okay it might be too early talking about map packs but thought id bring it up anyway, to me the halo 4 map packs we’re… terrible, really terrible, i dont know why but they had no character, and i just wasnt excited for them, with halo 3 i was screaming i was so excited, they were brilliant, they had character, variety and just so much fun, with halo 4 they just felt so boring, now i dont know if its just me because ive grown up (when i say grown up i mean gotten older) or if it is indeed the maps, aswell as that, i think we need to go back to the old system where you need to have all the maps to play btb so the maps will come up, in halo 3 it was perfect, halo 5 needs to be more like halo 3 then halo 4, for some reason i just cant put my finger on why i dont like the halo 4 maps, but halo 3 we’re incredibly fun and had a huge variety! Anyone else feel the same or is it just me and how do you think they can improve the map packs for halo 5?
I think they need to make them more fun and bigger, i think they focused alot on small maps where on halo 3 even the small maps were a medium id say, with ghost town etc but a nice amount of big maps like avalanche, again i think its because halo 3 maps were simple but we’re really well thought out, halo 3 maps there really werent that much to them, avalanche was 2 bases a middle corridor and an outer cliff part with a teleport and the rest was almost open space, and that was an amazing map!! truly amazing! they need to stop thinking just because they can do alot they need to, just map it a fun and enjoyable map which can be competitive, but yeah what do you all think?
Part of the excitement that I got from the Halo 3 map packs were from all of the Forge innovations that they had. There was nothing more anticipating that knowing that you’ll be able to Forge in the sky and beneath the ground with the Mythic Map Pack, and there was nothing more exciting than waiting for Avalanche’s surprise vehicle (even if it turned out to be a -Yoink- Hornet).
Each map pack in Halo 3 was very well advertised and each of them offered innovations to multiplayer. Halo 4 and Halo Reach never advertised DLC very well and nor did they bother to enhance things such as Forge. Hell, in Halo Reach, I waited two years for a new Forge World DLC that just never came.
I’m really not sure what you’re talking about. All of the maps are beautiful, most of them ARE large, and some of them are likely the best maps in the game for competitive gameplay (Pitfall, Skyline).
To me none of the map packs have been satisfactory since the Halo 2 days. Killtacular was my favorite ever.
> To me none of the map packs have been satisfactory since the Halo 2 days. Killtacular was my favorite ever.
Same. Taking into account all multiplayer maps across all games, Halo 2’s DLC maps were by far the best.
The single biggest failure for map packs recently is that they don’t follow a theme. The first released pack should ALWAYS be 3 small to medium arena maps for 4v4 games. Then follow it up with something for the BTB crowd instead of mixing the packs so that both sides are unhappy with their purchase.
Out of all the DLC maps I paid for in Halo 4, only TWO of them do I ever touch because I don’t play BTB and I have no remote interest in maps as large as the continent of Asia.
Keep small and large maps in their own packs so players can buy the types of maps they want instead of getting 1 map out of 3 per pack they actually want to play.
> The single biggest failure for map packs recently is that they don’t follow a theme. The first released pack should ALWAYS be 3 small to medium arena maps for 4v4 games. Then follow it up with something for the BTB crowd instead of mixing the packs so that both sides are unhappy with their purchase.
>
> Out of all the DLC maps I paid for in Halo 4, only TWO of them do I ever touch because I don’t play BTB and I have no remote interest in maps as large as the continent of Asia.
>
> Keep small and large maps in their own packs so players can buy the types of maps they want instead of getting 1 map out of 3 per pack they actually want to play.
Crimson had medium to large maps. Majestic had small maps. Castle had large maps. Bullseye had small maps.
It looks like all of the Map Packs did pretty well in terms of having constant sizes.
the problem with map packs on Reach and Halo 4 is that there was nobody to play with once you got the maps.
It would be nice if you could have the option to search by map in social playlists and search the old fashioned way in ranked ones in the next Halo game.
The only problem with maps is they cost money, which means each map will apply to a smaller and smaller portion of the total population.
Make 'em free, and take our money some other way. The population and community will be so much stronger for it. XB1’s microtransaction format would be ideal for this. Just leave the $$ for things that don’t splinter the population.
> > The single biggest failure for map packs recently is that they don’t follow a theme. The first released pack should ALWAYS be 3 small to medium arena maps for 4v4 games. Then follow it up with something for the BTB crowd instead of mixing the packs so that both sides are unhappy with their purchase.
> >
> > Out of all the DLC maps I paid for in Halo 4, only TWO of them do I ever touch because I don’t play BTB and I have no remote interest in maps as large as the continent of Asia.
