- Jul 30, 2021
- 953
- 658
Something I think is a bit weird about the journey to become a mapper is that you have to get used to saying "Man, this isn't actually as good as I thought it was..." and having to live with it as you gain more knowledge and understanding of what makes TF2 tick. It's a frustrating feeling, because tbh a lot of people, most mappers included, just kind of want to be able to enjoy the game and its neat little quirks.
That "designer brain" idea really grips deep at a lot of people I think, and it causes a lot of strange interactions between mappers and non-mappers that imo would otherwise not happen. Like, as an easy example, one of my friends could go "Wow this map is cool!" to an a1 and I'd just be left wondering how they came to that conclusion when the map is a thin, 1-choke KOTH map with a point that has death pits all around it. It's a really strange pit to find yourself in, and the opposite kind of thing happens too; Sometimes you just talk to the people you idolize and you realize, "Wow, you are just a human being." It sounds stupid I know but I don't doubt a lot of people have felt that, especially here.
There's some particular maps, some particular people, I think of when I think of this topic, I'll be straight with you on that. I'm going to try and avoid really grinding a knife into people over their maps, but please don't judge me if some of my thoughts here are more emotional that super-duper logical, I'm a person at the end of the day and that effects my view of things a lot. I want to get my thoughts out.
The First Legend: Ravidge
Ravidge maps, to me, are the definition of soulful TF2 maps. Maps like Panic, Fusion, System... none of them are perfect, none of them. They all have weird gimmicks, or quirks to them, and I've been forced to recognize as time marches on that most of them... aren't good maps. But something I adore about them is just how much they still "work" if that makes sense. I don't think I could genuinely describe to you a Ravidge map that doesn't feel like it belongs in TF2, whether it be Silvertrail for its dated yet so-vintagely-delicious artstyle, Saxton Hills for its shockingly well-put together medieval theme with gameplay that feels radically different from DeGroot Keep but still is fun, there's genuinely not a map I could say is unfun. Just some that are bad.
For me though, this realization came after I was really settling into the role of a "mapmaker." I had been coming up with layouts, ideas, general concepts overall for a couple months when I just, had to look at them again. "Is Panic's gimmick actually good?" I asked. I genuinely came to the conclusion that, no, it wasn't because it didn't make people engage with each other. That realization was kind of sad to me, but it didn't really hit me as hard as looking at other maps had. I could still enjoy the first two stages of Panic with no shame, no negative feelings, because it was still a fun map. Even the 72hr maps he did, two "no-name" ones, and Saxton Hills, all have their own brand of coolness to it. I have ALWAYS loved koth_ravidge_72, it's one of the few 2CP King of the Hill maps I genuinely enjoy. And yet despite that, I still don't like 2CP KOTH that much... it's an interesting conundrum.
It really sucks to watch the maps you once loved fall into the "oh, it's not as good as I remember it..." part of the mind. I don't think any map really deserves it, but, it's kind of unavoidable when still developing your own sense of enjoyment with the game. Or even just TF2 in general, like, "Damn, I'm sad I grew out of this, I had so much fun." I don't genuinely want that for anyone, I don't think anyone deserves to feel like they can't enjoy something anymore.
The Second Legend: Crash
UEAKCrash is the face of Team Fortress 2 Mapping. I think that much is obvious to anyone looking at TF2Maps or mapping in general for TF2. He's the man who made the tutorials, he's the man who made a bunch of famous maps, he's the man who made Probed, Overgrown, some halloween reskins; Let's just leave it at "he's been around the block and played the game." as a summary. I feel like I got to experience Crash at his best when I was a kid, playing maps like Overgrown and Probed, as well as Trainsawlaser, Subzero, Glassworks!! All really exciting maps, and all quite the creative display of his affinity for mapmaking imo. Even when I never got to play a game of Subzero with anyone other than bots, I had a good time because the map felt fresh, cool, new, interesting! Cool gimmicks, cool-but-simple looks, something like a safety net of gameplay. Even Shoreleave was a breathtaking experience of a map, in spite of the still-humourous 200mb filesize it had at the time.
I want to feel like I knew where things went wrong. I want to understand why I no longer resonate with the maps from "The face of TF2," but it's hard to fully understand. I feel like I have an answer, but I don't like conclusion from it. Oasis, Trenchfoot, they were both okay maps. Neither were finished until 2023, and... that was okay, I think. I watched a well-respected mapper let go of TF2, and while that was sad, I understood why it was happening. TF2 was "ending", Crash was getting older, had a kid, needed to take care of his family. I really respect that, moving on to take care of the people you love.
