14 years ago, Valve held the TF2 Art Pass
Contest, which challenged mappers to take this unfinished Valve map and make it look
pretty for a chance to have their version added to the game. In the end, there were 53 submissions and
2 winners: 3DNJ and YM, whose maps were added as Mountain Lab and Mann Manor, which I’m
sure you’re all familiar with. But what you may not know is that this selection
process wasn’t easy. It took Valve multiple days, and there were
a lot of grade-a submissions, which is why I made this video– to go through these versions
that have largely been forgotten and consider whether Valve made the right choice. Here are all 51 of them excluding Mountain
Lab and Man Manor, since we already know what those look like. I won’t be giving an in-depth analysis for
every submission since that’d make this video go on forever, and because some are
more interesting to talk about than others. If, at any point in the video, you want to
check these out for yourself, there’ll be a download link for all of them in the description. And, at the end, I ask that you fill out this
poll ranking some of the better-looking ones alongside Mountain Lab so that we can come
up with our own winner representative of the TF2 community. Alright, with all that out of the way, let’s
get started… Going in alphabetical order, our first map
is by “aboojumsnark.” Centered around a nuclear power plant in the
middle of nowhere, this map has a modest amount of detail but is still nice to look at, especially
the last point because of these glowing uranium rods. On a side note, the stairs use the displacement
method I talked about in my previous video, which I think is pretty cool. The next version is by “acegikmo,” also
known today as Freya Holmer. This map takes place at the center of a manufacturing
district run by Blu Industries on a bright rainy day. Unlike the first map, this one is packed with
detail, so much in fact that it’s impossible for me to go through everything in this video,
so I highly recommend exploring this map for yourself, but I will say that it’s possibly
the best-looking one out of all 51 I’ll be showing. The cacti are a nice detail that helps depict
the biome, custom normal maps add shape to many of the wet surfaces, the 3D skybox blends
seamlessly with the rest of the map, and the overall creativity, talent, and originality
all from a single person is something you rarely see in TF2 maps nowadays. I wish I could go on, but there are still
49 other maps to cover, so let’s give them a chance. Next is our first night map by “Balloonsfor600.” Unfortunately, not much was done here, so
it doesn’t look great. But it’s still worth mentioning as it was
a submission for the contest. Now we have our first snow map by “beamos,”
a big deviation from the warmer climates we were just in. This map is striking for its glaciers that
tower over the first half and the arctic desert that surrounds it, but outside of that, there
isn’t anything cool to see besides this lava room around the last point that looks
like tomato sauce. Cranking up the heat, we have a drastic change
of scenery with this map by “cakeman.” If you’re a fan of “Buried” from Black
Ops 1 Zombies, you’ll love this map. It’s an old, western mining facility squeezed
into these desert canyons and has a lot of unique brush and detail work that make it
stand out from the other maps. It’s a little bare at times but is by no
means bad. Moving on, there’s this map by “cotc,”
which reminds me of Gravel Pit but with more color and saturation. Much of the textures, scaling, lighting, and
overall design choices are a bit wacky, but I like the overall theme of the map as an
open pit mine and these minecart tracks above the last point– they’re rather creative. Speaking of creative, this map by “crewsayter”
is nothing short of it, being the first of three space-themed maps we’ll be looking
at. It resembles a moon base, apparent by the
gray, dusty landscape and giant Earth in the 2D skybox. There’s also a huge glowing dome which I
presume acts as an airlock so that the mercs can breathe. Now, despite having a super cool setting,
some nice lights, and cute moon signs, there’s not a whole lot of detail, and the architecture
is a bit too simple for my liking. You’ll see what I mean when we get to the
other two versions. Next is another snow map by “cynick.” It suffers from some missing textures, but
let’s put that aside. The wind and snowfall is extreme, blowing
sideways through the map. The interior detailing and framing around
the first half of the map look okay, and I really like these windows that face Blu’s
spawn. The area outside of the map around the second
point is also cool, but not as cool as these walls of ice by the last point that emit fog
and sparkles. They’re kind of oversaturated and out of
place, but look pretty. Where this map struggles is with its architecture. The building exteriors are too simplistic
and could benefit from some extra detail. The map by “dabeatzproject” is up there
near acegikmo’s as one of my personal favorites for its creativity and level of detail around
