Curvature is my attempt to realize a somewhat covenant-esque architecture in forge. No, it's not all purple and alien-looking, but it trades the usual square and blocky look of forerunner/human design for something a bit more... curvaceous. It also has a number of windows giving a beautiful view of Forge World's natural scenery, subtle but beautiful lighting, and a little nature as its centerpiece. Curvature is a small map designed for up to six players; it supports all standard competitive gametypes - plus Haloball, because why the heck not. This is my entry for $5000 budget contest. It comes in at just over 4900 in budget. For that price you get unique architecture, great gameplay, and silky smooth performance even on 2 player splitscreen (have not tested 4 players but I imagine it's similar). Weapons and equipment - 2 grenade launchers (150s respawn time, 3 shots) - 1 shotgun (90s respawn time, 6 shots, max 2) - 1 plasma pistol - 2 needlers - 2 health stations - assorted DMRs, grenades, and magnums Video YouTube - Curvature (Halo: Reach map)‏ Screenshots "WHHHYYYY LORD?!?!" "Did you just impale that guy with a shotgun..??"
This looks like a Great map. I love the constant theme of curved objects and the name. The rocks busting out of the walls look really cool. Looks like a Great map. I'll DL and then comment on Gameplay.
This is such a nice map lol. Quite honestly this is one of the more colorful bright and more creative maps I've seen in awhile. My only concern is with all of the lights a larger party of people playing the map could experience framerate lag at one point. If you have any budget left I'd suggest putting some decoration on the braces above the tree- It looks a bit bland. I do however like the fact that you incorporated a tree into the map. Personally I love it when people do that and I love it when people use lights on their maps as well. It's good to see you found a way to utilize a tree in an aesthetic way. One other thing I'd change if the lights don't cause FRL, I'd put above the coliseum wall, so they're actually part of the map rather than just an object. It's also less appealing. Having said that, I really love the way you represented this map and that you made a map curvy rather than boxy. I'll be giving this a DL. Great work, this is my favortite map of yours yet, let's hope it plays well.
Thanks for checking this out man, you have a great eye for aesthetics so your compliments regarding that are particularly appreciated! Regarding framerate the map has been tested a number of times with up to 8 players (though usually 4-6, which is the desirable number) and it's been smooth every time. Only one tester ever reported an issue and I could never see it, even in theater watching from his perspective, so I think it was something else. I also ran around it in splitscreen and never saw a problem there either. I think if there's any framerate at all, it will be extremely minimal. The lights are deliberately placed in the farthest parts of the map in rooms with not a lot of pieces - that probably helps. The tree was an interesting choice for me because I never had a desire to do a "tree map," even (maybe especially) at the height of their trendiness. But the idea hit me to do a fully natural centerpiece - not just a tree in a planter, but rocks and grass and so forth - and it seemed to fit with this design idea quite well. Anyway I know trees have been done to death, but hopefully people will like it here anyway! About those braces, they are rather plain but in game you'll find yourself looking up there pretty much never. Because the map is small and the ceiling is pretty high, it really just acts as a skylight. Even jetpackers will be hard-pressed to get far up there (though if they manage it, a layered soft and hard kill zone will rebuff them quickly). With the lights, I considered adding a little decoration - I like to use capture plates sometimes to make them look like fixtures rather than just plain orbs - but framerate, budget, and object density were all concerns so I left well enough alone.
Wow you have captured a very unique feeling here I love the way you used the circular designs to create something new. Windows and the light are just icing on the cake.
Excellent curves... in your map of course. I really like the curvy architecture. It's a shame it doesn't support 4v4. Hopefully I'll get a game on this and come back with more feedback. Btw, sorry to be a stickler but there's a small crack visible on second :59 of the vid. Probably nothing in person but I'm sure you want perfection for the contest.
I like my maps the way I like my women, CURVY!! Also, epic video. Mostly because it features me! And the tune is quite good too. Thats from Halo 3 right? This map plays very well! I personally never had any issues with FRL or bad spawns. This really is one of the more unique maps out there right now. Which is why the tree is forgivable haha And why have we not tested Halo ball?