I think, to me, the place where things really started to change was 2021, with Doublefrost. I had already lived through and found the original crash reskins, Moonshine / Oasis / Spookeyridge, all neat in their own right. But this map, it just, I don't know. It was a simple, plain reskin, and I liked it for that! But I think, especially after the famous story of "Doublefrost was accepted for the game 3 days after it released on the workshop," something changed. Snowy Gravel Pit, Snobed, Farmed... you can call me entitled for this (you're probably not even wrong), but it felt really desperate. Like chasing a ghost, almost. Even Brine, I thought, "Wow, Crash is fixing his old Trenchfoot map!" but, when I played it, it just didn't hit the same. Then Devilcross and Slime came out and I questioned things further, like "Why is he only making reskins?" It's a thing I had noticed a lot more, but to be honest it bothered me a lot more than it should've that 'TF2 map dude' was seemingly turning to them and them alone.
Now we're at Sewer, Gavle, and Blocked. I... really struggle to enjoy these. I haven't been joining very many Crash tests lately, and while I don't doubt I'll probably be banned from the server for this, I just have to stare and go "That's fair, man." I want to give them a fairer shot than I have, especially Gavle, but I just look at them and feel like they're being made for a completely different audience than me. Maybe that's the point, maybe I'm just stupid and not looking at the bigger picture. I feel like I'm looking at a different mapper when I see these maps though; I don't see Crash, I don't see the cool dude who called people nerds in a friendly manner because he was just a cool dude and made cool maps. I see "The New Crash," the guy who complains that only one of his maps was featured last year, or, "The New Crash" that puts up a Patreon on every one of his workshop downloads. I'll be honest, it makes me feel bitter. It makes me ask "Why is mapping about money?" more than I'm comfortable to admit. You can call it nostalgia, blind at that. Maybe you're right. It just feels different now, less... homey.
The Third Legend: Woozlez
There's something incredible about Woozlez maps that I don't really know how to put into words. If there were a way I could summarize it though, it'd probably be that... I think he's the only mapper I've ever met to have a perfect record. Area 52, Underground, Ahau? All three, amazing maps that are still outstandingly enjoyable to this day. Even Underworld, sure, it's a reskin but you can tell it wasn't made out of greed; It was made out of love for a map that already was awesome in its own right. I know Ahau was made for the Mayann project, I know that it was made to be added to TF2, but... the map still has so much soul it in.
To me, he is the definition of a Legend. But... he's the other side of the title "Losing your Legends." As far as I can tell, he never went astray or did something wrong, or "lost the path." He just disappeared from mapmaking altogether, and... that genuinely makes me sad. I never got to see one of his maps as a new release, only the path of glory he left behind for the rest of us to enjoy. Underground, Area 52, Ahau. The three titans of a mapper long-gone from the current world of TF2. I wish more people were like this guy, giving their maps soul and doing things for the sake of it rather than just wanting money from it.
The Fourth Legend: Vilepickle
When I was a kid, and I'm talking like 12 or 13, Vilepickle maps were like my first proper introduction to the world of custom mapping. All his maps were, and, still are, available on the workshop, and when I was younger that was the only thing I really knew. Maps like Canalzone, Stag, Mach, Chaos, Indulge, even maps like Follower and Mercy which I was less of a fan of I still looked at with absolute whimsey and wonder because they were all just... so damn cool. They felt like the TF2 I adored as a kid, they had that classic feeling of maps while still having the rough edges that kept them real enough to be engaging.
To me, looking at these three maps is a pure, cold, precise puncture of my flesh with a strong hit of nostalgia. These maps are everything I loved, and do still love, about old TF2. Simple, understandable, not the best but still clearly enjoyable in their own right, a lack of smoothness that the eyes can enjoy without really thinking too hard about it. As I got older though, I definitely started to see the flaws in maps like these. Stag, as a very easy example, has some genuinely just not that great point design and interiors that don't really allow classes to take full advantage of their kits, especially classes like Sniper or Soldier. It's just kind of a death hallway map, and while I do enjoy that from time to time, I think it's pretty easy for anyone to agree that it's not ideal as the main focus of the map. It's honestly a shame, too, because visually the map is surprisingly striking, especially for 2008 standards. Mercy too, is an amazing-looking map for its time, but it was designed for a gamemode that is just... dead. 6v6 CTF is and never will be a thing again because it's just not that fun, and mapping for a mode like that... doesn't end up well.
