I have wondered for some time, why we have a limited mappool on #tdmpickup.eu. Right now it is:

- Dreadful Place
- Grim Dungeons
- Hidden Fortress
- Limbus
- Purgatory
- Terminatria
- Tornado

Leaving out:

- Deep Inside
- Intervention
- Realm of Steel Rats
- Retribution
- Campgrounds

The question is why? I going to argue that this limitation is a bad thing. For that I see 3 main reasons:

Map diversion is fun
According to http://qlstats.info/tdmpickup/detail/desc/rating #tdmpickup.eu has a total number of 2409 players. That is not a big community compared to heavyweights like SC2, BF4 or even the huge DOTA/LOL stuff. So the most important goal should be to increase this number or at least make sure it doesn't get any lower. I'd like to argue that more map diversity, more possible change from game to game will keep the game fresh and interesting. Otherwise people will get bored of the same maps being played to death. Already, people start complaining about "Purgatory becoming the new Campgrounds". I think a bigger mappool would tackle this problem to some extent.

Bad maps sort themselves out
But what about really bad maps? I myself hate Hidden Fortress and would not mind seeing it drop from the pool forever. Please note though, that I am not argueing to do that. I say, if there are really bad maps that for some reason id software stamped the "TDM-sticker" on, they will sort themselves out. The community knows whats good and whats bad. Which maps work and which do not. So, bad maps might be voted sometimes (big deal..) but then less and less. Until they are gone from the scene - all the while still being in the pool. There is no reason for a mappool with limited number of TDM maps, because bad ones will be dropped by the players themselves.

More maps make pickup games harder to balance
This might be true, especially early on. But

1) maps are a fundamental part of the game/fun so a rating system should not be more important
2) the formula needs to take maps into account (per map weighted ratios)

If the current rating does not take maps into account, well - it needs to change. Simple as that.

So, what are your thoughts on this?

gg
-ny

http://www.zowiegear.com/component/content/ar...zowie-mico

The ZOWIE MiCO will be available to end-users on the 1st of June 2011.
MSRP:
DKK 299
EUR 34.90
USD 34.90

Features:

Ambidextrous competitive gaming mouse, usable with both hands
Perfect for claw-grip and gamers with small hands
ZOWIE custom lens; 2mm lift-off distance - works on all surfaces
Co-developed with professional StarCraft & StarCraft 2 players from Korea
Lightweight, fast and accurate optical gaming mouse
No drivers or software! Just plug and play
Adjustable DPI: 400/800/1600

Operating System:
Win2000/XP/VISTA/7
Mac OS X v10.2 after

Specifications:

Dots Per Inch: 400/800/1600
Max. Acceleration: up to 30G
Max. Speed: up to 50 inches/second
USB report rate: 500Hz
Length of cable: 1.8m / 5.8 ft
Weight: 68g (ex. cable)
Connector: USB
Buttons: 3

Shape looks decent, weight too. Lets see how this thing performs in a shooter.