The first suggestion is to allow maps to be placed on flat surfaces, either floors or walls. When placed, they show the actual image of the map. To do this, the map would be changed to save both the current map that you see when holding the map, and a much more lower-res version (same as the resolution for the texture pack you're using). The advantage with this suggestion would be that you could place multiple adjacent maps on a surface to see the bigger picture.
The second suggestion is to allow maps to be crafted with an alternate recipe that lets a new map have an area that relates to an old map. My suggestion is to use the same map recipe but replace the top middle, middle right, middle left, or bottom middle sheet of paper with an existing map. Doing this automatically puts the center of reference of the new map at a point that will create a map that fits seamlessly with one of the previous map's boundary edges (depending on which position you put the old map in). When using this recipe, the old map is left intact in the ingredient part of the crafting menu (much like how the cake recipe leaves the empty buckets). This recipe only affects which area the which map is defined for; it does not fill in any area of the new map to start with. So the new map will likely be completely blank, until you decide to go search the area the map is defined for.
*Sigh* Can someone just form a group dedicated to listing all of the ideas that aren't crap?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"You don't honestly care if your new Crystal Meta-Sword is going to clash with your Elite Boss Clogs! It's about the numbers! You want the items with the best numbers so you can use your numbers to decrease the enemy numbers until your numbers are the best in the land!" -ZeroPunctuation
The second suggestion is to allow maps to be crafted with an alternate recipe that lets a new map have an area that relates to an old map. My suggestion is to use the same map recipe but replace the top middle, middle right, middle left, or bottom middle sheet of paper with an existing map. Doing this automatically puts the center of reference of the new map at a point that will create a map that fits seamlessly with one of the previous map's boundary edges (depending on which position you put the old map in). When using this recipe, the old map is left intact in the ingredient part of the crafting menu (much like how the cake recipe leaves the empty buckets). This recipe only affects which area the which map is defined for; it does not fill in any area of the new map to start with. So the new map will likely be completely blank, until you decide to go search the area the map is defined for.
"You don't honestly care if your new Crystal Meta-Sword is going to clash with your Elite Boss Clogs! It's about the numbers! You want the items with the best numbers so you can use your numbers to decrease the enemy numbers until your numbers are the best in the land!" -ZeroPunctuation