More Custom Maps...

[Aight]

... on public servers. And by custom maps I don't mean random but high quality custom maps.

But what are HQ custom maps? Well, my definition might be a bit different cause imo those maps meet 2 main conditions: They look good and are fun to play. I know that both of these points are subjective though I think most players have something in common.

Remember High Skill? Of course you do, good times... But what made high skill that attractive? Most of all the competition, playing there was hell of fun! But secondly, there have only been a few maps in the rotation, if I remember correctly CTF Mines, Power, Shine and Sunset. And voting was disabled. A simple but effective way to succesfully fill servers cause everybody loves these maps.

And how about high quality custom maps? Well, the BoB and TyD ladder servers broke ground by adding high quality custom maps to their rotation, maps like Apollo_Arabic_Night, Casa, Industrialisies, Riverdry, Riverside, Venganza. But they also did mistakes by adding maps that most players don't like (Arid, Apollo_Castle) cause they either strongly favour a specific type of weapon or simply are not fun to play.

So I thought about HQ custom maps, I checked out lots of maps by having my own definition at the back of my head. Maps are usually a lot of fun to play if they are similiar to the most played official maps. That means they need to have open and tight spaces so that every weapon stands a chance of being used + an appropriate ammount of mapmodels and pickups. Unfortunately, there are quite some maps around which do not fulfill those requirements even if they might look good on first sight.

So I made a map pack of HQ maps that could have a chance of being played. I'm a realist and know that only a few out of those would actually stand a chance of being played frequently, sadly.

http://www.mediafire.com/?k8ycrlzt53dmzhc

Code:

