I've created a new map generator. Anyone is welcome to host maps generated by the generator. A pre-generated map is included. (My previous map generators are discussed here, which predates the maps&mods forum.)

This map is kind of the antithesis of most maps that get hosted these days. It features a large "jungle" (only very abstractly) in which it is very unlikely you will run into anyone (much like my previous "caves"), surrounded by a wall with towers that provides limited opportunities for sniping the jungle or sniping the spawn. After crossing the jungle, the spawn areas are old gen-style areas.

jungle_1.jpg -- the jungle, seen from a tower
jungle_2.jpg -- in the jungle
jungle_3.jpg -- in the jungle
jungle_4.jpg -- in the jungle
jungle_5.jpg -- looking up at a tower from the jungle
jungle_6.jpg -- looking at the spawn from the back of the map

the map in the above shots

The map and generator can be found here. The sample map is jungle0.zip (the pictures above are actually from a different generated map). The generator is gen_jungle.zip

Fascinating as always.

Cool.

Oh, have I been waitin' for one of these.

Although this only took me a couple of hours, a fair amount of thought went into it so I thought it might be interesting to share the game design considerations that determined the choices I made:

-the basic "jungle" idea was an attempt to create a space where SMGs have an advantage--the jungle theme seemed the best match for that sort of space
- the top and the bottom edge of the map are old gen-style, so if you go around on those sides you're now more likely to see someone up there, if enough people choose that
- the jungle discourages tunnelling: its height is close enough to water that you can't go underground, and it's generated so that you can generally always move forward so there shouldn't be too much motivation to build straight express tunnels through
- tension should be low as you move through the jungle since the odds are low you'll encounter anyone (which means the SMG's advantage isn't very effective)
- as you get to the edge of the jungle, it thins out, exposing you to sniping, hopefully increasing tension
- at the very edge of the jungle, you have to run up to the wall and tunnel into it/use previous tunnel. during this, you're briefly exposed, hopefully increasing tension further
- once you're into the wall, you have the choice of tunnelling or running around on the surface, as you prefer
- the stairs are solid (compare the stairs in my Skybridges) to reduce side-exposure as you come through the enemy wall to increase survivability there. if you choose to run around on the surface, this means tension increases again as you go from in-the-wall, to between-the-stairs, to out-in-the-open
- the walls are two-thick as a compromise between them being griefable and between them being so thick people can snipe the spawn as in caves/hallway (in other words hopefully the latter is hard on this map)

You're right, it's quite possibly the first map ever where the SMG is actually worth using.

I don't think you should discourage tunneling under the jungle though. It's just closing off another option to players. Most will probably stay above ground enough to balance it out anyway. Besides, defensive perpendicular tunnels would still work wonders in preventing the cross map tunnels you don't like (and fair enough too).

Some remarks:

There are few landmarks, and forcing the middle to be diffuse and noisy 100% of the time discourages overall playability(no combat = why play?). Pinpoint and Hallway are popular because people are naturally funneled towards the middle where there's the most action. If the map is all noise and sight distance is low, it becomes too easy to get lost. To get funneling and landmarks in you could have a river or paths to break up the jungle, and small but "pointy" mountains to give people additional navigation help.

This would still favor the SMG because it can continue to be used along the riverside as an ambush weapon, but it would keep the pace of play high and give the map some "risk/reward" elements, since roads, rivers, and mountains would be more exposed to snipers, while sometimes being necessary to cross, and giving you more opportunities for ambushes.

It doesn't have no combat, it pushes the combat to the edges of the map. I agree that's not what players seem to prefer (or at least what the people hosting maps seem to prefer), but that was intentional.

It is true that a central flow point would change that, and it might be interesting to pursue, but I'm really not interested in maps that funnel people to a common area where it's all shooting-in-the-face-action. So I'll continue trying to make other things and see if any of them surprise us.

If someone wants to edit up one of these to add a river or other landmark, they should feel free.

Very nice, I like your explanation of the map, too. Makes it all more inviting to play. Thanks.

hosting on creeperville :P

Many have summed pretty much up what I wanted to say, but: You should make the jungle more colourful.

Creeperville server is taken down?

I must say, I love it.

Seeing an all-jungle map or the opposite of this map(desert in middle jungle at the sides) would be interesting too.

I like the concept.

it goes down whenever im doing something pc intensive, such as playing some minecraft :3

New stb map generator: Swamp

Basically just the jungle generator, but it covers the whole map, and it has water throughout (and especially at the south end, a la Harbor and Broville). I made the jungle canopy a little more complicated and made the coloration a little richer, but presumably not to whatever degree Monsteri is imagining.

Three different generated maps: 1 2 3

Screens:
the spawn areas
the water-y areas
the land-y areas

Download here. Host or modify freely.

Hopefully this one is even more effective for SMG. May still be hard to find other people, I dunno (or maybe sounds are enough of a cue).

Good luck with that nothings, the people have spoken and they want narrow maps with chokepoints. More Team Fortress, less Battlefield.

Swamp looks even better, but again- don't shoot AoS's potential in the foot by not having any underground to dig. Even just 6-8 blocks or so underneath would increase variety drastically.

I'm not actually opposed to tunnelling, as anyone who has lost intel to me knows. Or even cross-map tunnelling. And tunnelling is definitely possible on this map--more to the north than to the south, but it's up to how the map generator generates the terrain, much like 'gen'. Obviously water makes it hard to tunnel! But you can't really see the map heights on the map when the jungle canopy covers it over.