Close Quarters Map Making Event - $15,000 Prize Pool

OVERVIEW

The Arctic VR Close Quarters Mapmaking Event is a design competition for Pavlov VR. This event is free and open for everyone to enter. This is the fourth mapmaking event Arctic VR has hosted for Pavlov. The previous events have been an overwhelming success for both the PCVR and Shack pavlov community. Many maps created for these Arctic VR events have been adopted by PCVR and quest competitive leagues and some even incorporated into Pavlov itself. This event is for the PCVR version of Pavlov.

While previous events have focused on traditional SND gameplay - this event is all about close quarters combat. When looking through the PCVR steam workshop, CQB maps like Nuketown, pool_day, DunderMifflin and 007 facility are immensely popular. The same can be seen on shack with CQB maps ogcontainers, McDonald’s, and gravity topping the community server usage statistics. The overwhelming majority of Pavlov VR players enjoy small maps with faced passed action and yet there are relatively few original maps that meet this demand. The objective of this event is to create new and interesting maps that the majority of the player base can enjoy that supports every game mode from SND to TTT to PUSH to Prop hunt and everything in between.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE

Your playable map must be entered by May 31st, 2023 at 11:59 PM Eastern. After the submission closes, the judges will then go through the maps and determine 5 finalist maps. Those finalists will then have one month to listen to community and judge feedback and make changes before the final round of judging.

HOW TO SUBMIT

  1. Join the ArcticVR Discord

  2. Fill out the google form here: https://forms.gle/4NUg24wgbpM86b3z6.

SCORING

To determine the winning maps, Arctic VR Judges will rate Contest maps according to the following 100 point criteria: 

30 points: Balance (Cover is placed logically throughout the map)

30 points: Overall Polish (bug-free maps; maps which run smoothly; other determinations relating to quality)

30 points: Visual Presentation (how aesthetically pleasing and sophisticated is the map)

10 points: Originality (Map is unique or unlike commonly played maps on the workshop. This includes both interesting theme/map location as well as layout/design originality)

Note: scoring point distribution subject to tweaking based on feedback/judges input.

100% Original Content Bonus (optional):

Maps will be awarded a bonus 10 points if 100% of the assets used in the map are created by the artist. This means: no free assets on the UE store, paid assets on the UE store or assets from anywhere else online. Contestants for this event are of course allowed to use marketplace assets for their submission but the 10 bonus points are for the map maker or map making team that goes the extra mile to create 100% original content from the ground up. This is in recognition of the immense time and skill required to model an entire map by hand and in no way should be considered a requirement for this event. Many excellent maps use marketplace assets, and this is simply a way to reward the map maker that goes beyond expectations.

Judges

  • MessiahPenguin

  • Wsly

  • Crackers

  • Nero

  • il Primo

PRIZES

First: $5,000

Second: $4,000

Third: $3,000

Fourth: $2,000

Fifth: $1,000

Thank you to Dave and Vankrupt Games for sponsoring the prize pool for this event

MAP REQUIREMENTS

  • Map must be less than 1GB total size

  • No copyrighted or unlicensed assets

  • The map should be designed for DM but the map must have technical support for all official Pavlov VR game modes: SND, TDM, DM, GUN, ZWV, WW2GUN, WW2TDM, KOTH, TTT, OITC, INFECTION, HIDE, PUSH, PH. (A guide for this here)

  • The playable area of the map should be less than 5,000x5,000 square unreal units. Your map can be any shape, doesn’t have to be square. (Visualization here)

  • The final map submission must be for the newest UE5 version of Pavlov. (You’re welcome to test on 4.21 since there is a more active playerbase there at the moment.)

OTHER RULES/INFORMATION

Re-creating a given map’s layout from other games and universes is not allowed and copying it’s textures/models/sounds or any form of asset used in it’s creation is not allowed. (No dust II with different textures)

Reusing some assets from a previous map you made is fine.

There are many optimization techniques and the specifics can vary but a general rule of thumb for pavlov is less than 2-2.5 million triangles and less than one thousand draw calls in the map to maintain decent performance.

No music (Copyright free ambient sounds/sound effects are fine)

No vulgar, inappropriate, racist, obscene, or otherwise unpalatable or illicit content in your map.

No likeness or representation of any person (alive or dead) in your scenes without express permission.

Mapmakers are encouraged NOT to update your Workshop map after the deadline. Entries will not be disqualified if updated, but entrants assume the risk of introducing bugs/glitches into their work. Judges will not be asked to overlook such bugs/glitches, so we recommend "finalizing" a polished version of your project.

Maps that were under creation prior to February 13th 2023 can be entered, as long as a complete map version (layout and any non-blockout art) was not released for public download.

Judges are not allowed to participate in the event.

No item spawners in the map with the singular exception of the TTT weapon spawners that are optional and only function in the TTT game mode.

No vehicle spawners in the map

No custom weapons or custom player models

Your map can be any shape - playable area size is what is restricted.

If you have a finished map and are concerned about meeting the size requirement you can make a post in the Arctic VR discord to confirm size prior to event entry close.

Multiple map entries are permitted. However, each entry will be judged for its own particular quality.

Map entries created by teams are permitted, however entrants will have to agree on how to split any prizes awarded prior to prize claim and dispatch.

GETTING STARTED WITH MAP MAKING

Check out the getting started guide on the Pavlov VR wiki here: http://wiki.pavlov-vr.com/index.php?title=Getting_Started

Map making Getting Started Guide: https://youtu.be/tv1Oof5MoQA

How to add every game mode to your pavlov map: https://youtu.be/uUR-UpTyJGs

Still have questions? Check out the #Workshop channel in the Arctic VR discord!