Introduction | Winner | Runner Ups | The Rest | Other Maps

Introduction

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This is the result of the 20 Brush Contest Vol.2 for Quake 3, held in July 2004, right before the release of DooM3. Goal of this contest was to (you'll never guess) create a map with a maximum of 20 Brushes.

All maps were reviewed and judged by cha0s (this is me :)). Unfortunately I found it to be impossible to assign a definite ranking, because these maps had so many different styles and ideas. So I just picked a Winner (which is quite silly, since there was nothing to win) and some Runner Ups. Still, the decisions were very hard to make, so be sure to check all maps for yourself. You can download all 16 maps from this contest in one large package below. Now have fun reading the reviews and please excuse my crappy english.

Oh, and if you've missed Vol.1 please stop by there as well.

Download Complete Package - 18mb

Winner

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Crate Efficiency - by pjw

This was the kind of map I had in mind when I started this contest. It's incredible how every Brush was used a dozen times to create a complex layout. This really is a playable map, that maybe even can compete with "normal" maps.
It's build as large tower thats floats in the sky, but it's by no means a simple spacemap. It even has got some small "indoor" areas. There are several jumppads, with which you can travel between the different height levels. A clever trick was to not actually use another brush for each jumppad, but just cut off a face of the level Brushes and change it's textur. Unfortunatley this trick also has it's cost - so it happen, that you hardly can see where a jumppad is, and where not.
Another quite honorable aspect is, that the map itself is completly build out of brushes. This adds a very solid feel to the map, with which many of the other maps can't compete with. Almost perfect technically, this map also provides a very satisfying botplay and even some vis-culling.

The downside of Crate Efficiency definitely is the look of it. It isn't bad at all, but it could just be better. While the lighting and also the sky is quite nice, all the other textures are downright boring. Also my ancient graphics card had some trouble with the sky - I ended up playing with r_fastsky 1.

Alltogether pjw showed "what you can accomplish with 20 brushes and a little thought". It wasn't easy to pick a winner, but in the end I think Crate Efficiency is worth it. Congrats !

Runner Ups (In Alphabetical Order)

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Darkness In A Pocket - by Acid

OMG! It's dm6 from Quake1! It's rebuild almost completely - with only 20 Brushes. This may seem impossible at first, but if you look closer at the map you'll realize that nearly every wall is build out of patch. When I looked at the .map file I knew what Hipshot meant when he said "I don't think a 20 brush map should contain any patches. That is cheat, you can make a more with one patch than one brush.". It's true, you can make a more with one patch than one brush. For instance the whole catwalk is build with only 3 patches. Still it must have been hard work to figure out where to place all those patch walls and how to use them most efficiently.
The gameplay is great - at least it's dm6. It surely has some flaws like the catwalk isn't very good to walk on somehow, but overall Acid brought the original gameplay back in 20 Brushes.

But there are many parts of this map that aren't as nice as the gameplay: Using large patches for walls produces some ugly lighting "bugs" - and as if the lighting wasn't bad enough allready, you can see the spots of all light entities everywhere on the walls. On the other hand, the catwalk looks quite nice with this shiny blue glass, but unfortunately thats all what looks good. It just doesn't have that solid feel - it seems like it would fall in pieces every moment.

Don't get me wrong: Darkness In A Pocket is still a great map - it just wasn't good enough to win.

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Better Crates - by Kaziganthe

Kaziganthe not only used one of his Brushes for a simple crate, just like pjw, but also had the brass to use a total of only 19 Brushes! Anyhow, with his remaining 18 Brushes, he managed to build a layout that not only plays quite nice, but also looks very good. While many parts in this map are made out of patches, it still has very solid feeling. Unfortunately Better Crates has some lack of connectivity - there's only one way to the upper area, making this map a bit easy to control. Maybe he should have used his remaining Brush for another ramp :) The trap is a nice gimmick, but you can trick it with a rocket jump.

The map has a nice curvy look and makes a good use of the 5 allowed custom textures. The lighting only comes from the sky, but the level is lit quite good everywhere. The Brushwork is not too exciting, but produces a nice overall look. It just feels like a real base somewhere on mars.

Nice looks, but gameplay and botsupport could be better. Anyway, definitely worth the download.

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Skla Toon - by Sklaventreiber

This map from Sklaventreiber comes in a very refreshing toon look. It makes a perfect use of custom textures to create a nice small town. The way the buildings are made makes perfect sense - it's interesting how you can create a house out of only one brush. The ground and the street are made out of Patches, which gives them a nice curvy look. The sky is also great and adds a good deal to the toon look.
However, the buildings could look a bit more toon like - if you've played Zippie's map for Aardappel's 100 Brush Competition you'll know what I mean.

