Are DLC maps any good? Not really!

[AnimalDenWinter]

Well. It's me again. I've recognised that DLC's are popular just when they come out, with about 3,4 or 5 thousand players actually playing it. But after like, lets say, 3 or 4 days there's less than one thousand on it. I appreciate 343's work on the new maps. But there simply just not popular anymore. Then what do 343 do is: make new game-types which don't really work as well. But I guess it may give them just a bit more money. 

 

What do you think forum-ers? Please leave feedback.

[BaconShelf]

I think DLC is better than the standard maps. A DLC only playlist should be made, for those with all three packs required

[Azaxx]

The DLC maps are on par with the maps that come with the game as standard.
I do agree with BaconShelf that there should be a DLC only playlist with them all in it. Including every standard gametype (that being CTF, IS, BTIS, KoTH, etc.) to be played with the maps. Instead of the Map Pack only playlist which is very short lived.

In my personal opinion, I expected a lot more from Castle Map pack, it didn't really live up to the great epic scale of Big Team maps, so I think Majestic is the best.

[Frankenzer]

DLC maps improve gameplay and most people with it are challenging 

[RedStarRocket91]

As far as the Crimson map pack goes, I think I'd agree. With the exception of Wreckage, which I'll come to in a moment, the maps it came with just aren't very good. The sight lines across most of the maps are are far too open, and vehicles are just too powerful because of the layout: there aren't really and good spots to control, because there's nowhere besides the bases that has a big advantage in either height or cover and it's far too easy to just hop in a Warthog, Ghost or Mantis and strafe around the outside of the maps essentially unchallenged. The bases themselves are also far too defensible: there aren't many ways into them, so matches where one team isn't just being massacred tend to play out with one team getting all the vehicles and wiping out the first rush, and the other team then camping in their bases, neither team able to move because they can't proceed into each others' territory without quickly being killed.

 

Wreckage is a bit better, as there are some very good spots on the map that can alter the way the game plays when controlled: there's the high ground just behind the bulk of the crashed ship, and the interior of the ship itself. Sight lines are also a lot better, as there's plenty of cover whilst still giving elevated positions an advantage and enough open spots that unless you're in a vehicle, running into them is a very bad idea. It also just flows well and looks pretty, which is a nice bonus.

The Majestic map pack is completely different: not only does it look amazing (seriously, even if you don't like the architecture take a look at the skyboxes!) but the flow is perfect. There's a great balance between close and long range encounters which makes any starting loadout viable, and matches can be either incredibly fast-paced and chaotic or tactical and tense, depending on who's playing and the number of players. Monolith is probably my favourite as it plays well with pretty much any number of players, from 1v1s to 8v8s, and never feels too big or too small. A round of Capture the Flag with 16 people is, at least for me, up there with the greatest experiences from any previous Halo like wiping out a team of sword-room campers on The Pit or planting a bomb on an enemy-occupied Elephant on Sandtrap.

 

I haven't played as much of the Castle map pack as I should have - I've been really busy since it came out, so I can't really offer any comment there. I played a few matches on Outcast and didn't really like it, but then I tried King of the Hill on Perdition and it was really amazing, so tentatively I'd suggest it's better than Crimson, but not quite on par with Majestic.