Yeah, I noticed the same damn thing after I made the video, though I had never spotted it while forging or in a million playtests - go figure! I'm going to see about fixing it right now and re-share the map. EDIT - Map fixed and swiftly re-upped. Sorry 'bout my crack. [br][/br]Edited by merge: It's two different tracks from Halo 2, merged together. By the way, I'm gonna throw a fit if nobody comments on my awesome pan-back-through-a-window to open the video. As a director of artsy gaming videos, I am not to be trifled with..!
Nice video Nutduster, I think it did a great job highlighting the map, it shows many different aspects of the map, including that amazing crack. Sorry I know its fixed but I still had to make a quick crack about it. The map plays great for 2v2 or 3v3, its got a unique architecture, and flows well. No position ever seems overpowered, and gameplay really flows around the map. The middle is definitely a risk reward area, it is quick travel, but also open to many angles, and thus fitting that the shotty spawns there. For those of you wondering about the lights, framerate and all of that fun stuff. I can tell you that I havn't had any problems with it on the map, and I've tested it quiet a few times now.
This map is definitely hot pizza. The gameplay's nothing special, but it's still quite good. the aesthetics on the other hand are quite unique, and while I'm not a fan o using a tree as a centerpiece, i think the look you've created is great.
Nice curves, girl. On topic, the oddball I played on this with you a while back was great. I loved those steep hallways, and the little windows down both ends are cool.
Nice to se this released. I loved this map from day 1 (well day one of me testing it). This small arena suitable for 2v2 or up to 5 player FFA is in all honesty perfect. Map flow is done flawlessly. Aesthetics are incredible and well worth the amount of hours you put into this. All in all this is one of my top 10 fav maps. Great job on this one!
Sweet map! I love your use of windows/doors to support aesthetics/game flow. The constant use of windows makes the map feel enclosed, yet open to the outdoors at the same time. You've got some sweet, unique paths and corridors as well. And don't get me started on the video. It's definitely one of the better one's I've seen; it almost felt like a trailer to a whole other game. At around 30 seconds, when you kept the camera still on the tree center piece, I said to myself, "Is this really happening?" Overall, great map, superb video, I like I like I like. Good job Nutduster.
Thanks brox. The steep curved hallways are my favorite feature - I've never seen dishes used that way and it just feels cool going around on them, plus they're extremely fun places for grenades. Thank you, you're too kind. That was definitely the goal. Originally the map was much more closed in but the skylight inspired me to keep opening it up more. At some point down the road I may try to build a map that's somehow completely open yet difficult to leave - without using the quarry or just a lot of kill zones, if possible. Still ruminating on how to pull that off... Ha ha, thank you! I had some ideas I wanted to try in the video to hopefully make it stand out more. In retrospect I could have gone further with it but I didn't have a huge amount of time to put it together unless I delayed releasing the map for a week. If I ever get sick of making competitive maps though, I might go into machinima next - I really like making clips in theater and putting videos together.
I love this map- that's most of what i came to say. However I must say I think this map would do good to have a central tower rather than the tree, it was a thought that just came to me and I like the idea, like a cylindrical brace for the building with a space to walk on the bottom and mid level. The grenade bouncing here is just absolutely fun and wild and crazy and I cant get enough whenever we play this map. Overall I like the map a great deal on slayer and Headhunter and oddball especially, though I would never play a flag game here again, and I cant imagine territories being much fun either. Oh, and I must say the presentation (video, intro image, text and screenshots) was just wonderful, I dont like to base a map on it alone, and hope nobody does, but you definately made an attention grabber there.
re: CTF - you were in the earlier game with the long flag reset time and flag at home = no, weren't you? I made a better gametype later with a very short reset time (5 seconds) and flag at home = yes, and it was a lot more fun (IMO). Those settings work way better on a map this size and with only 4 players. Of course, I'm a CTF junkie, so my opinion is perhaps not to be trusted. I'll tell you something regarding the design too. I never had a notion to do this with anything other than that tree and the rocks (which are better cover than they might appear), but I did have a thought of opening up the top middle of each of the steeply curved hallways and running a bridge from one to the other that would wrap around the tree. It would have looked cool and I think added just one nice wrinkle to gameplay, but I couldn't make it work and stay within my budget (unless I wanted to ditch one of my precious lights). I might build that version anyway just to see what it looks like.
