Forge City: Downtown vGold "Get a boost or get wasted, this metropolitan city block has something for anyone. " *The Final Version is here! Very different from the images below.* Will update images soon Click to see the changes between versions: Spoiler > Fixed barriers > Fixed diner lights > Fixed safe zone > Fixed respawn timers on Hogs and Gooses > Added barriers around Rockets > Removed a window from Diner > Made Spiker and PP more noticeable > Blocked off small hole in Elevators > Removed a Cover from Diners > Added brace to skybridge > Added really large barricades around the map > Lowered the vehicle garage > Smoothed out bumps > Relocated some weapons > Add support for all base gametypes except Invasion, Rally, and King of the Hill > Added additional havens > Fixed Race checkpoints, Stockpile flags, and other objectives > Rockets and GL illuminated to be made noticable > Tents redesigned again > Spawns fixed > Stripper Pole flipped > Stockpile, Landgrab, and Race objectives fixed > Added extra propane tanks and other fine details about the map (such as manhole covers) > Added kill zones to rocks behind Red Base > Remodeled Tents > Changed design on glass windows and removed some other windows > Shifted the Elevator to the side and removed laser doors > Remodeled some awnings and the fire escapes > Fixed Flag Spawns > Added concussion rifle and gravity lifts to Underpass > Some weapons and grenades relocated > Blue Base moved 10 coordinates to align with Red Base > Ally-ways have been added to each building between the Hallway and Diner > Underpass railings removed > Small tunnels provide alternate access to Ghost at Underpass, which you can exit via a teleporter that takes you to the building on top > Teleporter at HQ allows you to teleport to the top story Lobby > Race initial spawn fixed > Fixed initial spawns and aligned starting platforms > Raised the side HQ up and slanted windows > Removed 2 plasma grenades > Replaced sign at Post Office with awnings > Changed colors in Underpass to brown > Added kill zones underneath Tents > Replaced Covenant Crates with Barriers and Sandbags in Diner with Covenant Crates > Relocated DMR and Needler > Added detail to Diner lights > Added cover outside of the Diner > Removed a back wall from top Lobbies > Moved Flag Return Zones to spawning Platform > v7 now works with Race, Territories, and Headhunter > Replaced Gravity Hammer with Ghost > Added "Stripper Pole" to Evening Pub > Made Shotguns more noticeable > Fixed Safe Zones > Post Office and Bus Stop have been swapped with each other and are now in opposite places. They've also been redesigned slightly > Rockets moved to opposite side of map > The Underpass has slightly been remodeled > Some walls were changed on the exterior of the Diners and an Awning was added > The Lobbies have been redesigned so the Sniper isn't able to shoot at the Elevator > Grenades added around the map > Railings added to the sides of the map Build Smart! Forge City is a collection of City-Style maps being forged by the Halo community. We're basically building different styles of Urban maps and "connecting" them together. To connect them, we must have a distinct location where another part of the map would go. The following map, Downtown, is one part of Forge City. For more details, visit this thread on Bungie.net. Downtown is a metropolitan map loosely based off of Rat's Nest. It mimics a city block and centers around a couple of 2 story buildings with 5 explorable and realistic rooms. If you wish to bypass the image explanation, here's a Video Walkthrough on Youtube In this thread, I've linked Version 4. There will be some minor differences between the images here, the video, and the final map, because they were taken between versions 2, 3, and 4. This map was built solely by me over the course of 8 hours. So without further ado, let's get the tour started! From this angle, we see the left side of the Red Building. The gravity lift to the bottom corner takes you to the fire escape, which is also accessed from the second story of the building. Each building features a Garage, Storage Room, Lobby, Hallway, and a Diner, as you will see below. Here's a back view of the Red Building (as in, where Red Team spawns). To the bottom right, you can see the Storage Room, which is where a Plasma Pistol, Spiker, and a Health Pack spawn. For objective games, the Stockpile, Flag, and Assault goals spawn here. You can hop right over to the Garage to mount a Mongoose or Warthog. The Hallway room on the bottom left cannot be accessed from the Garage due to a glass window. It leads to 7th Street in the middle of the map, and spawns 2 DMRs. If you take a sharp right from inside the Hallway, you can enter the Sunshine Breakfast. The Hallway now has a Window in it for cover. The Diner above is