Id like to encourage people that just because you may be able to forge quicker, doesn't mean you should release your map sooner. Use that extra time that you would have been forging and put some extra effort into testing. Forging itself may have become easier, but map design is still no easy task.
Thank you for posting this. I'm so tired of people rushing their maps and wondering why the map isn't good. Just because you can forge quicker doesn't mean you definetely should.
First of all, ghost merging allows for everyone to create PRETTY maps, not GOOD maps. People seem to look down on people who use ghost merging, saying things like "this was before ghost merging" or "i didn't ghost merge this..." who cares? If it makes the map better, go for it. Just because it was more difficult before ghost merging, doesn't mean that it was better. It just means that forging was more exclusive to people that could interlock/geomerge well. Now that they have to work harder to make above-average maps, they get mad. Stop pouting, and forge.
Ghost merging is a way for people to make better maps, even beginners with enough patience can make a good map out of ghost merging, the only downside is that some people may go overboard and geomerge random objects for no reason, which wrecks maps.
Ghost Merging is in no way killing forge. It may make beginners better at making making maps look physically amazing, but it is in no way making beginners make overall amazing maps that offer memorable moments and a unique gameplay experience. What most people don't realize is that you can't just make a bunch of beautiful structures, slap some spawns and weapons on it, and post it and expect it to be great. It takes patience, weeks (or months, in my case) of testing, tweaking, and proper spawn and weapon placement. Take Sassafras, the map AceOfSpades and I have been working on, for example. We've spent countless hours trying to make thee map the best it could be. We've worked hours upon hours trying to create a memorable experienced involving some crazy new ideas that you rarely see in maps anymore. A majority of the people who have played it have had a good time and complimented on it's new ideas. If we haven't been spending all the time testing, tweaking, and testing some more on it, fewer people would say things like that, because compared to the very first version of the map and the most recent tweaks, it's gameplay has grown better and better. Basically, what I'm trying to say is that beginners might have an easier time making their creations, but that doesn't mean their maps will play fantastically. All ghost merging is going to do is help beginning forgers who don't understand things such as spawn and weapon placement and the like pump out mediocre, yet eye pleasing maps. The only thing Ghost Merging changed was the way those mediocre maps looked.
It's a good thing as well as a bad thing all at the same time. The good that comes out of it is that more inexperienced forgers can now express their map ideas and design without being the most talented of a forger. Also more experienced forgers can now do more things including making there initial forging job as well. Ghost merging also is making more things possible in forge... The bad that comes out of all of this is that more inexperienced forgers are now doing things that use to seperate forgers from now forgers. Theres now a very limited line between who's a good forger and who's a bad forger.
Thats exactly what I thought. I fully understand Map Design is hard to master but as DeKnoz said, is that more inexperienced forgers are now doing things that use to seperate forgers from now forgers.
Geomerging was just a waste of time, for the most part. It was for those who had the time to merge random objects into a wall, just to make it look good. BUT now, ghost merging has helped those who were: A) Bad at geomerging B) Didn't have the time to geomerge I think the majority fell under B... So now people who didn't forge precisely due to forge taking too long, will now come back because the time needed to make a single map has been reduced by about an hour due to not having to geomerge the "old" way. It's only helped, IMO.
Okay, I have read through this entire thread, and you, in my opinion, need to stick to a side, You had your opinion about ghost merging, slowly as the thread went on, you changed the opinion saying you don't think it's harming forge, and then as soon as a guy posts something similar to what you were saying you're back to your old opinion. Make your opinion, stick to it, regardless of what others are saying. You don't need other people to post before you agree with ... yourself? Again, as many other people have stated, gameplay rules over aesthetics! It doesn't matter if inexperienced forgers pick up ghost merging and create some crazy structure, it all falls back on gameplay. Which alot of inexperienced people overlook. This thread is pointless, I vote lock.
Although it's Forge related, should this go in Debate? It's becoming more of a debate, now, although we've pretty much established a good premise on ghost merging. Personally, I love it! Being new to this community, an easier, faster way to Forge is just better for me. Plus, I have a short attention span. Ghost merging helps to avoid that. Again, even if n00bs like myself can create crazy-ass structures, they still might fail epicly on gameplay. Even spawn points can make a difference. It all boils down to gameplay. I too vote for a lock.
I'm very happy with the ghost merging.Because things you couldn't forge perfectly. You can forge now perfectly. Like forging the air is now perfect able!
What the OP says is pretty much the same thing as saying MERGING (Non-Geo) is killing forge. The ghost merge allows people to FINALLY make stuff they couldn't do without throwing their controller. Many people had trouble with geo-merging. (I did, too. The box kept being at an angle.) Now, in a matter of an hour, they can design an amazing map that previously would have taken WEEKS to just partially complete it.
If anything, ghost merging has drawn in many more forgers. All it has done is made forging less time consuming and makes things much easier. By "killing forge" do you mean making it less original because everyone can create better merged maps? If so, then no it is not because forge has always been about imagination, not how hard it was to make a map.