I myself really enjoyed the forge mode when it was first introduced on Halo 3. After it died down, I had over a whopping 7000 forge games total. I think I can speak for the community when I say that forge can be greatly improved, even more so than it was on Halo Reach. Besides the Halo Reach forge lacked variation of objects at your disposal, every map was those Forrunner style objects… Boring. I really want to see more options to use in Halo 4, like object effects. For example and object is set to “float” you choose the height, and depending on the velocity of the impact your spartan has on the object it will effect the object’s placement. Like a slight change in elavation and depending on the direction hit, it will slightly lower on that end to show the extra weight difference (you). So I am creating this post primarily for 343 to hopefully notice and use, not only for forge discussion although it is welcome. First off allow me to say, ANYTHING is possible in the new forge and doesn’t need to “make sense” at all pertaining to a specific map. Why? Because multiplayer is now on the UNCS Infinity as a simulation, which means forge is also a simulation. And any object, vehicle, weapon, ext… would/should be in the ships database for use when creating a map. That is how it would make sense. But enough talking. allow me to present the details of some well thought of innovations to the forge mode. This is a list of ideas accumulated from myself and the community.
Wishlist of the mine and the community’s forge improvements:
-Inclusion of mechanics (like rotating objects on a set axis, doors w/buttons, elevators, ext…)
-Object effects (floating, set despawning time, ext…)
-Improved lighting system (more than 2 lights/better spawnable lights/dynamic lighting)
-Scenery objects (debree, clutter, foliage, blown up vehicles, blood, ext…)
-Copy/paste
-Terrain editor (maybe, not too sure on this)
-More map specific objects (not same pallet of objects for EVERY map)
-Texture change option (change to concrete, brick, grass, ext…)
-Wider range of vehicles (alot more vehicles. From troop hog, to phantom, ALOT more. Even civilian vehicles. Oh and bring back the prowler and chopper :D)
-More weather effects (Besides useless screen changers that nobody likes, add things like time of day, or foggy, or rainy, ext…)
-Somewhat destructible enviroments (objects that will change in appearence when shot/hit like the barricades in Halo 3 did, but on a bigger scale)
-NPC inclusion (hell I know it’s not likely to happen but it’s worth a shot. Even if it’s only 1 per map thats an amazing improvement)
-Keep the original designer’s name (so people can’t steal maps)
-Modifiable Vehicles (change color, skin, ext…)
-Community playlist (So people can see actualy GOOD maps/gametypes)
Forget forge, I want a full on separate disc map editor, ala Bethesda’s GECK for the fallout games, even if I have to forge on pc then use a jump drive to put the maps on my box, this would kill budget limits and give us access to most ( if not all) world items that are in the campaign or mp maps, buildings, terrain, clutter and so forth, not to mention real lighting tools, copy tools and snap to grid tools
> Forget forge, I want a full on separate disc map editor, ala Bethesda’s GECK for the fallout games, even if I have to forge on pc then use a jump drive to put the maps on my box, this would kill budget limits and give us access to most ( if not all) world items that are in the campaign or mp maps, buildings, terrain, clutter and so forth, not to mention real lighting tools, copy tools and snap to grid tools
Yes that would be genuinely better than what ideas I offered. But lets be realistic, I don’t think 343 would be that dedicated to the map editor. Although I would like that more I am speaking from an position where it’s relativly more likely to happen. I am not saying it’s a bad idea, I am just saying they would probly not take the time to do that much work for the map editor.
True, just irks me that other game companies have released their own editing software free of charge to the users after developement on the game was done. It’s not like it would be terribly hard, just drop their own editing software for environments on us, heck I’d even pay for it
Huh yeah I guess they could do something like that. But then theres also Microsoft who wouldn’t allow the transfer of maps created on pc to xbox most likely, although you could do it the same way people get modded maps on their hard drive
to make the maps like halo 3 were the rules can be broken and glitches that enhace gameplay can be exploited i loved getting out of maps and incluiding little peices or evan using the out of maps for sniper towers
“Farcry 2 had such a good map editor but the game wasn’t really popular”
I beg to differ. The map editor was clunky and over-all bad. Granted, however, It was a good Idea, and had/has potential. I hope they capatalize on that in FarCry 3.
Yeah I own Farcry 2 and I am familiar with the map editor, and yes it is terrible. You just think it’s good at a first glance because it’s difficult to understand. But after you can use it good you notice it is bad.