the Evening Pub (bar), which establishes the nighttime setting of this side of the map. It and the Sunshine Breakfast were inspired by the diner from the TV show Seinfeld. In this shot, we have a closer look at the bar counter. As homage to the cliche, the shotgun spawns behind there for the Bartender! Notice the Flatscreen TV in the background as well; Those little eye-catching and realistic details are what add depth to this map. Sunshine Breakfast is the Diner on the opposite side of the street. Its most noticable difference is the Television being smaller and the light being Orange, as well as the sign being right-side up (to signify waking up). Something interesting to note about the Sunshine side of the map is it's near the waterfall. This makes noise, adding to the "morning" vibe. In essence, this creates two distinct sides, since the Nighttime area is quieter. Here's 7th street in all its glory. The incline leads to the Underpass, which is a tunnel that houses a Gravity Hammer. Had Forge World come with an increased Budget, I would have extended the tunnel further and added more buildings to this side of the map. The Bus Stop with Rockets. I've since remodeled the railings to free up Budget. Build smart! Remember, for Version 6, this and the Post Office have switched sides on the map, yet they retain their weapon placement. The sidewalk of Red side. This is a simple lobby that adds depth to the map. A healthpack spawns on the Brace, and a Sniper and Needle Rifle rest on the Banks you see immediately after arriving via the Elevator. Directly in front of you by the crates is an open window, allowing you to shoot to the other team's Lobby. I originally had the Objectives spawn up here, but it can be easy to hold the buildings and it'll lead to slow gameplay. The second Story's main use is to access the Sniper or the Sky Bridge, which you see in the following shot. The Fire Escape has a Propane tank for that extra realism as well. If the Sniper Rifle placement becomes a problem and people start sniping you as soon as you go up the elevator, I will add more cover to the Elevator and/or relocate the Sniper. Keep in mind that this map is still in the beta phases of testing. Here's an overview of the map. This was an older version, and the garden in the building Lobbies has been replaced with the Brace tunnel (once again, build smart!) I've added an Overshield in the middle of the Skybridge as well, providing additional incentive to use the Lobbies. I just hope Bungie patches it so we can see the Overshield being used! The Above image is of the Post Office, which houses a Turret and a few grenades. It's a simple yet unique structure that I try to incorporate on all my City maps. I've added rocks to the exterior since this photo. There are spawns set up for Green Team here. This is the Tent, which houses a Grenade Launcher and a Flag in Stockpile. Here's the run-down of what you can find on the map: DMR x8 NR x6 Grenade Launcher x 2 Gravity Hammer x1 Rocket Launcher x1 Sniper Rifle x2 Plasma Pistol x2 Spiker x2 Needler x2 Shotgun x2 Warthog x2 Mongoose x2 Ghost x1 Concussion Rifle x1 Sticky Grenade x8 Frag Grenade x4 And there you have it! I have plenty more maps and films on my File Share, so feel free to browse around. I'm always open to feedback, suggestions, and ideas, so if you see anything you think could make the map better, don't hesitate to let me know. If you'd like to build a City map with me, send me a message on my GT. Thanks Forgehub!!!
looks good! ialways liked street based maps like turf! havent downloaded yet but will when i get the chance. from the pics, it looks like you need a lil more cover on the streets....never the less, will DL.
Awesome map Goat! I like city maps but most I've seen just look nothing like a city and just look like a jumble of random buildings. Got my dl.
Hmm.. a possible issue I've now seen is the Sniper Rifle placement. A sniper can watch your Elevator and snipe you as soon as you go up. That isn't going to be good for balance. It hasn't been tested yet, so that's what I have you guys for! If playtesting shows it as an issue, I'll relocate it. I don't think I'll need that to confirm it though, because I can already notice the problem.
LOL will see if I can free up budget and add it to the pub. ;-) EDIT: While adding the stripper poll, I found an error with the safe zone. It's been fixed, and version 6 is now linked [br][/br]Edited by merge: While adding the stripper poll, I found an error with the safe zone. It's been fixed, and version 6 is now linked. I also fixed some geometry, spawns, and made the weapons more visible. When I tested it last night, warthogs were being used as turrets on the spawning platforms, so I removed the ramp. I also put some railings around so you don't fall off. And there's a Ghost!
