Contests will be held at intervals depending on availability of volunteers - generally two contests each year.

Each contest will involve creating a map based on a particular theme and set of restrictions. In order to win any award; the map will have to conform to the stated theme and restrictions for that particular contest.

No prizes will be awarded. This is a "self-esteem" and fame thing only.

Maps will be posted for ALL to download during contest.

The "awards" will be assigned as follows:

• Best Of Maps (based on the stated theme)
• Special Mention (for a map that wasn't the best but had some very commendable or intriguing features)
• Hero's Crown (for the map that gets the popular vote from the community.)

• Adherence to theme and restrictions
• Extra dressing and trimming
• Quality of events, signs, notes, riddles (including spelling and grammar -- those using English as a second language are given a little bit of "slipage")
• Appropriate placement and number of castles, structures, and monster bases (including walk-thrus and unaccessible structures or events)
• Novelty spots, twists, and cleverness -- as well as general uniqueness of map
• Proper use and deployment of structures
• Overall look and feel of map
• Overall playability of map
• And last but definitely not least, fun factor.

If you are going to pass this contest information on to friends via e-mail or NEWS ***PLEASE*** provide them with ALL the details or have them come to this web site to get all the rules so they don't labor over a map that doesn't qualify!

Theme:

Theme Specifics:
No theme. This competition is open to all new HOMM3 maps released in the fourth quarter of 2004.

Special Restrictions:
Heroes of Might and Magic 3 maps only (any expansion, including Wake of Gods).
Maps are ineligible if they are released to the public before 1 October 2004. Playtesting doesn't count (including MapHaven and Celestial Heavens playtesting schemes.) However, putting a map up on your personal website and announcing it in a forum as ready for everyone to play does count as releasing it to the public, as (obviously) does submitting the map to MapHaven or Celestial Heavens.

Each mapmaker (or group of mapmakers, if a map is a joint effort) may submit only one entry, and every entry must have been playtested - that is, played to completion by someone other than the mapmaker.

Entry Deadlines:
All maps must be received no later than Midnight, December 31, 2004 - Canberra time! (That's about 10am December 31st for most Americans. Check the submission script if you want an 'hours and days' count.) The script will not accept map submissions after this time. It will start accepting map submissions on October 1, 2004.

Contest Categories:
Each version of HOMM3 (Restoration of Erathia, Armageddon's Blade, Shadow of Death, In the Wake of Gods) will be treated as a separate category. Judges reserve the option of combining categories if one category attracts too few entries, or creating new categories (based on map size) if one category attracts too many entries.

Size:
No Restrictions.

It should be noted that the smaller the map the more critical the judgement. In other words, the judges will expect way more event trimming, structure trimming, and overall detail on small and medium sized single-layer maps than they will on maps that are large or huge and contain a full "dungeon" or "underground" area. At the same time, it should also be noted that map makers who produce the largest size of map should ensure that they have enough story-line, action, and detail to keep the Player interested. A bored judge is a negative judge.

Terrain:No Restrictions

Player Positions: No Restrictions.

Win/Lose: No Restrictions. Campaigns may be submitted, so long as the total area of all maps (including underground) is no larger than an XL map (without underground). In other words, four or five small or four medium maps are OK, but four large ones are not.

Miscellaneous Information and Tips:
Be very careful with the difficulty of your map. If most of the judges cannot complete it, you will suffer ... if it is too easy, you may also suffer. You, as the mapmaker, should probably be able to complete the map with no more than about two reloads (idiocy allowance).

Maps that involve significant story and quests will be at an advantage.

Mapmakers are asked to mention in the readme file what difficulty or difficulties the map was playtested at.

General Map Submission Rules Still Apply:
Remember that the standard readme text file must be fully and completely filled out and be included with the map, and the map must have been playtested by someone other than the mapmaker. If the readme text or the map does not meet MapHaven standards and requirements it will be tossed without warning. Because of the nature of the contest we don't have the time to open up a "fix me" dialogue with contestants over readme files or maps that don't follow the rules.

Maps should be submitted to MapHaven normally, and then (without needing to be approved) entered in the competition via This webform

Theme:

Theme Specifics:
Winter is cold, howling winds and snow - if you live far enough from the equator. The warmth and flowers of spring make many people happy - summer is a halcyon period of fun for some, and a dry, baking season for others. And autumn can also be seen in many different ways depending who and where you are.

Possible interpretations include:

• It is May and still the snows of winter howl about the land. What evil magic is this? Find the perpetrator and break his spell.
• A story that "spans" a year by teleporting the main hero to new parts of the map for each season.

Maps built around "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme", or "the Salt and Pepper Shakers of Doom", or other spice-type seasons, are also eligible for this competition - however, as these are harder to represent properly within the game of HOMM4, such maps need relatively strong stories.

Entry Deadlines:
All maps must be received no later than Midnight, January 31, 2005 - Canberra time! (That's about 10am January 30th for most Americans. Check the submission script if you want an 'hours and days' count.) The script will not accept map submissions after this time. It will start accepting map submissions on January 1, 2005.

Contest Categories:
Each version of HOMM4 (Standard, Gathering Storm, Winds of War) will be treated as a separate category. Judges reserve the option of adjusting this if one category attracts too few entries.

Size:
No Restrictions.

It should be noted that the smaller the map the more critical the judgement. In other words, the judges will expect way more event trimming, structure trimming, and overall detail on small and medium sized single-layer maps than they will on maps that are large or huge and contain a full "dungeon" or "underground" area. At the same time, it should also be noted that map makers who produce the largest size of map should ensure that they have enough story-line, action, and detail to keep the Player interested. A bored judge is a negative judge.

Terrain: Should be consistent with whichever season is being portrayed there - unless that is part of the story!

Player Positions: No Restrictions.

Win/Lose: No Restrictions. Campaigns may be submitted, so long as the total area of all maps (including underground) is no larger than an XL map (without underground). In other words, four or five small or four medium maps are OK, but four large ones are not.

Miscellaneous Information and Tips:
Be very careful with the difficulty of your map. If most of the judges cannot complete it, you will suffer ... if it is too easy, you may also suffer. You, as the mapmaker, should probably be able to complete the map with no more than about two reloads (idiocy allowance).

Maps that involve significant story and quests will be at an advantage.

Mapmakers are asked to mention in the readme file what difficulty or difficulties the map was playtested at.

General Map Submission Rules Still Apply:
Remember that the standard readme text file must be fully and completely filled out and be included with the map, and the map must have been playtested by someone other than the mapmaker. If the readme text or the map does not meet MapHaven standards and requirements it will be tossed without warning. Because of the nature of the contest we don't have the time to open up a "fix me" dialogue with contestants over readme files or maps that don't follow the rules.

Maps should be submitted to MapHaven normally, and then (without needing to be approved) entered in the competition via This webform