Welcome to the ManiaExchange Monthly Track Contest (MTC), October 2017 hosted by Lars!

In the MTC your task is to build a track on a given theme. Later on, all of the entered tracks will be rated and a winner will be found.

Theme of the Month: Puzzle!
You need to build a Puzzle map with the Puzzle script provided by TGYoshi.

First of all: What is a Puzzle map?
• It's a mode that was present in the TM1 games but wasn't included in TM2
  
• There are two parts revolving the puzzle mode:
  • The mapper builds a foundation in the editor (basically an "unfinished" map) and selects certain blocks which will be available for the player
    
  • The player, when opening the map, will be placed into the editor to "finish" the map. To do so, the player tries to find the best route using the selected blocks by the mapper and then tries to drive a good time.
    

Rules

• The map needs to have the map type: Puzzle
  Puzzle script (you need this one to play Puzzle maps)
  PuzzleCreator script (You need this one to build Puzzle maps)
  
• A solution to the puzzle must be possible
  
  

Deadlines

• All tracks should be submitted before the end of Sunday 29th, October 2017 PDT
  
• Public voting will go from September 30th to November 5th
  
• Results are calculated on November 6th

Prizes
Honour and the right to brag! (Jozii used to say that. I hope some still remember him? )
The top 3 winners will receive a showcase of a track of their choice (< 10 awards)

General Rules

• MTC should be present in the map name. Example: Simpli-city (MTC); or [mtc] Ruins of Life;
  or MTC - time for dreams (check that any special characters do not break in the TM or MX track name)
  
• Maximum 1 map per author.
  
• Duo tracks are allowed, but each map counts as one track for each author involved.
  
• The track should be built in the most recent version of the game available.
  
• All environments are allowed
  
• Blockmixing is allowed Edit: Blockmixing is technically allowed but the Puzzle script fails when multiple blocks occupy the same position; or in other words, you can place blockmixed blocks as long as you don't place them inside of other blocks
  
• Stadium64 map base is allowed
  
• Objects are not allowed
  
• Custom titlepacks are not allowed
  
• Envimix is allowed
  
• Press Forward, Left, Right, or similar tracks are not allowed

How to Submit

• To enter a track, simply upload and post a link to your submission here:
  MTC October 2017: Submission Thread
  
• You can update your map within the deadline as many times as you want. Though be mindful of replays submitted to your map!


General information about the Puzzle script

• Tutorial video on how to install and use the script
  
• You can only choose up to 16 blocks (UI limitation)
  
• You can only set an amount per block between 0 and 9 (When you reach 10 it resets to 0 (The minus button doesn't work))
  
• You can select objects, however you will not be able to choose them in the puzzle mode
  
• You can select start and multilap blocks but you can't place them in the puzzle editor
  
• If you integrate Checkpoints, they don't need to be placed for the replay to be validable. However if they are placed, you need to collect them to finish the map.
  
• You can't use the Blockmix function while you're in the puzzle mode
  


Judging: Public and internal
We will use a 50/50 mixture of the public voting system and the internal judging

• Everyone is allowed to judge, even players who submitted a map (give your own map a 10).
  
• Every map will be judged with marks from 1 (bad) to 10 (good).
  
• Note that you have to judge a stage entirely. You cannot judge only half of it.
  
• The internal judging will note some detailed feedback with points based on categories
  
  
  • Theme/Creativity [15p] (How creatively is the puzzle mode used?; Are the given blocks and the foundation thought provoking/interesting?)
    
  • Execution [15p] (How well do the given blocks and the foundation supplement eachother; Do the given blocks serve in some way a function?)
    
  • Funfactor [10p]
    
  • Detailwork [10p]
  
  
• Public judging will be advised to follow a similar judging scheme


MTC driving competition


• I will host a driving competition on the sent in MTC maps which will be announced in the upcoming days
  
• This will ease the judging process, since not every judge has enough time to search for the best possible way on every map and it's also very interesting to see the evolution of puzzle map records
  
• The driving competition will Start when there are atleast 5 maps sent in
  

Good luck, and if you have any questions, please ask!

Very nice theme! I can't wait to see what people build. I've always been terrible at Puzzle mode, my mind just can't figure out the ridiculous routes and oddball block uses to create the optimal line... Anyways, I've got only one question: Is there a map time we need to keep everything within, or can the maps be as short/long as we want this month?

Arkive says:
Is there a map time we need to keep everything within, or can the maps be as short/long as we want this month?

There is no restriction on the map length.

I can't get block images to show up in puzzle-solve mode in any environment except stadium. In stadium all the images show up fine, but in canyon, valley, or lagoon, all the squares are blank.

Is anyone else seeing this?



Edit: The puzzle script pulls the images from:

http://images.mania-exchange.com/blocks/{{{Map.CollectionName}}}/{{{name}}}.png

Are there images there for all environments, or just stadium?

Also, this line in the script seems suspicious since it's stadium-specific and none of the other environments are referenced:

Boolean CountBlock(Text name) {return name != "StadiumGrass" && name != "Grass" && name != "Dirt" && !TextLib::Find("Clip", name, True, True);}

Well that's an unfortunate oversight...
There's images for Stadium and Valley, but they've both been generated before the MP4 update. I do have Canyon sets around too (just never converted them), but not Lagoon currently.

I'll see if I can find a solution for it soon.

I've updated the Puzzle script so that block icons always show and added proper Lagoon support now, thanks pjw!

Wow! Three hours is indeed soon.

Thanks for the quick fix!

Edit: It looks like something still isn't working on my end for my Lagoon map. The block images show up correctly now, and I can choose different blocks to place, and I can rotate them, but I can't actually place them. I click and nothing happens.

I'm also hearing a constant, rapid odd sound (like a beep, but lower in pitch) like something is stuck in a loop. A simple test map works (and I don't get the sound glitch), but my full map does not. I'm using 13 different block types, and no more than 9 in each type (and most of them are only 1 or 2 blocks). I'm not really sure what the problem could be.

Can you send the map?

TGYoshi says:
Can you send the map?

I sent you a PM with a d/l link from my site. Thank you!

Hmm, either I did something terrible or your script has broken for me. When I open my map as a driver, I get a constant selection beep. More than that, though, nothing can be done. Pieces can be selected, but not placed. The validation flag is red, and trying to click it pops up an "Invalid mapstate" message. At the top of the screen is red text saying "Something went really wrong." The creator mode works fine.

Any help or advice is appreciated, sorry for breaking everything!