Map Concepts

[Frank_Stein]

Every wing, subsection, slice, however you want to subdivide it - Every place has two types of rooms, similar to a mall.
You've got Anchors, the departments and areas that generate or circulate heavy traffic,
and you've got the other spaces, which are only useful situationally.

The most important aspect of a map feeling alive is the correct balance of anchor and other areas.
Cafeteria
Crew Quarters
Owlery
Gym
Net Café
Pool
Arcade
Market
Courtroom
Bathrooms
Genetics
Chapel
All of the above *require* proximity to anchor departments in order to see adequate traffic.

The biggest generators of traffic are Medbay, Arrivals, Security, QM, and Escape. From there, the rest of the primary-producer departments (those that dont rely on other people as clients the way the bar does) also generate traffic. Putting one of the less-traveled areas "in the way" is the only surefire way to generate action in those spaces. This, IMO, should be the biggest driver of layout, not navigability between critical departments.

 
And those rooms in between are excellent buffers for bombs and atmosphere leaks so two anchor rooms don't get taken out at once