Round 2: Due Today!

<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Map Making Contest 3</span>

Round 2 begins today, people. The public house/inn/hotel has won.

There is a slight change to the rules this week to accomodate for the different style of map our entrants will be required to make. Firstly, there will be more than one map.

You are permitted to make 1 map per building plus an extra for each floor the building has. For example, a town with 2, 3 story buildings, a 1 floored house and a similar house with a basement, can have 9 maps in total. This may seem a lot, but this time the max map size is 40x40. I do not expect every map to be this size - on the contrary, competitors will earn brownie points for scaling their interiors to the size of their exteriors - big house = 40x40 map, small one = 20x15. Hope that's clear. Additionally, attempt to maintain shape with your insides.

The public house/inn/hotel is the focal point of this round. I know some competitors have far fewer buildings than others, so in order to keep all things fair this map will receive most of our attention (but don't think that the others are of no consequence).

You may choose to keep some of your houses locked.

I know some of you have been modifying your original map. This is fine, so long as there is no major structural changes. You will not be judged on the mapping of round 1 again, so feel free. You may add new NPCs - you can treat this as if it's a later period of time if you wish, it's up to you. NPCs come and go, they aren't static like the landscape and houses. Whilst the mapping of round 1 will not be judged again, any changes to story that happen outside of the pub, etc, WILL be considered. I hope this makes sense.

Any questions, contact me by the usual channels.

Here are the maps for round 2. Since RTP and Inq's set were not used, they're not available at this time. I doubt any of you wants to change style anyway. If anyone takes part in the second chance and picks one of these sets, I'll offer more for this round to them. Here's what you need though.

For Sick And Wretched:

For Theodore fans:

For the Mack and Blue boys:

Yes, you have 2 chipsets each! You don't have to choose between them, you can use both.

The deadline is 20/08/04

Round 1 entries:
Entries are in, you can download them now!

Kafen's entry - RPG Maker 2003
The Omen's entry - RPG Maker 2000
RpgmT's entry - RPG Maker 2003
Sick and Wretched's entry - 2003
Skrolk's entry - 2003
Zorgthrog's entry - 2000
Zumbum's entry - 2000
Violent Azure's entry - 2000

Thanks to everyone who made it to round 1 and particularly Skrolk for hosting.

And in older news:

Today is the big day; the opening of RPG Town's Map Making Contest 3. The chipsets are ready for download and the map requirements have been decided.
Let me reiterate the premise of this competiton:
You are making a working town. The competition comes in installments, a different map a week. For each round a number of competitors will be eliminated from the competition until we have a winning. The maps will cover interiors and exteriors, towns and wilderness.

The rules :

• 1: Only ONE map per tier in the contest - this is very important. Due to the scope in the contest caused by rule 2 you may not use other maps for minigames or so on.
• 2: Pictures, panoramas, crazy effects, cut-scenes, mini-games, battles ARE allowed (!) This is more of a working town than just a pretty map - this is why you don't have to be the best mapper in the world The only one reservation I will make is that MP3s are not permitted - I want as many people as possible to download the entries and not everyone has the connections that make downloading large files practical. There are no other restrictions on what you can use - make it new and exciting! Use your imaginations! (custom resources are permitted)
• 3: Scoring will not be based soley on your mapping skills. There will be no discreet areas for judging, such as a score out of ten for graphics, mapping, NPCs, that sort of thing, but it's a score based on how the judge came away from the map feeling. If you want to add a list of features your map contains so the judge doesn't miss anything, do so!
• 4: Maps will not be any more than 100x100. You can make them as small as you like, but 100x100 will be the uppermost limit for any. I don't want you spending all day on them, thus having an excuse to make a quick exit
• 5: Submissions are not as screenshots this time; these maps will be playable. Send your game folders, minus the executable if you please. If you have RTP 1.32, shoot yourself. Only kidding, just include all the files you used with your submission. I don't have the extention and neither will most of the rest of the forum. Also, Advocate's translation of RPG Maker 2003 is preferred over the many others, but I may be able to work around it.
• 6: Editing the chipsets is completely forbidden. We have to have some common theme between each entry don't we? There'll be a choice of 5 for each round.
• 7: The use of transparent chips on the bottom layer may not cover more than 50% of the map. We do not want anyone abusing our generous rule that panoramas may be used so they can replace the need to use the provided chipsets.
• 8: You can submit an entry as many times as you like. We will judge your most recent entry after the deadline, but you can update your work as much as you like even if you have sent a previous version to a judge. We will not be offering any advice on possible improvements, however, you'll get little more than a notification informing you that we have received it. It is only fair to the other entrants that everyone is on a level playing field.

We have 17 competitors, at present, in round one.

• StealthSpider
• zumbum
• SickAndWretched
• RpgmT
• NeonShadow
• Mr. E
• DarkCrono
• The Omen
• Violent Azure
• Zorgthrog
• PoeticDoom
• IamTHEkidKOALA
• Kafen
• Skrolk
• FredBez
• RajalTikana
• breakdancing_ninja

You can still get on this list! All you have to do is submit round one's map by the deadline to enter.

<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Round 1: The Town</span>

Now, the task for this round is to create the town. It should be one map only! For this week you are just doing the exterior. You will submit your entries to me, Magi or Inquisitor through any means (email, instant messenger, direct link). Remember, we want the game directory, not screenshots. You can contact me via MSN or email at

.
You must include the following in your map:

• a place of worship
• an inn, tavern or hotel
• a sewer, mine or cave entrance
• at least two distinct exits to the town, one which will lead to a castle/fort/barracks/outpost, the other leading to the wilderness.

Let me repeat, you will not be making the interior of these buildings, or the fort/etc this week. They're just maps to come.

Here are the chipsets available for this round.

http://www.stupid-boy.com/chris/Theodore%2...%20Chipset4.png

http://www.stupid-boy.com/chris/Omega%20RT...%20Chipset3.png

http://www.stupid-boy.com/chris/MnB%20-%20Chipset1.png

http://www.stupid-boy.com/chris/Magi%20SD3...%20Chipset5.png

http://www.stupid-boy.com/chris/Inq%20edit...%20Chipset2.png

The closing deadline for round 1 is 31st July.
There is no set number of entrants to be eliminated in this round. The majority will still be in for round 2. The judges will decide where to put the cut-off point, probably where there is a noticable gap in quality.

<span style='font-size:12pt;line-height:100%'>Entry tips</span>

Although there is no set criteria for this competition, I think I can speak for the other judges when I offer some advice as to what will make a good entry. First thing is to bear in mind that this contest spans more than just one map - eventually you will have a complete town. This enables you to add a mini story to your entries with small sections unveiled each week - a story certainly would impress us. Secondly, do remember this is still a map contest - whilst mapping skills are not the only quality required to be successful in this competition, they are still necessary. Aesthetics are important, no matter what anybody says. Thirdly, endeavour to make your NPCs as rich as possible (assuming you do use them of course) - solid dialogue makes the town that bit more enjoyable.
Keep in mind special little tricks, like using charactersets as map pieces. But try not to replace the chipset with these, but instead only add to it.

We do not expect you to use any clever systems like CBS, CMS or any nifty special effects, but if you did use them they may improve your position, of course. There are plenty of places open in the 2nd round, so you don't have to go all out.

I think that's it. Good luck, everyone.[/]

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