... 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
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.
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
[SELECT ALL] 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-99So 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.