Well, here at the Pit, we'll accept any map you choose to upload to our servers (unless it's in really really bad taste [porno textures covering every surface etc...])
But we are a mapping community, and while we enjoy a fun killbox every now and then, they don't
add to the community. What I mean by this is: We are progressive mappers, we like to improve our skills and make advancements from project to project, not re-hashes. Killboxes are re-hashings of a simple idea and because of that, most users might start with just killboxes and learn to make more interesting maps as they continue their mapping journey.
We aren't here to fall into the elitist trap. Kasperg put it so elegantly when he made this post on TWHL here:
TWHL Post (To find the quote posted below, simply use the CTRL+F command and type "snark" -the post containing that word is what is posted below)
Kasperg said:
I always took criticism when needed, and discarded it when it wasn't going to help my maps by MY point of view. Me being of course, the #1 person who should be pleased with the final result. Any mapper who maps for the fans above themselves is either lying or is a complete ass and is wasting his time pathetically. I'm sorry to be so direct, but that's my personal view on that.
I think the surge of so many custom maps and mods for the HL series (a lot of them being as good or better than the retail content) created a legion of pampered players who all of a sudden deserved quality work and the strict meeting of standards from those altruist level designers and had the authority to criticize and mock the works in question, as if releasing a map was automatically making it a contestant for some stupid competition to see if "his is bigger than yours!". Quite stupid, and defies all the basic premises of what mapping was for me. 1)A pass-time for my enjoyment 2)A creative and learning process in which experience made the following work better 3)A way to keep the games I liked alive by sharing the maps with a community and providing people with free fun, just as I got from theirs.
The moment you think maps and mods are commercial products just like films and retail games, you've failed and killed the community. It happened in Snark Pit, it happened or will happen here. All this has happened, and will happen again. Drive away those who are learning, attack those who are still releasing stuff. Great job!
-And that's what we
DON'T aim to do here
I think If people are looking for improvement, they'll ask for it or otherwise make comments in their map profiles asking for opinions, THEN our mapping standards comparison charts can be pulled out.
If you want to improve your mapping, that's what this place is all about. If you're looking for a dumping grounds for your latest releases, we politely accept that too, but be warned, some members expect most maps posted here to be coming from people who are looking for improvements, and not just unloading their library of killboxes.
We're planning on adding a new FAQ page (as soon as I can get one organized) to make these issues apparent to new members, but as it stands now, all maps have commenting turned on, and some people will assume they're asking for it. I'm sure no one will refuse comments about their work, but the quality of those comments will definitely be focused on that of comparisons of Valve maps and other professionally done levels. Like I said, we assume most people here want to be progressive.
'nuff said, I'll shut up now