As Crossfire hosts the W:ET and CoD mapping contest there is a real boom for the competitive mapping (in ET at least). Organizations like #newmaps.et are founded, which I really appreciate and also love to work with as a mapper. But the point I want to write about is one of the things ET was always faithful to: its mappool. Of course maps come and go and changes are made e.g Adlernest in and out or just look at Battery and Oasis coming and going from time to time.
You may have noticed that folks are in fear that ET isn’t attractive anymore and that ClanBase ET is clutching at straws.
But what is all this about?
If we do a short review back into the year 2006 we can read lots of articles and columns about how making our beloved game more popular and interesting for the world. So what happened is a real hype of Online and Offline Events including ESL IPS, Crossfire Lan I, Quakecon, SHG Open...
In this really short period of time ET had more LAN Events and also prizemony than ever before. I don’t want to get into the detail of this because my topic is something very different so don’t get too diverted when ET’s competitive expansion gets a short setback (we can do it together and stuff ;>).
While the topic of this column is about Maps. Back on topic.
We have several new and also really nice looking competition maps in result of the Crossfire mapping contest. But in my opinion we have to watch out not to overrate this development. Don’t get me wrong here, I’m a mapper aswell and every mapper wants his map to be played, but i'm also a gamer and if we put good old and really even maps like Supplydepot out of the mappool we have to make sure we have a good alternative (even if I’m one of the guys who hates to play SD in every war we still better stay at the maps we have than put in something worse).
As maps are the bread and butter of every game they also have a big effect on the way non ET playing people get their impressions towards the game. And as most of us want ET to become even bigger and more established in the world of the electronic sports we have to respect this point.
So to get away from the basics here is what we have at the moment: Bremen_b1, Sub_base, Vio Grail, Field HQ , Odenthal_b2 & Wolken1.
Nobody can really say if any of these maps would do a good job in the map pool of an OpenCup or ladder or even in a 1day cup - because of the way a map evolves when played and the changes with the experience teams gain on it. As ClanBase have just announced they’ve added Wolken1 and Supplydepot to their 3on3 map pool for the upcoming OpenCup which is from my point a really good decision. Wolken1 has potential for competitive 3on3 gaming, because it’s small but still in some parts divided map with an average time of 5minutes.
But while 3on3 is just a fun competition for most ET players – there’s still two tba’s to be filled in the 6v6 OpenCup map list. There is still a decision to be made which will have far reaching consequences (if good or bad will be seen in the future). Every new map has its weaknesses e.g. too spammy, bad fps or just not being liked by some but whats about the “official” maps?
There will never be a map that everybody likes and that guarantees a thrilling match with one of tosspots emotional explosions and pure action so to get to an end for today here’s my conclusion.
On the one hand try to respect the work mappers put into their projects, even if the result isn’t the best (in your opinion), but on the other hand and especially addressing the people who decide which maps are played or who organizes cups for new maps think about what we have at the moment and what the new maps can offer in contrast to the old maps and which effect those possibly changes can have to the future of Enemy Territory.
You may have noticed that folks are in fear that ET isn’t attractive anymore and that ClanBase ET is clutching at straws.
But what is all this about?
If we do a short review back into the year 2006 we can read lots of articles and columns about how making our beloved game more popular and interesting for the world. So what happened is a real hype of Online and Offline Events including ESL IPS, Crossfire Lan I, Quakecon, SHG Open...
In this really short period of time ET had more LAN Events and also prizemony than ever before. I don’t want to get into the detail of this because my topic is something very different so don’t get too diverted when ET’s competitive expansion gets a short setback (we can do it together and stuff ;>).
While the topic of this column is about Maps. Back on topic.
We have several new and also really nice looking competition maps in result of the Crossfire mapping contest. But in my opinion we have to watch out not to overrate this development. Don’t get me wrong here, I’m a mapper aswell and every mapper wants his map to be played, but i'm also a gamer and if we put good old and really even maps like Supplydepot out of the mappool we have to make sure we have a good alternative (even if I’m one of the guys who hates to play SD in every war we still better stay at the maps we have than put in something worse).
As maps are the bread and butter of every game they also have a big effect on the way non ET playing people get their impressions towards the game. And as most of us want ET to become even bigger and more established in the world of the electronic sports we have to respect this point.
So to get away from the basics here is what we have at the moment: Bremen_b1, Sub_base, Vio Grail, Field HQ , Odenthal_b2 & Wolken1.
Nobody can really say if any of these maps would do a good job in the map pool of an OpenCup or ladder or even in a 1day cup - because of the way a map evolves when played and the changes with the experience teams gain on it. As ClanBase have just announced they’ve added Wolken1 and Supplydepot to their 3on3 map pool for the upcoming OpenCup which is from my point a really good decision. Wolken1 has potential for competitive 3on3 gaming, because it’s small but still in some parts divided map with an average time of 5minutes.