> to make the maps like halo 3 were the rules can be broken and glitches that enhace gameplay can be exploited i loved getting out of maps and incluiding little peices or evan using the out of maps for sniper towers
I know right?
I did just about every glitch out there for forge. Especialy ghost merging, that was the best. Even though they added that as a feature in Reach.
Not just Forerunner structure blocks, for chrissakes.
A “texture” option for the building blocks. Place down a generic grey block, open its properties, and bingo, it’s concrete, or brick, or grass.
Civilian vehicles. Let us use the trucks from Reach!
A bigger range of UNSC and Covenant vehicles. Let us use the Troop Hog, sure it’d be pretty much a coffin on wheels, but it’d be great fun while it lasted! What about the campaign troop Falcon, with a nose gun, extra transport capacity, but no side guns (great for stealing flags). Bring back the Prowler, Spectre and Hornet! Heck, even the Pelican and Phantom if possible. In Halo 4 I want a bigger and better sandbox. I want to create custom missions where you dogfight all the way from one end of Forge World 2.0 to the other, protecting your VIP in the Pelican from the attacking hordes of Banshees.
Organic features. More rocks, more hills, more trees.
I loved Forge World as a concept, but it needs more variety. I’d love Forge World 2.0 to offer the same variety of arenas, plateaus and valleys, but let the forger decide what the climate and time of day is. Let us build a map, and then at the click of a button (change the world settings) and voila, now Blood Gulch is at night, or it’s Pinnacle but during a snowstorm, or The Cage is now in thick fog. Forge World touched on this with the filter settings, I’d love for this to be expanded to ambient world settings.
I’d love dynamic lighting in forge. Seeing the dramatic improvements Reach made in the lighting department, only to find that its lighting system in forge (pieces don’t cast shadows, lights shine through people and objects instead of playing off them, etc.) wasn’t improved at all over Halo 3’s was kind of disappointing.
If this were added, it would really help to break up the monotony of Forerunner Forge pieces.
> > to make the maps like halo 3 were the rules can be broken and glitches that enhace gameplay can be exploited i loved getting out of maps and incluiding little peices or evan using the out of maps for sniper towers
>
> I know right?
> I did just about every glitch out there for forge. Especialy ghost merging, that was the best. Even though they added that as a feature in Reach.
Ghost merging was easy. Geomerging even structures to the wall on the Cript was some advanced stuff. Back in H3 I had a clan and designed maps. I like to think my maps were good. After all a kid in my clan won xbox live from forgehub and I helped him with it.
There won’t be a map creator in Halo 4. If they put a true dedicated map creator microsoft wouldn’t cash in on DLC. It’s much more about money than any technical issues they would have to give it to us.
Also, I would like to see a forge world 2 with several different biomes. One side as a desert with a lake that can be covered and the opposite side is snow while the middle is grass. Then on the far side is a skybox like area with a grid that only shows up in forge for floaty maps. All of it flat and even. I want structure, scenery, and natural pieces. Structure would be like forge world except they would have true colour options. Actually, forget colours. How about themes. Like every structure item can be urban, forerunner, desert, mossy, ect. For natural pieces I want a wide variety of trees, hills, and mountain pieces that also can be themed snowy, desert, and forest to fit the biomes. Also, for lighting I just want solid night and day options with fog.
Main thing above all is the themes. I’m sick of every map looking grey and colour wouldn’t do enough for me. I want the ability to have urban walls, desert forerunner walls, epitaph like pillars, snowy pillars, ect. I don’t want it just being a simple skin. I want them to look pretty different so if they have slightly different bumps or grooves that’s fine. The urban should be black or silver and very sleak for people who want clean maps.
> Ghost merging was easy. Geomerging even structures to the wall on the Cript was some advanced stuff. Back in H3 I had a clan and designed maps. I like to think my maps were good. After all a kid in my clan won xbox live from forgehub and I helped him with it.
No offense. Geomerging was discovered before ghost merging, and extremely less efficient. You could geomerge with ghost merging amongst other things. Ghost merging was way more advanced. But thats good for your clan. I never went into any contests or anything, I don’t know why. But I plan to do a big project on Halo 4 and sort of release my own “map pack” sort of deal. I just hope they keep the “original designer” addition to forge maps so people can’t steal.
