SyncError Q4 mappack contest by id
The no custom content is primarily a 'legal' thing, syncerror said that from idsoftwares point of view it's *very* difficult to prove ownership of custom content to such an extent that if someone complained, they, idsoftware, would get the blame and not the offending artist.
Still it *really* limits what you can do and is a major step *backwards* for those that have been doing custom content for Q4 for ages.
Still it *really* limits what you can do and is a major step *backwards* for those that have been doing custom content for Q4 for ages.
[url=https://www.katsbits.com/tutorials#q3w]Tutorials, tools and resources[/url]
Hey Kat, ever feel like someone has been listening in on conversations?
Anyhow, I understand the reasons for no custom content, yet agree with the general feeling that its exclusion is a shame.
That said however, after spending a long time complaining about industry support for pro gamers and its apparent lack of support for mappers/modders, I have an obligation to take up the challenge. Time limit is tight, but if the worst comes to the worst I can give up sleeping for a while.
A cash prize, to equate to what a pro gamer could win would be a nice touch too
Anyhow, I understand the reasons for no custom content, yet agree with the general feeling that its exclusion is a shame.
That said however, after spending a long time complaining about industry support for pro gamers and its apparent lack of support for mappers/modders, I have an obligation to take up the challenge. Time limit is tight, but if the worst comes to the worst I can give up sleeping for a while.
A cash prize, to equate to what a pro gamer could win would be a nice touch too
Whatever....
maybe id should choose/release a custom texture pack of some of their non-released textures that aren't going to make it anywhere, or some of the mappers should jointly choose a custom texture pack or make a custom pack...
if id ties the pack into a point release, everyone would be enouraged to get the whole deal and it would give the mappers a bit of freedom having custom textures and possibly lower the amount of unique textures per map
although agreeing on a custom texture map might be difficult
if id ties the pack into a point release, everyone would be enouraged to get the whole deal and it would give the mappers a bit of freedom having custom textures and possibly lower the amount of unique textures per map
although agreeing on a custom texture map might be difficult
( I so don't want to make this a thread about Q4 multiplayer, because the trolls come out of the workwork, but... )
My Q4 server sucks up enough bandwidth to cost me extra from my ISP pretty much every month, and it's a tiny 5 player server on (aaagh) ADSL... The multiplayer ain't dead.
That said, matchmaking in this game is a problem; you pretty much have to hang out on a server for 20-30 minutes until people hop in. The European servers get a lot of traffic, out here in North America, games are harder to find.
Wattro's idea "Id should release a bunch of previously-unseen textures in a PK4 for the mappers to putz with for this contest" is a good one. If textures were available in a 'not-sci-fi-industrial' theme, more mappers would jump in.. All the "best" new-or-in-dev maps I've seen (that aren't mine) in the last while use a more medieval theme..
My Q4 server sucks up enough bandwidth to cost me extra from my ISP pretty much every month, and it's a tiny 5 player server on (aaagh) ADSL... The multiplayer ain't dead.
That said, matchmaking in this game is a problem; you pretty much have to hang out on a server for 20-30 minutes until people hop in. The European servers get a lot of traffic, out here in North America, games are harder to find.
Wattro's idea "Id should release a bunch of previously-unseen textures in a PK4 for the mappers to putz with for this contest" is a good one. If textures were available in a 'not-sci-fi-industrial' theme, more mappers would jump in.. All the "best" new-or-in-dev maps I've seen (that aren't mine) in the last while use a more medieval theme..
This contest very much feels like id trying recruit LDs for whatever it is they're working on right now. One month deadline? Limited art resources? Sounds exactly like the kind of constraints pros work under all the time (with even less time for the most part) I can't think of any other valid reason to have those kind of limitations considering companies have had these kind of contests in the past and have allowed custom content. The "Make Something Unreal" contest for example allowed all kinds of custom content and the stakes were much higher for that one, yet as far as I know, there haven't been any legal issues that stemmed from that.
You almost never see id post job openings on their site or on any job boards and I suspect that's because they're much more of a "we'll contact you" kinda company. I have to imagine that they're having a hard time of keeping that sort of policy considering the absolute fragmentation of the custom mapping community, whereas in the old days the only games that anyone modded were id games so they knew exactly where to look for people. It's probably a full time job just to browse forums for potential hires (hi SyncError)
It doesn't seem like it's too much fun to work at id these days anyway. I personally would never work there if I got the offer unless it was for a lot of money. I mean, yeah you have the benefit of working with one of the most brilliant graphics minds in the industry, but his heart really isn't in it anymore. You have a Lead Designer who really only has that title by default considering he has never done anything but design levels for id software games. You'd think by the time Doom 3 rolled around they'd try and do something a little different but if you're wondering why they didn't, it starts and ends at the desk of their Lead Designer. (Not to say Doom 3 was a terrible game, but at its core it's really just another id shooter)
I didn't intend to bash id with this post but it just kind of ended up there because it saddens me to see them like this. You can just tell that there's nothing innovative happening design-wise at id when this is their brilliant plan to try and drum up interest in their franchise, their engine, and their future games.
