RyokoTK wrote:Show me a novelty map that is genuinely good and I will eat my hat.
I don't know how to respond to that. The definition of "genuinely good" is subjective enough to be as flexible as you need it, so it'll be impossible for me to mention one that you'd agree to. If we change "genuinely good" to "enjoyable" then Carnage Soccer and maybe even UN Attack (TAG) fit the bill. If "amusing" works, then Mime Target. If, on the other hand, you're asking for a map that causes some of us to break out in uncontrollable laughter, then "That Map" is an appropriate choice. Though, perhaps since none of those (except possibly UN Attack, ugh) were made seriously, you'd take exception to them even on those grounds; I don't know. I enjoy the occasional novelty map, but I also think this direction for the conversation is too difficult to talk about logically.
At one point in time, Duality was novel. As was Y.A.F.N.M. and Itchies and La Cosa Nostra. When net maps were first being made, they were all novel, and there was a lot of experimentation to try to figure out what was fun and what wasn't. Double Aught similarly had a steep learning curve because there wasn't a set of formulae and rules to follow. They had some fun, they made some interesting maps, even if they weren't all great. Now, it's probably easier to not throw 2/3 of our maps away because there are patterns we can follow and basic techniques we can use that have been shown to work. It's a matter of refining away on the same blueprints to create more fluid implementations of a proven design.
My intention for commenting about novelity that isn't to encourage more Mime Targets. I just wonder if all of the "big ideas" aren't already figured out, given the limited toolbox we have. If it's all making second-order corrections to already proven patterns, then wouldn't it be more efficient to leave map creation in the hands of a few people who can simply churn them out like butter?
I'm mostly encouraging this because I find it interesting and am curious what you all think, not because I wish to promote a philosophy...