Wargrounds of Scape (WoS) - discussion thread

[superfrog]

You got links to prove tournament usage? I know it’s been used enough but want to check all the boxes here.

 

[Sheep]

You got links to prove tournament usage? I know it’s been used enough but want to check all the boxes here.

Oh doi!

Updated my post. There might be others but I didn't do a very extensive search. Enough to meet the qualifications for nomination.

 

[MegaSilver]

That list is missing HexiCon 1 usage.

 

[superfrog]

Fire Isles

I’ve been wondering when this nomination would come, as I know this map is a favorite of at least one of our other judges.

Fire Isles (the original) is a well-loved classic but has some oddities that prevent it from being top-tier in the modern game: the molten lava run and the Kaemon islands being the biggest two. Plus the SZs suck.

OEAO nicely addressed all of these issues, and found a nice place to use two long ruins if that’s a consideration in a map pool with Percolator (or one of the other excellent two-small-ruin maps out there).

I do really like the added utility of the sand level 2 in the center: it’s useful for melee figures crossing over laterally (no more “Nilf flying back and forth to deny attacks” shenanigans) and it’s useful for taking potshots at the SZ from a little bit more of a protected location. But melee has lots of tools at its disposal to combat this spot and other perches: the aforementioned long ruins, the safe level 2 as you develop left, and plenty of opportunities to either cap figures on level 3 height by climbing to level 4 or to tie down figures and force the lava damage.

I greatly appreciate the SZs being cleaned up so they are clear at a glance.

Overall, OEAO has taken a unique map that had some flaws and brought it into the present while still honoring the main concept of the original. This is one of the top two RotV/VW maps out there, imo, and one of the top few 1MS/1exp maps more broadly. to induct.

 

[Mike]

I'd like to nominate Fire Isles (OEAO Edition).

.pdf

Been thinking about this one for awhile now and finally got intentional about playing a few games on it myself. Quick dynamic map with easy improvements over the original.

Tournament Usage:

.org page (contains 4 events)

VCheese 4

Thanks for the nomination!

 

[dok]

Fire Isles - OEAO edition (originally by yagyuninja, modified by OEAO)

It’s not a secret at this point that I’m one of the more nostalgia-driven WoS judges. I was disappointed when Fire Isles didn’t make the transition from BoV to WoS. I felt, and continue to feel, that the style of gameplay that Fire Isles creates is unique and fun and good for the metagame.

That said, I recognize that original Fire Isles had a few issues that did keep cropping up:

• The molten lava strip in the middle, in addition to creating all the lava dunk issues that molten lava can create, also had the potential to create “ring around the lava” endgames where one side plays keep-away. I didn’t see it happen often, but it could happen.
• The “Kaemon perch” on the side of the map, surrounded by water could also create some pretty ugly endgames.
• The annoyance of that one space that looked like it was part of the startzone but wasn’t. I’ve seen lots of figures placed on that spot at the start of games.

The updated version of the map addresses all these issues:

• The molten strip is replaced by water, with a 4 space bypass in the middle to allow for jumping from one lava field height to the other. I’ve enjoyed this tactical change to the map - it’s significant but not so dramatic that it changes the feel of the gameplay.
• The sandbars on the sides are reworked completely, so there is no longer an elevated perch, and the glyphs can be accessed without dropping into water first.
• Likewise, the startzone is reworked and are now clear and intuitive.

The biggest issue I have with this version is that 6 move flyers can reach one glyph and not the other. I have workshopped alternative layouts for the sides of the map that would solve this, but ultimately I didn’t find anything that didn’t have worse drawbacks. And there is at least some compensation in the form of having easier access to height overlooking the more distant glyph.

At any rate, this is certainly my favorite RotV+VW map, and among my favorite lava-using maps overall. The minor quibble I have about glyph distances isn’t enough to turn me away. I was mulling over nominating it myself and was happy to see Sheep put it forward. YES to induct.

 

[Matthias Maccabeus]

No Aloha by Ulysses. Marvel x 2, BftU, TJ

Ulysses is probably my favorite “newer” map maker. I really enjoy quite a few of his maps.

As mentioned when reviewing Nightfall, I’m definitely not a fan of all the sets it takes to build No Aloha. No Aloha has a hill in the middle with the rock outcrop smack dab in the middle. Dungeon is used for defensive positions along the base of the hill with jungle as well to help melee make the approach. This did help against range.

