Introduction Good'ay

Hello There!

Although it's been quite a while since I've registered, I've not really used my account until this time. Therefore, I thought it appropriate that I introduce myself as Moxus.

I joined ForgeHub back in April after hearing several times that this site is one of the main bodies for Halo 3 Forgers, and for the exposition of maps, map variants, and game-types which those persons have made. While I have only been Forging for a little more than half a year, I come from a background of design stretching as far back as Bungie's Marathon Infinity. Allow me to elaborate:

Since a young age, I've found myself enjoying the virtual worlds of video games. I started out sitting on my father's lap, where, as he moved and looked, I would shoot two-dimensional enemies in the mixed environments of Marathon: Infinity. After a bit of a hiatus, I found myself back at Marathon, this time much older, and independent of my Father. Through Marathon (now played through Aleph One), I was exposed, for the first time, to an online community, by the text-based chats between myself and the other, fairly regular players of Alpeh One's Multi-player. It was here, in the fast-paced world of Marathon, that I formally adopted the name "Moxus", as my online avatar. After some time kicking around Aleph One, I found myself in Marathon's map builder (Forge), creating simple structures and map designs. Over time, I became versed enough in the craft that I created basic single-player-style missions, allowing myself and my father to go up against scores of enemies as we fought through my underground arenas.

One evening, as usual, I found myself talking with a few other players in the pre-match lobby. Somehow, the topic of Halo came up amidst our conversation. I had been casually interested in the game for a while, but, due to my lack of an Xbox or PC (I'm a Mac user), I was unable to take a good look at the game. In our conversation, one of the players informed me of the existence of Halo Demo, a Mac trial version of Halo: Combat Evolved, available for free. I leapt at the chance to play, and, after recieving a URL for download, I, for the first time, played in Halo: PC.

With the more advanced game-play, better graphics, and vehicles, I was soon spending less time on Aleph One, and more time on Halo. With more time being spent on the Demo, it didn't take long for me to discover the presence of modding on the watered-down version of the first game. You see, on Halo Demo, modding is a way to inject new content into the otherwise limited game demo (After all, the same old Blood Gulch and Silent Cartographer do get old after a while). For Halo Demo, modding is discussed and published on a set of forums called Macgamingmods.com, known simply as "MGM" to most Halo Demo players. I became a part of this community more than two years ago, a complete newb at modding Halo Demo. Over time, and with the care of several members, I became a competent modder, producing several creations to the public, and the head of a modding group, The Collective. In some of my later work there, I found myself drawn to map making more and more: Although unaware at the time, my "mods" gradually became less the conventional sense of the word, and more experiments in the realm of map dynamics. As time passed, I became aware of this gravitation toward the creation of a new map, eventually culminating in the creation of my first map "Crossing."

Summer soon came, and, following Crossing, I gradually became enticed by the colorful and detailed spaces of Halo 3. By the fall, the presence of many of my MGM buddies on Halo 3 provoked me to pick up a 360 and Halo 3, and move into the modern age. Once Halo 3 was in my hands and my Xbox setup, Forge was one of the first things I had a go at. At first, like modding, I was awkward, but persisted in Foundry for the fulfillment of my expanding range of map ideas.

Now, I feel that I have become a decent forger, and will hopefully be releasing some of my pent up creations to the public for use. I look forward to your comments and feedback, whether good or bad, and the opportunity to join the broader Forging community.

-=Moxus=-

 

Don't you worry, I have no intention of doing any modding for the Xbox 360 :happy:, just Forging. My modding stays firmly within the realm of Halo Demo, where it is an accepted practice.

Thanks for the comments guys, and for offering your expertise! I'll be sure to call upon you if I'm in need.

-=Moxus=-