EPTBeast of the Hill FFA Map Contest #2
Hello, TL.net! My name is HyperONE, and I'm here to announce the Beast of the Hill FFA Map Contest #2!
Some of you may remember the previous Beast of the Hill FFA Map Contest. Just as with last time, the purpose of this contest is to find 8-player free-for-all (FFA) maps suitable for use with the "Beast of the Hill" mod. All submissions, especially those which place well, will be considered for use in my Circle Derping tournament series, as well as for my recommendation to other organizers of Beast of the Hill FFA events.
Note: The contest schedule has been updated as follows:
Submission: Nov. 21 - Dec. 31
1st Judging: Jan. 1 - Jan. 11
Finalists Announcement/I solo panic QA maps: Jan. 12
Tournament: Jan. 13 - Jan. 14
Iteration: Jan. 15 - Jan. 26
2nd Judging: Jan. 27 - Jan. 29
Results: Jan. 30
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What is Beast of the Hill?
Note: Beast of the Hill is an extension mod. That means it will work with any Melee map when a player selects it in the in-game Arcade. You do not need to edit Triggers in your map to implement this gamemode; you just need to make a Melee(*) map following the guidelines written out and submit that, and the mod will work with it seamlessly.
+ Show Spoiler +
Beast of the Hill is an extension mod intended for use with team and FFA maps. In the context of FFA matches, the mod aims to create games which are fast-paced and disincentivize turtling in favor of frequent interaction by providing income and an alternative win condition: hold the center at the right times and you win the map!
As with a standard FFA game, a player in a Beast of the Hill FFA game can win by eliminating all of their opponents, but this win condition is achieved so infrequently (much less than 1% of all standard matches) that you can assume it never happens.
While Beast of the Hill can be configured with many different settings, the configuration described below is the one with which submissions to this contest will be judged.
◉ A red circle with a thin black border is placed at the exact center of the map. The red region has a radius of 2, and creates a 4x4 square unbuildable area. From hereon, this circle will be referred to as the capture point, or simply the point. A unit is considered to be “on” the point if its collision box is centered on a location within the red circle (the border does not count as part of the circle and is purely for aesthetic purposes).
◉ A circular area of radius 12 around the center of the point is always revealed to all players. (Cloaked/burrowed units still require detection to be spotted.)
◉ The point belongs to or is controlled by a player if they are the only player with units on the point and/or they have the highest-priority units on the point. If several players have units of equal priority on the point, the point is in a contested state until only one player has units, or units of highest priority, on the point. Note that one cannot contest the center simply by attacking the point, casting a spell on the point, or approaching it; they must have a unit STANDING DIRECTLY ON THE POINT in order to control it.
○ The unit priority hierarchy is as follows: non-cloaked/burrowed ground units > cloaked/burrowed units > all air units > temporary units > Zerg eggs/cocoons. Cloaked ground units are considered non-cloaked while under the effects of the Ghost’s EMP or the Oracle’s Revelation abilities.
◉ While a player controls the point, they will receive a mineral income. This amount is 10 minerals per second at the start of the game, and increments by 2 minerals per second whenever a round is elapsed.
○ If the point is in a contested state, it will not award income to any player until the point is no longer contested.
◉ Rounds are intervals of time, lasting a few minutes each. At the end of each round, the game will award the player who controls the point 1 round win. The first player to win 3 rounds wins the game. The round timer is always visible in the top-right corner of the screen.
○ If the point is in a contested state, it will not award a round win to any player until the point is no longer contested.
○ The first round lasts 5 minutes, the second round lasts 4 minutes, and the third and subsequent rounds last 3 minutes.
◉ A list of players and round win counts is available at all times in the top-right corner of the screen, as well as a ? button which briefly explains the mod and states the current income provided by the point.
As with a standard FFA game, a player in a Beast of the Hill FFA game can win by eliminating all of their opponents, but this win condition is achieved so infrequently (much less than 1% of all standard matches) that you can assume it never happens.
While Beast of the Hill can be configured with many different settings, the configuration described below is the one with which submissions to this contest will be judged.
