Sandbox Desistance

Weapon placements look beast, the structures look soo original, and I love the use of the golden columns! I LOVE where the mauler spawns, and the window. The changes from the sketchup look good 4 the better. Sir, this is an awesome that you have created. DL now.

 

Something that every map should have. Tons of options or choices to lead you into battle. This idea is what team slayer should have always been about. Theres like 4-6 Different Enterances that lead you into the middle of the battle, which make great flanking areas. The concept is amazing. Dead on to the sketch-up. Just Amazing. Bartoge & Prod. I would love to see what you will do in reach. Good-Luck! 9/10

 

This looks extremely well constructed. I can't wait to try this out. I'm tired of playing on MLG maps.

 

The interlocking looks not only decent, but extravagent, the symmetricality of it is unique in a way but still common. The aesthetics look nice and the map seems well-built. I think I'd give it a 6.5/10, because it is an amazing map in the fullest, but overdone in the process. It seems to be missing the creative flare. If you make a v2, add a personal touch. Its a DL from me.

 

Please, elaborate how a map can be praised for it's beauty; and yet be marked down 35% because of it?
Oh, and creativity and originality are so overrated at this stage in the game; it's not even worth arguing for. If something works well, use it; instead of going for originality > gameplay, try it the other way around.

As for the map, I remember when Prod invited a long time back (about a month ago TBH) and he was like "Come play! we need one more dude!" so I obliged. In the first 2 minutes; I had honestly no idea what was going on. It was Capture The Flag, and people were running into me wherever I went (not physically; of course, this map has too many side routes for that to happen on a momentary basis); and I never could really get anything done to help the team.

But my many run-ins with death in many a different area soon provided me with the knowledge to nearly successfully steal the flag, and run it all the way to the centre; which I soon found out, was not my brightest idea to date.

The point being; for knowing nothing about this map the second I connected with Prod, Bartoge and company; I knew absolutely nothing of this map. Very quickly I was able to rise up, and become an actual threat (read: *Gasp*) to the enemy. Though in the end, we lost 3-1; it was a very strung-out round. The flags were very close each time, and the weapons were set up almost optimally. I think the only problem I had was with the carbine spawn, because it was at such a high respawn (30, I think it was; I would rather have liked to see it at 10, as it was never there when I wanted it )

I guess what I am trying to say is: the map is ridiculously balanced, almost ludicrously so, and although there were one or two awkward spawns, they were well justified by the maps overall splendour and wonder.
A very nice job guys, I hope to see your work in Reach[sup]TM[/sup]

 

Desistance​

Enjoyment:

Although symmetric maps may not be the most attractive in terms of enjoyment, the fact that Desistance was designed rather than simply constructed makes it one of the more gratifying experiences that I have had at Halo 3’s exodus. There is no doubt in my mind that I did have several especially enjoyable experiences on Desistance as a result of the map’s fast-paced and consistently balanced fixtures that transpired in the majority of games. Nevertheless, there has to be something to remember your map by. You want people to play it again, so what makes your map stand out from others? You need a hook, a theme, a gimmick, something identifiable to players. This doesn’t have to be a heavy-handed overriding visual element. Nor does the gimmick have to dominate the gameplay of the map. The layout and gameplay need to stand on their own merit, but the hook gives the map something to cling on to.

However, the abundance of routes to the main focal points of the map did enhance Desistance's enjoyability in many ways. This is plausibly because of its symmetry, but at the beginning of matches, the player should be guided by easily recognizable routes and, as soon as they know the map a bit better, they will start to try the other ways and by using elements that navigate the player through the map such as color effects. Therefore, by adding these supplementary routes, you essentially improved a rather tedious Orbital layout, developing the flow of the map as well. Still, if you plan on remaking this bad boy in Reach, try expanding the layout allowing players to roam rather than restricting them to the three main pathways, not only making gameplay far more enjoyable for the community, but improving several other aspects that I will describe below.

