In #modhelp I always stumbled against a question that was frequently asked (more like a meme) ; How do I Map? Very simple question right, you'll point them guides and tell them few tricks here and there, but at the end, they have a ton of information, and don't know what to do with it. So I wanted to make a guide that was a little different, I'm not going to explain what is a circle, slider, making a pattern (If you are new first read these!). I want to explain how to get over most problems many mappers have and answer some questions... So let's begin! Note that I will be talking from my experience, any information here might not be correct or relevant, thanks for understanding. ○ If you are new here, or even a long time member of the community, and haven't got a ranked map, Don't Worry! First off, You might think reaching a category as Ranked and Loved is an accomplishment, but in my opinion you would be wrong! Many people nowadays care for Rankability > Quality , But that's shouldn't be the case! It's good to have something to push you to further map, but think about it, do I want a beatmap that is of low quality and go ranked, or do i want to make good quality beatmaps first, and then improve and reach ranked?
Ranking a beatmap is a test of time, so improving to the point where you and others are happy with your beatmap is the best thing to do! ○ okokchill... Be patient, as I said, ranking a beatmap is a test of time, But I still want to point out things that might help you map better!
• Get out of your Comfort zone. Every person thinks differently, and when they are given sliders and circles (and spinners zzzzzzzz) they arrange them differently, even though some people say their mapping style changes every time, is that really so? <----- This is the point I'm trying to bring, arrange circles and sliders differently then what you normally would (of course take Rhythm - Emphasis - Structure - Flow - Aesthetics into consideration too!). Start something different, and the result would be different as well (and hopefully better).
• Take your time! Mapping is a long process, Even though there are some fast beatmappers, take your time and put thought into every object! Is that object following your concept / theme. Be patient and know if you are doubting something in your map, 90% of the time there is something wrong with it.
• (This is a step I personally disagree with, but I'm going to put it here anyways!) Watch how your favorite mappers map, look at their beatmaps, analyze them and try to mimic what they are doing (NO, dont go copy, pasting their beatmaps, just see what are the characteristics and correlations between the objects, and start you own pattern that way)(As long as you place your objects, its not plagiarizing). That way you'll find your own style of mapping! ○Oh, well I'm glad you asked (LOL). Whenever you ask someone to give you opinions on your map, they will often be truthful (and if not, ask them to be). Some people will give you constructive criticism and some people can also be mean, don't get offended if someone is being that way, they don't want to offend you, they just have that sort of attitude. And you will know if someone is being <helpful + attitude> or they are being a complete <douche>. In any case, take into consideration what they said, their criticism can be helpful so don't completely ignore what they said, People are trying to help, not to make your map worse, so don't be delusional! Now getting back on track, think of a mapping style as a house, yes a house,
when you are home, that is your own territory, you feel comfy and it's just a nice place right? Well now imagine going into a different house, for example a cottage, It's not Beautiful, but it's not bad. Can you give tips on how to make that cottage better? You can, and you will often influence your personality into that house. Well when other people talk about your house truthfully, would you be offended, or take that as a better way to improve? See where I'm going. That's why sometimes you need to get of your comfort zone and see you house (or in this case your map) into third person. It's difficult, but with time everything is achievable!
ALSO HAVE FUN, if you don't enjoy what you are doing... well maybe that thing isn't for you...

Welp that's it, I might add up more questions here so feel free to ask any, (I think I'm in the right thread and I hope this helped)

I guess that with time everyone can improve their skills in mapping, cause the practice is the key.

And then you will never find a style that at least someone will criticize.

Symetrical style → "Miss some important beats of the song to improve the visuals."
Jump style → "Give PP easier, and less focused on visuals."
Old style → "Not fitting well with actual ranking criteria."
Original style (like HW's one) → "This is not common, so it's bad cause too hard to play"

And that would be same for a lot of other style, but I just listed some. That's my point of view about it.
Map for you, as long as it looks good for you, then you made a great part of the job.

I think that my Subtitle was a bit misleading, criticizing is a good thing, as long as it is helpful! If someone has a valid point, or a suggestion, the mapper should always consider what to fix, if anything needs fixing, or to improve (as suggestions give helpful feedback which improves the map overall).
I always see new mappers complaining how others were "mean" to them, so I wanted to Emphasize that a person's attitude varies, what they are saying is the most important.

Pachiru wrote:

Map for you, as long as it looks good for you, then you made a great part of the job.

I Can't agree with this statement, because every new mapper (or experienced mappers) think that they're maps are great, this statement is valid when the mapper is self-conscious, When they do realize that their map has poor quality and / or doesn't follow the key parts of mapping.
New mappers always follow the same path, make a map, get criticism and repeat. What most don't understand is when they do make a mistake, they should learn from it, It starts from wrong bpm, wrong rhythm choice, poor emphasis etc. Even though patience and practice is key, Sometimes the mapper should think about what was I doing wrong in my previous map, and improve from there. At any standpoint the mapper could be happy if they don't understand the more complex part of mapping, and when they do, their concepts often don't follow what is the best for players (again, you are probably making maps for other people too!).

So I think as long as your map is interesting (Emphasis) But repetitive (Structure) with a bit of variety (Aesthetics) And it follows the song (Rhythm) in a natural way (Flow) you can make a map that most of the people would like!