Map Description

1. 

   
   
   Hangar is an asymmetric 2v2 design that excels at Slayer and Strongholds.
   It is also set up for Oddball, Assault, and Neutral CTF.
   
   But first..., a brief look back through history
   
   
   
   This design has been floating around for several iterations of Forge, but it had its start way back in the early days of Halo Reach, spurred on by Nexn and the creativity he demonstrated on his map “Icarus.”
   
   I still remember being blown away by his use of “Brace Larges,” flipping them around in as many orientations as possible. The unique shape of this specific decorative piece provided unorthodox angles all throughout his design, and it really broke up the monotony of Reach’s incredibly stale forge pallet.
   
   As any good forger would do, I blatantly riffed on Nexn’s style, cranking out a design of my own while emulating the aesthetics that he was pioneering. The result was Hangar, one of my all-time favorite projects, and one that honestly hasn’t aged too badly over time:
   
   
   
   Of course, the map was smaller back then: with fewer routes and a stronger emphasis on 1v1 gameplay. Nevertheless, this became one of the many designs I wanted to revisit when I plunged back into Forge in 2015. Chief on my list of revisions was additional routes and a more generous scaling to accommodate not only the faster pace of Halo 5, but also an increased player-count.
   
   It has since evolved into a much roomier map that tries to maintain the distinct feeling of being within a UNSC base. This newest version demands that players adapt to a variety of ranges as they move from one area to another contesting the map’s dueling powerups.
   
   H5 Hangar WIP:
   
   
   Hangar is a simple, linear design, but its asymmetric layout and assortment of Power Weapons provides players with the opportunity to get creative with how they approach the map.
   
   As one would expect, the Sniper Rifle is king, but don’t sleep on the Hydra — It’s surprisingly effective on this map. Plus, there is something wildly exhilarating about arcing lock-on rockets on an indoor map. Down low, the Plasma Pistol is a more subtle tool for success. It’s ability to counter the Overshield rewards players on both sides who strive to keep it out of enemy hands.
   
   This brings us to the main event: the powerups. Overshield and Active Camo spawn cross-map from one another, encouraging dynamic gameplay and constant movement from one side of the map to the other. They are both extremely powerful, so make sure to coordinate your team's movements around when and where the next powerup is spawning.
   
   
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   As an after-note: I really took great pains to make Hangar’s play-space interesting, angling my walls, lofting my ceilings, and paying particularly close attention to details I would normally let slide. Seeing this community's work really inspired me to step up my game from an aesthetics perspective. I’ve always been more focused on gameplay and design, but the sheer ridiculousness of what some forgers have been able to create in this game has forced my hand. Spending so much time without seeing structural progress felt like pulling teeth... but hopefully it was worth it. With Hangar, I really want to give players an immersive experience, selling the idea that this combat arena is just one part of an expansive, sprawling UNSC base.
   
   As always, my appreciation goes out to everyone who helped me through this process, but a specific thanks goes out to Seth, who wasted a lot of nights throwing around ideas and who constantly seemed to have faith that a few simple object switches would fix the horrifyingly bland aesthetics of earlier versions of the map.
   
   And to those who inspired me to strive for a map that stands out… I really wish you guys would just make uglier maps!
   
   Download and enjoy!
   
   
   
   Gamertag: "Solo XIII"
   Download Hangar

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