◉ A red circle with a thin black border is placed at the exact center of the map. The red region has a radius of 2, and creates a 4x4 square unbuildable area. From hereon, this circle will be referred to as the capture point, or simply the point. A unit is considered to be “on” the point if its collision box is centered on a location within the red circle (the border does not count as part of the circle and is purely for aesthetic purposes).
◉ A circular area of radius 12 around the center of the point is always revealed to all players. (Cloaked/burrowed units still require detection to be spotted.)
◉ The point belongs to or is controlled by a player if they are the only player with units on the point and/or they have the highest-priority units on the point. If several players have units of equal priority on the point, the point is in a contested state until only one player has units, or units of highest priority, on the point. Note that one cannot contest the center simply by attacking the point, casting a spell on the point, or approaching it; they must have a unit STANDING DIRECTLY ON THE POINT in order to control it.
○ The unit priority hierarchy is as follows: non-cloaked/burrowed ground units > cloaked/burrowed units > all air units > temporary units > Zerg eggs/cocoons. Cloaked ground units are considered non-cloaked while under the effects of the Ghost’s EMP or the Oracle’s Revelation abilities.
◉ While a player controls the point, they will receive a mineral income. This amount is 10 minerals per second at the start of the game, and increments by 2 minerals per second whenever a round is elapsed.
○ If the point is in a contested state, it will not award income to any player until the point is no longer contested.
◉ Rounds are intervals of time, lasting a few minutes each. At the end of each round, the game will award the player who controls the point 1 round win. The first player to win 3 rounds wins the game. The round timer is always visible in the top-right corner of the screen.
○ If the point is in a contested state, it will not award a round win to any player until the point is no longer contested.
○ The first round lasts 5 minutes, the second round lasts 4 minutes, and the third and subsequent rounds last 3 minutes.
◉ A list of players and round win counts is available at all times in the top-right corner of the screen, as well as a ? button which briefly explains the mod and states the current income provided by the point.
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Permissible Map Features
Almost any feature which does not invalidate Melee status is permitted, with a few exceptions. You can look in this spreadsheet for some ideas. Note: We are not TLMC, and the list of allowed features and opinions relating to them are not ours; this list is given solely to provide examples.
The following features are not permitted, and maps featuring them will NOT be eligible for judging.
◉ True island starting positions, i.e. starting positions such that there are no ground paths connecting them.
◉ Greater than, or less than, 8 starting positions.
◉ Neutral Zerg eggs and Force Fields, where they create unpredictable/unintuitive pathing behavior.
◉ Completely overlapping sets of rocks/debris.
◉ Completely overlapping sets of destructible rock/cooling towers, i.e. with the same position and orientation. For example, two rock towers may share the same coordinates but have a different orientation.
◉ Air sight blockers.
◉ Resource pickups.
In addition to this, the following non-Melee features are allowed:
◉ Directly adjusting the HP/armor of rocks/debris in Data. (Do not adjust HP/armor of destructible rock/cooling towers, and don't have too many HP/armor values to keep track of. One way this can be implemented is by having all debris have the standard 2000 HP/3 armor, while lowering rock HP to 500 HP/2 armor.)
◉ Giving all players starting structures which belong to them, e.g. supply depots, sensor towers, missile turrets, etc.
◉ Fixed spawn locations based on player position in the lobby. (This is intended to make giving all players their own starting structures work correctly.)
◉ Custom textures.
◉ Custom unit/doodad models.
Note that while many features are technically allowed, that does not mean they will necessarily make your map better. Maps will be judged based on the quality of the implementation of all their features. Overall, your map should be as simple as possible, as our priority is making the maps legible and easy to understand for players.
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Restrictions to Submissions
◉ Any map previously featured in any Circle Derping event will not be accepted.
◉ Any map previously featured in any FFA event listed on Liquipedia’s StarCraft 2 main space will not be accepted. See HERE for a list of FFA events listed on Liquipedia’s StarCraft 2 main space.
◉ Any map that is simply a minimally edited version of an existing Blizzard 8-player map or any other map will not be accepted.
◉ Your map must be rigorously tested for quality assurance. See HERE for a list of potential QA issues your map should avoid. Maps suffering from too many QA issues may not be considered for judging or prizes.