Best map I've ever seen. Keep it up! I really like the changes you've made between the versions. If anyone's looking for a fast-paced and well-built city map (as well as an aesthetically pleasing one), this is definitely the one to download. You have mine! Only one thing: Why did you place the Ghost back on the map?
After a quick run through what I can tell is that the buildings are nicely made and offer some good cover mechanics although there isn't a whole lot of choice in paths between buildings and to the second floor. I would have liked to have seen side entrances to the yellow structure and another way into the ghost garage as well. The more ways to get there the more interesting I believe. Overall its still a very solid design.
Good suggestions... I've heard a few people suggest a tunnel to the Underpass. I'll see if I can design that for v7.3. I also have a few spawns and checkpoints to fix with the Race gametype. Thanks for the feedback!
I'm following up to say I love this map so much! I haven't seen many issues at all. Great map! I love the final version. The ghost is also much better than the hammer, which was kind of useless to begin with. I would have loved to see more tunnels and maybe bridges, but that stinking forge budget is always there. Great usage of pieces.
Great idea looks good and bet it plays good you got my dl. Anyone help me out by clicking the link below downloading my Rebirth map and post me some feedback or msg my gt. It is my first map and I really want good feedback before I make a second map. http://www.forgehub.com/forum/reach-competitive-maps/112621-rebirth.html
Great map, I really like the whole Forge City idea, and this map is a great addition. I like the Overshield, I miss the old pickups
Hey I recognize you from B.net! Hope you enjoy your stay here at FH. Anyways, as more and more people are building BTB urban maps, and its getting more and more tempting to build my own, since they always seem to look (and hopefully play) great. A lot of the structures you built look great. The morning/night theme you have across the map is a cool idea. However, looking at the overview, it seems like a majority of the fighting will be in or between the two buildings. It seems like there is so much open space on the outside of the map that the only incentive to go out there will be to get whatever weapons re located out there, and then go back into the 'hot-zone.' Although I haven't played it yet, if a team were to not use any vehicles, they would probably always go straight ahead into the other team's building (or worse yet, camp their own :S). This kind of make vehicle's only job to stop them as they cross the street. Again, I haven't played it yet, that's just an observation. I'll try to get a game on it later and give you some good solid feedback.
Thanks for the feedback! It's only been tested 4 times between the 15 versions which were all geometry issues. Once it gets more playtime later this month, I'll make the necessary adjustments. Vehicles aren't supposed to play a dominating factor on the map, unlike Rat's Nest. The area that usually receives a lot of traffic during Slayer games only has a Turret, Ghost, and Concussion Rifle, so in order for players to get the Rockets they'll have to move and expose themselves. Rockets are illuminated, so they're very easy to spot. That side of the map receives a lot of traffic with Objective games though, so it really shines when you have players playing tactically and working together. A disorganized team can be scored on relatively quickly since the map is quite small. The top areas of the buildings were designed in a way so it's inconvenient for them to shoot at Rockets without exposing themselves. If one team decides to hold the top building (or the other team's buildings) the respawn zones should place the trapped team in a position to retake the buildings. It's one of those maps with a mix of CQB, long lines of sight, and vehicle action, so hopefully it all balances out. It plays best on classic player traits without Armor Abilities though.
I didn't play the YouTube video, but the freeze-frame of it reminds me of Crash Bandicoot. I'll download this for that. [br][/br]Edited by merge: After having downloaded this map, I have to say this is a great BTB map layout that I like much more than Gateway (which was awkwardly-built) but on both maps your spawns could really use some work. Too often the spawns lead you away from the action, or directly tell you what to do. You need to place spawns that allow the player freedom to feel like they made the choice of what to do, and they should be able to orient themselves easily. While your spawns have good cover, they're very poorly-placed in this map and often lead away from the action. The Spiker/PP/Health room near the start is a great example of a room with horrible spawns. Instead of being in a uniformed line leading to the back of the map, you could angle two on each side facing the opposite exit. For example, the spawns in the back corners of that room are fine, but the spawns on the health pack should join the side walls. Both spawns on the window-side wall should have enough angle to softly suggest at both the Warthog and the door, while the spawns on Warthog side should be almost the opposite while leading away from the Warthog. Also, the spawns outside of that room are very direct and plain. They're fine by themself, but sometimes just a slight angle can add more feel to a map.
Interesting. I will take a look at it and remedy the situation. Thanks for the feedback? Are there any other spawns in specific that you had trouble with?