I just want to change unit portraits and add new music. Is that so much to ask? ;_:

No, because you don't need a program other than the map editor to do triggered spells.

What you're asking for sounds reasonable, but once you say "some modding is okay" then it becomes a gray area as to just how much modding is acceptable or not. The next guy will be like "I just want to add some new units" and then "I just want to add new game mechanics" lol. It's better to just leave it as it is and work around what limitations there are.

Post has been edited 1 time(s), last time on Aug 2 2011, 5:38 am by Azrael.Wrath.

People use notepad++.

They don't have to.

I was under the impression that people were allowed to submit modded maps, but the map would be judged solely on non-mod reliant content. IE I wouldn't give extra points for someone having a fluid music system that forces ctrl+s (sound mute) and then unmute so that you can stop playing audio...

It doesn't add an unfair advantage, it just isn't a mapping contest then, it's modding/mapping, which tbh, I don't have the qualifications or the patience to judge. Furthermore, the entire idea behind a mapping contest is to see how far you can go without modding the game. And there are contests that allow both, such as the year long RPG contest.
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Only in the same way someone who knows triggers or EUDs better would have an unfair advantage. Fairness isn't quite fair until we throw all variables out involving skill, because that's what we're trying to rate, with all other factors being equal.
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In addition, this is a two-week contest, which is simply not enough time for both a respectable mod and map.

Can I host the next contest. Its theme will be campaign with optional mod. >:O

Can a measure of skill be unfair? It's sorta like how pro-golfers don't have that whole "extra points" thing or whatever (I don't play golf) but weaksauce players get on a level playing field with other players. Mapping is a combination of knowledge, planning, style, endurance, and probably some other stuff. It all goes together.

I recognize this is a 2 week contest and no mod and map combo would be doable, but that's the planning aspect of mapping. One could argue that 1 hour is not enough time for a respectable map, yet we hold 1 hour map making contests, so I say let the mods roll.

I figure if Dem0n hosts the next one and it's a month or two in length and requires at least a certain amount of time in gameplay with a specific theme (like Oppression, Exploration, Resolution, etc.) and you CAN have a mod, that'd be cool.

Modding is not mapping. They are not the same thing. They are basically the exact opposite of one another. They do not encompass the same skills, use the same programs, or operate in even remotely similar ways.

If you want to mod, then mod. If you want to mod and be judged, do it in another contest. If there aren't enough other contests for you, host your own. The week-long mapping contests have never allowed mods for judged maps, it's a clearly defined rule. If you want to submit one to this particular contest then do so, but it won't be eligible for judging.

tl;dr: This is specifically a mapping contest. If you don't like it, host your own.


If he hosts that then it isn't going to be "the next one" of this. He could host that contest today since it will be called something else anyways. This is the week-long mapping contest. It is specifically for mapping and is never over two weeks long.

tl;dr: Demon is not hosting "the next one." He can host his own, he can even do it right now. Have fun with it.

If there's a lot of demand to allow mods, then why not permit them on the understanding that a map-mod combination will lose points for all of the (applicable) reasons why people play non-modded maps far more than modded ones? The burden of having to coordinate first (and the difficulty of finding someone to do so with) to play online instead of just hosting whenever you feel like it, the hassle of setting up a mod and then the inconvenience and even occasional risk of having your SC modded, the potential to lose everything in the unlikely event that there is ever another SC patch, cross-platform compatibility issues (if there are any in the particular case), and every other disadvantage of modding in general would all be valid, and significant, reasons for a map that used a mod to get a lower score than one without a mod.

Given how infrequently mods are played compared to maps, I'll bet that if all the reasons why that is so are given their true weight, it would be very rare to see a modded map win against a decent regular map. Not that it would be impossible, mind, but it would be quite difficult to say the least.

Post has been edited 1 time(s), last time on Aug 2 2011, 3:05 pm by FoxWolf1.

This contest will not feature mods. However, I may host contests in the future that are specifically map/mod combinations because there is demand.

Here's a thought.

For small things like portraits and unit sounds (and even music, I think), you can do the 'folder trick' to make StarCraft use custom content without a mod. Is that allowed, assuming we include the folder(s) in the .zip, a ReadMe file with proper instructions, and not actually requiring it? It'd be an extra you don't have to use, but can use if you feel like adding more to your experience.

That being said, if this was allowed, I would advise against judging that portion of the project as it's not part of the map itself.

If there is a lot of demand for it then a separate contest can be hosted that allows mods and gives an appropriate amount of time to be able to actually make a decent one.


You can already do this. Supply the map and the zip folder separately, and tell the judges to disregard the zip because you're just submitting the map to the contest. Anyone who wants the extra content would still be able to use it.

You could even do this with a mod that isn't required to play. Why would anyone care if you had supplemental material that wasn't being included in judging? They wouldn't. The problem was specifically with entering a modded map and wanting it to be judged.

nuh uh, I just wanted to be able to submit a mod as well without having my map(s) being disqualified.

If it's not going to be submitted as part of your entry then no one would care. Why would they? It would be unrelated to the contest. You were specifically requesting that your mod be included in the contest, I can quote any number of your posts that show that. Don't try to backpedal now.

In light of the recent discussion, I have adjusted the rules.

So the rules are the same, just worded a little differently for those who lack common sense.

No, you can submit a modded .exe and still have your product judged.