Map-making Contest by Daskew and Guro

Nah, I'm pretty sure that guy was mostly yours, so creepy.

 

Well shit. FBB too OP plz nerf, star wars video super effective.

When are we going to see the winners of this contest @Whoever's in charge? I'm to laugh at everyone who didn't make it to first place. Hope maybe the first/second/third place map of one of those categories make it to the default KAG map rotation! How awesome would that be? I'd tag Geti but I'm scared he'll eat me.

 

Maybe just man boobs?

 

Hey there guys! Think all the map submitting fun is over? Be fret no more! Inferno has started a Challenge type map-contest: Click HERE for it!

 

Will Sandbox RP maps count? :P

 

I'd quite like to see a large sandbox map become a Challenge Survival situation... starvation, freezing, becoming hunted by large predators, insanity.

 

***ANNOUNCEMENT

Just to let you guys know the EPIC final leaderboard post is... actually... done

It's huge so watch out

@FuzzyBlueBaron will be moving it accross to the thread anytime now

Be prepared...

 

FINAL Leaderboard Post... Winners revealed
​

It's been a long time to wait. But here it is...

KEY
(In the boards)
arrival: labels a new mapper entrant to that particular leaderboard
upward arrows: show 'relative upward movement' of mapper since last board

(In reviews)
ams: alternative map score (given when the map would score high if used in a non-standard context: e.g. very long games, very short games, class biased games etc)


And now for the boards... Oh yes... oh yes indeed ...

...

#TTH 3



FULL MAP IMAGES (of new TTHs)

-Maps by @fire1000111

LOTR - 5.65 (would be 6.15 with better hall placement) (alternative map score: 7)

It's a pretty beautiful map receiving an 'alternative map score' of 7.
I don't think it works (very) well for TTH other than being quite standard. But it works fairly well.
The underground passages are very cool but are hard-going and slow to be used tactically well for this gamemode. Perhaps they could benefit with more access points.
The hall placed high-above on the blues side is alarmingly imbalancing, so a penalty of 0.5 points is taken.

LOTR2 - 5.8 (would be a 6.8 with less difficult to attack halls) (ams: 7.9)

The undergound segment is gorgeous. It's a useful route to take but not stunningly effective, though moreso than fire's other LOTR map.
A big mistake has been made in the 'bedrock shield' around red's first hall. That'll be as frustrating as heck to capture. Due to mainly this the map's score is reduced by 1 point.
Having very hard to capture halls isn't always a bad thing, but these halls are one step too far in that regard I feel.
There's some super nice concept work in this map however.

Farcon - 5.8

Review by @kodysch: As far as TTH maps go this is a big one not just in size but in content. At first glance you can see the asymmetry but that is not a bad thing, each side has it's Fair share of resources and there is a lot of exploring to do in the depths of the map. A lot of time has been put into making some "dwarvan" halls reminiscent of Moria and tunnels snaking through the underscape. I'd like to have see some halls in these under ground caverns to promote exploration as well as some more entrances for more fluidity. Pre-built structures can be nice but on the case of the right it seems a bit more advantageous than the left. This would make a great RP map with it's size and content, but with TTH one feels overwhelmed.

Sea Warfare - 5.2 (ams: 6.3)

More eye-candy would have bumped up the score. Sea-battle maps can be refreshing every once in a while and I like this one. But be aware it's not going to receive a top score if the main fighting arena is just blank sea. Maybe there should be some deep underwater breathing caves to add more diversity.
This map is however welcomed with open arms to the server.

Water Stronghold - 4.3 (ams: 7.2)

The concept of this map is undeniably likeable, but I would put this down as a cool map for a good mess about rather than a good competitive TTH map.
The shape of the two islands looks magnificently natural. I've noticed from this user's work that crafting things to look natural comes very easy to him because it's apparent in all his work. No ugliness here on the macro-scale. Look at how the tunnels at the bottom flow. Lovely.
The water spread has absolutely no dirt background. I'm guessing this was intentional, to make it impossible to cramp it up with wood blocks etc. A crystal clear body of water to make the fighting in the middle feel purely at sea. This is great, but unfortunately it also relegates it to being once again, a cool map, not a competitive map. I strongly believe "Ocean maps" like this can be organised in a particular way to prevent a mountainous stalemate, but here it's not been achieved.
The eye-candy on a micro-level doesn't come up to the same standard as the macro (which is incredible). It's not bad, it's actually decent. However it could benefit from squeezing in a little more character. Mix those blocks up just that extra bit. Throw in some more aptly placed doodads. On the whole though, the finer details that have been worked in, are done well.

