My Forge History

[Zandril]

Everyone seems to be doing this now. And by everyone, I mean Auburn and Shoe.

So I figured that I might as well share with you guys my forging history.

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The first time I ever went into Forge mode was in Halo Reach. But this wasn't to make a competitive map or flood map. No, I was inspired by Roosterteeth's HORSE series to make a HORSE map. Basically obstacle courses.

I don't really have pictures of these but I can tell you that I made two obstacle courses in Halo Reach before leaving forge (temporarily) and going back to Reach Matchmaking (I was in a competitive clan and everything. Pretty lame, actually).

When Halo 4 came along, I started forging again. But did I make competitive maps or flood maps right out the bat? Still no. I still stuck to forging HORSE maps because that's all I really knew.

I think I made a total of 5 HORSE maps (that actually got into some episodes) before beginning my time as a competitive map forger.

What made me start forging competitive maps? I was playing some 1v1s with a friend of mine on Halo 4. We both complained that the maps were getting old and boring and that we should find new ones to keep things fresh.

So, I downloaded some competitive Halo 4 1v1 maps from ForgeHub (Now Halo Evolved) to play with my friend. I enjoyed playing these maps so much that I was inspired to forge my own 1v1 map.

Let's bring on the pictures.

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ETHEREAL

Seeing as what made me start forging competitive maps was playing 1v1 forge maps, my first map is meant to play for 1v1.

Ethereal is asymmetric and is built on the lovely Forge Island. I wanted to create a map that overlooked the ocean. That's it. I didn't even plan the structures. Of course, this map was quite a disaster due to its linearity and overall layout. I thought the aesthetics were great but that was when I thought aesthetics meant Banshees and Tanks outside windows.

The map went on to have 3 updates but in the end, it was quite horrible.

NEMESIS

I love Sanctuary. It is truly a terrific map. Due to my love of the classic masterpiece, my second competitive map was inspired by it.

I basically copy-pasted Red and Blue base and linked them together with bridges and huts. As you may have guessed, this map became quite a disaster. It had a bad layout, tons of lazy cover, and about 8 power weapons. Yeesh.

FACILITY

Such a creative and original name. Facility is symmetric, dark, and bad. This map wasn't really inspired by anything as I just hopped on Forge and decided to start forging.

Had some bad sightlines, bad flow, and about 6 power weapons.

CITADEL

Oh, this map. Oh my god, this map. This map was something. I...I don't even know what to say.

What started this map was my desire to make a competitive map after re-re-re-re-re-re-re-watching The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Which is the reasoning behind the tower and the debris.

This is probably the worst map I've ever made.

WATERWAY

This map started because I wanted to build a map on the water of Forge Island. This was a bad idea because the water of Forge Island is practically a blue screen. A fucking blue screen. How can you even call that water? Anyway I pretty much built all of this without the slightest idea of what I was doing.

MALEVOLENCE

After forging all those 4v4 maps, I decided to stop handling big things for a while and go back to holding smaller things. I mean 1v1 maps.

Malevolence is a tiny map. Built for 1v1. Horrible spawns. Horrible layout. Horrible idea. But good for the learning process.

SHIPYARD

This map wasn't really designed by me. I remade this from a map in Reach called "Hardshore" by JGarb.

GARRISON

Garrison is an asymmetric 4v4 map built on Forge Island...again. 4 bases. Ghost Town-inspired. Extremely cluttered.

 

[Zandril]

REFUGE

Refuge is a 4v4 map on Forge Island. It's kind of like a mix of Shipyard and Garrison. The main layout was taken from Garrison and the only thing Shipyard influenced was the battleship.

This map had several problems in terms of everything. Spawning, balance, flow, etc. Pretty bad.

NOVUS

This map. I can't even express how much this map means to me. Not because it's an outstanding map but because this map is what lead to my brighter days as a forger. I've learned so much through making and updating this map that I can't even count all the different versions and people who helped me along the way.

When I began constructing Novus, I had the same mindset that I had when I was making my previous maps. Which was keep forging without any real clue on what you're doing. I didn't know the fundamentals of competitive forging before I made this map. All I really knew was cover. But I had no idea on what the difference was between lazy and structural cover.

Sadly, I no longer have pictures of Novus's first/earlier versions. However, TheElderAcorn showed it in a video.

Here.

I posted that map in a lot of forums. And the feedback I've gotten was OVERWHELMING. So much feedback. So many wrong things about the map. So many hurtful words. So much time on my hands.

