Summery:
Halo 4’s forge was even at first, disappointing. The first think that was disappointing to me was the fact that we have the same exact forge objects as in Reach, but with a few shiny new toys. Only now, they have asymmetrical, aesthetic patterns which makes it very difficult to find the center of some objects (or the corner) to line things up neatly. While I understand the new “magnet” feature is supposed help you line things up better, it is in reality a hindrance more than a helpful tool in a lot of cases because of the numerous imperfections in the objects structure. Normally, these “issues” would be easily bypassed because of the “fine-tuning” feature that was widely used and depended upon in Reach by precision forgers, but for some reason didn’t seem important enough to the designers to be put into Halo 4’s forge.
Palette:
Halo 4’s forge palette is very disappointing because it doesn’t really offer anything new, save a few shiny new toys. Reach’s forge palette consisted of a wide variety of interesting, aesthetic, objects that were hard to find a home for on a simple map design. Often times you will see a map built with not a single object completely visible, the reason for this is that most of the objects are just to complicated. The object “brace, large” for instance, the only part of that object that I ever see used effectively is the long “bridge” part of the object. The part that curves like a J is hardly ever used!
What I’m trying to say is, I think the forge palette needs a complete overhaul. It would be SO much easier and strait forward if we had simple objects to use. Cubes, spheres, triangles, etc. Just look at Minecraft for instance. Everything in Minecraft is built out of blocks, very simple, yet see what people built? And I’m not saying forge should consist of nothing but blocks… and I’m not saying that all aesthetic objects are bad, I just think that the majority of the forge palette should consist of simple objects so people can design their maps the way they want them, and not have to design their maps around complicated objects.
Features:
In Reach’s forge, every feature was needed and used constantly. It could have used additions, not replacements. The “fine tuning” feature in Reach was the best addition to forge yet! You could use the coordinates to get and object about where you wanted it to be, but all to often it wouldn’t line up right, so fine-tuning the object was the perfect solution. Without the fine-tuning feature, Halo 4’s forge is just as difficult as Halo 3’s forge.
I don’t know if it is at all possible to add the “fine-tuning” feature in a future update, but if can be done, I know it would be very welcomed by many forgers.
Here and here are good examples of what kind of things I have built with the fine-tuning tool.
Extras:
One thing I think Halo 4 could benefit from, is a new forgeworld… but not like Reach’s forgeworld. What forgers are looking for isn’t huge amounts of random terrain to build a small map on. What we would like to see is a very simple, blank canvas on which to forge. Like sandbox, only more simple and with a bigger budget than Forgeworld.
Some things I would like to see in a forge palette for such a map would be, large rocks, so people could put some natural terrain if they wanted to (Ascension anyone?). Walls that dwarf coliseum walls, so we don’t have to use up half the budget on a map just to make a floor.
Threads That Support The Cause:
The State of Custom Games and Forge by: RanDum Phantom
Forge, Custom Game and Other Stuff Missing… by: sixten swe
Custom Games are Unacceptable, 343 by: Time Glitch (although I disagree with his lack of respect, he does support the cause).
Thanks for reading.
~Eshcka
I was really looking forward to playing Rocket Race with the new Mongoose… it’s so much faster! 
