I am planning on making a map just for oddball. The reason be is because all the maps out there have oddball as a secondary gametype and it normally does not work out well. So I will begin to make this map but I would like to see what people here have to say about what they would like in a oddball map. Feel free to post your opinion but please do not post "this is a good idea." Post your opinion and what you think would be a good idea. Thank you.
Your going to need alot of places with really good cover. So that who ever gets the oddball can find a quick hiding spot. Try not to make one place thats got amazing cover otherwise everyone will just camp there. Its good to offer multiple floors, but make sure you allow many different ways up. You dont want to have many choke points. Make it so the team with the ball cant control a section of the map. You need to make it so having a man down from him holding the ball is a great disadvantage, this incorperates a hit and run strategy on the team with the ball, which is fine. This means that the winning team wont necassarily be the more skillfull, but it will be the most tactical. Oddball is one of my most favourite gametypes, i hope this works well for you and i hope to see this on the maps section in the future.
I've got an unpublished map that I made just for Oddball. It kind of resembles Foundation from H2, only in that its kind of circular and has two levels. the center portion is different and is what's keeping me from publishing it. Anyway, I think a circular style map would work pretty well, or any type of map that doesn't have a ton of hiding spots. Cover is one thing, but ball camping can really kill a good game of Oddball. I like the gametype I set up for it the best; the ball depletes the shields of the holder, and that really helps in preventing the ball carrier from camping. I do make the holder a little faster (110%), and the one-punch kill.
Yes, the best maps are arena maps, with no specific area that offers more cover than anywhere else. Aysmetrical maps also work, but its harder to pull off. Guardian is a good example, in my opinion thats pretty fair. Just experiment with different maps, if you can get players to incorperate that hip and move manouver, then you have pretty much got it.