Just after releasing cutsom map support, we used to play great "reality" based maps like towns, forests, mountains etc. Now, people play mostly maps based on squares and triangles, with shitty, unnatural colours, showing only lack of author imagination. Why servers like aloha uscentral are so popular? This maps ARE boring, with their simple look and gameplay, focused mainly on small and/or flat areas.
I remember few brillant maps, already forgotten, like that desert map with some buildings and hills, lots of cactuses and square canyon in the middle, or that "port" map, with a lot of water in the south and middle part, but fucking DOZENS of buildings on the shore (and fucking mountains in north). Maps like that was really worthy, but somehow 85% of AoS players, cannot saw it's greatness - wtf is wrong with you? Why you play on maps made in few moments, mostly small and ugly? You getting lost on bigger terrain or you are 5yr old kid who NOW MUST RUN FORWARD AND SHOOT AND KILL AND DIE AND RESPAWN AND RUN FORWARD? Explain yourself.

Actually, I run my server on mostly that desert map. Its called "Mesa". Later, i'll open my server again. If you'd like to join, its called "KHAN'S DAMNED MONGOLIANS".

Actually I was running broville 2 days ago, you should have been on.

Well, people like maps with constant action, and those are providing. Not saying they have great taste either, though.

Thanks, i will surely join. Those 15% players like you guys, are only reason why i am still playing AoS. Too bad that really good maps (except eg. Normandy) aren't online 24/h, unlike those shitty maps i mention above.

"people like maps with constant action" - and exactly that SUCK. This game have really HUGE potential, but mental kids making it a PEW PEW PEW BOOM DIE kind of entertainment, if you know what i mean.

I'll have to agree with kaede though: people don't want to walk 5 minutes just to get shot and walk 5 mins again.

Actually, my server is now up if you're interested

I think people like the idea of the enemy being channeled into a shooting gallery scenario. The idea of channeling everyone to one point makes for easy high scores. If we were rewarded points for more than just kills (Easy +1) and delivering intel (Hard +10), I think the popularity of these maps would decline.

I don't have too much time now but i MUST see mesa if it's online, at least for few min - JOINING!

(and thanks for host)

@Danny: Which is why we need more gameplay options, like:
A "control point" scheme. (WoW players, think ARATHI BASIN, FPS style) Basically, you're fighting to control resource points. There would be six different strategic areas to control, each giving 10 resources per 10 seconds. Whichever team gets to 2000/2000 resources first, wins. Obviously, the team controlling the most points will rack up resources faster, and win faster.

A "king of the hill" scheme. The longer one team sits at the hill, the more they control it, until finally they completely control it and win that round. Say green owns 75% of it, but they get kicked off the hill by blue. The 75% will slowly start going down to 50%, where it is neutral, and then eventually to 25% (which is 75% blue owned).

A "protect the VIP" scheme. One player on each team is chosen at random to be the VIP, and his position is listed on the map for everybody, including the enemy, to see. First team to down the other team's VIP wins that round.

Simpler maps are popular purely because they are smaller.

The big maps are awesome fun, but you end up wandering around for ages try to get to the action, usually to get sniped by someone camped in a hole on the hillside. This is boring and no one likes that because it is not fun to just spawn-run-die, spawn-run-die, get-a-chance-to-shoot-at-someone-then-die,spawn-run-die, spawn-run-die, spawn-run-die repeatedly. At least with maps like pinpoint you get a chance to actually do something first, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that at all - attitudes like Little.Kittens are ridiculous and indicative of a narcissistic personality disorder.

Mesa was the best big map I played as it was big but also concentrated action on the trench/bridges immediately in front of each team's spawn. That is awesome. The generated map is kinda crap usually because everyone is so spread out.

TL-DR: either we need smaller maps, or 64 players; Little.Kitten is a twat.

Danhezee hit it right on the head. I also agree with the OP, I like natural land maps. I'm sure there are some wild maps to be made that are mostly geological shapes and unfathomably strange facilities, but I always build dynamic maps myself and make sure I have a natural feeling environment. I love the idea of a free-roaming sandbox landscape. Pinpoint, bridgewars, etc. annoy the hell out of me. In a day and age where people are fed shit like COD and Halo, people just want to get into the shooting action and have their instant gratification met. We aren't patient enough.

I hate Normandy.

Normandy's alright. It's a little over-hoested, but otherwise a decent enough map.

I really like player-developed natural maps. The combat's really dynamic, and provided the server's got at least 20 people on, there's plenty of chances to build fortifications or to fight as you wish. The problem is that servers usually can't develop without getting griefed into a bunch of grenade-pits and levelled areas. Constant administrator presence is required to keep things from being griefed, and most servers don't have that.

Pin Point is actually good because all action is concentrated into the one point.

Also, there is no small, or big maps. Green and Blue spawns are always at the same distance from each other. That is simple maps that give optical iliusion.

What happened to Stalingrad? That was quite an interesting map for sniping and it seemed like griefing wasnt a huge problem. Haven't seen it hosted at all in a week or so.. :(

I really like these recreationist maps. Normandy, Stalingrad.
The Default map and the Generators by Nothings' are great too.

I don't dig the flat pinpoint style map much, either but i understand the appeal. Its simple, like shitty ass blood gulch.

Okay so where are my surreal maps? You know the PURE map pack on mirrors edge? i kinda want stuff like that. I understand though, that most of any floating voxels would be eliminated so we would have to avoid that. I want some thing like that though, run in pyspade for rollbacks or map resets.

I love the land spaces people have come up with but i want to see some really wild terrain now. Or a future style city (as seen in games like.. uhh wipeout, unreal games and sci-fi movies.)

Then you, Exile, would like the map "Mesa", which I run all the time on my server, Damned Mongolia.

Stalingrad suffers from griefing (green base got griefed the 3 out of the first 4 times I played that map) and from spawn sniping.

Pin Point is actually good because all action is concentrated into the one point.

Yes, this is exactly what many of us are saying is actually bad. But apparently the people have spoken, and the people would rather play a generic shooting gallery game. Hey, it's free!

I would like to check it out, Khan. Sadly, i have had poor luck getting on any servers at all lately. I'll try downloading it and walking around on a localhost

I have to say that most of those maps are still runnig but with less players.
I played the port map like 2 days ago. Also some people like me like simple maps I for exemple love those uswest maps because when you charge you can see all of your enemies. also sniping is alot more efficient in those mapsm and I have to say that I realy like sniping so it is a matter of opinion.

Also, there is no small, or big maps. Green and Blue spawns are always at the same distance from each other. That is simple maps that give optical iliusion.

Obviously the maps are the same size, the difference is that you don't (usually) spawn on water. Take the example of Pinpoint, 99% of the time you spawn on your team's base, not miles out to sea. When it does happen its a pain in the arse because you then have to wade back to the action and it takes forever. QED.

agreed, mesa was a lot off fun :D

i even made a video off it! ;D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aygViUFKS98

I miss the Paradise Island map with all the jungle trees... Felt like tarzan climbing through all the foliage and popping greens from my sneaky sniping spot in the sky...

I hated that map. Also, isn't irrelevant bumping against the forum rules?

I miss the Paradise Island map with all the jungle trees... Felt like tarzan climbing through all the foliage and popping greens from my sneaky sniping spot in the sky...

You and me both- it's by far my favourite. It really pushed what an AOS map can do.

i like hallway
except the intel spawns right where the enemy spawns which results in hours of shooting before the intel moves a bit