It's interesting to me that you bring up Cashworks as direct inspiration, because as I remember Cashworks isn't overdetailed. You've mixed up "well detailed" with "overdetailed" and because people tell you it looks pretty you think it's well done. I hate to tell you so bluntly, but it is not. It also occurs to me that maybe you just don't know what we mean because no one is really telling you.
Lighting is part of detailing, and yeah I think that needs work as Lem pointed out.
Here are some shots I took of Cashworks.
Personally, I see a lot of blank walls. I see simple, thin wood trims, spare prop usage, and buildings whose functions are clear. As the map goes on, the buildings become more built up or are in progress. Busy areas are areas of importance--so the vault door with red lights, for example. The lighting on this map doesn't really do much though. I've always held that complaint.
Now your map:
Every part of the buildings has something on it. Look to the side by the other payload. On Cashworks that would just be a flat wall, but you've put a payload, some fencing, 2 overlays, and 3 windows by it. It's not important, yet all this draws our attention. Similarly the platform next to blu spawn with the large stairs--why is this not just a solid brush? The door on the side is ok, but is it important? No, so maybe lose the overlay too. That would reduce the visual noise and make players concentrate on one area better. Similarly, you've got trim just like Cashworks, but you're using a really noisy metal texture that draws a lot of attention and visibly repeats. It's not really meant for this sort of application.
In this area, what's important? Above this door there is a sign that says no trespassing, plus a bunch of windows and different textures, sending mixed signals. In the back everything is lit the same and detailed just as densely. Because of this my eye has nowhere to rest--meaning my subconscious mind doesn't know where to ignore. This is a big deal in TF2 gameplay. This is not my theory or the theory of TF2maps.net.
Those buildings in the background aren't anything--like Lem says, they look improbable and bizarre. Unlike Cashworks, I don't know what you're going for here, because you've mixed the hard industrial props of Gorge with the mining set rather than bridging the architecture to something more industrial. This contributes to the lack of progression in the map--everything is the same kind of building, so players don't feel like they're making headway until they've won. This is a real problem I see quite often (in tests and in pubs) that leads to people giving up on the cart and messing around or whatever.
Likewise, the supports he pointed out are too much. They aren't doing anything! It just looks messy. Yes, the average Steam user will think it's amazing. But anyone with any design sense (or anyone at Valve) will see it (and everything else) and pass you by. Even the popular Steam Workshop maps don't do everything the public says.
This is absolutely baffling. Not only is there too much in this room already, but there's also a crane, and it clearly goes to nowhere and does nothing. The spytech beams you use here are actually a nice touch that fit with the surrounding geometry--it just makes no sense for the crane to be there. And instead of going for interesting lighting, or hiding it from view a bit to at least give the illusion it goes somewhere, you use the same dumb exposed bulbs that Lem was talking about.
There's so much going on, and the props are from all over. Spytech handrails in an industrial building, holding these massive stairs, a truck, I can't tell where the doors are or what happens here, etc. It's a mess! When you come in from the intended direction as BLU, you can't even tell there is a door up there:
Why is the distillery sign here? Isn't this the back and not the front? It doesn't look anything like a distillery anywhere. And why is the METAL sign there? I don't get it. Why RED SHED on the left?
Why is there so much detail in a place players will never go?
What is this shooting at?
These are 2 of the 5 satellite dishes on the map. 2 of the others can also be seen at once. These are usually props used once per map due to their ability to tell a story and also because of how high poly they are. Because this gets shoved into every outdoor area, twice if you can manage it, it becomes meaningless. And just under the second dish there is an exposed industrial tank thing for some reason. It just doesn't make sense.
My suggestion is to fill in a lot of the things you added inside brushwork. It doesn't have to be what I pointed out, but it will help reduce visual noise. I'd also look at removing window props, overlays, excess light sources (and rethinking the lighting a bit) to lead players around the map better. Right now the only thing that leads them is the cart/tracks, which isn't enough.
There are times when the detailing is great and inventive:
I like the Foundry mid prop here, but the fence, spinny roof thing, water tower, radio tower, conduits, RED IRON WORKS sign, displacement arch, red building in the foreground with the crane and too many window props, the overdetailed shed near the cave on the right... they all take away from that great prop usage and make it just another thing that blends in.
