Improving Forge in halo 4

Games Other Halo
1

Hello 343i,

Just wanted to get my voice out there regarding forge in H4. Forge is by far the best thing introduced to Halo since custom gametypes. I currently forge for MLG and have a map on the circuit, MLG Nexus. I love what you have done but there are a LOT of problems with forge that NEED to be addressed in H4.

I know there are some things that people want implemented in forge than might not be possible but there are definitely some things than can be easily fixed.

First of all by far the biggest issue with forge is the lag. The lights and textures used on pieces are cool but they cause massive frame rate lag when you build a real map. I know forge was created with the intention of editing maps but we all know most people use it to create maps from pure scratch. MLG forgers are limited so much because of FPS lag caused by certain objects and object density, especially when we have to consider split screen.

Next thing in the long list is the editor it self. There are some things that can be fixed and or improved without a lot of effort. Snap to object, better rotation editor, And maybe a better menu. Undo and some other features would also be very nice.

Another thing that makes playing on forge maps in MLG very difficult is callouts. Now a very simple fix to this would be to allow spawn zones to be used to edit callouts. Reach has an awesome feature implemented in it where it shows where you are on the map on the bottom left hand corner of your screen. Forge should have the same thing.

Halo 4 needs a Sandbox/Forge World/ Foundry to be able to make original maps off of. Its nice to have a flat surface or features such as waterfalls or tress to work off of. Forge world kind of has some of these features but it would be really nice to have 5 different forge worlds with different pallets.

Which brings me to my next point…

Color. Forge World is the grayest thing I’ve ever seen. Sandbox was similar but it didn’t have the lag issues so it was vastly superior as a starting pallet.

Object count is an important element in forging a map. There needs to be a lot of objects in different sizes. Now this seems obvious but this is a major problem with reach. The block sizes are a major problem. Bungie gave us all the sizes from 1x1 to 2x2 to 3x3 but after that it gets very limited. If you need a long skinny object for a bridge or something your only option is the brace large. Skinny objects are very important because it allows you to create multiple levels of play layered on one another. So what I’m saying is there needs to be 2x4’s and 2x6’s that are as thin as brace larges and 3x1’s.

Idk why the brace large was removed from H:CEA, it was by far, by FAR, the best and most useful piece in the game.

So here’s what really needs to be addressed: Some form of a callout system, adding color without adding lag, getting rid of lag by reducing poly count and lights (reflections), Also try adding some sort of terrain editor. If roller coaster tycoon can have a terrain editor than H4 can… that game was made in like 2002.

I believe in 343i to make forge as good as it can be. Bungie really screwed it up by releasing like 4 real maps and 5 forge maps when the game launched, that was an epic fail. Halo has always been a great series and it can continue its legacy by learning what made reach an almost unbearable game to play and watch.

Thank you 343i

Best regards,
-unoverrated

2

> Hello 343i,
> Next thing in the long list is the editor it self. There are some things that can be fixed and or improved without a lot of effort. Snap to object, better rotation editor, And maybe a better menu. Undo and some other features would also be very nice.
>
> Another thing that makes playing on forge maps in MLG very difficult is callouts. Now a very simple fix to this would be to allow spawn zones to be used to edit callouts. Reach has an awesome feature implemented in it where it shows where you are on the map on the bottom left hand corner of your screen. Forge should have the same thing.
>
> Halo 4 needs a Sandbox/Forge World/ Foundry to be able to make original maps off of. Its nice to have a flat surface or features such as waterfalls or tress to work off of. Forge world kind of has some of these features but it would be really nice to have 5 different forge worlds with different pallets.

Wow. These are really good ideas.

How do you feel on Forge Objects that have animations?
[Doors open, Bridges extend, Elevators etc.]

3

Um I think these belong in real bungie maps more than forge maps… although I could see bridges and doors working in forge. It could lead to smaller chokes though which isn’t good for nades and splash weapons. Animations are cool and all but I think they should stay in the casual scene on BTB maps and such.

Good idea, wouldn’t mind seeing it implemented but it could lead to some problems in the competitive scene

4

bumped cuz i would like to hear the community’s thoughts on my points.

5

i agree fully with everything you have said and have also been thinking many of the same things. i would just like to bring into the light a few other ideas i see as crucial to the success of H4 froge. first off for some of the more complex objects, mirroring. it was a huge pain when trying to use for example staircases. if you wanted something to be symmetrical you simple couldn’t use it. Also lights, more then 2 lights and not necessarily even the stupid ball lights but just something to actually light up a space. so many times i have an awesome idea for like a cave or tunnel but i can’t do it because it is impossible to see. or i put on a special effect and it looks awesome in one spot but is way too dark in another, so i have to find a whole new way of doing it for both. and lastly, a grouping tool. the ability to build something and then group it all together and move it as a whole.

6

i’m excited to see what the next forge brings. as for the gray issue, i think a simple solution could be to have multiple schemes for the blocks / environment. snow and ice covered objects, grassy objects, natural objects, mechanical objects (forerunner, covenant, human, flood, etc), etc. if different schemes could be applied to the same building blocks, our maps would be looking a lot nicer and more diverse. if this control was able to be applied to the environments as well, that would just be awesome.

forge tricks like selecting multiple items, copy and paste, and undo would also be amazing time savers. terrain-editing would just plain be as sweet as it gets. hopefully the frame-rate issues are really resolved this time around, too.

anyway, it should be better than last time, at least, so the new forge should be pretty sweet!