“OMG, why is Phillip talking about the mapping challenges of 2018 already?”
Because the better planned they are the better prepared I am.

Anyway, the mapping challenges have proved quite successful for RTSL and it would be downright negligent if I didn’t start planning for next year.

I have been working on a calendar for the 2018 mapping challenges and wanted to share the first DRAFT with you to get feedback.

Please take a moment to read my thought process under the dates.

This post is mainly aimed at modders and mappers. I feel that the players have to fit in with the mappers in this case.

1st Jan to 21st Jan – Hammer Cup Challenge 1

                  9th/10th/11th Feb – 50/72-Hour Experimental Challenge

1st Mar to 21st Mar – Hammer Cup Challenge 2

                  30th Mar – 15th Apr – Black Mesa Challenge

1st May to 21st May – Hammer Cup Challenge 3

                  15th/16th/17th Jun – 50/72-Hour Experimental Challenge

1st Jul to 21st Jul – Hammer Cup Challenge 4

                  3rd Aug – 19th Aug – Black Mesa Challenge

1st Sep t 21st Sep – Hammer Cup Challenge 5

                  19th/20th/21st – 50/72-Hour Experimental Challenge

1st Nov to 21st Nov – Hammer Cup Challenge 6

                  Date TBC – Either a Black Mesa or Experimental Challenge

• The simpler the structure the easiest it is for everybody to plan. Therefore I have want to change the 19-day limit to 21, making it a full three weeks. Every full challenge will have 3 full weekends, although one is split.
• The change will mean that the challenges won’t all start of the same day. This IS a drawback but I feel the advantages outweigh that issue.
• All challenges start on the first day of a month.
• There will be 6 Hammer Cup challenges throughout the year.
• The top 4 scores will count towards the winning points.
• In between each full challenge will be either a 50 or 72-hour experimental challenge OR a Black Mesa challenge.
• The Black Mesa challenge will also last 3 full weekends, but won’t start on the same date each time.
• The final challenge could be a BM or experimental one based on feedback during the year.
• This gives 12 challenges through the year, plenty of choice regarding style and type, so no mapper is really committed to anything except the Hammer Cup and even then they can still miss 2 of the challenges and still win.
• I will aim for a total prize fund of $1000 US Dollars for 2018 for the Hammer Cup and aim to increase the prizes for the other challenges too.
• I recognise that people don’t enter for the prizes but it is always nice to be rewarded.
• I have also started to think about how best to leverage the content produced to ensure maximum exposure for RTSL but also the mappers.
• You may have noticed that the experimental challenges are listed as 50 or 72 hours. I will test a 72 hour challenge this year and may run both types next year.

As always, I would like to hear your thoughts and comments.

Please don’t post theme ideas here, I have also been thinking about that too and plan a submission process, which I will explain in a separate post later this year.