CURVATURE Curvature is a small, two to six player map created as part of the $5000 forge budget contest. It is, as the title suggests, based around curves, and avoids using straight or flat forge pieces to create an atmosphere in which games take place. Because of the small size of Curvature, it has a good, strong flow to it, especially on Slayer, as players are always right next to the action. The small, curved nature of the map also contributes to this, as there are no spots that can be camped within. Another advantage of the size is that Curvature is easy to get used to, and first time players will find their feet very quickly and with relative ease. Other gametypes such as King of the Hill however have a poor flow because several of the hills have been placed in areas that encourage grenade spam, and are at the edges of the map. Another effect of having hills at the sides of the map is that some players will have an advantage off of their spawn, as they will be closer to the hill. This makes for frustrating and unenjoyable gameplay, and players can often lose not because of skill, but because of spawning. The grenade spam caused by these smaller rooms is equally frustrating and dull. However, Curvature plays very differently on each gametype, which helps to increase the replay value of it. Players will enjoy a different gametype on Curvature, although many will be played once and once only. Slayer is by far the most entertaining gametype on Curvature. Objective games, such as Capture the Flag or Assault are disappointing on the other hand. They are poor because Curvature is made up of one open room, with only one other area to move around or flank within, which are the small raised rooms at either side of the map. These create masses of grenade spam and do not provide a much better route to use. This means that there is no room whatsoever for tactics on Curvature. Therefore, no communication is required to win, as it is just a straight shot back to base through totally uncovered areas. This makes for a very unconvincing and boring game on these game types. Games just do not have any real flair to them. The style and feel of the gameplay is repetitive and does not differ much from the standard Halo experience, even though different gametypes offer very different experiences. This Section Has Been Written By Plasma Blades Balance is a crucial factor in determining how well any map plays. While many aspects must be considered, it ultimately boils down to three topics: Map geometry, weaponry/armor abilities, and spawning. Curvature is a small map, set up for six players, but it plays much more efficiently with four. The map geometry of a small map must be considered to a great extent. Unlike larger maps, the luxury of having a large quantity of players to rush a camping player is not present. The design of Curvature insures that no area is too easy to camp. The best area to attempt to do so would be behind each base. However, since there are three areas to enter from, this becomes a much more challenging task, impossible with well balanced teams. Oddly enough it is noted that players prefer to traverse the outer edges of the map as opposed to a direct route through the center. This is likely due to the fact that most areas have a view of the center. This instills a great sense of risk versus reward in certain objective games. A player can choose to take the shorter more open path, or the longer safer path. Weaponry is limited on Curvature, which is to be expected on a small map. The shotgun is undeniably the central power weapon on the map, but the design limits its use to a defensive weapon. Since most battles are fought just out of range of the weapons capabilities, it is instead used in ambush or in defending a teammate. However, the low spawn time on the weapon often allows for more than one to be in play at any given time. While this is not a terrible problem since it is not an overpowered weapon, it can still be a grievance in an objective based game such as oddball. The other notable weapons are the two grenade launchers, each given a total of four shots. Since most of the map is curved, it is difficult to bounce a grenade around the corner. Therefore this weapon is given the advantage at medium ranges with clear lines of sight. This assures that the weapon is not dominant in all scenarios. The only weapon that caused a slight problem was the DMR. Ammo was never an issue, which allowed players to constantly pick off others across the map, or at least bring down their health before the line of sight was broken. Luckily the latter is the more prevalent scenario, and with two health packs on the map, it is rarely a cause for grievance. Of the three major characteristics that contribute to balance, spawning is Curvatures weakest. Though even as the weakest, it is