I would like to make a little summary over the past Techtree contests themes just for the general public. (I wasn’t present when some of this contest took place, but I am writing what I saw as a result)
Contest #1
Theme: No Imports, No Triggers
Comments: No Triggers is not going to happen again (hope so)
Contest #2
Theme: 2 custom races (Versus like style)
Comments: Contest abandoned with only 1 submission (clearly too much work to do 2 full races)
Contest #3
Theme: Mini Race (free theme)
Comments: Races have limitations of size, (like 1 tier only, max 1 hero, max 8 buildings etc.)
Contest #4
Theme: Improved Melee Race
Comments: Improvement or twist of any of the original Warcraft III races.
Contest #5
Theme: Innovation (Full custom race, free theme)
Ok now back to subject I would quote GhosteThruster
I would like to further this concepts cause I really see potential on them.
Space theme hasn't been done yet, but we could make it a little bigger by changing space to a Futuristic theme.
- Future Sight Races: can be an evolution of any of the standard 4 races or a custom made race based in any faction (or creep) present in the WCIII environment.
- Environment: this theme shouldn’t be treated just as an aesthetic one, cause if you include that the races must have a mayor mechanic related to its theme then aesthetic become second place as contestants must be creative to relate the nature forces acting in their chosen environment with the game play of their race.
For example a Tropical Island Race wouldn’t be able to use abilities like blizzard or units related to high mountains for start. Also its buildings and units must be achievable with the local resources (materials) that you could find in its environment location.
I want to add another suggestion to be discussed, even though we have some imports limitations in the hive. I would like that the next contest be about Worlds Classic Mythology.
- World Mythology Races: each contestant must choose a mythology from the classic literature (Egyptian, Nordic, Greek, Mesoamerican, etc.) and build a custom balanced race based on it.
I think that this theme doesn’t limits creativity cause even the same mythology background can have multiple interpretations. As a judging point I would like that the fitting of the custom race to the mythology is primordial, for example you can’t have a Zeus (from Greek Mythology) launching rocket missiles or poison attacks.