What a map that becomes Official should include.

[Hobbitt]

What a map that becomes Official should include.

I hope this post is in the right section of the forums.

I just want to share my opinion on what should be included in a map that makes it to Official, for map creators to know what players from Official Servers enjoy utilizing.

Players need areas to build, that are defend-able and flat enough to even build, tribes don't like to build on low and/or uneven ground in the open. Over the many Ark maps on Official we have come to see different ways around this, and Valguero has introduced a new method; building at the map border on high ground, this was never possible due to the Arks being surrounded in Ocean, Desert and low ground. Tribes search for places to build with "no land access" meaning the area isn't accessible by land dino's and prevents tribes from attacking you with dinos like Bronto's and Paracer's. Ark is way too easy to be raided and so tribes are desperate for these areas. Here's a list of ways to provide players defend-able base locations:

[Map Border] - Land reaches to the edges of the map border rather than ocean, with high build-able areas. (without land access)
Think Valgueros map border and high build-able areas.

[Plateau] - Land high off the ground, high enough a Bronto is not able to reach turret range with its neck and head. (without land access)
These are the most desired base locations, think of Ragnaroks Plateaus.

[Caves] - Caves with small entrances, that any large or tank dino cannot fit through, but has a large enough area inside to build, breed and fit an entire base.
These are the most defend-able base locations, think of Valgueros Caves.

When Valguero combined great build-able caves and high plateaus at the map border, tribes built in those locations instantly, allowing more than just one or two tribes a safe base location and meant more tribes can survive on each server.