So I played some Arena, and noticed some issues....(Beware: Trigonometry and Regular Expressions Within)

People still quit and it hurts their team just as much, if not more.

Bungie already has a thread that explains Ratings in the intel area in the sidebar, however, it seems that they've ignored a few bits of explanation, particularly the modifiers for assists, deaths, and betrayals. I've also, via general musing and a background in integral calculus, found several ways in which it could be modified to protect players from their teammates detrimentally effecting their scores. 

I know it is just a game, which is why people play it to enjoy it. It is hard to enjoy something when those around you are completely disregarding the fact that you are their to enjoy yourself. Imagine going to a restaurant where the persons next to you are deciding to showcase their explosive flatulence or going to a wedding where the drunken best man proclaims his love for the bride, I would see these intentional suicides and team killing respectively; however, my modification protects against quitters.

I made a pretty!

I've been drawing up some map ideas, so I thought I'd share one.

The towers are roofed by two [Corner 4x4]s (I will use brackets around object names from here on out) and are the same dimensions the whole way through. They basically serve as staircases and pillars for the rest of the map.


I've traced out some movement paths with colored lines.

I also have a sweet Narrows re-imagining in progress with some beastly new features and a fresh new layout. I'll post pics after I take 'em later tonight.


7 hours later...

Distilled (missing upper right still)

Distilled (missing village)

Bellows (Narrows on Steroids, bridge and one side done)

Bellows (Other side)

Bellows (Above)

Stay 1337.

The Condiment Theory.

I JUST HAD THE MOST MIND BLOWING IDEA EVAR.

Ketchup makes things better.

If you would like to know why, or maybe even what this crazy guy is blabbering about (thats me!) check back after I have time to finish the post.

I gotta go to work.

Ponder in despair...mwahahahahah.

7 HOURS LATER.

Ok, not necessarily mind blowing, but when I said to myself that map I was drawing up needed ketchup, completely without meaning it to mean anything, and it made perfect sense, I had to turn around and scrape my brain off the wall, as my mind was blown. So yeah, breakfast was interesting.

When one uses condiments, they are usually trying to add something to their "dining experience," whether it be flavor, texture, or what have you. The same can be said for many other things. How is this, you say?

Adding ketchup to a meal is basically the same as adding tomato paste, right? Of course not. It's the added sugar that makes it DELECTABLICIOUS (tm). Imagine for me what it would be like if Howie was opening the cases instead if all the pretty ladies on Deal or No Deal, yeah, you want the girls. The stands and cases are the tomato paste and the girls are the sugar. Howie is sugar too, just a different kind; for example if Bob Saget was the host, funny guy still, but a bad fit.

So yeah.

The map is called "Distilled" and will be on the gorge side of the island.

Check back later for when I get a chance to put up screen shots of all the things I'm working on.

The Foundry is opened...

...and the fires are lit.


Sooooo, just got done with some forge-foolery with a really cool person, fellow forge guru, and the springboard that made me care enough to put this all together, Mr. Godly Perfection(<-link).

Got to see the new Helix re-imagining that he was working on, it was pretty sick. You could fit a tank through some of those hallways. Definitely a must play when he gets it done.

We also swapped some gameplay on a few maps. We ran through a round of his new Halo Tactics, where each player gets a turn of a few seconds to move and deal damage to their opponents. Went pretty well considering he's waiting on a bug fix from Bungie for it work the way he would like; the fix was foreshadowed by MLG peoples, so I'm going to guess it'll be there, as Bungie tends to kiss ass in that department. (Something I will scold them about later, they made the game, they make the ruelz)

We even got to do a run of my Super Griffball Arena Game Type (Originally, Super Huge Oddball Bonanza Death Game Yes!!!, which isn't allowed as a file share item name) on the Super Griffball Court.
GP, who groaned at its mention, he despises teh grifball (at least, the assault variant; side note: grifball should be more akin to oddball), thoroughly enjoyed himself, especially when he learned that the golf ball could trigger land mines, which are at the core of the 7 Tin Cups on the map to keep the ball, which is also the Hill (the game type is KotH), from sticking. He went on to spank me in score, but I did get a few nice head shots and an assassination in. I can't wait to get the full ten player roster in on a game.

The Super Grifball Map and game type are in my file share (<-Link) right now, so go ahead and check them out. If you like it and would like to make your own map, make sure you go into forge and look at the specifics of mine. 10 initial spawns, around edges, 4 respawns near center, minimum sides 3 (triangular map), at least one tin cup per corner on map (doesn't have to be in corner and you can have more) and one in center (does not count towards previous total (minimum of 4 tin cups period), land mines in all tin cups set to 5 second respawn, explosives around center tin cup, plasma battery to drop on ball (place fixed item in midair above ball, which spawns in middle tin cup, and place plasma battery on it and delete the fixed item, the battery will fall at the beginning of each round from now on and at its respawn which, like all explosives should be ten seconds or less) and start match, and vehicle cannons in all corners to send ball a little ways back in and players flying, AND a respawn zone for each spawn point that, all together, cover the map or most of it (if spawn points are placed facing the center, then players will always spawn facing the action).

I will make that better later. It is 4:31 AM. Good-Nigh...no...good-morni...no...go-zzzZZZzzzzZzz...




