1 hour nexball mapping contest! 18:00 GMT on Sunday 19.04.2009

The contest has finished!(sorry we got so carried away with playing these maps yesterday I forgot to update this post )

Update
Theme: Outdoor! Yes that's right, it's that simple. This will speed up the map making itself (a simple skybox is faster to make than sealing a room off from void ). And outdoor can be interpreted any way you like. From a backyard volleyball match to space hockey. That's it, good luck!

Hello Nexuiz mappers!

You may well remember that last year we had an ONS mapping contest to celebrate the birth of that new game mode. That competition was organized by Morphed and we have shamelessly stolen his idea to host our own 1 hour mapping competition. This time by though, we're going to make Nexball maps, to celebrate the rebirth of the Nexball mod. Originally created by Revenant, who lost the source code for it in a terrible source-code-losing accident. But thankfully, MrBougo put in a lot of his own spare time to recode it, adding a lot of new functionality to it than ever before as he went along.

So how are we going to do this? Tonight the competition will start at 18:00 GMT and last for one (1!) hour. All participants get that one hour to complete a working Nexball map which will be judged by a team of three judges.

The team of judges will consist of Nexball mapper FruitieX, Nexball server admin Merlijn and avid Nexball player Fisume!

A theme for the competition will be announced 5 minutes before the competition starts on the official Nexuiz Editing irc channel #nexuiz.editing at irc.quakenet.org, so we invite all the mappers who would like to participate to join us there.

All completed and working maps will be publicly tested on a Nexball server and judged by the team of judges, directly after the competition has ended. Details about this will be made available on #nexuiz.editing. There will also be help available by the team on #nexuiz.editing for the mappers that need it.

Information with technical details about making a working nexball map will be posted below by FruitieX, it's not very difficult and everybody should be able to complete a map within one hour. My personal tips are: keep it simple (go for gameplay first) and only add nice looking things when you have time to spare. This judge for one, will rate an original nexball gameplay idea high (hint hint wink wink).

update:
Here are two dummy .map files containing the needed nexball entities in most minimal format. That means 1 red spawnpoint, 1 blue spawnpoint, a red goal, a blue goal and a ball. One for basketball mode and one for football mode. You can have multiple ball entities and goals though, and you are encouraged to add more than 1 player spawn per team of course.

Download nexball .map files

Quick howto:

Installing:
----------
First of all you should install the mod. Download these files and put them into your data folder:
- http://ouns.nexuizninjaz.com/misc/nexba ... g_b2r0.pk3
- http://www.cartracinghq.com/temp/pb/cur ... t_b1r5.pk3

Next, add this to your data/autoexec.cfg file (if you don't have one, create it):

Code: Select all

exec nexball.cfg


Ok, Nexuiz should now be configured to be able to test nexball maps! A simple chmap mapname should be enough to test a map!

Mapping:
-------
To create a nexball map you need at least three things: goals, playerspawns and ball spawn. To get you started quickly, extract the entities.def file from zz_nexball_tag_b2r0.pk3 that you just downloaded into netradiant/install/nexuiz.game/entities.def. Now fire up Netradiant and start mapping!

Hint: Use the _floodlight key in worldspawn so you don't need to waste time adding light entities! A good value for _floodlight is 240 240 255 1024 170 (tweak the last value to adjust brightness)

After creating the structure of the map, the following entities are REQUIRED:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- playerspawns, use info_player_team1 for the red team's spawnpoints and info_player_team2 for the blue team's spawnpoints.
- ball spawn, use either ball_football (kickable ball that you can't pick up) or ball_basketball (ball that you pick up and shoot with +attack). Both are however supported at once if you want to get really creative...
- goals, use ball_redgoal for the goal where the RED team has to score into, and vice versa. Goals must be trigger brushes (common/trigger texture) that when touched by the ball, will count as a goal.

