Halo 4 Vigil

[Destroyer Of The North]

Hello, HFE; glad to finally be able to join in on submitting here

 

In any case, i have actually been practicing up in forge since i found your show. I was intrigued by the amount of detail people could squeeze in with the limited budget, and it made me look a little down upon what i had made at the time (At that point, i would simply place buildings if i recall correctly, maybe a bridge here and there). Been studying up since before halo 4 was released after feeling inspired and wanting to make something of that caliber myself; and since I couldn't submit maps anyway that is just what I did. Practiced with aesthetics, made maps inspired by maps featured to see how well i could compare to try to learn from them, and have aimed to master map design... but, i digress. This is my first actually submitted map even online. Quite frankly looking back, it may have been the only one truly good enough to anyway to truly let the community enjoy what i can do. In a sense, i guess you could call it my first real map.

 

With this map, i wanted to not just form a play surface inconspicuously constructed in the wilderness with no apparent original purpose; i wanted to make something that seemed like a real structure (even gave it a nifty backstory description).... and, knowing firsthand that all people play differently, i wanted to allow breathing room for all play-styles to find some place welcoming. But i overall aimed to keep the map balanced at the same time. I also aimed to encourage map movement, and allow it to function suitably as a hybrid outdoor and indoor map. I also wanted it to look aesthetically pleasing... not to do so while dumping a huge load of dirt on playability, but enough to seem fairly pleasing from wthin a gameplay environment and compliment the intended feel.

 

The map is (and how many aren't) an asymmetrical map that adopts a base shape that could be described as a vertical triangle. It is nothing so crude, however. The map is split about half-and-half between an indoor and outdoor environment. The outdoor area comes equipped with a trench network which one team calls home base, and 6 initial ordnance drops (if i recall correctly... may have had the full 8. Would need to check that.); meanwhile, the indoor area is home to the opposing team, who spawns in the rear hallway of the lower floor. Near them is a weapons room, which contains a similarly balanced weapon set to the other team's ordnance. The outdoor area has battlements accessible by the lower level as well as two entrances. Within the base is a pentagonal-esque room with a sniper nest overlooking the area, and the exits leading further into the base and the battlements. The first floor hallway is just a curve around the exit from there (Within that curve is also allocated our weapon room.). It is a linear, bridge-like area suspended above a damaged area of the building (which is really just where the terrain clipped in an un concealable manner, but that is a working explanation) with a few barricades to take cover behind. A grav lift down the hall acts as the next floor elevator, and within this hall is access to the aforementioned indoor sniper nest. Corners are the primary source of cover here, and in itself (due to budget primarily) the hallway woud be barren without them in combination with the sniper nest. The final flight of stairs leads up onto the rooftop area, where about 3 minutes into the gameplay, a banshee will spawn, and a shade turret is allocated just in the center of the area. Ventilation shafts allow you to "drop in" on players on the level just below, and the plentiful placement of bunkers and cover allow this to act just as applicable of a battlefield as the areas before it. Ordnance drops are pre-organized to run off of a very luck-based system as it were. Both the outdoor area and rooftop area have them to keep the players moving around the map should something good drop, and each is allocated 3. One of the bunch having primarily good drops, but high randomness to them, while the other two have a chance of dropping less-beneficial pickups, but also have odds to drop a game-changing weapon.

 

With no shortage of cover for the "campers", no shortage of vantage points for the "snipers", and no shortage of close corners for the "charge-n-targe" type, this map is designed to cater to all types, while also keeping a little bit of challenge to gameplay by means of the risk and reward system (no sniping post is less than 1 1/2 sprints from the weapon room or so (and with the best being on the roof during the early phases of the game (before going into the 2:30 mark or so), you might as well have a "please stab me" sign taped to your back if you think you are 100% safe), and you may have to sprint all the way upstairs to get that pretty little fuel rod cannon that so beckons you to touch it.). It also is a large and open map, occupying roughly half of the forging canvas it is built upon; while still encouraging map movement with weapon spawns, and progressively encroaching spawn points for the teams that keep both teams on their toes; this way ensuring most of the time, this map space is taken into full advantage. And the overall means by which the map is composed means that no game will ever be the same... that is not even in the most simple definition of, say, a tactic being different; this is to say that depending on team choices, you could get the other team in your base 1/2 way through, or you could get them in the first 25 seconds. You could win, you could loose, and a stalemate is certainly not impossible. The weapon spawns in the ordnance could be game-changing, or they could be next to worthless. It is a highly dynamic map in this sense. This is, at least the way it was designed.

 

You see, i have not quite been able to gather a group to test it. And the one opportunity i had to ask someone locally they denied the offer. As a result it remains untested and all of this is simply based on how it was intended. And this is my first true map, so i may be doing something wrong (admittedly, i can't help but think i am missing something... and it isn't just the gravity volumes i had to cut out of the plan on account of budget that would have added to the space environment feel). In any scenario, if it looks good to you, i will leave this at the note that i would be honored to have you test run this map and, indeed, my first map in general. No screenies because i forgot to take those, but simply searching "Vigil" SHOULD bring it up. How many people use that word, honestly? And if there is more than one, look for the one based on "Impact" with a description that seems like one found in the stock game maps in nature.

