An idea could be to suggest to the uploader to pay (using Mania Planets) when he uploads.
This would be optional and would allow anyone to upload as many tracks as they want. But the more you would pay, the more things would be done for your track to be noticed (better place on the homepage, a longer stay on the homepage, etc). This way people who really do want to get noticed would have their chance to put their tracks in the light.

Virus says:
But the more you would pay, the more things would be done for your track to be noticed (better place on the homepage, a longer stay on the homepage, etc). This way people who really do want to get noticed would have their chance to put their tracks in the light.

And then make a premium account feature like in F2P games? Because people want to make their tracks noticed? If someone wants to receive feedback and awards he have to make some effort instead of just paying.

... says:
So I took a look at your maps Windows31 to get an idea if your complaints are justified.
To say it brief and short: Your first map is undrivable - your latest map has got good even some great parts.

It's kind of hard to tell your map is undrivable if you get like 5 downloads and no feedback... You just have to try random things and hope you get lucky. I sympathise with Win3.1...

Art says:

Virus says:
But the more you would pay, the more things would be done for your track to be noticed (better place on the homepage, a longer stay on the homepage, etc). This way people who really do want to get noticed would have their chance to put their tracks in the light.

And then make a premium account feature like in F2P games? Because people want to make their tracks noticed? If someone wants to receive feedback and awards he have to make some effort instead of just paying.

F2P games are about real money. I'm talking about Planets here ! Money that any player can get ! Besides, what efforts are u talking about ? Develop your idea ! If you're talking about efforts making a good map, then it's senseless since you FIRST need to get downloads so that this effort gets recognized. A wonderful map with hours and hours of effert but with 5 downloads will remain ignored in 90% of the cases...

I have the strangest feeling that we've had this discussion before...

Yeah, that's seriously overwhelming.

But, this subject is unwavering. And we will of course never find an answer, because there is none, and because there is probably no stealth way to get awards.

As I asked for ID's ruthless topic, mods, close it!

Virus says:
F2P games are about real money. I'm talking about Planets here ! Money that any player can get ! Besides, what efforts are u talking about ? Develop your idea ! If you're talking about efforts making a good map, then it's senseless since you FIRST need to get downloads so that this effort gets recognized. A wonderful map with hours and hours of effert but with 5 downloads will remain ignored in 90% of the cases...

If the feature of being promoted by paying in planets will appear, the situation when nearly everyone use it is likely to happen. And when nearly everyone use it, the potential advantages and promotion of author(s) will disappear - you won't be one of few, but one of tens or even hunderts. It may sound dramatic, but planets, as you mentioned, are possible to get for everyone, so that isn't a impossible scenario.

Enai Siaion says:

... says:
So I took a look at your maps Windows31 to get an idea if your complaints are justified.
To say it brief and short: Your first map is undrivable - your latest map has got good even some great parts.

It's kind of hard to tell your map is undrivable if you get like 5 downloads and no feedback... You just have to try random things and hope you get lucky. I sympathise with Win3.1...

I don´t think it is hard Enai. It is true. And if somebody wants to get feedback he should care or at least think about honest feedback. (and maybe answer it).

You guys can setup as many stuff as you have discussed before.
It is all senseless as long as a map does not have at least a few basics. When talking about those basics I am not talking about a matter of taste but about basics which you have to deal with if you want that other people give your maps at least a try.

Those basics are:
A free view while driving (no big letters in the middle of the screen), helpful boards showing the way, respawnable checkpoints (this is service to those who take the time to test the map), no disturbing (leading to crashes) MediaTracker cams, necessary MT cams in loops/wallrides for those who do not drive with cam3.

Everything else (easy map, hard map, tech, fullspeed, transitional and so on) is a matter of taste.

From somebody who starts a discussion like this I expect that he at least cares for those basics.

Finally if you got a map with those basics its still no guarantee that it will be cared about.

Reviewing a map seriously as I did with those 3 maps takes 10-15 minutes for each map. If you want feedback you should be willing to do that work yourself for other guys. That does not mean just a "gg " but at least a comment on a part which you liked or disliked and what made you feel this.

It´s so easy to say "ah that Ganja dude gets all the attention" (i know it was not Windows31 who said that). What did Ganja do except of being an active member for about 6 years in this community and building great tracks?

Any time this discussion starts it´s so weird - mostly because some guys think they just make a few maps, lean back and wait that attention rains down on them.
Windows31 statement:
"On TMU-X I had very few downloads of my tracks, and I can understand it since I wasn't exactly a good track maker.
But now, I get a new start with more experience under my belt and a new username, and I still get buried under the regulars."
shows that he has got a certain amount of overestimation of his own capabilities. He thinks he got more experience - experience in what exactly? It´s a brand new editor, new blocks, new car physics - we all start up from zero here.
Argh grrr better the mods lock this up or maybe better lock me up

... says:
[...]if you want that other people give your maps at least a try.
[...]A free view while driving (no big letters in the middle of the screen), helpful boards showing the way, respawnable checkpoints (this is service to those who take the time to test the map), no disturbing (leading to crashes) MediaTracker cams, necessary MT cams in loops/wallrides for those who do not drive with cam3.[...]

Can people judge if your tracks have these basics without playing them ? They're good.

Besides, about the checkpoints : none of the hundreds of maps i've played online had respawnable checkpoints all the way. And most of the most famous maps here on MX don't have either.

I was a second tier mapper on TMNF TMX. I had some fans, and certainly the community knew me, but I wasn't trying to make generic tracks but usually somehow weird ones.

TM2: first few tracks sucked, as did everyone else's, but, it barely mattered: 6 downloads WOO HOO. And the point is not that I expect oceans of praise but that nobody even tries them. Six whole downloads while it was on the front page.