No More Legends: The Conclusion
I'll admit, I'm running out of steam on writing this post. Do I expect replies? Nah, though I wouldn't be surprised if I get an angry one. But, I think that's okay. I think, mainly I just, wish these people could've stayed as legends, instead of being the real people they are. And I know, I know, it's my fault for putting them that high in the first place. Let me ask you something though; Haven't you done the same? It's a kind of cold feeling when it hits you, that, people are just that, people. Not gods. Not legends who can't do wrong. Even sometimes they could be awful people behind the map. It's a sucky feeling, especially if you're growing up around those people. I don't, really know how many people felt the way I do. I'm relatively new to the scene compared to a lot of older folks. I just, I hope that maybe you can find this relatable, have some solace that it's "not just you" that feels like things are different, a little more hostile now. If you grew up right around Meet Your Match or so, maybe you understand. I don't know that people before or after really will, it comes as a different experience with everyone.
Watching a game die, and watching people leave, only for people to slowly come back and new people to come and go year-after-year is... interesting. I've gotten to see so many maps in my time here, be it on TF2Maps or just part of the TF2 community as a whole. I've travelled communities, made my own, made maps with people, made ideas that probably will never see the light of day in any meaningful way. I've been given the gift of seeing so many people do what they love, or what they find cool with mapping, just seeing all the excitement of it all come and go season after season. Not a day goes by anymore do I yearn to see what new maps people create, what journeys I might be able help shame into better and brighter ones in TF2.
I think there's a lot left in TF2 mapping to be made. New maps, remixes, reskins, edits, whatever. New people, new legends to become reality. I just hope that I get to see the day where, sure, maybe less is made, but what is made comes directly from the heart of people. Not for money or profit, even if it'd be nice. For pure expression and creativity. For having a good time and letting players enjoy the fruits of their work without the burden of "needing to make a reskin for it to be added" to weigh people down anymore. We're all people at the end of the day. We just wanna make and play maps.
That "designer brain" idea really grips deep at a lot of people I think, and it causes a lot of strange interactions between mappers and non-mappers that imo would otherwise not happen. Like, as an easy example, one of my friends could go "Wow this map is cool!" to an a1 and I'd just be left wondering how they came to that conclusion when the map is a thin, 1-choke KOTH map with a point that has death pits all around it. It's a really strange pit to find yourself in, and the opposite kind of thing happens too; Sometimes you just talk to the people you idolize and you realize, "Wow, you are just a human being." It sounds stupid I know but I don't doubt a lot of people have felt that, especially here.
There's some particular maps, some particular people, I think of when I think of this topic, I'll be straight with you on that. I'm going to try and avoid really grinding a knife into people over their maps, but please don't judge me if some of my thoughts here are more emotional that super-duper logical, I'm a person at the end of the day and that effects my view of things a lot. I want to get my thoughts out.
The First Legend: Ravidge
Ravidge maps, to me, are the definition of soulful TF2 maps. Maps like Panic, Fusion, System... none of them are perfect, none of them. They all have weird gimmicks, or quirks to them, and I've been forced to recognize as time marches on that most of them... aren't good maps. But something I adore about them is just how much they still "work" if that makes sense. I don't think I could genuinely describe to you a Ravidge map that doesn't feel like it belongs in TF2, whether it be Silvertrail for its dated yet so-vintagely-delicious artstyle, Saxton Hills for its shockingly well-put together medieval theme with gameplay that feels radically different from DeGroot Keep but still is fun, there's genuinely not a map I could say is unfun. Just some that are bad.
For me though, this realization came after I was really settling into the role of a "mapmaker." I had been coming up with layouts, ideas, general concepts overall for a couple months when I just, had to look at them again. "Is Panic's gimmick actually good?" I asked. I genuinely came to the conclusion that, no, it wasn't because it didn't make people engage with each other. That realization was kind of sad to me, but it didn't really hit me as hard as looking at other maps had. I could still enjoy the first two stages of Panic with no shame, no negative feelings, because it was still a fun map. Even the 72hr maps he did, two "no-name" ones, and Saxton Hills, all have their own brand of coolness to it. I have ALWAYS loved koth_ravidge_72, it's one of the few 2CP King of the Hill maps I genuinely enjoy. And yet despite that, I still don't like 2CP KOTH that much... it's an interesting conundrum.