This map is quite cramped when pushing forward. There’s not much room to maneuver unless you want to go up, which slows you down. The Marvel walls only complicate this without providing much cover. You notice this especially when you go right out of the start zone. There’s a Marvel wall, jungle bush single hex that can be locked down quite easily. Once you get pass the hill the map opens up a bit more and plays a bit more freely.

One can use the wings a bit to try and come through, but those aren’t really any more open than the hill area. Then you can get into a bit of ring around the rosey with the hill in the middle.

The map is OK, but with all the sets used and the middle being cramped for melee I vote NO to induct.

 

[Shurrig]

I'd like to nominate two maps of mine:

Guts

Tournament Use

- MARS Philadelphia - Valhallan Valetines' Day
- Peoria Monthlies 2024- AoA Returns!
- Hexicon II

This version of Guts also saw play in the playoffs of OST S6 Alliance Pod Draft

Very grateful this map has seen so much play recently. Guts is fairly new to the tournament scene, but I'm nominating it to WoS today because there are not many tournament maps with this set combination (Hot Fulcrum, If You Can't Take the Heat..., and ...Stay Out of the Kitchen are the only maps that come to mind) and none have been inducted.

Stechavan

Tournament Use

- Lincoln Seasonal IV
- Indiana 2024 | Bloomington Indiana | Jan 2024
- MARS Salisbury MD - VC Delta General Wars Ro9
- Kentucky 2024 | April: Delta Uniques Only
- SoCal 2024 | May - Reverse Draft
- Ryguy Plays Games Presents: Destroyer Dan

Stechavan will also be played at the upcoming Scape Summit convention.

I tend to go through several iterations of a map after I post them on my thread, and Stechavan is no different. Feedback on this map over the past year or so has been truly invaluable, and it is in a place now where I think it is worthy of a nomination. This is also another map that uses a terrain combination not yet represented in the WoS.

(NOTE: This is a slight visual update to the Stechavan played at the aforementioned tournaments, nothing has changed that would affect gameplay.)

 

[superfrog]

Thanks for the recent nominations, everybody! Some I was expecting and others I wasn’t, but looking forward to digging into them all.

 

[superfrog]

Flaxen Shard by Ulysses

I was relatively skeptical of this map going in to my testing of it. A few things drew my eye as negatives:

• double small ruin without the realistic ability to swap either for a large ruin*
  
• no adjacent height on the glyphs
  
• the level 2 contours, central height, level 3+ center area, level 3 runs, and even the ruins are all nearly symmetric left/right in addition to rotationally symmetric**
  
• water potholes interrupting level 2 pathing

In reality, these things didn't end up making the transition from yellow flags to red flags.

I do think there's some possibility of reconfiguring the jungle/water on level 2 on one side to accommodate the large ruin, but at the end of the day, we judge the maps submitted, not the maps that could have been submitted. People have shown their willingness to use this and other maps with two small ruins, so I am taking this as only the slightest ding against Flaxen Shard.

The perches were pretty approachable in my games (jungle backing helped), and there were definitely noticeable subtle differences between developing left/right/center. I even found good flexibility in moving between the perches (for Nilf, say) without it feeling too oppressive for opposing melee armies.

The water was helpful in further differentiating the two sides, and it actually ended up benefitting double-space armies (hounds, for example) because they can cross over the water. And many single-space figures would splash into the water to get more attacks when necessary.

Finally, the glyphs. I found gameplay on this map to often ignore the glyphs but some armies really benefitted from Wannok or Valda (my favorite two glyphs, and I found them well suited to this map). Having glyphs in a somewhat protected spot added another goal to claim on the map besides the 5 height perches, while still being attackable. I don't think I ever put a figure on the outer water, but you can't win them all.

I did appreciate the interaction on the center/side level 2 corridors and the level 4 and 3 heights. The level 3 heights behind the ruins form a nice little staging area that I used pretty often.

Overall, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this map, and I vote to induct.

*on Percolator, say, the map plays better with two small ruins but is very workable with one of each. The combo with the level 1 water on the right makes access to level 3 very bad if you were to use a long ruin on Flaxen Shard.

**This isn't a huge negative but it can lead to boring gameplay, since any strategy involved in developing left/right is irrelevant.

