It should be noted** Interlocking is used when: -The visual appearence will be improved, or otherwise hindered without. -Gameplay is postively effected (grenades aren't lost in cracks, no shooting through holes) -Space is limited -Irregular Shape is needed. For instance: I have a map where each of these little..towers lets call them..have roofs. The roofs are composed of wall doubles layed side by side. Without going into forge and floating up and checking out the tiny cracks its really hard to even tell they aren't interlocked, especially in the middle of a heated battle. No grenades can fit through them, they don't cover the whole level so are needed for a complete enclosed feel. Absolutely NO need to interlock them. Now everything else on the map was interlocked, other than the decorative bridges on the front which serve a gameplay strategy when not interlocked. The reason I didn't interlock the ceiling walls or the front flat against the wall bridges: It would HINDER gameplay and in the case of the walls on the ceiling hinder aesthetics. If I would interlock the walls (or conjoin/fuse as I call it lulz), than the ceiling would be too small and I didn't have the materials to fix this. The bridges had little edges that provided a jump which changed the tower gameplay massively. See I listed both the uses and the negatives of interlocking.
I like how people are commenting how this is such a great topic when there was one pretty much exactly the same only a week or two ago. Anyway, heres my opinion: foundry maps without interlocking do generally suck. Sure it's nice to think that a great concept will make the techniques used in it irrelevant but really that's not how it happens, there are very few exceptions. The fun of foundry for me is maps that are truly made by the creator and are unique and interesting. If you don't use interlocking then yes you have placed the objects where you chose, but you are just following what bungie intended to happen. Using interlocking however enables you to make maps pretty much however you wish, any shape or any size, the creator decided how the map would look. It's kind of like comparing building blocks to 3DS Max in my mind. The guy with building blocks may have made a really cool house but he is still following the same formula as everybody else and no matter how he arranges them they will still just be an arrangement of the same old blocks. The guy with 3DS Max however truly designs what he makes and has unlimited possibilities. This is not quite what the topic is about, but personally I am bias against maps without interlocking. Why would I bother with another arrangement of blocks when I could have something uniquely crafted? I would never bash a map for not having it, but I also would probably pay no attention to it after a glance.
mallet, great point. However, you DID say that means there ARE exceptions(to an extent). You agree in a sense that it is possible for (so to speak) a "Building block house" to stand out, even among the "3DS Max" houses. The fact of the matter is, even one who is straight up saying "I DISAGREE", agrees that it is, in fact, use, not inclusion, that matters. 3DS Max may be good, but can never replace the good old building blocks. ö
For most of this, TL;DR. Cept Mallet, and the first post. In my opinion, Interlocking will always be the gold standard of useful forge techniques. Doesn't fit quite right? Doesn't look nice? Don't have the scenery to do it under normal circumstances? Bad grenade bounces? Interlock the hell out of whatever your doing. But interlocking complicates things immensely. You need to be good, fast, have good eyes, know what you want beforehand, and just be experienced before it becomes less of a chore. Also, haet 32 round limit. But my verdict is this. I won't judge a map off of interlocking, but on originality and the idea. But the fact is, you cant do original exciting things as often without interlocking. Every once and a while, I'll find a gem of win and god that isn't interlocked, and I usually recomend interlocking. Because unless your playing Default Foundry, interlocking will almost always improve a map by a factor of 5.
If you pay no attention to them, then how can you say they generally suck? How can you judge them one way or the other? What you've said here is a generalization. "Maps without interlocking generally suck." This seems rather elitist to me. If you'd humor me, I'd like to show you something. Something that everyone told me was insane and couldn't be done. It's not a forge or even part of a video game... but it is relevant. This is a typical jack-o-lantern: And these are jack-o-lanterns that I created using exactly the same tools and techniques as the one seen above: Most people who carve jack-o-lanterns professionally, as I do, use an advanced technique called shading. They are generally pretty biased toward non-shaded carvings. I also use this technique when and where it works best, such as in the following image: In much of my art, I often go against the grain. I like to show people that the impossible is possible.... that having the vision and drive to ignore mainstream bias can sometimes lead to great things. Skill is still essential. For every 100 artists, only a handful will be great. You'd need to sift through scores of mediocre or poor art to find the best of the best... but that doesn't mean it's not out there. It just means you won't find it if you don't look. Forging and map design are no different. The reason I brought up grifball earlier is because it, and it's forgotten counterparts, are extremely fun..., drawing a lot of players to a map that is essentially bare. I too have seen better designs. Ash55 has one that looks a lot better. In the end though, players are going to have fun whether it's in the bare map or in Ash55's "grifball" arena. It may be true that interlocking can take a map to the next level, but lacking interlocking does not automatically equate to a poor design. A simpler design... sure. But not necessarily poor. And finally, I think the reason people find this thread interesting is not purely based on the topic. I interlock the same as most of you do. I'm not whining because my maps are being ignored. I see a problem and I'm attempting to address it in a thoughtful manner. Obviously there are many people who agree to one degree or another. I'm heartened by that fact. I tend to keep an open mind and I like to see others do so as well. Don't get me wrong though. Constructive criticism is good. "Hey man, that map looks really good..., but did you ever consider interlocking these two blocks together?" That is good criticism. "Eh..., crappy map lacking interlocking." That is an example of bad criticism. My mother always said, if you don't have anything positive to say... then don't say anything at all. Well, enough of my soapbox rambling. I just downloaded Tie Hanger v2. I have to go check that one out. 'Night. -- Rev