I enjoy forging and hosting customs and I was just quivvering in anticipation for what 343i would do with the next installment of it. And I can't say I'm to disappointed. Yes, there is no Infection, Race, or object fine tuning... but I don't believe there is anything missing that can't be added through a simple patch or included in the coming Title Update.
I like how for each map there is a selection of map specific objects that can give your map it's own "flavor", so to speak. For instance, the massive silos or buildings within the Impact forge palette (which is deceptively big) can add a nice touch to spice up the otherwise rocky background but don't seem to be meant for full attention grabbing use. Oh and the DELETE options! Oh wow this thing... is going to be so very, very handy. Delete all and Delete by Palette. You know when you're forging and a friend shows up, they say they won't touch anything but they always spawn a weapon? Well, if you are still in the first stage of making a map, you can just delete the palette of weapons so you don't have to search for it... and that alone is going to save me alot of time.
Next up on my list was the Gravity Wells. It took me by surprise when I found them and I think I can say this now, I think that their full usage is going to be constantly expanding with the ingenuity of the communities forgers (plus you can stack them for more effect). I can't imagine what will be built a couple months down the line aside from the expected very cool low gravity CQB maps. I can't wait!
Something I thought was quite amusing was the fact that if you shoot crates enough now, they kinda disappear in a blue "data release" burst such as some of the promethians do in campaign. Small touch, but could be applied into puzzle games, or an actual Jenga if someone had a mind to it.
Also, more localized lighting. It doesn't bleed as bad as reach did, and the fact you get twice as many lights makes it so you could use them for reasons other than, "This is blue side, that is red." The flashing lights also got updated for the better, I think. Since they are flashing lights, I'm glad the flashing speed got turned up a bit so they give a sense of urgency as to why they might be flashing in the first place (small things count).
Now to small things missing, I don't understand why the rock arch was taken out... or there isn't as much scenery (eg. radios, more traffic cones, etc) But things like these are so trivial, I don't think that they can overshadow what 343i has done with this game. And I think they have done a beautiful job.
Even with what I stated above, I can't fully enjoy custom games without Infection. Don't get me wrong, I love playing SWAT on custom maps... but I'll have a half dozen remade Reach maps, awating the day that they release the Infection and Race gametypes.
Idea Time! ---
--What about the idea of while in Forge, holding a bumper to be able to rotate the held object exactly one direction, because with building blocks, the coordinates don't always match up so that you can slope it appropriately.
--I know it's been suggested before, but passenger hogs would be an amazing addition to the forge palette. Bungie got so close to it for Reach, but didn't quite get there. It would be great for machinimas, or even if you wanted to mount up and bum-rush the enemy flag-base. (I won't mention Pelicans, because I think the gears might already be turning on those
-- I'm going to second xMonark's post about more vehicles (found here http://www.343indust...icles-in-forge/) and also make a note about MrCoolChild's vehicle skins (found here http://www.343indust...-vehicle-skins/) and both of those are phenomenal ideas)
I'd love to hear what people found in forge that wasn't immediately apparent, hit me up.
glhf ~Eggo