So I updated the map. I kept updating and updating and updating until my head was about to explode from all the new-found knowledge.

In the end, the map didn't become what I wanted it to be. I wanted it to be a THFE feature. But it didn't make the cut. Without a one millionth reforge, the map was mediocre.

But, like I said, this map will forever hold a special place in my heart because of everything that I've learned from it.

Hats off to the people who helped me with Novus.

- a Chunk
- Auburn
- Redemption1272
- Festuca
- Flying Shoe ILR
- II Acidity II
- Juanez Sanchez
- Noooooch
- Z3R0FLAME
- PA1NTS
- Psychoduck
- theSpinCycle
- The Fated Fire
- THESLAMMERSS
- WARHOLIC
- X51000

To name a few.

Here is a picture of the map's latest and final version.

The map did land me an Online Knights feature though. Thanks, Robius5991!

CAEDIS

After a while, I felt like I needed to do something different. I've been making so many competitive maps that I forgot about other gametypes to forge for. Who knows, maybe I can be a great Flood forger.

That's how Caedis came to life. I wanted to create something that's not a competitive map so I decided to forge a flood map.

I'm very proud of this map. It's definitely not the best Flood map out there but I love the gorgeous aesthetics I managed to pull off.

Thanks to Elliot and REMkings for helping out with the map.

XENOS

This map started a week after I finalized Novus. I wanted to see what I could pull off after all that I learned from Novus. I ended up making an symmetric 1v1/2v2 map. This is a map that I'm very happy with. It's simple but in a good way. The forerunner aesthetics were sexy and the gameplay was very solid.

PRAELIUM

This is pretty weird but my favorite forge canvas on Halo 4 is Ravine. That's not the weird part. The weird thing is I have about 9 maps on Forge Island and 2 on Ravine.

I don't know what's up with that.

Praelium is an asymmetric 2v2 map. My first map on Ravine. Very solid map. Nothing super-special.

SILEX

I started Silex after Novus. I created it around the same time as Xenos and Praelium. It's a symmetric map on Forge Island with a very basic layout. Too basic. The map fell short because of it lacked depth and anything to make it interesting. Had some flow and spawning problems too.

PRIMUS

I felt like I acquired some knowledge in the process of building Novus so I tried my hand at making another 4v4. I also wanted to make a map on Impact as a challenge since I've never forged a competitive map on Impact before. This map isn't one of my best maps. The map had problems with it's verticality, flow, and spawning.

EXIN

Exin is my second competitive map on Ravine. Exin was originally a 4v4 map. Bad idea. 4v4 gave it horrible spawning and overly chaotic gameplay.

But it's now built for 1v1 and 2v2 and is by far my best map on Halo 4. I built it by my favorite spot on Ravine. The waterfalls. That's the idea that started the map. I put some ramps and doorways by the waterfall and built off from there.

I consider Exin my best 2v2 map. Maybe even my best competitive map.

 

[Great Mist]

I've forged like 5 maps all are terrible except the one I am working on now

 

[Elliot]

Glad I could help with Caedis, Zandril! I'd love to see more Flood from you

 

[Zandril]

Glad I could help with Caedis, Zandril! I'd love to see more Flood from you

I don't have any pictures but I have actually started a Linear Flood map. It uses the terraforming technique.

Figured I should forge more Flood.

 

[Auburn]

Good stuff, Zandril. Like I mentioned in the other thread, timelines are always a treat to read through, especially when I can notice the improvements with each map.

 

[RogerDodger]

Thanks for the honor of being tagged in such a post. Ever since you showed up on the blip with Novus, I just saw the potential of the map with a hint of skepticism. I may not be the best forger myself, but knowing you has helped my own creations. Keep going, man.

 

[Sgt x Slaphead]

Interesting bloodstone is considered incomplete. I had a hell lot of fun playing it but I think Zandril knows that. A map that I already thought was great is still being fine tuned to get even better. I look forward to seeing how future maps turn out. Great work!

 

[Robius5991]

I'm happy I was able to feature one of your maps Zandril. This article was a cool read, I really enjoyed looking over your forging career. Keep up the great work!

 

[Festuca]

I felt like my awareness of your work was right in that dynamic transit zone. Looking back at previous when you scroll, it is a steady progression. I am happy to be mentioned in the same breath of a very fine list of Forgers! Keep pushing the envelope!

