Many things I created in my past were only to show myself that I can reproduce systems I've heard of or that I saw ingame.
Today only new concepts/ideas push me forward in making maps. Complexity can have the same effect, but its effect won't maintain such long, even if all my maps become more and more complex.
My current 2, maybe best projects ever, which make fun to play and are complex and innovative, are worth finishing them.
The first is Kaiser (German title; translated: Emperor) is a game based on build up your own city where you can order your houses to produce different things (units/money). It's special because it could be seen as a mixture between Dragoncraft and Sand Castle Wars spiced with many random events. Many people like that map but it's still pretty unknown because I did not create an English version so far. [So stay tuned, I will make one for sure...]. If you understand German pretty good (e.g. native language), I invite you to try it out. (atm 2k triggers btw)
The other project is a new kind of defense map (as far as I know nobody used a similar system before). I already have some people who said that that would have been totally the best defense map they played in the last 2 years. You can message me, if you want to test it (map name: Starcraft-Maul) (mostly Gateway: Europe; sometimes US-East).
So I conclude...
Having people interested in my work is my motivation. So Mapping is no serious business because you do not gain money for it. It's a hobbie which allows me to become a little bit popular. If nobody cares about your map, maybe I wouldn't map anymore.
>>>> Without external motivation I wouldn't try to finish my maps. <<<<<
If everyone hates my map, I stop working on it. Wouldn't you do the same?
I wouldn't say that you build prototypes of maps in Starcraft which you could create in other games later.
You DIRECTLY create maps for Starcraft because you see its limits. You are working around problems to solve them. You have no "copy" action in the editor, so you use binary countoffs to copy values. You see the things you have, you have just some ideas what would be new.
Tuxlar, you started with a mech idea in mechnogears. You developped your idea untill you reached your current idea of Astrogears. Since you changed and developped your idea you cannot say that you just construct a big prototype map.
Since Starcraft mapmaking is very limited in the choice of units and triggers in general, it would be stupid to create prototype maps for future games in Starcraft.
If you create maps for Starcraft, you need to have at least 1 of the following things...:
A) an idea of a whole game and try to realize it in starcraft as far as possible and modify the inital game so it becomes more pleasing, or... (like my "Kaiser" map is based on a real game)
B) you create a map based on more or less complex systems you know which you try to develop (like creating a RPG with a sort of item system or random upgrades based on kills depending on the enemy strength depending in which stage or area you are), or...
C) you take an existing map and redo it to fix bugs and create better systems, better balance, ....
D) you want to impress some people
E) you want to show people that some things are possible
F) you show yourself which systems can be used for what & experiencing and solving problems
~Ahli