seems like there are several of these, lol

[VithcommaLobsel]

warning, wall of text, but I'm trying to compile my own take on Forging for an upcoming video series, so feel free to add input and criticism that could help please

 

When it comes to Halo, there are really only 5 major criteria in place that determine whether a map is "good" (and I'm using quotations here because this is still not an exact science) or "bad".

 

The first, and possibly most important thing to consider when creating or judging a map is the way movement on the map flows. For the sake of time let's just call it map flow. Basically what I mean here is, will players enjoy moving around the map, or will they simply go the same couple of routes over and over and avoid whole sections because the routes aren't easily accesible or are too open, etc. As an example, think about the long, narrow corridors of Orbital. It's very hard to move down them safely and assault the rocket spawn because of the inability to avoid even an average player's grenades. As a result, players end up having a series of annoying and seemingly random battles without actually moving around the map. This is something you want to avoid when making a good competitive map. A map with fantastic flow is something like the custom-made Kingdom. It's got plenty of open sight lines, great cover and no real base for the enemy to camp inside, which promote map movement at all times without the need for a gimmick like an abundance of power weapons or power ups. Simple, yet elegant. Think about angles of attack and plan for good routes to allow a player flank enemies, but not in a way that makes map control impossible. And don't forget that a map doesn't necessarily need to be symmetrical for this to be optimal.

 

Another important aspect of a good map, and this actually kind of goes into the same category as map flow, is for a map to have a good variation in elevation. What I mean specifically is, it should have several layers but not have limited means of traversing those layers. A great example of what I mean is the map Construct. Construct had three main layers with a number of routes from the bottom to the top. Optimally, you want to give just a couple more options than there are enemy players, to not only promote map control but to prevent an annoying deadlock. Let's look at some example situations. Now this dynamic changes considerably depending on the volume of people involved, but for the sake of this let's consider 4v4 situations since they're the most common in competitive environments. In a 4 on 4 on Construct, one player could be in each of the top purple lift rooms, one could be at the top of the Gold lift, and one could be around the tip of the tongue. With this setup, pretty much every route of passage can be covered, but not in a way that completely prevents a smart team from finding a gap. For instance, the back ramp behind the gold lift. Not a great example, but I think you get what I'm saying...with this one gap, a team of good players may be able to push back against a team with map control and regain their chances of winning. So. Elevation. It makes maps fun and interesting...as long as it's done right. A map with terrible elevation is Sword Base. But then that map was made with Jetpacks in mind, so it's to be expected. It's best to consider making a map with no AA's in mind and then see how an AA is able to break the preconcieved concept of the map in practice, then fix it later. You don't want the irritating scenarios like the pillars on Reflection to ruin the fun for everyone.

 

Now, we get to something that a lot of maps seem to lack in Reach, or maybe attempt but fail at. Power positions are as important as any power weapons on the map. A good point on the map for someone to control for no more reason than it is a high-traffic area is something that makes a map truly shine. Let's put out a fantastic example that everyone can respect: P3 on Midship and the remake Heretic. There's nothing up there really...it's just the high ground of the map and it allows you to get a sight on any people trying to move around out in the open. It's also easy to escape getting shot at, while not sacrificing yourself or your team's control of the map too much in the process. But it's absolutely the most efficient place on the map to place someone with a good BR. There are other good examples, but probably none so profound. A bad example of an ATTEMPT at a power position is the space area on Zealot. They had to add in soft kill barriers because it was so poorly concieved originally due to people being able to camp up top and easily pick off anyone trying to confront them. So, places on the map that are great for a setup situation but don't necessarily have a weapon or anything to fight over...power position. Get creative, but keep it balanced.

And now we get to my favorite part. Weapon placement is crucial to the core values of Halo gameplay. A map with way too many power weapons arbitrarily placed near the starting spawn is inevitably going to be flawed. Let's take it back a notch and bring up something important. The reason weapon types are limited in MLG is the result of years of research by experienced tournament handlers. By limiting the number and type of weapons down to a select few and placing them well on maps, things are kept very focused and the amount of randomly occuring battles between mismatched opponents is limited. This being said, it's best when making a map that will please everyone to consider what weapons will be most acceptable in vanilla matchmaking first, then limit and rearrange some for MLG if that's what you want to go for. Now, back to the main point, consider how useful the weapon layout was on the Pit in standard matchmaking. The Needler was placed in a fantastic place to help someone push up for the Rocket Launcher, the SMG's placed at the base of the Sniper Tower were a great way to assault someone up top who momentarily let their guard down, and likewise, the Brute Shot was a great way to keep people from assaulting you while you were at the top. More examples involving similar situations include the placement of the Brute Shot on Rat's Nest and Guardian in Halo 3. At the beginning of a game on Rat's Nest, one could easily counter a warthog rushing the Rockets and on Guardian, one could easily counter an enemy rushing for the Camo powerup by taking the lift and bombarding them. Now, power weapons and power ups are really what needs to be focused on here. Maps with too many power weapons do not promote situations where players fight to control these weapons, and result in more boring and potentially slower gameplay. The best maps have a few centrally located power weapons, power ups, and maybe even a few non-power weapons placed in logical locations to help players find ways to adapt to combat and accomplish whatever goals they must to win. Good examples include Assembly, pretty much all maps from Halo CE, and Lockout. Bad examples include pretty much everything default in Reach and Foundry in Halo 3. The reason most of the maps in reach are looked down on by good players? Usually weapons don't work where they're placed, or the maps feature weapons that don't work with the flow. Think about it...why put a bunch of close ranged weapons on the same map? Why put more than one Rocket Launcher? And most importantly, putting a weapon directly in a place where it is best used is a bad decision. For starters, it's too easy to replenish your ammo, and it also creates a sort of super power position that takes all focus away from the majority of the map. Guardian's Sniper tower anyone? Grenade Launcher spawn on the Cage? Yeah, think hard about it. But don't be afraid to things in a creative fashion. Every map doesn't have to use just a shotgun, sniper and rockets. Feel free to use variety so long as it works with the map layout and theme.

 

Now we get to something a lot of people have trouble doing right. Spawns. Spawn points and spawn zones on many default maps had to be altered early on because they were just too predictable. Spawn killing in Halo 3 was far too easy, but randomizing spawns by making them all dynamic can also cause issues. It's best to have a good number of spawn points in tight clusters around the map, with just a few here and there to allow a recurring spawn kill to eventually cease. Sanctuary and Standoff are great examples of spawns that can be frustrating. Their spawns are extremely predictable, and just average map control can result in a team being decimated simply because one side had a better grasp of the spawn system. Now, all good competitive maps should have spawns that can be figured out and mastered, just not that easily. Construct and Zealot are examples of good spawn layouts. By placing teammates in a set pattern around the map, a team is able to control the spawn system more efficiently and predict the most likely places enemies will appear, but it's not perfect, and they are still forced to adapt to a situation where their expectations were not met at times. And to work on another point, spawns should not be the sole determining factor of who gets map control and who doesn't. I can't tell you how many times I got snuck on by an enemy spawning directly behind me on default Foundry or Orbital. It's terribly annoying to have just won a fight and be unable to find cover like that. It ruins the concept of power positions and just tends to make people angry at the futility of their "control" on the map. So, be smart, be clever, but most of all be balanced. Consider every possible scenario and tweak the spawns often while play-testing. It can make or break everything about the map.

[RedStarRocket91]

This is all good stuff - I think it could benefit from a few pictures so that players who weren't around for Halo 3 can understand what's being said, but the ideas behind it are solid.

 

One thing I'd add is to consider AAs and how they impact gameplay. You have to factor in things like Jetpacks and Sprinting in Reach, which differs from previous Halo games. To use an example on a map you've suggested, Kingdom is actually quite badly put together in terms of Jetpacks because it's possible to get on top of the roofs at the side of the level and hide there until shields come up because there's only a soft-kill zone. For players without Jetpacks of their own, there is literally no way to attack them. A buffer softkill zone just outside these areas with a kill zone on them would function much better, for example.

 

Also, I disagree a little with Zealot. The power position up top isn't really that powerful as to attack an enemy it has to be abandoned, and it's incredibly vulnerable to 'nades. The problem is that bad players who preferred to charge in blindly complained they were getting killed when it would have been easy to drive players down. A much better example of an overpowered spot would be Red Tower on Pinnacle, which is not only too dominant in terms of both sightlines and the extreme vulnerability of anyone trying to attack it due to lack of cover, but which is also handed free to one team from the start.

[VithcommaLobsel]

Yeah, I'm working on turning it into a fun and entertaining video with video clips and good editing and such. I'll possibly change examples if you guys come up with better ones and stuff too

[Absolute Dog]

I like seeing a good library of tips in the Forge forum. As I have read, I have seen some ideas that were new to me. I am looking at some free slide show and video programs to recommend to those who offer their tips and advice. Some are easier to use than others and upload through Photobucket. You tips are all appreciated.

[♠ Spades N AZ ♠]

As a forger I lack some of those areas of expertise. I am more of an esthetics forger but can shine in other areas occasionally. I just finished a map which is a remake of my first one made 6 months ago. If you guys are willing to put your knowledge of good gameplay and flow to the test then I would appreciate you coming and giving some positive criticism on my map. My gamertag is Spades N AZ