May 03 2015 13:46 Fatam wrote: I didn't know they didn't test the maps much last time since I wasn't around. That's never good :-P I agree then @ it taking longer
No we tested maps last season. We have a little bit more time this season to prepare maps and we're making use of that time.
The first two people in the list (And G and myself) are posted twice, and those first two do no show all of our maps (ie the first LComteVarauG shows only Rolling Dunes and the first And G doesn't have Destiny). Either way, it's cool to see some of the maps people are submitting.
On May 04 2015 05:35 LComteVarauG wrote: The first two people in the list (And G and myself) are posted twice, and those first two do no show all of our maps (ie the first LComteVarauG shows only Rolling Dunes and the first And G doesn't have Destiny). Either way, it's cool to see some of the maps people are submitting.
As I disclaimer-ed in the post: "this is merely the play by play of mapmakers posting" I can change it to just your second post, no problem if you ask/want.
Halcyon Juniper Umber mmmmmm (so beautiful!) thank you. All of -Negative Zero- Uvantak Timetwister22 maps <3! Kudos NinjaDuckBob! And yes Azura is imba. Edit: feel free to quote/edit/repost/update my post. I dare not tempt fate with more: "Hello,[+ Show Spoiler +
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On May 03 2015 13:46 Fatam wrote: I didn't know they didn't test the maps much last time since I wasn't around. That's never good :-P I agree then @ it taking longer
No we tested maps last season. We have a little bit more time this season to prepare maps and we're making use of that time.
On May 03 2015 13:46 Fatam wrote: I didn't know they didn't test the maps much last time since I wasn't around. That's never good :-P I agree then @ it taking longer
No we tested maps last season. We have a little bit more time this season to prepare maps and we're making use of that time.
What do you mean by "prepare maps" exactly?
Kick, scream, argue, draw pictures until everyone is mostly happy.
My absolute favorites from all of you (I know you're all dying to know lol but I figured I'd try to spark discussion), with the 2 main criteria of 1) Will produce interesting games / is not completely stale/boring, (if the map brings absolutely nothing new to the table, not even in a subtle way, then I don't see the point) and 2) looks like it would be relatively balanced in all matchups. There's an incredible number of interesting maps that just don't quite look balanced, unfortunately. Aesthetics weren't considered although these below all happen to have good or at least passable aesthetics. Yes, I carefully considered every single map submitted, because I had a little time and maps are cool.
In no particular order so I listed them alphabetically:
Kipuka by Uvantak Neo Emerald Plaza by IeZaeL Neo Sanctuary by Timetwister22 Skorpna by eTcetRa Vaani Watchpost by eTcetRa
There's at least 20 other maps that are on a similar level as these and probably have just as good a shot in TLMC, these are just my personal favorites as far as intrigue + balance + other smaller factors are concerned. There's a few maps whose concepts I actually liked better than these but weren't quite balanced or executed correctly (imo). Maybe those could end up winning with the judges telling them to adjust X part of their map, or just flat out winning and I'm wrong in my assumptions of imbalance.
On May 05 2015 14:34 Gfire wrote: Let's see, I had noted these:
Operon by -NegativeZero- Skorpna by eTcetRa Kylskada by eTcetRa Moonlight Madness by SidianTheBard
Not a lot of thought into those balance-wise or anything, they just stood out to me as interesting.
Yeah I thought Operon was interesting too. I had a few concerns, mainly that the nat choke just seems too wide, especially for a nat that has 2 backdoors.
On May 05 2015 14:34 Gfire wrote: Let's see, I had noted these:
Operon by -NegativeZero- Skorpna by eTcetRa Kylskada by eTcetRa Moonlight Madness by SidianTheBard
Not a lot of thought into those balance-wise or anything, they just stood out to me as interesting.
Yeah I thought Operon was interesting too. I had a few concerns, mainly that the nat choke just seems too wide, especially for a nat that has 2 backdoors.
if you use the ramp as part of the choke you can do a full wall with 3 3x3 buildings:
My money is on Terraform from Negative. Remove the gold base and make it a regular and possibly add a base at 12 and 6 o'clock and the map will be amazing.
On May 05 2015 14:34 Gfire wrote: Let's see, I had noted these:
Operon by -NegativeZero- Skorpna by eTcetRa Kylskada by eTcetRa Moonlight Madness by SidianTheBard
Not a lot of thought into those balance-wise or anything, they just stood out to me as interesting.
