Let's be honest; how many unfinished 2v2 blockouts do you have in your drafts? Lacking motivation to finish them? Perhaps you've lost interest in Halo's forge in favor of a more active content creation community like, I don't know, ModNation Racers on the PS3. Whatever your strife, ForgeHub's got your Mjolnir-clad back! (We promise not to assassinate you.) It's my privilege to announce the official details and launch of our latest foray into forge contests; the 2v2 Contest Boogaloo, and the last time this staff ever lets me name anything ever again!

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Since we're no stranger to this type of competition, (and since it's ridiculously hard to keep typing with the length of my nails) I feel it's best to dive right into some details in the form of questions from the community brought to you by this contest's curator, Sethiroth. Take it away, Sethiroth! Take it far, far away.

Q. Okay, who are the judges?

A. So, I've decided to go with a mix of staff and community members for this contest. The people I have chosen to judge alongside me are Whos Blaze, Max Extra and S0ul Flame. We also will have a few back up judges on standby.

Q. What maps are eligible to be entered into this contest?

A. The main point of this contest is to showcase new and unique content that’s fresh off the press. So, with that being said, maps that were fully finished and released to the public anywhere before August 1st, 2019 will not be eligible for this contest. No map remakes from any IP will be accepted. The 4 main judges will not be eligible to compete in this contest. Submissions will be limited to 3 per person.

Q. When is the deadline for this contest?

A. We will have a longer deadline than usual to allow for more polished content. The Deadline for the contest will be 11:59pm PST on January 1st 2020. All maps must be officially posted on ForgeHub and Submitted to the correct thread before the end of that day. We will not be allowing any editing to maps after that point. Maps will be submitted as is. Changes made post-deadline will result in disqualification; no exceptions.

Q. What gameplay settings will be used for judging?

A. We will be using Slayer HCS with some slight modifications. Those changes will be:

• NO RADAR
• 15 minute rounds
• 25 kill limit.

You can also download the ForgeHub 2v2 game type here. (Waypoint link not working, will update soon)

Q. Is this a 343i Matchmaking contest or a ForgeHub Contest?

A. This is a ForgeHub contest. This is not associated with 343i. We are running this contest so you guys can make awesome maps and make them the way you want. Go crazy! You want Teles? Lifts? Keys? Something completely new? Go for it!

Maps will be graded based on 4 key factors.

• Layout
• Gameplay
• Aesthetics
• Polish

We will be rating each Category on a 1-5 scale.

1. = Broken
2. = Needs Improvement
3. = Average
4. = Really Good
5. = Outstanding

We will be using this rating system to help narrow down the maps. Here is a detailed look into each category:

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Layout - In this Category we will be judging the map's layout. How well made is the flow/pathing of the map? How are the Macro/Mirco design aspects of the map? Are all the positions of the map balanced? How thought-out are the Lines of Sight? Does the map have any unique or creative features to it?

Gameplay– In this category we will be looking at how well the gameplay functions on the map. How is the pace of play? Do the spawns work as intended? How well do weapons interact with the map and each other? Does any part of the map break during gameplay or allow an unfair advantage for one team? Does the map offer any variety of play-style and/or strategies? Are the encounters enjoyable/memorable? Do any map mechanics or scripting interfere/hinder the gameplay?

Aesthetics – This category will judge the visual presentation of the map. Does the map provide a strong and/or creative theme? Is there appealling Lighting/Atmosphere present on the map? Do the aesthetics add or subtract from the map gameplay? Does the map have any readability issues due to art?

Polish – Now here we will be looking at how well you paid attention to the bells and whistles. Does your map have any frame drops issues? Is the map contained correctly? Do objects jut out or cause bumps while playing? Are their intro and exit cam? Is there any Z-fighting? Is there any name volumes and/or memorable landmarks for callouts? Are weapons showcased clearly? Are weapons properly balanced with thier timers and ammo counts? Are there broken clambers?

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Each round of judging, more than 50% of the maps will be eliminated until we get to the Final 8. At this point, maps will go head-to-head and the Judges will discuss the maps until we get final placings. We will then send out invitations to the finalist so that they can describe their work better for us. Max Extra and I will be streaming our playtest sessions and judge discussions live. S0ul Flame will write his thoughts down on his playtest as he goes. So, if you're wondering why your map was cut, you will be able to hear/see why. The final maps will NOT be discussed live but will be recorded. We will release the recording at the same time as the results so it can be a surprise reveal.

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Here are some statements from our judges detailing what they're looking for in this contest.

Sethiroth – CREATIVITY!!! I have played too much Halo 5, so I am looking for maps that display and execute well on creative/original ideas in ANY category. Gameplay, layout, and/or aesthetics. I am looking for the FULL PACKAGE when it comes to these maps. Make sure that your unique ideas still play well.

Soul Flame – Gameplay above all else is what I'll be looking for the most. Face paced, slow and methodical, or anything in between. Hit me with a map that knows what it wants and does it well.

Whos Blaze – I’ll be primarily looking at accessibility and polish aspects. Spawn Orientation, smooth snagless geometry, etc. Bonus points for creative movement options and nerdy tricks that elevate the meta.

Max Extra – I'm looking for new and adventurous ideas that provide a fun and enjoyable 2v2 experience that can be enjoyed the 1st and the 200th time. Something that departs from the cookie-cutter approach of typical maps and expresses a certain unique and personal essence that still provides balanced gameplay. On top of all of this, I want to see the attention to detail when it comes to the polish of the map, how well contained and accessible it is in particular.

ForgeHub Prizing

• 1st Place: $500 + ForgeHub T-shirt

• 2nd Place: $350 + ForgeHub T-shirt

• 3rd Place: $150 + ForgeHub T-shirt

*** Only 1 prize per contestant. If contestant places multiple times, then prizes will go to next contestant down after them. ***

Submit Your Maps Here before 11:59PM on January 1st, 2020!​

Well that sure is a lot of info to process! If you somehow have any more questions or curiosities, please feel free to drop them below in this thread for myself or Sethiroth to answer! The submission thread will be uploaded much sooner than previous contests, so be on the lookout! I can't wait to see how many exciting new maps will come to fruition in the 2v2 market! So grab three friends, one friend and two mortal enemies, or just four controllers yourself (sigh) and get to it!

Until next time, we're signing off!

ConnieCat
ForgeHub Community Coordinator

Sethiroth
Contest Curator/Judge​