Why are orange maps popular?

[ryodoan]

Ok, so its something it seems all you mappers love to hate, and hate to admit, but orange maps (particularly orangex) seem to be popular.

So, why dont we look at WHY they are popular.

I have played on a few of them and after a few minutes I found lots of things I did not like. Also from the talk on the server it seems that the map had been running for over an hour and nobody and successfully captured all the points. So how can a map with obvious flaws, flaws to the point where after 60 minutes of game play neither side had won, how can a map like that be popular.

I think that what it all boils down to is simplicity. Look at several of the more popular maps, even look at popular maps in other games. Many of them have layouts that are easy to visualize in your head and easy to figure out after only a couple rounds.

Playing Orangex I had figured out the layout in only about 5 minutes or so. Other popular maps like Castle, a pretty easy to visualize layout, or if we look at other games, in Counter Strike, the Office map.

So I guess my answer to the question, "Why are orange maps popular" its because they are simple. (and they are simple because the creators spent like 5 seconds of effort on the damn thing and left dozens of problems)

 

[TheBladeRoden]

If you can't beam em, join em, I say.

 

[hacky]

Orange maps in development and playtesting, fine. Orange maps as... finished? You've got to be kididng me. I'd rather look at a map textured entirely in HL2 bricks.

Orange is too bright and hurts my eyes, even while I'm constructing.

 

[YM]

Orange is too bright and hurts my eyes, even while I'm constructing.
http://mdsconsulting.biz/hacky/hammer-contestmapfirstlook.jpg

at least textured shaded polygons now works again! it was torture without it whilst using orange textures.

Basically orange maps suck for anything other than alpha tests. I get away with mine so well because I don't use the orange - I use the red and blue ones I made for each team and the grey ones for neutral areas.
This serves several causes - it keeps people testing from getting confused as to which side of the map they are on, aswell as letting me know where I am faster in hammer. They are darker than the orange so you notice them less as "HELOOO IM A PAINFUL DEVELOPER TEXTURE!!!!!!111!!!!ELEVENTY_ONE"
I'd be much more willing to play an 'orange' map that used red and blue textures for each teams area, that way at least its a TF2 orange map, rather than just an orange map.

 

[ryodoan]

Ok then, but despite what your all saying, the fact remains that cp_orange_x is ranked #8 on the most servers just after the official TF2 maps.

http://www.game-monitor.com/topmaps.php?game=tf2

So the question is not why it sucks, but instead, why is it popular?

 

[Snipergen]

-fast building (more mappers make them, noobs can make 'maps' too)
-fast rendering (retarded reason, if you cant play dustbowl with 30+fps go play wolfenstein 3D ffs, but they always give that up as a +)
-focus on gameplay (what comes down to sniperfests)
-comes from counterstrike, and who plays those maps on tf2? That's right counterstrikers
-90% of the players are 12 year olds that have a mic


The goal would be to find the solution and make a map that looks good and has the attention an orange map has.

Gonna join a server that plays the orange maps and ask people why they like it.

 

[YM]

Gonna join a server that plays the orange maps and ask people why they like it.

lol do a servey!

 

[phatal]

I don't particularly like orange maps but orange cross 2 is quite nice. I like it and will join to play it. I'm not quite so biased as some about orange maps but textures do add a lot to a level and I can't snipe so well with orange textures.

 

[l3eeron]

I thought guys might want to see this

its a poll from the ville.org. There are still some communities out there that will not support the orange maps... like us! 3 out of 30 voters like orange maps.


...read this text document I attached of the whole thread, some interesting things!


You've already touched on why it popular... easy layouts make for lazy thinking/playing. Alot of CSS'ers play TF2, I garauntee 3/4 of the people on orange maps are css types who are out only to pwn people. Some people actually like the no-strategy, frag n die play.

 

[Shmitz]

Orange_x has one thing and one thing only: timing. It was released extremely early in TF2's life, and it got played, and players learned the layout. It's been my experience that players hate learning new layouts. Anytime the I AM server adds a new map in, at least 5 or 6 people say it sucks and try to RTV out of it within the first five minutes, even if it's a well put together map with good gameplay.

So to conclude, people like to play orange_x because they know the map and can't be bothered to learn something new.

 

[YM]

RTV sucks big time, once one person does it everyone does, its stupid

 

[vegit0r]

Orange_x has one thing and one thing only: timing. It was released extremely early in TF2's life, and it got played, and players learned the layout. It's been my experience that players hate learning new layouts. Anytime the I AM server adds a new map in, at least 5 or 6 people say it sucks and try to RTV out of it within the first five minutes, even if it's a well put together map with good gameplay.

So to conclude, people like to play orange_x because they know the map and can't be bothered to learn something new.

I came here to post the above as well, there's a portion of tf2 players who are immediately intolerant to change.

 

[YM]

I was very hesitant about custom maps before december, I knew that 80% of them would be unfinished and probably not amazing.
Now I'll play any map that comes up in rotation. Untill I get bored, which may or may not happen quicker on certain types of maps.
Having said that I play whatever comes up in rotation, I won't join a server with an orange map on it.

 

[DJive]

With the exception of Lazytown *which i hate* i have never played a custom map...

I know, throw the stones lol.. I enjoy seeing and helping people with there WIP, ive never went through a finished product

 

[YM]

With the exception of Lazytown *which i hate* i have never played a custom map...

Dude, you have a position of respect on a mapping website the least you could do is actually play custom maps!

 

[Earl]

My theory was that people liked orange maps because they run faster. People with old crappy systems can still get 60 fps in them, and still feel like they're "playing" the latest and greatest game.

 

[DJive]

Dude, you have a position of respect on a mapping website the least you could do is actually play custom maps!

I play them through alpha's and beta, hardly ever release.

I always see custom servers ether empty or playing lazytown. Most my days i have free its helping here and people in chat with there maps, or mapping my own =)

 

[Shmitz]

If you can't find full servers running the upper end of the custom map spectrum, you're not looking hard enough. =P

Q Clan (09.160.36.231:27015), I AM (66.36.243.9:27016), OWSGC.com (various IPs), Jiggly's Fun House (various IPs), and several others generally run the better custom maps and don't spend a whole lot of time empty.

 

[trackhed]

my new spray

 

[YM]

niiice