-Single map by @MCrifelMIST

Peaks - 6.7

When I look at this I think: "Woah this one's electifying". The halls are very close-packed and to win here you'll have to act quickly. This is extremely appealing to me because it's different to the norm for TTH, and it looks balanced enough to work.
Mcrifel has placed a large amount of small detail throughout the PNG and this is brilliant stuff. The bushes were applied highly complementary, and some are even layed ontop of others. I must mention that curvature of the fundamental map shape looks mildly-awkward, but I'm only talking about shaving a few blocks off here, placing a few there to tone it up.
The two islands aren't routed to a grounded surface, which can sometimes make such items look bad. But I believe a noble attempt was made with the dirt-background perimeter painted at the bottom to keep things befitting.
I am in two minds about the floating splotches of dirt-background down the centre-line however. I think they look somewhat disagreeable. This feature of the map is a good idea. I want to see quirky artefacts here and there. But it's too much, and I would want to see more of the pieces neatly linked to a surface. In cases like this some floating background bits can be nice. Here I believe it's too extreme and unfortunately blights the map.
The large bunkers I cannot see an obvious use for. But they don't do any harm, and strangely the terrain looks better for them, not worse.
There are two bombers in the map. They make the place look characterful, and albeit they can't fly far, but they'll still be useful in a quick bend over the peaks.
Overall this is bold and brilliant work. The best I've seen from said pair of hands.

-Maps by @ffsff

War on Water - 7.8

The originality is greatly pleasing. It's glorious when you have a construction like this establishing such a different vibe when you're playing.
In terms of physical attractiveness it's overall shape is balanced perfectly. I like my dirt-background to be carved with elegance. The micro-detail is for all intents and purposes flawless. I think slightly toned-down in detail considering the user's previous work. I'm in favour of this however because it's a soothing break from the extreme level of intricacy ffsff has brought with much of his other work. Not all maps need to be seriously intense. But it is superbly nice to see some.
With the nature of the bedrock-heavy terrain, the halls will be hard fought for and builders are an absolute must.
I've basically said so far this map is perfect so why is it not even higher than a 7.8? The two halls in the middle are hard to maintain. They can be drowned very easily. This makes it under most circumstances a 4-hall map in which each of those are on the far sides. Good solid centre halls are important in TTH. Nevertheless I shouldn't be too picky. It's a strong map and originally made as a CTF. He gave us a TTH option only after being asked to by us and fit the halls in extraodinary well given the task.

Nuclear fallout - 7 (ams: 8)

Review by @kodysch: Where do I begin? Well in this map it's in the bottom corners, respectively, and that's just where the fun starts. I spent about 20 minutes crawling through underground tunnels finding hidden supply rooms and various traps awed by the detail( and hidden story) that a kag map can have. emerging from my fallout bunker under ground I saw a torn landscape with broken bridges and mangled buildings I couldn't help but think to myself "this is what open world Kag would be like." This map is HUGE and really gives you the feeling of exploration as you navigate the post-apocalyptic environment. Which being said has it's drawbacks when you have a game mode with fast paced action and combat in mind. This map is really something to look at (Just look at that .PNG it's like pixel art that you can play kag on) ,but I feel it would loose players interest if played like a CTF.

Nuclear Highway - 7.25 (ams 8.3)

Extreme and intense are appropriate words.
I have to be impressed by this concept. It's unbelievable.
I'm going to make a criticism for this that I've never made before for any map...
The eye-candy is too much! We've not receieved a map before this (and Nuclear Fallout) that's been marked down because of too much detail. Weldone for confusing me.
Man I don't like those cables. I get the idea, but I want to play maps in KAG that look right for KAG! As a piece of art-work, the impressiveness reaches the sky, but as a level, I'm afraid it's not the same quality.
7 is however a good score, and it's an 8.3 for alternative map score. If there was an art map score, this would be a 9+.
Appart from the middle hall, the rest are very hard to attack... fortified by bedrock. Both ends of the map have a natural base (with corridors etc) built into the moutain-side. For TTH this would appear tremendously OP. Travel tunnels aren't available to make the job easier, and the middle pit-stop hall is around 250 blocks away from this location. The war will last for an age.
There's still plenty to be joyful about. The raised platforms look gorgeous, and provide something I've not played before or seen. I like the patch of stone at the bottom corners, there's something very wholesome about those areas.
Not a fragment of this map is plain or graceless.
It's an over-the-top wonder. You must take the slight downfalls, with the incredible craftsmanship.

-Single map by @Vamist

Bread - 6.7

The look is rather perculiar. Made up of bizarre islands linked and mostly held-up by spindly dirt-background segments. Kind of like a bunch of mangled spiders squashed onto a piece of paper.
To get anywhere on this level you better understand how to work with heights because 3/5 of the halls are air-bourne.
I rate this as a respectably strong map that probably won't suit newer players. It's hard-going and undoubtedly fighting your way upwards is an ardent factor in the scene. Not easy.
Even archers don't have a trouble-free time because some of the gaps are too far to make that grapple hook connect. I like how this shakes up the typical strategy selection and gives you something to think about.
Some criticism: The dirt background needs a little shaving and suring up as it looks frumpy in parts. I get the sensation the island shapes don't complement each other greatly. The micro-detail is decent enough, but nothing lept out at me. Mapers must work hard to give the impression of a beautiful spontaneity in the small scale arrangements. They must mix it up without it being messy. A tough task.
Ending on some positive thoughts... This is a distinctive level. It hasn't flocked with the crowd. It presents fresh tactical challenges and is perhaps a thinking man's level.

-Single map by @Nand

Zeal - 6.5

Well what can I say. It's a fairly unconventional map. My favourite part: the tenuous snickets on the very bottom level undeneath the giant islands. If I catch this map I might spend all my time there. Hanging out. Chilling by the waterfalls. Jumping passersby like a highwayman. A super-cool scene Nand, nice one.
Weirdly, this piece of work may be unconventional, but it plays very conventionally atleast at first. There are some eccentric features above and below the default battle ground, but making effective use of them isn't a straight-forward deal. There's not a lot of dirt-background in this map at all! I'm not implying this is bad, but due to it, the special areas are not easy to make much of. What ends up as a result is mostly a conflict on a flattish surface sliced into a few parts where you'll have to jump to reach the next bit. With some fortified walls and wear of dirt, teams may be forced to take a different approach but it won't be easy!
There are a fair few flowers. Plenty on the upper portion. For some reason I'm feeling they would do better on the lower deck, but I'm not too sure why. Perhaps because I want some company down there when I play the map. The tiny details are reasonably pretty throughout... better than average.
A nice battle-scene.


#TDM 7



FULL MAP IMAGES (of new TDMS)

-Single map by @kodysch

Archer 4 - 7

A simple, more or less perfectly balanced TDM.
The score would be higher if it were bigger. However it was intended for 1v1, so we can't complain.
It's pretty obvious the gold is only for the benefit of the PNG point of view, as 95% of it you can't see on ground level. However the little splotches you can see give the level that extra shine. Gold is a great piece of eye-candy to sprinkle around a map sometimes... infact a lot of the time.
The trap blocks in the middle lend a witty element that adds a nice touch to the map. The background for the stoney composition is artful, with the right balance of 3 background pieces. The corners at the top are clever - I think they provide a comforting presence. Only a couple of trees; this is the right amount for a small level. The water pools are just sweet sweet sweet eyecandy and darn good to add to overall picture.
Okay so I listed a few things. It's a smashing map. I'm sure he knows it, hehe.

-Maps by @MCrifelMIST

Plates - 4.5

When you take a look at most TDMs they have a lot of going on. Springs, one-way blocks, doors, water, trap-blocks, etc. It's a chance for mappers to dream up more lively levels as builders won't be there to knock them down. This is a very plain map for this gamemode. There needs to be more factors implanted because in this case the battle scenes will be sameish most of the time.
Throw this map in with a bunch of intricate ones and it may be appreciated as a map played every once in a while... But as a TDM in of itself, it looks uneventful and bland.
As a positive however, I like the rocky, underground tectonic plates theme.

Vulcano

Review by @kodysch: As far as TDM maps go this has a good amount of flat surfaces mixed with options for further elevation gaining and lowering for evading. The map has a lot of shiny gold on it and You can clearly see the makers inspiration for the piece. Unfortunately the map sufferers from a lack of fluidity, the ability to move around the map without getting caught on a corner; it also has a lot of camping heavy spots that would make for unfair play or campfests. Having more movement pathways in the middle would help with that some, while balancing out the "platforming" aspect of the map. Archers are very favored on the map and if it were an archer only map a lot of the complaints would be moot.


#CTF 11

 

FULL MAP IMAGES (of new CTFs)

-Maps by @fire1000111

Farcon - 4.3 (ams: 7.4)

The size!... Restricts it from a pallatable score. It has to be that way. On the other hand the Alternative Map Score lends itself kindly to Fire1000111 as you can clearly see.
I've played this beast on mmc CTF. It's nice and adventurous. The cave system will have you smirking a keanly if you're successful down there, or ripping out your arm-pit hair in a rage.
The macro-structure of the terrain is nice and natural.
This map isn't mirrored. Both the sides are different, and I would have to say the left has a consumate advantage on their side with the cave under the hulking slab of dirt - advantageous travel-tunnel protection. The right side in that area just gets a weak stone structure, therefore a a penalty of 0.5 is taken.
Otherwise Good work. It's a lovely fun undertaking with a CTF context IMO.

Farcon Small - 5.1 (would be 5.6 without weighty flag-imbalance)

This is a bit more appropriate for normal CTF conditions that the larger Farcon, but at 532 blocks wide it's not exactly quaint.
This map hasn't received an 'ams' because it wouldn't be much higher than the regular score. I also think it's less fun than the bigger map because it lacks the giant sky island, plus long up-hill (literally) battles can get dreary.
It is better for regular CTF play than the original Farcon, but not by a great deal. But also it's not nearly close to being as fun.
By chopping up the first one (the first being designed to be fun) to make this, what I said above is almost inevitable.

Floodgates - 4.65 (ams: 7.8)

For a normal CTF game this would irritate a lot of people. I don't mean to speak abruptly but this is very much a fun CTF map rather than a regular.
On the very very plus side it does looks extremely fun. The giant hole can be filled up with the water source located in the two thin slots on both sides of the arrangement. All you have to do is chop away a few blocks and pop! It comes out. This is engrossing.
To win on this map you'll most likely need a good plan, as the mass of wet stuff will likely prevent a standard knight siege from gaining much quarter. The tunnels and caves will host shenanigans and captivating play - they add a lot of value.
The shape of the map doesn't look quite as natural as the rest of Fire1000111's submission set. It's still a compelling map.

Game of Thrones - 4.7 (ams: 7.1)

It's 900 wide!
I'm pleased we've got these mammoths. They are in their own style and are pretty fun.
The cave system is effectively the same as Farcon's, and I rather like the way it's done.
The surface on top is very flat, which isn't always a bad thing. Atleast this way people will only have horizontal troubles getting to the flag (due to shear scale).
The buildings add a certain radiance to the place.
There's something about Fire1000111's maps that map me feel cheerful when I see them.

GoT Small - 5.3

This is a shortened version of Game Of Thrones. A better score is given because the size is more appropriate for your standard CTF experience. The fun map score would be less than that of the larger version so it isn't given here. I will add this: The caves are highly satisfying, but it's hard to work up the will to trek them given how long you know you have to travel. Especially when the surface is relatively undemanding and easy to walk accross. The structures won't last long and the natural surface is basically free and flat.

LOTR - 5.25 (without flag imbalance: 5.6) (ams: 8.1)

Well I reviewed the map already in a TTH context. For his CTF version you can see the underground is much deeper. I like this because in CTF travel tunnels are available and those deeper routes become more sensical.
The map would have fared better with a more interesting surface, as it is relatively flat, but as I've said before, this user's cave systems are a delight, however not much applicable to a short or medium game.
This scored much better for a Fun CTF context. Of course the reason is the that map is so epic scale, unless there's a big team imbalance, it'll be a long one and many will stray and do their own thing. I won't say anymore, this is only a short commentary.

LOTR2 - 5.8 (6.3 without gold imbalance) ams: 8.3

There is a large gold imbalance. The right side has a serious advantage both in amount and easy locatability. For this the score was lowered by 0.5 points.
As you can see the ams is higher in this CTF context than the TTH. The reason being you can travel-tunnel the caves. This opens more game dynamics.
I would have been very fond of seeing a couple of flags in the arena at the bottom centre.

Water Stronghold - 4.1 (ams: 6.9)

This map was reviewed thoroughly in a TTH context. I think due to the nature of it, whether it's a CTF or TTH game the play-style will be about the same.

-Maps by @ffsff

Underground Jungle - 6.5

From the viewpoint of the PNG or minimap this looks... rather arty.
I appreciate what's been done here. It's a different sort of map and it played decently on the server. Quite a fast-paced one.
I adore the middle cavern. I think the placement of the flags there is brilliant. Because of the bedrock covering it, it hosts it's own little confrontations away from the rest of the outlook. An astute player might notice there are a couple of thin bedrock gaps to dig through to break into it as an alternative to the entrance
I think the essential features of this level unavoidably limit the gameplay in ways that in-kind limit the score to a 6.5. Knights in particular may get aggravated by a lot of the gameplay being falling on other knights or being fallen on themselves.
A gracious and fresh piece of work however.

Vertical Rush - 6.7 (ams: 8.3)

Well the first thing to mention is that there's splendid doodad useage on the surfaces. The next thing would be that the regular score for this map is downgraded because it would produce a fairly quick and snappy game. Though the alternative map score is very high.
It's called vertical rush. I think this is also a succinct description of the gameplay.
Appart from discussing more about the eye-candy, I don't know what there is to outline that isn't obvious. The combat is about dominating the middle island enough to grab the flags - a simple yet captivating concept. I don't know if the tucked away gold will be worth diverting man-power to attain. It's not doing any harm where it is though.
Graphically the map as a whole is very well balanced and pleasing to the eye.
This will be a gratifying treat to players whenever it comes up in the server rotation.

Standpoint - 5.6 (ams: 7.8)

As with vertical rush, but even more so here; this map speaks for itself. There are only 2 flags, 1 red, 1 blue. An 'un-backgrounded' gorge in the middle (of about 30 blocks wide, so bridging is possible).
Both flags are under a bit of dirt and actually further away from each other than the spawns. This you don't see very often.
I think it's a sweet idea. I am waiting forward to seeing it in-game. The regular map score can't be too high because it's only 80 blocks wide and far too simple to apprehend more points.
The alternative map score is high because if people are looking for a quick scrappy game, then this map would score 7.8 in that particular context.
There actually being gold on this map is funny to me. It's almost as if it was just meant for myself and Guro to see in the PNG file because it's unlikely much if any at all will be excavated.

Bottleneck - 6.5

Revew by @kodysch: Everybody loves a tunnel map? Right? Ffsff has made a lovely map here. Twin pathways for a varied push, and three flags for some leeway. The stone placement not being crazy and places for you to drop in between bedrock spans to find gold for tunnels. The bedrock will force teams to pick a path and go for it. The lack of light top tunnel makes for a dimly lit kill zone illuminated only by the fuses of kegs and bombs. While the bottom a more lighted area but most likely to share the same fate as the top but by builder hands. If you haven't played a tunnel map before this would be a not to big not to small Goldie Locks map for you .

-Single map by @Wolf_Huscarl

3sUdG0i - 6.3

There's something nice and sweet about this map. I really like how each mapper has their own style.
As you can see the eye-candy is done adeptly with a good balance of different blocks from the pallette.
I like the water-feature in the middle top. It's kept under control by a couple of bedrock slithers, however it's not impossible to flood basically the whole map... Is this bad? It'd take a lot of effort to make it happen, but I personally approve of that idea. Why not have a map every once in a while that could possibly flood in it's entirity! Be reminded it's not something that has a high-chance of happening, and with the nature of this map's gameplay mechanics, there won't be that much time for it to occur either. Not to mention I suspect this will also be a "scrappy" scenario, henceforth not much chance to dig a water passage out through the side of the hill.
If you grab the middle you have an advantage. I wouldn't say a "supreme" advantage however because the small dirt clump arrangements below the flags provide some natural defence to utilize against an assault from a captured centre.
I quite like this map. I do! It's simple, dynamic and looks fun. It didn't reach that prestigious '7+' mark because it lacks (only slightly), enough of a natural feel and also enough varied detail.

-Maps by @ThE_HeRo

Raised Island - 5.8

We've seen plenty of original concept ideas from this user... And here's another!
When I first looked my reaction was "Ehh, there's hardly any detail, surely something crucial has been left out". Nope everything's there; the gold, stone, flags, spawnpoints... Hey wait a second, there aren't any trees! Opinions can vary, but I in fact admire the "No-tree zone". I think it works well when you consider in the middle there's a big cave. Not having tree-farms and the like will make it harder to spam wooden-based blocks clogging it up, avoiding a highly descriminating builder war. I'm assuming of course this was the reason, rather than them being forgotten :P. Only joking.
The underwater section, my oh my. I think it's beautiful. While you're playing it strikes you as quite dark and mysterious. It'll be a hard task to pull off an attack via the wet-depths, as darkness and no natural breathing holes don't make for a straightforward combination. I can see more experienced and intrepid players being able to use this route for a suprise assault.
The level looks a bit bare on the finer details. The surface is in essence just grass ontop of dirt. It's amiable sometimes to encounter levels that are somewhat more plain than the intensely detailed types, but I think here it's a shame the eye-candy is so paltry.
Having most of the stone together in one mass is nifty - this makes it even less congenial to spam the middle because you won't be able to mine much stone on-site to then make doors etc... it'll be mostly imported from elsewhere.
In closing, the fundamental structure of the map is slick and innovative. The eye-candy is a big shame. The water element is kind of eerie but breath-taking - it makes me wish there were more marine life in KAG. Imagine if there was a dangerous octopus lurking in the deep. Heh. The average score for this map is a bit lower than what I scored it, as you might be able to tell from the review.

Aged Wargrounds - 6.8 (ams: 8.3)

I've had the pleasure to play this ingenius level several times online, and it's grown on me...
The first thing you might pay attention to is the extreme shape. This will be offputting to some, but I promise you, weirdly you don't encounter an unbreakable stalemate. It's certainly a job to fetch the flag (only 1 to grab), but it's by no means impossible as it happens and without taking that long either. Yes the flags are darn high-up - just a little higher than the bottom of the gold on the floating islands, but they're keanly placed because this is not "too high up", there are even smallish island stepping stones to aid in reaching the area. Also the space between the flags and the flag-owner's spawn points is reasonable and not too nearby.
I won't say much about the large floaters. They're fun if you can get to them but I'm yet to see anyone make a tactical use for them. Potentially you could build a tall wall and catapult knights off from an extreme height enabling them to clear the bottom war front and strike deep within the opposing teams territory. A tactic I think not many would wish to plan and carry out. But still it sounds effective.
Okay so let's move on to the bottom flat. It gives you such an odd feeling when you're down there. You know full well how high the rest of the level is and that there's another world involving islands and moutainsides going on not too far away. The bottom also has a comforting personality. There's a church, a couple of bison, some chickens and neutral spikes on stone blocks. Bison aren't everyones favourite thing to see in a map, but they oddly work to kind of delay the progress of the game for the a little bit in order to get everyone to relax and have fun at first! This is what I've found.
As a fun map, the score speaks firmly, but it's also good for regular play aswell. What a brilliantly engineered versatile construction this is!

Falcon's Breath - 7.3

Some maps in KAG are refined, well-contained and decidedly neat-looking. This is one of these.
To me there are no parts that look awkward or uncouth. It looks like it knows what it's supposed to be. Some others have submitted maps to the competition that contain this ultra pleasing quality, but perhaps only 6 users. Weldone ThE_HeRo for making that list with this tidy piece.
It's kind of like a small fun-house with a couple of short flattish gardens to the side. All I would say to you is just look at the composition of the centre piece. Various routes to take, knights get reasonable easy access throughout. The whole thing looks correct to the eye, and highly functional for an enthralling game.
It would be nice to see some bedrock planted in areas. I sometimes notice things in maps that are missing and normally found in the best ones, and almost want to jump in right away and say "ah now this is missing here", but I usually try to hold myself back because what we don't want is everyone to follow a very similar formula e.g. berock must be here, trees in this amount, waters done like this etc. Maybe it's a nice factor in this to not have any bedrock present, I don't know. But I believe with a map as good as this, I'd like to see it widthstand the erosion forces of battle for a little longer, because its so nice.
I am having to dig deep to find honest criticism, but another element I've noticed is the tunnel below looks to some extent bland. I think a good idea would be to throw in the occassional regular stone block to break up the long line of mossy ones. I can see though that he's slipped in some thin dirt background holes I believe for this purpose. Just a slight (not much!) amount more "mixing-up" in that sector and I'll be off your back.
I'll make a quick last point: The abundance of trees and bushes suits the style of this CTF very nicely. Good decision.

Cave - 5.1 (ams: 8.3)

It's a bit of a damp cave! Man that water must be stale... However this map certainly isn't!
It can't get the best score because it's just too small to be great in a regular CTF context. But if you are looking for a quick scrappy close-knit CTF game, ergo tiny CTF, this scores an 8.3.
I am liking a heck of a lot that the water doesn't have a bed below. The fact you can fall through the bottom really does add something gratifying to this - this is a dangerous cave.
Do you know what else I'm liking the heck out of? The sky opening at the top. This is one of the most beautiful scenes I've seen in this competition, it would score a 9.5/10 if that part were to be judged alone. Ofcourse it's beauty is created by the contrast of the dark damp cave below it, so they both must go together anyway.
Yep those stalagmites pointing down from the roof are a big plus aswell. Smart idea.
I think I'll leave it at that. It's a nice quality wild-card to have in the contest submissions that's brought more colour to this competition.

 

-Maps by @Shadowor

Serpent - 6.6

Well when you look at the PNG you notice a lovely array of colour accross the design, and in terms of mixing up the surface eye-candy the user is really starting to nail this everytime.
There's no doubt this will be a decent CTF to have on a server, but it has a big flaw...
It appears awkward in shape. I feel like because of the roofs and two levels all squeezed into a 53-block high format it leaves knights and archers seldom room to stretch their legs. Add this to the copass volume of bedrock installed liberally around the map and you'll have close-quarter fights being overly dominant. The shear compactness of the structure will repress the the fighting classes to only a small variety of engagements. It could be repetitive. Cave maps (such as the ones from 8x) obviously include this feature, but they empower builders at the same time. I'm not sure builders here are given the same level of license because despite it being a compressed level, there aren't many nooks and crannies to work with.
So I've been quite tough just then. I want to qualify the above text with some much more positive points. It looks to be a very tactical pursuit. Teams have to worry about both the top and lower level and strategic locations are easy to establish and make use of. Also to throw in an intense 'toe-to-toe' scenario such as this to a server map-list is worthwhile to vary the play. Finally the eye-candy detail is nearing sublime.
6.6 I think is a suitable score.

Island Coast - 7.3

When it comes to making a top map, one of the key ingredients is building it to look like a natural landscape. I think Island Coast showcases this factor quite respectably.
I'm finding it hard to make many comments here. It's a good honest map.
The two tallish stacks of dirt clusters and stone-block will create a quick-witted clash in the middle. If both sides set up a defensive point at these locations the antics that would occur between such close team-walls I think will be gripping to watch at the least. High defensive walls this nearby don't usually occur in KAG without the help of landscape.
Low-depth tunnelling is possible, and partly encouraged as there's a couple of pre-formed semi-tunnels covering about half the width. With this factor in mind and the small size of the level, it won't take long before this is turned into a wasteland if the numbers are high.
It's an island coast so there's bound to be some water. The blue matter is laid around in puddles. These puddles can expand a fair bit, but are mildly controlled by some underground bedrock.
This is a nice solid very likeable map. It's not pushing any boundaries, but shows many aspects of how good maps can be made. Oh yes and I like how the stone is spread around lightly. This suits the concept as it lessens the amount of pure-dirt to be seen and makes it feel more like a coast.

Crater - 7.3

I like the way the underground snippets have been made - full of detail. This level is a fairly hard-structured one, where there's plenty of bedrock implanted in many places, this tends to create a lot of travel tunnel positions that are easy to set-up and defend. It's relatively flat although you must journey up a shallow incline to reach to the middle.
The crater is interesting. It has a lot of character and simultaneously is a sound defence position.
I think on some of this users maps there are too many raised blobs of dirt. I believe this one would be better off without the two that are closest to the crater complex. It'd look better and highlight the crater moreso.
The stone is dotted about thinly and spaciously all around the shop. I believe this aids in making the scenario quite aggressive in nature, alongside the short map height; grabbing tough stoney building materials isn't as easy and there's little head-room to build great walls with it - causing folks to favour attacking more, as defence is made less cost-effective.
The map height is very short for the length of the level. I think it's nice to see short-height maps. They provide a different experience to medium or tall maps, but I would have liked to see Shadowor vary his submissions a little more because it seems almost all his maps are dwarfs on the vertical side of things.
It has a very good score and weldone for achieving yet another 7+.

Phobos - 6.5

Review by @kodysch: Another one of shadowr's maps this one being a lovely little map with two flags and a semi-flat landscape. The small size and tent placement makes for fast matches and resources are spread nicely making builders dig under ground to get at stone, consequently finding some small caverns where gold can be found. The middle is the KAG standard with it's gold and stone for contention and has a spot that i'd bet tunnels would frequently be built at. The landscape is nicely foliated, but has a lot of hills that make fluid movement across the map a bumpy occasion, this could be the map makers intention, but i feel that the surfaces could be smoothed without sacrificing design whilst making for more enjoyable combat for all classes. A good map for any rotation nicely blending in with other maps of it's style.

Black Sewer - 7

This is another pretty one from the short-height mapper Shadowor.
MAN we have seen many a map with mossy stone-block underground rooms. Everyone seems to love stuffing them in. This is something I've unfortunately grown weary of in this contest. It's getting so repetitive, and forumlaic. They look good! I know, but they're becomming as common as weeds. I hate to bring this up during this user's commentary, but the thought came to mind. Should we ask the KAG team if they can create a new fancy stone block for the next update?
Okay so now I'll get to the short critique. Well it's another pleasant map. I've noticed the middle tactical point is not complemented with stone this time round, it's wood. Good job mixing things up. I appreciate that the grain plants are located on the centre turf, and the two side parts are covered with trees, bushes and a flower. This is clever placement that clearly shows a thought process behind doodads. I think sometimes mappers place them all completely at random - which sometimes shows up badly. Not all the time though.
The two underground openings I'm not fond of. I have tried myself to install similar features to maps, but they somehow look wrong when you're in the actual game. They don't look that bad, and actually have some charm about them, however overall I'm not too kean.
When it comes to the crunch this is a good map. It's got just about all you want for a standard good game, and not all mappers are able to produce this humble but solid level of material.

-Single map by @H3llO

Terminaphany-D4 - 7 (ams: 9)

Review by @kodysch: As you Zelda fans out there might notice this map has a very artistic approach to CTF. The map features a rather tall tent spawn that would make navigation to the bottom flag fast but dangerous with a straight forward landscape full of backwall to add onto and a slight depression in mid that has enough gold to make Blackbeard want to play it. The sky is dominated by a Moon that by the strength of three brave souls Is halted just in time for you to Capture the flags( one of them being in Nose of the moon.) It is possible to build your way up, but the triforce is a powerful thing indeed... this maps is very nicely done with spot on art and some water ways that no doubt have some water temple frustration inspirations in them. A fun map to look at, but because of the flags in the nose and and a tendency of art to get in the way of function I can see people losing interest after a while.
Quick commentary by @daskew87: I am utterly amazed with this one. I genuinely think it would go down a treat as a fun adventurous map and also in a normal CTF context despite the high climb to reach two of the flags. It's aswell an incredible piece of art and gloriously original.

-Maps by @MCrifelMIST

Raised City - 6.3

Heh, nice uniqueness.
I'll start with the eye-candy and artistic merit as this would seem to be the easier aspect to judge with such a wild-card map.
On the whole I think it looks very well put together. Everything is well contained and packed in attractively. On the micro-level the visually appealing side is decent but not the best possible. The surface details aren't as distinguished as they could be, but I have another perspective on this... Maybe it's a good thing they aren't: Perhaps I'm not thinking clearly, but this CTF is surreal as it is. The three large dirt shapes housing all the content are quite cartoonish in dimensions. I do not mean this as a criticism, but since the level has a bizzare feel to it already (including the idiosyncratic buildings plopped in the centre), adding further natural-character tucked in the dirt or settled on the top would contrast with the style. I think this goes to show that when you're dealing with the topic of mapping, it's best to deal in guidelines rather than rules because normally I want to see more natural appearing finer details, but not here.
In terms of gameplay I'd imagine this'll be a gritty encounter in where the first portion of the game builders will be absolutely essential. I appreciate the tunnel systems below the stone-work. They're immensely tactical, and a good idea.
I like this map more than the average score. It's helpful to mention this as the commentary sounds better than the number.

Underground jungle - 6

Woahhh, hold the phone... what's all that background doing?
So I believe we have another floating background situation on our hands. Is this concept inherently bad? No I don't think so; it's incredible what can be made to look applicable with the right use of map-features. Do I think the forest of dots meets the grade here? Regrettably no. It just doesn't seem right, and I'm saying this with a relatively open-mind. I must stress - this is not a rule! You can use floating background pieces in your work if you want to, just take on board that you'll have to figure out how to make it work, and it may not be easy. The spirit behind giving this idea a go in this level is admirable though. It's the right attitude - try stuff out!
If we can put asside the floating glories for now, what do I think about the rest of this work? It's pleasingly dissimilar to other stuff I've seen. It's kind of a cave map, but not quite! A fair portion of the fighting will be done on built materials, as the undulating structure of the level greatly encourages bridge creation to make travel easier, and indeed safer. I would add that the difficult ground to travel on complements the higher up building.
I'm not a fan of the overall shape. It has that look about it, the one that reminds you it's not a seemless landscape, but something a person on a computer has put together. Obviously we know this, but it's not easy to get 'lost' in this map, is what I'm saying. Oddly enough however, I think the gameplay that comes out is actually enjoyable and refreshing. Teams must be on the lookout for attack strategies from above because the dirt background gives builders a vertical edge. Ofcourse archers will relish the additional possibilities of play the roofs bring. In summary the dirt-background and roofs bring some rarely seen battle-factors giving players a refreshing style of game that now I've come accross, would be happy if I saw a little more of in KAG.
A good idea, with some improvable aspects in it's implementation.

