Battlefields of Valhalla Discussion Thread

[quozl]

Originally Posted by Dignan

I have some interest. I could probably still review maps pretty frequently. But if there are other people who want to review them, I don't mind letting them take over.

Excellent!

[1Mmirg]

It's been too long. Hello, friends!

I appreciate the invitation. My sons have regained their interest in Scape and we are playing fairly frequently now.

If there is interest in seeing the BoV continue, I would be happy to become active as a judge again.

[Tornado]

Welcome back!

[Shiftrex]

Would be cool to see some activity in this region.

[Nomad]

I am more than willing to help evaluate maps in whatever capacity.

[quozl]

Originally Posted by 1Mmirg

It's been too long. Hello, friends!

I appreciate the invitation. My sons have regained their interest in Scape and we are playing fairly frequently now.

If there is interest in seeing the BoV continue, I would be happy to become active as a judge again.

That makes two!

[1Mmirg]

Let me ask the community:

Is there a need for the BoV at this point?
Are people using the WoS? Are the programs too similar?

If there is a need, I will work to build a full judge team again.

[itsbuzzi]

Originally Posted by 1Mmirg

Let me ask the community:

Is there a need for the BoV at this point?
Are people using the WoS? Are the programs too similar?

If there is a need, I will work to build a full judge team again.

In the WoS thread it was mentioned that they would add BoV maps to their roster and give the ability of the community to vote and essentially keep the map pool updated to reflect the current meta and expectations when it comes to maps. As long as this comes to fruition there wouldn't necessarily be a need for both organizations to exist (only speaking for myself here)

Some maps are outdated and there have been a few organizations in existence so it would be nice if all tournament-ready maps (including those used at Gencon that were created under no organization) were in the same place under one roof and could be voted upon and deemed outdated or current meta ready.

[NecroBlade]

Just kinda quoting some stuff that helps sum up my opinion.

Originally Posted by OEAO

"Hey, you should use these BoV maps, but not these; these maps by this person, but not his other maps; these previous GenCon/ScapeCon maps, but not these." IMO, there needs to be a one-stop-shop for the best competitive maps.

This is the most important factor for me. Knowing which maps will be good to use at your event shouldn't be so difficult. Having them all in one place would be such a great service to the community. BoV unfortunately is not that place, since using maps "because they're in the BoV" leads to having to play on Turret Rocks and a few others that are unbelievably outdated in terms of competitive map design.

Originally Posted by quozl

Would it be possible for all the competitive map groups to join as one?

ARV is a slightly different project with different goals and methods, but see the point above about it being inconvenient at best and confusing at worst about where to find a good map. BoV and WoS don't need to run alongside each other, instead there should be one gold standard for the community.

Originally Posted by 1Mmirg

It's been too long. Hello, friends!

Hello! Always great to see a familiar old name again.

Originally Posted by itsbuzzi

In the WoS thread it was mentioned that they would add BoV maps to their roster and give the ability of the community to vote and essentially keep the map pool updated to reflect the current meta and expectations when it comes to maps. As long as this comes to fruition there wouldn't necessarily be a need for both organizations to exist (only speaking for myself here)

Some maps are outdated and there have been a few organizations in existence so it would be nice if all tournament-ready maps (including those used at Gencon that were created under no organization) were in the same place under one roof and could be voted upon and deemed outdated or current meta ready.

I agree with all this. WoS has some good rules in place (being able to vote maps out, keeping the judging pool and thus the project active, etc) and can easily curate the BoV list to more modern acceptance standards. WoS can and should have a link to BoV to show the legacy of such a project, like so many other great community efforts on the site (power rankings, custom heroes, Delta pricing, etc).

It's awesome to see so much interest and activity right now with an eye on the future of the game and community. I'm excited about seeing how great a one-stop map shop could be!

[Flash_19]

If I can throw in my two cents (spoiler - they aren't much different from what's been said by Necroblade and itsbuzzi):

I see immense value in having a one stop shop for maps. This could only be accomplished by a group that does it differently than the ARV, unless the ARV was to change the way we do things (which I'm not trying to suggest is in the works or something we even want to do). I love what the ARV has done to encourage mapmaking in the community, but it's scope is different than what WoS has proposed - the space that has historically been taken by the BoV. I do think the two groups (ARV and WoS) could exist at the same time and accomplish their stated purposes in ways that benefit the community.

I think the BoV has a wonderful legacy within the community - I'm grateful for what it did for promoting tournament quality maps, and it approved some fantastic maps that still hold up well even today. I also have no desire to play a few of the maps in the repository ever again. OEAO's quote that was shared by Necroblade is key, I think. With so many mapmakers and the handful of groups that have been dedicated to promoting mapmaking, it would be a benefit to the community to have a group that is actively voting on what maps across all mapmakers and groups are of the highest caliber.

[Xotli]

I don't see any issues with how the ARV is doing things. I've used several ARV maps in tourneys before. I wouldn't use all of them, true, but then I wouldn't use all of the BoV maps either. I'm completely unfamiliar with WoS.

(Somewhere I have a spreadsheet of all the BoV and ARV maps and which ones I like, don't like, and wouldn't use under any circumstances. )

[Dad_Scaper]

I love the BoV as a walk down memory lane, and I love it because my friends have been a part of it, and I love it because its role - standardizing maps for competitive play - was groundbreaking.

But if I wanted to run a tournament now, for the contemporary metagame and challenging the best players? I would not come here looking for a quick list of maps I could use. There's too much clutter in the display thread; too many maps that I know from personal experience (or just from a quick glance) aren't suitable.

That's no reflection on the maps, or the judges who approved them. The game has changed, and many BoV maps that used to be good enough, even for GenCon, no longer make the cut. Where does that leave the value of the BoV? I don't know.