It really sucks to watch the maps you once loved fall into the "oh, it's not as good as I remember it..." part of the mind. I don't think any map really deserves it, but, it's kind of unavoidable when still developing your own sense of enjoyment with the game. Or even just TF2 in general, like, "Damn, I'm sad I grew out of this, I had so much fun." I don't genuinely want that for anyone, I don't think anyone deserves to feel like they can't enjoy something anymore.
The Second Legend: Crash
UEAKCrash is the face of Team Fortress 2 Mapping. I think that much is obvious to anyone looking at TF2Maps or mapping in general for TF2. He's the man who made the tutorials, he's the man who made a bunch of famous maps, he's the man who made Probed, Overgrown, some halloween reskins; Let's just leave it at "he's been around the block and played the game." as a summary. I feel like I got to experience Crash at his best when I was a kid, playing maps like Overgrown and Probed, as well as Trainsawlaser, Subzero, Glassworks!! All really exciting maps, and all quite the creative display of his affinity for mapmaking imo. Even when I never got to play a game of Subzero with anyone other than bots, I had a good time because the map felt fresh, cool, new, interesting! Cool gimmicks, cool-but-simple looks, something like a safety net of gameplay. Even Shoreleave was a breathtaking experience of a map, in spite of the still-humourous 200mb filesize it had at the time.
I want to feel like I knew where things went wrong. I want to understand why I no longer resonate with the maps from "The face of TF2," but it's hard to fully understand. I feel like I have an answer, but I don't like conclusion from it. Oasis, Trenchfoot, they were both okay maps. Neither were finished until 2023, and... that was okay, I think. I watched a well-respected mapper let go of TF2, and while that was sad, I understood why it was happening. TF2 was "ending", Crash was getting older, had a kid, needed to take care of his family. I really respect that, moving on to take care of the people you love.
I think, to me, the place where things really started to change was 2021, with Doublefrost. I had already lived through and found the original crash reskins, Moonshine / Oasis / Spookeyridge, all neat in their own right. But this map, it just, I don't know. It was a simple, plain reskin, and I liked it for that! But I think, especially after the famous story of "Doublefrost was accepted for the game 3 days after it released on the workshop," something changed. Snowy Gravel Pit, Snobed, Farmed... you can call me entitled for this (you're probably not even wrong), but it felt really desperate. Like chasing a ghost, almost. Even Brine, I thought, "Wow, Crash is fixing his old Trenchfoot map!" but, when I played it, it just didn't hit the same. Then Devilcross and Slime came out and I questioned things further, like "Why is he only making reskins?" It's a thing I had noticed a lot more, but to be honest it bothered me a lot more than it should've that 'TF2 map dude' was seemingly turning to them and them alone.
Now we're at Sewer, Gavle, and Blocked. I... really struggle to enjoy these. I haven't been joining very many Crash tests lately, and while I don't doubt I'll probably be banned from the server for this, I just have to stare and go "That's fair, man." I want to give them a fairer shot than I have, especially Gavle, but I just look at them and feel like they're being made for a completely different audience than me. Maybe that's the point, maybe I'm just stupid and not looking at the bigger picture. I feel like I'm looking at a different mapper when I see these maps though; I don't see Crash, I don't see the cool dude who called people nerds in a friendly manner because he was just a cool dude and made cool maps. I see "The New Crash," the guy who complains that only one of his maps was featured last year, or, "The New Crash" that puts up a Patreon on every one of his workshop downloads. I'll be honest, it makes me feel bitter. It makes me ask "Why is mapping about money?" more than I'm comfortable to admit. You can call it nostalgia, blind at that. Maybe you're right. It just feels different now, less... homey.
The Third Legend: Woozlez
There's something incredible about Woozlez maps that I don't really know how to put into words. If there were a way I could summarize it though, it'd probably be that... I think he's the only mapper I've ever met to have a perfect record. Area 52, Underground, Ahau? All three, amazing maps that are still outstandingly enjoyable to this day. Even Underworld, sure, it's a reskin but you can tell it wasn't made out of greed; It was made out of love for a map that already was awesome in its own right. I know Ahau was made for the Mayann project, I know that it was made to be added to TF2, but... the map still has so much soul it in.
To me, he is the definition of a Legend. But... he's the other side of the title "Losing your Legends." As far as I can tell, he never went astray or did something wrong, or "lost the path." He just disappeared from mapmaking altogether, and... that genuinely makes me sad. I never got to see one of his maps as a new release, only the path of glory he left behind for the rest of us to enjoy. Underground, Area 52, Ahau. The three titans of a mapper long-gone from the current world of TF2. I wish more people were like this guy, giving their maps soul and doing things for the sake of it rather than just wanting money from it.