Other additional entities:
-------------------------
- ball_fault: If the ball is kicked into this, the opposing team will get a point (good for spacefloater maps where you shouldn't kick the ball down into space). ball_fault is also useful on maps where the ball will spawn under some sort of net: then a player can't abuse this to score an easy goal. It is possible to spawn a ball_basketball inside of ball_fault, it will spawn just normally as it has not yet been shot by a player.
- ball_bound: When the ball touches this, it will respawn.
- trigger_hurt: Used to kill players

.mapinfo template:
-----------------

Code: Select all

title Map name
description Map description
author My name
cdtrack 9             // your choice
type nexball 15 10               // 15 goals goallimit, 10 minute timelimit


If you want to have the jetpack on your map:

Code: Select all

settemp_for_type all g_jetpack 1
settemp_for_type all g_balance_fuel_stable 25 // fuel regeneration up to this value


Release time!
------------
- The .pk3 file should start with this prefix: nb_ (naming convention)
- Take a screenshot of your map and save it as a 256x256 pixel .jpg (maps/map_v1r1.jpg)
- Add this postfix for the first release: _v1r1 to these files: map_v1r1.bsp, map_v1r1.map, map_v1r1.mapinfo, map_v1r1.jpg, optional_custom_shader_v1r1.shader
After that: _v1r2, _v1r3 ... _v2r1, _v2r2 ...
- If you compiled the map with external lightmaps, don't forget to rename the external lightmap folder too! (maps/map_v1r1/foo.tga)

Common pitfalls:
---------------
- Placing the ball inside solid will result in it falling out of the map. The ball's dimensions are 32*32*32 QU, so it is best to place it at least 1QU away from any surface, to make sure things go right.
- Weapons usually don't work good for nexball. If you really want them, keep in mind the mortar won't work. Remember that especially on maps with ball_football, it's easy to kick the ball VERY far only by laserjumping when touching it. (see footballbacon for a bad example) Explosions can't kick the ball.
- Ideally the map should be symmetrical to make it fair for both teams.
- trigger_push won't affect the ball. This can be used to prevent "cheating" for example on indoor_basketball, where someone could just stand on the basket to make scoring impossible. Now the push trigger will push the player far away, but still keep it possible to score.
- DON'T USE PATCHES where the ball could go! The same bug as with grenades getting stuck inside also applies here!
- The ball isn't affected by trigger_hurt so it doesn't know it has fallen on a spacefloater map. You should better use ball_fault or ball_bound entities at the bottom of the map, so players don't have to wait for a reset.

Nexball page: http://ouns.nexuizninjaz.com/user:mrbougo:nexball:start

Good luck and have fun!

In my opinion, ball_redgoal sounds like it should be the reds goal where the blue has to score. The other way around confuses me, and might confuse others.
Might be too late to change now I don't know, but something to keep in mind at least.

ai wrote:In my opinion, ball_redgoal sounds like it should be the reds goal where the blue has to score. The other way around confuses me, and might confuse others.
Might be too late to change now I don't know, but something to keep in mind at least.

Well that's the way Revenant coded it from the start, and if we suddenly changed that all previous maps would have broken.

Contest starts in less than 1 hour!

Join #nexuiz.editing if you have questions.

If you can't join #nexuiz.editing, post your map in this thread at 19:00 GMT max!

Here are two dummy .map files containing the needed nexball entities in most minimal format. That means 1 red spawnpoint, 1 blue spawnpoint, a red goal, a blue goal and a ball. One for basketball mode and one for football mode. You can have multiple ball entities and goals though, and you are encouraged to add more than 1 player spawn per team of course.

Download nexball .map files

I will also update the post at the top. 45 minutes to go folks!

Subscribe

i finished my map(s)

#1
#2

My contest submission:

The .map file: Click me

The .pk3 file: Click me

Phew, GG guys!
planetnexuiz.de is still down, I hope FruitieX can host it somewhere.

http://www.hrfdesign.com/crap/nb-cb_naxball1.pk3

Thx FruitieX

My submission for the contest: SecondStage

http://www.sendspace.com/file/isn73z

Here is my Hopefully it doesn't fail epicly xD

My map, which can't participate cause I'm a judge:

http://www.hrfdesign.com/crap/nb_farm_v1r1.pk3

Btw, I worked and finished the map. At least good enough for release 2.
I also changed the name of it slightly, but still went with release 2 instead of 1, as this is an upgrade.

Download map: [url=http://ai.kurotorobert.com/NexuizStuff/maps/nb_aina_stadium_x97.pk3]Click me
[/url]

Wow people, what a great turnout that was and what a good number of quality maps was produced!

In total, ten maps were submitted and 7 will be judged and rated. Cortez finished and submitted 2 maps but only 1 can run in the competition, FruitieX and myself also completed a map but organized this competition so will not run.

These are the maps that are in the competition and their author:

Parkball by Hillis - football mode - A laid back football match in a park.
Ballz by Cortez - football mode - 150 footballs in one map!
No Arena - Ai - basketball mode - A large map with attention to detail.
Lava Ball - C. Brutail - basketball mode - An original map with wood platforms over lava.
TVR - Second Stage - football mode - A small football arena.
morphed - Rock 'n Ball - basketball mode - very nice beach theme.
Ronan - Bubble Ball - football mode - a small map with invisible moles and a small turret.

These are the maps that were submitted but will not run:

Bball by Cortez - basketball mode - Outdoor basketball.
Farm by FruitieX - football mode - Football between two barns (and cows)
Distance by PinkRobot - basketball mode - Score from the opposing platform.

Good job by everybody for sticking to the outdoor theme and their fast work. Some bugs were found in some maps but I'm sure they can be sorted out and we'll have a nice batch of new cool maps to play in this fun mod.

The maps were publicly test played yesterday evening and a private test with only the judges will be today, the final ratings will be submitted and we will announce the winner here soon. Stay tuned!

I've also retouched my map today, fixed all the issues we've found yesterday



I'll assemble and upload the pk3 later today

PinkRobot wrote:Ballz by Cortez - football mode - 150 footballs in one map!

you know how this ends

PinkRobot wrote:These are the maps that were submitted but will not run:
Bball by Cortez - basketball mode - Outdoor basketball.

could you please explain me why? no where was written that there is only one map allowed[/url]

Okay, done with my judging now.

Map 1 - Parkball - Hillis

Originality : 5
# A bit like space, but a much bigger one. Adds some twist to that, but other than that there's not much new stuff here.
Gameplay : 5
# -1p, goals too small
# -2p, i don't know which side is blue, which red
# -2p, slightly boring. It's just flat surface where most of the gameplay takes place.
Eyecandy : 3
# -1p, skybox and ground don't go together
# -1p, water fails (this is plus for gameplay though, i think)
# -2p, trees are a bit ugly, map consists of a flying grass box
# -2p, feels too empty
# -1p, caulk used under the map
Overall : 5

Map 2 - Ballz - Cortez

Originality : 3
# duodecuple, with a *little* twist...
Gameplay : 2
# wtf, lag
Eyecandy : 4
# okay, but it's almost like duodecuple
Overall : 2
# would be awesome if it didn't lag up the place
# nexball was not designed for 336 balls
# Was a good rofl though. (although you asked how many balls nexball can take, I didn't expect THIS many)

Map 3 - No Arena - Ai

Originality : 9
Gameplay : 3
# hard to score, goal triggers are in the air
# can fall thru lava and walk around under the map
Eyecandy : 7
# -2p, I see caulk, in the game!
# -1p, Vis culling problems
Overall : 4 # in it's current state, it seems like a hard map because of thee invisible goals

Map 4 - CB Nexball - C. Brutail

Originality : 10! Haven't seen anything like this yet and am loving the idea!
Gameplay : 3
# -3p both goals are ball_redgoal!
# -2p too easy to score right from the spawnpoint
# -1p hard to see who has the ball (bright skybox)
# -1p, goal trigger should be thicker (ball sometimes goes right through...)
Eyecandy : 9
# terrain texture looks tiling, -1p (could fix that with some terrain blending i think )
# trees float in midair
Overall : 4, quite unplayable because of both goals are ball_redgoal...

Map 5 - Second Stage - TVR

Originality : 6
# as you said, needs a glass to force players to take the ramps, then it'll be much more original! (9)
Gameplay : 7
# red/blue goals are flipped, the and a bit too tall.
Eyecandy : 4
# missing texture! Also, map should have some kind of visible edges
Overall : 7
# add some glass to make it even more interesting

Map 6 - Rock 'n Ball - morphed

Originality : 7 # Basketball has already been implemented, but the terrain adds an interesting twist to the game
Gameplay : 2
# -3p Baskets should be bigger, it's close to impossible to score.
# -1p It should be more obvious that you cant score from under the basket.
# -2p Sides should be clipped with weaponclip (right now it goes right through, under the map).
# -2p There should be a trigger_push on the basket to prevent a player from camping there, making it impossible to score!
Eyecandy : 9 # -1p splotches and texture scale is tiny (both probably q3map2 bugs?)
Overall : 3 # without these bugs it would have been a 9 or 10!

