https://youtu.be/ASiVYLdeAaA <- A handy video I found about learning something. (Don't let the title fools you. It's more of a reality check on if you're really good at what you do and if you can improve). I'd say it's applicable to mapping but I can't say for certain so check it out ig.
Mapping is an art form, but it's a very limited artform.
In mania mapping, you're limited to:
The song's rhythm and intensity
The column numbers you put into
The player's enjoyment (playability)
Think of mapping as creating a game level. Sure you can be creative with it by showing little details and easter eggs that a few people would pick up here and there alongside being aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
However, the main thing is still for players' enjoyment and to capture the song well. A detailed map is good, but it must be coherent and play well also.
Current ranked meta is all over the place. There are so many diverse mapping styles that people could use. However, breaking those concepts of song representation and how it plays is something that I'm iffy about regarding the rankability of those sets.
Sure, it's fun and encourage creativity. But a lot of creativity without consideration of the things above will bite the mapper in the end.
This is a game after all, not an art showcase. Not saying you can't do something conceptually unique, but I'm saying that ranking them requires it to play fine and represent music well.
In the future, I wish the diversity in mapping styles stayed in mania, but I also wish for the ranked section as a whole to look at these things more as well. You should not be able to ranked whatever you wanted just because it's creative.
Sorry it turns to a rant, but I hope this idea goes across.
Edit 2022: I feel like personally this still applies, especially I want people to think of how the map plays more than anything else, but that's just how I look at things I guess.
Dec 11, 2022 - Thanks Shoira for supporter (happy christmas and a merry new year xddddd)
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