Yeah I thought Operon was interesting too. I had a few concerns, mainly that the nat choke just seems too wide, especially for a nat that has 2 backdoors.
if you use the ramp as part of the choke you can do a full wall with 3 3x3 buildings:
On May 06 2015 11:01 SidianTheBard wrote: My money is on Terraform from Negative. Remove the gold base and make it a regular and possibly add a base at 12 and 6 o'clock and the map will be amazing.
Negative best mapper on 2015!
I was thinking the same thing about adding bases to 6/12. Would love to see a version of Terraform with them added.
I agree, and I also think more variety in the width of the corridors would be amazing for the map. That's a syndrome that so many maps seem to fall into for some reason. I guess it makes the overview more visually appealing, but gameplay-wise I don't think it's good.
would make the middle a little more open, but said area would lead into the small choke where the destructible rocks are, so that's an interesting dynamic. And if someone wants to move a huge army the outside lanes would become a little more appealing, but of course it will take a little longer to reach the opponent (simple concept plexa likes to mention a lot)
On May 07 2015 18:06 OtherWorld wrote: I want Terraform on ladder so hard
let me guess : you're a meching terran?
No, a Roach-loving Zerg who hates turtle mech with passion. But that map transcends simple imbalance ; we need one "experimental" map per season, and this is the best "experimental" map I've seen recently.
On May 07 2015 18:06 OtherWorld wrote: I want Terraform on ladder so hard
let me guess : you're a meching terran?
No, a Roach-loving Zerg who hates turtle mech with passion. But that map transcends simple imbalance ; we need one "experimental" map per season, and this is the best "experimental" map I've seen recently.
There's nothing experimental about it tho, it's very standard really. And that's why it will get picked. If it was experimental it wouldn't get picked.
On May 07 2015 18:06 OtherWorld wrote: I want Terraform on ladder so hard
let me guess : you're a meching terran?
No, a Roach-loving Zerg who hates turtle mech with passion. But that map transcends simple imbalance ; we need one "experimental" map per season, and this is the best "experimental" map I've seen recently.
There's nothing experimental about it tho, it's very standard really. And that's why it will get picked. If it was experimental it wouldn't get picked.
Technically, some very unorthodox maps came out of tlmcs.
On May 07 2015 18:06 OtherWorld wrote: I want Terraform on ladder so hard
let me guess : you're a meching terran?
No, a Roach-loving Zerg who hates turtle mech with passion. But that map transcends simple imbalance ; we need one "experimental" map per season, and this is the best "experimental" map I've seen recently.
There's nothing experimental about it tho, it's very standard really. And that's why it will get picked. If it was experimental it wouldn't get picked.
Yeah that's why I put "experimental" like that, because by that I mean "non-standard"
Once upon a time where leaves were falling down from trees, it was late late March after TLMC5, I got home from an invitation in a really propper and nostalic bar by my friend. The whole eve just one refreshing drink was allowed to get served. Thats's why my head fell down on my desk several times during the idea to make a new map. I did forget about till...
TLMC6 had been announced.
So, I stared to think, during my spare time, what I should do. Should I work out, should I search a job or should I transform into the next barney stinson and let TLMC6 pass me by? - NO, NO ,NO I cancel all that and dig my old maps out of the most overseen dossier, in the middle of my screen, - it was burrowed - to...
and so, I opened it and I had found lot of dust. Luckly not all files were magnetasized so I could save them and reconstruct them. The first one was Aparus and the second one was DACHS...
Badger. I did ask me why the herc there was a mapfile named dachs (in english -> BADGER). As soon as I opened the file, it jumped right into my eyes, this mfayuckerfay badass of a sun of a beach badger, just wanted to loom me down to my bones.
I reconstructed liked I had to find out a way from hell AND when I was satisfied I determined it as a color-reversed, piss-panic spreading bulldog. I hated him, how a mapmaker can hate something he made out of this wonderful * kickass map-editor.
SO, I reconstructed it once again and when I took hope on a really good map my eyes ichted terribly hard, 'cuz the thing, better the map, looked like a skull with meter-thick eye glasses on and it's skelleton downwards fixed on it's nose...
I almost turned mad on it.
After another night of golden sparkling wet throat dream... I decided... O.K. BA of a map now U R my Friend AND I go for YOU.
Took me another 18hours to fix it...
PACE :-)
EDIT: If you wanna see it really ba take a look on the analyzer file on page 7...
This time it seems that judges take more time to filter... I do appreciate it a lot. :-)
On May 06 2015 11:01 SidianTheBard wrote: My money is on Terraform from Negative. Remove the gold base and make it a regular and possibly add a base at 12 and 6 o'clock and the map will be amazing.
