Best of Forge: 2013

Mr PokePhile and HaloCustoms present...​

Hello ladies and gents! Welcome to the Best of Forge 2013. Now, what exactly is this "Best of Forge," you ask? It's quite simple really! Since the release of Halo 4, we've seen some truly amazing forge creations that have baffled the minds of even the most experienced forgers. Whether it's a beautifully-designed competitive slayer map that flows like water, a flood map that has managed to create an atmosphere of its own, or a mini-game so creative you just can't put your controller down - HaloCustoms, along with the wonderful Mr Pokephile, want to give these maps the spotlight and recognition they deserve.

Now, let's get to some of the details. The Best of Forge will be divided into 2 stages: the Nomination Stage and the Voting Stage. From now until November 15th, you'll be able to nominate three maps for each Best of Forge category. After nominations close, the scores will be tallied and the 5 maps (per category) with the most nominations will move on to the Voting Stage. This is where you'll vote for the maps you feel are the best of the best. After this stage ends, we'll sift through the votes and announce the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners for each category. Now, "what are these categories?" you might ask. Here, let me show you!

Best Small Team Competitive
Best Big Team Competitive
Best Flood
Best Race
Best Mini-Game
Best Overall

The "Overall" category is highlighted for a reason. Any maps you nominated in other categories are still eligible for Best Overall, so don't fret!


Nominating Maps
We want this to be an all-encompassing event, so that we can rightfully say these maps are truly the best of the best in Halo 4 forge. In order for this to happen, we've opened up nominations beyond just the extent of maps posted on HaloCustoms. The only requirements for a map nomination are a Waypoint link, and a link to either 1) a YouTube video of the map, or 2) a map thread on any Halo forum. Also, don't let the "2013" fool you - any map forged since Halo 4's release is eligible for nomination.


Staff Customs Event!
What's an official HaloCustoms event without some sort of customs aspect to go along with it, right? As some of you may have noticed, Tedium has ever so slightly been hinting at a new Staff-Community event. Well, here it is! Once we get to the Voting Stage, the HaloCustoms staff will divide up and hold Best of Forge lobbies for the different categories. For instance, Psychoduck and Flying Shoe ILR may host a BTB lobby and play the top 5 maps in the Big Team Competitive voting category, while Elliot and Robius5991 host a Best of Flood lobby. By playing the maps before voting, this should help you decide which maps you think deserve it most! We'll have more info on this as the Voting Stage rolls around.


That's a wrap folks! We hope you're as excited about this as we are. It's always a treat to take a look back at all the awe-inspiring creations that forgers have been coming up with this past year. Now, get to nominating those maps!

Click here to nominate maps​

Have a question? Ask it here!​

 

Like some wise person said a few days ago on Halo Customs. "If you think your map is the best of Forge then Summit it". Don't Summit it if you just want people to download it, you want a feature, or you think you have a slim chance of getting nominated in the top 5. I Posted mine, not because I thought they where the best. but I know for a fact that they are the "Best of Forge". This is NOT A COMPETITION and should not be viewed as one by the eyes of those who summit maps, if you think this is a Competition i'm Sorry but you are strongly mistaken. If you play your see other people play your maps in there lobbies over and over again, then they is a good summit-ion. If you and your friends are the only one that play the map over and over again, this does not classify. Sure if you think it is the best and you enjoy it, fine post it; but remember this BEST OF FORGE. I know after me saying this some of you may think I selfish and a Dick. Well you can think that but that's what this Competition is trying to imply. Just read the title BEST OF FORGE. Like the Emmys, except for halo.

Now you're no longer just selfish. You're also arrogant.

 

Now you're no longer just selfish. You're also arrogant.

Okay I am Selfish and Arrogant, and people will hold me too that. But what is the difference from me asking my friends to summit the maps instead of me. I won't say names but I've seen this through out this event just so that they aren't in the same position as I am; being titled Selfish and Arrogant.

 

Glad to see you guys dropped the nomination counts as the preliminary decision as to which maps progress to the voting stage. Now it's just a matter of seeing how your choices are made... I hope that gameplay and novelty hold a little more weight than aesthetics and author bias. I won't be surprised to see ItzBlaze win multiple awards though. This is Poke we're talking about here.

 

If you play your see other people play your maps in there lobbies over and over again, then they is a good summit-ion. If you and your friends are the only one that play the map over and over again, this does not classify.

Very few forge maps receive any play outside of a forger's circle of friends. Even fewer receive any play outside of the forge community. I could count on a single hand the authors out there that have had this level of reception with their maps, and I don't think any one here would like it. Don't confuse this with the level of a map's exposure though, as some maps have seen huge success in this regard but were poorly received as they were only played a meager handful of times. I'm talking about maps that outsiders continue to play on weeks and months after the maps release.

Sadly, I don't expect any of the maps that were this well received to even make it to the voting stage in the Small Competitive category...