MAP RELEASE #16. X-D CONTEST VOTING BEGINS!
Greetings, community!
It's been over 3 months since the start of the public X-D map beta test. Six maps from six different mappers have been played in the servers and received a considerable amount of feedback since then. Therefore, it's time to release the final fixed versions and launch the voting for the best map!
Click here to view the changelog
arte_dela:
- Patched a few skips/abuses
- Added a new checkpoint for the hardest stage (the gravity part is now easier).
- Added alternative ways for the first and the last blocks to make them possible with SG
cy_lumora:
- One little SC fixed
- Couple of blocks are now easier
- Brighter lighting in dark spots
ph_exodia:
- Couple of blocks are now easier
- Added music in different parts of the map
- Added trivia about Yu-Gi-Oh creator in LJ room
- Added a dedicated StandUp-LJ (SLJ) room (new type of jump) at the start
qcg_arid2:
- One-jump skip fixed
- Small null textures fixed
- Random non-solid wall fixed
sky_to_Acc1:
- Couple skips fixed
v4r_intensity2:
- Many bhops in the first room are now easier
- Fixed a spot that helped to cheese one of the bhops
- The ladderjump near the finish is now easier
In the original newspost I wrote a description for each map, however, this time around I want to give the mappers the opportunity to say a few words about their own maps. If you would like to read the descriptions or see the attached images of the maps, go to the previous X-D-related news post.
arte_dela by arte de la puerta
❝This map is not for average people. Try and find out if you are one.❞
❝I had some toon-style textures that I had created and recolored for another map, and I wanted to use them again. When I saw the announcement for this contest, I thought it would be fun to build something with them.
I had ideas for a couple of rooms, but the project kept getting bigger and bigger. I eventually had to cut a planned large room because I ran into the map limits fairly quickly.
While creating the final room, I also added some “subtle” pirate-themed elements throughout parts of the map. I had a lot of fun making it, and in terms of difficulty, it is definitely the hardest climb map I have made.❞
❝Hey kreedz fam, i'm a terrible mapper, but wanted to give this contest a try. Had this Yu-Gi-Oh! theme in mind for a while just because of nostalgia so i thought its perfect for this contest. I still believe i could have done it better, but i struggle with time, motivation, and my mapping skills are low soo dont be too harsh on me :D Thanks to everyone who played the map in beta, never could have thought it could be completed with FAMAS... wtf outside, are you human? biggest thanks goes to MEEL, he tested every jump, and if not for him i could have never finished it because i'm so shit at kz :D ty topo for testing and giving a few ideas, and of course sekai for this contest :o❞
❝Ever since I made qcg_arid in 2019, I have wanted to make a sequel. Seven years later, I have finally managed to make it happen. I tried to improve on the first map in every aspect - design, quality of the jumps, details and the overall experience. Creating this map really pushed the limits of the engine and my abilities as a mapper as well.
I want to thank chory kapitan, MART, arte de la puerta, Keita and R3AL for their feedback and support, as well as all the other beta testers who helped me improve the map even further.
I hope you will have as much fun playing and exploring this map as I had building it for you.
<KZRE>❞
❝This map was created for Acc1. Around 10%–20% of the ideas in the map came directly from him. Although he doesn't know how to make maps himself, he has many creative ideas that he wants to bring to life, so I turned those ideas into reality for him. At the same time, I also wanted to create something that I personally enjoy. I sincerely hope everyone will have fun playing this new map. (Compared to my previous maps... they were honestly pretty terrible, except for hb_ak.)
Throughout the development process, I experimented with using entities in new ways. The Bhop entity setup and the design that prevents players from standing on top of the slide were techniques shared by Chrizzy and V4R10L4V3R4, and I'm very grateful to them for sharing their knowledge. This was also my first time uploading a map to XJ. Because my mapping skills were still lacking, I spent a very long time polishing and revising the map - probably around half a month. Huge thanks to sekai and sajkee for testing the map, pointing out problems, and giving me valuable advice throughout the process!
I hope more people will spend time developing and exploring unique jump techniques. That's what makes KZ interesting to me. Instead of creating more maps that rely on lucky jumps or repetitive strafe jumps, I'd love to see more creativity and fresh ideas. Those kinds of maps have become a bit boring, in my opinion.❞
❝My debut map's remarkable name (intensity) appears once again as my final creation. Despite not having any interest or time for mapping, I've still managed to complete it. The reason why I chose this map theme is because I like the post-apocalyptic, dark ambient. Also I came to conclusion that one of my maps is very unique and it deserved the upgrade in terms of design and gameplay (v4r_hb_[redacted]), thus I used this opportunity to merge the levels with a different route. I wish you to spend wonderful time and have some good nerves for demanding and unique jumps. Thank you for playing my maps, you gave me motivation, imagination and desire to build maps for these 3 years of my mapping career! I will also mention that I have made an easier version of the map for the players who can't complete death maps yet. Stay tuned!❞
And let's not forget how high the stakes are, the prize pool is staggering €405, which will be split between the winners in the following way:
1st place: €243 (60%)
2nd place: €121.5 (30%)
3rd place: €40.5 (10%)
The winner, however, will be determined via the public voting, so let me explain how it will work.
Voting Procedures
- Part 1. Expert vote: We will select a bunch of experienced X-D players who we know for sure completed most of the maps. Each one of them will judge the maps on a scale from 1 to 5 based on 4 different categories, from most to least important:
- Gameplay/Balance: How fun the map is to play? Are there "cancer" (random) or imbalanced blocks?
- Aesthetics/Visuals: How much the textures/visuals satisfy the eye? What is the level of immersion achieved with them?
- Polish: Is the map well-optimized? Are there many bugs, visual issues, attention to detail, etc?
- Theme: As there are no rules regarding the theme, this one is about how creative you can get with it and how well it is executed
The ratings from all experts will be averaged to have a score that accounts for 60% of the final map rating.
- Part 2. Community vote: The same process will be repeated by the community. Every member will vote on these 4 categories, and their individual ratings will be averaged into a single community score for each map. This score will account for the remaining 40% of the each map's final rating.
- Part 3. Final results: The expert score (60%) and the community score (40%) for each map will be combined to create a final rating. All maps will be ranked based on this rating, the results will be published, and the winners will be announced.
You can make your vote by filling this google form: LINK, the results will be announced in a month.
UPDATE: Due to the inability to use google polls inside Mainland China, paslalala, the Head Admin of Simen KZ, set up separate a voting on his community site, to help our Chinese users cast their votes. So, if you're having trouble using the google form link, please use THIS LINK. You will have to log in to your Simen account first. After the voting period ends, I will combine both data sets together to obtain the final score.
Once again, thanks to the mappers for taking their time to participate, and to everyone involved with the contest/beta-testing. Good luck to the participants and let's see how this voting will turn out!
Best regards,
Map-checking team.