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Halo |OT10| The Calm Before The Storm

Phew! Finally posted the very first Halo 4 Forge Challenge! It starts today. I know that sounds weird, but this challenge is using a system that is a little unorthodox and experimental. The goal is to promote self improvement, playtesting, feedback, learning, design, working together, etc. Bare with me and give the system a chance. ;)

Here is the jist of it. First of all the map style is 4v4 Slayer/5v5 Objective. You can make remakes, inspired designs, or original designs. It is up to all participants to decide who wins so some may not support a remake. The forge challenge is split up into several phases. During each phase you have the opportunity to earn points by doing particular tasks and all of that is kept track on the Points Leaderboard. When the entry deadline is up (New Year's Eve Pacific time), the entries will go through several elimination stages while you continue to earn points. At the end there will be a list of finalists 5-20 depending on the amount of entries. Everyone may allocate their points how they choose among any of the finalist. If your map makes it to the finals then feel free to dump all of your points into it. The maps with the highest points "win". Relatively simple.

This system means having and making friends that are participating in the challenge is going to be important. As well as making an impression with your map among the community. Not only that the more they participate the more points they will have to help your map win if it makes it to the finals. So you need to encourage them to participate so you have a better chance at winning.

The first phase is the Pre-production phase. During this phase you can earn points by posting on level design articles posted each day up to launch, by posting a pre-production thread with sketches/descriptions/models/screenshots of the design phase of your entry, and by just registering. The first level design article is here: http://forum.reachingperfection.com/Resource-1-10-6-td4025177.html

The second phase points breakdown and rulings will be announced about a week prior to Halo 4's launch.

For those of you who want to get maps into matchmaking or want to help improve the matchmaking experience as a forger the full details of the challenge and how to participate can be found here:

http://www.reachingperfection.com/2012/10/halo-4-forge-challenge-1.html
 

Striker

Member
Zanzibarsucks, it was only good for one flag and assault. Halo 2 nostalgia makes me sick sometimes.
It was an objective based map. What a shock it was best suited for those gametypes.

Prisonersucks, it was only for good for 2v2. Halo 1 nostalgia makes me sick sometimes.

Same. I always laugh when people act like Zanzibar is so much better than Last Resort. Or even that Halo 2 is way better than Halo 3. The only thing that makes H2 better is the superior BR and better maps. The games are very close, the nostalgia people have for H2 is weird to me. I mean it's my favorite Halo game for MP for sure, but I don't get the people who say H2 is GOAT status and H3 sucks.
Bringing up maps and the BR and act like they're no big deal is pretty silly. Those are what define the game for a lot of people. Gametypes were another big downfall - I would just repeat myself for the millionth time explaining why Assault was better in that game. If you enjoyed instant arm Assault on that terribly designed base, good for you I guess.
 

Tawpgun

Member
People say Halo 2 was better because

1. Hitscan, it was a faster paced game
2. Childhood memories.
3. It dominated the online sphere. If you had XBL or an Xbox you ONLY played Halo 2.
 
Pish posh. If Over wanted to disagree with something many of the gaffers who've already played had said about the game, no one would have said anything besides 'why is that?'.

I have agreed with every other impression so far. I can't say Over's impression (as biased as I think it is) is going to impact on me too greatly only because we already disagree on many aspects of the game.

If this was anyone else and his opinions were positive, they'd be brushed aside as nothing but honeymoon games. I honestly don't see a difference though.
You've quoted me, so I'm only going to talk about my history with people and their impressions. I've applied the idea, too, of what you quoted to people who have played the game, given positive impressions, and have been questioned by those who haven't and are looking for negatives.

This is how these responses read to me, summarized:

"X is overpowered." "What? How is X overpowered? It looks great in the videos!" And in that way, it reads ridiculously. The opposite just as much.

They're just impressions. It's really no use arguing over people's feelings about a game until all parties have played it. They're at best guides to help you make your opinions about the game when you eventually play it.
 
sounded good until this part.

Part of being successful is exposure. If you create a good map, nobody knows it exists until you get the word out there. Part of the goal of the contest is to get your name out there. Good maps will float to the top during the playtesting/development phase because people will play almost every map out there. The more maps people playtest the more points they get. And learning to be civil is important.

Basically you can't succeed unless you learn to branch out and meet people. Networking is an important part of product creation. Forging is no different.

As for people who will be trying to exploit the system it requires them to make sure everyone involved is actively being a part of the contest. If they just join the contest to vote their friends map up without participating in anything then they won't have much of a sway. Playtesting is a big part of the challenge too, so through that system you can make a believer out of someone and make friends or gain their respect just by making a quality map. If your map deserves it, it will get the attention. There are many forgers out there who respect a good map and will give credit where its due. This is a great way to start branching out for anyone who wants to get the feedback, wants access to the playtesting, and wants to start increasing their exposure.

Give it a chance. What's the harm? At the very least you will have access to lots of playtesting and lots of feedback as well as possibly make some new friends and learn something.
 
People say Halo 2 was better because

1. Hitscan, it was a faster paced game
2. Childhood memories.
3. It dominated the online sphere. If you had XBL or an Xbox you ONLY played Halo 2.

