Mapper Rules

Share your ddrace-related map with the community.
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jao
Posts: 1274
Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2016 1:18 pm

Mapper Rules

Post by jao »

See the current mapping rules on https://ddnet.org/rules/
Old rules:
SpoilerShow
Mapper Rules
last updated on 2021/05/01
 
Please help us keep DDNet's Testing process as smooth as possible. Your cooperation will greatly benefit Testers, mappers, players and yourself. Therefore be sure to read the whole post; we moved the whole map testing to discord. Nevertheless these guidelines are up-to-date and should be followed.

Be sure to also read the testing guide (https://forum.ddnet.tw/viewtopic.php?f=104&t=49) and the additional tips (https://forum.ddnet.tw/viewtopic.php?f=104&t=4021).
Furthermore you can take a look at the tutorials (https://forum.ddnet.tw/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=2419).
 
Content
  1. Every part should be working properly.
  2. Try to be creative! If you copy parts from other maps, they must have been changed significantly.
  3. Make your map fun! If your map isn't fun, it will only be played once - for points. Therefore it's essential for your map to be free of any time wasting and boring parts.
  4. Don't make unnecessarily tight parts. Using more space will not only make your map more enjoyable, but will allow bigger groups to play together as well.
  5. Your map must be balanced throughout the whole map (don't put a Brutal part in the middle of a Moderate map).
  6. Faily parts should be used very rarely on Novice maps.
  7. Faily solo parts should be only used in higher Moderate, Brutal and Insane maps.
  8. You should give fair amounts of play time for each player in a map (if one player does a long part, then so should the other). Also, in general, avoid making parts that require players to wait for excessive amounts of time.
  9. A noob-filter must not be too long or too hard. Its only purpose should be to slow down the arrival of new players, but not prevent them from playing at all.
 
Design
  1. Every entity that the player should know about should likewise be clearly marked with a visible tile.
  2. The design must have appropriate contrast so that it's playable even without perfect light conditions. On the other hand, it shouldn't be painful to look at.
  3. Make sure there are no unused images (marked as dark blue in the 'Images' tab of the editor), mistakenly embedded or external images (marked as red). Also, don't add the same image more than once.
  4. Delete all empty layers and groups.
  5. Delete all unused envelopes.
  6. Ensure that layers aren't too big. When your map is finished make the layers as small as possible (but don't cut off any parts).
  7. All non-gameplay relevant decorations should be marked as 'detail' in the editor. Map credits are excluded.
  8. Ensure that the background is not transparent and is large enough for all screen resolutions (use the 'Proof' button in the editor to check what players will see; the area within the white borders has to be covered).
  9. Always add an entities off sign if you put any information the player has to know about in the design (e.g. signs, text, or tips).
    entities off signShow
    Image
  10. Your map may not contain design or parts of design (special tilesets, color shemes, layers) taken from other maps without the original mapper's/creator's permission. Commonly used and significantly changed design elements aren't covered by this
 
Common Problems
  1. For every teleporter, ensure that there are multiple TO-tiles and that they are not placed directly on the ground. Exceptions for this rule may be made for Solo/Oldschool maps and solo parts.
  2. Ensure that every teleporter is red (which will stop player movement and cut their hook) unless you intend to use blue teleporters to retain hook and movement.
  3. You must allow the finish line to be reachable from the winner room so that a team may still finish if the last one dies. Make sure players have a chance to help others after finishing.
  4. For Dummy maps, add an unlock team tile before the player has to kill their dummy so that the actual player isn't killed as well.
    unlock team tileShow
    Image
  5. Your start area should be big enough for at least 10 players to start.
  6. Don't rely on a single spawn entity (except on Solo maps). At least 5 are needed.
  7. Avoid chat-spam caused by carelessly placed on/off-tiles as well as gametile-spam.
  8. Don't use any "fake entities". Players have to be able to fully understand a map when using overlay entities. This also includes easter eggs.
  9. Only force a certain team size if the map requires it (e.g. if it contains a lot switches, is heavy cheatable with many players), not as an excuse for tight mapping.
  10. Use Time Checkpoint tiles to allow speedrunners to compare their speed to previous runs.
 
Make sure that your map works, the design is done, and the common problems listed above are solved. When you are ready to release your map, send it to us on Discord.
If you want to release your map on DDNet you must follow these rules. If you don't follow them, your map will be declined. There may be special cases of maps in which single rules might be in conflict with the general concept of the map or its technical realization. In such cases you should contact a Tester to check out whether an exception may be made.
Original version by Lady Saavik | Second version by RayB. | Third version based on rules by Soreu, hi_leute_gll & Knight, edited by jao, hi_leute_gll, Oblique. & Index
RayB.
Posts: 1170
Joined: Mon Dec 01, 2014 9:24 pm
Clan: TOP

Re: Mapper Rules

Post by RayB. »

Update:
+Added Other Rules
+Added Design p.3
+Common problems p.12-14
+Added a highlightbox :)
jao
Posts: 1274
Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2016 1:18 pm

Re: Mapper Rules

Post by jao »

Mapper Rules completely rewritten and restructured. Also added a few rules that should have been there but have not been officially in the Rules.
Most rules stayed the same, though they should now be clarified better than before.
New rulesShow
Content:
1. Every part should be working properly.

Design:
9. Always add an entities off sign if you put any information the player has to know about in the design (e.g. signs, text, or tips).

Common problems:
6. Do not rely on a single spawn entity (except on Solo maps). At least 5 are needed.
8. Only force a certain team size if the map requires it (e.g. if it contains a lot switches, is heavy cheatable with many players), not as an excuse for tight mapping.
jao
Posts: 1274
Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2016 1:18 pm

Re: Mapper Rules

Post by jao »

Added new point to Common problems:
9. Do not use any "fake entities". Players have to be able to fully understand a map when using overlay entities. This also includes easter eggs.
jao
Posts: 1274
Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2016 1:18 pm

Re: Mapper Rules

Post by jao »

Added new point to Design rules:
10. Your map may not contain design or parts of design (special tilesets, color shemes, layers) taken from other maps without the original mapper's/creator's permission. Commonly used and significantly changed design elements are not covered by this.

This was always an unwritten rule, but apparently it wasn't obvious to everyone.

Edit: Added clarification
jao
Posts: 1274
Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2016 1:18 pm

Re: Mapper Rules

Post by jao »

Removed a rule:
Only force a certain team size if the map requires it (e.g. if it contains a lot switches, is heavy cheatable with many players), not as an excuse for tight mapping.
jao
Posts: 1274
Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2016 1:18 pm

Re: Mapper Rules

Post by jao »

^reverted
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murpi
ADMIN Team
Posts: 156
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Player profile: https://ddnet.tw/players/murpi/
Discord: murpi#6549

Re: Mapper Rules

Post by murpi »

Reminder to self to move this to discord for better exposure, add mandatory rule that both dummy and main tee are required to touch startline on dummy maps
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