FFS, I didn't even knew it will be that hard! There is also some mappers in BWMN, which i would put in my top list. Damn i want to put more mappers in front...
I think flo should be at the top of the list and also nightmarjoo should be included. You may want to do an "active" best mappers list and an "all time best" mappers list. If you ever do a "weird" mappers list you know who to place at the top.
hint, hint, nudge, nudge, wink, wink
: ^ )
Damn, sorry but I forgot templar, he should be there! modified by Lancet
No, I'm a bad mapper. I'm ok at bw and understand mapping so I can judge maps fairly well, but I'm bad at making the maps themselves. No imagination :(
It's hard to list the best mappers, because you have to consider the relative skill at the time, and the way players played maps at the time, etc. A great map back then may be considered awkward and sloppy now, but that doesn't mean it isn't or wasn't a good map, etc.
I don't know who goes in any order, but here's my list, and why!:
flothefreak - Easy choice, he was an alright mapper long ago, and has updated his mapping style as time goes on, and even goes back to modify his old maps. Many of his maps have really nice and playable concepts. Flo tries to consider how players will actually play the map, not just make a map and hope it works.
trcc
Listoric
Travin
These mappers all feel the same to me, but they were older than I and when I became active was when they started to peter out in mapping. All three have made some really great maps, Blizzcon is proof of that.
I'd mention noname, but I feel his maps are too player-unfriendly, with some exceptions.
Spitfire wouldn't be on the top of my list, but I spose he's on it. He's made some really nice maps, but I feel many of his maps deserved better execution, but again, he was an older mapper, and standards and what mappers wanted at the time was different than now.
Antares - A real nice guy and a creative mapper. He was one of the last "old" mappers to stop mapping, and he made some real inventive and reasonably player-friendly maps.
LostTampon - Ava-fucking-tar. He also made several other very nice maps: virtually all with great execution and quality. Avatar~
Testbug - kid came out of no-where and started making the best 3player maps on the site, and then took a series of MOTMs. Testbug is an avid learner, and constantly improves as a mapper.
Starparty - Wouldn't be at the top of my list, but you can't fail to mention him when talking about good mappers. Although I find a lot of his maps to lack in playability, to be awkward or uncomfortable for modern mappers, there is no doubt that a lot of time went into his maps. Starparty has a great hand for design and a real artful mind. Some of his maps are just superb and great for playing on.
Meh after this I can't think of any mappers who produced constantly a pump of unique and playable maps. Certainly there are many other good mappers, but I don't think there's any other nonkorean mappers who can boast great execution of a concept and maintain excellent gameplay.
I spose LGI comes close to my list, but I feel his maps were more for-the-concept than for being player-friendly.
"No, I'm a bad mapper. I'm ok at bw and understand mapping so I can judge maps fairly well, but I'm bad at making the maps themselves. No imagination"
You have imagination and you won one MOTM that I know but many times you go of on weird tangents and that is what gets in your way. I do that all the time but it's part of who I am and what I do and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Man, if this were top 10 most mediocre mappers on BWMN, I'd totally be on everyones list.
.. It's almost insulting not to be on the Top Ten Mappers of this site given that it's about of about 15 or so people. Although really, I couldn't replace any of the name's in LGI's list with my own :X modified by PsychoTemplar
Ok you are right, a list for active mappers and inactive mappers would be nice.
That's why it was hard for me to make my top 10 and still i want to add some people... NastyMarine should be also in the list but with some lucky maps of him... In these days he still makes some mistakes that he has made before. Thats why i didn't listed him with Flo/SummerSky/Me.
Mappers which i respect for their skills for some reason:
1. Starparty - can't deny his success, and talent for map making. A legend with a tale.
2. GRC-Deathlink - can't deny his success and talent for map making.
3. Salazar Slytherin - for continually creating new concepts and having excellent execution.
4. NastyMarine - I feel most people enjoy my work whether for the concept alone or for my final products. As for bias opinions, I really like my work and take pride in it.
5. Testbug - For his courageous and successful attempts at 3 player maps. His decoration and overall execution is very powerful and very enjoyable.
6. flothefreak - Has the old school style of map making. Very enchanting and unique. Has stayed consistent with new and fun ideas for maps as far as his submissions go.
7. SummerSky - Has a mix of Korean and BWMN style mapping. Has awesome variety and execution and creates stable and solid maps.
8. LGI - His arsenal consists of good concepts and good execution. His old school BWMN style is always appealing to the eye.
9. Arden[WoF] - he has created many quality maps which have always displayed great style and concepts.
10. trcc - No one can quite pull off what he has done as far as visual eye candy goes. there is no question that he has created quality maps for a long time though not in recent months. His maps are always fun and relatively simple.
i don't know old mappers very well, but i like trcc and LostTampon. SummerSky and NastyMarine has also nice maps.
i like flothefreak maps a lot, specially thunderbolt, sound barrier and mirageii.
and his new forsy fortress, snowshock and his old maps New Chaos Factor and he has continue working on AwokenDemons (but i dislike AwokenDemons)
KorhalOfConverse and Bifrost Converse were also nice! (i hate DreamCatcher and i don't know why did it won motm, but i'm in love with flo)
protoss4ever has made some nice pictures for his unplayable maps(see Venezia, Rise of Teotihuacan, Coastal Batery) i like Elysium Fields and Space Summer and shine got into iccup (but also radix's map)
i think ptar's 96x96 maps are nothing special. and i rellay dislike PsychoTemplar's and Lancet's maps :P they'll be at the bottom of the list
sorry starparty, i dodn't really meet you, but it seems that every one here loves you as a god.
1. Starparty - can't deny his success, and talent for map making. A legend with a tale.
You forgot to mention that i am a winged rider of destiny and spread the inspeakable truth around me with my epic sword of the righteous flame.
Testbug, its because i helped build this site and bitched around, much like nightmarjoo, to give us pr. However, i used to bitch on people who neglected the site, not those who actually do come here. As for the actual quality of the maps, its not so much about them being better than the best ones today in any way. i just did them a bit earlier.
Today i have no real motivation to create perfect maps. its more an artistic expression from my part. Thats why i dont deliver very often. Before i could force create maps until i got enough good parts to put toghether in one map. Today i just wait until i get in the mood. There isnt much to gain from original StarCraft mapmaking anymore anyway.
Oh, and my own list.
1. Listoric
Sorry lis, you werent the best SC mapmaker by far, even though u made a few good maps. However you moved on to Warhammer 40k and made maps who made it into the official expansion = win win win.
2. trcc
loved working with trcc. The times on skype and mapmaking were a blast! His maps brought detail into standardization.
3. Travin
Didnt get to know Travin all too well, he always seemed a bit uninterested, and just did it because he happened to be good at it. And good he was. 2x Blizzcon maps if i dont remember all wrong. Travin made very personal maps, and you could see if he was a creator of a map just by studying the details in it.
"and i rellay dislike PsychoTemplar's and Lancet's maps :P they'll be at the bottom of the list"
" But NastyMarine makes good maps.
Lancet and PsychoTemplar do not :D"
Considering there are a couple 100 mappers who pop in once or twice and make terrible stuff they never improve, this is obviously something you have wrong with me personally. It's uncalled for. Please grow up :P
I always do (at least when you make sense). But really, I enjoy dwelling in my obcure cave making bizare drawings on the walls (I have the confidence they will be discovered and admired by some archeologist thousands of years from now). I leave the wide open spaces outside the cave to people like you that enjoy getting burned with fire and being eaten by wild beasts.