[Laserminer]

It seems that it boils down to this question: Is this a veteran-focused server or a newbie-friendly server? Just saying, new map OR significant map extension means both.

[DGannon]

The edges of the current map are almost entirely ocean, so expanding it would just add more ocean, which doesn't do anyone any good. Like most people, I think an entirely newly generated map is the way to go. If there's only room for 1 server, then the current map can just be retired. I think that's what would have happened anyway not long after a dual server setup. People that miss the old map could just build monuments to it.

[Laserminer]

Some pictures of our 3.0 and 4.0 world:


Inner Spawn. Newbies should walk 1000 blocks for land? The edges of this are what they get to. (btw look at the gorgeous blotches of snow)






Still the Spawn Mass, out 2000 blocks. (or spawn "city" / "metropolis")






Much of the unseen territory, not built on, that's quite beautiful:






And all over the map, our lovely islands, treasured from the Partial Wipe :





</sarcasm>. In all due respect, Minecraft server maps get used after a year or so. Especially when you add in the snow stuff, partial wipes, and what's considered an outdated world.

[Eetrab]

I voted for new start. It just seems better to start fresh on a new map, while still being able to access the old world.

[tgebbia]

Wipe the map. Start anew!
Why?

Change is always a good thing. You will never discover anything new about yourself or your creative abilities staring at your old creations.

Starting off 5.0 with a clean slate will allow new players to grow with the server and allow returning veterans to get better acquainted with the new Minerealm system.

[Laserminer]

Change is always a good thing. You will [rarely] discover anything new about yourself or your creative abilities staring at your old creations.

Starting off 5.0 with a clean slate will allow returning veterans to get better acquainted with the new Minerealm system.

QFT. I predict that if the new system is an "overlay" or something or significantly changing the realm system, it's going to get complicated for 100 players to all figure it out.

[gingagalaxy]

Well at least we have a warp now...

[ewana1991]

Voted for a new map because:
Spawn City on the current map is too big in my opinion
all the big players like Turves, CirJohn, Lm108, Rokkr and that have tonnes of land,i believe, would enjoy a completely fresh start, as i would, so they/we can rebuild our fortunes and empires.
gets us all the new things that have been brought in over the last 3 updates
refreshes a map that is, quite frankly, a little boring now without the hassle of expanding it, or the required increase in memory space
gets rid of all the random un-wiped blocks on the map from the partial wipe
it may bring some of the old players back, while increasing our newbie population again
It's simply time for a fresh new map!
we'll get free villagers once more, no more of this imprisoned slave trading stuff thats currently happening! Villagers should be free to do as they want without fear of being killed so we can trade with them happily!

of course there are a couple of cons, we loose all the current player made structures, however if they want to complete them or look at them again, a world download would allow them to do that. actually, thats the only con i can think of!

KingSpartacus

[Prodigy9]

Spawn City on the current map is too big in my opinion

Bringing back multiple spawn points--an idea many have suggested in the 5.0 ideas thread--would also address this issue.

all the big players like Turves, CirJohn, Lm108, Rokkr and that have tonnes of land,i believe, would enjoy a completely fresh start, as i would, so they/we can rebuild our fortunes and empires.

First off, not everyone you listed is still here... More to the point, anybody who wants to start over can freely do so at any time. Even on the existing map, there's a good deal of free land left, and with the possibility of a map expansion (which seems to be the most popular idea on the 5.0 ideas thread) there would be even more space to do so.

gets us all the new things that have been brought in over the last 3 updates

Again, a map expansion would provide this. And by setting a precedent for using a modest map expansion to introduce new content, we not only deal with existing features that are missing from MR but develop a protocol for introducing any future content.

refreshes a map that is, quite frankly, a little boring now without the hassle of expanding it, or the required increase in memory space

If I understand the map limiting plugin correctly, expanding the current map would just involve changing a few numbers in the server's code. And with the 1.3 update helping to optimize the game's performance (the MC wiki explicitly states that 1.3 will bring "Reduced CPU, RAM & bandwidth usage"), running a slightly expanded map shouldn't be a problem.

gets rid of all the random un-wiped blocks on the map from the partial wipe

The staff took care of pretty much all of that soon after the partial wipe.

it may bring some of the old players back, while increasing our newbie population again

Considering how many former players have burnt bridges over the course of recent events, we might not get back as many of them as we'd hope. As for increasing the newbie population, getting a new map would be only a temporary solution--it would be only a matter of time before the land around the spawn point of a new map is fully developed. Implementing multiple spawn points would be better for that goal--and besides, the recent addition of a portal to a distant place already makes it easier for newbies to get started.

It's simply time for a fresh new map!

Like, that's just your opinion, man.

we'll get free villagers once more, no more of this imprisoned slave trading stuff thats currently happening! Villagers should be free to do as they want without fear of being killed so we can trade with them happily!

And how long do you think villagers will remain "free" after the new map begins? Some players might just kill any villagers they find, and out of concern for that possibility, other players will just hoard away (or "enslave" if you prefer to think of it that way) the villagers for themselves. In other words, hardly any different from the current situation where lots of villagers are dead and the surviving ones are owned by private players and groups.

of course there are a couple of cons, we loose all the current player made structures, however if they want to complete them or look at them again, a world download would allow them to do that. actually, thats the only con i can think of!

If a player's goal is to simply build structures and look at them in isolation, then that player probably should've just stuck to single player mode to start with. By getting rid of the current map, regardless of whether it's available for download, we would no longer be able to work on existing builds as a group, we would no longer be able to show off our builds to other players, and there wouldn't be any new structures built by others for us to admire.

[Surgeonbsg]

Just curious. How many times does it have to be said that the map is not getting wiped before we stop seeing these polls?

Voted No... again, for the 20th time. Not even going to bother explaining it anymore. Sorry.