This is a multi-part article, for more context, please visit Part 1 Part 2 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Resume Transmission ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- C: Would you say that that's your ultimate goal though, is to like upgrade to level designer at some point? Or would you just say that this is like even though you found like more enjoyment in more love in Forge recently with the Co-op flight? Would you still say, like it's kind of a hobby, more than actually? Trying to go into the level design stuff, what would you say that like your view all is on that? U: Uh, one thing that I have kept with me that has been said to me from a young age. I think it was like. My Grade 9 year first year of high school art teacher told me one thing. And I have kept it with me the entire time and he was. He said turn a hobby into a paycheck and you will be happy for the rest of your life. And I have been trying to do that and I guess you can say I have been. In many different fields of digital media design, from graphic designer to. Content creator to level designer for in forge and whatnot. I have dabbled in Unreal, Unity, even Roblox game engine, a little bit modding with Blender and Halo 3 in the mod tools. But yeah, my biggest passion really comes down to Halo, I love Halo. C: That is sick man, like just to know like how much like you have actually had gone into the. Game industry, I guess is a way to put that without even like, just like modding and stuff and messing around with unity and all that type of stuff like that. That is really sick. And at the end of the day, it all loops back around and goes straight back to Halo, which I mean it is the same here with me. Like I get that entirely like. That is a great story I guess is a way to put that. It is very beautiful as well. What you said with the stuff your art teacher said about making a hobby a paycheck and you will never work a day in your life like that is...that is definitely a very beautiful thing to keep in mind. I guess the way to put that. When it comes to like your work in like Unity and like other things like mods and stuff, when did you start doing that? U: The early days modding, definitely early days Halo CE on the PC. Screwing around with mods and making Custom addition maps and whatnot. Messed around with that for a while back when I was a young lad. More or less everything I have done is mostly all has been self-taught. Watch YouTube videos and tutorials. It's just. Interest within it I want to absorb as much knowledge as I can when it comes to it. Yeah, modding started way back. Just always been interested in taking a game and making it do what it's not supposed to do. That's fun. Oh, and unity...I can't remember the first time I messed with unity. Not really too keen on programming, so I was just more of building within unity. C: Building within the tool. I have messed around with some building and Unreal before so I have some experience too, I assume that Unity is well, it's not too similar of an engine by far; I can assume that a building in it is about kind of similar to building within Unreal to some extent. So that is really...That is really cool that you were able to go kind of head first, not only into the modding scene, but also the level design scene to kind of like build your knowledge of tools and tool sets more, which is really cool, especially with knowing you've modded a custom edition. That is insane. Like did you like make your own maps? Your own mods in there or like what? What did uh, what did you do? U: Ah, it was the level design aspect of it. I was trying to make my own maps and what was it called 3DS Max and Import the object files as just plain maps. I didn't know how to texture anything at that time, so. It was all just because I was, that is what I wanted to do really. As a job to Design these maps. C: It was definitely a more Wild West type of approach back in the day, 'cause there wasn't really tutorials. It was kind of all self-taught, like there worked some tutorials, but like a lot of it was self-taught back in the day when it comes to making maps. U: Lot of forums. C: Yeah haha, this is how you do this, but it's in text so now you can't like see it visual of how to do it now. It is, you just kind of use your brain and hope it is right. Uh, But yeah, that is insane man, that is great to hear and great to see. And I am glad that you have been able to stick around and be here for so long, hopefully your level design career kicks off and goes really far! I want to be a level designer too, I am pretty much in the same boat and as you in a lot of ways. Except like I have not messed around with. Modding on CE like you have in other programs as well. We really see that it would be really sick to see how your career progresses. And I look. I look forward to seeing that like I really do. Uhm, when it comes to your uniqe maps that you have made, no pun intended there. What would you say has been your favorite unique map that you have made? Like one that is not a remake. U: That is a good question. I have made so many I talked to. I have always more or less focused on. Building remakes to a one to one scale. 