KI113R’s Deathmatch Mapping Competition – Cash Prize Offered!!

Note: The following text is written by KI113R.

That’s right! An actual prize for your effort. Who cares about bragging rights? You want money. Sauerbraten 2020 has been out for 4 months now. I think it’s time we start seeing some quality content generated from it and we are willing to pay for it!

Do you think you have the skills to win? Prove it.

Prize donations provided by KI113R, Windecker and Misan.

What Were Looking For

The map should have a functional layout. It should include all necessary pickups and come with way-points. The map must have pickups so as to be suitable for regular game-play. We do NOT want to see maps that are only playable in insta. Death Match type maps are the desired outcome for this competition. The judge panel is diverse and will no doubt include some who place great significance on item placement and some who do not. So try your best at this and do not randomly populate the map with items for the sake of calling it complete.

Playable area is limited to map size 10. Terrain and any other visuals may exceed this boundary so long as they are not accessible. Your map should also be visually appealing, meaning well textured and well lit. There should be no apparent errors in geometry. Clipping and no clipping should also be added where necessary. I won’t put a limit on WTR but you should be WTR conscious. Once again, there are judges who may factor that in on their judging. Use innovative techniques and resources available in Sauerbraten where possible. Custom textures and models may absolutely be used and are encouraged. This competition will bring out the best. Use every tool available to you.

In the interest of keeping things fair for all participants, maps should be new and started only after the start date of the competition. We do not want you to pull from a backlog of unfinished maps and complete it 2 days after the competition starts. However, we can not police this without incorporating strict rules that would limit creativity, which we do not want to do. Hopefully we can trust each other to follow this general rule.

Rules

• Solo or Teams of Two people are permitted.
  

• Only one entry is allowed per person, or per team. A member of a team will not also be allowed to submit a solo work.
  

• Do not plagiarize. All work submitted must be your own at least within Sauerbraten. Remakes from other games will be allowed as long as proper credit is given. 
  

• Do not create inappropriate content within your submission
  

• Do not edit another entrant’s submission, or have anybody else edit your own entry. The only person who can edit your map is you, or a team member if you are on a team.
  
• An entrant or entrants may seek outside advice so long as they implement it themselves.
  

• The entry must be packaged correctly. If you are unsure of proper packaging, see the Quadropolis Packaging Guide. You will be given only 24 hours to correct an improperly packaged entry.
  

• Copying content from existing maps is not permitted or tolerated. However, similar or geometry specific themes can be used within reason.
  

• Any resource created outside of Sauerbraten like textures, models, sounds, scripts etc. do not need to be original to the competition entrant(s). As long as a text file containing the proper licensing indicating permission of use is included with the packaging and the entrant(s) has incorporated the resource into the map with their own hand.
  

Use your common sense. If there is something you are absolutely unsure about, or things that you don’t think are allowed but not stated, then ask one of the judges.

Once again, we cannot police everything without incorporating strict rules that would limit interest and creativity. While we are not policing these rules, it does not mean that we won’t take reports of cheating seriously. If you are found to be deliberately violating any of these rules you will be immediately disqualified and not be eligible for any future cash prize competitions.

Entry, start and end date

If you intend to compete you can enter by messaging Swatllama or KI113R on Discord or SauerWorld with the participant names. (Just yourself, or yourself and a team mate), along with a brief idea of what we should expect to see from you. All participants will be listed on SauerWorld. Entries will start on the 22nd of February and end on the 3rd of March.

If a person has entered Solo, another person MAY join that person to form a team of two at any time. A judge must be notified immediately. There will be no late entrants allowed besides this.

Start date for the competition will be March 1st, 2021 and the end date will be April 4th, 2021. That is 5 weekends to complete a map from start to finish. Should the majority of entrants need an extension by the 31st of March then it will be granted. The necessary allotted time for extension will be determined on the 31st of March by the judges. You are to otherwise assume that the competition will end on the 4th of April. Do not expect us to extend the competition for 1 person or team. Your map will be judged as-is starting on April 5th so long as there is no extension.

Maps can be uploaded to any reputable host site. (Quadropolis, SauerWorld, Google Drive, MediaFire etc.) Swatllama or KI113R will need to be provided with a link to attach under the names of the participants on SauerWorld so the public can see and the judges can download and review.

Judging

Judges include KI113R, Misan, Swatllama, RaZgRiZ and Redon.

Judges will try our best to offer unbiased feedback during the competition that does not offer an advantage to any one participant.

The rating will be a 1-10 system much like Quadropolis. Highest score wins. Every aspect of the map will be reviewed, but the weight a certain aspect of the map has on the rating is entirely up to the judge rating it. Which is why there is a diverse judge panel. This will hopefully give a well rounded score.

Judging will take place over 2 weeks after the competition to allow plenty of time to see the entries and give a good review. We will make our reviews public as they are completed.

In the event of a tie, additional voting of the tied entries will be opened up to the now eliminated participants.


Cash Prize

If the number of teams registered to compete (solo or duo) is five or less, then the cash prize will be $25 for first place only.

Once 6 or more teams (solo or duo) register to compete AND 6 or more completed maps are submitted for judging by the competition end date, then multiple larger prizes will go in effect.

First place will get $30

Second place will get $20

And third place will get $10

The cash prize will be paid via PayPal or Steam Gift card only. If you do not have either platform then you will not receive the prize.

Prize money will be split evenly between the two of a team should they win.

Summary

There has been great success in the past with mapping competitions in creating some quality content and getting the community active. We hope this will be no different. Perhaps even better with an actual prize. If this goes well enough it may be possible to do again.

The main point really is to have fun so do not ruin this for others. Use this time before the competition officially starts to get a team, discuss themes and strategies, practice and schedule.

Have fun and get mapping!