Custom Maps Not Being Used Enough

:THE FOLLOWING POST IS NOT DIRECTED TO ANYONE, AND I AM IN NO WAY TRYING TO BASH:

I think that people are not flocking to the custom stuff yet because there is no real reason to do so. Custom content needs to be just that.. custom. If everyone makes cookie cutter copies of maps already made then why play it? The three maps that started out being custom and becoming official became that way because they were different. I think once some more new, and unique maps are made by the public it will spark a new found interest in custom maps again.

Not to stand on my soap box too much, but... When I started making some custom zombie maps for my CS zombie server; I made a few copies of well known CS maps (dust, assault) I put like 20 hours into each of these. the map that took me 2 hours to make ,that has nothing but a table in the middle of a big field with nades on it became the favorite! That map would be voted for every time it wasn’t the current map! People want to play something different, it doesn’t have to be sexy looking, or 100% fair for each side, or even 50% fair....JUST FUN and NEW.

Just my 2 cents on the subject... and this is not a bash on your remakes of money solo or cyber. I would like to see a custom map pack probably as much as you would, but we need a reason to make one. Give us 5 maps that ppl love to kill each other on for hours, and you will get the recognition you are looking for. Look at successful custom maps in other mods/games if you can't think of any new ideas. Hell one of the most fun custom maps in NS just had a big pit that let you fall onto marine heads for hours (untill those pesky jet packs started zipping around)

 

Yey some real thoughts from other people.
I was hoping this post would finally chance some views and now I have a real view that makes sense on someone else side. Thank you.
I will update this post with new views and ideas from this post, just let me think, plus I'm a little busy.
Updated a lot,
Alright with the Remake of Money I am working on, it is because I like other people wanted Money that isn't an arty fight. No bash here too Doobie.
I do know what you mean when you say the mapper community isn't much yet, but there isn't even a custom map sever anymore. I want that back up for safety.
To the guy before you Doobie that said that if the map is really good it will be official, well I am still new at mapping and if only expert done maps will get loved, then I would map somewhere else.
I do guess not a lot of other mappers are not pushing it that much, but even the amount of community here is close to nothing.
I don't want people to flock to the Empires custom maps, I just want some people to act like we exist. Even saying what is good or bad with a map is something good for mappers. It shows you are paying attention. Once I again I am not talking about only me, there are much better non-official maps that get close to no attention.

 

emp_killbox it is then :D

But I agree with you Doobie, if it's something fun and original then people will want to play it. That's exactly what I was trying to do with tictactoe (although it wasn't as original as I initially thought). Although I disagree about successful maps not having to look pretty; I think if they are to be taken seriously, then the artistic side has to be just as strong as the functional side. Killboxes might be fun, but there's just no "wow" factor for me.