a very strong feature, which undoubtedly makes a statement of the balance on the map. In most cases, a player will spawn on the opposite end of the map from the conflict, ensuring safety. It also allows the player to assess the situation and choose the correct path to deal with the opponents. However, there are rare instances of being killed nearly immediately upon respawning, primarily near the centerline of the map. Nevertheless, these instances are few and far between. The area where spawning becomes the biggest problem is in KOTH games. On some occasions a player will spawn next to the hill which players are already fighting over, placing the player in danger from the instant in which they spawn. The map design of Curvature is balanced greatly as it insures that no camping is possible and that different routes are equally used. No single weapon is too overpowered within the maps perimeter, and the spawning typically provides clear lines of sight and safety to assess the situation at hand. Overall, Curvature scores excellently in all of the subsections that contribute to balanced gameplay. Curvature is totally inescapable given the fact that it is in an enclosed box. The spawn system cannot be abused, although it is flawed by the fact that on rare occasions players can be spawned in the middle of the map for an easy spawn kill, or very close to other players, instead of on the opposite end of the map, or next to team mates as it normally does. This is more a flaw of the Curvature’s design, not its spawning system. Although Curvature cannot be escaped, its spawn points leave players open to be spawn killed, and often spawns players next to opponents. Curvature is breathtaking. There are smaller aesthetic touches to the map, such as the centrepiece. The centrepiece shows that Curvature has been carefully designed, too. All of the Forging is clean and smooth, and due to the circular nature of the map plenty of meticulous attention had to be given to ensure the neatness of the design. Despite a fairly large amount of interlocking, there is no Z-fighting visible at all. Given the fact that Curvature uses few forge pieces in order to qualify for the $5000 forge budget contest, there is no lag present in the map. Subtle lighting and a large open view of Forge World also contribute to the atmosphere of the map, which is of a tranquil and elegant area. A tranquil and elegant area that is only broken by the sound of bullets and dying forty ton super soldiers. Curvature just about crosses the line into the land of maps that have broken the competitive mould, but only just. The choice of using mostly curved pieces is new undoubtedly, but other aesthetic features such as the centrepiece, the soft lighting and the windows looking out onto Forge World are very much outdated, even if they are underused. As far as the gameplay itself is concerned, a map with a large variety of styles depending on the gametype used is very much original. However, many of the styles do not stray far from the standard Halo experience. Rating Multipliers [floatleft]Enjoyment: 5 x 3.0 = 15 out of 30 Balance: 8 x 3.0 = 24 out of 30 Durability: 8 x 1.5 = 12 out of 15 Aesthetic : 6 x 1.5 = 9 out of 15 Originality: 7 x 1.0= 7 out of 10 [/floatleft] Final Score Understanding the Review Hub's Ratings Have a question about your review? Review Hub Community Feedback
Thanks for the review, Oli! It's thorough and much appreciated. Regarding gametypes, my two favorite on this map have been slayer (team or FFA) and oddball (also team or FFA). I have also enjoyed some games of 2v2 CTF, but you need to set it up properly to really enjoy it - I recommend short flag return times and flag at home to score = yes. It plays a lot better than the more predictable games that result from the default settings. (That's true on any map, actually, but it really elevates CTF on this map from short and dull to longer and more strategic.)
Just played a 3-player FFA, and I'll tell you This is one hell of a map. The shotgun should be set to 0 clips (i think it's at 1), but overall, the weapon choice is great. The map offers choices such as " do I want to go get those stickies on the lower tunnel, or do I want to get that plama pistol on the upper ramp?". I have noticed that the map follows a variation of the classic cross scheme, but the athsetics help mask this a little. I love this map and i'll keep playing it evey now and then. I think 3-player FFA is the sweet spot.
This map is sick! What can I say that hasn't already been said? Working with curves is always a pain and you have mastered it here my friend. I LOVE your video. You have skills and I did notice the through window move right off. As others have said the video felt like a polished game trailer. Thanks for the great download and I look forward to more of your creations!