For my Halo:Reach ForgeHub debut I give you an exciting map that provides a wealth of fast-paced gameplay and some good old-fashioned fun. Ore takes place deep within one of Reach's many Titanium mines; the desolate, gloomy atmosphere and the tall ceiling looming high above contribute to a strong feeling of vulnerability as you work your way through the map. Though it's best suited for parties of 4-8 players, this map will make you feel very, very small. On one side, a large cliff recess (which actually hangs over you) provides texture and several hiding places. Opposite this is a massive wall stretching upward nearly as far as the eye can see, making the map feel remarkably vertical for being mostly only one level. In between, you'll find plenty of large rocks to use for cover, but you'll have to keep moving in order to survive; this map is very open and death can come from almost any direction. However, if bravely charging through the middle of the map doesn't suit you, there is a tunnel just below the surface which runs almost the entire length of the map and could make for safer traveling; just beware of enemies lying in wait with a shotgun in hand. Weapons on Map: DMR x 6 Needle Rifle x 3 Plasma Rifle x 2 Needler x 1 Shotgun x 1 Energy Sword x 1 Sniper Rifle x 1 Focus Rifle x 1 Rocket Launcher x 1 Plasma Launcher x 1 Assault Rifle x 1 Plamsa Pistol x 1 Magnum x 1 Plasma Grenades x 2 No Vehicles A variety of weapons means every game could be quite different, but there aren't too many weapons, and you'll find it challenging to hold on for your Sniper Rifle or Shotgun for very long. You may think that this map is all about aesthetics, given the ominous setting and the murky lighting (yes, Juicy FX is on, which I usually avoid, but I think it looks great here). However, lines of sight and weapon placement have been carefully considered to make for great competitive gameplay. Yes, it is very open, but IMO that adds to its allure. Please let me know what you think. I'm open to criticism and would definitely consider releasing a second version based on the feedback I receive. My Gamertag: I am bad sorry. Recommended FFA Slayer/Oddball/KOTH players: 2-6 Recommended Team Slayer/Flag players: 4-10 Recommended Infection Players: 4-12 Optimized for FFA Slayer. Special thanks to Dantheman2112 for his support.
Wow! This has got to be one of the most visually impressive maps I have seen yet on Forge World! The dim yellow lighting is superb, and the darkness really creates a unique (almost haunting) vibe. The tunnel that goes beneath the map is absolutely beautiful, and yet it adds significant value to game play as well. All of the lines of sight seem to be carefully calculated. I really love how "open" this map is; even though it's fairly large in size, it feels much smaller and is well-suited for games with only a few players. Infection junkies will love the hiding places in the various rock crevaces, but I agree that slayer reigns supreme. Extremely well done. My only criticism would be that there may be too many weapons, but that's pretty minor. I plan on keeping this one around. 9/10.
Thanks for the kind words. Personally, I like the variety of weapons, but I can agree to disagree. I'm just glad that you're honest, because constructive criticism is very helpful... if I'm going to make a V2 of this map, I want it to reflect the feedback I get from friends and people on ForgeHub!
Visually, I can not hold anything against you, this is aesthetic and has a very different feel from most competitive maps. I have only two main concerns. The team which gets a hold of the only sniper rifle on the map will most likely dominate the ground, and it would be hard to counter it. I recommend removing the plasma launcher and adding another sniper in your V2. pick a spot for the rifles which would be a gamble to get for both the teams. Sprint and Cloaking would be interesting additions for the gameplay on this map. and one last thing, if its a Ti-22 ore mine, the yellow makes it look more like gold. If you have any more natural (rock) objects left you could mold spiral rock formations on the walls giving it that massive drilling machinery feel. I think that would be cool. Good luck on your V2, hope you got some ideas out of this
I really appreciate the feedback. From my testing with parties of up to 8 players, the sniper doesn't dominate at all. Not only is there a focus rifle on the opposite side of the map and plenty of DMRs/Needle Rifles to balance it, but the open nature of the map makes camping very difficult. If you're going to use the sniper effectively, you're going to have to stay on the move. If you get a chance to play with it, let me know how it works out for you. I do, however, think you may be right about the plasma launcher. It doesn't add much. I didn't include any armor abilities on the map, but I played it with a regular Slayer gametype and it was a lot of fun. Jet packs give you a good vantage point, but again, the open nature of the map keeps them from becoming overpowered (you're an easy target). You're right about the yellow light color, but none of the other ones gave it quite the same feel. I just called it a Titanium mine because Reach is supposed to be a big producer of Titanium. I didn't have that in mind when I was making the map, however. I can't thank you enough for your comments, though. I will definitely have things to consider when I set out to work on version 2.