 

It should be noted that, again, i felt something missing from this, and i will indeed continue to make more, potentially higher complexity, maps until i am satisfied and potentially beyond that. This is the first step in what could be a great forging career, and knowing that the first is always the biggest but never the grandest, it holds to the logic i will do much better next time. I would also like to hear what you think on the map so i know just WHAT to make better next time, so any feedback is welcomed. I am also getting into gametypes, but for now, this map may be effectively enjoyed on any gametype that involves teams, doesn't require more be added in forge beyond basic gameplay items (no dominion, sadly), and allows untampered ordnance drops and weapon pickup.

 

Thank you for your time,

         ~Destroyer Of The North

[Zombie Feed]

I took a look at your description and you seem to know what your doing when you were making this map, and were very descriptive, however I must stress that you will have to put up a link to your map on HaloWaypoint.com (just look into your fileshare). This can make it easier for people to access your map for download. When I get ahold of the map, I'll see how it can hold up against all of your suggested game types. Oh and if you need more help on your guidelines, just head to Psycoduck's "Submitting a Map: Important Guidelines". I'll give you a link at the end. Anyways, best of luck to you and I'll get back to you when I finish testing!

 

Link to Submitting a Map: Important Guidelines

[Zombie Feed]

Since I haven't gotten a large enough group to test this map yet, I might as well tell you some things I noticed while checking it out on forge. First off, nice main room, I must say it is quite amazing, same with the rest of your aesthetic pieces. As for the other parts of the maps, I might as well explain the minor downsides. First off, there are some pieces at the main room's sniping location, the outdoors ramp and some pieces near the blue armory that may need a bit of smoothing as I've noticed that there where a few bumps that either prohibited movement slightly, or for the outdoor ramp severely. If any of these were intentional however, I completely understand. Secondly, judging from the map's spawn setup and your description, this is sort of a "storm the castle"-like map, having red fight through trenches and open areas to reach and kill the blues inside the larger base, however there are a fare share of other spawn locations to differentiate the gameplay. This setup is great, but the ordinance and weapons force this map to not tread on almost all free for all game types and flood game types that enable ordinance and or map loadouts, as well as the map's setup prohibiting the use of king of the hill, capture the flag (the "One Flag" game type setup however, is an exception), and team oddball. The Banshee on the roof is a nice twist for gameplay, however I have yet to test the map to see if it is in anyways overpowering, considering red's base, as well as most of their spawns, are in the open. Finally, I find that some blocks may need to be removed and replaced, for example the Y large platforms at the large entrance into the base, I feel, need to be replaced with smaller ramps to allow for easier entrances and exits from the main door. Oh and some levitating terminal lights are seen in the outside trenches, however I do not know if you used them to give the illusion of low gravity. Well, that's my opinion so far. Hopefully I can get an actual test up to see how players utilize your map.

Cheers!

[Zandril]

Since I haven't gotten a large enough group to test this map yet, I might as well tell you some things I noticed while checking it out on forge. First off, nice main room, I must say it is quite amazing, same with the rest of your aesthetic pieces. As for the other parts of the maps, I might as well explain the minor downsides. First off, there are some pieces at the main room's sniping location, the outdoors ramp and some pieces near the blue armory that may need a bit of smoothing as I've noticed that there where a few bumps that either prohibited movement slightly, or for the outdoor ramp severely. If any of these were intentional however, I completely understand. Secondly, judging from the map's spawn setup and your description, this is sort of a "storm the castle"-like map, having red fight through trenches and open areas to reach and kill the blues inside the larger base, however there are a fare share of other spawn locations to differentiate the gameplay. This setup is great, but the ordinance and weapons force this map to not tread on almost all free for all game types and flood game types that enable ordinance and or map loadouts, as well as the map's setup prohibiting the use of king of the hill, capture the flag (the "One Flag" game type setup however, is an exception), and team oddball. The Banshee on the roof is a nice twist for gameplay, however I have yet to test the map to see if it is in anyways overpowering, considering red's base, as well as most of their spawns, are in the open. Finally, I find that some blocks may need to be removed and replaced, for example the Y large platforms at the large entrance into the base, I feel, need to be replaced with smaller ramps to allow for easier entrances and exits from the main door. Oh and some levitating terminal lights are seen in the outside trenches, however I do not know if you used them to give the illusion of low gravity. Well, that's my opinion so far. Hopefully I can get an actual test up to see how players utilize your map.

Cheers!

 

Wow. You took a look at the map even if the post had no screenshots. Props to you sir. That's the first time I've ever seen this happen.

 

Screenshots would be nice though.

[Zombie Feed]

Wow. You took a look at the map even if the post had no screenshots. Props to you sir. That's the first time I've ever seen this happen.

 

Screenshots would be nice though.

Thanks man! I'm just trying to help the guy out by giving him the help he needs while most others would avoid. Many people, as I've seen, tend to avoid newcomer and or picture-less maps and I wanted to give the guy a hand. Anyways, thanks for the map Destroyer, your not that bad a forger, and thanks for your appreciation Zandril. But like you said, pictures would've been nice.

  

[Zandril]

Thanks man! I'm just trying to help the guy out by giving him the help he needs while most others would avoid. Many people, as I've seen, tend to avoid newcomer and or picture-less maps and I wanted to give the guy a hand. Anyways, thanks for the map Destroyer, your not that bad a forger, and thanks for your appreciation Zandril. But like you said, pictures would've been nice.

  

 

I don't ignore newbies. I ignore the picture-less. Props to you for not.