Zandril

Found some time to give this map a look. To start off, you need to fix your spawns. Both initial and respawn. When placing spawns, they shouldn't be pointed directly at a railing. There should be nothing in the way of players when they spawn. Honestly, I'd remove the railings. The map would play a whole lot better without them. You also have a bunch of clutter in the map. These would be the barricades and the catwalk lips. Then there's the dead space in the map. These would be the initial spawn area for 2 of the red and blue spawns. Players will not be going there in an actual game. They'll be there once. Which would be at the start because they'll be spawning there. From there, it's just dead space. Another issue is the Sword location. You placed it behind two of the initial spawns. When placing a power weapon in the map it should be somewhat in front of the players. Not behind them. I also think you should seal up the area with the killzones. Something that easy to access by Jetpack should not have a killzone. If you don't want players being there, seal it. All in all, in it's current state, I don't see this map flowing/playing well at all. That's all I got for now.

I finally got the time to look at the map. I'm sorry to say this but in its core design/layout, this map is doomed. The map flows rather poorly, there are no defined power positions, and everything just comes off as a big mess. All the low ceilings, the badly placed spawns, and so many pieces that are completely unnecessary. If I was to state all this map's issues, I'd be taking up the entire page. I'm sorry to have to say that and I hope that doesn't come off as mean. It's just the simple truth. The best thing to do here is either reforge/redesign the entire map. Which is almost just the same as making a new map and applying what you've learned on it.

Finally found some time to throw feedback everywhere. For the most part, it's a pretty decent competitive map. Although I noticed some issues. Clutter: This seems to be the issue that stands out the most. In some areas, you placed cover just for the sake of cover. This makes those areas quite cluttered. Remember that cover in a competitive map should be structural. I also think you should make the respawns all neutral. Having teamed respawn points usually affects the spawning in a game negatively. Another would be removing the colums. I don't see what their point is. I think they'll be doing more harm than good by disrupting the flow in that certain area. Anyway, that's my two cents for now.

Gave the map a look in Forge. Saw some issues. - Clutter: This is the issue I noticed the most. There are plenty of areas in your map where you would place cover just for the sake of having cover. This makes those areas quite cluttered. I found that the crates were the ones contributing to clutter the most. Remember. Cover in a competitive map should be structural. - Aesthetics: This deosn't really affect gameplay but I'll say it anyway. But this map just doesn't stand out aesthetically. Mostly because you used so many different pieces. Although I understand that this may be because you're running out of budget and pieces. There are many pieces in this map where the pieces overlap and don't fit together like they should. An example would be the Ramp, Stunt floor in Purple. It doesn't loo very pretty, does it. But for a map to be top-notch aesthetically, it must be neat, clean, and piece usage should be somewhat consistent. - Too far: You can't get to the yellow platform from the Rock 3s when not sprinting. I like to think that when one is designing a competitive map for Halo, it should be designed for no-sprint. This means that jump goes against Halo's core-gameplay. But that's just me. Actually it's not just me. A lot of forgers believe so. You should join us.

Now that the weapons have been updated, I only use the BR and the Carbine. The DMR has been cut out of my loadouts. But between BR and Carbine, I use the BR more. It's just more fun to use IMO. Also for the nostalgia. #stillplayshalo3

I use frags in all gametypes except BTB. It's because frag's are the most effective grenade IMO. Time a frag, take out their shields, one shot with a BR to the head. And there you have a kill. Although I'm not gonna lie, sticking someone with a plasma is the best fun.

Honestly, I'm only getting it because of Halo 5. With the new hardware, Halo 5's Forge would be heaven. Also for Halo 6 and 7. It's all Halo.

Interesting looking map. I do see some lazy cover in some areas though. Makes them look quite cluttered. Not completely sure about my suspicions because I haven't been in the map yet. I'll download and take a look in Forge when I can.

Future campaigns need some more Arbiter.

