So all in all i may be one of the few players that dont like the mods and some of the changes that have taken place.
I'm with you 100%. Unfortunately, this is nothing new to Assist or AA. Those mods have been around for years and it slowly killed 2.5.
We have a discussion going in the moderator forums about having 3 groups of maps. Original maps, mAAp maps and ReVamped maps. Originals should remain unmodified (aside from fixing bugs/exploits), mAAps are new designs, ReVamped maps would be original maps with added player slots (Assist supports up to 30), random spawns, changed objectives and perhaps slight visual increases such as more detailed shadows or weather effects (snow falling on Bridge). Aside from those changes, ReVamped maps would be unchanged so the layout, environment and overall feel of the map wouldn't change.
Of course, this is just an idea that's being tossed around. It would mean a larger download but that's a small price to pay for more variety and a halfway decent chance of weening those whores off of boring maps that have been around for a decade.