 

[1Mmirg]

I've like to nominate Flaxen Shard by @Ulysses

While a bit of a newer map - relatively speaking - It has quickly become a favorite in tournament scenes across the community (note the above). I've enjoyed my games on this map and felt that it provides really good options for both melee and range to "pick their spots". The center is easily contestable, and the edges are dynamic enough that the battle occurs there just as frequently. Great job Ulysses and good luck!

Flaxen Shard doesn't have the table presence of some of my favorite maps. It is a fairly simple looking build, but it is clearly carefully built, with strong high points, value across the middle, strong coverage, and contestable height. I'll admit the start zones are about as dull as possible, but that is better than ones that are overly convoluted, hard to find, or truly difficult to maneuver.

The map is fairly even (nearly a mirror), with only minor (though significant) differences left and right--there is a gap in jungle coverage sooner on the right than the left, leading my melee troops to more often go left. Melee has nice cover, even though it often finds itself fighting into height. I was pleased to see what felt to us like fairly even chances for range and melee on this map.

It feels like Move 5 units are a bit limited on the map, hitting topography that is just out of reach. That topography, though, is what keeps the range units from being able to pod up too easily and keeps the heights interesting and varied enough.

The glyphs are hard to hold and I don't like that melee units are particularly limited in being able to contest them (no adjacent height). The water is basically decorative on the outside edge, but the maps' outside edges are overall dynamic enough to lead to some solid gameplay.

The center is even better developed than the edges, with ruins, varied height, and a fringe of jungle. We had some really tight moments and lots of times an initiative shift or bad roll really mattered. I think that is a plus, meaning the map is tightly built and gameplay (and luck) really have a chance to shine--or at least matter in meaningful ways. Choices matter on this map.

This is not the prettiest or most distinct map and I initially was leaning against it, but the more I played it the more I felt like it brought out excellent gameplay, even if it is seemingly simple looking. It is solid and valuable within a map pool, offering another jungle/RotV map that plays differently from others, but is still balanced and interesting.

I vote YES to induct Flaxen Shard.

 

[Matthias Maccabeus]

Flaxen Shard by Ulysses

Flaxen Shard shares the same terrain sets as both Fulcrum and Percolator: 1 RotV + 1TJ. More on this later.

I’ve played this map probably at least a dozen times in the past few months. I really enjoy Ulysses as a map maker and this map plays well. As noted in other reviews it isn’t super kind to 5 move melee. The jungle does help mitigate this to some extent. Not being able to attack down on a glyph with melee is also not great in my book.

The middle and edges play well. There’s enough room to maneuver around and there are some dynamic placement choices when slow rolling.

This map as mentioned is a bit plain Jane but still offers some decent decision making points. However when I’m playing on this map, I’m often wondering why I’m not playing on Fulcrum or Percolator instead. Also the double small ruin which I understand why it’s there, does require a 2nd RotV set and you guys know how I am about terrain sets.

I played on this map over and over because it was a good map and I really wanted it to jump to the next level for me, but it just never did.

I vote no to induct Flaxen Shard

 

[Mike]

Flaxen Shard by Ulysses

Flaxen Shard shares the same terrain sets as both Fulcrum and Percolator: 1 RotV + 1TJ. More on this later.

I’ve played this map probably at least a dozen times in the past few months. I really enjoy Ulysses as a map maker and this map plays well. As noted in other reviews it isn’t super kind to 5 move melee. The jungle does help mitigate this to some extent. Not being able to attack down on a glyph with melee is also not great in my book.

The middle and edges play well. There’s enough room to maneuver around and there are some dynamic placement choices when slow rolling.

This map as mentioned is a bit plain Jane but still offers some decent decision making points. However when I’m playing on this map, I’m often wondering why I’m not playing on Fulcrum or Percolator instead. Also the double small ruin which I understand why it’s there, does require a 2nd RotV set and you guys know how I am about terrain sets.

I played on this map over and over because it was a good map and I really wanted it to jump to the next level for me, but it just never did.

I vote no to induct Flaxen Shard

I agree with Ken on this one. I think it's a solid map. But it feels pretty generic to me, which holds it back.

I realize now that I played the glyphs wrong- out of habit, I placed them on the outside waters. I think that's the better spot imo. I do not like them on level 2 sand there.

Admittedly, I've only played this one about 5 times. Maybe my opinion will change if I play it more. But for now, although I think it's a very decent map, it's not one of the best, and not even one of the best for its sets. Ulysses' other map with this terrain combination, Percolator, is head and shoulders above Flaxen Shard. I also prefer Fulcrum (and other 1 Jungle maps like Ticalla Sunrise, Dark Fulcrum, and Canary). No to induct.