You almost never see id post job openings on their site or on any job boards and I suspect that's because they're much more of a "we'll contact you" kinda company. I have to imagine that they're having a hard time of keeping that sort of policy considering the absolute fragmentation of the custom mapping community, whereas in the old days the only games that anyone modded were id games so they knew exactly where to look for people. It's probably a full time job just to browse forums for potential hires (hi SyncError)
It doesn't seem like it's too much fun to work at id these days anyway. I personally would never work there if I got the offer unless it was for a lot of money. I mean, yeah you have the benefit of working with one of the most brilliant graphics minds in the industry, but his heart really isn't in it anymore. You have a Lead Designer who really only has that title by default considering he has never done anything but design levels for id software games. You'd think by the time Doom 3 rolled around they'd try and do something a little different but if you're wondering why they didn't, it starts and ends at the desk of their Lead Designer. (Not to say Doom 3 was a terrible game, but at its core it's really just another id shooter)
I didn't intend to bash id with this post but it just kind of ended up there because it saddens me to see them like this. You can just tell that there's nothing innovative happening design-wise at id when this is their brilliant plan to try and drum up interest in their franchise, their engine, and their future games.
Um. I'm not quite sure how to respond to all that, really, I guess.Bl1tz wrote:stuff
Just...wow. I like how you went from how this "feels" to you, to how id is struggling to find potential employees (they are?) to how it sucks to work there (it does?) to how you're saddened by the tragedy of it all (what) to how there's nothing innovative happening there (o rly).
All because you saw through the flimsy facade of a map contest to what was really going on.
Okay. :icon31:
/me backs away slowly...
no id bashing on my watch .. i was initially disappointed in quake4 however simply because they forgot to include so many things
that we have come to know like needed console commands and tweaks.
unfortunetly my initial experience with quake4 has stuck in my mind and i have a hard time firing up the game again online.
definetly needs new textures to play with but rules are rules.
i think i don't stand a chance because i love jumpads and flying around RA style.
kudos to id for doing this .. it could be some great exposure for you guys.
i do think howver judging by what the new game looks like that the arena stye mapping is gone and now we have to make grand expansive maps to fit all those vehicles.
this may be your last chance to make a small arena map for an id game.
god damn i wish they would make a quake1 style game with monsters and goals to reach the next map. no game was more fun,scary and challenging for me then quake1.
thinking back i think it was the maps that made it so great .. Doom3 tight corridor maps sucked ..
that we have come to know like needed console commands and tweaks.
unfortunetly my initial experience with quake4 has stuck in my mind and i have a hard time firing up the game again online.
definetly needs new textures to play with but rules are rules.
i think i don't stand a chance because i love jumpads and flying around RA style.
kudos to id for doing this .. it could be some great exposure for you guys.
i do think howver judging by what the new game looks like that the arena stye mapping is gone and now we have to make grand expansive maps to fit all those vehicles.
this may be your last chance to make a small arena map for an id game.
god damn i wish they would make a quake1 style game with monsters and goals to reach the next map. no game was more fun,scary and challenging for me then quake1.
thinking back i think it was the maps that made it so great .. Doom3 tight corridor maps sucked ..
[color=#FF0000][WYD][/color]
Y'know, I may be misunderstanding you, but nothing says you can't make a relatively simple kill-the-monsters-and-find-the-secrets map for Q4...it doesn't have to revolve around complex goals and lots of scripted stuff and so on.axbaby wrote:god damn i wish they would make a quake1 style game with monsters and goals to reach the next map. no game was more fun,scary and challenging for me then quake1.
thinking back i think it was the maps that made it so great .. Doom3 tight corridor maps sucked ..
Hmmn. Maybe I'll see if I can come up with something a bit more old school...
Sorry, this is off-topic. I'll shut up now.
Well, it's the first. Happy New Year! I've decided to fire up the old Radiant again though I'm pretty much in the dark with regards to Q4 mapping (I poked it last time, it grumbled at me). Not sure if anything will come of the next 30 days, but I guess it will be a good learning experience in the least.
With regards to Q1 redux, it seems to me that it would involve a relatively darker and gothic texture set. Q1 gives me the impression of being very dark in both atmosphere and lighting.
With regards to Q1 redux, it seems to me that it would involve a relatively darker and gothic texture set. Q1 gives me the impression of being very dark in both atmosphere and lighting.
[size=85][url=http://gtkradiant.com]GtkRadiant[/url] | [url=http://q3map2.robotrenegade.com]Q3Map2[/url] | [url=http://q3map2.robotrenegade.com/docs/shader_manual/]Shader Manual[/url][/size]
IdSoftware.com wrote: Submissions for our Quake 4 Community Map Pak have begun rolling in and with the January 31st deadline slowly approaching we would like to address the questions that have been brought up with the announcement of the Q4CMP Contest.
What gametypes does the Q4CMP seek to include?
