Map Categorization
Written by: TheGamerASD
Competitive maps on AWBW are categorized into different quality categories by the Map Committee. Here is a list of the categories and how they are given to maps.
Uncategorized (None)
These maps are not categorized due to serious design or balance issues which make the map unsuitable for casual or competitive play.
Casual Play
These maps are only recommended for casual play. These maps usually either give one player a small advantage over the other player, are likely to stall out, or lead to uninteresting gameplay. Maps are categorized into casual play by Map Committee members going through the recent maps page.
New
These maps are recently created maps which look good enough for competitive play. Most new categorized maps are later categorized into A-Rank. Maps are categorized into new by Map Committee members going through the recent maps page.
A-Rank
These maps are good enough for competitive play. They might have minor balance issues or a tendency to stall out in high level play. Maps in this category are not actively monitored, so many older A-Rank maps would be casual play or even uncategorized if they were published today.
A-Rank is a very broad category even today, with the worst maps bordering on the edge of casual play, and the best maps being good enough to be used in the Global League. New categorized maps usually take a few months to be categorized into A-Rank, though there is no minimum time before a map can be categorized into A-Rank. Games on the map are not analyzed when a map is categorized into A-Rank.
S-Rank
These maps are the highest quality competitive maps. They have almost no balance issues and are hard to stall in, even in high level play. S-Rank maps encourage dynamic and interesting matches with well-designed fronts and capture phases. Some S-Rank maps were given A-Rank before they were categorized into S-Rank. Maps in this category are actively monitored, so some older S-Rank maps were removed from S-Rank as map quality standards increased.
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