A Humble Request

[sleeperx9]

The new patch is a great thing. But having downloaded some fresh map packs, I can say in all honesty that 80% of the types of the maps are simply not made for such a range. Take those damned intricate rope races, immense shoppers and mole maps and normal maps and all that bilge.
Now that we have, so to say, the technology, why not focus our talent on what we could really improve. Say, warmers? Those were damned fun. The problem with warmers was that they weren't broad and comprehensive enough, which is why I see this as a brilliant opportunity and regret not being skilled enough to make one myself and hereby challenge some of you gifted map designers to give it a try.
That's all, and thanks in advance.

[yakuza]

There's not many warmer maps being made because
a) warmer is not as popular as it was years ago
b) you can make warmer maps in 2 minutes inside the map editor
c) mapmakers like maps were they can show their mapmaking skills (BR,Shopper, whatever)
d) most mapmakers can't warm and therefore can't make good warmer maps, that's why oldschool maps like Cheesy are better than new color maps, in fact, I can't recall a exclusive color (not a remix) warmer map that was actually good
e) face it, you need lots of reflexes and attention to warm properly, colors are not a really good thing for warmer maps

[sleeperx9]

There's not many warmer maps being made

That much is true, there aren't, however this should not act as an impediment for the map makers, and here is why:

a) warmer is not as popular as it was years ago

yes, but the quality of a concept isn't dertermined by its popularity

b) you can make warmer maps in 2 minutes inside the map editor

b)I would say that that is untrue, because warmers don't involve just warming up, they're also a form of enternainment in that they grant you enough freedom of movement to do whatever you want, with just a hint of imagination, if by warmer I understand not a map specialized in things such as RR and SSR, but a map which goes by no rules and expects none.

c) mapmakers like maps were they can show their mapmaking skills (BR,Shopper, whatever)

c)proving one's mastery of something requires several standards to compare it to, wether it be writing or dancing. It is the number of standards that settles the amount of skill which can be exhibited by any artist. Here, I'll try to prove my point with this analogy: take two different things -painting and chess-. The former is the least restrictive but is aslo having a somewhat vague quality to it, because you can paint anything, whichever the size, theme or choice of colour. Chess tactics, on the other hand, have evolved unarguably and steadily, there's no much vagueness in it because it has limitations. Now, and this is my actual point, being less restrictive does not mean having less standards, but rather, having an innumerable amount, if slightly ambiguous. A great painter COULD meet great acknowledgment, couldn't he? In this sense, shopper and the lot is like chess, it has a number of strict rules, and a warmer is like painting because of the creativity it is ABLE to involve.

d) most mapmakers can't warm and therefore can't make good warmer maps, that's why oldschool maps like Cheesy are better than new color maps, in fact, I can't recall a exclusive color (not a remix) warmer map that was actually good

d)simply because most mapmakers can't warm (which is an overstatement) doesn't imply that they can't make good maps, as most good horror writers don't have a degree in psychology

e) face it, you need lots of reflexes and attention to warm properly, colors are not a really good thing for warmer maps

e)it is a matter of size, not of colour

[yakuza]

A warmer map is a roper map in which you warm. That's what it is. There is no such a thing as SSR or RR warmer maps although no one stops you from warming your sheep or roperacing skills in such maps.
About b), you might disagree but that won't change the fact it's true. The best warmers of the game warm in random maps, or maps done with the editor, because it's really hard to tell if a map is good for warming until you play it, it goes by trial and error why you just can't afford to do by making maps in paint over and over.
For the record I've won numerous warming style tournaments, so I know what I'm saying.

[KRD]

I certainly prefer playing Warmers on maps the default size and in BIT format*. Once you get bored of one, you rehost and switch to the next. There are, I guess, some things you can't do on a regular map, but that's just a drop in the ocean of everything you can do. If the scheme lacks anything these days, it's people dedicated to playing it, not fancy maps. And anyway, with an art as delicate as roping, keeping everything where it should be is a significant plus by my reckoning.

I have played around with the idea of making a larger Warmer map myself, but after a bit of testing decided nothing could beat the original concept of a wall on each side and two elaborate but not too complex islands between them. Here's what came of that: http://www.wmdb.org/5954

* Remember, as soon as you stray from the good old 1920 × 696 pixel dimensions, your only choice is the PNG format. That wouldn't be a bad thing in itself if everyone had an exquisite artistic sense, but a brief look at the WMDB map section reveals that isn't the case. Besides, it's the shape that matters.

[Bawb]

For the uninitiated, what the heck is warming?

[yakuza]

Warming is roping on a map. There is no goal to win, you aren't supposed to kill your opponents or race to a point. All you do is creative roping.

[bonz]

Warming is roping on a map. There is no goal to win, you aren't supposed to kill your opponents or race to a point. All you do is creative roping.
To "warm up" for the actual games you intend to play.

[yakuza]

To "warm up" for the actual games you intend to play.

Not exclusively. Whilst the scheme names implies it's just practicing, it evolved to become a scheme of it's own. There's Warmer tournaments hosted et al.

[Plutonic]

Here's what came of that: http://www.wmdb.org/5954

Nice to see gundam and 2 hooks again... ahhhh those were the days roping was actually fun... ish