The Fourth Legend: Vilepickle
When I was a kid, and I'm talking like 12 or 13, Vilepickle maps were like my first proper introduction to the world of custom mapping. All his maps were, and, still are, available on the workshop, and when I was younger that was the only thing I really knew. Maps like Canalzone, Stag, Mach, Chaos, Indulge, even maps like Follower and Mercy which I was less of a fan of I still looked at with absolute whimsey and wonder because they were all just... so damn cool. They felt like the TF2 I adored as a kid, they had that classic feeling of maps while still having the rough edges that kept them real enough to be engaging.
To me, looking at these three maps is a pure, cold, precise puncture of my flesh with a strong hit of nostalgia. These maps are everything I loved, and do still love, about old TF2. Simple, understandable, not the best but still clearly enjoyable in their own right, a lack of smoothness that the eyes can enjoy without really thinking too hard about it. As I got older though, I definitely started to see the flaws in maps like these. Stag, as a very easy example, has some genuinely just not that great point design and interiors that don't really allow classes to take full advantage of their kits, especially classes like Sniper or Soldier. It's just kind of a death hallway map, and while I do enjoy that from time to time, I think it's pretty easy for anyone to agree that it's not ideal as the main focus of the map. It's honestly a shame, too, because visually the map is surprisingly striking, especially for 2008 standards. Mercy too, is an amazing-looking map for its time, but it was designed for a gamemode that is just... dead. 6v6 CTF is and never will be a thing again because it's just not that fun, and mapping for a mode like that... doesn't end up well.
Something that is, unfortunately, unavoidable when talking about Vilepickle is... the fact that he is a predator. The news broke I think the start of 2023, just from a "To Catch a Predator" style of video from some youtuber I don't even remember, I just remember we were talking about V.P. maps in the TF2Maps discord one day in February or so and someone posted the video with a "so about that..." line. I'll be frank, I was shocked, I didn't want to believe it was real, that this person that I had idolized as a beacon of amazing and fun level design was the same man who was capable of something so horrendous and disturbing. I went mad trying to collect info so I could help tf2maps if possible, but... it still hurt doing that. Does that make me a bad person, for feeling betrayed by someone I never knew? I don't know. Maybe it does. The point is though, it's poisoned any discussion about his maps, the thing I really care about. Never will I see them in my favourite game, all because he decided to become a monster in the real world. This sucks.
No More Legends: The Conclusion
I'll admit, I'm running out of steam on writing this post. Do I expect replies? Nah, though I wouldn't be surprised if I get an angry one. But, I think that's okay. I think, mainly I just, wish these people could've stayed as legends, instead of being the real people they are. And I know, I know, it's my fault for putting them that high in the first place. Let me ask you something though; Haven't you done the same? It's a kind of cold feeling when it hits you, that, people are just that, people. Not gods. Not legends who can't do wrong. Even sometimes they could be awful people behind the map. It's a sucky feeling, especially if you're growing up around those people. I don't, really know how many people felt the way I do. I'm relatively new to the scene compared to a lot of older folks. I just, I hope that maybe you can find this relatable, have some solace that it's "not just you" that feels like things are different, a little more hostile now. If you grew up right around Meet Your Match or so, maybe you understand. I don't know that people before or after really will, it comes as a different experience with everyone.
Watching a game die, and watching people leave, only for people to slowly come back and new people to come and go year-after-year is... interesting. I've gotten to see so many maps in my time here, be it on TF2Maps or just part of the TF2 community as a whole. I've travelled communities, made my own, made maps with people, made ideas that probably will never see the light of day in any meaningful way. I've been given the gift of seeing so many people do what they love, or what they find cool with mapping, just seeing all the excitement of it all come and go season after season. Not a day goes by anymore do I yearn to see what new maps people create, what journeys I might be able help shame into better and brighter ones in TF2.
I think there's a lot left in TF2 mapping to be made. New maps, remixes, reskins, edits, whatever. New people, new legends to become reality. I just hope that I get to see the day where, sure, maybe less is made, but what is made comes directly from the heart of people. Not for money or profit, even if it'd be nice. For pure expression and creativity. For having a good time and letting players enjoy the fruits of their work without the burden of "needing to make a reskin for it to be added" to weigh people down anymore. We're all people at the end of the day. We just wanna make and play maps.
Last edited:
