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For those of you who have been wondering why you haven't seen an interview in a while it's because I was waiting. I was waiting and waiting for the judging to end so I can interview the winner of the Meet Your Maker Forge Contest. I thought I'd be talking to someone who didn't really have much of a care to give his thoughts out to the community (no offense Redemption) but this individual turned out to be the exact opposite and then some. He's one of the unspoken voices in the Halo Community that needs to be heard. Please read my interview with the grand winner of the Meet Your Maker Forge Contest: Redemption1272. DD: "Hey Redemption 1272, how long have you been Forging in Halo?" RED: "3 years, about 500 plus map concepts that have never been truly finished. So much testing I cannot even fathom how many test lobbies I have had with all those maps, I was lucky because of being in a clan at the time. I was never able to publish anything because I didn't have a harddrive, but when I got one I must have published around 30-40 maps. In other words, I have forged so much I have lost track of how much I have done. Wasn't a big forger in halo 3 because I had to sell my Xbox at the time. When I first started forging, I was honestly a terrible forger. But after countless maps you really start to realize what the community likes." DD: "That's an insane amount of Forge time and absolute HUGE dedication and that's what we love to see in the community along with how well your maps are put together. Edifice, the winner of the Meet Your Maker Forge Contest. How long has Edifice been in the works?" RED: "4 months and still ongoing. I am still taking in feedback as I hope to see the map in the throwdown playlist. Ghostayame has already shown interest, so I am excited to see what the future holds." DD: "Again, extreme dedication shown there. For people who don't know, Ghostayame is a former MLG pro in Halo (before Halo was dropped from the Pro Circuit) but is still considered one of the top players and has been since Halo 2. So Redemption how do you feel about your map being picked out of 103 to be the winner of a major Forge contest and gaining all the prize and praise? How does it feel to have your hard work pay off and finally be rewarded on a scale as big as this?" RED: "Odd... maybe I am still interpreting all the mixed feelings. Being recgonized like this is a huge step for me as a forger, and it has shown not just in the contest but the FFA and all the youtube channels. I feel unsatisfied in my creative mind oddly enough. Plan to build more, as I love to step into that new realm everytime I develop a map. That in a way is where I feel amazing, doing better than I did before. So the best thing I can say is, I am not done yet. You ain't seen nothing yet." DD: "Awesome! Love it Redemption! And that's a big deal with Forgers and Forging you know like you're never really done when you're passionate about it and you and all the other participants of the Meet Your Maker Contest embody what it means to be passionate about Forging. What inspired Edifice?" RED: "Competitive Asymetric Arena design. Not a lot of maps like that and maps that can be compared to hyper competitive maps like lockout or guardian. Even those maps had their flaws, I wanted to make a flawless Asymmetry design that can be on par with maps like the Pit or Sancturary. Fast-paced, aggresive yet enjoyable gameplay is something Halo 4 lacks in most maps. This experience is sorely needed on top of clean, aesthetic and ORIGINAL forging. Something the community truly desires, and thats what forgers forget. I forge for the community, not myself. So to answer your question, Edifice was inspired by a combination of everything I have done so far." DD: "That's very admirable of you and I gotta say when I played Edifice in the Community Forge FFA Playlist, it definitely lived up to that. Such a fun map, I kept thinking though that I'd love to play Team Slayer instead of FFA on it. Now, Meet Your Maker Play Date held by 343industries.org. Are you gonna be there? There's no date and time yet just know it'll probably be a Saturday and probably and all day event." RED: "Disappoint my new fans? heck no, damn straight I am gonna be there. I am still taking feedback mind you. All day is a tough cookie but I will show up one way or another. Plus spades would kick my A** if I didn't show up." DD: "You don't have to stay all day but we'd sure love to see you there at some point and I'm glad you're going to show up! So how big a fan of TheHaloForgeEpidemic and Ducain23 would you say you are? Were you a fan of any of the judges in the contest by any chance?" RED: "Honestly, I wasn't a big youtube watcher until my map Imago got featured back in reach. Ducain's channel only came to my eyes through the annoncement of the new Cartographers. Plus, Psychoduck was and has been a phenominal BTB forger and someone I respect a lot for his skill and determination, and I only watched THFE whenever he got featured by them. I feel a bit disrespectful on that regard, as THFE has done so much work over the years. My bad, I do feel I should be more interactive with the channels. They are both dedicated to halo and all it's aspects, that I can respect. Their work leads towards a better halo, nuff said . Saltykoalabear, Warholic, Alzahran, are all really respectable forgers. They are all so humble, specially Salty. Bro hug!" DD: "There's no rule that says you should be following them and all their videos haha you're a Forger and that's what you do. You respect the judges and their work in Forging and the Halo Community in general and that's enough and probably all they ask for you know, someone who participated that appreciates the work they put into judging over 100 maps for this contest. So why is Redemption1272 the name you stick with? What's the story behind that GamerTag?" RED: "Do you remember the halo 2 lan parties?. I do, too well. There is where my passion all began for halo. Some of the best friends in the world back when I was 16, who just played halo for the heck of it after school, during exam week, birthday parties and just whenever occasion suited us. That was the nickname I went with at the time, just random really but that was my tag. That time was the best time of my life, I will never forget it. Only one of those friends will actually get to read this, and he knows of what I speak of. Thats a part of why I forge, because I want people to experience that we only live once. Those friends that you may never see again, will always have some place in your heart. That friend is who introduced me to Halo, and to this day he is still the best friend I could ever have. My passion and strength comes from them and all those who appreciate good halo. So in a sense it's an attachment of old but fond memories, that is why I still believe Halo will never die." DD: "Incredible Redemption. You have quite the way with words and what you wrote was truly special. It was also a very wise thing to say because the truth of it is that Halo won't die. As long as you have the memories and a friend, you can recreate those memories to the best of your ability in the newer Halo and gain some new friends. So, is this friend well known in the community? Can we know the name, maybe give a shoutout to this friend of yours who you've spoken a bit about already?" RED: "He isn't someone known in the community. While I cannot say his name, I do hope to see him in the future of Halo as his passion is very much similar to mine. Maybe one day you will get to know his name after this, but not today. To my friend, I hope you get an xbox soon so we can have a hell of a time testing maps." DD: "That's a great shoutout and I hope he reads this at some point, he sounds like someone you're very close to and someone who could do good in the Halo Community and Forge Community of Halo like you do. What are your plans now, directly after the contest? Do you have other projects in the works or are you just chilling and playing the game mainly focusing on updating Edifice?" RED: "Updates on Edfice will continue but my main focus will be School then my next big project. The greatest of all the maps I have made. Such I feat will not be easily met but with the new forge Island, I think something will come along. Minor changes and adjustments are all waht Edifice needs at this point and will only come with feedback. At this point I am chilling out this week, taking my time and just listening. I hope to continue helping the community grow and I will continue to do so." DD: "And that's all nothing short of fantastic I can't wait to play on Edifice in the Meet Your Maker Play Date and see your future creations which I hope you post on here for everyone to enjoy and praise. So Redemption I gotta ask you, do you have any advice for up and coming Forgers?" RED: "Never just forge for yourself or self gain, always be open and always be different. We don't grow as designers by closing our doors to opinions, so be open to even the negativity. Make bridges with people, be honest but respectful, never say never and lastly but not least remember why you play and to always improve your skill not just as a forger but as a player. A better understanding of the game will lead to greater designs. As a friend has said, keep your head small and keep on forging." That's all folks! If you didn't like that interview I hate you... Just kidding but what's not to like!? This man is incredible! Gifted with the ability to understand Halo not only on a Forge level where you create cool and competitive maps but on a community level saying not to build for yourself, accept any feedback, improve, and repeat! I truly enjoyed this and I hope you did too. HAIL This post has been promoted to an article

For those of you who have been wondering why you haven't seen an interview in a while it's because I was waiting. I was waiting and waiting for the judging to end so I can interview the winner of the Meet Your Maker Forge Contest. I thought I'd be talking to someone who didn't really have much of a care to give his thoughts out to the community (no offense Redemption) but this individual turned out to be the exact opposite and then some. He's one of the unspoken voices in the Halo Community that needs to be heard. Please read my interview with the grand winner of the Meet Your Maker Forge Contest: Redemption1272. DD: "Hey Redemption 1272, how long have you been Forging in Halo?" RED: "3 years, about 500 plus map concepts that have never been truly finished. So much testing I cannot even fathom how many test lobbies I have had with all those maps, I was lucky because of being in a clan at the time. I was never able to publish anything because I didn't have a harddrive, but when I got one I must have published around 30-40 maps. In other words, I have forged so much I have lost track of how much I have done. Wasn't a big forger in halo 3 because I had to sell my Xbox at the time. When I first started forging, I was honestly a terrible forger. But after countless maps you really start to realize what the community likes." DD: "That's an insane amount of Forge time and absolute HUGE dedication and that's what we love to see in the community along with how well your maps are put together. Edifice, the winner of the Meet Your Maker Forge Contest. How long has Edifice been in the works?" RED: "4 months and still ongoing. I am still taking in feedback as I hope to see the map in the throwdown playlist. Ghostayame has already shown interest, so I am excited to see what the future holds." DD: "Again, extreme dedication shown there. For people who don't know, Ghostayame is a former MLG pro in Halo (before Halo was dropped from the Pro Circuit) but is still considered one of the top players and has been since Halo 2. So Redemption how do you feel about your map being picked out of 103 to be the winner of a major Forge contest and gaining all the prize and praise? How does it feel to have your hard work pay off and finally be rewarded on a scale as big as this?" RED: "Odd... maybe I am still interpreting all the mixed feelings. Being recgonized like this is a huge step for me as a forger, and it has shown not just in the contest but the FFA and all the youtube channels. I feel unsatisfied in my creative mind oddly enough. Plan to build more, as I love to step into that new realm everytime I develop a map. That in a way is where I feel amazing, doing better than I did before. So the best thing I can say is, I am not done yet. You ain't seen nothing yet." DD: "Awesome! Love it Redemption! And that's a big deal with Forgers and Forging you know like you're never really done when you're passionate about it and you and all the other participants of the Meet Your Maker Contest embody what it means to be passionate about Forging. What inspired Edifice?" RED: "Competitive Asymetric Arena design. Not a lot of maps like that and maps that can be compared to hyper competitive maps like lockout or guardian. Even those maps had their flaws, I wanted to make a flawless Asymmetry design that can be on par with maps like the Pit or Sancturary. Fast-paced, aggresive yet enjoyable gameplay is something Halo 4 lacks in most maps. This experience is sorely needed on top of clean, aesthetic and ORIGINAL forging. Something the community truly desires, and thats what forgers forget. I forge for the community, not myself. So to answer your question, Edifice was inspired by a combination of everything I have done so far." DD: "That's very admirable of you and I gotta say when I played Edifice in the Community Forge FFA Playlist, it definitely lived up to that. Such a fun map, I kept thinking though that I'd love to play Team Slayer instead of FFA on it. Now, Meet Your Maker Play Date held by 343industries.org. Are you gonna be there? There's no date and time yet just know it'll probably be a Saturday and probably and all day event." RED: "Disappoint my new fans? heck no, damn straight I am gonna be there. I am still taking feedback mind you. All day is a tough cookie but I will show up one way or another. Plus spades would kick my A** if I didn't show up." DD: "You don't have to stay all day but we'd sure love to see you there at some point and I'm glad you're going to show up! So how big a fan of TheHaloForgeEpidemic and Ducain23 would you say you are? Were you a fan of any of the judges in the contest by any chance?" RED: "Honestly, I wasn't a big youtube watcher until my map Imago got featured back in reach. Ducain's channel only came to my eyes through the annoncement of the new Cartographers. Plus, Psychoduck was and has