Spring RTS Engine

The size and scope of the map list is getting crazy. It's hard to navigate and the bandwidth demands are getting so high we'll probably have to pull the feature out of the lobby client altogether. Plus, when most of the maps are broken or poorly balanced people are less likely to try new ones and just end up playing Speedmetal and Altored Divide for the millionth time.

Here's my proposal: Map rating.

After you finish playing a map you have the option of giving the map a thumbs up or a thumbs down.

Maps are kept in the list based on the proportion of positive votes they get, not the number of votes. Because we all know the most popular maps aren't necessarily the best maps.

You keep the list limited to maybe 100 maps. Any maps that fall out of the list can be reuploaded if so desired. Or they can put the map on another permanent page (not accessible directly through the lobby client).

No, horrible way of handling it.

Map rating by any player that decides to do so after a game seems okay to me (not a select group), but you shouldnt have go fishing around for a particular map. All maps should still be able to be accessed from the lobby, just keep the most popular 100 or so maps on the main page in the client maps list, and have button at hte top or bottom or something to allow you to view the others... i cant see any reason that someone shopuld have to upload their map again becuase it has become unpopular....

I would still prefer to keep EVERYTHING unrated though... could lead too all sorts of problems, such as making lobby map diversity even worse, as people people wont even bother DLing anything that has no votes, and other things like that..

Maps should never be removed, there should be different sorting tho.
As in Top 100, A-Z, latest, 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, 4v4, 5v5 and up. Even more sorting would be uber, but not necessary.
(Climate, metal, porcyness, wind etc. Would be defined when uploading)

I think improving the quality of the maps in the map list is the best way to improve map diversity. The reason people are so conservative when hosting maps is because so many of the ones in the list are poor. If people have to dredge through tons of shite they just won't bother.

Accepting just anything is a bad policy. The quality of the maps reflects on the mod. You wouldn't let just any feature into Spring. A small degree of editorial control is a good thing.

yes but we can't be judge and jury for things like this its unfair. If you do that new map makers maps will be put off as their maps will get low votes and no one will play them.

rating systems tend only to cause division (imo) or favoritism.

I agree with j5mello, a rating system would be bad for mappers and bad for the players.

I'm actually working on something like that to be integrated into the lobby, e.g. having a list of maps which you can rate and put in your own comments etc., with an option to update your grades to the lobby server.

hmm, Altaric already has a map rating system, just that nobody seems to notice it.