AlphabetVille – The sixth and LAST 6×10 Mapping Competition

5th October 2012

Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3

Welcome to the sixth and LAST mapping competition in the 6×10 series.

For this competition I want you to use the shapes of the English alphabet as the basis of the layout for the map. You can also use the lambda symbol.

Some clarification:

  • The shape can be solid, meaning the player moves around them.
  • The shape can be created by using solids so that the players moves within the shape of the letter.
  • The shape can be hollow, so the the player moves within the shape of the letter.

Any font can be used but you can only use one font.

I will play the map and then noclip to view the layout from various angles to ensure that letter shapes have been used.

I recognize that this may seem a little strange and confusing, so if you have any questions or doubts, please don’t hesitate to ask.

THE JUDGING

The winner will be the map that uses the shapes of letters to build the most interesting and creative layout and design. Unlike some other competitions I have run, this one will not give combat as much weight in the judging.

RULES

The standard 6×10 rules apply, make sure you read them.

You MUST include a readme.txt file with your map. No readme.txt, no chance to win.

The readme.txt should include your name, the map’s name, the font name used, your website and any other details you think I should know.

Reminder 1: You may use any font you wish, but you can only use ONE font.

Remidner 2: You MUST include the font name you based the letters on in the readme.

If you have any questions about the theme or judging, just ask.

Sponsor and Prize

This competition has no sponsor but I will award the winner one copy of Hard Reset Extended Edition, worth 13.49 Euros.

CLOSING DATE

6PM GMT 15th October 2012

As usual, if you have any questions, please use the comments system below or email me directly: [email protected].

Please make sure you READ the main rules!

Visit the 6×10 Mapping Competition Series homepage for full details of the event and the rules.

33 Comments

  1. Does everything have to be a letter? Can I have for example flat ground and a house shaped as A?

    1. No, everything doesn’t have to be a letter. Just the layout should look like a letter shape. Yes, you can have the example you gave.

  2. MisterAddy

    Wow this is a really weird theme. As I mentioned I won’t be able to enter this one myself, but best of luck to everyone else.

  3. The readme must contain the font used? Isn’t that a little arbitrary. I mean, the mapper can’t import blocks the shape of a particular font, so how can they give a name for it, unless they are just really good at copying 2d fonts onto 3d blocks?

    1. The read me must contain the font name.

  4. The_Blazer

    English alphabet? Pity, it would be cool to use the lambda letter…

    About the font… is the good ol” simple Arial all right? Will fancy fonts grant extra points?

    1. Arial is fine, fancy fonts don’t get any extra credit. Okay, let’s add the Lambda symbol too.

  5. s.anchev

    Maybe an example of “AlphabetVille” is Mistake of Pythagoras with its giant floating stone numbers…

    1. No, that’s not what I am looking for. It’s the layout that should be decided by the letters, not just models within the maps.

  6. Ade

    yea shapes and models would be too easy, even I mapped my name like every other newbie 😀 I like this (fresh) layout idea but you don’t specify how many letters are needed, 1, a few or all 😛

    1. I don’t specify because the number of letters used is up to the mapper. It could be one huge “W” or six “A”s, it’s their choice.

  7. Does the map have to make sense? For example can we have big unecessary lava pools or acid pools?

    1. No, it doesn’t have to make sense. Yes, you can have lava and acid pools.

  8. Hec

    WOW this sounds so funky and cool. I hope to see some maps in crazy styles as in The Great Forever Tomorrow funky classic mod.

  9. Aaron

    Winner gets a steam game on me 🙂

    love this concept

  10. I’m kinda unsure if I want to enter this or not…

    1. How can I help convince you?

      1. Alrighty, I’ll try my best. Its kinda hard to come up with something though. I’ll have to use my brain on this one.

  11. Okay… I think I understand the concept here, but maybe some clarifications:

    1. Does the lettering have to follow a strict font, or can the designer make up a font that’s easier to design maps with (i.e. a very blocky font)?

    2. Does the overall level have to form the shape of a letter, or do letters just have to be present in the map? (you mentioned using noclip at the end to get the ‘layout’)

    1. 1. No, it doesn’t have to follow a strict font but take a quick look for “Block” or “square” fonts and you should find something to work with. I would prefer real fonts.

      2. No, the edges of the map could be square but the actual layout that the player interacts with should be based on the letter shapes. I’ll use noclip to make sure that is true.

  12. Man, I have zero Ideas on this one.

    1. Try randomly picking three letters and then see what interesting layouts you can make with a pencil and paper. Remember to think 2D *and* 3D. Get the layout and then think about textures etc.

    1. The A and the C are interesting but the rest are like most fonts.

  13. How much non-alphabetic is allowed? I mean, the basic layout, the area of my map that you are allowed to move in is a letter, I have letter-based obstacles and buildings but could I have “normal” buildings as well?

    1. Yes, you can have normal buildings as well. The overall layout should be based on letters, but you can also have some other elements too.

  14. The_Blazer

    One more clarification: If the main map layout is letter-based, but I have another distinct but smaller part of the map wich has nothing to do with letters, will I break the rules?

    1. No, that won’t break the rules.

  15. Im skipping this one too. I have 3 different AlphabetVille maps but Im so bored while mapping on them its crazy. No disrespect, just my opinion.

    EDIT: I changed my mind, I’ll do it, I felt bad after writing that.

    1. I have been really dry on ideas though but I got one just now. Think I can make a map in 3 days? How is the rules on size?

      1. Well, nothing too small of course, but it certainly doesn’t have to be huge either.

  16. I’m sorry, but 10 days is just not enough for me to make a map. Alot of my work gets scrapped before I’m happy and that’s what happened in this competition. I had 4 different maps and all got scrapped.

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