I wanted to start this thread as a repository for general advice that applies to lots of the new forged maps that are appearing daily. Post anything you think a lot of people could benefit from. Here's mine, and what motivated me to make this thread: Ramps and catwalks and bridges are cool, but not so much if that's all there is to the map. I think people are making these kind of maps a lot for a few reasons - they tend to look really cool from overhead; they remind them of features on maps they loved in the old games (like the wall catwalk on Hang 'em High, the Froman catwalk on Last Resort, the bridges on Ascension, the walkways on Lockout/Blackout, etc.); and the bridges and platform pieces are some of the best-looking default pieces that don't require much work to put together into something that's not just flat, open space. But to me, a lot of the fun combat in Halo involves movement in spaces that are at least somewhat open, places where you can strafe and jump and run. Little spartan-sized tubes and walkways should be kept primarily for getting you from one place to another; they shouldn't be the main combat zones or make up the bulk of the map.
I also have a problem with that. Unfortunately its become the stereotype of a bad/noob map. Personally I think its just part of the territory. People who want to make varied geometry with more open spaces and better flow, are the type of people who spend WEEKS on maps, sometimes months. Most of the mapmakers guilty of this are not willing to spend that kind of time. Give it a month or two more and i think the nooby trends will be fading away.
Cosign. The biggest problem to me is that these FX as Bungie made them are unfortunately not subtle, so once you've seen one Juicy map, you've seen 'em all - barring people who have a creative FX combination or put their map in a weird place that makes the effect look different. I understand the impulse - it gets boring playing hundreds of Forgeworld maps with the same basic feel to them. And I was seriously looking at using the Purple filter to darken my cave map until I found that it was too dark to be fun. On the other hand, when you start out trying to make your map stand out, you end up just blending into the increasingly large pack of "FX maps." I think creative aesthetics using structure pieces and things like that is a better and more creative way to distinguish your new map, for the most part. (Of course there are exceptions though.)
It's hard to find something that hasn't been done before, especially within the limits of forgeworld. I personally focus on maps based on completely different gameplay, but the consequence is that these are incredibly difficult to build and take months to finish.
To resurrect this thread, one thing I'm seeing too much is maps that are largely forerunner/metal but integrate little patches of rocks for no clear reason. I am definitely in favor of mixing up the look and gameplay as much as possible, which I'm sure is why people do that - and I think it's quite possible to do this in a way that looks good and organic. But most mapmakers don't. Quite a lot of these maps just look like a metal room with some rocks merged into the floors and walls. Along the same lines there are several maps that make use of the water really weirdly. I really like partly submerged maps, but it looks bizarre when the floor is just an inch or two into the waterline - the waves moving around end up creating what are basically appearing and disappearing puddles. I think people should take more care in making these things look natural.
For me, a big deal breaker when it comes to maps is foliage clipping through solid objects, like grass, shrubbery, tree branches, etc. clipping through the metal Forerunner structures... just doesn't look right. Another no-no for me is remake maps, but this is just a personal opinion. I mean, I played Lockout in Halo2, then again in Halo3, I don't want to play it again in Reach, and already there is a hundred remakes posted here at Forge Hub. I know this isn't really what this thread is about because it's not really a constructive criticism but more of a gripe, but yeah.
I agree with that. It's just needlessly sloppy. I can understand that. I actually like the (good) remakes but when I see a Lockout remake thread now, I just shake my head. We have plenty. The gold rush is over - if you're going to remake anything now it should be obscure, not something that everybody loves and that has already been remade literally hundreds of times.
My biggest criticism - expecting people to forge better without giving them direct criticism on their maps (read: their map posts). >_> It's simply self-defeating.
****ING WATER MAPS. And when people just plop one of the building pieces (2-story tower, bunkers, etc) into the middle of their map. These pieces are useful, but just throwing them around is lazy.
Like completely underwater, or just using some water? I like water when it's used well but it's getting to be a cliche, and kind of pointlessly so. Agreed. I'm already sick of them personally, they are so instantly recognizable that they pull me out of the map. My biggest problem is that they are so specific - the buildings all very obviously come from Lockout and Ascension, so it's hard to not make them feel like a transplant from the original maps.
I agree... I don't like using the preset buildings, and if I do, I change the way it looks drastically to the point where you don't even recognize it as one of the presets... but even then, I'd rather construct my own buildings (walls/ceiling/floor/entrance) from other pieces... I like trying to keep things original, which is why you will NEVER see a remake from me. Ever.