'cause I know a lot of people have. Revisions of some remakes. But on Halo 4 and Halo Reach, that was one thing that was really hard to do. The one to one scale or the revisions. But I did. The one to one scale that was very hard to do back then without having actual ability to scale items. Yeah, like that is a God saving tool now. I have one on Halo 4, it's called Import. It was...it is Designed around asymmetrical free for all. Yeah, that one was one of my favorite ones, but another one I did was called Turbine, and that one was that one was also on Halo 4 that was based around 4V4 competitive. C: Nice! Did you, uhm? I know you mentioned that like you worked on some maps in like Halo 4 and MCC and Reach and stuff. Did you make any maps in H2A, or did you forge in H2A at all? I'm just curious. U: I built one map in H2A, I think that was last year C: That's sick! U: That one is actually on just a quick YouTube video of it I did. It's more of a editing technique video that I was trying to figure out, how I was going to display like how the guns spawn and whatnot? But, uh, what did I call, that one?... Entrana I think was the name of that one, it is set in a cave with your basic three lane type map so you have got 2 long always on the left, on the right side and then you have your center middle piece. But you're also able to reach the center via two side platforms that go up. Yeah, the middle platform kind of goes down into the middle where they...where everybody would convene just your typical 4v4 Competitive map. I like those ones definitely. In my mind, they are relatively easy and simple to design because most of them are symmetrical. C: Yeah, and even if even if they are a little asymmetrical, it can be kind of fun to work in that asymmetry to the three lane design. U: Yes, that is also a good point too. C: Uh alright man, would there be anything else that you would like to say to any new forgers or anybody in the community? Any shoutouts that you would like to give for, like how like people have helped you either start out or people who like their friends of yours that you want to shout out like anything you would want to say before we. Sign off here. U: Yeah, the three guys that have been helping me with the whole tools from blender to get the one to one scale of the maps I have been working on. I would not be able to do these maps so accurately without getting these tools from these three guys. We have got Saksi, Him and I have figured out the scale between Infinites Forge and Halo 3’s Forge so with that information we were able to pass that onto. Two guys named Derek and Josh and they have been incredible with creating scripts on importing and exporting. Data right into mvar.’s so essentially, we are generating stuff now in Forge instead of placing it and it's only going to get better and a lot easier and a lot more efficient when it comes to Forge and map building. And Derek has a YouTube channel and a Twitch channel. He goes by “Derek creates” so huge shout out to that guy! I don't Saksi streams or has a YouTube, but he's been helping me with the one to one scale he I know he does have a YouTube I'm pretty sure and he was the one that remade Ascension. I don't know if anybody seen that yet or not. C: Anything on that one I would love to actually see that 'cause I I actually enjoy playing Ascension and I haven't. I do not think I have actually seen that. U: It's a one to one scale of Halo 2's ascension, and he is arting it right now and it looks incredible! C: Can't wait, I can't wait to see the finished product on that. That's going to be absolutely sick. Well, one last time I guess like if there's anything else that you would like to say to just the general community, this is this is your spot to do, so otherwise I will close this out here. U: The overall picture of what I am doing with Forge is to bring back everybody’s favorite maps from MCC. I know it is 120 some plus maps and it is going to take awhile, but we will get there eventually. So make sure to follow me on the journey. It is going to be a long ride, but it is going to be a good one. C: Hell yeah brother! It is definitely gonna be a long ride and I wish you luck on Gemini whenever you get get to that map, that will be an interesting one to recreate. But, alright everybody. Thank you so much for coming out here to Creators Spotlight! Sorry if my voice was a little kind of bad again today. Got kind of sick again, which you know that is just my luck at this point, but I thank you everyone so much again for coming out to creative spotlight and thank you again for UneeQ for joining us on this episode. Hopefully you guys got to learn more about him. More about his process. Maybe learned a little thing or two here or there, but yeah, thank you everybody so much for watching. And remember, let's Forge a new Halo. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- End Transmission ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you again for checking out this episode of Creators Spotlight; with Infinite's Forge right around the corner, we're really looking forward to all the great content we get to bring you and that you all get to show us and each other! See you guys in the next article! Your friendly neighborhood writer -Crush