 

[superfrog]

At 2-1, Flaxen Shard is not inducted.

Stechavan is on the clock.

 

[superfrog]

Stechavan

As mentioned in the nomination post above, Stechavan was used at Scape Summit this last weekend, where I had the great pleasure of playing on it a few times both in tournaments and casually, and I got to watch lots of game snippets. And of course, I had played it some before choosing it for the convention.

My games over the weekend confirmed that Stechavan is an excellent map. It plays very freely, offering viable options to figures of 4,5, and 6 move out of the SZ, and the road proves quite helpful.

In fact, the road is what I like best about this map: it is straightforward enough to usually be helpful, and it goes most of the places you’d want it to go. Double-spacers unfortunately can’t use it to get adjacent to the glyphs, but in my experience the horizontal spurs of the road were used the least (the vertical sections and the horizontal connector in the middle were used heavily). One other nice feature of the road is that it has several strong spots on the road itself (compare to a map like my Calida - using the same sets - where the road is entirely level 2 and dominated by adjacent height). Here on Stechavan, there are 6 level 3 road hexes with no adjacent height.

In a previous review for Forest Fire (also the same sets), I mentioned that I didn’t like the lava very much, since big chunks of it tended to get ignored in gameplay. Stechavan addresses that dynamic well by making two of the four lava field 7-hexes development spots. Although the level 3 lava field hexes in front of the short ruins there don’t see much action, the back five hexes and especially the two east and west hexes of the 7-hex do often see a ranged figure pop up there for an extra level of height or a melee figure attacking into the road.

The level 4 2-hexes are key to the map working well, providing a central focus for the map and a bit of a counter to the strong level 3 road. The 7-hexes on level 4 do see less play but situationally are helpful.

I don’t love the fact that there’s two hexes of molten lava but I’m not going to complain overly much. And the same two small ruins logic as my Flaxen Shard review applies here as well.

Overall, it’s clear that Stechavan has become a community staple and that status is well-deserved. While not super groundbreaking, it does push some conventions by having so much level 3 road, and that works out in a wonderfully well-rounded map. I vote to induct.

 

[Grey Waves]

I'd like to nominate 2 maps.

Firstly, Alta by @Flash_19

Link to PDF

This map was used at Scape Summit, as well as in OHS Season 55.

I haven't played too many games on this one myself, but the map got a really good reception from those who attended Scape Summit. To quote a couple of people in the Tournament Map Feedback thread:

I enjoy Alta a lot. It was probably the most well-rounded map in the pool for different armies and formats. It can still play fast, but has room for defensive armies to develop out of the start zone in meaningful ways, which is great.

my favorite map in the pool. Loved every game on it. Always felt like I had interesting choices no matter where I was or what I was playing.

[Alta was...] one of my favorite maps there, perhaps my favorite. Just really great options for development and further advancement all across the map. The level 4 perches and how they interact with the level 3s they sit on is probably the best part to me.

I realise that this map is certain to receive a downvote from Ken due to the terrain requirements, however the map is good enough that I think it's worth nominating anyway.

The second map I'd like to nominate (or perhaps that should be re-nominate) is Flaxen Shard by @Ulysses

Link to PDF

This map was used in OHS Season 57 as well as at Hexicon II.

This map is really good and didn't deserve to time out at 2-2 last time. Besides the tournaments that I mentioned, this map has been used at numerous monthly events over the last year, and has had several high-profile games featured on it, such as the final match of Sir Heroscape's CCL Championship series, or the recent finals of OHS 57. One of the WoS judges who didn't vote on the map last time has publicly stated that they were going to upvote but didn't end up submitting their vote before the deadline, and I think there is a genuine chance that Flaxen Shard could become the first map to be inducted into the WoS with a final result of 6-2. (Assuming that neither OEAO or Ken change their vote from last time).

(Also, as an aside, the issue with the glyphs on this map not having adjacent height is overblown imo. On a lot of modern maps, the glyphs often don’t feel worth taking (unless it’s a powerful glyph like Valda or Dagmar) because the figure on the glyph has to give up height advantage to the opponent. I find the lack of adjacent height on Flaxen Shard really refreshing, as it means I might actually consider grabbing a weaker glyph like Lodin or Lorja Ivor - something that I would almost never do otherwise. I realise this is probably not going to change anyone's opinion of the map outright, but it's something I thought was worth mentioning, since all 4 judges who voted brought this feature up as a minor grievance last time.)