Sadly, the whole game is misleading.

You kraaazy, brah?

WARNING: Wall of text incoming. __________________________________ Hey guys, Zan here. As most of you know, I'm a forger in Halo 4. I've made plenty of competitive maps, one Flood map, and one mini game. I have 4 competitive maps that are all works in progress and I also started my second Flood map. From that, you can tell that I'm very involved in the Forging scene. But like a lot of things in life, forging can bring you difficulties and may sometimes bring you a lot of frustration. And that's pretty much what I'll be discussing in this write-up. I can safely say that I've grown a lot as a forger and what I'll be discussing in this thread are the things I learned and picked up along the way. This write up will not be a tutorial. I won't be telling you how to place spawns, manage map flow. This write up will talk about P.S. This is mostly for competitive map forgers. P.P.S. English is not my primary language so excuse any grammatical errors, mistakes in sentence structure, etc. P.P.P.S. This is mainly for aspiring forgers. The pros experienced forgers would probably already know most, if not all, of what I'll be discussing. __________________________________ The Beginning of a Map Now, when you decide to forge a map, how do you start it? Do you just place random pieces around until you find an idea for your map. Do you start with one idea and then expand from that? Do you choose a map from a previous Halo title and then use it as inspiration for your map? I. From idea to piece You can use any one of those ways to start a map. We all have different styles of forging and this results in different ways of starting a map. I myself mostly use two ways to start a map. One if these is placing about 4 blocks side by side, transform into player mode and try to figure out how I want the map to be from there. While in player mode, I think to myself "Would a ramp here be good?", "Maybe I should have a lift here", "This could be a good spot for a power position" From there, I experiment. I turn my ideas into forge pieces and then see how everything works. But it doesn't stop there. Once I have figured out the general layout of the map, I don't stop thinking in player mode. While in player mode, I walk around what I have created so far. This allows me to expand my creation in the right direction resulting in a well built and well thought out map. Remember, you can't always determine how a certain area would play while you're in Forge ball mode. That's the method I use when I don't have an idea to start from. Give it a try. For all you know, it'll help you start your next creation. II. From inspiration to creation Another one of the methods I use when I start a map is, as I've stated above, expanding from one idea. This is very similar to using a map from a previous Halo title as inspiration. Let's say that you wanted to make a map that is similar to Narrows from Halo 3. Now, what's one thing in Narrows that makes it unique from the other Halo 3 maps? The bridge. You can use that idea to start your map. Simply build a simple bridge and then decide how your map will go from there. You can use the "walking around in player mode" method I stated above to help you continue your build. Take this picture for example. That entire map started from one idea. The Forerunner structure in the middle made of the banks. I wanted to make a Forerunner-themed map so I created that diamond looking structure and eventually, an awesome 2v2 map happened. Here's another example That entire map also started from one idea. The bridge. What's funny is, I was inspired by Narrows yet the map has almost no similarities to Narrows. I simply built a simple bridge, expanded from that and eventually made an original map that looks nothing like a map from a previous Halo title. From that one, simple idea, I was able to build what I think is my best map in Halo 4 so far. It's still a work in progress though. But don't forget that it's important to be original. Show people, through your maps, who you are as a forger. It's not a bad idea to take inspiration from other maps but making all your maps remakes or rehashes won't help you grow much as a forger compared to making original maps. The first piece has been placed. An idea has sprouted. The map continues. After you've figured out how you want your map to be in terms of layout, gameplay, theme etc, the harder part comes. And that would be continuing and, eventually, finishing the map. You have to take many things into account when you continue your map. This includes finding a good area for the initial spawns, the power weapon