Accessibility/New Player tools;

[hybrid peak]

It might be nice to have a general idea of map distribution/spots through some overlay/highlight settings that you can opt to turn on if you want like colorized mexes to help out new players, example shown in first pic.

What might also be nice is to have some tags added in the map list on what type of map/spots there are, like a lane map not having an air spots it might help to be able to filter lane maps.
To add onto this it might be nice to have a General notation of the spots on specific maps and their roles below the mini-map in the lobby as shown on picture 2.

Lastly maybe players could have the option for spots to have an overlay in-game before the countdown is over to have a text over positions to give them a general idea how to play that spot like in picture 3.

I think these options would benefit new players greatly and also remove some of the salt/drama from people arguing about how to play certain positions or going air on a front spot etc.

[tribal relic]

[plush salmon]

all of these things you state are things that community has agreed upon and is neither something officially by the game devs or the mapmakers

also, there would need to be someone to sift through all of the maps and mark these spots and write the text for the overlay and all that

and thirdly, most maps don't even have such a set in stone meta as the two maps that shall not be named, meaning this is just pigeonholing new players into the inflexible thinking that makes a lot of players dislike playing on the two maps that shall not be named

[plucky cloud]

#1174062016231649410

there is some existing work here, but as @plush salmon said it involves a lot of data entry that is tedious and has some design problems

[plush salmon]

i don't think making anything official that communicates community etiquette is a good idea as that can change very easily and very quickly and will just result in a lot more work for the devs or confusion for new players

the community should handle educating new players on community etiquette

[plucky cloud]

Some loose guidance could help, especially on certain troublesome maps like koom where nobody understands where to start, but yeah I generally agree

[cosmic bolt]

the koom valley curse is a real thing

but yeah, i dont like developer 'enforced' metas

although maybe endorsed is a better word

there's enough bitching about 'lanes' and 'roles' already

[light tree]

Incorporate it into the lobby, a picture browser showing suggested start positions or lanes

[crimson sequoia]

I don't think any of this was ever blocked by anybody to some degree. Just nobody did the work.

[hybrid peak]

It's indeed just meant as suggestions/help for new players and not final, there's a lot of players that don't grab mexes because they don't know which mexes belong to them or are afraid to upset people in the community because some players can get really toxic about small stuff and the position ideas is basically same story.

It just helps people understand that in a lane map you might not want to open with air instead of getting bombarded by lobbies going off on you after the fact 🤷‍♂️ these are all again not forced ways to play but rather just indications/suggestions on what could be a good idea if you have no idea.

[pearl egret]

I wonder if there a way to make the spawn location heat maps viewable in game/lobby? Could be a neat tool to allow players to see the typical spawn without saying thou shalt spawn at spawn location 1-8.

[grizzled shoal]

If a new player needs this information in order to play the map and not have others yell at them, then it's not a good new-player map. For new players you should recommend maps where they don't have to know these things and could play by pure gut instinct. I recommend new players play on other maps where there isn't a strong meta, whether that be less-played maps or newer maps or maps without roles.

[coral rivet]

Maybe a "good for new players" tag for maps in rowy?