Note: Before anyone asks about my other proposed map ideas, I'll say one thing; I haven't gotten to work on them in Radiant yet, so they aren't actually being realized as of this posting. However, Residential and Caverna are both completed in layout phase on good ol' #2 mechanical pencil, 8.5x11 paper, and my dad's old (era '50s/'60s) newspaper ruler (discovered one day after a rummaging spree in an old cabinet in storage.)
My newest idea is one that deviates from my mission-based mapping thoughts; this idea is that there could be advertisement or promotional maps.
By advertisement or promotional maps, I mean ones that are themed according to whatever it is that they are advertising. A Google map may have rooms with rows of servers, rows of archives, clusters of computers, projectors, CEO offices, etc. A map promoting a Tremulous clan may have areas that reflect the ideals of the clan being promoted; a serious, stat-whored, all-business clan would have a map with obstacle courses, briefing rooms, recruitment centers, etc. A laid-back, playful, have-fun clan may have candy shops, rolling landscapes of psychedelic-colored cotton, and other kiddie areas, for lack of a better term.
The primary complaint I know I will have this idea is this; How do you make the visual/styling themes factor into actual gameplay that makes the map worth playing and not just novelty? To that, I answer with five words; painstaking attention and pure genius.
It would take a whole lot of thought to make an advertisement map that promotes something without sacrificing gameplay, and I don't know if many mappers would be willing to put that much effort into making a fun, playable billboard.
However, these kinds of maps could bring revenue into the Tremulous development team; any large corporations willing to pay for an advertisement that approve of the map that is created may donate money into Tremulous development and any servers that run the map promoting their service/product. It's a stretch, but not entirely far-fetched.
Share your thoughts and opinions on this idea, and let me know. I may upload the layout I've drawn up to promote my clan, NUKE, with the map name appropriately "NUKE Headquarters," if there is enough support for an undertaking such as this.
-Mr. Phawks
