I'm about to get started taking my original Forge maps from Reach and remaking them on Halo 4, and I wanted to get some other forgers' perspectives on what approaches you've taken to doing this efficiently. It seems to me that two 360s and two TVs showing both games side by side would be the absolute best method, but most people don't have that luxury. Possible discussion topics: * How do you document what objects you used and where for easy reference when remaking? What works best: screenshots, videos, handwritten notes, etc? * If your map relies on Forge World geometry elements (ground, hills, etc), how do you go about finding comparable areas in the new maps? * How have the introduction of ordinances changed the flow of your map? Did you need to make adjustments? * Any tips for dealing with those occasional tiny changes in physics or object shape that have an affect on gameplay? Any input from this great community would be very well appreciated. Thanks!
tbh, H4 forge makes me feel that I am wielding the full power of an IBM computer from 1987 nothing has really changed except the textures, so maps will have to be reworked because said textures are really noisy compared to their Halo Reach counterparts your map does not need to have ordinances, and to replace parts, you can just use coordinate points
We already have at least 5 threads for people to complain about Halo 4 forge in, so can we stick to answering the question? For porting maps to Halo 4 you'll find that some will work better than others. Maps with terrain from Reach may not be good to try to remake accurately unless there is a very similar spot, otherwise a re-imagination may be better (I ended up doing this for one of my Reach maps.) For good wasy to port your maps, graph paper is helpful as you can easily get the positions of each part down, though pictures, videos, or a copy of Reach running your map at the same time will all help. Ordnance drops are optional, though in most cases I don't see why not to use them, as they add a bit of interest to the map when they slam down to the ground. You cna use regular weapons if you wish as long as it's not slayer pro. It should also be said that because 4 and Reach are two different games the maps will not play the same, and they may not even play as well as they used to. A lot of times straight remakes aren't as good an idea as taking inspiration from old projects and making them fit the Halo 4 sandbox.
Basic that ^^^ But be careful using drops though because you cannot edit the amount of ammo they receive. Slayer pro will take away all weapons off maps, so I would make sure you turn kill drops off and just use infinity slayer. I have a "Real Slay" Gametype I can put in my fileshare if you'd like. For remaking your maps enclosed one would be easiest. Just get familiar with what new pieces look like, look at the pictures of the other map and go from there and go from there. Your budget and piece count will go a lot farther becase of the bigger objects looking better this ytime around
I have already done this with an infection map. I just took pictures on my phone and drew a layout, then made the gameplay decisions based on what made sense. You are most likely a better forger now anyway so I recommend improving and reimagining the design.
I watched a recorded youtube video of one of my old Reach maps for reference. I only have one Xbox so this was the fastest way to see the things I needed for the remake. I could pause and rewind it to match up the tiny details. If you don't have your map uploaded to youtube you can always just load up your Reach map on your Xbox, put a cam on a tripod, and then take a forge mode fly around the map showing all the nooks and crannys of your old map while you record it. Then you will have a good video recording to go by. Also using the forge units is very helpful. Many of the Halo 4 forge pieces are the same size and shape as they were in Reach, so if you start with the same piece and count the FUs on your Reach map it should translate the same to the Halo 4 map (it worked for me). I also agree that an exact remake may not work as well when translated into Halo 4. I think re-imagining a map is a good idea, keeping the Halo 4 mechanics in mind as you go. I ran into a few issues doing an exact remake, so I tweaked it out for Halo 4 and now it plays better. I hope these tips help you out and good luck to ya!
Then I guess I shouldn't share my views that a map forged for one canvas (on Reach) should not be forged for another canvas (on H4) because the canvas itself presents a different character and theme, both in its aesthetics and in its palette? Perhaps I could share instead that I won't look back... I will never play Reach again... No matter how much better it is than H4... it is now OOOOOLLLLDDDDDDDDDDD...... Notice my signature below, I can never make Flight Deck nor Superstition again... The canvases and their palettes will not permit it... Honestly, I thought he was answering the question...