Is forge an idea factory? Or a restricted prison?

Games Halo 5: Guardians
1

I’ve been thinking lately… Forge is the greatest tool I’ve ever seen in a game, especially in Halo 5. No other game can compete with its glory.

I want ant to make a new Forerunner - Flood aesthetic map, but unfortunately I can’t because Halo 5 does not allow players to play offline. In the next several weeks I might be able to, but not just yet.

This is not my point though. I’m writing this article to ask a question to the community or the world.

As we know Forge, especially in Halo 5, has now countless maps featuring an abundance of buildings, sculptures, race tracks, vehicles, landscapes, scenery, objects, aesthetics etc…

I was wondering, is all of these great things limited to Halo 5 forge? Is it copyright material?

Because if not, is it possible for anyone to take credit for what they create? Can that person claim his/her forge to be an art project? And not only that but could Forge become a futuristic modelling tool than can be shared with the world? Or is it restrained, and hereby only accessible to players of Halo who must commit all Forges resources back to Forge, and contain it no where else?
That, is my philosophical question…

2

Its possible to take credit but good luck enforcing it. My friend has had her maps stolen a couple of times by clans for training purposes and even by a guy wanting to make a machinima. No credit given and the clan that stole her most recent one also claimed it to be theirs.
So…I’d say no. You can call it art, sure, but its art in the same way that machinima is; restricted within the medium.

3

It’s kinda sad sad how people steal maps. I feel your pain.

4

Yeah stolen maps can be an issue but I don’t think you can copy write something you created using 343s game. Odds are there is something in the user agreement in all that fine print no one reads.

5

I make maps so people can play around with them, hehe.

6

It’s not actually about copying other people’s maps, it’s about using forge as a real work tool that can be used for art, education, and even real construction. I don’t know anyone who’s been claiming other people’s maps but surely that’s not often.