the first half. It features many twists and turns through
a rocky cliff environment with a small bit of water at the base. The mapper also took some creative liberties
with the layout around the last point, so it’d be interesting to see how this map
plays out in an actual game. My only criticism is that the interior of
the last point doesn’t match the level seen in the rest of the map, which leaves me to
assume that it was rushed, but as a whole, this is a great-looking map. Next is one of only two swamp maps by “draco18s.” As you’d expect, it features swamp fog,
trees, and plants, and water, which I’ll admit is cool since the only other map where
we currently see this is part of the zombie infection group. But, in this case, they hinder visibility
and the rest of the map doesn’t look finished, so although the theme is unique, I don’t
think it’s anywhere near as good as it could be. With that said, I still like the missing texture
gators under the last point. This next map by “froggie” has a similar
dark and gloomy aesthetic, but more closely resembles landfall or sawmill because of these
pine trees. It’s a simple map that makes decent use
of TF2’s default assets and art style, and I love this building behind the second point. There’s also some lava under the last point
that’s visible from some of the neighboring rooms and halls. but the fact that it’s raining directly
into the pit doesn’t make much sense. This map by “fubarfx” is unlike anything
you’ve ever seen. It takes place on an island with a giant shipwreck,
so the map is built around the idea of being stranded or secluded on a remote island with
limited resources. The rock formations on the outside are beautifully
shaped, but the caves are my favorite part. They’re decorated with stalactites and stalagmites
and hold water that flows into this large pool at the center. +1 for creativity. Next up is another foresty pine map by “gerbil.” It looks to be in the business of logging,
but has a softer feel. The buildings are tall and the little bits
of detail that cover them keep them from looking bland. I like how the mapper detailed many areas
with respect to the theme, like this saw room and these wood chips. The area around the second point looks good
too with its unique brushwork. I can’t tell what the room around the last
point is for, but it’s much more industrial, apparent by all of the bricks and machinery. This map by “Gooba” is another western-themed
mine full of detail that conveys a gold mining operation. But just wait– things are about to get crazy. The architecture and environment around the
first and second points are remarkable. There’s so much going on all over the place
and each area is interesting and immersive. Looking at the sky, there’s a massive volumetric
cloud rolling in that blocks light from reaching the outside of the map. I have literally never seen something like
this done before. Already, mappers should be taking notes, but
this is where things get crazy. Moving into the building around the last point,
the theme suddenly changes into this high-tech scientific laboratory where we see some serious
equipment and a mysterious blue substance. It looks like the gold mining operation is
just a cover-up for something much more valuable… This map by “grazr” on the other hand
is all about wheat. It’s surrounded by wheat fields and stuffed
with hay. The area is industrialized with a fair amount
of buildings and ore chutes that give it a slightly different vibe from Harvest despite
being similarly themed. There’s also a giant pumpkin hooked up to
some jumper cables under the last point that explodes when you capture it. And that’s pretty much it. Onto our second space map, this one is by
“grimtuesday” and takes place in the middle of space instead of on the moon, so the entire
map is a giant spaceship. It has a futuristic design, and I think the
glass on the floors is super cool, but, again, the buildings (or walls of the ship should
I say) are mostly bare and honestly don’t make any sense, but I appreciate the effort
put into making this, considering how unique it is. Next, we have another logging facility by
“groovypants.” However, this map, like several others in
this list, is completely unfinished, so I’m gonna skip it and move on to the next one
by “helljumper,” which is the polar opposite of unfinished. This map is themed after Gravel Pit, but is
so much more than an adaptation. Every corner of every room has something going
on, and the rocky terrain is littered with various props and foliage. One could even argue that there’s too much
detail, particularly with this cluster of junk next to the second point. Everywhere else, though, I think is fine. The last point is a good example of detailing
an open area without adding any obstructions. While simplistic in some parts, it doesn’t
seem like anything is missing. Maybe there could be some railings here like
we see on Mountain Lab, but that’s nitpicking. The last thing I want to quickly point out
