The map competition is over. Thanks to everyone who participated and Tomebinder for judging the maps! If you are one of the top three, make sure to accept the friend request from JNI-Games to receive your rewards, which will take up to three days after accepting the request.
Below are the best maps with a short review from Tomebinder:
1st place (22/23 pts)
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3793137050
AW3 maps are fundamentally about the combat, and this map throws you right into it without any pretensions. Players are treated to an endlessly exciting battle with various mutations and gimmicks throughout. I was super engaged. Combat occurs in three dimensions: the long distance battle fought with hwacha and bow, the elephant charges right outside the ramparts, and (when times get tough) the frantic battle inside. Speaking of the hwacha, it was great to see some vanilla features get their love in 2026. There was enough unit variety (LOTR fans will recognize the various species and nations comprising Sauron's army) and immersive touches (the tower in the distance, the little sounds when a checkpoint is taken) to keep me immersed for the few minutes I played. Not to mention consistent frames. A fun romp through and through. This map fully delivers on the promise of a classic "hack and slash" experience in AW3.
2nd place (21/23 pts)
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3796581715
Highly immersive set pieces dominate this map from the get-go. Its greatest strength is the custom units and their scripted behavior. The most threatening of these are the Bane cultists shooting bolts of explosive purple energy. The map teaches you quickly to target them first. But there are also golden magic avatars drawing your allies into danger. Not to mention a plethora of Banite siege troops; like in TWR, I was pleasantly surprised to see this map use incorporate vanilla siege units (catapults and siegeballs) into its combat encounters. Seeing the absolute hail of projectiles coming from the Black Keep felt like I was really in the trenches. It was probably the most immersive moment to come out of any of these maps. I reduced a point on gameplay grounds because spongy enemies occasionally the otherwise thrilling forward momentum of the castle assault. The magic-shooting cultists in particular were a slog to cheese on the opening encounter. But there's a nit I've picked out of what is otherwise the most authentic BG3 experience in AW3. You have obviously-recognizable tieflings, elves, and Banites lifted almost directly from the game.
3rd place (21/23 pts)
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3794653684
In a word: "arcade." This map runs buttery smooth, despite being packed with diverse combat encounters. Skeletons rise to life, guards burst from a quiet street, knights stop sparring to fight you. I loved how unpredictable it was. Later, there's explosive potions, trippy time-bending potions, Dark Souls-style puzzle hallways, and an epic boss fight. Wizardo himself is a hilariously campy fight. His moveset isn't insanely complicated, but the particle work and pathfinding here is nothing to scoff it. The fight also isn't too difficult (thank god, since it comes at the end of the map). I took off two points. My nitpicks come with the weirdly round armor worn by our enemies. Also, I died to explosive potions and giant statues without really comprehending that they were life-threatening. More telegraphing would help. But there's a lot of fun details here: you can double-jump, dash, and combo. The creator wisely gives us HP regen, allowing players to approach each new encounter with the optimism & joy that so clearly underlied this project. The two cutscenes are quick and snappy, and I loved the different endings. Here's a highly competent map that takes big swings and doesn't take itself too seriously.
4th place (20/23 pts)
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3797242626
This map felt like an episode of TV with an arc and everything. There was setup and payoff and recognizable characters you got invested in. There's also good, competent scripting on display. I wish we could see what happens next in the story! The downside is that enemies were too spongy at parts, making it a slog to finish encounters the map assumed I had already won.
5th place (19/23 pts)
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3797479286
So nostalgic. You can tell there's a good scripting framework here. Entering and leaving the inn was super cool, and discovering new parts of the map is rewarding as always. LMAO at "The Fertile Inn". There's not much gameplay-wise besides exploring: the few combat encounters I experienced were too easy, but I'm guessing because this is meant as the first level in a campaign. I hope Harvey finishes it. Problem: I couldn't find the wall key...