Check out these tips for the BKR contest!

Hey everyone! We’re loving all the BKR contest submissions so far, and are super-impressed by their variety and level of ambition. As we get closer to the May 31st deadline, and you start making the final touches to your map’s overall design, we wanted to share some general guidelines to consider:

Don’t get over-complicated -- focus on basic FPS playability: Remember, the maps submitted by May 31st must be fully and easily playable by any user -- in other words, a random Sinespace user should be able to log into your map and immediately be able to play an entire match. Therefore, don’t worry about implementing features that are not part of the core FPS game loop. Instead, focus on improving the gameplay of the FPS experience before the deadline. (You can always add other features and mechanics afterwards!)

Barriers, chokepoints, hiding places, high points are key: Map layouts must not only be visually appealing, but encourage player strategy. So consider adding hiding places for evasion and sneak attacks, and high ground areas, which give players ideal attack positions. Separating a game objective with choke points which force players to pass through areas where they are extremely vulnerable, can also make gameplay more exciting and suspenseful.

Consider using features that are unique to Sinespace and BKR: One major goal of this contest is to show off fun gameplay that’s only possible in Sinespace. For instance, BKR is among the few (if only) FPS systems where PC/Mac users can play an FPS against VR users, so think about ways that might be featured in gameplay. The Quest system, NPC conversation, and Sinespace’s wide range of avatars and outfits can also help make a truly unique “only in Sinespace” FPS map!

Play test, play test, play test! The only way to find and fix flaws or bugs in a game map is through constant user testing. Ask friends to play your map, or even host regular play test events, in which you invite SInespace users to play and offer feedback in exchange for prizes. Play testing is also a good way of building up a fan case for your map -- and maps which show a proven appeal with Sinespace users may be given special consideration by judges.

Keep in mind that these are all general guidelines and don’t always hold true for every single map -- as long as there’s a good reason for bending them.

Best of luck! And always feel free to ask us anything about the contest and BKR in the “bkr-competition” channel of our official Discord server!