We are accepting submissions that include support for any of the following gametypes: 1v1, Team Deathmatch, CTF, Arena CTF and DeadZone.
I understand custom textures cannot be used, but what about custom materials and fx files?
You may include custom script files such as fx and material files, but you may not include or reference custom textures, models or sound files.
How many entries am I allowed to submit?
Submit as many as you like! We are accepting both existing community maps that have already been released as well as new creations.
What format should I submit the map?
We prefer that maps be properly packaged with their .map, .proc, .cm, .def and loadscreen screenshot files, however can accept just the .map. The maps will be repackaged for both the voting process and final Community Pak.
Who will be judging the submissions?
You! As the deadline draws near be on the lookout for an offiicial polling station near you.
Where can I find community resources and tutorials on Quake 4 map making?
idDevNet
Doom3World.org
modwiki.net
Quake3World.com
Rust GameDesign
Please feel free to submit all questions, inquiries or submissions to syncerror@idsoftware.com.
SyncError wrote:Lets say we are going to accept 6 1v1 maps into the pak. The first 5 maps are clearly decided but there are two maps in the running for the 6th spot. Both are beautiful maps, both have received nearly equal amount of votes from the community polls, but one weighs in at 3mb and the other weighs in at 13mb -- we are going to go with the 3mb map so that the map pak is not unnecessarily large in file size.Survivor wrote:What exactly is meant by filesize efficiency?
Its bang for your buck. But it will not be a high priority, just more of a low priority guideline that we wanted to make clear if it comes down to that.
I wouldn't at all say that we're struggling to find talent... and I honestly could not imagine a better place to work than id. =) This map pak is not a disguise for anything, but yes, its always great to see what talent is out there.Bl1tz wrote:This contest very much feels like id trying recruit LDs for whatever it is they're working on right now. One month deadline? Limited art resources? Sounds exactly like the kind of constraints pros work under all the time (with even less time for the most part) I can't think of any other valid reason to have those kind of limitations considering companies have had these kind of contests in the past and have allowed custom content. The "Make Something Unreal" contest for example allowed all kinds of custom content and the stakes were much higher for that one, yet as far as I know, there haven't been any legal issues that stemmed from that.
You almost never see id post job openings on their site or on any job boards and I suspect that's because they're much more of a "we'll contact you" kinda company. I have to imagine that they're having a hard time of keeping that sort of policy considering the absolute fragmentation of the custom mapping community, whereas in the old days the only games that anyone modded were id games so they knew exactly where to look for people. It's probably a full time job just to browse forums for potential hires (hi SyncError)
It doesn't seem like it's too much fun to work at id these days anyway. I personally would never work there if I got the offer unless it was for a lot of money. I mean, yeah you have the benefit of working with one of the most brilliant graphics minds in the industry, but his heart really isn't in it anymore. You have a Lead Designer who really only has that title by default considering he has never done anything but design levels for id software games. You'd think by the time Doom 3 rolled around they'd try and do something a little different but if you're wondering why they didn't, it starts and ends at the desk of their Lead Designer. (Not to say Doom 3 was a terrible game, but at its core it's really just another id shooter)
I didn't intend to bash id with this post but it just kind of ended up there because it saddens me to see them like this. You can just tell that there's nothing innovative happening design-wise at id when this is their brilliant plan to try and drum up interest in their franchise, their engine, and their future games.
(/me waves back)
hehe....yeah, I can't imagine that id is having trouble finding willing employees.
Regarding the contest, I didn't realize until just now that the contest is open to previously released maps as well as new stuff. I thought it was new stuff only, so the news that my 30-day miracle would be expected to compete against existing maps that were developed and polished over a longer development cycle is really the last excuse I need to stop working on my map for now.
Good luck to everyone who submits something. It'll be interesting to see how many winners are "new" maps versus how many are previously-released maps that were submitted to this competetion.
Regarding the contest, I didn't realize until just now that the contest is open to previously released maps as well as new stuff. I thought it was new stuff only, so the news that my 30-day miracle would be expected to compete against existing maps that were developed and polished over a longer development cycle is really the last excuse I need to stop working on my map for now.
Good luck to everyone who submits something. It'll be interesting to see how many winners are "new" maps versus how many are previously-released maps that were submitted to this competetion.
Sometimes I feel like I've been blessed.
I'm doing what I want, so I never rest.
I'm doing what I want, so I never rest.
It might be worth adding that while we've left it open to old maps, the majority all seem to be wanting to submit new creations. I've only received one previously released map so far. The rest have been new designs.unitool wrote:hehe....yeah, I can't imagine that id is having trouble finding willing employees.
Regarding the contest, I didn't realize until just now that the contest is open to previously released maps as well as new stuff. I thought it was new stuff only, so the news that my 30-day miracle would be expected to compete against existing maps that were developed and polished over a longer development cycle is really the last excuse I need to stop working on my map for now.
Good luck to everyone who submits something. It'll be interesting to see how many winners are "new" maps versus how many are previously-released maps that were submitted to this competetion.