Forging: Rules to Live By

[Smelnick]

When you're forging a map, what are some things you NEVER do? What are some things you ALWAYS include in every map?

For myself, I have a few things in each side of things.

As far as things I never do, they go as follows. I never have a dead end. I don't care if I have to put a wall, teleporter, move things around, etc, I'll always figure out a way to never have a dead end. Nothing frustrates me more than playing a new map and running into a space to get away or something and having to turn around and go back out lol.

Another thing I find myself always doing, is always having z-action. Z is a term I still use back from my days of playing around making unreal tournament maps. On the editor, you had x and y for left and right, and Z was vertical. Anyways, so yah, I always try to make sure there's height variations. I used to do a ton of map making for doom2 multiplayer, and once I moved to unreal tournament, and now to forge, I figure, since I CAN make multiple floors, I have to

Maybe this is a bad thing, but I also always throw in a life of some sort in every map. From my UT mapping days, I'm a big fan of sound cues, especially on 1v1 maps. Taking a lift can give you an advantage, but the risk is that your enemy will hear it and there goes any chance of a suprise attack

So how about yourselves? what sort of things do all your maps have in common? What things do you try never to do, and what things do you try always to do?

 

[RogerDodger]

I wouldn't say that there's a recurring element in all my maps. Each has a unique "flavor", although trying to tie in everything together in one map usually gets lost in details with combat focus. Aesthetics only matter to a point.

 

[ShockBolt21]

what sort of things do all your maps have in common?

I always try to make my maps unique. None of my maps are like anything else out there, and offer completely different gameplay. That's why I'll never take up competitive forging- because there are so many arena maps already out there. I don't want to say that all arena maps are the same, but if I were to release one, then as good as it may be, for every thing that map does well, there's another map somewhere out there that does it better.

I'd sum up my forge maps as unique, different, and unconventional. I only go into forge when I have an idea that has not been done yet in any way.

 

[Dax]

Simply put, there is no such thing as a "law" when it comes to competitive map design.

By saying that these rules do exist, we're implying that there is a specific way to go about map design, and certain rules that must be followed in order to design a successful map. In reality, there's no straightforward formula that can be followed that will always result in a well-designed map. By restricting ourselves with these "laws," the only thing we're doing is limiting our own creativity. The most memorable maps often have the strangest design elements, but the thing is, they work. Sure, certain design choices generally tend to result in a poor map design, but that's not to say it can never be pulled off successfully. Take, for instance, your example of dead-ends. Generally yes, they're a bad idea. But now think back to the dead-end hallway from Halo 3's Guardian - a perfectly incorporated dead-end in one of the most popular maps from Halo 3.

We need to get rid of this idea of "what always works" vs. "what never works." Instead, come up with an idea for a unique map design, and then think of "how it can work."

 

[Zandril]

I agree with Dax. There are basically exceptions to almost every "rule" in competitive forging.

That's why I put quotation marks on laws in my previous post.

Following these "laws" is just the safest way to go about forging. But, yes. We all need to be creative with our map design. Not just in its aesthetics.

This is something I hope to achieve in the future.