Here's a random idea I'll go ahead and throw out there while we're debating on how the spotlight should be chosen. What if each month we have a "Spotlight Suggestion Thread"? In the thread, users on the forum can post what maps they think deserve a spotlight. Based on the recommendations, the Moderators would make a decision. It could even go hand in hand with the monthly Community Round-ups. (If anybody wants an example of a site that uses a "Suggestion Method", check out TF2maps.net.)

Using a "Suggestion Thread" probably wouldn't work well in some areas of the site though; (The Community Roundup maps for the month would probably be the only maps suggested; making it obsolete.)

Oh well, it's just a 'suggestion', anyways.

MasterLagger wrote:
Then I assume that at least 600-1000 downloads and a few pages of posts make the map seem decent (as an impression)?

Depends entirely on the posts. There could be a few pages of people telling your map is terrible. Context matters.

msleeper wrote:
ABP - Check the Contributor forum. It's been there for ages.

And suddenly I wish I had searched before posting

I personally voted 1 month stay for the spotlighted map. I think that term is the minimum fairest one that any really good map should stay. Moreover when it is a really detailed, thought-out, and fairly long map that obviously has taken much time to be created. I think all of the spotlighted maps have been chosen according to this fact...

Although, the same as silic said here before, I like the idea of a really amazing map to be there until some other exceptional map can climb over it. There will always be a community roundup (btw, will it be made each month?) anyway.

This possibility makes me think of some more questions:

1. In one hand, could that maybe motivate more to mappers and make them want to improve their skills and only release maps when they think they really did their best for beating the spotlighted map? or... will that only demotivate us all?

2. In the case there wouldn't be any map good/exceptional enough to beat the current spotlighted, should this be substituted any time? after how much time? ...Does anyone really think that HMW's "Try Anything Twice" would have ever been taken down the highest position of the spotlighting podium?

3. I think there should be stated somewhere clearly all of the aspects that judges valuate of a map when they look for the exceptionality for highlighting a map. This will also make people want to improve theirselves and take care of each element that will be observed, stopping and learning those in which they think they lack of.

4. Will the next spotlighted map has to be necessarily included previously at the immediate latest roundup for being spotlighted? I mean, does the roundup work as a filter to extract the best maps for later taking the one that will be the spotlighted one from that reduced group? should it work like that?

I don't want to make the Spotlight into a competition. Maps can be excellent in a number of ways, and one map might hit different notes than another but still be exceptional. How can you compare SP and Coop maps. I would hope that seeing top-tier maps being showcased on the site is an inspiration to all of the mappers that visit here to go above and beyond on all fronts with their maps, rather than saying "good enough" and releasing. The timeframe isn't really important; people made some mind blowingly detailed and quality maps for the 2011 Contest in only 2 weeks. Which, by the way, I think is a great timeframe for a contest.

There's no defined metric or checklist for determining a Spotlight map. It's simply "is this map, in all sense of the word, amazing". Is that extremely subjective? Yes. Do I care? Nope!

msleeper wrote:
I don't want to make the Spotlight into a competition.

Well, I DO feel some people is taking not only the roundup but also the spotlight as a competition. In fact, I know some mappers that get amazingly affected if their map does not get this kind of recognition. I know they try to be better with every new map because they really want to be there... I sincerely heard something like "...my map is not in the roundup, I'm going to suicide!..." (ofc not seriously!), or "...didn't I got spotlighted instead of that Portal 1 mappack released ages ago?"

Apart from a puzzle game, Portal also allows some people to awake their competitiveness. It's like the hard maps by Chander or Jonatan (or recently grayarea or marKiu)... I DO like to be the first posting a solution and there are many others like me here who also like to be the first one...

I think competitiveness is a fact in the forum. Is it desirable? ...why not?

msleeper wrote:
The timeframe isn't really important; people made some mind blowingly detailed and quality maps for the 2011 Contest in only 2 weeks. Which, by the way, I think is a great timeframe for a contest.

Hehe... yes that would be a really good timeframe (and a fair timeframe) ONLY IF all the contenders were kids and everyone would have the same time each day for mapping! That would depend on how long should the map be... if only a couple of chambers or ideas, well yes, that's enough. But anyway, who can really assure that those maps in the summer contest were really made in only 2 weeks? On the other hand, wouldn't it be a good idea to divide the next mapping contest in categories by age?

msleeper wrote:
There's no defined metric or checklist for determining a Spotlight map. It's simply "is this map, in all sense of the word, amazing". Is that extremely subjective? Yes. Do I care? Nope!

I was not talking about objectivity msleeper, you've got your point (I believe in the subjectivity, in terms of experience about judging/playing this game, of the forum administrators) ...but I think that some reflections like "this is the community spotlighted map during this next [finally determined time period here] because it is... and the creator has demonstrated his... and what we liked most was... forgot to mention that also... etc etc..." would help.
I mean, a kinda review pointing out the features that were decisive for the final score... don't you think?

Plus, anyone who takes the site that seriously needs to take a fucking chill pill.

I'm not a competitive person, I never have been, and I don't like to encourage it on my site. This is a creative forum, and collaboration is a more useful tool than competition.

