That’s 3 maps completed PER YEAR of Development time for Infinite ( Nov 2016 - Nov 2021 )
And I don’t wanna hear “bUT thE eNginE wasn’t ready” either, because map assets get designed in 3D programs before they are imported into an engine, which means most of the work is done at that point and map prototypes could be tested in Unreal Engine
In the same time period, the Cod Franchise launched about 188 different multiplayer maps. And that doesn’t even include the Zombies, co-op modes and Battle royale modes which those games also launched with.
And if you wanna say “Well Call of Duty has multiple studios working on the games”, I’m gonna tell you that Halo Infinite should do the same.
The only exception, should be that I should also include Halo Wars 2, since that launched in 2017 and DLC maps from Halo 5, since they would have been worked on at the same time as Infinite warfare maps.
Still doesn’t come close.
And we STILL don’t have the Assault Gametype added yet or any decent Assymetrical 1 flag or 1 bomb maps on par with Headlong, Relic, Terminal, Zanzibar,
I’d argue that not having the engine done to the point where the staff knows how a map needs to be done, would indeed delay map development. What’d happen if something in the engine would need to be changed out of necessity, to optimise or something, a map has been developed depending on that thing which was changed?
Not to mention, if you don’t really have a good way of testing it, that part is left to wait as well. Gameplay could change at some point too while they figure the engine out, resulting in potential redesigns of the entire map.
And each studio release their own standalone CoD which generate sales on their own.
Halo Infinite is a single game.
Yeah that does increase the number of maps.
And we wouldn’t even need a quarter of the maps for Infinite at release.
Learning that many maps would be a nightmare.
This is one key factor of the map “shortage”.
Lack of different game modes does impact the replayability of the game.
Another is map Quality and playlist selections.
BTB maps aren’t playable 4v4, and maps like Behemoth and Launch Site aren’t that great with 4v4, lack support of something like 6v6 or 8v8 where they’d probably shine better. Some maps in previous games could be played both 4v4 and 8v8. That’s not really possible here.
A few of the 4v4 maps feel somewhat similar as well in design, compared to the bigger variety of previous Halos. The BTB ones doesn’t feel that, special either. There were the Weapon Cache things on that one map, but the others don’t feature anything special at all.
CoD has multiple games developed by multiple studios, including support studios that Activision basically forced into working on maps and content for WarZone; talented studios like Toys For Bob, Raven Software, and High Moon. And CoD is taking a break now after they finally realized that this was becoming an unsustainable nightmare. I don’t think CoD is a good example to point out.
Making anything in a modern AAA game is a huge deal and requires the coordination of multiple separate teams. Why? The bar of quality is high and the tools are more complex to allow for higher fidelity.
If the pipeline for creating the maps is slow or cumbersome or broken then that means a lot of time is lost.
If the direction of the game is “overhauled” and previously made content is not unusable then it means a lot of time is lost.
If a large portion of the staff are “cheaper-than-an-employee” contractors who must legally take a 6 month leave after a continuous 18 months of working then time is lost because now someone else must re-learn what they knew.
And you generally don’t start with interior design when the building barely has a foundation, let alone actual rooms to put stuff in.
Coming from someone who got everything addressed in the very second post, yet chose to jump in on every other post not as detailed as the second one. Rich.
Because Halo isn’t an annually released franchise, it’s one game planned to last 10 years. i343 can hire the required work force and split it into as many teams as they need and get a budget for.
Also, there are other studios involved, some of Infinite’s stuff is out-sourced. Think it was Certain Affinity which is working on King of the Hill?
And sometimes, there are people who’ll be unrealistic in their critique of i343, and look for the most ridiculous angles for an i343 trashing.
i343 has had a lot coming, but this? This is not it.
They’re also running a few different ones as well. Not to mention software and hardware divisions.
And. This. Complaint. Of. Yours. Is. Over. The. Top.
Love it. Just love it. Everything is in the second post and thus is what you hit everyone else with. Top notch stuff.
