Who would YOU go to if you had a brilliant idea for a map but did not want to fool yourself into thinking you could do a good job and you did not want to fling the idea out to the masses for the first hack to pick up and disappoint you? Aesthetics/Uniqueness/Playability

I'd go to the forums / wiki and learn how to make a map, start with something simple. Then after a few maps and having mastered the process, I'd do it myself. Then again, I already had half a mind (yet no time) to someday become a mapmaker. If you do not even consider that option, how about looking at some of the maps out there now and see if there's one or two names which often pop up among your favourites? Of course, that doesn't mean they're still active on WL, are available to make a map based on your idea or are even interested in doing so, but you gotta start somewhere!

|> Aesthetics/Uniqueness/Playability

Wouldn't those (especially the second and third) be heavily depended on your brilliant idea? Like with programming, a crappy algorithm will never become a good program, no matter how skilled the programmer...

best mapmakers
Sir Nick
Moros
Fizzer
Troll
The person who made asia map
Ironheart (maybe)
Everuex (if you don't mind the overlaps and unclear borders)
Muppet

Skunk (just kidding **LOL**)

RvW... I think you took this too literally. I believe hang was trying to generate some discussion over who made the best maps, not get opinions on who should make a map for him.

Sir Nick? Really? Guess we have different ideas of what makes a good map.

Like the humility too

As for the question itself, I think I'd have an easier time answering what mapmakers I would absolutely avoid rather than who I would turn to. Shortlist would be Fizzer, Troll and Moros (ignoring his joke maps like Truel)

@Richard:
Ehm... on second thought, yes, I think you're right, my bad!

Regarding Sir Nick: yes, really. I can understand you're not being very impressed with some of his maps. However, those were tests / pieces of the puzzle / preparation for [this beauty](http://warlight.net/SinglePlayer.aspx?PreviewMap=8706).
I'm one of the lucky few who got to play a test game on it and (if you'll take my word for it) it's a very good map. As you can read in [New Jersey Municipalities Map Feedback](http://warlight.net/Forum/Thread.aspx?ThreadID=2933), I'm unsure why he hasn't published it yet. Last time I looked at his profile it said he'd been inactive for a long time (can't remember the number of days), but when I just checked (trying to look up the number of days), the message was gone, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

And your third post, you surely don't mean your shortlist of mapmakers to avoid are Fizzer, Troll and Moros? *I* know it's incredibly unlikely that's what you mean, but to someone who doesn't know any better (let's say, a new WL player) it might look like it, that's why I'm pointing it out.

In case anyone's wondering, I have a pretty good idea of which mapmakers I'm most impressed by, I just prefer to let people form their own opinion (in this case I'm fairly sure they'll arrive at the same conclusion anyway), which is why I'm not posting a list.

Chaos is a pretty good map maker, with his Battle Island series. Very clean looking maps, with nice strategic and tactical potential.

RvW, yes I most certainly meant that those three were the mapmakers I would turn to and not avoid. Can see where there could be confusion though.

As for the Jersey maps, there is simply no reason to publish all the individual county maps, especially when some have fewer than 20 territories. It's made all the worse by not publishing the full map which is the only reason for the existence of the smaller maps.

As for influencing the opinion of others, I doubt that would happen but can't fault you for not wanting to do so.

Aah, thanks :)
But I believe you only think so because you eagering for my Benelux map (which, unfortunately, I had to stall, read [here](http://warlight.net/Forum/Thread.aspx?ThreadID=2358&Offset=260) about it), and not really considering any quality of what I made.
I think my best map was Whirlpool, but the others were not extraordinarily good. The Canada map has 2 missing connections and a lagging zoomed part of Quebec, so does Bangkok, Luxembourg has too large super-bonuses, the Fizzer Birthday map has a missing connection, Small Europe has numerous and a weird bonus layout and the Truel and Quadruel maps are too small.


What I would call the best mapmakers are Fizzer, Troll, Chaos and Ottaman.

And for the worst mapmaker...
I don't know. I do know the worst [map...](http://warlight.net/SinglePlayer.aspx?PreviewMap=9175)

I think Kroma is a very good map maker. Underrated for sure.

Aper, has made my favorite map.
Ottaman makes some really cool maps.
Huruey has in my opinion the nicest looking maps
So those are some of my favorite map makers, some honorable mentions.
Fizzer
Moros
Grundie
Muppet

Moros wrote:
|> I do know the worst map...

Graph-theoretically speaking (number of territories, connections between them), that map reminds me a lot of [a certain other map](http://warlight.net/Map.aspx?ID=4985); the difference is just a single connection... :p

---

Actually, Moros' post gave me an idea. Let's start with a shortlist everyone more or less agrees on, then ask people on that list to give *their* opinion. Being above-average mapmakers (at least), they should have a fairly good idea how to judge mapmakers. With any amount of luck, after a few iterations we should converge on "the solution".

Hé, you all have forgotten me.... kidding ;)
I think the best map builders are:
Fizzer
Moros
Ottoman
Troll
Chaos
Muppet
(wisdomsword made the Eastern Asia map wich could make him a good map builder, but I don't know he has made another map so you can check he's realy that good in map building. Unfortunatly you can't ask him, he has been inactive of over 400 days)