Expanding the design space for competitive maps

[GameBear]

The last new terrain set was released more than a decade ago. Thousands of maps have been uploaded to this site. Map features have been analyzed, and ideas about what makes a good tournament map have been refined, resulting in lots of constraints. Creating a tournament map that breaks new ground is a challenge.

Mapmakers continue to come up with great new designs, even while traveling well-worn paths. But there are a couple directions that have not been explored much.

Map sets
Tournament maps generally use 2 or 3 terrain sets. There are only so many viable combinations, and most have been attempted many times over. A map set combines a larger number of terrain sets to produce multiple maps. This opens up a whole bunch of new possibilities, as each map in the set gains access to a much wider range of terrain. The downside: one dud map ruins the whole set. Making one good map is hard enough; trying to make a set of them is a big step up in degree of difficulty. The sweet spot (balancing flexibility and difficulty): combine 6 or 7 different terrain sets - 3 master sets, plus 3 or 4 terrain expansions - to produce 3 maps.

Glyph of Brandar (custom glyphs)
The Glyph of Brandar dates all the way back to the original Rise of the Valkyrie set, but has never been widely accepted in tournament settings. There are reasons for this - custom glyphs can create confusion and frustration for tournament participants. Custom glyphs allow for greater flexibility in map design, though - the right glyphs can complement or counterbalance map features, or introduce new strategies and tactics. Adding a few new glyph options to the standard pool, or simply allowing one custom glyph per tournament, could spice things up while minimizing the negative impact. The key: keep it simple! Powers should be reused (from cards) and/or be very straightforward.

What’s the first step? Make the map you want to make. Try making a map without worrying about terrain sets. Just focus on designing a tournament map that looks good. It’s a fun exercise, even if you don’t go any further than that.

That’s it. I’d love to hear what you think of these concepts, positive or negative. If nothing else, maybe this post will provide a little push toward your next map. Thanks for reading!