I’m hoping we have a backup plan until March when November 8th arrives because the Custom Games Browser doesn’t launch with Forge (MASSIVE mistake). So many incredible maps and content has already been created in Forge, but we have no easy way to play these games in matchmaking or in custom games! This is the same mistake 343i made with The Master Chief Collection. Tons of mods, maps and content is being added now, but is there any matchmaking implementation of this content so the “broader audience” they claim is so important can experience this content regularly? No there isn’t.
Will people use Discord? The Xbox Group Finder feature? It would be such a SHAME for all the incredibly hard work 343i’s Forge team has done to go to waste because too few people are playing the content being created.
And they look to be promoting popular maps and game types in game (rated by use over the previous seven days).
Hopefully they will set up a forum here on Waypoint for Forge specifically. That way we can share maps - as well as help each other out with advice and tutes.
I agree that a custom games browser will catapult forge creations, but I don’t think the 4 or 5 months without it is as doom and gloom as many are making it it to be.
I don’t believe we’ve had a customs browser in any forge other than the one in mcc that came like 4 years after release. The lack of browser doesn’t nullify forge, but it certainly can’t come soon enough.
Hopefully file share works bug free on nov 8th. Forge is being released in early beta. So… expect lots of bugs. It’s set to be in beta until next summer, according to the september road map.
It could be in beta for much longer and we may not get custom browser in march. Every single thing on the roadmap is subject to change. Microsoft started a hiring freeze and just laid off 1,000 workers yesterday. the amount of people laid off at 343 is unknown. But it’s clear they’re understaffed and now they can’t hire anyone.
Who knows how good or bad this next year will be for Halo. It depends heavily on their ability to finish the roadmap on schedule. But they’re already overworked and have been for years now.
Realisitcally, 343 should have a forging event/competition 1-2 moths after the release. Top 5 maps get put into a “Community Arena” playlist. This get expanded over time. Then the less orthodox stuff gets placed in Action Sack. And then there’s Infection. And so on.
It’ll take some time regardless, but I don’t think 343 has the bare minimum set up to get for creation to the greater public in a timely fashion. But we’ll see, as usual.
So playing custom maps, just with your own friends. Provided of course that you can sync with them on Discord whenever you fancy playing a custom map with people. Cause just having friends is not sufficient, if they aren’t friends who play the same video game and often available to play it. You know - with everyone having their own full-time job and stuff, it might not be feasible.
In other words, communicate in places outside the game and try to assemble a party to play a custom map. Okay.
Im thinking with forge being added and hopefully some fixes or tweaks to the file share system on Nov 8th we’d be around a Halo 3 ~~ish level of File share system and that did decent for its time but the CGB is definitely needed. Hell I`d say they should just add it as soon as its ready honestly.
How do you usually go about connecting with them, out of plain curiosity? I used to rely on the game’s chat to connect with others. With some other games I join servers on Discord where they organize game events. I still play Blur (a car racing game) that way.
Well, i rather have that they already release Forge while they build the Custom Game Browser then they hold back Forge untill that is ready.
Sure, in that mean time it will be harder to play on Forgemaps (but the alternative was being unabled to play them at all…), but if you don’t have enough friends to play the Forge maps, you could use that time to already build more nice maps, gametypes, etc, so when CGB comes you have a nice stack of those.