Basic Summary

Finalists Jam accepted Maps from participants.
Requires maps are downloadable.

Read the about for more information.

Judging

Ranked by Judges - Only members of the jam assigned with judging permission can vote.
Entries can't be updated during the judge phase.
21 day entry period.

Rating Criteria

1. Concept & Originality
   Rated 1 to 10
2. Technique & Execution
   Rated 1 to 10
3. Presentation
   Rated 1 to 10

The Desert Detour
Banner and introductory text by Chellizard
Base map provided by lentebriesje

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Introduction

The sweltering sun beat down over pearlescent sand. Winds swept in every so often, bringing a sweet escape from the blistering heat. Steve had been on many fearsome adventures in his lifetime, but it felt like this would be his breaking point.

Each step up the massive dune of sand seemed endless, but something inside of Steve kept him going on. Determination filled him to the brim. He knew that, if he just kept pushing, he could make it. There had to be something over this mountainous pile of sand. Slipping one last time, he pulled himself up to the peak of the dune and looked out over the expanse of desert.

Yet, the desert was no longer just a mass of sand. Something else was there. But was it real? Or was it something he could actually physically touch? He stepped forward, exhaustion taking him over. He fell down the other slope of the dune toward the entity in front of him.

Goal

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Your goal is to create something, whether it be structural or organic, to show that what Steve finds in the desert... Using the base map provided (click this long string of text to get to it), you will work inside the terrain provided without drastically altering what is already there. Please be sure to read the rules below. Try to make an impression on those viewing your submission! Amaze the judges with your incredible presentation, composition and element placement skills.

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These rules may change between contests, so please be sure to read them carefully in case they are different from the previous ones! Failure to comply with these rules will result in the immediate disqualification of your submission and/or being banned from the contest entirely.

General Rules

• You must use the map and terrain provided, without drastically altering what has been provided.
  
• Your build must be 100% original and not an old build or plagiarized build from somebody else. Remember, originality is key!
  
• You must build alone! You are not allowed help from other players. Equally, alone means as a singular person and does not include single entities (build groups).
  
• 75% or more of the screenshots must be unedited in-game shots (yes, this means no shaders or heavy photoshopping please!)
  
• You must use the default texture pack. This is a build contest, not a texturing contest. Judges will also be reviewing your builds in the default texture pack.
  
• You must only build within the terrain provided. You may not add or remove anything significant outside that area.
  
• Presentation is very important! Please be sure to add lots of screenshots (unedited shots are best), detail to your lore, give some description as to your building process and all in all just present your submission well.
  
• One entry per user! "Update" your submission if you need to, but do remember that once the build period has ended, you won't be allowed to edit your submission any more.
  
• You may not use any tools that produce an output for you. Building aides are allowed, but don't let a program do the main work for you (3D model converters, etc).
  
• No mods! Must be vanilla Minecraft, 1.9 or below. Judges will also be judging the submissions in vanilla Minecraft. Any foreign blocks will be discarded from the final judging.
  

FAQ

Can I move the terrain?
No, it must remain at the height it is at.

Is there a height limit?
No.

Can I dig through the terrain?
Yes, but not beyond the map's border.

Is the entire map the boundary?
Yes. Don't build outside the provided official area.

Judging

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Entries will be judged by a panel of your PlanetMinecraft peers. We'll be assembling a team of individuals to judge; don't worry if there aren't any yet, they will be added soon!

During the first phase, judges will be scouring builds, disqualifying entries that break the rules and diamonding posts that they like. Remember that judge diamonds are worth a lot! Once the build period is up, the contest will enter phase two.

The second phase consists of 5 days of review; the judges will go over the entries and find any straggling rule breakers. Users will have time to diamond and view more of the entrants.

The final phase involves the judges judging all of the finalists, which are calculated based on an aggregate score of activity and votes.

You will be judged on the following aspects, on a 1-10 inclusive scale:

• Concept & Originality: Fresh, new ideas and crazy concepts! Try to do something new, differentiate yourself from the status quo and show us what you're made of.
  
• Technique & Execution: Color, shape, texture - be sure your build flows together and represents what you are trying to accomplish.
  
• Presentation & Experience: Presentation of a build can really help to make an impression. Be sure you've got good screenshots, spend some time on the post!
  

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All ready to enter? Great!

Step 1: Download the contest map, which you can find by clicking this long string of blue text. Place the map in your "saves" folder where Minecraft is located. To quickly find this folder, go to the "Resource Packs" option in Minecraft and click the "Open Folder" button. Go up a folder, and you should see your saves there. Unzip the map zip there.

Step 2: Load the map in Minecraft, and have fun! You have three weeks to build. You are in no rush to post your map, and may post it any time before the posting period.

Step 3: When you're ready to post, head back to your Minecraft saves folder and zip the map folder. Windows users can right-click and Add To > New Compressed Archive; you may also use a third party program such as WinRAR or 7zip.

Step 4: Go to the Create New Project page on PlanetMinecraft and upload your map as normal! Be sure to take many screenshots to show off the interiors.

Prizes

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First Place

• $50 Steam Credit; games will be gifted to your Steam account. Winner may choose more than one game but the total must be $50 or less. Must have a Steam account to claim prize, no substitutes.
  
• A special gold, first place trophy in your profiles' trophy case
  
• Profile featured on PMC for 1 week
  

Second Place

• A special silver, second place trophy in your profiles' trophy case
  
• Profile featured on PMC for 1 week
  

Third Place

• A special bronze, third place trophy in your profiles' trophy case
  
• Profile featured on PMC for 1 week
  

Finalists

• A special finalist medal in your profiles' trophy case
  

Participants

• A special participant badge in your profiles' trophy case
  

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