Map Expectations? (not technical)

I've been working on my current map for quite a while now, and I've been doing extensive testing on b.net, and what I notice is that many people have given my map rave reviews and words of praise, but just as many people simply say "this map sucks" and leave. I can kinda understand, since my map goes away from the "give heroes items, tomes, and mercs so they can overpower other heroes" and "kill many many many many computer units" themes and some people have come to expect that.

So I'm wondering, what are you (individually) looking for in a custom map that you're playing? Game balance? Aestheics? The ability to kill many many things? Triggers that work perfectly?

And along those lines, what turns you off about a map? Glitches, bad map layout, unoriginality, or something else?

(NOTE: I'm intending this to be a discussion so we can all learn about the people who play our maps, not so we can flame other people's maps. Keep that in mind before responding.)

The most important elements in a map in my opinion are these: Originality, Fun, Replayability, Speed and Atmosphere. Maps like Asura's Call and Trench Wars are perfect examples. You've got an original idea, it's fun, has many different outcomes, it's fast paced and it has a great atmosphere.

Another favourite map of mine is the Cat and Mouse map, which meets most of my requirements, it's original, and it keeps you on your toes. Maps are at their peak when they give you that unmistakeable rush of adreniline, as nerdy as that sounds.

Let's do a quick recap
-Original ideas go over well.
-Fun! It has to be fun. Kaggz RPG was a turn off for me; it really wasn't that fun, it was long and boring.
-Fast paced games are good, but slow ones are fine, so long as they still inject the same flow of energy.

I cannot stand unoriginality. This especially goes for hero arenas! I enjoy a good hero arena but they all are copied off of each other. There are however, and thankfully, a few original ones that I really enjoy playing.

I was once asked by someone on battle.net for an unprotected copy of my hero arena which he could edit and change. :eek: It made me wonder if he even knew what the purpose of a map protector is for in the first place.

P.S. In the Blink! World Editor Advanced, editing the unit sounds does not seem to work. Does anyone have any input on this? :confused:

-Eternal

I'd play basically any map that isn't called TD, 7 Blademasters, gladiators or something arena, and that isnt boring and monotonous from the beggining to the end :)

change is good

example: an rpg map where all you do is advance, change areas, beat up monsters, and kill a boss at the end of each area is BORING. And rpg where you discover new quests, features, and even minigames at every step is nice :)

There are a SELECT FEW TD maps that are actually fun even if they are unoriginal. When they do things like add heros, units, and wierd little custom things in them they get cool. And for those of you that haven't play Mainstram Tower D, you can put units on top of the towers and they shoot too! Thats was neat and original. Thats what maps need. Things like that.

NOBODY here cares about the storyline of a map?

Well, I get the impression you're referring to multiplayer maps. In that case, I don't really care about storyline, either. But when it comes to single-player, story is tier 1, IMO.

-The Downward Spiral

People like things that look cool :) Granted aesthetics don't make the game, but hey, a custom cinematic filter or some neat special effects work is good ^_^

what turns me off is mainly when some1 rips off some1 else, or, in rpgs, they make a really long rpg... u get half way through, then die.... which really discourages me from plaing it.. games where its easy to die should be short games... not long

also.... hero arenas... i dont find them fun... and there are about 27 billion of them, and id much rather play a good hero map like team fortress ctf