about this map is the bubbling pit of lava under the last point. Check out what happens when I jump into it. Now that’s the kind of creativity we need
to see more of in TF2 maps. Moving on, we have another farm map by “honeymustard.” This one looks a lot more like Harvest than
grazr’s map and has a simple, yet comforting aesthetic. The buildings have nice brushwork, the prop
placement works well, and the map as a whole feels right. There’s nothing extraordinary about it,
but I don’t think simplicity is necessarily a bad thing because in this case, it just
works. Next is our second night map by “huckle,”
which I believe is a power plant, and it being night makes me feel like I’m trespassing. One of my favorite parts about this map is
the wall of machinery in the 3D skybox because it means business. Moving inside around the last point, the theme
is maintained; the floors are concrete, and the stairs: metal. Lastly, the pit under the point looks like
some sort of backrooms thing with its endless number of floors. Sort of like this next map by “j4ck8_b11.” It’s a hybrid between a swamp and a factory
and uses the same assets as the other swamp map we saw by draco18s and feels kind of weird,
but, I have to give it to the mapper, visibility isn’t a problem here, and the architecture
is unique, especially the interior portion around the last point. I’m not sure about the wavy trim on the
walls, or these pipes jutting out of the ground outside of Red’s spawn, but I like the dynamic
element of the spinning wheel, flowing water, and blinking lights. I find this next map by “khuntza” very
cool, or should I say, “hot,” because it takes place in the middle of Australia. The buildings aren’t anything special, rather,
it’s the orange ground and kangaroos within a 69-kilometer radius that makes this map
what it is. I mean, just look at those roos over there
hopping along. It even features some custom sounds that provide
extra ambiance. The red rocks extend all the way to the last
point through all of the halls so you can experience the best of Australia the entire
time. But seriously, I love this map just for its
setting. Everything else is kind of a bonus. Our next map is by “languid” and features
some extreme terrain reminiscent of Upward. Because of that, it feels very open– like
you’re in the middle of nowhere. It’s got your standard western architecture
with not too much detail to look at, but I like how the mapper opened up the area around
the last point to the outside– especially this flank off to the side that we’re used
to seeing indoors. Similar to cakeman’s map, “LATTEH’s”
takes place buried under the surface. It’s a lot darker since the second part
of the map is completely underground, so it uses these spotlights to light up the area,
though I think some parts are still too dark. Besides that, there isn’t much else to see–
it’s pretty standard stuff, though I will point out these missiles outside of Red’s
spawn that look like they’re about to be deployed to start World War 3. Onto our only other swamp map, we have this
version by “littledude” that is very similar to draco’s, but a little better in my opinion. It uses the same swamp assets, but they’re
not overly obstructive. I still think the fog is a bit too strong,
but only by a little. My favorite part about this map is the second
point area with these barricades lining the top of this cliff. While this kind of land formation doesn’t
make sense for a Swamp, I think it has a cool effect. But, the interior of the last point is pretty
barebones, so let’s move on to the next map. This one is by “macgta” and man is it
bright. It’s clearly some sort of quarry or mining
facility, but is rather empty. Most of the buildings are patched together
with sheets of metal and that’s about it. Pretty standard stuff. Next is this map by “mangy,” a quirky
factory surrounded by hilly wheatfields. I say it’s quirky because of the peculiar
brushwork and layout– it deviates greatly from the base map. In many respects, it doesn’t even feel like
Mountain Lab, and if I had to attribute it to one thing, it’d probably be these diagonal
buildings; we don’t usually see them in TF2 maps. Again, I value the mapper’s creativity,
but the proximity and scale of certain things feel a little disorienting. I think if the mapper went through and blocked
things out better, this would be a great map. The next three maps are by “map_maker1,”
“Marquis_Posa,” and “mr_yellow,” and I’m gonna save everyone the time and say
that these maps are just retextured versions of the base given by Valve. There are few if any, extra details or props
added in, so it’d be a waste of time for me to go through and analyze each one. “Mrhappy’s” map, on the other hand,
is the third and final space one. Just like in “crewsayter’s” version,
it takes place on the moon. It’s also way more detailed and immersive
with the best brushwork and prop placement I’ve ever seen for a space map. And it isn’t just this way on the outside. The halls around the last point are filled
with tons of things, which in of itself is a sight to behold. If any of you are thinking about making a