Last update: September 25th, 2012 191 maps in total ac_2fast2furious by $N!P3R* ac_africa by $N!P3R* ac_aftermath by ~ICarUS~ ac_aim by Nieb ac_aim2 by Deathstar ac_alcove Halo & Bukz ac_ambar by Stupp ac_ambush_beta by Archangel ac_ancient by Kidcrazy ac_army_beta by $N!P3R* & SaNd'Z ac_asylum_beta by DES|KC & DES|sundown ac_avenue by DES|jiba ac_bank by laarson ac_blarg by =RA=Thorite ac_blizzard by shad-99 ac_box_factory by B}evanzo23 & B}Nightmare ac_brick by Alien ac_bunker by Mr.Floppy ac_casa by $N!P3R* ac_cavern by Undead & ExodusS* ac_cilla by Halo & Duckett ac_cine by StatioN ac_ciudad by MPx ac_crane by Z3R0 ac_culvert1.1 by DES|Bukz & DES|optus (fps drops!!!) ac_deadwood by Think3r ac_debris DES|Halo ac_department_beta2 by $N!P3R* & Sand'Z ac_derb by $N!P3R* ac_desert4 by $N!P3R ac_desertica by i9* ac_desertstorage by Jg99, {TBR}IguanaMoo & iOD|K!ll ac_desolate by DES|Ruthless ac_dimp by TRA$H_PC ac_dingy by Bukz & Halo ac_dioura by $N!P3R* ac_discovery by Snoosnoo ac_docks by pwnerpony ac_dune by undead ac_dusk by A&D_Shadow ac_edifice1.1 by DES|Bukz & optus ac_excavation by Milandrag ac_faarax by Spookyfish:) ac_fabrik by Mr.Floppy ac_farce by Loelin ac_fetus by fetus ac_fetus3 by fetus ac_fetus4 by fetus ac_firm_beta3 by Dreamer ac_fold by Dreamer ac_forge by Duckett ac_forgotten by PiYesWeCamp ac_fracht by Mr.Floppy ac_freight by Bloodsport ac_front by lemmings ac_frontline1.1 by Stupp* ac_frost by Andrez ac_frostbite by Z3R0 ac_fudge by Shad-99 ac_ghost_town by DES|KC & DES|sundown ac_gimp by fetus ac_golden_beta by Andrez ac_greenpeace by DaylixX & Brett (fps drops!!!!) ac_gridlock by =RA=Thorite ac_hacienda_beta3 by MathiasB ac_hazard by DES|Undead ac_heatstroke by w00p|Syntax, w00p|''Zodiak & Sp33dy ac_hq by jiba ac_ice_beta by oblivion ac_iced by Deathstar (fps drops!!!) ac_ifran_beta by |BC|$N!P3R* ac_industrialisies1.1 by jiba, Sanzo'', Brett ac_industries by doctor & Toca ac_iron_beta by =RA=Thorite ac_italy by TRA$H_PC ac_kanal by Mr.Floppy ac_knast by Mr.Floppy ac_komplex by oblivion ac_krullskeep by fetus ac_lainio by Halo ac_logistica by Stupp ac_lotus by Dog|BC|Dancing & |BC|$N!P3R ac_majik by Robtics ac_mayhem by fetus ac_medina by Andrez ac_metl3 by DES|Halo ac_metro by w00p|Syntax ac_mezzanotte by Z3R0 ac_midnight by DogDancing ac_mirage by Z3R0 ac_mojave by Andrez ac_mojave2 by Andrez ac_nest by Mr.Floppy ac_nightshift by morph33n ac_nocturne by YesWeCamp ac_noct by DES|Dreamer ac_oasis by RuTLe$$ ac_offices by Sharp ac_ore by Undead ac_origin by BCFH|DaylixX! ac_palm_beta by $N!P3R* ac_parkour by $N!P3R* ac_pharoah ny Jama & R4L (fps drops!!!) ac_pipeline by Kidcrazy ac_railway by SuaveDude ac_rebel by Snoosnoo & Gibarix ac_recic by Duckett|KH| & iOD|_FatCat ac_revenant by Z3R0 ac_rilos by Spookyfish:) ac_rivedry by Alien ac_riverside by A&D_Shadowz ac_riverside2 by Deathstar ac_rock by Alien ac_roofs by |BC|$N!P3R* ac_ruinas1.1 by fetus & jiba ac_russia by Undead ac_rust by Think3r ac_safari by DES|Bukz ac_sand2 by $N!P3R ac_sands by ViperX07 ac_saturn1.1 by Alpha-Jet ac_savana by fundog ac_say by TheSharpShooter ac_sewage by kleinkariert ac_sewers by laarson ac_shelter by Redemption Gam!ng ac_shipping by Maj.Hillis ac_shortway by DogDancing ac_silence by A&D_Shadow ac_sleet by =RA=Thorite ac_specops by R4L ac_station by R4L ac_stellar1.1 by Halo & Bukz from DES ac_stockade1.3 by DES|Halo ac_stoops by fetus ac_storage by TheSharpShooter ac_strike by TRA$H_PC ac_sun by $N!P3R ac_suburbs by Dvorakk ac_surface by Think3r ac_swamp by |oNe|.ExodusS* & Undead|oNe| ac_swazy by shad-99 ac_sylang by ExodusS'' *HyBr!d & $p@k0 ac_techdust by Sauer2 ac_tempest by Takkunen ac_terros by DaylixX & Sanzo'' ac_tone2.0 by Mariana & Raizen ac_tropical by Bloodsport & TBR ac_ubahn by kleinkariert ac_union_lockout by shad-99 & G.I.Joe ac_ursstreet by |uRs| ac_venganza1.1 by jiba ac_venison by fundog ac_vent by Undead ac_village by SuaveDude ac_viridis by HyPE|Fate & iOD|Huntsman ac_warehouse by Bigben91 ac_warhead by Andrez ac_wasteland by DES|Halo & DES|R4zor ac_watertreatment by fetus ac_whirlwind by Z3R0 ac_wildwest by Snoosnoo (fps drops!!!) ac_winteryfactory by Jg99 ac_zanka by $N!P3R* ac_zone_beta2 by $N!P3R (fps drops!!!) apollo_abbey by Apollo{TyD} apollo_arabicnight by Apollo{TyD} apollo_castle by Apollo{TyD} apollo_castle2.5 by Apollo{TyD} apollo_desertcity by Apollo{TyD} apollo_facility by Apollo{TyD} apollo_harbour by Apollo{TyD} apollo_subcity1.1 by Apollo{TyD} deserted_v1.20 by MuzzleFlash dm_canicule_night by SnD Favela by V!P|Stupp* kc_dam by DES|KC kc_mud_beta2 by DES|KC kc_rust by DES|KC Knox by MuzzleFlash koth_night by Think3r ML-Abandoned by Polymorphic mpx_desert by Mpx mpx_suburbios2 by Mpx obl_snow by oblivion obl_storage by Oblivion, Shade & Jesus r4_scorched by R4zor r4_sleet by R4zor sd_sewer by DES|sundown shipment by Think3r space_douze by Shad-99

So I was thinking of a maprot that could be fun, maybe some server owners read this. Would be cool if one of the ladder servers could run this maprot or something similiar. My idea is simple: Use official and HQ custom maps in a relation 2:1. Meaning, if you'd have for instance 15 maps in your rotation, you would have 10 official ones and 5 custom maps (I think this is kinda similiar to some existing ladder maprots).

Like this one:

Desert3, Werk, Oasis, Power, Ingress, Venganza, Shine, Gothic, Riverside, Outpost, Mines, Apollo_Arabic_Night, Depot, Urban, Casa (All CTF)

But I would even go that far as to disable voting cause with a decent rotation there's really no need for that and it prevents players from voting Desert3, Power, Shine etc. over and over again. That really sucks, AC needs more variety on public servers. Also, if possible there should be a way to force server owners add a specific number of HQ custom maps to their rotation, maybe like a relation of 1:3 of custom / official maps or so, that could really help. Plus a restriction that a map can't be played 2 times in a row. (Just btw: I know you can always vote what you would like to see and play but I'm a bit lazy and don't want to vote everytime I start AC, I'd like to see a bit of a change really).



I even made this little vid to show some nice maps, some are known from 1.0 for instance but others are not played at all. Note that these are not the absolute top maps that stand a chance of being played frequently, only a few of those actually, I focused more on showing some nice looking maps made by different mappers, they are fun to play though.

Thanks for reading.