 

[superfrog]

I'd like to nominate 2 maps.

Firstly, Alta by @Flash_19

Link to PDF

This map was used at Scape Summit, as well as in OHS Season 55.

I haven't played too many games on this one myself, but the map got a really good reception from those who attended Scape Summit. To quote a couple of people in the Tournament Map Feedback thread:

I enjoy Alta a lot. It was probably the most well-rounded map in the pool for different armies and formats. It can still play fast, but has room for defensive armies to develop out of the start zone in meaningful ways, which is great.

my favorite map in the pool. Loved every game on it. Always felt like I had interesting choices no matter where I was or what I was playing.

[Alta was...] one of my favorite maps there, perhaps my favorite. Just really great options for development and further advancement all across the map. The level 4 perches and how they interact with the level 3s they sit on is probably the best part to me.

I realise that this map is certain to receive a downvote from Ken due to the terrain requirements, however the map is good enough that I think it's worth nominating anyway.

I very nearly nominated this map on Saturday myself, but I’m glad somebody else beat me to it (as a general rule, it’s better when nominations don’t come from judges).

Alta is a great map and I have enjoyed playing and watching games on it. It uses the same sets as WoS near-miss Nightfall, but it has a very distinctly different feel to it. Nightfall has significantly more level 4, a safer level 3 perch, but also more options for approaching pod setups (road goes directly to the level 3 perch, level 2 shadow helps close the gaps).

Alta is overall a smoother map in terms of gameplay. Shadow placement is not quite as helpful, but it occasionally helps initial development or reinforcing an attachable position. The road on Alta helps reach the abundance of level 3 height on the board (22/30 level 3 spaces and 2/2 level 4 spaces are attackable from road). The flip side of this is that the road isn’t very safe as it has lots of adjacent height: 22/24 level 2 road spaces give up height to an adjacent space.

What really makes this map, imo, is the interaction of the level 3/4 grass in the center with the road and the open marvel ruin. It’s really well done, and there’s interesting options both attacking and reinforcing this position. The side level 3 areas (including the patented superfrog move of slapping an obstacle in the middle of a 7-hex) both work well primarily in matchups featuring range.

The glyphs on Alta are relatively accessible, and also easily attackable.

I don’t know if this map beats Nightfall for me (I think it just might), but I do know it’s an easy to induct into WoS.

The second map I'd like to nominate (or perhaps that should be re-nominate) is Flaxen Shard by @Ulysses

Link to PDF

This map was used in OHS Season 57 as well as at Hexicon II.

This map is really good and didn't deserve to time out at 2-2 last time. Besides the tournaments that I mentioned, this map has been used at numerous monthly events over the last year, and has had several high-profile games featured on it, such as the final match of Sir Heroscape's CCL Championship series, or the recent finals of OHS 57. One of the WoS judges who didn't vote on the map last time has publicly stated that they were going to upvote but didn't end up submitting their vote before the deadline, and I think there is a genuine chance that Flaxen Shard could become the first map to be inducted into the WoS with a final result of 6-2. (Assuming that neither OEAO or Ken change their vote from last time).

(Also, as an aside, the issue with the glyphs on this map not having adjacent height is overblown imo. On a lot of modern maps, the glyphs often don’t feel worth taking (unless it’s a powerful glyph like Valda or Dagmar) because the figure on the glyph has to give up height advantage to the opponent. I find the lack of adjacent height on Flaxen Shard really refreshing, as it means I might actually consider grabbing a weaker glyph like Lodin or Lorja Ivor - something that I would almost never do otherwise. I realise this is probably not going to change anyone's opinion of the map outright, but it's something I thought was worth mentioning, since all 4 judges who voted brought this feature up as a minor grievance last time.)

I am going to hold off on voting here because I don’t feel any time pressure. I anticipate still voting yes as I did a few weeks ago but I reserve the right to change my mind now that I have the chance to play and think over this map again.

 

[Matthias Maccabeus]

My vote 3 weeks ago for Flaxen Shard has not changed.

I vote No.

 

[Sir Heroscape]

My vote 3 weeks ago for Flaxen Shard has not changed.

I vote No.