◉ Your map must be performant. Using too many lights, animated dooads, particle generators (such as AZGs/IZGs), water tiles (especially under expansions), or units/depleted mineral nodes for walls/etc. in general will cause lag. Submissions which are clearly not viable for tournament use due to performance issues may be subject to disqualification at any point in the contest.
◉ By submitting your map to this contest, you agree that it may be modified to any degree deemed necessary by us in order to be used in Beast of the Hill FFA tournaments, both mine and those of other organizers.
◉ Each mapmaker may submit up to FIVE (5) different maps.
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Judging Criteria
◉ Although every detail of your map is important, we will take a holistic approach to judging your submission. Small imperfections or technical mistakes will not negatively impact your placement to the same degree that an overall lack of cohesive vision will.
◉ The judging panel will consist of a number of mapmakers and top Beast of the Hill FFA players.
◉ Your map must obey the following requirements to be suitable for Beast of the Hill FFA matches. If your map does not meet them, it may be disqualified for judging.
○ There must be exactly 8 spawn locations.
○ All spawn locations must be roughly equidistant from the center.
○ The center must be pathable and accessible to ground units.
◉ Your map will be judged based on numerous criteria, including but certainly not limited to:
○ The ease of expanding, especially with two neighboring players to worry about
○ The ease of capturing the point, whether offensively or defensively, for all varieties of armies
○ Whether the map features encourage players to interact with each other, or turtle
○ Whether the base layouts/terrain/etc. force certain sets of players to fight with each other before fighting anybody else (quadrant syndrome)
○ Whether it heavily favors any particular race(s)
○ Whether the risk/reward ratio of any exotic features on the map is properly attuned
Further Considerations for Map Design
The public judging scoresheet for the previous Beast of the Hill FFA Map Contest is an excellent resource for putting together your map. However, due to the evolution of the metagame, as well as the needs of the Circle Derping tournament series, the views in the spreadsheet may have changed slightly and there are a few points which are critical to consider for any new map:
◉ Maps which are simply too small tend to play out poorly. For example, Shadow Realm did well early in its lifespan, but it became clear that if one player simply manages to turtle into a maxed high-tech army, other players will be unable to fight efficiently against them and will not have money to remax. Thus, it is important that players have sufficient time and terrain with which to defend themselves, and enough money with which to remax several armies.
◉ Conversely, maps which are too large tend to lead to stale gameplay. For example, due to space/layout constraints, FFA maps cannot always follow the conventional 1v1 map design wisdom where every new base is ncessarily harder to hold. However, maps such as Hyperventilation which take this to the extreme degree lead to campier, less-interactive games where worker "harass" is limited to air unit spam and any other action is limited to large direct army engagements. Games on this map often lead to situations where the size of the map and ease of retreating further into your own base disincentivize attacking your opponents, due to the sheer time it would take.
◉ We recommend that maps following standard design conventions not be smaller than 200x200, or larger than 232x232. Non-standard designs, such as those with alternative economies, might have more leeway on this. No matter what size your map is, though, it must have a sensible design for its size. That is, your map should be as small as, or as big as, it needs to be, and not more or less. This is especially important for larger maps, which will have performance and gameplay issues if they are needlessly large/have too many bases. Consider playing around with the bounds and the density of the base layout.
◉ For example, Dogside, which placed in 4th in the last contest, is hyper-compact with 40 bases on 200x200 bounds, yet every base feels reasonably difficult to take and players do not feel too close to each other.
◉ Another example is Templar's Tectonic Tribulation, which needs every square within its 256x256 bounds to work, and makes use of them meaningfully with its unorthodox division between the interior and exterior of the map.
◉ Island bases are considerably more welcome on maps with an otherwise relatively low base count/smaller bounds than those with an otherwisely relatively high base count/larger bounds.
◉ You do not have to use all of the space within the bounds. If your map feels complete without having anything in the far corners, then there is no need for anything to be there. Additional bases in the corners that are too easy to defend can create runaway leads for certain players.
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Contest Phases
The phases of the contest will be restructured somewhat in order to align better with its goals: to create high-quality Beast of the Hill FFA maps for casual and tournament play.
