So little time we have, and we spend it hunched over staring at our creations as they come to life, in some cases i know forgers who have clocked up thousands of hours on Halo building maps and never play on them because as soon as they finish they start building a new map. Its possable you don't know why. Maybe you have never thought about it, maybe its a way to escape reality, hours can pass by in the blink of an eye, maybe you want recognition and validation for how awesome you are or maybe you had nothing but a bucket of lego to play with as a child so its all you know?
I do it because i love making something new thats never been done before just for people to have fun on.
To get the girls, I always wear my "Professional Forger" or my "Reaching Perfection" shirts when I go out on wednesday night, it works
If you would, allow me to quote from the fantastic movie Inception . . . "It's the chance to build cathedrals, entire cities. Things that never existed. Things that couldn't exist in the real world."
Gotta agree with N3rdness on this one. I think it's for the same reason we play computer games period - it's just a form of escapism. Whether you are playing a competetive game or just messing about on forge, making a map that nobody will ever see; these are things that totally absorb your brain and take you out of the mundane everyday world you have to live in.
What can I say? I played with Lego when I was a kid. A lot. Guess the building bug never left my system. Seriously, the **** I made when I was a kid astounds me with its complexity today. I used to make mechanisms like pulley systems and (nearly) self-propelled vehicles. How, you ask? With rubber bands and a lot of free time to play around with Lego. I guess I just liked to find new uses for mundane pieces of Lego, and the same applies with Forge, I suppose.
I just have a creative streak in general. Ever since I was a kid I've always been creating something. Over the years at various times I've been heavily into art, fiction writing, music... basically I just feel most comfortable if I'm making something of my own. I think from the first moment I laid eyes on a shooter game (Doom) I wanted to build maps for it. I had visions of making a custom Doom campaign for friends to play - never did get around to that (I didn't fully understand the editor) but I'm glad to have Forge now.
Designing buildings in an artificial landscape is as much of an art as Frank Lloyd Wright designing some victorian home in the country, even while escaping the laws of physics. However, this art takes on an extra dimension entirely, when you factor in mechanics, flow, and spawning in actual game spaces. Creating a play area to curb the tide of war in the game while also keeping it aesthetically pleasing is an extremely delicate balance. It is rare to see a map that can handle both without one overpowering the other, while also keeping a fresh and original take on the matter. However, when that one person hits the nail on the head, damn is it good. inb4 that's what she said.
First and foremost, I find it to be an incredible outlet for my creativity. The amount of shear imaginative power that goes into a map is just astounding. And then there's the problem solving aspect. Forge has so many limitations, and creating work arounds and compromises is such a challenge, but so rewarding in the end when you manage to make it all fit together.
Serious answer this time I love everyones reaction when they see my maps, it's awesome to take peoples breath away with something you've build and knowing that they enjoy playing on your creations
I just enjoy designing, building, and all-around creating things; it's probably something that evolved out of me playing with Lego and K'nex all those years ago. Forging is simply "digital Lego" to me, it's simply a way to let imagination run free. Another interesting thing to see is how my forging skills have evolved with time, some of my earlier designs are laughably bad in comparison to what I make now (and I'm sure many of you have had similiar experiences). Forge also isn't the first level editor I've screwed around with, I've also tried out the editors for various RTS games... though I have to say that Forge has proven to be more suited to my tastes; a third-person action-adventure game would be even better for me (FPS games aren't the genre I enjoy the most in all honesty), but since when do those come with level editors? From a different perspective, I also view forging as "Design-Lite". I'm a studying civil engineering, so I'll be looking at designing everything from pipe networks to buildings to bridges within the next few years. A very interesting and challenging field of study, though at times it is hampered by some mundane issues that you have to work around (construction schedules, the laws of physics, design codes, bean-counters). Forging is a chance to simply let loose and make something without having to deal with minor problems that have a tendency to be major headaches. That being said, Forge is still quite limited in comparison to programs like AutoCAD... though the difference is that you're building the final product as it is, not just drawing of what will become that eventually. So yeah, it's fun to create things. Not much else needs to said, but where's the fun in that?
I just can't help myself... I have to forge... Seriously, when I forged Mutiny, what became the prototype to Flight Deck, I didn't tell anyone what we were going to play on the first game I hosted on it. Some people jumped in the banshee and flew out of the hangar. I didn't think much about it, but after they turned around to return to the ship, I heard one of them say, "This is an aircraft carrier!" That cry of excitement was worth every minute of my work.
I agree with you 100% that's also the main reason i do forging as well!!! [br][/br]Edited by merge: I know right, i get that itch sometimes were i want to design something in forge that just blows peoples minds and that's something that's not ordinary and plain but rather new and unused!!
The sad thing is, most of the time after I've created something new, Ill forget about it after its done. Sure, the link and everything will still be up, and people can download it, but I havent revisited any of the maps in my fileshare since I uploaded them. Next time I have a LAN night with the boys I might crank one or two of them out, but I dont play custom games very often. Its kind of an exercise in futility, but it does help me get my creative urges under control, since I dont play with Lego anymore.
Well said, good sir. Its also fun to play something you made with your friends, and you feel accomplished. And that is why we forge.