Okay…so I have to ask…because it’s been bugging me, what standard are you measuring maps by? Because, it seems clear that no map submitted meets your standard. Among ALL submitted maps to the WoS, you’ve only ever upvoted 1 time…1. What’s more, it was an upvote for Fulcrum which was later rejected by the majority of judges…so it begs the question of why? And how is there such a large discrepancy between you and the other judges? Maybe you’re taking the “bad guy” approach and just only voting when you feel a map HAS to be rejected? Idk…but it just strikes me as odd is all.

 

[Matthias Maccabeus]

My vote 3 weeks ago for Flaxen Shard has not changed.
I vote No.

Okay…so I have to ask…because it’s been bugging me, what standard are you measuring maps by? Because, it seems clear that no map submitted meets your standard. Among ALL submitted maps to the WoS, you’ve only ever upvoted 1 time…1. What’s more, it was an upvote for Fulcrum which was later rejected by the majority of judges…so it begs the question of why? And how is there such a large discrepancy between you and the other judges? Maybe you’re taking the “bad guy” approach and just only voting when you feel a map HAS to be rejected? Idk…but it just strikes me as odd is all.

Good question. I've actually been waiting for someone to ask this or a similar question.

We all come from different perspectives and experiences, which is typically a very positive thing.
I think my perspective is much stiffer than the other judges (for better or for worse). Sometimes a fellow judge will say this map is great except for this one thing, though I think it's minor: Yes to induct. That makes literally 0 sense to me. But that's ok.

Also I'm 99% sure I would have upvoted Odin Wept, but it was already passing so my vote wasn't needed. It was an irrelevant vote at that time so I didn't vote.

5 judges voted to keep Fulcrum. Canary got voted in. Dark Fulcrum (which is a remake of Fulcrum and uses the same sets as Canary) is better than both maps IMO but it failed. That makes 0 sense to me. But once again that's ok.

Also in the bi-laws (or whatever it is on the front page of this thread) terrain requirements are mentioned about being taken into account, I think I take that to a different level than the other judges. (Flaxen Shard is a 2 RotV map with the double small ruin) That makes 0 sense to me. But once again, that's ok.

I for one am quite often fascinated to read other judge's votes (especially that Foudzing guy and they have a completely different experience than me. But once again, that's ok.

Out of all the nominated maps that I played on since I became a judge, there's really only one that I don't want to play on really ever again. The rest for the most part have been quality maps.

Everyone has different perspectives. It doesn't make me right and them wrong or vice versa, just what our understanding of the system to be and how we translate that into a vote.

 

[Tornado]

Love Fulcrum.

 

[Mike]

No Aloha by Ulysses

I really wanted to like this one, but I have some issues with it. For one, much like I wrote in my review of Apocalypse Now, I don't love that the jungle is confined to only the immediate spaces out of the starting zone. It means that while you're trying to traverse the center, you are getting shot at, either on even ground or on height (ideally, but I'll get to that in a minute), without jungle bonus. I am not a fan of that. As a starting point, I would move the leftmost bush when walking out of the starting zone to the shadow space adjacent to it. This will provide better cover moving centrally.

My main issue comes with the hill. It's difficult to traverse, forcing you to either move around it or up and then back down. The central outcrop, while aesthetically cool, does more to hinder movement than to meaningfully block line of sight (as the middle is otherwise entirely open).

It's an ok map, but it hasn't lived up to my expectations. NO to induct.

 

[Dignan]

What’s more, it was an upvote for Fulcrum which was later rejected by the majority of judges….

Damn, when did 3 out of 8 become a "majority"....

 

[superfrog]

I think that’s part of the Common Core math the boomers are complaining about.

 

[Shurrig]

Although I may not always agree with a WoS judge’s vote or reasoning, I do find it valuable to have differing but informed opinions on the panel. It swings both ways, there have been times where I thought a judge was being too lenient on a vote and other times where a vote seemed overly critical. There have been a few maps that I had hoped to have seen inducted, but I also believe the standard for induction should be high. And so far the WoS has done just that, kept the bar high and done a great job of curating some of the best maps from the community.

I think one of the more subjective and more controversial parts of the voting process has been how a judge determines what a map must be to cross that threshold of “great map” over to “WoS worthy map.” I appreciate Matthias’s explanation, because usually that portion of the voting process is left up to the discretion of the judges. My only hope is that judges will continue to give good reviews on the maps they’re voting on, but I’m not too worried about that.

Keep up the good work!