been a phenominal BTB forger and someone I respect a lot for his skill and determination, and I only watched THFE whenever he got featured by them. I feel a bit disrespectful on that regard, as THFE has done so much work over the years. My bad, I do feel I should be more interactive with the channels. They are both dedicated to halo and all it's aspects, that I can respect. Their work leads towards a better halo, nuff said . Saltykoalabear, Warholic, Alzahran, are all really respectable forgers. They are all so humble, specially Salty. Bro hug!" DD: "There's no rule that says you should be following them and all their videos haha you're a Forger and that's what you do. You respect the judges and their work in Forging and the Halo Community in general and that's enough and probably all they ask for you know, someone who participated that appreciates the work they put into judging over 100 maps for this contest. So why is Redemption1272 the name you stick with? What's the story behind that GamerTag?" RED: "Do you remember the halo 2 lan parties?. I do, too well. There is where my passion all began for halo. Some of the best friends in the world back when I was 16, who just played halo for the heck of it after school, during exam week, birthday parties and just whenever occasion suited us. That was the nickname I went with at the time, just random really but that was my tag. That time was the best time of my life, I will never forget it. Only one of those friends will actually get to read this, and he knows of what I speak of. Thats a part of why I forge, because I want people to experience that we only live once. Those friends that you may never see again, will always have some place in your heart. That friend is who introduced me to Halo, and to this day he is still the best friend I could ever have. My passion and strength comes from them and all those who appreciate good halo. So in a sense it's an attachment of old but fond memories, that is why I still believe Halo will never die." DD: "Incredible Redemption. You have quite the way with words and what you wrote was truly special. It was also a very wise thing to say because the truth of it is that Halo won't die. As long as you have the memories and a friend, you can recreate those memories to the best of your ability in the newer Halo and gain some new friends. So, is this friend well known in the community? Can we know the name, maybe give a shoutout to this friend of yours who you've spoken a bit about already?" RED: "He isn't someone known in the community. While I cannot say his name, I do hope to see him in the future of Halo as his passion is very much similar to mine. Maybe one day you will get to know his name after this, but not today. To my friend, I hope you get an xbox soon so we can have a hell of a time testing maps." DD: "That's a great shoutout and I hope he reads this at some point, he sounds like someone you're very close to and someone who could do good in the Halo Community and Forge Community of Halo like you do. What are your plans now, directly after the contest? Do you have other projects in the works or are you just chilling and playing the game mainly focusing on updating Edifice?" RED: "Updates on Edfice will continue but my main focus will be School then my next big project. The greatest of all the maps I have made. Such I feat will not be easily met but with the new forge Island, I think something will come along. Minor changes and adjustments are all waht Edifice needs at this point and will only come with feedback. At this point I am chilling out this week, taking my time and just listening. I hope to continue helping the community grow and I will continue to do so." DD: "And that's all nothing short of fantastic I can't wait to play on Edifice in the Meet Your Maker Play Date and see your future creations which I hope you post on here for everyone to enjoy and praise. So Redemption I gotta ask you, do you have any advice for up and coming Forgers?" RED: "Never just forge for yourself or self gain, always be open and always be different. We don't grow as designers by closing our doors to opinions, so be open to even the negativity. Make bridges with people, be honest but respectful, never say never and lastly but not least remember why you play and to always improve your skill not just as a forger but as a player. A better understanding of the game will lead to greater designs. As a friend has said, keep your head small and keep on forging." That's all folks! If you didn't like that interview I hate you... Just kidding but what's not to like!? This man is incredible! Gifted with the ability to understand Halo not only on a Forge level where you create cool and competitive maps but on a community level saying not to build for yourself, accept any feedback, improve, and repeat! I truly enjoyed this and I hope you did too. HAIL View full article