Penance By Shad0w Viper and chrstphrbrnnn Introduction by chrstphrbrnnn Penance, as some of you may recall, was the opening map for Forge Hub's 1v1 Conflict tournament. The original layout was mostly composed by my co-forge partner Shad0w Viper, and was his first completed solo layout. He brought me into to put on the finishing touches, weapons, spawns, aesthetics (lol) and tweaks (as well as the hard forging . The map took a surprisingly short time to forge. When Forge World came along forge became quite easy. It was nothing to forge an entire map in a night, especially when you already have a layout composed and tested. So that's what I did. My friend Rusty Eagle had some complaints about a lack of 1v1 maps in Reach and had liked the layout of Penance originally. So I thought hey, why not Forge it for him..honestly there isn't really a reason to even release it. However, when I showed it to Shad0w he was heavily impressed with the new look. Interestingly enough we took reverse roles on this Penance, where I was the one to do the brunt of the forging while Shad0w put in some finishing touches and aesthetic pieces. We were both so impressed with the final products we thought "Hey, why not re-release the map and bring the Conflict gametype back to Reach?" Here we are. Penance; Reachified. On top of this, we had some ideas with the layout of Penance if we were to tweak it, double it in a certain direction and change a few things. From this came our other two Penance maps, which are yet unreleased and are now very different from the original. While this Penance is very much the same, the others have been well worth the hours put into our so called "Penance Map Pack". We hope you enjoy Penance 1v1 and we look forward to seeing more 1v1 maps created for the Conflict gametype. For the new guys: Penance is a symmetrical 1v1 map which utilizes slightly height variations to the fullest. In most areas, the shift in height is of what would be equivalent to a half block from Halo 3. This allows players to use this height advantage in a fight without completely overwhelming their opponents with an advantageous position. The map, combined with the gametype, are very quick paced, high action playstyle that promotes fast thinking and clutch accuracy. Penance features a teleporter that brings you from one lower side of the map to the other higher side. A central tower is the highest point of the map and is often a contention point but never a good place to sit in the entire game. Weapons: -2xDMR -2xNeedle Rifle -2xPlasma Pistol -2xNeedler -2xPistol -1xShotgun -1xConcussion Rifle -4xPlasma Grenades -4xFrag Grenades -1xEvade Conflict Gametype Settings: Damage Resistance: 110% Shield Multiplier: Normal Shield Recharge Rate: 110% Health Recharge Rate: 200% Damage Modifier: 125% Melee Modifier: Unchanged Primary Weapon: DMR Grenade Count: No Grenades Player Speed: 110% Player Jump Height: 125% Player Gravity: 100% Motion Tracker: Enhanced Motion Tracker Range: Unchanged Download Penance Download Conflict
I cant believe i was the first to download. I always like your Halo 3 maps i cant wait to get in this map and play some games on it
'Bout time you posted this. I remember playing it a few times a week or two ago with Sweeny. Lots of fun for 1v1 map, IMO. It's certainly a good map and hopefully people will spurs their own 1v1 maps from this one. Of course, I don't think they'll be as good but who am I to say. So yeah, cool map and all, but it still gets a 2/5 for the fact it needs moar interlockz.
Wow, its really a shame that this map has such little comments and downloads, and that other maps with overrated aesthetics get more. Anyways, I remember this being tons of fun playing this for 1v1 with my friends back in halo 3, so I'm excited to get to play it again on reach
I've had so much fun playing this, especially with the new settings. I love, love, love it. This is one of the best layouts for a competitive map and it plays better in reach than it did in Halo 3.
i didnt even know this got posted. sad how fast things sink to the abyss these days. really enjoyed the testing sessions that i briefly had a part in. an all around solid map, definite keeper.
While I have yet to get a game on this, I'm sure that it'll be just as great as the original from Halo 3. Penance was easily my favourite map from the Conflict tournament and was also one of my favourite maps throughout Halo 3's lifespan. Hopefully I'll be able to get some 1v1's on this over the weekend. Good jobs guys. I can't wait to see the other maps.
