New year, new TLMC! We're happy that the TLMC will be continuing into 2018 and are excited to see what you come up with. We also have a pair of changes to ensure this year is bigger and even better than last year.

First of all, we're upping the number of potential entries to six while keeping the two per category cap. Secondly, we're giving the judges the flexibility to reallocate maps to different categories where they would score better (within reason, so don't cheese the rule and submit extra macro maps under aggro).

January 16 - February 6

Rules/Restrictions:

• Maps can be submitted to one category only. Maps cannot be submitted to multiple categories.
  
• No custom textures or Force Fields.
  
• Rocks and collapsible structures use default HP values and cannot be modified.
  
• Individual mineral node and vespene geysers have default resource amounts and cannot be modified.
  
• No custom data on maps.
  
• New: Judges may reassign a map to a more appropriate category.

Suggestions/Concerns:

• For all categories, when deciding to utilize a gold base, make sure there are some sort of risk associated with them. Otherwise, gold minerals bases with low risk tend to usually favor Zerg over the other races.
  
• When using air pathing blockers try to avoid setting up zones that trap air units within them.
  
• For the new category, be careful when adjusting the number of resource nodes at bases because it could impact balance between races and/or matchups.
  
• During the second phase of the competition, small changes are often times better than large radical changes that dramatically alter the map’s direction.

Categories

1. Standard

• Guidelines: Medium sized map. Players tend to have more flexibility on these maps to open with a wider variety of strategies and/or builds.
  
• Average rush distance: 40-50 seconds. (Note: Not a hard restriction. Could be more or less)
  
• Playable map dimensions guidelines (not full map dimensions): Map playable area should be approximately between 18,000 and 22,000. (Note that these numbers are guidelines and not hard rules.)
  
• Examples:
  • Newkirk Precinct’s playable area is 172x124=21,328.
    
  • Abyssal Reef’s playable area is 152x136=20,672.
    
  • Coda’s playable area is 138x144=19,872.

2. Macro

• Guidelines: A map that favors defensive play and encourages players to reach end game unit compositions.
  
• Average Rush Distance: 45-55 seconds. (Note: Not a hard restriction. Could be more or less)
  
• Playable map dimensions (not full map dimensions): Map playable area should be approximately 21,000 and up. (Note: Not a hard restriction. Could be more or less)
  
• Examples:
  • Ascension to Aiur’s playable area is 160x132=21,120.
    
  • Proxima Station’s playable area is 172x152=26,144.
    
  • Dusk Towers playable area is 156x153=23,868.

3. Rush

• Guidelines: Map favors early aggression and offensive play.
  
• Average rush distance: 35 seconds or less. (Note: Not a hard restriction. Could be more or less)
  
• Playable map dimensions (not full map dimensions): Map playable area should be approximately between 16,000 and 20,000. (Note: Not a hard restriction. Could be more or less)
  
• Examples:
  • Paladino Terminal’s playable area is 144x112=16128.
    
  • Interloper’s playable area is 134x142=19028.
    
  • Defender’s Landing’s playable area is 150x130=19500.

4. New

• Guidelines: Maps that explore new ideas for how maps can be played.
  
• Map maker can adjust the number of mineral node or vespene geysers at bases. Cannot adjust the values of each individual resource node.
  
• Map sizes can vary between Rush, Standard, or Macro.
  
• Examples: Blood Boil, Sequencer, Dasan Station, Korhal Carnage Knockout, New Gettysburg.

Mappers who submit maps MUST submit each map in one of the four categories. This time, the judges will pick sixteen(16) finalist maps to move on to the next stage:

• Three(3) Macro Maps
  
• Three(3) Rush Maps
  
• Three(3) Standard Maps
  
• Three(3) New Maps
  
• Four(4) "Judges' Picks"

Judges' Picks can come from any category and will consist of maps that the judges feel belong in the top 16. As we don't except all the categories to be uniform in quality, this helps to ensure that the most deserving maps, regardless of category submitted, make it to the next round.

February 7 - February 13

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 and selected professional players/community figures for judging. If you are a professional player and would be interested in helping out, PM us. Together, the judges will trim down all submissions to a final 16 that will be used in the next stages of the contest.

February 14 - February 20

Next we'll have a tournament stage where professional players will compete on these experimental maps for prize money. Once again, thanks to Blizzard for providing the funding for this event. Details will be disclosed at a later date.

February 21 - March 12

The iteration phase is one we introduced in TLMC7 and in general it's been a big hit for everyone. In this phase, mappers will be able to submit clean final versions of their maps for consideration by Blizzard and the community.

March 13 - March 15

The public will then vote on the final versions of these maps. Note that public voting only determines the final placing of these maps, that is how much money each mapper wins. It does not directly affect which maps Blizzard will chose to appear in the next season of ladder. However, this is your chance to make your voice heard about which maps YOU want to be on the ladder.

Provided by Blizzard

We are also keeping on the additional prizing for finalists. Each finalists will again receive $100 for each map they've submitted to the contest. In addition, there will also be more prizing awarded to mappers who have maps that finish in the top 5.

First - $500
Second - $250
Third - $125
Fourth - $75
Fifth - $50

And as always, all sixteen finalists will receive a Community Commander Portrait.

March 16

After the winners are announced, Blizzard will take into consideration all sixteen maps for the next season of ladder and WCS. After a rigorous QA session, Blizzard will announce which maps will be available for you to play on at home closer to the start of the next ladder season.

Mappers will be limited to six map submissions each with a limit on two maps per category. For example, you may submit two maps in two categories and one in the other two or two maps in three categories and none to the fourth.

Please PM your map file(s) to TL Map Contest with the following format before Wednesday, Feb 07 4:59am GMT (GMT+00:00). Please title your PMs with the name of the map and keep all submissions to one map per PM. We'll once again be be asking mappers to submit more detailed information about their maps to ensure neither the judges nor the community misses any key features.


Entries not in this format may be excluded from consideration. Please do not send questions to the 'TL Map Contest' account; contact TLMC organizer The_Templar instead.

Submit your map

If you have any unanswered questions please do not hesitate to ask them below or PM The_Templar who will be happy to answer them. Best of luck in the competition.