Progenitor

I got a FFA slayer game in this, and I loved it, but I feel like the hammer is a bit too powerful, its just such a small area. just a suggestion, I haven't found anything wrong with the map though. I want to know what you make next!

 

Wow! This has gotten a lot of positive attention in my few days away from the Halo scene. I'm glad everyone's liking it so much! Hmm, yea. We had those tops plugged up before but the look was "meh" when we did that. Just a lil' killzoning to fix that up.

 

Apparently my last comment was spam, so here's a more constructive version. I like the pacing, surprising turrets, and quick placed gameplay.

Aesthetically I love the height, covie shields, The loadout Cams, AA choice, and walls.
I enjoyed working on this with you, and bouncing ideas around. You have done well indeed. I enjoyed working with you guys on this.

 

I've see countless forge maps use this same description. Just something I noticed...

Anyways, I really like the design. It looks like spawn killing will be kept to a minimum with all the different corners and height variations, but the gameplay will still be fast paced. It also has a really unique look, since it doesn't look like your standard Forge World map.

Nice job.

 

This map is just beautiful. Seriously, you guys did a great job on this map, my friends and I just played it and it was a lot of fun. It looks great, and plays great as well. Well done.

 

i played a 3x3 game on this map and i was really pleased with how the map plays, you used some of the pieces available in forge world in ways i hadn't seen (or noticed) before. I like how you used, what i believe is, the bottom of the xxl platform to make the floor. it looks really smooth and it more interesting than just a 4x4 or 5x5 piece. Great map, i look forward to seeing you make some more than are this well playing and aesthetically pleasing.

 

PROGENITOR​

Before I start I would like to say to Crypto that this is an amateur review that I am using for my Review Hub application. So by all means, ingore everything I say

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In terms of enjoyment I have to say this map disapointed me. Although the layout and balance of gameplay is picture perfect, for me there was just no "spark". The reason for this was in my opinion, you're choice of weapons. What would have made the gameplay electrifying is a choice of weapons that exemplified the fast-paced layout of the map, and of course the fast-paced nature of the "Throwdown" gametype. For example, you chose a gravity hammer as the central weapon of the map (at least for team games), a weapon that is very difficult to recover because of it's placement out in the open. The gravity hammer slows down play as I found it causes players to avoid each other and more often than not take to camping the walkways at the back of the map, where they can more or less become untouchable and still pose a significant threat, as a double-dose of DMR in the "Throwdown" gametype can dispatch a hammer-wielder in a matter of milliseconds. If this weapon was replaced with a projectile (perhaps a low-ammo rocket launcher) it would become a much more valued asset to players and keep the game flowing nicely. Furthermore, your choice of adding two plasma turrets is a mystery to me, as in game nobody uses them and if they did they would be dispatched easily with a DMR thanks to the "Throwdown" gametype's sleight damage increase.




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Progenitor's main asset for me is it's balance. On the map there is no dominant area, and no possibility of camping at all, leaving players to rely on teamwork to survive. For me this is one the aspects that makes it such a reasonable choice for the Throwdown tournament. The layout offers nothing for free; players have to work for every kill and no weapon or hotspot gives any kind of advantage that the other team can't overcome through teamwork and skilled play. The spawning also was faultless and not once did I spawn facing a member of the other team. The armour abilities are placed beautifully around the map and offer a great tactical advantage if they are used in the right ways. For instance the drop shield can effectively be used to hold the middle and also to squeeze a few kills out of the otherwise innefective gravity hammer. The evade placement does speed up the gameplay to an extent and accounts for some intense DMR battles that will no doubt become a trademark in the Throwdown tournament. This map fits the competitive category spectacularly, well done.




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Progenitor is completely innescapable, and all objects are smoothly interlocked for a fullified gameplay experience. All frame-rate lag has been fixed in the newest version of the map (although there was a little, in splitscreen mode). The spawn system is faultless for team games, however in free-for-all games with around 5 people sometimes you respawn facing another player and are trapped and instantly killed. This is down to the layout though, and I doubt it could be fixed by adjusting spawn placements. Also there is no way a player could deliberately set up a spawn trap.




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Progenitor boasts very subtle aesthetics, perhaps not intending to go too over the top due the prospect of frame-rate lag and making the map split-screen compatible. The idea of building the map over the "roof" of Forgeworld to enhance the colours of objects works is a good one which does help combat the dullness of brace larges. Also the use of windows does create a kind of "oudoor" feeling of the map, which I find resfreshing from typical compact indoor maps. If I have one criticism of the aesthetics it is that the map does seem "cluttered" slightly, but of course with the map being small, ample cover is needed to ensure balanced gameplay.



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The layout itself is where the originality lies in this map. Although at first glance Progenitor seems like the classic small rotationally-symmetrical competitive map, the gameplay style shows Crypto has succeeded in creating a fresh new experience for Reach. My first point; there is no advantageous control point on the map. An example of what i mean might be the top of gold gravity lift in Halo 3's Construct, or the sniper spawn on Boardwalk. This is brilliantly ideal for fast-paced free-for-all gametypes as it creates the illusion that the map is much bigger that it actually is, thus exemplifying the flow of gameplay. This is a trait that was practically non-existent in other rotationally-symmetrical maps such as Halo 2's Warlock.




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Average Score:

Enjoyment: 5/10
Balance: 9/10
Durability: 8/10
Aesthetics: 7/10
Originality: 7/10

Final Score

Understanding Review Hub's Ratings​

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I very much enjoyed playtesting your map and I wish you the best of luck in the "Throwdown" contest. Thanks,​

JFOX​

 

The damage increase make automatic weapons more powerful against dmrs, which still have the same put down rate as they did before. I assume the plasma turrets were intended to be ripped off and used as power weapons, which is a unique idea for a map.

 

I've played the map with the throwdown gametype many times, and trust me they aren't used at all. They are just so inaccurate when they are ripped off the damage they do is equivalent to a plasma repeater.