What's your favorite map and why?

Hopefully some answers will be useful for map makers : )

Ambush Pass. It's a simple 5x5 base-trade style map that can become weird and turtly if the base-trade doesn't happen since there's just one expansion to defend. I've seen it go to T3 land a few times. It has some starting tree groups and rocks to allow for interesting build orders, but not a bunch of other reclaim to click on. It's also a classic GPG map with a good tutorial and POV videos from Zock on his YouTube channel.

I like small maps that are very simple to play, but can result in fun stuff like base-trades or unusually turtly 5x5 gameplay. Finn's Revenge was a contender, for all the same reasons, but it has some imbalance and annoying ACU gameplay due to how the water is. It can result in much crazier games than Ambush Pass though. The only other examples of this map archetype I can think of are Monaki, Williamson's Bridge, Crag Dunes, and Blasted Rock. I suppose you could consider Canis River to be this type of map as well, you do apply base pressure, but I don't think I've seen an actual base-trade there. These are all classic GPG maps except for Monaki.

Open Palms for 1v1

Sentina III for teamgames

For 1v1s I agree Open Palms is fun. Regor VI Highlands is another one of my favorites.

For team games, random maps. Because there are no established build orders and people are generally more chill compared to maps that were played thousands of times.

Cobalt Valley. It has a good number of raiding paths with mostly open centre (but would be better without those four pillars IMO) and is a good size for T1, sometimes T2 fights. And the playable area has a "natural" edge (cliffs) instead of the edge of the map square.

"The Hunting Ground" is also interesting: tree groups allow double-factory start, one expansion plus a few lone resource points, several possible attack paths (though the middle is a weird dead area). May have a bit too much small reclaim.

i kinda don't have any strong preference, it is mostly about me being good at the map.
The exception might be Eye of the storm. I liked it cause you could play many different strategies, can focus on navy, air, land.
Can go 3 direction with commander, after going with com to mid you can choose to go to other 3 locations, so you can even try com rushing enemy base.
You can do engineer drops, you can do unit drops, you can do hover, you can do some ecoing too
Also during opening there is some potential for fights for reclaim.
Tho some time later i kinda stopped liking it that much cause it felt like it does not even matter that much witch strategy you choose it feels balanced xD
And currently meta seem to heavy favor t1 air spam early on and i find it kinda annoying. So i don't really like it anymore.

I like pelagial cause size of it and layout seem to be good for doing t2 acu drops and i am very experienced with them and they are fun most of the time.

Anything with a decent land/navy balance, faf is at it's best when impossible decisions must be made

I always liked that 1v1 map with skulls in the corner, light brown map with ramps to middle from your base. Forget what it is called.

@arkangel_ Abhor