And the only ones you actually bothered to answer were the short ones you felt like easy pickings. So rather than progress the thread by making good posts, you chose what you think are easily shot down text and belittle them.
Great job there chief.
No, what’s unbelievable is taking CoD’s combined amount of maps over Halo: Infinite’s development time, and somehow compare that to Infinite’s amount at launch. Starting from, 2016? Okay, let’s take 2016 for some reason.
Infinite Warfare was released then, having a three year dev-cycle. That means by 2016 it had been in development since 2013. Did you count those maps?
2017 is the year of WWII, another CoD with a three year dev-cycle, that means its development started in 2014.
2018 saw Black Ops 4, also a three year dev-cycle. Development started in 2015. I can give this one to you as more than half its dev-time was during Infinite’s development time, from where you count.
See where I’m getting at?
Did you count maps in CoD games which saw development during Halo 5’s development time?
Another thing to note on your parade is that you completely disregard quality as a factor.
Halo: Infinite could’ve had double the amount of maps and it still wouldn’t have made a difference if they were the same quality as the current ones. Because they don’t feel memorable or special.
There’s no Lockout, Ascension, Midship, Zanzibar or High Ground etc. It’s generic maps with mostly nothing special in them, and nothing to support those maps in the long run ( Good variety of game modes and playlists ).
I’d much rather have 10 quality maps well supported than 20 maps with this support.
It’d just mean two more Launch Sites / Behemoth maps. A few more laney maps ála Streets, Bazaar, Aquarius and samey BTB maps.
Did i343 screw up? Oh yes, by a long shot.
Is map count the number one issue? Most certainly not. Quality and support of those maps is the issue.
The only saving grace from this situation is that i343 has the opportunity to take in feedback on these maps and make better ones, sparing us 10 more maps at launch of the same quality.
Comparing multiple games from many different devs to one game with a 18 month dev contract. So in those 5 years, 343 has cycled through 3 different dev teams. All of which supposedly spent the first few months learning what they are supposed to do.
I understand the disappointment with the game and the criticisms are valid. But this was just an unfair comparison, and you seem like you need to take a break. Whats done is done, and bullying the devs wont change the fact the game released this way. We can talk about how 343 are incompetent losers all we want but what are we gonna gain out of it? The devs wont improve the game if we dont give them a chance to. Will the constant complaining suddenly reverse time and then 343 release the game in a more proper state? No. I think we all understand that the game shouldnt have released this way, but it did. There are alot more factors that go into development than money and time. Lets focus on how the game can be improved.
And you didn’t count maps from a few CoD games having their development started, during Halo 5’s dev time?
Chalking it down to math only doesn’t do anything either.
As far as I know, Fortnite BR has only single map and it’s one of the most popular games out there today.
Dead by Daylight has a massive amount of maps, and it’s not the most popular game available.
You haven’t addressed anything with this statement. COD having multiple developers is a valid counter to your “argument” even if you don’t like it. Reality is different from your fantasy, and that doesn’t make your position any stronger.
Anyways, I’m sure you’ll try to invalidate me like everyone else here by trying to insult my intelligence, so enjoy your baby fit.
You people are so one dimensional. If Halo didn’t have a lot of maps ( like Fortnite ), then it should have had a massive map available for large scale battles.
Use your brain. The ammount of people making excuses for 343i is mind boggling…
It’s like a Cult who won’t recognize the problems with their cult leader no matter what.
You are literally are trying to point out a nonexistent contradiction in my logic.
Yeah, it’s about math because they didn’t have a lot of maps. But if they Didn’t have a lot of maps, to make up for it, there should have been a massive map for large scale battles. And there isn’t.
A balance of quality vs quantity.
I’m ok if there wasn’t a lot of maps, IF the quality of those maps was compelling, such as the having big Team battles maps the size of ones found in Battlefield, suitable for large battles with 60+ players. Or Flyable Pelicans. Or more new vehicles. Or classic map remakes.
I shouldn’t even have to explain simple concepts like these, but apparently all the mountain dew guzzling and Doritos munching “fans” come out of the woodwork very time someone brings up valid complaints.