AMEN!! The maps in this game are too big! The biggest problem revolves around all the corners, crates, boxes, doorways, etc. that the maps have (besides Haven;the best) because they promote camping and hiding. Haven should be the role model! Open, symmetrical, small, arena like, it embodies what Halo stands for!!
Yes, this is exactly what Halo 4 needs. You hit the nail on the head. Smaller, symmetrical maps. And I actually played on a Lockout remake in a Custom Game a couple of days ago and it played really well. I also played on the Narrows remake, Atrocity, and thoroughly enjoyed myself on that too.
> Every one of those remakes plays like Yoink! with sprint, AAs, and flinch instead of descope.
I’m simply suggesting an alternative approach to the improvement of matchmaking. I’m not stating that everything would be fixed just by adding epic maps.
I’m saying that adding more genuinely fun maps to play on would act as a buffer to counter any inconsistencies in the sandbox, as well as allow for more opportunities to have fun when playing.
The annoying flinching mechanic won’t be noticed if most of the encounters are held at medium to short range, where nobody zooms in anyway, because the map doesn’t allow it. The most overpowered armor abilities can be nerfed, simply because the map wouldn’t promote their useage, though I agree, sprint needs to be countered by a 3-5 second respawn time.
Nothing felt better in Halo 3 than playing on a map like the Pit and knowing how it was such a great map. It was one of those maps that you could instantly fall in love with. And Halo 3’s map packs brought more epic maps: a remake of Midship and an all new Citadel. I instantly fell in love with that one too.
I haven’t felt anything like it ever since. Don’t underestimate the influence of a good map and good spawns on a game.
No, the game wouldn’t be perfect if epic maps were added. But neither would the game be perfect if the sandbox were to get a perfect rebalance and competitive gametypes. The maps would still be dull. As I said: each weighs in at 50%, and both need to be adressed. This thread is about the aspect that is easily forgotten on these forums.
The addition of more small maps into Matchmaking is one of the many things we have planned for early 2013.
Thank you for your suggestions!
The pit is awesome, I hope 343 uses it
Personally, I hate symmetrical maps. But I can understand how and why people like them, and I don’t mind playing them. The symmetry just bugs my creative mind…
And I will support more maps, just to break up the monotony of playing the same maps over and over again.
On the other hand, if only the map selection would go through all available maps being played once before any one map can be played a second time, I think a lot of people would find that some maps are not half as bad as they think they are.
So, yes, more maps, please. But also less chances to play the same map three times in a row…
> The addition of more small maps into Matchmaking is one of the many things we have planned for early 2013.
>
> Thank you for your suggestions!
Awesome to see an official reply! 
Thank you for easing our minds!
Agreed, game desperately needs forge maps in rotation would help keep the people who are fan of Halos arena shooter roots happier.
I didn’t read the whole thing, but yes we do need more maps. They should re-make (size) all of the most popular halo maps in each previous halo game, and put it into one big DLC. I think that would liven things up in the lack of maps area.
I think it’s about time the community demanded free maps.
> I think it’s about time the community demanded free maps.
This. I refuse to buy the crimson DLC. It wasn’t good at all in my opinion. I am happy I got to play on them before purchasing.
Actually, I don’t feel like big maps are a problem of H4 right now. For example, I really enjoy playing maps like Solace, because they feature a lot of cover and combine long and short range passages.
You guys keep expressing, that corners are the problem (correct me, if I got you wrong). Then, would you like to see a map with quarter-circles instead of corners all the time?
If you don’t like corners, just use Promethean vision or throw a grenade. And btw. I didn’t encounter many people sitting at some corner all game long camping, so I don’t see this as a major problem.
Back to the topic: I would also highly appreciate a bigger variety in maps. Alongside with small maps I think there should also be some more large maps for BTB (sorry, “Big team Infinity Slayer” 
) and for Dominion. I just miss a map like Reach’s Hemorrhage, where there are many vehicles and enough space to really carry out a ballte with them.
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*Original post, click at your own discretion.
HALO 4 NEEDS MORE VARIETY WITHOUT DILUTION
Unnecessary repetition causes boredom and disinterest. IMO, I believe this issue is hurting Halo 4 the most, therefore some careful changes to the playlists should occur in order to address the problem without creating another… such as a significant dilution of the player population amongst the playlists by creating too many.
Take a look at how Halo 4’s population numbers have dwindled incredibly fast as a form of evidence in regards to the effect of disinterest that I’m referring to as the cause.
Halo 4 Population Tracking
THE PLAYLISTS:
THE MAPS:
Another area that desperately needs additional variety is in the amount and diversity of maps. Don’t be afraid to use the Forge yourselves 343i! Forge existing maps. Create something new and re-name it. Plus, start including the custom game or forge only maps as well as different versions of them too.
THE FORGE & CUSTOM GAMES:
Pretty much everything is covered here, athough I don’t believe everything listed is imperative
> From now on, all maps added to matchmaking should be the small, symmetrical type of map that is typical of Halo. Right around the size of Haven would be ideal.
I think fans of Big Team would disagree with you.
> Actually, I don’t feel like big maps are a problem of H4 right now. For example, I really enjoy playing maps like Solace, because they feature a lot of cover and combine long and short range passages.
>
> You guys keep expressing, that corners are the problem (correct me, if I got you wrong). Then, would you like to see a map with quarter-circles instead of corners all the time?
>
> If you don’t like corners, just use Promethean vision or throw a grenade. And btw. I didn’t encounter many people sitting at some corner all game long camping, so I don’t see this as a major problem.
