Start Positions. Players are positioned on a map when the game starts. These positions can start players out in the boonies, or in the thick of things. Some positions leave a player searching for resources before he can start building the big stuff. Some positions put a player inside a dense forest and he has to reclaim trees in order to start moving.

Terrain Use. Does the map have rhyme or reason? Does it have structure? Do the sections line up? Is the water level at the correct height?

Resources. Where's the metal and is it easy to get? Where's the energy and is it worth reclaiming? Are there thermal vents? Are there too many of them? Does it make sense to have any on the map? Do they all work? Or are they just for looks?

The Elements. How do water, wind, lava/acid, and ground/gravity behave? Do they help or hinder play? Does grass give out metal? Does a river produce no current? Does lava hurt units?

Logical Object Use. Are buildings and streets logically placed for a city? Are trees placed where they should be? Is there any cool camouflage?

Map Traversing. Are units able to traverse the map? Do units halt at locations that appear open and unblocked? Are there cool or uncool bottlenecks that can trap units? How well do units maneuver on the battlefield?

Realism. Does the map make sense? Do cliff shadows fall in the right direction? Are perspectives of bridges and walls correct? Do the map's graphics look real? Or done in fingerpaint?

Strategy. Is there more than one way to approach/attack an enemy? Is the map interesting or boring? Is the map balanced? Or does it favor one side?

AI Choice. Does the AI play well on the map? Are ships being built in tiny puddles, or in huge oceans? Are Kbots being stranded on islands? Is the AI trying to build a Nuclear Silo on an 8 x 8 size map?

Map Schemas. Are there difficulty levels for the map? Is there a campaign mission for the map?