This map I think is the 2nd or 3rd Featured Foundry map on FH. It's called Depot: This map was made by Shock Theta before Foundry. It's called Ball Pit: And this is the kind of Foundry feature we expect nowadays: All walls should be made from double boxes with only their flat underside showing. Geomerging is usually necessary. Interlocking should be second nature. Maps, so matter what their purpose, must have no bumps and be absolutely perfectly smooth. If you can't pulll that off perfectly, then you'll have to do something ****ing unbelievable to bag the feature. And it's ten times harder for you if you're not a coloured member Why is this the way features work now? It's better than having every single last resort mini-game featured, but don't you think we've gone a bit too far? That last picture wasn't froma featured map btw. It was from the map Tabularium made by "oO SLiK Oo". SLiK created Haunted Manor, a map featured in Bungie's living dead weekend playlist. He is not a cloloured member however, and I believe that this has an impact on how his map is judged too. I really think we've gone a bit extreme with the features now. Thoughts?
as time goes expectations get higher so standards have to be raised, that's how pretty much everything in life works. When a sport is first introduced, the few best players are considered pros, but as the sport grows they have to continuously get better or they wont keep up with the newer standards, its a vicious cycle.
These aren't bad things that these pictures show, it is advancement. However, sadly, people are now twisting things because it is only human nature to try and find an explanation for things, and more times than not they seek the complicated solution. However, the reasons that Interlocking, Geomerging, and smoothness now play a huge factor in the success of a map, is because it is a way to measure the commitment of a forger to his creation. These techniques aren't hard to use, they just take time. Therefore, the only real excuse for not using them is impatience. Let's take Map A and Map B for example. They both are made by non-colored members, both have feature worthy gameplay, and are both posted at the same time. However, Map A does not feature interlocking, and is unsmooth, while Map B does. Which, then, should be featured? Well, I would be inclined to feature Map B. By interlocking, the Map creator shows his dedication to his creation, making it the best it can be. Map A was good, but had the author just spent a little more time cleaning it up, it would have been much, much better. Forging Techniques have become a standard now because of what they represent, when back in the day they were a standard because it showed advancement in the Forging Art. Looking at Sandbox now, there are many instances where people don't have to interlock because it is smooth already, but those who have (and will) put that much more effort into their creation than the next guy who decides to leave things as is. Forging is a package, you have to have it all or might as well not have anything at all when standing next to other maps. Oh, and the thing about color members is asinine. We've featured plenty of non color maps, but I shouldn't even have to reply to this argument. That statement alone makes this whole thread look like another "Boo hoo, staff r corruptz". Everyone has a chance to be at the position I am now, I was a non colored member myself, as we all were at one point. Besides, Premiums have their rank from being superior forgers. Get over it.
That wasn't the main point i was getting at. I don't think any of my maps are feature-worthy either, all my maps are effortless tat just there as proof that I have posted maps before. I still don't believe in interlocking and geomerging a map to perfection, only to realise it's utter ****. Thats the problem with it, it's glitching. Glitching can have side effects such as the Z-fighting we're always seeing, and our relationship with Bungie slowly drifting away. However, I do admire our progress with forge, just not as much to the extent as the next person because I resent having to shove all the objects into the ground and inside each other just to stop the onslaught of "would be better if it were interlocked" posts whenever I post a map. It's becoming like a stereotype, and it sickens me. To further my point, I will soon be posting a heavily interlocked map, with some geomerging too. We'll see how it fares on the map posting board compared to the much more creative maps out there that have the odd bump in the floor or a lump in the wall that a player can just about stand on.
Z-fighting is easily taken care of, so that statement doesn't hold any water. Any 'relationship' that's strained between this site and Bungie is because so many people here act like elitist douchebags who think that anything not at Forge Hub is dogshit. Which itself is funny, because these same people haven't a ****ing clue how to make a map play well. On this, I wholeheartedly agree. If the Lazy Mapmakers Contest showed us anything, it's that interlocking shouldn't be a requirement. Most times it's necessary, sometimes it's not. One thing I can't stand is people telling the author how pretty is looks. Play the ****ing thing and comment on that. Please. I'd like to see some of these maps you're talking about that are falling through the cracks because of a lack of interlocking. The staff here sees and plays a lot of maps, so if you see one that you don't think is getting the attention that it deserves, speak up.
I see what you're saying, and I agree completely with half the story you are showing. But, as in life, we evolve (yes, god believers, we EVOLVED, no intelligent ****) and we find out new things, such as interlocking and geomerging. Therefore, the first standards were raised with maps such as "Gradient" that showed interlocking and geomerging for the first time. You can't show it without that information (the transfer info I mean) between the two periods, and expect it to be shown as perfectly true. Basically, if we lived this way, we would be holding telephones to our ears, and showering in tubs with a bucket to poor our already dirty water on our head. Or, we may still be drawing cave paintings.