spawns, the power postions, making sure your map will flow well, etc. If you take these things into account, your map is bound to not have many issues in its layout and structure. If you just continue forging your map without any real thought process, the map is bound to have several issues that could possibly be unfixable without a complete reforge or redesign of the map. I know this from a certain experience of mine in forging. Forger's Block As far as I know, everyone gets it. No forger has ever gone through in his forging carreer without experiencing forger's block. Now, what can you do if you're hit with forger's block? What I do is take a break. I find this to be the best way to remedy this issue. By putting my mind at rest, it allows me to think properly and lets my brain absorb ideas better. You'll always need a break when doing something. Forging a map is no exception. After that time of rest, I don't go back to the map immediately. I look at other maps first. Community made and developer made. This usually gives me more ideas and inspiration that allows me to continue my map. The map is done. But is it though? Congratulations! You've finished your map. But not really. You've simply finished its beta. A playable version. Not the final one. All maps will need feedback. All forgers will need feedback. You and your map are no exception. Once you've finished your map's first version, it's time to test it. This is crucial in the development of your map. But to some people, this is the hardest part. It's not easy to receive feedback. A lot of people would view your map post, say "Looks cool, bro." or "Nice aesthetics" and then ignore it forever. Some wouldn't even comment on it. Let's face it, "Nice aesthetics" doesn't help very much. It may make you feel good about the map but it won't be much help if you're trying to fix some issues. So how do you get feedback? a) Give feedback. A lot of people also have maps that lack feedback. It's time for you to step up. Giving feedback will make some people remember your name and, if you're lucky, they'll give you feedback right back. Request it. There are many groups and individuals out there who are willing to help you with your map for free. Some of them would be - The Librarians of Forge Cafe - Master Debaytes' Review Crew at Halo Customs - Fated's Forge Lobby at Forge Hub - AbleSir Thomas' TNT at 343i Community forum - And many more! Give these guys a shout and I'm sure they'll be willing to help you with your map. c) Join some customs This will help you in testing your map. The best place to go to is Halo Customs. Join some map testing lobbies and hopefully, you'll get the feedback you need. This will also help you spot issues in your map, if any. __________________________________ This essay write up of mine is almost done so I'm going to leave one last piece of advice for any aspiring forgers reading this thread. Don't give up. Most likely, your first map won't be the best. It could turn out horribly. At least, that's how my first few maps turned out. To get better at forging, it's very important that you like forging. You're not going to get any better at something if you don't enjoy doing it (You can apply this in real life ). To get better, you'll need feedback (refer to the ways of getting feedback as seen above). Once you get feedback, it's important that you don't take offense. Some feedback that you'll receive may seem harsh but these are the feedback that will truly help you grow as a forger. Take the feedback into account and use it to improve your map and yourself. Of course, you must be able to determine the difference between feedback and flaming. Another thing you must learn is this. Knowing when to give up on a map. (Not contradicting the "Don't give up" above. That tells you not to give up on Forging. This tells you to know when to give up on a certain map) Not all issues in a map are fixable without a complete reforge/redesign. And sometimes, the issues are still not fixed. You should be able to determine if the core layout and design of a map dooms it to unfixable problems. This means that no matter how much you change some things in the map, it will never be something that will truly shine because of it's main design. I know this from my own experiences in Forge. The best thing to do if this happens to your map is to make some final adjustments to it and move on with a new project while applying all that you've learned from your previous creations to your new map. __________________________________ Anyway, that's pretty much it from me. I hope this write-up helps any aspiring/beginning forgers with their maps. Zan out.