>
>
> Back to the topic: I would also highly appreciate a bigger variety in maps. Alongside with small maps I think there should also be some more large maps for BTB (sorry, “Big team Infinity Slayer” ) and for Dominion. I just miss a map like Reach’s Hemorrhage, where there are many vehicles and enough space to really carry out a battle with them.
Solace is a pretty decent map in most situations. The bases, though cramped, offer mid range encounters. Still, most encounters are at long range due to the openness of the outdoor portion of the map. You also have to keep a close eye at the sniper towers at all times, because a DMR can take you out in no-time. This is especially true for competitive play; when I watch the pros duke it out on Solace, most of the time is spent on crossmapping with the DMR and using the jetpack to claim the sniper towers that give a clear advantage. I’m pretty sure that solace would play quite differently with BRs only. But problems with the DMR are for another thread.
I don’t remember making a point about corners. Corners can be a problem in combination with CQC weapons such as the boltshot or shotgun, though. I remember Countdown (campdown) all too well… A good map doesn’t need a lot of corners; what I’m saying is that i’ve seen very good maps that don’t have corners that are noticeably easy to camp behind. A good map has a good flow, and a lot of alternative routes to take into a specific room. So usually, if a map is designed really well in general, camping will become less effective on it. If you want a map to have a lot of corners by design (a CQC map), it can also be fun to have curved corners, or indentations in the wall to shoot through. Station 9 is a good example of corners that are fun to play with and only rarely reward campers.
A bad example is the narrow halls the lifts lead to on Adrift; It has plenty of crates or wall indentations to hide behind, with the only alternative route to the other side being through the middle of the map. So that area is obviously frequently camped.
As for BTIF maps, those are not my cup of tea; although I would certainly not mind if 343i decided to add more maps for the big team players out there as well. I do blame them a bit for making maps that are too big in general though, and then having us pay for a map pack with maps that are even bigger. They’ve proven they can make simple, small arena maps like Haven, so why not dedicate the next map pack to those? the LEAST they should do is add the best community maps I listed in my original thread and links. It would be easy, fast and efficiënt.
While I agree with pretty much everything you said I have to strongly disagree with one point you made about 343 directing their time towards making small maps. Given that these maps can be easily made in forge I feel like they should be remaking some of the large maps from older games that can’t be forged while looking to the community to cover the need for more small maps.
@Daitor:
I understand your point, and actually your thread really moves us to the right direction, especially as it managed to be read and even answered by the 343i team. Although our ideas about what size a “good” map should be seem to differ a little (I’m not that much of a fan of small symmetrical maps, for instance on Haven I don’t like the possibility of being shot from any of the four corridors starting from a crossroad), let’s say we try to achieve the same goal: more well designed maps.
Just put it this way: there should be more maps of any size, just they have to support the respective gametypes by their design, so that Arena players like you feel as comfortable with H4 as Big teamers like me.
Actually I have to admit, that some of the maps you linked in your post look really nice, I would like to see them implemented into MM.
Just what I was trying to introduce here is a system that would allow for a constant flow of fresh maps players really want to have in the competitive gametypes.
@i G3TZ M0N3YZ:
I actually agree with you, as you can see from my post.
By the way, I don’t believe it should be a problem that some players want to see small maps and others desire big ones. It’s just two sides of the same game, with different aspects for each. I really think 343 could implement maps from both of these categories!
> While I agree with pretty much everything you said I have to strongly disagree with one point you made about 343 directing their time towards making small maps. Given that these maps can be easily made in forge I feel like they should be remaking some of the large maps from older games that can’t be forged while looking to the community to cover the need for more small maps.
Well yes, I think that was the reason why 343i decided to dedicate a whole map pack suited for 6-8 vs 6-8 play.
But that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t include small arena style maps in the next ones. It really is painful to see just one map that feels like a Halo 4v4 map is supposed to feel in matchmaking.
> @Daitor:
> I understand your point, and actually your thread really moves us to the right direction, especially as it managed to be read and even answered by the 343i team. Although our ideas about what size a “good” map should be seem to differ a little (I’m not that much of a fan of small symmetrical maps, for instance on Haven I don’t like the possibility of being shot from any of the four corridors starting from a crossroad), let’s say we try to achieve the same goal: more well designed maps.
>
> Just put it this way: there should be more maps of any size, just they have to support the respective gametypes by their design, so that Arena players like you feel as comfortable with H4 as Big teamers like me.
>
> Actually I have to admit, that some of the maps you linked in your post look really nice, I would like to see them implemented into MM.
>
> Just what I was trying to introduce here is a system that would allow for a constant flow of fresh maps players really want to have in the competitive gametypes.
I agree. I mentioned in another thread how other games allow just one gametype on a map, and the result is a map that is fine tuned perfectly to the gametype. Instead of making like 10 maps in total and having them support 3 gametypes each, 343i should remove the gametypes that are less suitable from each map and add a lot more maps to fill the gap instead.
For example, CTF on both complex and abandoned always gives an advantage to one team. This is almost inevitable because of their lack of symmetry. 343i would replace those with other maps with a size suited for 5v5 CTF, that were designed for CTF. Such as Lotus.
In the end, I hope we will see like 20 - 30 maps in total(or even more!), spread across the various playlists. All of them would be perfect for their respective gametypes.
Learning each map would be easy because of their simple, yet effective design and because power weapons appear on your HUD.
A Guardian Map would be amazing
Added ‘Dispatch’ to the links, another map that will be used in MLG v1. It resembles Relay, but it is smaller and much more simple. Love it.