Why can I see in these buildings? Why is my attention drawn to them? There's no flank through them. I see players run at that red resupply on the right because they expect a route in those buildings. Watch the demos. See it happen.
Part of the problem, like Frozen says, is lighting. Because all your lighting is very similar, nothing draws the eye more or less than anything else. The detailing is part of this, but adjusting your lighting will really help. Get rid of weird, awkward lights (like on that platform, since how the hell are they powered, it makes no sense) and replace it with mining lanterns, or get some different lamp props, I don't know.
The other thing is cohesion. You're using too many kinds of everything.
2 kinds of handrails. I count 4 kinds of wood on the big red building alone.
2 kinds of handrails, which should probably all be removed--do a check on official maps of how often handrails are actually utilized. It's pretty rare, actually. Also the Poopy Joe locker. Why? This is a very specific kind of prop. It just looks like you're trying to use as many assets as possible.
In BLU's original spawn I found 4 different handrails. Think of it this way: when something is being built, the contractors don't decide to change materials every twenty yards.
You use the spytech, broken spytech, and moon spytech props almost indiscriminately. A detail room near A or B has functioning spytech and moon computers, but the nearby RED forward has only broken spytech. What???
AND there's gold all over? This is actually a great spot to just fill in with brushwork. Change the lighting up. Make it direct players better and lower my framerate less.
With the awning in the way, that crane is useless. And those windows on the observatory wouldn't need an awning because they are already under a concrete one! (BTW, the concrete observatory should be the look your last point has--it doesn't make sense that BLU uses it as a flank, if it's important to the map somehow. And beyond that it confuses the progression of detailing even more.)
There's just too much detailing. Whether because it detracts from other detailing, because it makes no sense, because it's weird, because it lacks cohesion, because it's just noisy--you need to look at it and think about it. Where do you want people to go? Why? When? What should be important? What can be skipped? You have a few nearly bare-walled flanks--apply that ethic to other areas of the map, please.
I don't see the Cashworks comparison: Cashworks is detailed only where it needs to be, or in ways that reward exploring (like Thunder Mountain, for instance). Cashworks doesn't cover every surface with something, and uses a unified texture and color palette. It is a feasibly living and lived-in space. The lighting is varied and does some direction. I hate to say it, but if you intended to take inspiration from Cashworks, you failed quite badly.
Please read this thing grazr wrote years ago:
Immersion and Your Map. Also
the one about base facades. They should both illuminate these ideas further.
Then the layout--it's all kinda just tunnels. It's like Barnblitz with more and tighter buildings. Actually, that's probably a great map to compare visuals to since it's a similar idea in terms of layout. I think this map could really improve from being opened up in several places--unfortunately, I think the tight quarters are the only thing keeping the framerate manageable.
I don't think you're a bad mapper or stupid or anything. I apologize if parts of this sound rude. I do not speak for all of TF2Maps.net. It's clear you have a great understanding of the tools. I really am sincerely excited to see your next map(s)--including before detailing! I just hope that you can tackle your next project with this kind of stuff in mind and make it an even better map. I would not be typing this if I didn't think you could benefit from it. I don't like wasting my time. Don't get the wrong idea--I'm not doing this because I'm mad or something, but because I think your map is almost very good and you can still take it there.
Ultimately I don't really care if you update this and do what I say or not, because it's your map, and you can do whatever you want. But given your clear skill with the tools it's my hope that you refine your approach in order to improve it. You can go far in the mapping community, but a big portion of players are going to dislike your maps and not have the deep level understanding of aesthetics or TF2 detailing practices to know why. They are going to call it confusing despite the abundant signage. They are going to call it pretty and play it once or twice and then forget. I've watched it happen for nearly a decade now. Don't let it happen to you.
Do I think there's a lot of props? Yea, maybe it could be toned back a bit. Is it so much of an issue that it's worth this big of a deal of? No, not at all. It all depends on the map.
I think you should look again, or tell us why, in greater detail. It's obvious to me from the screenshots before I even get in game that the detailing is overdone. I'm curious as to why you'd say otherwise.
