Blizzard's Map Contest

Didn't see a thread about this yet, so I guess I'll post it.

Blizzard are starting to pay more attention to us mapmakers. Along with creating some new modding pages, they started a mapmaking contest.

The deadline is in about one month, and the map has to be a short cinematic with a revenge theme and at least one action sequence.

More details: here.

Actual prizes eh? Interesting.






Pity this is a graveyard.

Damn. I was hoping to participate but it turned out to be a cinematic -.-

Yeah, and no custom models.

It seems they are considering updating that last bit to allow custom models... their main concern is copyright infrigment. Check the contest's forum thread or just the contest rules for any updates regarding this.

Although this may be the wrong place to say this, It would be really cool if someone made a REAL fighting scene. Not something like you would regularly fight in normal Wc3 maps.

hmn... cant wait for them to make a REAL contest :P not a whimpy cinematic contest! (no ofense to all you wonderfull cinematic crators!)

blizzards increased presance in the modding community is a wonderfull sight :D

There's nothing whimpy about making a cinematic, it can involve just as much technical endeavour as any other map type. However, I agree it's a primarily artistic challenge; as would be expected, after all, they would get rather few submissions if the contest required extensive JASS knowledge.

Instead, the contest is concieved more in a "any noob can enter" manner, to promote the mapmaking community. Sure, anyone can make a 5 minute cinematic... but the maps that actually get to win definitely won't be something anyone could make, they'll be great maps... even if "only" cinematics.

But why am I saying this... the more good mappers think this is beneath them, the less competition I'll have :) ... that is, if I choose to compete, if I don't decide this is beneath me. :)

heh i may enter. i have a good idea for a cinematic, involveing WoW culture (gank teh noob!!!!!!!!!111)

but a cinematic is not truly chalangeing.... i would liek to see contests involveing firmly based concepts (eg: chasers and runners maps) and make people create good, balanced versions of them :) (this helps the map making community, as well as the quality of maps that are played on battle.net.)

IMHO if you think making a cinematic isn't challenging, you haven't been setting your standards high enough.
Making a crap cinematic is easy.
Making something up to the standards of CotN or CotD (In my opinion the two best cinematic series.) is HARD.
You need to get the camera motion smooth, you need to time the action to the music.
You have to get the special effects set up just right, get the terrain looking smooth and real.
You need to be able to do good fading scene transitions.
This stuff is NOT easy.
You can make a crap cinematic with a camera that goes through trees, houses that are only about twice the height of a man, and terrain that is bumpy and crap and has no doodads in about half an hour.
Making a decent cinematic can take several days, even just for a five minute one.

Just my *calculates quickly* five and a half cents...

I agree. I also think that we haven't yet seen the best that can be done. If you do not think only about reaching the standards fo CotD, but also exceeding them, then you have a very serious task ahead of yourself. It is true, a cinematic requires a considerably different skillset than a playable map; however, while there are elements you don't need to pay attention to like balance, many aspects of the presentation that only come second in a playable map have to be pushed to their limits here.

you are infact correct... Cinematics are not easy, however they do lack a few of the basic mapmakeing "skills":
- Balance
- Playability
- Fun

now, a good cinematic can be fun. but im talking about gameplay fun. I hope blizzard hosts more map makeing competitions, includeing more cinematic contests.

Agreed. I'm glad to see everyone was reasonable. I was half expecting someone to say "OMG YOU THINK CINEMATICS R HARD!!!1!1! U N00B!!!11!"

Though, one thing... SOMETIMES you do need balance in cinematics, if you want to have mass battle scenes without triggering EVERYTHING, you need to make sure one side wins every time.

thats simple. you use 2 dummy players for the battle. if one sides food (the side that must win) drops to 0, send reenforcements for both sides. (more for the loosing side.)

dynamic cinematics for the win :P

Good trick, though I'd have used the "All units in unit group are dead" function on a periodical event. Your way is probably better though.
On another topic, someone should make a cinematic that has multiple possible endings, perhaps a battle that can go either way, and the ending differs depending on who wins...