General Thoughts About Playing Maps
So, people make maps for a game because they want to share things they want to show what they can make from their favorite game, and that's good. You have made a great map and you'd like people to see it. Once the map is released, at first everyone plays it, says what they think, and you sometimes get unintended solutions you fix. People put the map in their "Favorites" list which is meant to mean that you like that map more than most maps, but you don't really get across seeing it again that much. It just happens that a lot of the great maps in the workshop stay popular for a while, and afterwards, after all the work you put into it, start becoming less popular, and at some stage, everyone has played it already, and move on. People that have found unintended solutions to your map sometimes and sometimes not play it again when you've fixed it, and afterwards continue like everyone else. People still play your map once a while, but it doesn't seem like your work is being appreciated anymore. It doesn't happen a lot that you play the maps in your favorites list, but you might as well find a time to play through all of them later, to remind yourself that you thought those maps were awesome, just like playing the actual game again, and maybe you'll see the changes made to those maps since you left. But overall, it stil doesn't seem like anyone play those maps and yours anymore.
I'm pretty sure a lot of people find this a bit disapointing as I do, but I don't exactly know what to think of it.
Lol i thought today the same like, but i think more of:
For (Good and perfect) Maps you must spend so much time, really really much time, sometimes a mapper works months for a series of maybe 5 maps. And i think, if i start some great projects, who will take many months (with a lot of Maps), will anyone play it? Maybe yes. But the problem is, Portal 2 is a great game, but not that much popular like some other games. I think that Portal 2 maybe is in 1-2 Years so old, that maybe only 10 % of the current player will play it. So, and then all your work of months cant anyone remember. Under the 20.000.000 Maps online, are maybe 10 from you, and nobody remembers your map and how much time you spended in it. Im with that just a little bit unhappy, and i hope that this forum/people will play Portal (or are mapping) also in maybe in 2 years. So i hope there will be maybe some people, who will remember your work.
I tipped now fast, sry for my very badly grammar, hope you all understand what i tried to say ^^
Good lord. TL;DR
PortalStories.com
"Oh, in case you got covered in that repulsion gel, here's some advice the lab boys gave me: DO NOT get covered in the repulsion gel."
Good lord. TL;DR
And you felt the need to post this...why?
yishbarr: I agree, which is one reason I seldom release maps. The one way I know of to prevent this is to build a larger mod, like Factum Solus, although that obviously takes a lot more time and effort.
I tend to ignore most of what the workshop says and does, because I know the moment someone makes a box shaped room in hammer all the PTI people are going to flock to that and 5-star it, leaving maps that cost months of time [I am serious - I spend at least 3 hours a night mapping] in the dust.
I'm sick of seeing all these great maps being forgotten about; maybe if Valve continued that "Test Designer of the Month" thing it might be worth using workshop again.
Good lord. TL;DR
You can read my mind 
ANYHOW; if you release map regularly, people will notice your work and subscribe to it, and you'll get a lot of followers. That's also one of the reasons why you see a lot of maps of the same persons pop up in the workshop.
Obviously having stuff that's outstanding quality and having something else than some clever puzzles can make your map more popular but it's not a way to success in the workshop. Personally I just love to make awesome stuff, and if people like it I'm happy. I think you should just map because you enjoy it and you want to give others a challenge, not for your own ego boosting. And yes, the game is over 2,5 years old already, so it's expected that the interest for the game decreases over time.
Obviously having stuff that's outstanding quality and having something else than some clever puzzles can make your map more popular but it's not a way to success in the workshop. Personally I just love to make awesome stuff, and if people like it I'm happy. I think you should just map because you enjoy it and you want to give others a challenge, not for your own ego boosting. And yes, the game is over 2,5 years old already, so it's expected that the interest for the game decreases over time.
This, totally this, also think of it this way, if you are looking for a career in level design its always useful for a port folio to show off the cool stuff you have made