Negative best mapper on 2015!
thanks! my new updated version of terraform has both of those things. also the rocks at 12/6 are gone, and the other set of forward bases is now gold instead. i'm too lazy to export images right now.
I don't want to seem passive aggressive towards anyone (players/casters), but did anyone else notice the "general" flak maps got from being in the ladder/tournament (hsc XI) map pool? How the extent of their stance and/or reasoning was only referencing the presence of rocks in them like good little dbrowder drones? Very little <3 nor gratitude for all the people involved.. so disappoint and sad panda having to defend tl mapmakers / tl blizz lobbyists / customs' community etc .. in twitchats over and over I must be too sensitive or old for this I guess? ps: Loved all home story cups, also thank you taketv for free chat! hsc XII HYPE! Edit: the list of tlmc6 gargantuan gorgeous maps is on the last post of the previous page.
On September 05 2015 03:23 WELPAX wrote: Hi everyone,
where can I find the slot for my coin to get it started for an other round? - I've been searching, and searching, but I still can't find it. Was round 6 the Final Boss to beat? Isn't there a round 7? - or we have to wait until they change the Arcade-Tower?
Would be cool to get an OTHER TRY!
Peace out :-)
PAX
I think you're on the wrong thread.
no he's not, he's just asking when there will be a TLMC 7.
where can I find the slot for my coin to get it started for an other round? - I've been searching, and searching, but I still can't find it. Was round 6 the Final Boss to beat? Isn't there a round 7? - or we have to wait until they change the Arcade-Tower?
On September 05 2015 03:23 WELPAX wrote: Hi everyone,
where can I find the slot for my coin to get it started for an other round? - I've been searching, and searching, but I still can't find it. Was round 6 the Final Boss to beat? Isn't there a round 7? - or we have to wait until they change the Arcade-Tower?
On September 05 2015 03:23 WELPAX wrote: Hi everyone,
where can I find the slot for my coin to get it started for an other round? - I've been searching, and searching, but I still can't find it. Was round 6 the Final Boss to beat? Isn't there a round 7? - or we have to wait until they change the Arcade-Tower?
Would be cool to get an OTHER TRY!
Peace out :-)
PAX
I think you're on the wrong thread.
no he's not, he's just asking when there will be a TLMC 7.
On September 05 2015 03:23 WELPAX wrote: Hi everyone,
where can I find the slot for my coin to get it started for an other round? - I've been searching, and searching, but I still can't find it. Was round 6 the Final Boss to beat? Isn't there a round 7? - or we have to wait until they change the Arcade-Tower?
On September 05 2015 03:23 WELPAX wrote: Hi everyone,
where can I find the slot for my coin to get it started for an other round? - I've been searching, and searching, but I still can't find it. Was round 6 the Final Boss to beat? Isn't there a round 7? - or we have to wait until they change the Arcade-Tower?
Would be cool to get an OTHER TRY!
Peace out :-)
PAX
I think you're on the wrong thread.
no he's not, he's just asking when there will be a TLMC 7.
haven't really kept myself "in the loop" in a while but I doubt there will be one for at least another month or two. I imagine they will want the mappers to have access to the lotv editor for the first lotv map contest, so..
i hope this TLMC 7 is for real. get sooooooooooooo tired of these maps in beta and hots. I understand blizzard is working on a LOT of other things which is fine but would love to see new maps PLZ and TY.
On September 05 2015 21:43 WELPAX wrote: YIPPIE YAY YEHIII :-)
I meant a Blizzard's Soon™
I guess there is little point doing a TLMC now with HotS coming close to an end. TLMC7 will probably be for LotV maps.
Brave new world, soma and all.
?
just meant about lotv mapmaking. have you read the huxley book? I'm expressing distaste for lotv changes by vaguely painting them with a "crowd appeasing" comparison to the drug soma from the book
On September 25 2015 09:29 Plexa wrote: I'm not even thinking about TLMC7 until after Void, and even then I don't know when or if we'll do one.
This sentence can mean so many different things you need to enlighten us, Plexa. Does this mean that Blizz intends to have a map pool that won't change over time ala LoL? That they've decided to only make maps themselves? That they told you that seeing how the current map pool is unpopular, they won't use TLMC to pick maps anymore/won't support TLMC like they did? That you're losing your passion? That you think LotV will be such a failure that it wouldn't be worth it to do a new TLMC? ...?
If Blizzard are interested in TLMC then we'll happily do it. I haven't received any word on that thus far and knowing what the WCS timeline is roughly going to be (based on previous years) and the fact that LotV is so new it doesn't look like we'll have community maps for S1. S2 who knows.