koth_coalplant has a somewhat strange history. The first version of the map was called koth_ashville, and was created by Kevin "Mackey" Mackey, a high level competitive TF2 player. It saw some play in ESEA, but was ultimately voted out. Though it had a very solid layout and some interesting gameplay choices, the visual design was quite limited.

koth_airfield was created after Valve purchased standin and process. With both of those maps now out of my hands, I had spare time and no other map projects that needed immediate attention, so I set out to make a koth map. As I'd never made a desert themed map before, I decided to emulate some of the rocky hills and concrete structures from pl_badwater, while adding some 45 degree angles to create interesting sightlines. It was mostly conceived as a distraction so I could try out a new visual environment, but the end results turned out much better than I expected.

cp_rooftop was created to serve two purposes. First, it gave me a chance to create a level based around a mashup of Mirror's Edge's clean cityscape and koth_king's dirtier urban take on TF2. And second, it allowed me to fix some of the layout flaws of cp_standin that became apparent after I finished developing it. It also gave me an opportunity to work a bit more in the realm of the 45 degree angle, forcing myself to think a bit more about how geometry comes together.

cp_process is a five control point push map. A team wins by capturing all five control points at once, which must be done linearly by capturing the neutral middle and then taking the enemy team's points. It features a bright sunny art style, drawing off cp_gorge and the alpine environment set.

cp_standin is a three control point "domination" map. A team wins a round by capturing all three points at once, while preventing the enemy team from capturing points they have already secured. All three points start neutral and are equidistant from both teams' spawns, with multiple exits allowing players to approach them from either side. The map is quite hectic, and involves a great deal of tactical engagement and strategy in order to properly coordinate players across the map.

cp_metalworks is a five control point push map. It is a remake of my first map, cp_resonance, which was incredibly useful for learning the basics of hammer (namely, how not to do things!). I remade the map because Resonance received quite a bit of competitive praise, but was completely horrible in terms of visuals and optimization.

ctf_haunt is a remake of ctf_vitalism which was going to be my entry in the TF2Maps.net competitive capture the flag contest. About halfway through the contest, I got somewhat frustrated with my visual style and bowed out. The map was designed to solve some of the inherent problems with CTF, namely the ability to turtle endlessly, and the overemphasis on the flag locations.