This is something I’ve been looking into. I’d like for you all to tell me what maps from the MCC you think play the best and WHY they play so well.
Name some maps from the MCC that work, as well as some that may not work as well, and explain why they do or not work.
Or not, you don’t have to listen to me. I don’t care.
Well, the one that came to mind for me is…
Death Island:
The map is symmetrical, Based on the level "The Silent Cartographer. Two bases sit on either sides of the Island. It’s a BTB map, and plays very well in that respect. It’s best used for Capture the Flag, Banshees sit on the top of the Island, which can be used for flanking opponents. It plays well due to the vehicles, and there being a way to counter flag taking effectively.
I am horrible with names but some easy ones that worked well were Beaver Creek, Lockout from Halo 2, and The Pit from Halo 3. I chose to name just three well remembered ones that were good, but like you said what made them good? To me I have come to the conclusion that what makes a good map on Halo is a balance of vertical and horizontal gameplay, that promotes an illusion of a faster pace movement through jumping from one level to the next or dropping down on an opponent to get the advantage.
That to me is the essence of Halo multiplayer maps, along with some asymmetrical gameplay as well.
Maps that give you a reason to move. My preference has always been for asymmetrical maps like lockout, Zanzibar, relic, turf, terminal… All push movement
For symmetrical maps, I prefer those with asymmetrical elements, like beaver creek, Valhalla, sidewinder…
I enjoy the maps that have clearly defined routes to traverse.
For instance, in Sidewinder, you have to balance your defenses between the tunnels, the cliffs, and the middle. That way, when an enemy gets through the tunnels and takes the flag, you can yell at Cody because he was supposed to be watching the tunnels and he didn’t call out to his teammates that he was getting overrun.
Cody’s not very good at communicating with his team.
midship, it is simply a great map with good design and flows very well. and is known for ctf in mlg for halo
I tend to like maps that intermix vehicles and infantry, rather than having a clear division between them. Think about Standoff vs Meltdown. In Standoff, Warthogs are essentially free to go anywhere infantry go besides the bases. In Meltdown, Warthogs are limited to a set path and have great difficulty reaching areas beyond the figure eight.
Verticality is also important. For example, Headlong plays fabulously because there are a multitude of height levels, each holding a valuable asset. The top gives greater vision, the middle provides a slight vantage point as well as power weapons, and the lower level holds the vehicles. Then there is a Banshee to bridge the gap between all three.
It’s all about spawns for me. Equal (equally advantageous. Asymmetrical maps have their place) starting spawns is big for me.
It’s why I’ll never understand why people like maps like Guardian and High Ground. I loathe every second I have to play on those maps, just like Isolation or Orbital.
Midship, it’s just a very competitive map. The map is round so players are constantly moving. Most of the cover on the map, is actually a part of the map, something I really enjoy. Top is always a valuable decision, but on Midship, you can certainly be punished for playing poorly up top, much easier then most maps. It’s a great map for nearly every gametype too.
The Pit
Every section of that map in halo 3 has a purpose. Whether it be to use as a flanking maneuver for the enemy or to fight for the next power weapon/power up. Unlike most maps in awful reach and some in 4 that are devoid of such good design Halo 3’s maps with The Pit as one of the best serves as a perfect example of a great map design. There are no ‘dead zones’ every single crevice of this map gets used and even in low skill lobbies the map still has a constant flow of players around the area no making one point of the map too valuable over another.
The flow on the pit is always moving. There is no way to ‘camp’ (cough sword base) or exploit a power up/ability and sit on the edge away from combat getting easy kills (cough Hemorrhage). The Pit makes every player have to always be aware in every situation and for competitive players anyone who is the slightest off guard will get killed.
The maps in Halo 3 are a big part why I have been playing it every weekend for 7+ years and continue to do so. Not one map in halo 3 is bad compared to the Halos that came after it.
> The Pit
>
> Every section of that map in halo 3 has a purpose. Whether it be to use as a flanking maneuver for the enemy or to fight for the next power weapon/power up. Unlike most maps in awful reach and some in 4 that are devoid of such good design Halo 3’s maps with The Pit as one of the best serves as a perfect example of a great map design. There are no ‘dead zones’ every single crevice of this map gets used and even in low skill lobbies the map still has a constant flow of players around the area no making one point of the map too valuable over another.
>
> The flow on the pit is always moving. There is no way to ‘camp’ (cough sword base) or exploit a power up/ability and sit on the edge away from combat getting easy kills (cough Hemorrhage). The Pit makes every player have to always be aware in every situation and for competitive players anyone who is the slightest off guard will get killed.
>
> The maps in Halo 3 are a big part why I have been playing it every weekend for 7+ years and continue to do so. Not one map in halo 3 is bad compared to the Halos that came after it.
We both see The Pit very differently. You see a competitive map, I see 2 rectangular section’s divided by essentially 6 hallways, making for terrible flow and very separated gameplay. While their is a “tug of war” aspect to the map, the map really doesn’t do any justice trying to push players around. Way too much risk for rewards. OS is the only thing worth trying to get in a heated situation.
Maps that aren’t influenced by things such as sprint or jet packs.
> Maps that aren’t influenced by things such as sprint or jet packs.
oh lawd baby jeezus what did you just say??
yes they are influenced.
> > Maps that aren’t influenced by things such as sprint or jet packs.
>
> oh lawd baby jeezus what did you just say??
> yes they are influenced.
I’m saying good maps are made if they aren’t influenced by those two things.
Are you saying good maps are influenced by these two factors?
> > > Maps that aren’t influenced by things such as sprint or jet packs.
> >
> > oh lawd baby jeezus what did you just say??
> > yes they are influenced.
>
> I’m saying good maps are made if they aren’t influenced by those two things.
>
> Are you saying good maps are influenced by these two factors?
ok… , maps in general are of course influenced by mechanics such as sprint and jetpack…
haven was a good map but sprint ruined it for me. so yes a good map must focus on how the game mechanics work.
> > > > Maps that aren’t influenced by things such as sprint or jet packs.
> > >
> > > oh lawd baby jeezus what did you just say??
> > > yes they are influenced.
> >
> > I’m saying good maps are made if they aren’t influenced by those two things.
> >
> > Are you saying good maps are influenced by these two factors?
>
> ok… , maps in general are of course influenced by mechanics such as sprint and jetpack…
> haven was a good map but sprint ruined it for me. so yes a good map must focus on how the game mechanics work.
Maybe I should have put maps that aren’t heavily influenced by sprint and jetpack.
It really depends on the game type. Different game types benefit from different map design.
For slayer, I chose symmetrical design. Everyone should start on an equal footing.
For me a great map can be made a thousand different ways but the main thing is the ability to move quickly to different areas of the map using skill jumps or dropping from one level to the other. Great maps also offer up various areas in which you can have shootouts. Lets use Lockout(Halo 2) and Hang E High(Halo CE). Both maps provide long distance battle opportunities as well as close range. Although the maps are very different in size they play very similar because in both cases you can shoot your primary weapon all the way across the map effectively if you are skilled. Several tunnels and rooms on the blue side of HEH provide close range battle as well as the tombstone areas and the area behind the red base. Snipers can be very effective but can also be neutralized easily because there is no way to get out of range of other players starting weapons. Because of these things both maps play very fast and you are never more than a 4 to 5 second walk back into the action or close enough to provide helpful fire.
For bigger maps the same is true but instead of using jumps or drop off to move quickly they need to utilize portals and tunnels which allows strategy to be used to cut off the other teams best means of transportation by controlling those areas. Sidewinder is a great example of this.
Halo 2
Terrain