Penance Enjoyment When creating any map, one of the biggest things in an intelligent forger’s mind is enjoy-ability. Simply put, a game that is not fun to play generally isn’t a very good game. Sometimes a map can be enjoyable because it is extremely fair and competitive, but more often than not the main cause is that it’s either unique, or has a strongly varied play style that leads to equally varied and original gameplay. Penance, has only one style of movement; really, really fast. While this is usually enjoyable, it might cause a problem for less skilled players because of how fast the pace becomes; as if anybody really cares on a game this enjoyable! The weapon layout was very good as well, and the game feels like it rides on the wings its Halo: 3 glory to help with elevating itself and adapting to Reach. The settings were somewhat extreme unfortunately. This caused a decent amount of disappointment for newer gamers who didn’t know the previous Halo’s engine well and forced nostalgia on veterans, instead of inviting them into the mood. On the other hand, it isn’t boring in the least to go flying around with Evade on high speed settings like a ninja! Balance The greatest source of fun in this map was also the biggest issue that was evident. Unfortunately, even though roaring around the map and flying across great distances when evading bullets is super cool and awesome, that same armor ability gave the player that picked it up a huge advantage. When coupled with the higher speed and slightly lower gravity it was possible to propel yourself cross map, a feat that may seem miniscule on such a small map yet still an issue for balance. Whomever picked up evade suddenly became a ninja, and fighting a ninja in Halo is extremely frustrating. The weapons had a few noticeable flaws and inconsistencies that should have been addressed by the creator when the map was transition over to Reach. On the surface it seems as if they were all intelligently placed and nothing is messed up, but in practice they were boring and felt much like every other map, and a few were slightly overpowering. It’s possible that more colorful additions/replacements may lighten up the mood and cause a more balanced experience for everybody. Weapons, in relation to the gametype itself, were a very fun representation of Halo: 3, except that they killed faster because of the higher damage. While it may seem like it takes longer to kill with the DMR than the BR because it fires more bullets, the issue is that you can fire six bullets from the DMR in about the same amount of time as the Battle Rifle. Five is all it takes to kill with the DMR, so it follows that the DMR kills faster already, and increasing the damage had very ill effects in terms of Reach’s mechanics. Despite all of these minor inconveniences, Penance had one defining area that made it so damn stellar. It has one of the most intelligent layouts there are, and is a prime example of how to build a map with perfect geometric design and flow. It is rare that we get a 1v1 map with little height variation that is this well built, because it is difficult to get a perfect balance in terms of the Lines of Sight. Penance achieved this, and more. Because of that it deserves a rather high number for Balance. Durability This map took advantage of the new forge options to the fullest, and made certain that it starred in durability. The spawn system, while slightly weighted towards a few select spawns, is still very proficient in spawning players at a reasonable distance from their death and opponent’s line of sight. The map, being completely enclosed, is theoretically unbreakable in terms of geometry and holds true in practice. Not one single hiding spot or impossible ledge could be found giving one player any undo advantage. Aesthetic Penance seems to have tried its best to recall its almost sewer-like aesthetic theme from the bowels of Halo: 3, however, the success of this is questionable. The use of walls to create the gutters was very unique, and adding the water-filled death pits also was an interesting choice. Players tended to “explore” that area at inopportune times, and the map may have benefitted somewhat from the removal. The aesthetic and general feeling that they cause may outweigh the slight null on gameplay. On the other hand, the very clean and hospital look that came with the object choice is a wonderful addition to the map, and small details such as the pillars on the lowest floor help keep the rating above average. Originality Originality; how do you judge it on a remake? Well, the answer is simple. You don’t take the original into account at all. In the sea of Halo: Reach maps, there is not nearly enough diversity and aesthetically pleasing creations. Penance is right there with the others in terms of the overall theme. Gameplay was interesting to say the least and had a very intuitive flow to it, unfortunately being well-built alone is not enough to warrant mention as original. The choice of Evade as the Amour Ability on-map was supremely fun even if it did cause some negative effects when coupled with the different gametype settings. Speaking of, the gametype itself was a very fun representation of Halo: 3, even if it was slightly overdone. This maps use of the the Spartan Laser was one of the coolest things about it in Halo: 3, and the Concussion Rifle is a wonderful replacement even if it isn't a parallel. [floatleft]Enjoyment Balance Durability Aesthetics Originality[/floatleft]9/10 7/10 9/10 7/10 7/10 Seven-point-eight? For this map? I think not. The gameplay itself is simply amazing, its superbly fun, fair, and all around special. So rare is it to find a map that stands out above the crowd of maps so completely that it eclipses them, and those few that do REQUIRE attention. There isn't really even enough to criticize about this map for a worthwhile post. So i have to say, because of its superb build, Penance deserves a rating of 8.4; a whole .6 above its original. M A P . R A T I N G Understanding the Review Hub's Ratings