4. Had the best maps selection of the whole series
5. The game had maps that worked for all gametypes and all party sizes
6. Best playlist management
7. Good DLC implementation


Yes it did have its share of problems (BXR, Mods in MM, Network Manipulation) but it was the most "fun". There is an element of nostalgia to it sure, but there is something to be said about the number of people who consider it to be the best, MLG and casuals alike.
 

Fuchsdh

Member
Pretty disappointed about them ditching the iconic sound style (don't know how to word it properly) of the covie weapons.

The audio-visual side is basically the only problem I have with this game; I've just got a different set of priorities. Besides a few elements (like slower kills times, shielding, etc.) what defines Halo has been the look and fiction, rather than specific gameplay. If the Halo 4 system works, I'm all for it, but there's no forgetting the underbite Godzilla Jackals and nanomachine handwaves.
 

Disconect

Neo Member
Before I ever played halo as I do now I played Zanzibar 1v1 with my friend and about for or five bowls. Zero kills. 2 hours of searching for each other. Halo 2 sucked.
Sorry boy but H2 was one hell of a masterpiece , back in tha dayz notin was touching h2...
 

Zoolader

Member
YzAUm.jpg


?

Well that is Bieber in my pic, good detective work. But that was Urk's rendition, I should have posted my originals. Maybe you can figure the mystery out.

j8duaJq2szBxK.png

jTb8MVLhxoBsT.png
 

cocamola

Banned
4. Had the best maps selection of the whole series
5. The game had maps that worked for all gametypes and all party sizes
6. Best playlist management
7. Good DLC implementation


Yes it did have its share of problems (BXR, Mods in MM, Network Manipulation) but it was the most "fun". There is an element of nostalgia to it sure, but there is something to be said about the number of people who consider it to be the best, MLG and casuals alike.

8.1-50 that worked.
 

Zoolader

Member
That's definitely the squatch.

haha that's what people were saying when I originally posted it, also some said it looked like pedobear.... Urk thought it looked like beiber, there was a big bieber photoshop thread at the time right after he slapped a photographer and ran.
 

Plywood

NeoGAF's smiling token!
First and last time till 4?
Probably.

Team mates are still absent-minded.

People still vote for garbage.

Connections are at an all time low.

The game matches me with everyone outside of the country and if I get someone from inside it's usually the always host obtaining California.

I don't know if H4 will help foster smarter players or if the same people I get on my team now in Reach will be creating AR loadouts. I hope not.
 
Probably.

Team mates are still absent-minded.

People still vote for garbage.

Connections are at an all time low.

The game matches me with everyone outside of the country and if I get someone from inside it's usually the always host obtaining California.
Dang them Californians!

OT: LSU is losing
Tee hee!
 
Halo 3 is a fucking cakewalk on Legendary co-op after finishing Legendary co-op Halo 2. Moving from split screen to LAN, SD to HD, and checkpoint reverting to respawning made a world of difference. Almost finished it in one sitting.

My brother and I are now early into Halo Wars Legendary co-op.

Why haven't Halo 3: ODST and Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary been made available on Games On Demand yet? I'd hate to buy 2nd discs to play LAN co-op when I've been planning to buy the digital versions anyway.
 

FyreWulff

Member
Halo 3 is a fucking cakewalk on Legendary co-op after finishing Legendary co-op Halo 2. Moving from split screen to LAN, SD to HD, and checkpoint reverting to respawning made a world of difference. Almost finished it in one sitting.

My brother and I are now early into Halo Wars Legendary co-op.

Why haven't Halo 3: ODST and Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary been made available on Games On Demand yet? I'd hate to buy 2nd discs to play LAN co-op when I've been planning to buy the digital versions anyway.

Halo 2 is still missing from GonD as well

The world may never know
 
Halo 3 is a fucking cakewalk on Legendary co-op after finishing Legendary co-op Halo 2. Moving from split screen to LAN, SD to HD, and checkpoint reverting to respawning made a world of difference. Almost finished it in one sitting.

Ok, so, I've previously beaten CE, Halo 3, ODST, and Reach on Legendary, so I figured I should finally try beating 2. The last time I beat it was on Normal and I don't think I was good enough to try any harder until after I finally finished Reach Legendary.

All I have to say is: What the fuck?! I tried playing on Heroic just to get accustomed to the controls, and was getting my ass kicked HARD. On the first level. I couldn't even beat the first level! So I just skipped and went to Halo 3 Legendary to see if it was as hard as I remember, and I've pretty much breezed through the first three levels already. Halo 2 Heroic is actually harder than Halo 3 Legendary! Why was Halo 2 so hard?! I thought Heroic was "how Halo was meant to be played"?!
 

No! NOOOO! Don't you see? This is exactly what Elzar wants! No! You have to move further from him, not closer! Think of the weird plans he's going to act out which involve you and NeoGaf's most propah postah (bobs99)!

DOOMED! WE'RE ALL DOOMED!

All the best man. I know a few peeps who've moved over there. It could be tough but definitely worth it.
 
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