I have a problem, I've made a nice looking map that is ready for release, looks great and has been tested through the nose. No problem so far I here you say. The problem is I want to submit a map into the $5000 contest but this map is just over budget so I'd have to trim it down. I have made a trimmed version by sacrificing aesthetic pieces which plays completely the same but IMO looks worse. So my question to you is, what should I do? a) submit the trimmed version into the contest b) release the full map normally and try and come up with another map in a month Here are some comparison pictures for you: Full map: Trimmed map: Full map: Trimmed map: Any response is apreciated!
In both case I prefer the second picture. For your pillar in the first picture, the antennas do not fit well in my opinion. For the second case, the hallway cover (I think it's how its called, sorry my game is in french :/) look WAY better, because they hide the connection between your colliseum walls.
You may be able to remove the inclines that replace Antenna, Smalls in the first picture... Replace the Antenna, Small in pictures 3 and 4 with a cheaper piece... See if that recovers enough budget to keep the Walkway Large Covers on the Coliseum Walls' "seams".
The "trimmed" version looks nicer IMO. It just has a cleaner feel and is less cluttered. I'm not sure if you can do this due to the comp rules, but if you like the full version better, what's to stop you from just releasing both?
The problem is that the walkway covers are $50 each and there are 10 of them using $500 + another $100 for the two antennae. I don't mind losing the antennae but with the covers gone the Walls look very bland and it just niggles me. I haven't tried fiddling with the rocks to try and economise them which could help but this budget is incredibly annoying because I have made my best map to date and it is just over the competition limit! Because of this, if no one changes my mind by Monday I will release it normally and hope for divine inspiration before the contest deadline. Any unmentioned suggestions are still welcome though!
Why dont you use 1x4 Blocks to cover up the seams on the walls instead of the Large Walkway Covers? By my estimate you should only need 2 per seam, so thats only $200 instead of $500. And for other sections that might use more objects, try finding something that fits the same, but is cheaper. For instance, if you have a section of floor or wall that has 4 1x1 Blocks, try using 1 2x2 Block, which will save you $30. Not much, but if you can substitute it, substitute it. In my submission for the comp, I cleverly substituted 2 Bunker, Box's with a Platform Y, Window Double and a 2x1 Block. Looked relatively the same, and it saved me $240. You'll just have to scour your map and see if there is anything you can change.
I've just re-read the rules and I'm allowed to release the map at the same time as the submission so I'll try to make the trimmed version as good as possible for the comp and release the full map aswell. Although thinking about it they aren't technically the same map so those rules don't apply.