It must be a secret...

...because Bungie wont tell us shit.

Soooo…I've been working through spawn order items, sometimes alone, sometimes with a bit o' help. This morning, I got to do some spawn zone testing, with full consideration for both weak and high, and spawn order settings.

I don't have much time before I pass out, soooo…

Essential Bits:

From what we can tell, spawn order does not hold much, if any influence, over where you REspawn.

Respawn Zones are basically the devil and suck. Don't use them.

Weak Respawn Zones are much better for nixing spawn killing.

To be more precise, it seems that the point of respawn is chosen based upon where you died, and where enemy players are. When you have multiple respawn zones, you will spawn in the farthest one from your death, but when you have weak respawn zones, you will spawn farthest from death, relative to threats wither in, or near, a weak respawn zone. Mixing the two is fail, respawn zones beat out the other too much. 

Basically, make your map using WEAK zones with higher numbers for places you would like players to spawn more often.

I have some other info for spawn points and respawn points spawn orders, but I'm too tired to word it.

Another thing, I'd love for a Bungie Employee to just come out and tell us how the f*** this s*** is supposed to work. Johnny O'Than's guide is ok, much better than mediocre even, but he leaves so much information out. This is understandable only because the article is labeled to contain information only pertaining to tags, but outrageous because I'm sure he knows more about the Spawn Zones and spawn orders that he isn't telling.

Right now, my guide is the premiere location for Forge 2.0 Technical information and how-to, but I can't seem to make it better without someone a little higher up. BTW, finally looked in the instruction manual for Reach, great job sending us to a website (Bungie.net) that didn't have a guide, for days, and still doesn't have a competent one, Bungie. I'd love to see if you can figure out how that makes sense, right after you fire the guy who placed the initial spawns in Countdown and Zealot; it is so much fun to watch the other team spawn right before you, line up their shots, and kill your whole team within 3 seconds at the start of each game of SWAT. You guys need to learn how to use your tools.



I've taken steps to pry information from them (asked a question in O'Than's thread), I just hope the information in unambiguous.



Stay 1337.

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!!!