Having something to do besides going for a high round
MetalFaceVI
Not too much going on, i really dont like the easter eggs or buildables. Sure i love lore, but i dont like doing chores while playing, I just wanna play
Sarcastic_Rocket
In my eyes there’s 5 key things
Having a fun high round strategy that isn’t impossible or just sitting in a corner for 8+ hours to get to round 100.
Having a fun and logical easter egg.
Lots of fun features and side eggs that buff the player but aren’t required.
Having the map flow and progression be smooth and entertaining.
Some level of personality, unique bosses, wonder weapons, and setting.
No map is perfect and even my favorite maps don’t nail each of these points but if you really nail at least three of these then you’ll have a good map.
Vrooother
The most important tenants of a map is flow and map layout.
It also needs to be able to innovate on a formula and add a pure gameplay feature unique to it and or refine another.
The map also needs to have a good EE and side quests to give players a sense of exploration and discovery while also having giving them content other than solely high rounds
cerealbro1
All my favorite maps are wildly different from each other, so I honestly couldn’t tell you. I think it just kinda has to flow nicely, whatever that means
fictitious_man
Nostalgia
Maxthejew123
For me it was the maps actually being scary, purpose in exploration, the feel of impending doom. Good weapons, good hold out points maybe a goal. Going back and playing bo3 custom zombies and looking back on waw custom zombies reminded me how much I fucking loved killing NAZI zombies not just regular. Also atmosphere is a huge make or break, a lot of the maps from bocw just felt super Arcady to me, seeing zombies health, being able to exfil, it just didn’t feel like a fight for survival as much as it did feel like going for a dip in the pool
Frosty_chilly
An organic feeling map that has various sections that suit various playstyles (sometimes multiple ares that suit MULTIPLE styles) (forsaken, Shadowed Throne)
A natural flow with progressively stronger benefits (Olympia wall buys -> Commando wall buy -> RPD wall buy as an example) (Der Reise, Zombies in Spaceland)
If perks are on the map, they’re somewhat easy to reach but not handed to you. Also depending on the perk, new perks in an area that easily help demonstrate its power (Example: PHD at the end of a one way hallway, pick a bad time and you’ll have to jump out of the window behind the perk to escape the horde) (Thr posters on Verrukt kinda)
Power/PaP gimmick is easy to do, but makes use of potential map based mechanics (Kinos teleporter, the rocket pads on ascension, The Tortured Paths Geistkraft charges)
EEs that are doable by casual or “competitive” players (think the Journal from The Final Reich)
Map gimmicks that challenge the player by adding/changing a rule, or adding a step to the routine (hate to say it; but Ascensions Monkeys, Verruckts 50/50 player split, the Tranzit Bus system)
Special zombies that don’t overstep any boundaries but aren’t boring (MOTD Brutus, Origins bo2 panzer, hellhounds on WaW)
A believable location, unless the lore says otherwise (Revelations and Moon would get a pass due to this…but also Gorod, Nacht, and Voyage)
I don’t think I missed any beats. If I did let me know
AggravatedBattery
Fun and nuanced progression, engaging high round strats, and a good sandbox of enemies/tools are the most important pillars to me for a good zombies map.
Lower-Explorer-8891
Atmosphere is a big thing, cold war got boring quick for me but I can go back to even a hated map by the community Tranzit and play it for hours
13 Comments
Being a kid when you play it.
Having something to do besides going for a high round
Not too much going on, i really dont like the easter eggs or buildables. Sure i love lore, but i dont like doing chores while playing, I just wanna play
In my eyes there’s 5 key things
Having a fun high round strategy that isn’t impossible or just sitting in a corner for 8+ hours to get to round 100.
Having a fun and logical easter egg.
Lots of fun features and side eggs that buff the player but aren’t required.
Having the map flow and progression be smooth and entertaining.
Some level of personality, unique bosses, wonder weapons, and setting.
No map is perfect and even my favorite maps don’t nail each of these points but if you really nail at least three of these then you’ll have a good map.
The most important tenants of a map is flow and map layout.
It also needs to be able to innovate on a formula and add a pure gameplay feature unique to it and or refine another.
The map also needs to have a good EE and side quests to give players a sense of exploration and discovery while also having giving them content other than solely high rounds
All my favorite maps are wildly different from each other, so I honestly couldn’t tell you. I think it just kinda has to flow nicely, whatever that means
Nostalgia
For me it was the maps actually being scary, purpose in exploration, the feel of impending doom. Good weapons, good hold out points maybe a goal. Going back and playing bo3 custom zombies and looking back on waw custom zombies reminded me how much I fucking loved killing NAZI zombies not just regular. Also atmosphere is a huge make or break, a lot of the maps from bocw just felt super Arcady to me, seeing zombies health, being able to exfil, it just didn’t feel like a fight for survival as much as it did feel like going for a dip in the pool
An organic feeling map that has various sections that suit various playstyles (sometimes multiple ares that suit MULTIPLE styles) (forsaken, Shadowed Throne)
A natural flow with progressively stronger benefits (Olympia wall buys -> Commando wall buy -> RPD wall buy as an example) (Der Reise, Zombies in Spaceland)
If perks are on the map, they’re somewhat easy to reach but not handed to you. Also depending on the perk, new perks in an area that easily help demonstrate its power (Example: PHD at the end of a one way hallway, pick a bad time and you’ll have to jump out of the window behind the perk to escape the horde) (Thr posters on Verrukt kinda)
Power/PaP gimmick is easy to do, but makes use of potential map based mechanics (Kinos teleporter, the rocket pads on ascension, The Tortured Paths Geistkraft charges)
EEs that are doable by casual or “competitive” players (think the Journal from The Final Reich)
Map gimmicks that challenge the player by adding/changing a rule, or adding a step to the routine (hate to say it; but Ascensions Monkeys, Verruckts 50/50 player split, the Tranzit Bus system)
Special zombies that don’t overstep any boundaries but aren’t boring (MOTD Brutus, Origins bo2 panzer, hellhounds on WaW)
A believable location, unless the lore says otherwise (Revelations and Moon would get a pass due to this…but also Gorod, Nacht, and Voyage)
I don’t think I missed any beats. If I did let me know
Fun and nuanced progression, engaging high round strats, and a good sandbox of enemies/tools are the most important pillars to me for a good zombies map.
Atmosphere is a big thing, cold war got boring quick for me but I can go back to even a hated map by the community Tranzit and play it for hours
Zombies
You find it fun.