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With an ever-growing body of members and a driven community backing it, Forgehub has become a hotspot for forgers of all walks. As such, the amount of cool community content to check out has only increased. But what gets you to check out a map when there are so many to choose from? Ratings could be a key factor in this process.

Map ratings are the 1 to 5 star icons displayed next to map postings and come tethered with a review. A review is intended to be a well thought out summary of your opinion on said map. This acts as a direct package of feedback for the author and also as an indicator of quality to those looking to check out the map. Too often though, map reviews are far and few and many maps go unrated and un-reviewed.

Fret not! Hopefully this article gives you the gentle push you need to review maps more often. The big question is, "How do I write a map review?" I'll show you some Do's and Don'ts in response.

Examples, Don't
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5/5 stars. Cool map! I love Halo!​

Map reviews are meant to include a certain level of detail. Be sure to be descriptive about what you liked about or disliked about the map. This helps others get a better understanding of your thoughts on the map.

1/5 stars. I can't stand xMasterxChief! He is loud and annoying!​

Personal issues should never leak over into map reviews. Giving a map a really low or really high rating based solely on emotional ties with the author is bad practice.

4.5/5 stars. Yeah me and friend worked really hard on this map and it is great! Be sure to give us five stars!​

Whether you are the author or co-forger, you should never rate your own map. This creates a very skewed and biased image of the map. The goal is to gather a variety of feedback from others.

Examples, Do
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4/5 Stars. I really enjoyed this map! The interactions between the red and blue towers are fun and I loved how many travel options I had on the map. The inclusion of some tricky flag jumps would help diversify play a bit. On a different note, Strongholds played great! The flow between each stronghold felt really natural. There were some issues with lighting but otherwise very nice!

In this example, we get to see some specifics that earned the map it's rating. Those looking to play the map are given an idea of past experiences on the map and the author is able to take away some very valuable feedback!


2/5 Stars. I had very mixed feelings playing this map. The author clearly was striving for a Forerunner theme and in some places did very well, but in others it seemed to just taper off. There were plenty of spots where the lighting seemed buggy and textures were clipping through each other. In terms of gameplay, there were some very clear spawning issues. If both A and C stronghold were controlled by one team, the team with B had no good options to fight back. The idea seemed nice but the map still needs work.

Here we see constructive criticism. If there are issues with the map, be specific. Let not only the people reading know, but the author as well so they are made aware of what may need to be changed.

Hopefully this information has armed you with the know how to start reviewing maps. At the end of the day, it is all for the benefit of the community and your fellow forgers. Got any additional questions? Comments or concerns? Don't be a stranger. Drop your thoughts below!