Stay 1337.

I almost fell on my face...

...and I was already sitting down.




I just got this message:


Dear forge master,
i need to kno how to get my ctf map to work one flag show but the other wont and the capture plates wont capture. iv looked everywhere and nothing really tells me what to do please help me




I'll take it, but you can't have it back, the title that is. 


But naw, I'm MUCH better at tying my shoes. Best Rekkonize. Dude. l337 Masta Aglet in da house!! 


(If you got that, the cookies are in the back in the brushed metal jar, take one)


You guys are awesome, I really am thankful for the respect. Don't think I'm getting a big head, I just thought it would be an interesting post considering how the staff at the Orange Julius I'm sitting outside of reacted to my reaction. I rofled like a riding lawnmower on capitol hill. I mean, my XbLive friends have been calling me that for shits and giggles, although not sarcastically, for a while now, but to see it out of the blue from some one I don't know, I think is hilarious. I'm all sitting here like, "Who? Me? Naaawww..."




Also, this just goes to show, if you ask me a question, I might just post it. But I will also keep you anonymous, so please, ask away. 




And send people to the blog! The day I get 150 hits is the day you get the Modular (think legos) guide for Invasion. We're pretty close, and pretty steady, so just send some people on down.


Stay 1337.

Halo: Reach Cribz (New Screen Shots!!)

Ok, soooooo I've made 40+ maps in Forge 2.0, not including ones for testing objectives on weapons and vehicles or sending people flying into each other on spawn; however, I've only be unlazy enough to place the essential spawning and objective functions on a few.

Since I'd like to consider myself as being somewhat better than complete crap at forge (basically, I just want there to be some basis for people believing I know my stuff), I'd like to share them here as well.

So, I will make a list, a list of what maps are done, what maps are in progress, and what maps are in the concept stages of development, in that order, starting, with a link to my file share so you can see which ones are currently available via moi.

File Share

Also, forgive my filler text, I'm running short on time (There are maps for all of the filler text, and then some), and, if you do check out the maps, let me know what you think, and, if you like them, make sure to do it on Bnet too!


Also, I've taken to classifying the in-progress maps via a Tiered System:

Tier 9 - Planning/Conceptual

Tier 8 - Layout of the map has begun

Tier 7 - Structures have been constructed and Paths are clear

Tier 6 - Augmentations, such as Man-Cannons and Shield Doors have been applied

Tier 5 - Aesthetics have been created

Tier 4 - Weapons and Vehicles have been placed

Tier 3 - A Spawn System has been created

Tier 2 - Relevant Objectives have been placed

Tier 1 - Map is in use/testing/adjustment cycle (indefinite)


Tiers can be completed out of order, but I wont say a map is Tier 2 unless I've settled on the Aesthetics, even if Weapons, Spawns, and Objectives are all there.


MAPS:

Coagulation [Halo 2 Remake] TIER I

Works with all objective game types save normal Invasion, but does work with Invasion Slayer, a much better fit for the map. I have, since this posting, updated the map many multiple times, and the Falcon you see is no longer there, nor are the color discrepancies on the bases.

SCHREENSHAWT!!!

Tag! You're It! [Updated: 11/14/10]

FINALLY!

I've finished my tagging guide!!!


To access tags:


When you are in the Forge Lobby, there is a game type selection option. You need to use that to select the game type you wish to edit in, which will then allow you to usxe the set of tags related to that game type. To edit a different game type, you will need to save your map, exit to the lobby, and then select that game type. Invasion and Invasion Slayer have differing sets of tags; this is the only such situation where a sub-game type has different tags than it's parent group (i.e. Territories and 3 Plots both have the same tags).


In Basic Editing, you will have no special tags available, but all items set to game type specific and tagged for a game type will be visible, with their tags. You can change the tag to the "NO LABEL" setting, but it will not be able to be reversed if the menu is left, unless you leave and come back in the correct game type.

Now for a guide on how to read the guide:

- If the tag is listed under General, that means it can show up in more than one game type in Forge.

- Required refers to an object with the related tag being required for the map to function.

- Requires Area refers to an object with the related tag needing to be either set to cylinder or box with occupiable area values (Can't be zero! That is, unless the value is bottom and you have enough top or visa versa.)

- Works With refers to what the tag is currently known to function with.

u = usual, items such as flag stands, capture plates, and hill markers.

w = weapons, believe it or not, somethings like bombs can be made to spawn on weapons or the person holding them.

v = vehicles, same as weapons.

t = toys, namely soccer and golf balls and tin cups, but planting bombs at the center of kill balls using bubble shields can be fun too (we just gotta test it).

a = all, all items can be used with these tags, even structures.

hm = hill marker, either only works with hill markers, or there is no point in using something else.

- Team Specific refers to whether the item should be set to a specific team, be neutral, or both.

- Game Type Specific refers to whether an item should be set to Game Type Specific, although they do no need to be, and should not be until you are ready to finalize your map, as you may find the need to adjust them while placing objectives in other game types or may way to be able to see them so that items can have cross game type correlations.

Also, I did not simply steal this information from the Forge Required Objects Guide; as you can plainly see, I have included MUCH more information.

Asterisked items will be explained at the bottom.