WARNING: Wall of text incoming. __________________________________ Hey guys, Zan here. As most of you know, I'm a forger in Halo 4. I've made plenty of competitive maps, one Flood map, and one mini game. I have 4 competitive maps that are all works in progress and I also started my second Flood map. From that, you can tell that I'm very involved in the Forging scene. But like a lot of things in life, forging can bring you difficulties and may sometimes bring you a lot of frustration. And that's pretty much what I'll be discussing in this write-up. I can safely say that I've grown a lot as a forger and what I'll be discussing in this thread are the things I learned and picked up along the way. This write up will not be a tutorial. I won't be telling you how to place spawns, manage map flow. This write up will talk about P.S. This is mostly for competitive map forgers. P.P.S. English is not my primary language so excuse any grammatical errors, mistakes in sentence structure, etc. P.P.P.S. This is mainly for aspiring forgers. The pros experienced forgers would probably already know most, if not all, of what I'll be discussing. __________________________________ The Beginning of a Map Now, when you decide to forge a map, how do you start it? Do you just place random pieces around until you find an idea for your map. Do you start with one idea and then expand from that? Do you choose a map from a previous Halo title and then use it as inspiration for your map? I. From idea to piece You can use any one of those ways to start a map. We all have different styles of forging and this results in different ways of starting a map. I myself mostly use two ways to start a map. One if these is placing about 4 blocks side by side, transform into player mode and try to figure out how I want the map to be from there. While in player mode, I think to myself "Would a ramp here be good?", "Maybe I should have a lift here", "This could be a good spot for a power position" From there, I experiment. I turn my ideas into forge pieces and then see how everything works. But it doesn't stop there. Once I have figured out the general layout of the map, I don't stop thinking in player mode. While in player mode, I walk around what I have created so far. This allows me to expand my creation in the right direction resulting in a well built and well thought out map. Remember, you can't always determine how a certain area would play while you're in Forge ball mode. That's the method I use when I don't have an idea to start from. Give it a try. For all you know, it'll help you start your next creation. II. From inspiration to creation Another one of the methods I use when I start a map is, as I've stated above, expanding from one idea. This is very similar to using a map from a previous Halo title as inspiration. Let's say that you wanted to make a map that is similar to Narrows from Halo 3. Now, what's one thing in Narrows that makes it unique from the other Halo 3 maps? The bridge. You can use that idea to start your map. Simply build a simple bridge and then decide how your map will go from there. You can use the "walking around in player mode" method I stated above to help you continue your build. Take this picture for example. That entire map started from one idea. The Forerunner structure in the middle made of the banks. I wanted to make a Forerunner-themed map so I created that diamond looking structure and eventually, an awesome 2v2 map happened. Here's another example That entire map also started from one idea. The bridge. What's funny is, I was inspired by Narrows yet the map has almost no similarities to Narrows. I simply built a simple bridge, expanded from that and eventually made an original map that looks nothing like a map from a previous Halo title. From that one, simple idea, I was able to build what I think is my best map in Halo 4 so far. It's still a work in progress though. But don't forget that it's important to be original. Show people, through your maps, who you are as a forger. It's not a bad idea to take inspiration from other maps but making all your maps remakes or rehashes won't help you grow much as a forger compared to making original maps. The first piece has been placed. An idea has sprouted. The map continues. After you've figured out how you want your map to be in terms of layout, gameplay, theme etc, the harder part comes. And that would be continuing and, eventually, finishing the map. You have to take many things into account when you continue your map. This includes finding a good area for the initial spawns, the power weapon spawns, the power postions, making sure your map will flow well, etc. If you take these things into account, your map is bound to not have many issues in its layout and structure. If you just continue forging your map without any real thought process, the map is bound to have several issues that could possibly be unfixable without a complete reforge or redesign of the map. I know this from a certain experience of mine in forging. Forger's Block As far as I know, everyone gets it. No forger has ever gone through in his forging carreer without experiencing forger's block. Now, what can you do if you're hit with forger's block? What I do is take a break. I find this to be the best way to remedy this issue. By putting my mind at rest, it allows me to think properly and lets my brain absorb ideas better. You'll always need a break when doing