Map 7 - Bubble Ball - Ronan

Originality : 7
# Hmm, a turret. Interesting... First nexball map with a turret
# invisible jumppads that throw you into trigger_hurt? original but evil!
Gameplay : 5
# -3p, invisible push triggers that send you to your death!? Now that's evil!
# turret is evil!
# -2p, no colors on the goals
Eyecandy : 4
# missing textures, clearly see tiling effects on textures, lacks detail
Overall : 6
# you cauld make the darn moles visible

When is the deadline for the retouched maps? Next Sunday?

Is there even one? I don't think they planned it, but hey, I think a follow up judgment would be cool. Kinda like making sure those who participate really create some good quality maps.
That's quite a nice idea.

Well we just got to make sure these maps get their bugs fixed, some improvements that the mapper sees fit maybe and get them onto the nexball servers. The judging will be done on the maps as they were submitted yesterday evening.

Cortez, from the announcement:

All participants get that one hour to complete a working Nexball map which will be judged by a team of three judges.

It says map, not maps.

PinkRobot wrote:Cortez, from the announcement:

All participants get that one hour to complete a working Nexball map which will be judged by a team of three judges.

It says map, not maps.

but that still doesnt except a 2nd map! so can i haz rating for the other map too?

FruitieX wrote:# nexball was not designed for 336 balls
# Was a good rofl though. (although you asked how many balls nexball can take, I didn't expect THIS many)

and i believed PinkRobot that nexball can take a unlimited amout of balls

cortez wrote:but that still doesnt except a 2nd map! so can i haz rating for the other map too?

PinkRobot wrote:A working Nexball MAP which will be judged

one. (1)

Well, my map won't be remade in a while, 'cause i've got all kinds of tests and other things to do... O.o :/

what does that picture have to do with the contest, btw?

A dead cart.

poor cart

my map for the contest ( its fixed version not the one i send to judges )

http://www.morphed.planetnexuiz.com/rocknball_r1.pk3

Thas no cart tis a ..TROLLY!

Map 1 - Parkball - Hillis

Originality : 7
Gameplay : 8
Eyecandy : 8
Overall : 7

- It would be a nice addition to have red/blue cherries in the trees to mark the goals.
- The map is too wide, it would be cool if the tables were more of an obstacle.
- Kudos for actually sticking to the theme.

Map 2 - Ballz - Cortez

Originality : 6
Gameplay : 2
Eyecandy : 3
Overall : 4

- Less balls. Seriously.
- It would be nice if it would be harder to score, for example make the goal very low, so that balls fly over and you score less.

Map 3 - No Arena - Ai

Originality : 7
Gameplay : 5
Eyecandy : 6
Overall : 6

- You have already done a lot of work on this, these ratings are based on the original.

Map 4 - CB Nexball - C. Brutail

Originality : 9
Gameplay : 7
Eyecandy : 7
Overall : 7

- Cool idea, lots of potential in this map and you have already done many improvements as well.

Map 5 - Second Stage - TVR

Originality : 8
Gameplay : 8
Eyecandy : 7
Overall : 7

- It should be a little more difficult to score.
- Switch the goal colors.
- The ramps may be of more use when they move in a little, this way you could use it nicely to put the ball infront of the goal.

Map 6 - Rock 'n Ball - morphed

Originality : 9
Gameplay : 6
Eyecandy : 10
Overall : 8

- Uneven terrain - me likes.
- This map looks awesome, but needs work on the gameplay.
- Fix the hoops, ball should move back to the middle when it's gone out of bounce, make it impossible to jump up the hoops.

Map 7 - Bubble Ball - Ronan

Originality : 8
Gameplay : 5
Eyecandy : 6
Overall : 5

- Invisible killer moles? WTF?
- The turret is a nice touch though.
- The goals should be less wide and have the red/blue coloring.