 

[theSpinCycle]

Checked out some of your more recent works. Obviously, they're all much better than your first few. Novus was OK after those revisions (props to you for making it 10x better than the awful original version) but I never really got over the feeling that the map was "patched together" in a way.

Your recent projects seem more solid although they seem to be fairly safe circles. Exin was good IMO except for that one high area that seemed to lack a good counter. Bloodstone's center atrium could definitely be made more interesting than a few windows and flat ground at the bottom. Would like to say more but there's no real point to doing that in text when we could talk in game.

 

[ShockBolt21]

What's with all the fancy schmancy Latin map names?

By the way, you should host a lobby just for playing terrible first maps- I'd love to play some of yours just for the hell of it, and I've got a few for myself.

Also, how come you haven't yet added your minigame, your big team map, or your new 4v4?

 

[Zandril]

What's with all the fancy schmancy Latin map names?

By the way, you should host a lobby just for playing terrible first maps- I'd love to play some of yours just for the hell of it, and I've got a few for myself.

Also, how come you haven't yet added your minigame, your big team map, or your new 4v4?

That seems like a good idea in text. But when it's actually happening, bad maps are a turn-off. For me, at least.

 

[theSpinCycle]

That seems like a good idea in text. But when it's actually happening, bad maps are a turn-off. For me, at least.

I could imagine it being hilarious at the beginning.. then increasingly boring. Besides, you'd have to keep loading up different games and people might not have 3, Reach, and 4.

 

[ShockBolt21]

That seems like a good idea in text. But when it's actually happening, bad maps are a turn-off.

A'ight maybe not an entire lobby. But Perhaps we could load up a few at an FCCGN. And if I catch you online, I'd like to play you in that first map of yours.

 

[Festuca]

Latin names are defined, I love it!

 

[Zandril]

MAGNUS

Magnus is my first BTB map. I challenged myself to forge for bigger player counts. Unfortunately, the map's layout was problematic for BTB gameplay. It was basically a ring for vehicles to drive around and then a couple of buildings at the side. Yikes.

ATTACK ON FORGE CASTLE

More challenges! This map happened because I challenged myself to make a mini game. I also felt like I needed a break from competitive forging. In the process of making and testing the map, I realized that making mini games isn't my calling.

The premise behind the map was assaulting a tower and grabbing the ball. The map did do something clever though. The players attacking the castle can blow up its walls with fusion coils. I made the blocks destructible with some tinkering of the Ricochet gametype. It had a competitive edge to it but it just had so many problems.

BLOODSTONE

Bloodstone is a competitive 2v2 map I forged for a 2v2 forge tournament. It's an asymmetric map built on Ravine. It's a fairly solid map that was inspired by Edifice and Angst but sadly didn't live up to those maps.

AETHER

Aether is another attempt at making a 4v4 map. Seeing as my last 4 competitive maps which were originally for 4v4 but had to be configured for 2v2 because of spawning issues, I got worried that I couldn't make a proper map for 4v4 anymore. Aether took that worry away. Aether is really great 4v4 map and is compatible with Slayer and CTF.

I've had people tell me Aether is my best map so far but I think Exin is still my greatest gem.

This map was very important because of the 4v4 forging knowledge I gained from it. I learned a lot about CTF spawns and avoiding linear sightlines.

Much thanks to The Fated Fire, Psychoduck, Auburn, Astiir, theSpinCycle, a Chunk, RegrettedKarma6, and Squally DaBeanz for their help with the map.

BABY GUARDIAN

There's not a whole lot to say about this one. It's my first aesthetic map and is basically a miniaturized version of Guardian. It's fairly accurate in everything other than scaling (duh) and is pretty cute.

SETTLED

Settled is my second BTB map in Halo. I started the map as a Hostage Rescue map but it eventually became a full fledged BTB map.

The reason why it's called Settled is because it reminded me of Settler. The map was built on Ravine and used a lot of the natural terrain. The map had some interesting and well designed bases but failed due to a lack of defined routes and bad sightlines. I tried to go on the path of CE by segmenting the bases with distance but I didn't account for DMRs, LRs, etc.

Overall, it wasn't a very good map.

 

[RogerDodger]

That's one way to post a preview I like what you did with the roofing along the side path. Maybe we can use that design for other parts of the map.

 

[theSpinCycle]

Did you mean avoiding linear sightlines?

 

[Zandril]

Did you mean avoiding linear sightlines?

How do you English?