moon or space map and need inspiration, this is probably the best thing out there. This map is by “namehere,” and looks exactly
like Sawmill. Not that that’s a bad thing, the mapper
did a flawless job at maintaining the same theme and reusing assets. He also took many creative liberties with
the layout that make it feel much different from Mountain Lab, at least until you get
to the last point where, unfortunately, hardly anything was done. The next map is by “nanosheep_quarreh,”
which just like the three maps I mentioned before Mrhappy’s, is a simple retexture
and nothing more. Next is this map by “petazzo” that returns
us to the farm theme. It reminds me of 2fort if it were a little
more industrialized. Even moving inside toward the last point,
the halls look exactly the same as 2fort’s intel area. And yeah, that’s all I have to say about
it. This is “qliqQLAQ’s” map, potentially
the worst out of all 51 maps, and I don’t say that to roast the guy, but to point out
what you shouldn’t do when making a map. The texturing doesn’t make any sense, the
buildings are shaped awkwardly, and there are half-life assets, that not only are super
obstructive but don’t fit TF2’s art style whatsoever. The cubemaps also aren’t built, which is
why you can see the 2D skybox in the reflection of all shiny objects in the map. This is why it’s important to understand
the fundamentals when building a map– things can quickly fall apart if you don’t. Unfortunately, this next map by “re1wind”
suffers from a lot of missing textures, which is a shame because it has some wild architecture
that I’m sure would’ve looked epic. Putting that aside, it looks like this map
is a giant mining operation with a complex rail system. It even has an elevator that transports these
minecarts. I wish I could say more, but I don’t think
I can fairly judge this map in its current state, so I’ll have to leave it at that. Moving on, we have this map by “ritz,”
with a more industrial, yet fresh feel to it. It could be because of its location up in
the mountains or the plethora of pines, but I think it’s mainly because of the bright
green grass and white-brick buildings. There’s a nice waterfall over by the second
point which is inside of a large tent, which gives me camping vibes. This sort of vanishes as we move inside around
the last point, which like many of the other maps in this list is largely unfinished. But it’s got some fossils on the walls and
a cool dinosaur skull hanging under the point, which isn’t something you see every day. Next is another simple retexture by “slevin.” Bear with me here, there will only be a couple
more, and there is still more amazing stuff coming up. At long last, we have our next snow-themed
map, this time by “sniprpenguin.” What separates this from the rest of the cold
maps in this list is the calmness of the snow falling, and how it glitters on the ground. There are also icicles and snow-covered rocks,
and a few other textures that complement the setting. Just like qliqQLAQ’s map, though, the cubemaps
aren’t built, which screws up the overall look of many areas. But putting that aside, I love how the snow
trickles through this giant hole above the last point. This next map by “soylentrobot” goes back
to the factory setting and is particularly interesting because of the variety of structures
in brick, wood, metal, and concrete all meshed together to form not just factory, but office
and residential buildings as well. Inside of the buildings is your standard machinery,
concrete floors, and brick walls. My favorite part of this map is the area around
the last point because it’s exposed to the sky and gives you an up-close view of the
smoke stacks. Overall, this is a diverse and interesting
map. Here we have another factory-themed map by
“SpiralShot” but with a much gloomier tone. Dark clouds hang over the map with distant
smoke stacks, power lines, and buildings covered in fog. But the props in the map have to be the most
creative out of any similarly-themed map in this list. They’re laid out in ways I’m not used
to seeing and there are pipes literally everywhere. But here’s the best part: there’s a conveyor
belt transporting Bonk Atomic Punch across the entire map. It starts out here by the last point as empty
aluminum cans, then comes down to this pool of purple liquid where it’s turned into
the punch, and from there transported to this room where it’s packaged into boxes and
eventually shipped out of Blu spawn. The only downside is that this version of
the map is missing all of the custom textures, so I can only imagine what all of this originally
looked like. Nonetheless, I love how it conveys a story,
and I’d love to see other maps follow a similar suit. Next is what I consider the happiest map of
the bunch from “spud.” It’s bright, full of plant life, the buildings
are well-constructed, the surrounding farmland is green and healthy, and there’s a little
bit of water here that runs into a river. I love how the mapper turned this corner into
a sort of canopy– it’s just so cozy. The map is a winery, so there are tons of
