So, since that topic has come more often in the past few days (forum topics, dq'd maps). I thought this wouldnt be too bad of a thing to discuss about.

Ranking Criteria wrote:

Approved Category is only for Marathon maps. Long maps with over 5 minutes of draining time fit the Approval category. Only then they are allowed to be single difficulty mapsets. If they are below 5 minutes of draining time, a full difficulty spread is needed and the map will have to be ranked instead.

_____________________________

While I agree that rules should be followed, I personally think that brute forcing a rule like this on mapsets isnt the right way to go.
There have been multiple cases where a map is just below the approval limit, but has been denied due to a few seconds. Because of that, people had to either overmap breaks (little to no sounds where noone would actually map anything) or alter the songs BPM to something slower, which usually lowered the beatmap and song quality overall.

All of this also feels like some kind of restriction to high BPM maps. While a long 160 BPM map with 2k objects has no problem joining the approval club, a 260 BPM map with 2k objects might not have it that easy. What's different from a high BPM 4:58 map to a 5:02 medium BPM map? In the topic's terms, not much if you ask me.

Might as well also mention that mapping a 260 BPM Easy/Normal diff isnt just a thing you easily do "like that". Spamming an Easy diff with constant 2/1 and 4/1 Sliders doesnt really smell like "quality", nor would it be fun to play a long map like that. It would just be plain boring.
It is already difficult enough to find modders for difficult approval maps, even more so to find modders for a 6 or 7 diff spread.

Anyway, I feel like there are some ways to lighten up that rule, which could possibly be the following:

Approval is given,
- if your map has at least 4:58min drain time and youve mapped basically 100% of what's mappable (no breaks).
- if your map has around 4:58min drain time while using a very high BPM.
- if your map has sub 5min draintime, but the last (reasonable) Spinner reaches the 5min mark.

Approval is denied,
- if your map has 4:58min draintime while there are still some major parts that couldve been mapped.
- if a map tries to abuse the system (imagine any kind of reason here, Im sure there are some).

(More to come here when I think of any other points. Please note that 4:58min is just an example.)

_____________________________
_____________________________ because one wasnt enough :^)


Also, I'd like to support/highlight Jenny's opinion on that topic (taken from a recent disquailified mapset):

Jenny wrote:

Quality Assurance Team wrote:

1. (F) Formal Errors
   • 
     - Drain time is less than 5:00. This map starts from 00:00:388 - to 04:00:388 -, from 04:15:157 – to 05:11:464 - . The real play time is less than 5:00. 4:57 is not acceptable. For approval, it must be longer than 5:00.

Okay, so what are the "solutions" to this artificial problem?

• a) remove the breaktime and add random circles/sliders there
  b) add a 3 second slider at the end

I do not see how any of these are going to increase the quality of the map, and let's just be honest, making a mapset for this song would not make a whole lot of sense either - not even counting the fact it'd be just about impossible to get anyone willing to spend their time modding a mapset of 7 difficulties, 4:57 minutes each for the artificial issue of this being "3 seconds too short".

An easy and normal difficulty would not make any sense to have on a song like this, specifically considering its length and intensity, so I believe we can agree that that is out of question - so what remains to do regarding this issue?

Artificially inflating the draintime just to fit a sheer numbers criteria? Adding random noise at the start or end of the song/slowing it down by 1% so that it'll last 3 seconds longer?
I don't see how either of those would help raise the quality of the map (or then-"set") in any way, sorry.

Discuss~
And please dont sit on the "but it was 7/6 minutes previously". It might be true that that was a standard a long time ago, but so was ranking Tag4 maps and allowing Circles directly after Spinners in E/N/H diffs. Mapping/Modding is constantly evolving, so should rules.

We always deny this topic due to a sort of slippery slope argument. If we allow something under the current approval time, people will continue to undercut it with "ahh but its just a few seconds!" People can use cases of mapsets ranked under the approval time (as an approval map) as a false counter-argument of their own ("But my map is only 4:55:00, its only a few seconds short of 4:58:00!" and so forth). If you notice, in that example you pointed out, people are already trying to take advantage of that excuse.

I'm all for more leniency in cases, but this is something I don't forsee happening since we have to establish some sort of precedent. If you think five minutes is unfair, feel free to post in the Ranking Criteria subforum (although I guarantee you that it will end up like previous discussions).

Going to lock and archive this. You know where to post if you want to change the Ranking Criteria.