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Building a Map

Nightfall's DvZ gamemode has a set of maps, but one way community members can contribute is building a map for the server. The following paragraphs has a list of standards that maps should adhere to when being built.

Notes​

If you build a map, it is not guarenteed to be accepted or playtested. Additionally, Nightfall staff may make changes to the map if the gamemode requires it, and you should understand that submitting a map to the staff is granting Nightfall permission to use your map in the future forever.

Map Basics​

  • Your map should be built on or near the current server version. At time of writing, it is: 1.21 - 1.21.1.
  • We recommend disabling the following gamerules to help with building:
    • doMobSpawning
    • doTileDrops
    • doEntityDrops
  • There should be 3 or 5 shrines. 3 is the recommended amount, while a 5 shrine map may be harder to submit and be accepted.
  • The Run Time between shrines should be 20-30 seconds.
    • Run time is defined as sprint-jumping without any speed modifiers from one shrine to the next
  • There should be 3,000 gold ore blocks, for a total of ~10,000 gold per game.
  • There should be 3,000 gravel blocks for people to dig for building blocks.
  • There should be various trees that players can chop for lumber, as well as a Cutting Station (the Stonecutter block), and Oil (Sponge block).

Recommendations​

  • First Mob Spawn should be high above the battlefield, and there should be cover from ranged attacks as mobs approach the first shrine
  • Have multiple routes to shrines to avoid long hold times
  • Inside hallways should be around 5 blocks wide and 7 blocks tall
  • Talk with other community members to get feedback on your map
  • Keep the pathways from shrine to shrine fairly straightforward, or even mark them out with special blocks. This will reduce confusion as players learn the map layout.

What to Avoid​

Any of the following will have your map rejected:

  • Submitting a map you have no permission for (downloaded off of Planet Minecraft, taken from old DvZ). Additionally, you may be banned for plagerism.
  • Harassment of any kind, either towards staff to get them to accept the map, or to other community members
  • Command Blocks.

Submission​

Message the Nightfall Bot (our discord bot) with a download link to your map. Google Drive or Dropbox are the recommended file hosting services. We recommend sending a few screenshots as well. The staff may contact you for feedback and recommended changes.

Alongside the Minecraft world files, you should include the following information in the message or as a text document in the download:

  • Shrine Names and Locations
  • Mob Spawn Locations
  • Survivor Spawn Location
  • Locations of Interest
  • Gravel Count
  • Gold Count
  • Theme (optional)