---

​

Balance:

Desistance boasts a remarkably balanced layout due to its symmetry that maintains a more simplified orientation for players. Logically, a level with just a mass of small rooms and hallways is much harder to learn than a well structured one. However, as previously mentioned, players essentially have no areas to roam on the map. What helps solve this problem is by including a path manipulation aspect to the map. Sure there is a rocket spawn in the center, but with the snipers and maulers spawning at the team bases and regenerators adjacent to the bases, there is really no reason to voyage to other parts of the map. This concern may appear to be nonexistent in objective gametypes; however, during slayer and objective games, the majority of players continually spawned at their bases, which is virtually disposing of one of the easiest techniques to control path manipulation. By taking the “safe” approach to spawns, player mobility is restrained and gameplay becomes repetitive. Furthermore, by adding path manipulation to the map, it gives a forger the opportunity to add a nice risk vs. reward feature. In the current weapon layout, you are in essence giving each team their weapons at the start by placing them at their bases respectively. By expanding the layout, the weapons and spawns can be spread out more, thereby forcing players to actually battle for an advantage during games.

Desistance’s weapon set may not be the most exhilarating out there, but it gets the job done effectively. The snipers spawning at a slight perch may give the impression of height dominance, but with the middle structure acting as an efficient LOS barricade without blocking the entire center, no overpowering of this weapon occurred. Likewise, it is apparent that with the testing that this map underwent, weapon spawn times and clips are set correctly to ensure that no exploiting of a weapon should ever take place. Lastly, the middle acts as a nice choke point and flanking position especially in the beginning of games, which is essential to focus the gameplay and ensure plenty of dangerous encounters.

---

​

Durability:

Desistance is breakable by simply grenade jumping off the ramps that lead into the mauler spawn. Similarly, one can rocket jump from one of the central gold columns at rocket spawn to the same area at the top of the map. Even though it was never a problem during playtests, if a player grabs a sniper then executes this escape, it could be devastating for players below because there is cover on the top of the map as well. However, a bigger concern that occurred is spawn trapping, which became a large issue during several matches. Because the majority of the spawns are at the team bases, once an entire team died, the opposing team could camp at their base as at least half of them would spawn there, sometimes even more. At one point in a match, players were being forced to jump as they spawn because grenades could be thrown at them knowing that they would spawn in a certain area. Therefore, to reiterate myself, by expanding Desistance’s layout, spawns could be more spread out on the map, and this concern would vanish.

---

​

Aesthetics:

While Desistance does not incorporate the most jaw-dropping aesthetics, being that it is on the main floor of Sandbox, it does have a more distinct atmosphere than most competitive maps that are built in the crypt or skybubble lack. There are certain details that definitely can catch one’s attention during games such as the arch walkways out of the bases and the tube ramps, but, in general, nothing is truly remarkable.

Being a symmetrical map, the color coding helps drastically as a point of reference for players to separate certain parts of the map. Moreover, there are very few bumps, and I found no awkward areas and/or structures that significantly affected players. However, the very best maps retain incredible lasting appeal. The scattered gold columns throughout the map are a nice touch, but it’s nothing I have never seen before. Sure, elegant simplicity can make for some extraordinary maps, but there must be some added innovation along with it.

---

​

Originality:

Though Desistance had some interesting aesthetic twists, there is not much that renders the map notable despite that it is a competitive map on the main floor of Sandbox, which even so is not remarkably creative. Because of the map’s symmetry, gameplay became incredibly repetitive at times, and with a standard weapon set, creativity is lacking. On the other hand, as Halo 3’s fading days continue to countdown, I do understand how difficult it is to come up with innovative ideas. Overall though, Desistance will be remembered for its undeniable flow that existed through each of the supported gametypes.

---

​

Enjoyment:

Balance:

Durability:

Aesthetics:

Originality:

Overall:

Understanding the Review Hub's Ratings​

 

I liked parts of this map such as the layout having many routes to the same place for flanks etc, and I like some aesthetics on it that catch ur eye as u go by. I did not like the large amount of power weapons (not just rocket and snipe, but power drainers and regens), the very linear gameplay (the map is cramped and is all 1 line which leads to predictable spawns), and the centerpiece (After the first couple pics, I liked the aesthetics but then I saw that center with 2 blocks and 4 columns that looks really out of place).
Overall, the map is cramped and repetitive, but original from what ive seen. 7/10