wine barrels neatly stacked around the place. And the area around the last point is clean
and occupied with fancy machinery for treating this giant pool of wine under the point. This map is so pretty, it might just be my
favorite one on the list. The next two maps by “sunshine” and “sven”
are the last of the bunch that are simple retextures, so now that we’ve got all of
those out the way, we can wrap things up with some top-tier maps, the first being this one
by “swordz.” The environment is the same as in a map like
Goldrush, but it is in no way boring. Every inch of the place is rich with detail. In fact, again, just like in helljumper’s
map, there might be a little too much in some parts, but I think that’s a better problem
to have than not having enough, since it’s always easier to remove than to create. This level of detail extends all the way to
the last point, too, which houses a massive drill. Overall, I think this is one of the best maps
and could very well be the best if its lanes were cleaned up a bit. Our next map by “terabytest” is another
top-tier entry that I think is largely due to its environment. The grass and trees are orange, and so are
the rays shooting through the clouds in the 2D skybox. If that didn’t already give you Fall vibes,
there are a couple of greenhouses out behind the second point with some pumpkins. Nothing is flashy or oversaturated, which
I appreciate because it’s easy to get carried away when working with such colors. Despite all of this, the area around the last
point is my favorite with how all of these different buildings face the center almost
like a courtyard, similar to Gooba’s map, which is why I consider it to be one of the
best on the list. Onto our third top-tier map in a row, this
one is by “timberghost” and takes a cool twist on the snow theme. It’s based way up near the north pole with
massive glaciers and mountains on one side, and a partially frozen ocean with icebergs
on the other. There’s even a huge ship beached on the
shore, and a cargo one out on the water. But as if that wasn’t enough, the custom
textures take this map even further, from these vibrant corrugated metal walls to the
wood flooring in the rooms around the last point with custom walking sounds, this map
is truly original. Perhaps the best part is how its beauty and
charm don’t come from any quirky gimmicks or tacky textures like cute animals or glowing
ice, but from practicality. Everything that’s here makes sense and is
believable– an example of perfect map design. This next map is special because it comes
from somebody I’m sure all of us mappers know: “UEAKCrash.” Now I’m not gonna beat around the bush:
this map is rudimentary and doesn’t come anywhere close to the level of the other maps
I’ve just shown, but at the very least, it’s cool that he was involved in mapping
that long ago and threw his name into the pool. He’s also worked on some great stuff since
then, so by no means would I consider this map to be a representation of his skills today. That being said, I wonder what he would do
if he came back to it today. Perhaps it’d make for a cool educational
video series… 😉 Inching toward the finish line, there’s
this map by “wurghel,” which isn’t a simple retexture, but is still bad, considering
how blocky, simplistic, and unnatural all of the buildings look, and although the blue
lights add some interest, they don’t have any sources. But, as bad as this map is, at least the mapper
tried something instead of simply retexturing everything. Next is another factory by “xfunc_carter.” But this one is different from all the others
we’ve seen. For one, it’s ruined in certain parts as
you’d expect with an old factory, and a couple of these ruined spots are actually
lanes to other parts of the map, which I find creative. There’s also a building over here in the
process of being built, some barricading on the ruined side of this one, and residential
and office buildings off in the distance, all of which complement each other. Moving inside of the factory, things get even
better. It’s like the map Well, but bigger, better,
and actually looks like a factory or warehouse. I’m a sucker for brick architecture, so
I’m in love with this map. Last, but not least, we have this night map
by “zero_rogue.” But instead of being lit up exclusively by
spotlights, it has these light bulbs hanging around the place that give it a fun, social
vibe, which happens to be the most appealing thing to me about this map, though there are
a few other cool things worth showing, like this large dam sitting behind Blu’s spawn
and these two tents pitched around a campfire by the second point. But that’s basically it, as the area around
the last point isn’t that cool. I mean, I can see what the mapper was going
for, but the detailing could be better. So that’s all 51 maps condensed in one video. I’d pick out my favorite, but I’m curious
to see what you guys think, so please, fill out the poll linked in the description so
we can see who the community at large thinks should have won. Thank you for watching, this is LED, switching
off.