> >
> > Keep small and large maps in their own packs so players can buy the types of maps they want instead of getting 1 map out of 3 per pack they actually want to play.
>
> Crimson had medium to large maps. Majestic had small maps. Castle had large maps. Bullseye had small maps.
>
> It looks like all of the Map Packs did pretty well in terms of having constant sizes.
No, they didn’t. Let’s go in depth. Green is small, yellow is medium, red is large.
Crimson:
- Harvest 4v4 5v5
- Shatter 8v8
- Wreckage 8v8
Majestic:
- Landfall 6v6 (or 4v4 for painfully slow games)
- Monolith 2v2 4v4 (very very badly designed arena map)
- Skyline 2v2 4v4
Castle:
- Daybreak 6v6 or 8v8
- Outcast 8v8
- Perdition 6v6 or 8v8
Bullseye:
- Vertigo 5v5 6v6 (or very boring 4v4)
- Pitfall 2v2 4v4
You start to notice trends. For example, only a whopping 2 of these maps work for decently-paced 4v4 or 2v2 matches while 5-7 of them are big team maps. In addition, about half work primarily for 5v5 and 6v6 of which we only have 1 playlist matching that criteria (CTF) and are either too large or too small for anything else. You’ll also notice that all these maps and the player sizes they match up well with are scattered randomly across all the map packs.
Meanwhile all those BTB or squad battle sized maps they made almost never appear in matchmaking. Skyline is probably the only DLC map I play with any consistency.
What I’m saying needs to be done is the following.
Crimson (small):
- Skyline
- Pitfall
- Monolith
Majestic (large):
- Shatter
- Wreckage
- Outcast
Castle (medium):
- Daybreak
- Perdition
- Vertigo
- Harvest
This way DLC is organized easily for players to buy the maps that match their preferred playlists and means they don’t end up buying maps they’ll never play on. This method is objectively better for the players and the game, makes the buyers more happy and increases chances of people buying and therefore playing DLC.
> Green is small, yellow is medium, red is large.
>
> Crimson:
> - Harvest 4v4 5v5
> - Shatter 8v8
> - Wreckage 8v8
>
> Majestic:
> - Landfall 6v6 (or 4v4 for painfully slow games)
> - Monolith 2v2 4v4 (very very badly designed arena map)
> - Skyline 2v2 4v4
>
> Castle:
> - Daybreak 6v6 or 8v8
> - Outcast 8v8
> - Perdition 6v6 or 8v8
>
> Bullseye:
> - Vertigo 5v5 6v6 (or very boring 4v4)
> - Pitfall 2v2 4v4
>
> What I’m saying needs to be done is the following.
>
> Crimson (small):
> - Skyline
> - Pitfall
> - Monolith
>
> Majestic (large):
> - Shatter
> - Wreckage
> - Outcast
>
> Castle (medium):
> - Daybreak
> - Perdition
> - Vertigo
> - Harvest
>
> This way DLC is organized easily for players to buy the maps that match their preferred playlists and means they don’t end up buying maps they’ll never play on. This method is objectively better for the players and the game, makes the buyers more happy and increases chances of people buying and therefore playing DLC.
This is why I didn’t buy any map packs. I’m so confused.
The small (Skyline/Pitfall/Monolith) maps and the large (Shatter/Wreckage/Outcast) maps line up ok, but the medium maps range from 4v4 to 8v8, or rather they’re 4v4 to 6v6 or 6v6 to 8v8. It’s seems from your characterizations that Harvest (4v4 to 5v5) and Vertigo (5v5 to 6v6) are actually medium.
I’m not calling you out or anything. I have no idea what makes a map qualify as medium, or how one determines that a map can support, say, 10 players but not 12. Also, and I’m not sure about this either so I’m just asking, weren’t the maps advertised as being suitable for particular game types and there was no mention of max player count? It just seems like the maps were bundled according to the kinds of games they thought we would use them for, and some players had a different point of view.
Also, some players get the maps to make custom games and other players get the maps because they expect to see them in regular matchmaking. Either way you get stuck if nobody else buys the maps.
However, the best DLC I ever downloaded was Forge World and Forge Island. They’re great maps, and the price is right 
There is no real right answer. Any choice will annoy somebody.
I think Microsoft/343i needs to make the Halo X1 map packs completely free as a image restoring move. Also I think the map pack support for Halo X1 should be turned into a extended process to release all the Halo Multiplayer/Firefight maps into Halo X1. Along with all the Halo maps coming to Halo X1 I think they need to make all the old Firefight maps as well. Then they could make appropriate FF maps useable in MP and some MP maps could be used for FF.