The gameplay is a bit flat and uninteresting and, as usual, bots have their problems navigating through the map, especially one the roof tops.
But overall a very nice and refreshing map. Great idea and good realization.

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Curvy - by Zombie

Zombie's map indeed is what the name promises: Curvy. While the main Patches, which you walk on, are actually quite simple, the Figure Eight Knot that floats above the map is mighty impressive. Neverhteless, all walkways look very cool ingame, because of a shader effect. They seem to be flipflop colored an change their appearance dependendent on your viewpoint. The two Brushes that were used for the platforms, however, are quite ugly and doesn't really fit in the map.

The gameplay isn't as boring as it may seem at first, since you can jump from one walkway to another here and there. But overall it still is far from good. And again - bots have their difficulties to travel in the map.
To come to a conclusion: Great looking map. Totally worth the download, even if you not want to play but look at it.

The Rest (In Alphabetical Order)

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Four'n'Twenty - by Black Dog

Black Dog managed to build a good looking layout only out of his 20 Brushes.It isn't as big as pjw's, and most Brushes were only used for one wall or floor, but this map still plays better than many others from this contest. Botplay is very nice, also. They even jump to the MH (but most times don't get back :))

The good use of textures and the fact that every Brush has a nice trim (pjw could have learned from this :)) also helps this map's appearance a lot.

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Minimalistic Blue - by Black Knight

The primary characteristic of Minimalistc Blue is, that it is dark. You have to tint your gamma up quite a bit to see anything (I forgot it when making screenshots, sorry). Also, the skybox the map uses is only in mapmedia.pk3 - this will be no problems for most of us mappers, but everyone else has to use r_fastsky to play this map.

The map consists of ground plane and some towers that where build on it. There are two teleporters to the upper areas and some beams from one tower to another. It's hardly playable.
Solidly build, but nothing special.

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Rot-Weiß - by CHRISCHAN2K

Rot-Weiß' (Red-White) main platforms is entirely build out of patches, and forms a well thought out spacemap layout. There are roughly three platforms interconnected with accel-pads and teleporters.
The obvious thing of this map, however is the look of it. It's not so much the Patch-work, but the textures. Everything is in a very bright color, that almost hurts your eyes.

If you can stand the look of it - play it !

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The Bridge - by Danrok

The Bridge is the only CTF map I got for this contest. It uses a large Patch as it's ground, on which only one building is placed in the center. The fact that there a two jumppads, each from one base to the other, makes the rest of the architecture, ie. the bridge itself, pretty useless. The only reason to use it, is that there is a railgun placed on the top of the building. But in the time you're climbing up there, your enemy can capture your flag a dozen times.

Not bad, but nothing special.

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The Hole - by Demolition

Demolition had a nice idea in mind, when he build The Hole. It's layout turned out quite nicely and is fun to play. The bots are a bit too excited about the jumppads, but otherwise navigate well through the map.

The appearance of this map, however, is just boring. It's in colored 256 shades of brown and utilized only some standard id textures. Another texture set would've helped this map a lot.

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Irresistable forces, immovable objects - by Grudge

This is one of those maps where you can easily count the Brushes yourself. Still this map looks quite nice and offers a good gameplay - for a spacemap. Botplay also is great. they seem to have no problems at all. And I love the way you're (re)spawning and "thrown" in the arena.

Good solid map, but you can make out easily that it has only 20 Brushes.

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The Very Room 1.0 - by Hipshot

The Very Room is probably the simplest of the whole contest. Every Brush is in his 6-sided-standard-form, but therefore the layout and item placement isn't that bad. Good use of textures and a nice lighting make this look very realistic.

But, as I said: It's to simple. You won't see any fancy stuff or clever use of Brushes or Patches.

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Against 20 Brushs - by mIKE

Another map entirely out of Brushes. The layout isn't too exciting, but at least mIKE has used his 20 Brushes more efficiently than Grudge or Hipshot. Botplay is nice and the look is OK.

Again, quite nice, but nothing special.

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Rotation - by rObSi

Rotation consists manly manly of a big spiral. Could be a nice idea, but it's pretty boring to play. Also the skybox is missing - just like in Black Knights map. Some new textures and a few more jumppads or teleporters would've helped this map a lot.

Other Maps

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20 Bang - by Reptile (disqualified)

Unfortunately this map by Reptile was not valid. It has 20 Brushes and 8 Patches - makes a total of 28 "Brushes".

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Schleimfabrik - by cha0s (this is me)

If you like maps with silly names - here is one. Please set you r_subdivisions to 6 or higher. Otherwise it will look pretty ugly.

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