But while 3on3 is just a fun competition for most ET players – there’s still two tba’s to be filled in the 6v6 OpenCup map list. There is still a decision to be made which will have far reaching consequences (if good or bad will be seen in the future). Every new map has its weaknesses e.g. too spammy, bad fps or just not being liked by some but whats about the “official” maps?
There will never be a map that everybody likes and that guarantees a thrilling match with one of tosspots emotional explosions and pure action so to get to an end for today here’s my conclusion.
On the one hand try to respect the work mappers put into their projects, even if the result isn’t the best (in your opinion), but on the other hand and especially addressing the people who decide which maps are played or who organizes cups for new maps think about what we have at the moment and what the new maps can offer in contrast to the old maps and which effect those possibly changes can have to the future of Enemy Territory.
youve got a good point here.
Imo, leagues shouldnt remove maps if they dont have a good alternative.
tbh, i wish another competition version of oasis ( just a thought)
but as you i'd like to see another version of oasis :>
as ive mentioned in icq, i would like to see some kindof map with the same objective.. with all this desert stuff ( palmtrees,sand) and this kind of urban warfare
kariash_te is nice in 3v3 and we`ll see how it works in 6v6 ;)
but you are right - cups / or admins can`t force a map in the pool - but in my opinion they have to arrange some cups to test the maps potential - afterwards the community and the admins have to come to a conclusion either go on with it or leave it alone ;p
but the point is: we need constructive feedback - I hate the people who are just shouting: "the map sucks, shit map blabla" because they dont know the map /lost their war and are now in a snit...
The well of youth for example is 2 times as big as karsiah but has stable fps. Tell me the reason of that (maybe the mapper himself). I can't explain it since I'm not a mapper.
would be nice if some experienced mappers can go through the map and spot the fpsproblems...
as youve mentioned most people just say "this map sucks" without having any good advice how to change it.
btw, the feedback i read on the server with karsiah what quite good.
That is ALL I got out of this competition - a shitload of immature slagging off, but NO feedback whatsoever... I found out the hard way that fun maps aren't welcome (no-one warned me when I entered the map which has pissed me off greatly)
There seem to be two camps - comp players who basically want to play the same old maps they know and love (to death :)), and pub players (like myself) who want new (fun) maps.
kudos to GN though for the map-testing initiative, hopefully something good will come out of it :)
As for fps issues - r_lockpvs is your friend ;)
btw nice to see more columns coming :>
Things like this would help promote the scene to prevent ET dying :>
btw. agree with you
Imo you can't remove a map from the mappool without placing in the best alternative.
e.g. If you would replace Adlernest with another map, it has to be based on the same amount of 'luck' that is in the map. You have to put in a map which can be won as lucky as Adlernest.
Same fact for supply (which many progressive people want to change, which is their good right). If you want to swap supply with some other map you got to make the map as equally based as the original supply. It can't be a lotto-map, it has to be one which has to be won by teamplay, skills and a well-based crossfire. This will make Tosspot happy, but after a while it will become boring aswell because of dominating clans in teamplay and skills (not referring to anyone! (a)).
Imo clanbase has to work more tight with progressive mapdeveloppers, and take a count of the major public (not the flaming/shouting one's which give stupid comments) in the renovelling of their mappool(s).
I also want to thank the other non-clanbase related cups which often try out new maps. If they would only work together with bigger orginisations as clanbase this game would be almost perfect to play.
(And would attract more better players and cash, a topic many columnwriters have already written about!)
It all starts at the maps!
2. tba: braun should be in
i dont think new maps in cups/ladder would increase the popularity of ET. If you make a new map and take out a old and very often played map , many players/teams would loose their expierence on that map. they have to do new tactics , learn to play on that map and get into this map. I think a new map wouldn´t also help to get new players better and old players worst. If a "new" map have to be in the mappool, then i think it should be a map which was played in rtcw or was long time ago in the mappool (like oasis).
New maps are funny, nice to play in some fun-cups and maybe some public players enjoy them too but i think they aren´t welcomed in cups like EC or OC (maybe lower divisions with teams which also plays alot in fun-cups).
Maybe make an crossfire vote with some new maps and old maps like oasis (and for guys who like them: battery,railgun,fueldump :P ) and take the 2 most voted maps into the mappool ?
the other TBA can be filled with a new map, or oasis/battery for example.
nice read, i hope some admin will read this! :-)
second thing maybe make the maplist a little bit bigger like 8 maps for example
3rd there should be more cups introducing new maps every time they released...
It's really annoying to play same maps all the time like goldrush and supply
Meh. Same old, same old. It's been said in every other "ET-isn't-dying-journal". Be more creative :P
#newmaps.et forums
:)