Two angles that would possible make this a boon for MS/343i is 1. Halo X1 could stay at full price for the entire lifespan of Xbox One 2. In a day and age in which every game has a season pass and adds extra micro-transactions a game that would give so much away for free would have a very unique drawing power along with a means to prevent trade-ins and the used game market on Halo X1 would be very sparse.
Why not make a lot of good maps at the beginning and bring them all into the game from the beginning. Im talking about 30+ maps that play awesome. They always bring like 10 Vanilla maps this days and other maps as DLC. Why not focus on making more good maps from the beginning?
15 excellent small maps like: Heaven, Guardian, the Pit, Simplex…
10-20 excellent medium-big maps: Hemorage, Sandtrap, Avalanche, Adrift…
Im not talking about making remakes, but making more and awesome maps from the beginning.
I want more Focus on better maps.
- Harvest
- Shatter
- Wreckage
- Daybreak
- Outcast
- Perdition
This are all big team maps. Big team has 16 players. 16 players will almost never have the DLCs.
I also dont enjoy btb, so for me there is only Landfall (or Rocket Shotgun camperfall), Monolith (terrible, who actually likes this map?) and skyline left (which is also not that great)
> It appears that somebody can’t see past the nostalgia. The real answer is the opposite of your post.
How is wanting better a DLC experience “nostalgia”?
I mean i have to say now i thought about it halo 3 map packs (and i cant judge on halo 2 as i never played it) but halo 3 maps like Foundary and sandbox were bungie custom made in forge, we’re simple but extremely fun and like someone said, sandbox was amazing, sky box, ground level and underground! simple to cover up the hole underground with one small piece, and the sky box was just genius, some of the customs i had on that was brilliant, i think one of the things that didnt make me excited about the H4 map packs is because im a huge forger and forge was rubbish and customs we’re rubbish so i didnt really like them that much aswell as that i just didnt get on with them, i like symmetrical maps, even though avalanche wasnt its had the same basics like the bases we’re the same and both has a side ledge bit with a teleport and a big grav cannon, its simple but it fits halo games i think, i liked some non symmetrical maps like Ghost town and sandtrap and a couple others but most of them are symmetrical which i really enjoy, and the halo 3 ones had great forge again like i said Foundary and sandbox, they we’re fantastic for forge!! so i think we need simpler maps really and maybe they add more pieces into forge then lan structures unless there pretty wide open like sandtrap where theres lots of dips with ancient ruins and stuff
> Why not make a lot of good maps at the beginning and bring them all into the game from the beginning. Im talking about 30+ maps that play awesome. They always bring like 10 Vanilla maps this days and other maps as DLC. Why not focus on making more good maps from the beginning?
>
> 15 excellent small maps like: Heaven, Guardian, the Pit, Simplex…
> 10-20 excellent medium-big maps: Hemorage, Sandtrap, Avalanche, Adrift…
>
> Im not talking about making remakes, but making more and awesome maps from the beginning.
>
> I want more Focus on better maps.
>
> - Harvest
> - Shatter
> - Wreckage
> - Daybreak
> - Outcast
> - Perdition
>
> This are all big team maps. Big team has 16 players. 16 players will almost never have the DLCs.
>
> I also dont enjoy btb, so for me there is only Landfall (or Rocket Shotgun camperfall), Monolith (terrible, who actually likes this map?) and skyline left (which is also not that great)
and also because i do enjoy map packs, keeps the game going, maybe though they could do a set price for the normal game as £60 as the basic game and you get the game and a map pass, so you get all the maps, that way they are making money on the extra maps but we’re not loosing out alot, tbh though i know it wont happen cos they can make money from map packs so yeah 
> The only problem with maps is they cost money, which means each map will apply to a smaller and smaller portion of the total population.
>
> Make 'em free, and take our money some other way. The population and community will be so much stronger for it. XB1’s microtransaction format would be ideal for this. Just leave the $$ for things that don’t splinter the population.
i like the idea actually cos that way theres no excuse for maps not to turn up in matchmaking and they could take our money through Armour packs and well i hope they dont bring back weapon skins cos i hated them but Armour skins and emblems
What Halo 4 is lacking in is unsymmetrical maps. Every one of their maps are essentially symmetrical - bases on both sides, varied terrain in the middle. What ever happened to maps like High Ground or Zanzibar where there was a sought after position? We’re catering to scrubs when we say that everything needs to be fair and balanced.
> We’re catering to scrubs when we say that everything needs to be fair and balanced.
Wait, what?