|
There will be the following categories in the contest:
There will not be a first, second and third place. Only the best map will be chosen in each category
Russian single player:
(The maps must be in Russian only)
- Best M single
- Best L single
- Best XL single
English single player:
(The maps must be in English only)
- Best M single
- Best L single
- Best XL single
Bilingual nominations:
(The maps can be in either English or Russian)
- Best M multiplayer
- Best L multiplayer
Contest rules:
1. General.
1.1 Submitted maps need to comply with the following criteria:
1.1.1 Saved by the map editor of Equilibris 3.6, contest edition.
1.1.2 Single player maps must be of sizes M, L, or XL.
1.1.3 Multiplayer maps must be of sizes M or L.
1.1.4 Campaigns (multiple maps built around a scenario) are not accepted.
1.1.5 Single player maps must be based on Might and Magic fantasy or other fantasy lines of similar style.
1.1.6 Each map must be submitted in a ZIP archive. In case of multiple maps, one archive per map needs to be submitted.
1.1.7 In addition to a map, each archive needs to have a txt file, which will contain all the items listed in 1.2.
1.1.8 The maps need to be written in either Russian or English. Bilingual maps will be accepted, but will be placed in only one language category. Maps in all other languages will not be accepted, unless we announce .
1.1.9 The map, the attached txt file, and the archive they are both in need to be in the following format: map file - "map_name.h4c", txt file - "map_name.txt", archive containing the two items - "map_name.zip".
1.1.10 The map file, the txt file with description, and the containing archive need to be named in the language of the map. English maps need to have English file names and Russian maps - Russian file names.
1.1.11 Maps produced by a random map generator are not accepted.
1.1.12 The map needs to be new, meaning that it can not appear on the Internet, in tournaments, on compact discs, etc., before the results of the contest are announced.
1.2 Each map needs to have a corresponding file in txt format in the same archive. The text file has to contain the following information:
1.2.1 Full name and nickname of the author.
1.2.2 Country and city in which the author lives.
1.2.3 Email and ICQ/MSN/Jabber number (if there is one) by which the author can be contacted.
1.2.4 Name of the map.
1.2.5 Version of the map (this is not mandatory, but nice to have).
1.2.6 Size of map (M, L, XL).
1.2.7 If underground level is present (yes/no).
1.2.8 Type of map (Singleplayer/Multiplayer).
1.2.9 Total number of players.
1.2.10 Maximum number of human players.
1.2.11 Maximum number of computer players.
1.2.12 Recommended difficulty level.
1.2.13 Recommended guard movement setting (mobile guards/stationary guards).
1.2.14 Full map description (story, unique features, etc.)
1.2.15 Short (mandatory for single player) or full (preferred, but not required) text walk through of the map.
1.3 The contest setup:
1.3.1 The contest will be held from June 1st to October 31st, 24-00 GMT.
1.3.2 The organizers hold the right to extend the deadline for map submissions.
1.3.3 The organizers hold the right to publish the names (first and last) and/or nicknames of the participants and the maps submitted for the contest. The organizers will not publish or transfer to a third party any information that is not related to conducting the contest about any participant without his/her permission .
1.3.4 The organizers are not held responsible for problems related to transfer of e-mail.
1.3.5 From the moment a participant receives his prize, he/she is responsible for paying all applicable taxes or other mandatory payments that apply in the country he/she lives in.
1.3.6 The organizers hold the right to publish more information on the contest to clarify rules, setup, and the purpose of the contest.
1.3.7 If plagiarism is discovered, the organizers hold the right to remove the plagiarized map and to publish on Internet all information about the person who submitted it.
1.3.8 The organizers hold the right not to publish any information about the number of works received, their quality, etc., until the official announcement of the contest results.
1.3.9 The organizers hold the right to change some of the rules listed above.
1.3.10 Participation in the contest implies full agreement with the rules listed above.
1.3.11 If no map in some category has a level high enough to become a winner, organizers have a right not to announce a winner in that category. In special cases organizers hold the right to announce more than one map in some category as a winner.
2. General recommendations.
2.1 Before starting the map:
2.1.1 Decide on the type and size of the map.
2.1.2 Think through the idea behind the map and the story (if there is one).
2.1.3 On a piece of paper make a drawing of the land on which your map would be based.
2.1.4 If you are a starting map builder and you don't fully understand the editor, make sure to familiarize yourself with some guides and advices available on most major Heroes fan sites, particularly CelestialHeavens. They will help you in both starting the map and when you are in the middle of building it.
2.2 When you are building the map:
2.2.1 Note that your map needs to be playable on the highest difficulty level.
2.2.2 Note that multiplayer maps of size L should be primarily targeted at hot-seat games.
2.2.3 The map colors (types of land) should not be too poor or too overloaded. Good background is always a big plus, but if it gets too florid it can quickly become annoying.
2.2.4 Check all texts that you introduce into the map by a spell checker, such as Microsoft Word. Little errors will be forgiven; in the worst cases spell errors will lower the map score.
2.2.5 Don't hesitate to ask questions on the forums or via email.
2.3 Before submitting the map:
2.3.1 Make sure that the map satisfies all criteria listed in 1.1.
2.3.2 Make sure that you filled out the txt file with map description correctly (see 1.2).
2.3.3 Play your map at least once by each human player to make sure that no gameplay-breaking bugs exist.
2.3.4 Check that the email you listed in the txt file is working, so you can be contacted.
3. Contributing to map contest prize fund:
3.1 There are at least two ways of making a contribution to the prize fund.
3.1.1 If you prefer to use PAYPAL system, just use the contact address (see the bottom of this page) to transfer your contribution.
3.1.2 To use a WEBMONEY, you'll need to know the following information:
WMID: 099673396439
WM Purse for Euros (WME): E787093754852
WM Purse for US dollars (WMZ): Z989862147793
WM Purse for Russian rubles (WMR): R183107617478
Code-protected transfers are not accepted.
4. Campaign Editor improvements for map contest:
4.1 New adventure objects:
4.1.1
New walls (6 types - similar to this).
4.1.2
New unique walls (picture).
4.1.3
New Quest Huts (6 types - similar to this).
4.1.4 Bridge crossing (picture).
4.1.5
Adventure map taverns (6 types, similar to these: Death tavern Chaos tavern Nature tavern).
4.1.6
Creature "quest huts" (will look like creature, act a bit similar to scholar in Heroes-III, but with all capabilities of Heroes-IV scripting system) of the following types: Mage, Genie, Angel, Monk, Satyr, Griggin, Efreet, Minotaur, Devil, Cyclop.
4.1.7
Dead creatures (similar to this).
4.2 New artifacts:
4.2.1 Boots of levitation (wearer has "Fly" spell on in battle);
4.2.2 Mirror of Pain (wearer has "Pain Mirror" spell on in battle);
4.2.3 Hat of spell thief (wearer's attack casts "Steal Enchantment" on target).
Names can change, though.
4.3
New scripting options:
4.3.1
Variables support has become much stronger. You can use variables in the number of situations. You can, for example, have conditional text messages, which depends on some variable.
5. E-Mail for additional information and for submitting maps:
|