As for the 2011 Contest, I'm pretty 100% positive that the top ranking maps were made my people who are either full time students, have full time jobs, or both. And the rules specifically said that someone could use previously constructed, even released content. Don't try to pass blame from your own inability to complete something within a given timeframe to others' circumstances. If you really wanted to win a contest, you'd find the time to put in.

Re: your final point. I still don't think I've adequately explained how the new proposed Spotlight system will work. So let me try again.

Currently, the Spotlight is updated manually every whenever-we-feel-like it by myself. People suggest maps or Winston nags me to set a map to the Spotlight or something, and I have to go in and manually change the Spotlight map.

The way the new system would work, is that any of the site staff can simply move a map into the Portal 2 or Portal 1 Spotlight download categories. My automated script would then, every week/2 weeks/month, automatically select a map from those categories and automatically update the left hand bar.

The metric for selecting a Spotlight map wouldn't change, and the frequency of the updates wouldn't mean we'd be lowering the bar. The increased frequency also does not mean that any new Spotlight map would have to come out within the timeframe from the last Spotlight. So, let's say that we decide to have the Spotlight (automatically) update every week. Week 1 we choose to keep 12 Angry Tests. When week 2 rolls around, the new Spotlight map is not necessarily a map that came out between week 1 and the start of week 2. It just means it would be any map in either Spotlight download category that hasn't been Spotlighted recently.

I hope I've made things more clear.

msleeper wrote:
I'm not a competitive person, I never have been, and I don't like to encourage it on my site. This is a creative forum, and collaboration is a more useful tool than competition.

I'm glad to hear that, and I really agree with you about the useful nature of the forum.

msleeper wrote:
Don't try to pass blame from your own inability to complete something within a given timeframe to others' circumstances. If you really wanted to win a contest, you'd find the time to put in.

.
Well, I guess you're not really talking of me specifically, but of everyone in general. I started mapping around 4 months ago only! I'm doing good (under my own perspective and humble opinion) for around 1 month and a half or so! I never even pretended to participate at all...

msleeper wrote:
Plus, anyone who takes the site that seriously needs to take a fucking chill pill.

Hehehehe.... true.

msleeper wrote:
I'm not a competitive person

When is the next competition? :p lolol

Other note... I like the idea of cycling thorough the spotlight maps, and if this will be the case I think it should be every week, this is mainly due to the fact as there is currently 59 maps in both portal2 and portal 1 spotlight it would take more than a year to get thorough them all.

MasterLagger wrote:
a decent amount of time to make a good map

Someone didn't read any of my posts on page 2.

So, you don't want the Spotlight to be a competition and you hate whiners. You prefer collaboration over competition. All I'm saying is that if someone really wants to make a map that gets good recognition, then they have plenty of time to make it.

And they do. A map won't be overlooked for spotlight or roundup just because of how long it takes to make.

msleeper wrote:
The metric for selecting a Spotlight map wouldn't change, and the frequency of the updates wouldn't mean we'd be lowering the bar. The increased frequency also does not mean that any new Spotlight map would have to come out within the timeframe from the last Spotlight. So, let's say that we decide to have the Spotlight (automatically) update every week. Week 1 we choose to keep 12 Angry Tests. When week 2 rolls around, the new Spotlight map is not necessarily a map that came out between week 1 and the start of week 2. It just means it would be any map in either Spotlight download category that hasn't been Spotlighted recently.

Well, once more, I think the best term would be 1 month. This way, people have time enough to check it out carefully. Besides, not all the people in the forum step by here each day... some are away for quite long time and suddenly they drop by again. I think 1 month allows everyone to know there's a new spotted map, which is importamt news for the forum I think, and no one should miss... 1 week for example is too short term. And yes, I know everyone could simply go to the spotlight section and revise all the maps in there anyway...

Anyway, I'll be ok with any term decided.

P.S. That portal stories mod looks cool!

Wizzywizzard wrote:
I think it should be updated every week!I always get tiered of seeing the same spotlight mod for like a month. Also No-offense but i dont think the 12 angry tests is really worth of having a spotlight.

Well, the difficulty, style, attention to detail and size of these maps are really outstanding.
To misquote Mr Johnson: "CaretCaret, 12 Angry Test, you are spotlighted because we want the best, and you are it! So, who's ready to do some science?"

Wizzywizzard wrote:
P.S. That portal stories mod looks cool!

I known right
Join our steam group! http://steamcommunity.com/groups/portalstories

Wizzywizzard wrote:
I think it should be updated every week!I always get tiered of seeing the same spotlight mod for like a month. Also No-offense but i dont think the 12 angry tests is really worth of having a spotlight.

P.S. That portal stories mod looks cool!

This guy..... "Not Even a Full Time Employee"
... you'll realize that if the spotlight was updated every-week then we'd have lame n00b maps up all the time... it would be a travesty!

LPFreaky90 is right, 12 angry tests is still up because i was really well put together, I am surprised at the community for not getting off their butts, and making some quality maps...
haha, never mind I cant even comment... I've never even uploaded any of my maps here xD

BenVlodgi wrote:
LPFreaky90 is right, 12 angry tests is still up because i was really well put together, I am surprised at the community for not getting off their butts, and making some quality maps...
haha, never mind I cant even comment... I've never even uploaded any of my maps here xD

There are some quality maps which would be worth the spotlight. Currently we have a contributor-only poll about who to be our next spotlight

@contributors: Check the internal forums, we could still need some more votes.