Since TF2 and CS:GO are both free now, I think a good mappist format would be maps for either of these games. The only problem I forsee is the fact that the games are rather large and if a person is downloading the games just for mapping it could be a rather large. I simply figured the format would perfectly fit into the mappist category, which is currently sparse with formats. Additionally, the fact that there are several Source games opens the possibility for a variety of different map forms. There are probably problems with proposal but I just figured I would put this out and see what people thought.

not a bad idea i think. tho i dunno if there are good tools, how easy to use they are, what file formats u share etc etc, so if someone cld giv more info on that it wld be coool!

The tool is called the Hammer editor which is a party of the game's SDK, the contents of the maps are open-ended in terms of breadth and complexity, but they're fairly simple to use. I reckon you could share vmfs but also bsp files maybe (just for competition idk)

I've advocated for a Quake mapping format which is very similar, but that's probably a topic for another thread (which uh, I guess I'll finally go make that thread heh).

Yeah the Hammer editor is part of the official game SDK. It's maybe like one level more complicated than Doom mapping as a frame of reference, e.g. Doom sectors -> brushes but in 3D, things -> entities, and then there are new concepts on top like vertex manipulation, point/environment lighting, etc.

I'd be curious what sort of maps would be thrown around and how to judge entries. For the games you listed, both CSGO and TF2 are multiplayer games, and so would we have people make standard de_/cs_ maps for CSGO or standard cp_/koth_/pl_ maps for TF2? Alternatively, it could be just "make something in BSP map format", akin to a visual art format. Alternatively alternatively, there are other unofficial map types like surf/kz that are more singleplayer/challenge type maps, but those are a lot more niche and much different from your usual type of mapping.

e: Oh also if you couldn't tell, big fan of those two games ^^

If we're judging multiplayer maps for gameplay, I don't think it would be all that viable for two reasons:
1. A lot of what makes a map fun is how players interact with the map, so we'd need several people to play on them for voting. Even then, I imagine it'd be often a struggle to get enough players who are interested in playing either games.
2. If we're doing OHCs for them, I imagine it'd be quite hard to get a functional multiplayer map going, just for the fact that compiling and testing your map takes up a significant amount of time. We'd either be restricted to 2HC/4HC/majors or be willing to accept very simple maps

If TF2 mapping were to happen as a format, there's a small chance I could set something up with the people over at TF2Maps to play/judge our maps, tho I dunno how I feel about a community of much more experienced mappers judging our work.

Considering all that, I think it would be more viable to make maps that are either singleplayer only (like surf/parkour/adventure/whatever), or are more like a visual art format.

It would be interesting to see a Source Engine mapping format on here. I myself have done some TF2 mapping a long time ago, but I don't think I'd have motivation to ever pick it up again.

CS:GO maps also have a 2v2 gamemode called wingman that would need 4 people to play. One could also make 1v1 duel maps that only require two people.

That being said I feel like judging based on the merits of balance/gameplay are almost impossible since so many metrics have to be in consideration. I think a map can be judged on how "interesting" or novel it is, it may sound flimsy, but then again all judging of music or art on here is also relative.

Holy shit, bumping this.

I agree with the notion that it would be most viable to create singleplayer maps for this format. You could probably base entry criteria off of environmental design and visual appeal, and just see what people create with the Source Engine. Maybe the entire process could be based around making a GMod sandbox map, where the goal is not to create a level designed to be played a specific way, but instead to just create a pretty box to spawn nukes and NextBot memes inside of.

Some of my favorite Source maps are sandbox maps, like gm_abstraction_extended, gm_fork, and gm_bigcity, but nice, appealing level design doesn't just have to be restricted to a sandbox map. For example, my favorite Source map is the original Lobby 2 map used by the GMod Tower gamemode server. It was originally a collection of servers running custom gamemodes, with one main lobby server used to join a game, which used a huge map with tons of details and custom assets. The gamemode is no longer available, but you can still see footage

of the map on the devs YouTube channel.

Not only is Source very graphically powerful, but its now easier than ever to create content for it thanks to tools like Hammer++

, a mod for Source's Hammer Editor, that makes the process of creating a Source map that much less of a headache. It's really the only way to make Source Spaghetti bend to your will, and since Hammer++ is designed for Source SDK Base, playing maps is as simple as downloading Source SDK for free, putting your map file in the game's maps folder, and opening it in the console with "map yourfilename.bsp"

Sorry for writing a whole ass essay on this, lol. I'm just very passionate about the Source Engine and I think that making it a battle format would be poge :)

CS Source mapping would be interesting and just HL2 mapping also would be interesting, I think however TF2 might be the way to go since it's free and can run on Linux, Mac and Windows.
There's also gold source mapping which includes the original Half Life, CS 1.6, Day of Defeat and also Valve's greatest title to date Ricochet, also Sven co-op which is like a free co op half life and Team Fortress Classic. It works in much the same way except it uses an older Hammer Editor obviously(You can edit the new Hammer to do it too apparently), Here's some tutorials on it I found and for Source also, https://www.moddb.com/engines/goldsource/tutorials

Quake might be interesting (though probably non-viable for OHB or even really 2HB), but as for TF2/CSGO, the notion of creating maps for what are fundamentally-multiplayer games is imo not workable or terribly compelling in the first place.

Also the issue of having to download about 25GB worth of clients in order to just view/vote on the maps.

BUILD-engine would be cool though, and definitely more suited for "visual art" than Doom/Boom, while being quicker to create than Quake.