Tower - 5.95

This is a solid map with some intense components. An easy observation is the spikey hills. I think they could benefit from their centre-facing sides chisselled slightly so that they aren't as straight. They're too imposed on the terrain. I would try to carve them in a tiny bit more. Make them look more randomised in the finer aspects of the shapes.
The fortification in the middle I have absolutely no quarms about, it's just about picture-perfect.
I'm liking the flag rush thrown in. Two flags in the middle only 25 blocks appart. This can kick a game off to a turbo-start. This is nice to see every once in a while.
I kind of feel like there should be some dirt-background (not much) wrapped around bits of the spikey hills. To me it looks as if they need a bit of dressing to lessen their severity. As a feature however I am fond of the concept. Just blend them in more! It would only take a light touch, they wouldn't need to be dispatched from their original form.
I won't say anymore, just that the water adds some beauty down below.

Crater - 6.3 (ams: 7.8)

I have to say that this looks really really good. In terms of visual appealingness, it's top-stuff - really neat and crafted finely, verging on a master-piece.
The difficulty is it's hard to have a good varied game with a concept like this. Most of the gameplay would be players bobbing along the water's surface fighting in a straight line from left to right and visa versa full of mostly knights (as archers hate to get wet). The flags are well-placed, right near the water's edge - making it less of a stalemate than it would otherwise be had the flags been more widthdrawn.
The underground passage is adorable, however I'm not sure it's particularly useful. I can see a sneaky attack via setting up a travel tunnel base close to their flag, but this seems very tough to pull off. Also, tunnel tugs of war can last ages, reaching the end may be gruelling at best. It's a pleasant feature in any case.
Talking about the micro-level eye-candy, here it's is almost the best you can find. The blocks have been blended masterfully.
I think the stone-mining sections at the far ends are a smart idea aswell.

...

Now it's time for the...

...

Additional awards segment​

The leaderboards don't tell the whole story. But there are also 5 extra awards!

(All following awards are worth 1 code each)

"Man Of The Map" award
This is an award for the mapper who produced the most high-quality material during the contest.

It goes to @Shadowor.
He sent us loads of 6+ maps and even a few 7+ maps. His submission count in total was over 30 maps and made this contest that much better for it.

"How did that work!?" award
This goes to @awesomedudesam for giving us this one:

Bottom Of The Sea

At first it was overlooked. However after seeing it in-game a few times it was clear this map was something special. The gameplay is beautiful and highly suprising. So weldone.

The Holy *$&%! award
This is an award for the most intense and spectacular maps we've received that are noteworthy on an arty level.

The award goes to both the following users with the following maps:

Terminaphany-D4 - by @H3llO


Nuclear Fallout - by @ffsff


-Congratulations guys for shocking the crap out of us

"Cheerful maps" award
This one goes to the mapper who filled their levels with character and quirkiness, and all round happiness!
Weldone @fire1000111. Your maps were quite special. You came in late to the game but gave us some lovely maps towards the end. Your maps scored low on the regular score, but high in the alternative score.

"Ideas man" award
This is for the mapper who impressed us with the largest body of original concepts.
...Congratulations @ThE_HeRo
I just adore your stuff. Good work dude!

Official winners declaration​

You saw them on the boards. But here are your winners for Guro and Daskew's Map Making Contest!

...

//////////1sts
@ffsff (TTH)
@Skinney (TDM)
@ffsff (CTF)

//////////2nds
@Vamist, @MCrifelMIST (TTH)
@kodysch (TDM)
@kodysch (CTF)

/////////3rds
@Nand, @Shadowor (TTH)
@Joiken (TDM)
@Ej (CTF)

The codes will be on their way!

...

I want to thank @Guro for suggesting this idea to me and helping with the scores (+ a few reviews). Also @kodysch who passionately wanted to contribute towards the end with a few reviews of his own.

Thanks to @FuzzyBlueBaron for giving me a secret space to develop this BIG post.

All the winners of this 2-month long contest have now been revealed!

Thanks everyone for submitting well over 130 maps!

This is daskew87 signing out as contest host. Steps will be taken to see if any can turn into defaults.

Bye folks

 

Yeah but, who won the spoon? :D.

 

I look at this contest as a huge event for many reasons. An enormous work has been put into this both by hosts and contestants. The community showed that they can make a lot of awesome map. The winners actually won something.
I love making maps, and I was able to do it here for a purpose. I got better in it due to feedbacks and encouraging. Epic contest, thank you everyone for making it possible and participating.
(I would like to have more of those art maps )

 

Well done guys :)

 

And weldone to you "Cheerful maps" man