Free For All
FFA stands for Free For All. It is a label representing most of the server's maps. It is named as a counterpart to Hardcore; where maps in Hardcore can only be played by blues, maps in the FFA are open to all (free, for all). Formerly located in the FFA Airship, the FFA currently resides in Star Spawn as part of the plan to unify it and the FFA in one area.
Areas
This page only refers to the individual areas of FFA. For the definitions of the types of maps in each room, see Map Elements (Types).
Pure Parkour
It contains maps of various difficulties that fit into the pure parkour map category. Pure parkours can be streamed and recorded freely.
Mixed Parkour
It contains maps of various difficulties that fit into the mixed parkour map category, meaning the maps may include mazes, puzzles or other challenge types. The parkour sections can be streamed and recorded freely, but not maze or puzzle areas of these maps.
Pure Mazes
It contains maps of various difficulties that fit into the pure maze map category. Pure mazes can NOT be streamed and recorded. Doing so is a ban-able offense and will not be tolerated.
Mixed Mazes
It contains maps of various difficulties that fit into the mixed maze map category, meaning the maps may include parkours, puzzles or other challenge types. Mixed mazes can NOT be streamed and recorded. Doing so is a ban-able offense and will not be tolerated.
Pure Puzzles
It contains maps of various difficulties that fit into the puzzle (pure map category. Puzzles can NOT be streamed and recorded. Doing so is a ban-able offense and will not be tolerated.
Mixed Puzzles
It contains maps of various difficulties that fit into the mixed puzzle map category, meaning the maps may include parkour, search or other challenge types. Mixed puzzles can NOT be streamed and recorded. Doing so is a ban-able offense and will not be tolerated.
Pure Droppers
It contains maps of various difficulties that fit into the dropper map category. Droppers can NOT be streamed and recorded. Doing so is a ban-able offense and will not be tolerated.
Mixed Droppers
It contains maps of various difficulties that fit into the mixed dropper map category, meaning the maps may include parkour, search or other challenge types. Mixed droppers can NOT be streamed and recorded. Doing so is a ban-able offense and will not be tolerated.
Pure Searches
It contains maps of various difficulties that fit into the search map category. Searches can NOT be streamed and recorded. Doing so is a ban-able offense and will not be tolerated.
Mixed Searches
It contains maps of various difficulties that fit into the mixed search map category, meaning the maps may include parkour, maze or other challenge types. Mixed searches can NOT be streamed and recorded. Doing so is a ban-able offense and will not be tolerated.
Adventure Maps
It contains maps of various difficulties that fit into the adventure map category. Non-parkour elements of Adventure Maps can NOT be streamed or recorded. Doing so is a ban-able offense and will not be tolerated.
Co-op Maps
It contains maps of various difficulties that fit into the co-op map category. Co-op maps require multiple players to complete, and none can be completed solo. Non-parkour elements of Co-op Maps can NOT be streamed or recorded. Doing so is a ban-able offense and will not be tolerated.
Challenges
It contains challenges of various difficulties. Information on challenges and a list of them can be found here: Challenges.
FFA+
Main Article: FFA+
FFA+ is another map classification meant to give spotlight to maps which are of exceptional quality and as such should be given better treatment than other maps classified FFA. The FFA+ maps are voted for by Greens+ in FFA+ ballots, which take place after a notable quantity of maps has been published. A complete list of all maps in FFA+ can be found here.
Ballots
FFA+ ballots are hosted every so often, usually by a server Admin. The ballot consists of two phases: nomination and voting.
During the nomination phase, ballot participants nominate maps they believe should be entered into FFA+. Any FFA classified map can be nominated, but a participant cannot nominate their own map(s), or map(s) that they've worked on significantly. Exceptions may be made for Community Projects, as they are usually made by over 5 people at a time. Each map may be nominated by more than one user -- this indicates these maps are popular choices for FFA+. Maps that have at least a distinct interest in nominations go to the next phase, which is voting.
During voting, participants vote either Yes, Neutral, or No for whether the maps nominated should be classified FFA+. Participants cannot vote Yes or No on their own maps and must instead vote Neutral. Maps that receive over a certain percentage of positive votes (usually around 60%-80%) will become FFA+ classified.
Board
Review Process
Firstly, maps are submitted on the forums for tracking purposes. This post includes checkpoint coordinates, the map name, its authors and similar.
When a player submits a map, they are expected to have already had the start, mid (if any), and end checkpoints already setup, and a region setup protecting the map with proper flags set. Once the map is confirmed to have all of these, a Board member sets the map to "On Board". At this point, all green+ players have the ability to leave reviews and comment on the map. This also opens up the map to reviews from members of The Board. The Board is composed of players that are devoted to reviewing maps and have a good grasp on what standards maps need to meet to get published. Once a board member reviews the map, one of three things happens:
- If the Board member thinks that the map is ready, they apply the prefix "Nominated". At this point, another board member needs to review the map. If they also agree that the map is ready for publishing, they apply the prefix "Approved" and it becomes published as a full map on the server.
- If the Board member sees that there are some definite areas for improvement or any bugs and/or escapes, the prefix is set to "Altering". When this happens, greens are still allowed to review the map, but the map creator is meant to make any changes that need to happen. If the map creator changes the map to an acceptable standard, a Board member changes the prefix to "Nominated" or "Approved".
- If the Board member thinks that the map will require substantial changes to make it acceptable, they apply the prefix "Reworking", and the creator must work on the map more to have its status changed.
- If the map will require a near-total rework to be acceptable or if the creator fails multiple times to fulfill the changes that board reviews lay out for them, especially after the map is given a "Reworking" tag, the map may be "Declined", and is not to be submitted again until a significant amount of work is done on the map.
For a more in-depth explanation of the review process, read The Board: Master Post.
Boundary Maps
When a map is set to be published, its difficulty is decided by looking at a group of set maps, known as boundary maps.
Parkour
Upper White: Mystic Cavern
Upper Blue: Athenai
Upper Green: Shroomville
Upper Yellow: Time Lab
Upper Orange: The Core
Upper Red: Haydon Falls
Parkour Difficulty Ceiling
In addition to boundary maps, parkour has a set of defined difficulty ceilings for different categories of parkour. Parkour maps submitted for FFA must be able to reasonably be considered easier than 4/5 of the following maps, with 1/5 being part of the category most similar to the submitted map:
One-Jumps: Bingus' Revenge
Endurance: Thrice
Rankup: Gearburn: The Savior
Mixed: Gearburn: Alone at Night
Mixed: The Refinery
Maze
Upper White: Windswept
Upper Blue: PrisMaze
Upper Green: Clocktower
Upper Yellow: Liminal 1: Scorched and Scattered
Upper Orange: Duat
Upper Red: Cosmic Core
Puzzle
There are no set boundary maps for Puzzles, as they are more subjective than parkour or mazes.
Adventure
There are no set boundary maps for Adventures, as there is a limited number of them and are often more subjective.
Current Board Members
Board Leader:
Board Members:
Trivia
- The Border Maps received an update in December of 2020 to better evaluate the borders.
- Before the board system as it is now, Green+ players would warp to board to leave map reviews by writing them in a book and quill. An admin would then compile the general feedback of these reviews for the map creators in a written book. As a result, many of these books still exist around Zero to this day.