Halo 4 Forge Challenge #1

[Disclaimer: The structure of this forge challenge is unorthodox and highly experimental and requires a bit more work than your typical contest/challenge. This system may or may not work out, but if it does it will serve as a basis for the structure of future forge challenges. The system is also subject to tweaks at any time during the course of the challenge and will be tweaked upon completion for future challenges.] 

Update [10/08/2012]: Changed rules of setting up your forum username from "with your username as your Gamertag" to "with a username that is representative of your gamertag (similar enough to be recognized)"

Why hello folks... GodlyPerfection here and I want to present to you the very first major forge challenge for Halo 4. I am a part of the Community Cartographers, a group of individuals who work directly with the 343 Industries Matchmaking Systems Team to bring the best community maps from various corners of the community and push them towards the chance of matchmaking integration. This challenge's purpose is to put your level design skills to the test and to not only give you a reason to create top notch quality maps, but to also assist you in making those creations the best that they can be.

My Community Development Philosophy

I've said this dozens of times already on various sites in reply to various people... I have a strong belief that community should shape the projects that are built for them. Basically anything that is built with the consumer in mind should take as much feedback as possible from the community and negotiations should be made to find a common ground between what the community wants and what the aspirations and original ideas are for the product. As a map designer in Halo 3 and Reach, I've learned the importance of the consumer and how much of what they say can really make your product fit both your dreams and their wants.

Introducing Covet

Join the Covet Mailing List to get updates and to join in on weekly prototype testing.

So all my life I've wanted to play a game that took the concept of Thief: The Dark Project (a stealth game about stealing artifacts and other such loot from various people) and apply it towards a multiplayer game. Last year around September/October I finally discovered a set of mechanics that can work together to create the experience that I wanted to create. I've been hashing out the design details for almost a year now and about a month ago I started on a prototype for it. Today (my 24th birthday) I introduce my new game concept (prototype in progress) to the world. Read on for a basic jist of the game.

The Moment

What makes you want to play a game again and again? What drives you to replay a few favourite maps? I would say that a game is defined by only a few moments, repeated again and again. These are the unique, enjoyable moments of pure, unbridled enjoyment. Awesome moments. It is these few moments that players enjoy; they are the moments that players return for. In both level and game design, then, these moments should be crafted exquisitely in order to maximise player enjoyment and replays. After all, you don’t want a player to only play your game or map once!

Mindful Cartography - Introduction

Sup guys... GP here and I've started a new video series centered around level design. This new video series is called Mindful Cartography [MC] and it is created with the intention of discussing level design concepts to help forgers get their maps in matchmaking in Halo: Reach as well as preparing you for forging in Halo 4. In addition I've timed this to help the forgers that are participating in the Community Cartographers Objective Forge Contest.

A Theory of Flow Pt. 3 - Choke Points

In the beginning, The Forge created Forge World. Now Forge World was filled with players, forgers and designers, and The Forge watched over them all. And The Forge said, "Let there be flow," and there was flow and The Forge saw that it was good and he separated high-flow from choke points. But some players were enticed by the fruit of the knowledge of camping, and warped The Forge's good intention for choke points into camping spots. Now others before me have undertaken to draw up an account of The Forge's intentions for choke points, and I simply relate this universal vision for choke points.

A Theory of Flow Pt. 2

We have explored the nature of flow on a foundational level -- or at least, we have explored one way to consider the concept of flow. I hardly suggest that my description is absolute or that I am infallible! But I submit that my ideas may be of some small use to the aspiring forger or designer, if only as terminology to describe the rich world of level design accessible by our imagination. And so today I shall expand on flow, and make some links to a previous idea of mine, Points of Interest, as well as digressing into human psychology, the nature of level design and more.