Information regarding server map submissions.

Submission Process

Map submissions and map updates for Overcast Community are handled through our CommunityMaps repository on GitHub. To submit a new map or update click “New issue” and select the relevant submission form to fill out. An example of the submission form list is shown in the image below.

Submission Guidelines

Maps submitted to Overcast Community must meet a certain standard and specific level of quality. While this standard can be hard to quantify, the guidelines below exist as a useful framework to follow for map submissions.

• Ensure that you have the rights to use all the content in your map. Do not use private content you do not have permission to use.

• Maps should be fully compatible with Minecraft 1.8 and avoid usage of blocks or features from later versions of the game. Worlds built in 1.9-1.12 may be accepted as long as they are properly NBT converted to support 1.8, and make use of no blocks or features from those versions.

• Before your map submission ensure that you have a fully working map.xml file, the map files have been pruned, and you have created a map.png at 290x246 resolution.

• All map.xml files for new map submissions must be in proto 1.4.2 and follow standard PGM XML conventions.

• Avoid maps that are highly derivative of other maps or do little to stand out as unique when compared to similar maps, especially those in oversaturated gamemodes.

• Maps that are submitted must meet our quality standards before being loaded for testing. Maps must also be designed in a way that is compatible with usage upon our servers and avoid usage of mechanics that may significantly hinder the ability to use a submitted map.

• Ensure you are willing and able to provide updates to your map based upon feedback received within a timely manner. Map submissions that remain inactive for long periods of time may be closed.

• Be aware that all maps submitted to Overcast Community are publicly released under the CC BY-SA license, and that edits may be made to your map by Map Developers if needed. Edits made by Map Developers will mainly be to fix bugs or other issues with submitted maps, and major design changes will generally be left to the original author(s) to implement.

• Map submissions which do not fully meet these guidelines may be rejected, and will require changes to be made to rectify this before the map may be reconsidered.

Creating Maps

To aid potential mapmakers in creating maps, Overcast Community features a mapmaking server designed with PGM map creation in mind. The server features many useful plugins including WorldEdit, Arceon, and multiple custom plugins tailored specifically for PGM mapmaking. Further details can be found in Mapmaker.

In order to help create the map.xml file for new maps, many great public community resources are available. These include the many community maps within our repositories, the main documentation site for PGM, and the #mapmaking channel within Overcast Community's Discord server. These community resources collectively greatly aid in map development and should easily allow anyone the ability to create new maps for Overcast Community.