something. Forging a map is no exception. After that time of rest, I don't go back to the map immediately. I look at other maps first. Community made and developer made. This usually gives me more ideas and inspiration that allows me to continue my map. The map is done. But is it though? Congratulations! You've finished your map. But not really. You've simply finished its beta. A playable version. Not the final one. All maps will need feedback. All forgers will need feedback. You and your map are no exception. Once you've finished your map's first version, it's time to test it. This is crucial in the development of your map. But to some people, this is the hardest part. It's not easy to receive feedback. A lot of people would view your map post, say "Looks cool, bro." or "Nice aesthetics" and then ignore it forever. Some wouldn't even comment on it. Let's face it, "Nice aesthetics" doesn't help very much. It may make you feel good about the map but it won't be much help if you're trying to fix some issues. So how do you get feedback? a) Give feedback. A lot of people also have maps that lack feedback. It's time for you to step up. Giving feedback will make some people remember your name and, if you're lucky, they'll give you feedback right back. Request it. There are many groups and individuals out there who are willing to help you with your map for free. Some of them would be - The Librarians of Forge Cafe - Master Debaytes' Review Crew at Halo Customs - Fated's Forge Lobby at Forge Hub - AbleSir Thomas' TNT at 343i Community forum - And many more! Give these guys a shout and I'm sure they'll be willing to help you with your map. c) Join some customs This will help you in testing your map. The best place to go to is Halo Customs. Join some map testing lobbies and hopefully, you'll get the feedback you need. This will also help you spot issues in your map, if any. __________________________________ This essay write up of mine is almost done so I'm going to leave one last piece of advice for any aspiring forgers reading this thread. Don't give up. Most likely, your first map won't be the best. It could turn out horribly. At least, that's how my first few maps turned out. To get better at forging, it's very important that you like forging. You're not going to get any better at something if you don't enjoy doing it (You can apply this in real life ). To get better, you'll need feedback (refer to the ways of getting feedback as seen above). Once you get feedback, it's important that you don't take offense. Some feedback that you'll receive may seem harsh but these are the feedback that will truly help you grow as a forger. Take the feedback into account and use it to improve your map and yourself. Of course, you must be able to determine the difference between feedback and flaming. Another thing you must learn is this. Knowing when to give up on a map. (Not contradicting the "Don't give up" above. That tells you not to give up on Forging. This tells you to know when to give up on a certain map) Not all issues in a map are fixable without a complete reforge/redesign. And sometimes, the issues are still not fixed. You should be able to determine if the core layout and design of a map dooms it to unfixable problems. This means that no matter how much you change some things in the map, it will never be something that will truly shine because of it's main design. I know this from my own experiences in Forge. The best thing to do if this happens to your map is to make some final adjustments to it and move on with a new project while applying all that you've learned from your previous creations to your new map. __________________________________ Anyway, that's pretty much it from me. I hope this write-up helps any aspiring/beginning forgers with their maps. Zan out.

Thanks Choot. I'll be sure to give the points you made about the map a look when I get back to my Xbox. I really appreciate your feedback because out of the three new maps I posted, this one didn't get as much attention. The other two seem to be the favorites among the bunch. I actually think this is the first real piece of feedback I've received for this map. So thanks again. Also, the trait zone is just for an invisible roof. _________________ In the 1v1 games I've played on this map, it actually played very well. Of course, me and the guy had to disable initial drops in the settings. No one wants to 1v1 with a rocket. I'll send you a friend request. Maybe we can have a 1v1 on the map and then see how it plays when I make some changes.

From the screenies, I don't see much that's wrong about the map. Although I do think you should remove/replace those catwalk lips at the side in the last screenshot. They just end up making that area cluttered when something else that could be used by players in the map could have been placed. I'll download this when I can and give it a closer look. ___________________ Are you aware that the link that you provided is a link to your File Share? In the future, please provide viewers a direct link to the file.

Map updated - Added a lift from bottom Gold to top Gold. - Removed Needler. - Raised the banks in the middle by 4 units. - Widened paths at Green.

Map updated - Increased spawn time of Sword. - Added more spawn points.

Are you aware that the link you provided isn't a direct link to your map? It's a link to the map's pictures in your File Share. I suggest fixing that.