Submission Phase: November 21st - December 31st
Pre-Judging Feedback Eligibility Window: November 21st - December 21st
For many mapmakers, this may be their first time creating an FFA map. To help ensure that they are on the right path, we are adding a pre-judging feedback phase. All maps that are submitted before December 21st are eligible for pre-judging feedback.
1st Judging Phase: January 1st - January 11st
During the 1st judging phase, maps will be screened to ensure they are compliant with the rules of the event. Then, they will be passed on to the judges, who will select the best 5 maps as finalists to move on to the rest of the event.
Finalists Announcement: January 12th
Tournament Phase: January 13th - January 14th
New to the Beast of the Hill FFA Map Contest is the addition of a tournament phase. We are hoping to cooperate with a major community figure on this part of the tournament. Please stay tuned for more information in the next week or two. Otherwise, an exhibitional Circle Derping event will be held to showcase the top 5 maps.
Iteration Phase: January 15th - January 26th
This is another new addition to the Beast of the Hill FFA Map Contest. In keeping with restructuring the contest to better align with its goals, we would like to offer the mapmakers an opportunity to refine their finalist submissions as much as possible, using feedback from the 1st Judging Phase, as well as based on the replay files from the Tournament Phase.
2nd Judging Phase: January 27th - January 29th
Once the finalist mapmakers have had sufficient time to rework their maps, the judges will convene a second time to assign the maps their final rank.
Results Announcement: January 30th
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Prize Pool
The prize pool is currently $120, subject to change in case of donations and set to be distributed as follows:
◉ 1st place: $45
◉ 2nd place: $30
◉ 3rd place: $20
◉ 4th place: $15
◉ 5th place: $10
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How to Submit Maps
Send maps to MrIronGolem27 on TL.net by DMs. Each map you submit should be contained in its own DM. The title of your DM should be the name of the map.
The body of your submission should include:
◉ Map name
◉ Download link to your map (preferably using Google Drive)
◉ Picture of your map, standard 90-degree top-down view, with a resolution of at least 10x the playable dimensions of your map (e.g. a map with 216x216 dimensions should be submitted with an image of resolution 2160x2160 or greater)
◉ Size (playable dimensions) of your map
◉ Number of bases (please briefly describe any non-standard bases)
◉ Rush distance (measured from top-of-main-ramp-to-top-of-main-ramp)
○ If your map is 8-way diagonally/rectangularly symmetric, provide this number for both neighbors on the same side of the map (left, right, top, bottom) and neighbors on the same corner (top-left, top-right, bottom-left, bottom-right) of the map.
○ If your map is 8-way rotationally symmetric, a single set of numbers will suffice.
○ If your map uses a different symmetry, please provide whatever set of numbers you feel will describe your map accurately.
◉ A description of the map. Please limit this to no more than 1500 characters. Any notable, exotic, or non-standard features MUST be noted here.
◉ (Optionally) An in-game description for the map (300 characters max), which need not be included in the forum DM. It is strongly suggested you write this to describe the gameplay-relevant features of your map, as it is very hard to read the default map overviews for an FFA map at a glance.
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Gallery of Sample Maps
None of the following maps are intended to be ideal examples of Beast of the Hill FFA maps, but they should provide a decent starting point for anybody unfamiliar with them.
+ Show Spoiler +
Library of Sample Games
+ Show Spoiler +
FAQ
Q: What is Beast of the Hill?
A: Please consult the section titled “What is Beast of the Hill?”.
Q: Will you accept maps for numbers of players other than 8?
A: No.
Q: I have a map that is intended for 8-player FFA games, but it was not designed with Beast of the Hill in mind. Can I still submit it to this contest?
A: Yes, so long as it obeys all the items under “Restrictions to Submissions” and the mandatory criteria under “Judging Criteria”.
Q: I’d like to participate, but I don’t know how to make maps. Is there anywhere I can learn?
A: The Mappers' Circle Discord server is an excellent resource for new and experienced mapmakers alike.
Q: My question is not listed here. Is there any way I can contact you?
A: You can join my Discord server here, or DM MrIronGolem27 on TL.net.