This is a nice idea, I especially like the tunnel beneath the flooring, it adds more than one level to the map. One thing I didn't like however is the large catwalks. There is only one clearly defined way up, with a jump off some rocks on the other side. Also, the grav lift just about works if you jump into it, otherwise you just fall short. By the way. People keep getting confused with mine and your maps through the thumbnail of them. If asked, please tell them we both had separate ideas. Your map is team, mine is FFA. Simples Edit: I should also add that I DID download the map, and had a little local 2v2 on it. It seemed like the back walkway didn't get used much, or not at all. Just sayin'
Shrapnel, thanks for the feedback. You may be right about the catwalk, and I wasn't even aware of the grav lift issue until reading your post. That will be easy to fix, but thanks for pointing it out to me. I took a look at your map and yes, the thumbnails look quite similar, but they are very different maps. My map is actually optimized for FFA too (although it supports teams and other gametypes as well), but your map plays completely differently and isn't at all the same. I would encourage everyone to check out Caveside as well, because it will be an entirely different experience from Ore. Also, Re: the back walkway, that's where the rockets spawn, so I'm not too terribly worried about people not using it once they figure that out. Still, I really appreciate the comments.
i had to go into forge mode and remove a wall peice to figure out where on Forge World you put this... its really well blended visually and has a feel to it that seems premade with unique textures. that said i also noticed a lack of neutral respawns which in FFAs can lead to camping of repsawn points if your not careful. this is amplifyed in Team battles also.
Dan, I couldn't forge without your repeated suicides to keep me company. Hypertion, thanks. I tried to hide the respawns as best I could (to avoid spawn killing), but there are actually 43 of them on the map. That may still not be enough, between neutral/team respawns, but I didn't want people spawning out in the open. The good thing is that the map is large enough that it's a bit difficult to camp spawn points; they're all over the place. I plan on releasing about one major map per week during the first couple months since Reach's launch. I have one ready for this weekend and another one under construction... as I grow more and more accustomed to Reach's Forge, I think people will be pleasantly surprised.
I like your map quite a bit. The aesthetics are really intriguing and it sorta reminds me of the good ol' days of waterworks in halo 2 (Favorite map by the way). As some people mentioned there are a lot of weapons on the map, but I agree with your view on variety. You might try spacing them out some though, I felt that if I had any hope of getting a weapon (besides the sniper) I needed to be in the middle of the map. Other than that It's really good, especially the land mines... Oh, just remembered, you can set the objective pieces to "Game Specific: True" so that they only appear in the desired gametype. You might try that out, looks a little better in my opinion.
I haven't had a chance to play it yet, but it looks really good. As africanBoi pointed out, it is somewhat reminiscent of Waterworks, which is a good thing. I also soundly approve of your willingness to take and respond to feedback. I've seen some less gracious posters throw things up and then get angry when they are criticized. Do you have any recommended settings for Infection games set up on this map? I could see it getting ugly once a human grabs a sniper rifle.
AfricanBoi, I didn't realize the game specific setting worked like that. Thanks for the tip! Ursus, I would perhaps suggest something like Save One Bullet, where ammo is limited (to encourage hiding behind rocks, etc). But if you find something that works well, let me know!
I love the athstetics, like the name. I played it in a 1v1 last night, I wouldn't recomend doing that, the guy I was playing jetpacked to the top of the attenna, and camped the last 5 kills, he would move whenever I got four shouts on him behind another part of the attenna, probably less of a promblem in teams, but I would try blocking it off with a soft kill barrier.
Reliant Relic, Thanks. From my experience it was quite difficult to jetpack to the top of the claw structure during a game, but you're right-- in 1-on-1 matches (or even 2-on-2 matches) I could see this being a potential problem. A soft kill barrier would be perfect. iTzz Chicken, Thanks to you as well. Based on everyone's feedback about the weapons I think it would be good to decrease this a bit. For Version 2, I would probably get rid of the plasma launcher and maybe the energy sword as well. Expect that to hit about a month from now. Right now, I have a couple other maps in the works (one is available for playtesting if anyone is interested--search the Reach Discussion forum for a Map Preview called 'Vindication.') which I plan on releasing on a weekly basis.
Thanks. I added you. The final map will probably go up on Friday. So, back to the main topic, from what I've gathered here, here's a list of what will change in Ore Version 2: -Remove Plasma Launcher & Energy Sword -Add soft kill barrier at top to prevent jetpackers from camping on the giant claw. -Possibly add more cover in the middle of the map -Add a second ramp to the other end of the catwalk on cliff side -Add more spawn points I really appreciate everybody's feedback.
Why is this map called Ore if it's in a titanium mine?! It's a nice map and i see a lot of creativity and work in it, but it's not my style. Everybody has it's own style. Still, nice map.
Ore is just a type of rock that contains minerals/metals. While Iron Ore is probably the most heard-of, there is such a thing as titanium ore (as well as gold ore, lead ore, etc.). Also, I never thought about the Waterworks thing because this doesn't appear to be an attempt at a remake, but the aesthetics and the open-ness of the map definitely remind me of it, too. Awesome!