Answer 1

You should make more original levels rather than just reuploading already existing stuff with slight changes

Answer 2

slight changes? the layout and the art may be the same but the gameplay is very different with the v-ceilings. It took me hours to make, more than most of my other remix maps (clunktorium being the only exception).
Plus all my actual maps (except procedural and worth ceiling run which are both meh at best) at least partially copy the obstacles of other maps I have played.
The only maps I made which didn't use other maps as a base which copy some gameplay are hell climb, eu dip meeting, oblivion and best practices. Aka. my worst maps.

Many of my maps change the structure enough that I don't consider them derivative. With changing perspective I learnt that copying stock maps makes better maps than copying customs and that truly original maps are a very bad idea. changing perspective was literally just alcoves semicircle -> mezzanine climb section -> development climb/boost -> customs disjoint -> basic climb -> condensed access boost -> repeat. Taking elements of other maps and combining them in unique ways is basically 90% of atlas anyway.

Sorry for the rant but what am I supposed to do. My original maps are all garbage. Almost every custom map on atlas that I play feels similar to every other map so originality isn't that important is it? Every climb map is like every other climb map (some variation of observatory). Every boost map sucks like every other boost map (some variation of park mixed with zetta). Every air control map is either fun or garbage with little to no in between but other than that is still like every other air control map (feel like exa and clocktower). Every combat map is unfair garbage but is still like every other combat map (like store room and wild den). Every tech map reminds me of CMP (which sucks btw).

All the recommended supposedly original maps fall into those categories. All the achromatopsia maps feel like exa on steroids but designed for specific characters.

Those kinds of maps can still be enjoyable somehow even though they feel samey and bland so as said originality is overrated. So how do I make the maps seem different when to make an actually different map requires throwing away important design fundamentals?

Answer 3

I did rate this map 2 hearts instead of 1 because I saw some effort was put into it.

Don't you think instead of just falling into the mindset "my original maps are garbage". Instead try and figure out why you or other people may not like them and improve on them? Almost everyone's first maps are garbarge but you've seemed to have abandoned ship and instead of getting over that hurdle you are in a endless loop of just taking stock levels and changing them slightly (usually in a more gimmicky -- typically harder than the original which most people don't find fun). If you keep making maps you'll eventually stop making "garbage maps".

I think you have bad mindset when it comes to experencing maps. Maps fall into categories sure, "boost", "climb", "air-control", etc. But if you make a boost map it can feel original / organic. Im sure you've seen people say "I bet this is a X map" (X being a person in the community). Do you know why they say that? Its because authors can inject their own personality into the level they create. If you gave me and you the same prompt / fog trigger etc. I bet we would make completley different maps that are unique from one another.

You say that your maps "change the structure enough"... you made dustforce dx, research, zetta, yotta, etc. with just different physics. I don't think thats really changing the structure. We've basically ALL played that map and now you've gone and just copied it again for us to play again? I'm all for playing maps in strange ways, but it doesn't feel necessary to make a whole new map for it and then use the reasoning "well my original maps are garbage so i'm just going to do this". Anyone can make that type of map by just copying and pasting, try and make it a bit more "you". It feels like you are just doing it because you can. If you look at the clears on these types of maps they are VERY low with most and even yourself rarely ever even getting just an SS. Why? You should think about that if you are confused.

From statements such as "Every combat is garbarge", "Every boost map sucks", etc.. It sounds like you have some fundamental problems with Dustforce and how the game is played if thats how you view things. I want you to make more maps. Even though EU Diplo has its problems, I thought it was actually fine for a map, hard and janky but it was all original. I MUCH rather have that than copy-pasted gimmicks 10, 100 times.

Answer 4

thanks for the feedback. I will try to make more original maps in the future.

I haven't stopped making new maps (see procedural (obviously a gimmick map but still dice roll guided map creation was a fresh idea)) but the higher effort stuff is hard, I work on them constantly but most of them don't get finished anyway.