The map competition is over. Thanks to everyone who participated and Tomebinder for judging the maps! He also played some of the maps on stream while judging them, so make sure to check it out if you are interested:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Oi6YXmmOvA
Some really nice maps have emerged from this competition and there is a new quick play bundle available in the main menu, which contains some maps from the competition.
Just a discplaimer: If your map isn't listed in this post or the quick play bundle, that doesn't mean it is not worth playing.
The winners will receive their digital steam gift cards soon and will be notified via steam dms or discord, so keep an eye out for that!
Here are the best maps with a short review from Tomebinder:
1st place
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3162424983
This map is a great example of how AW3 is a distinct game engine in its own right. I really appreciate maps that feel like complete packages. You can tell that “Crusader” was extensively playtested, and despite its anomalously long playtime the whole experience was quite polished. It was hard for me to believe that a narrative of any length and complexity could be told in a single map… but then I played CRUSADER. Its connection to the contest feels like more of an afterthought, mostly being alluded to in text… until the last level, where the player bursts through a Space Gate to explore the cosmic realm beyond. Crusader puts a unique spin on the typical gameplay of Ancient Warfare 3 by using JNI’s scripting system to the fullest. It was incredibly satisfying to learn a whole new set of controls as if I had just installed a brand new game onto my PC. Customizing my loadout was fun, and I got the sense that I only scratched the surface of customization given the many options for buying new guns. It was also super fun to explore the levels while being locked to this point of view because it made them seem way bigger than they actually were. There’s a lot of potential for this format. This is the kind of map that I anticipate returning to on a rainy day, or when I’m bored. It’s just a full, complete, reliable and FUN experience. Of course, it is the first foray into this kind of quasi-isometric view, and many scripts are working together to bring the Crusader experience to life, which means that movement problems and bugs did occasionally bubble to the surface while playing. In particular, getting the Silencer (protagonist of CRUSADER) to follow my mouse was tricky, and that seems… like quite a critical part of the map. But setting aside these issues, Crusader is a huge effort worthy of the top spot for being a complete, self-contained experience that is well balanced and demonstrates technical mastery of AW3 on all levels.
2nd place
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3166581101
As above, I appreciate maps that feel like complete packages, and this one certainly fit that description. It felt like playing a quick round of Space Crusade, the board game. You can tell that the map creator wanted to add lots of depth to this map’s scripted mechanics. Everything from the loadout of the space marines to the music is up to the player’s discretion. Numb’s customization options were almost overwhelming at first, but I think that they’re perfect for someone who wants to come back to this RTS again and again. They allow you to tweak your experience and make it slightly different each time. There are TONS of scripts in play here, and they work together almost perfectly, with a few bugs (not game breaking). The actual map is fairly well balanced but not very long. Perhaps if you added regeneration it would allow the space marines to live longer and increase the playtime of the map? This would encourage people to replay more, knowing that their customizable choices at the start of the map have more meaningful long term effects. These are minor requests though. Ultimately the Space Crusade RTS demonstrates great effort through its use of voice acting, custom infos, squad controls, and more. It deserves the second spot for how cohesive and complete it all feels.
3rd place
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3165557466
With “The Cold Below,” we see someone making an ambitious drive to use AW3 as a FPS engine. Hordes of varied enemies fought in close-quarters, intense combat. Strong Doom and Darktide vibes here, but the tropes of these games are reinvented in a satisfying way. I felt like I was descending into a pit of evil at the start of the map. And, despite the constantly spawning hordes of enemies, I only had a single lag spike throughout the entire experience, which was very impressive. There are lots of great models and competent scripts in this map almost come together, but the gameplay is where it can leave players confused. Unit design is wonderful, with distinct looks for each type of opponent, but I found the map’s gray color palette made it hard to make out the difference between melee and ranged enemies. You have lots of time at the start of the map to relay critical info (about the power levels of different enemy types, directions about where to go, and sounds to look out for), so I recommend doing that as well as putting in the lore. Focus on telegraphing the non-horde encounters and you’ll keep the player feeling in charge -- dominant, even. You’ve clearly got the aesthetic talents and the eye for performance needed to create an accessible map. Looking forward to seeing what you do next!
4th place
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3166970098
A solid outing, unlike other maps on this list it was a complete package that you can play start to finish and enjoy. Sound design was sparse but used effectively (to indicate when enemies come to life, etc). However, the winding catacombs look samey, so consider adding more detail to differentiate certain areas. There were also a few random teleportation bugs that you already know to fix. Overall, “Arizona Jim,” despite its clear Indiana Jones inspirations, is a very imaginative map! It also fit the theme of exploring new worlds quite well, since we were delving into a forgotten pyramid. A few more days of polish and this completed map would be even more complete. Keep doing stuff like this and you will be a renowned map maker in no time.
5th place
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3157535518
Super strong concept behind this map. Great variety of units, interesting (immersive) sound scripts, and of course the tie-ins with Remedy Zero were great. But I wasn’t able to finish it. It seems almost impossible to get the desired amount of money in only 15 minutes. Strongly recommend upping the spawn frequency. Other than that, you’ve got the atmosphere down and a great future of AW3 maps if you keep evolving your formula like this.
6th place
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3157516829
This map had a real interesting ARMA vibe to it. It was a unique take on the alien invasion trope, and it had some neat scripts. You did an infinite defense right: by adding random events and mutations in the battle. However, the blood script was too disruptive and there was a lot of shooting into a treeline where you couldn’t really see anything. So not a lot of face-to-face combat. You’ve got some neat mechanics down, now just focus on the gameplay and you’ll have something really special.