GodlyPerfection
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Special thanks to nillapuddin for the Forge OT graphics.
Halo 4 |OT| by GhaleonEB
News & Updates
10/30 | Initial Posting of the Forge OT
Events
Overview
Halo 4 was developed by 343 Industries as the next iteration in the Halo franchise. Forge is a game mode which allows players to make modifications to maps by moving, adding, deleting, or editing objects. Originally used to edit maps in Halo 3, it has become a tool for the community to develop their own creations to do with as they please. Halo 4 offers new features for Forge that seek to improve the workflow and improve the presentation of creations in Forge. It also offers three unique Forge environments which serve as a sandbox for Forgers with extended palettes of objects to allow for endless possibilities.
What's New?
Dynamic Lightmapping
In Halo: Reach, forge pieces did not cast or receive shadows on themselves, other objects, or the environment. They were also lit based on the lighting at the object's center point. This caused many objects to be different colors ranging from light to dark and gray to green to black. Halo 4 introduces a new lighting system that calculates lightmaps for Forge creations every time a player goes from editor mode to player mode. This new lighting system allows creations to feel more organic and improves the presentation of player creations by casting and receiving realistic shadows on the individual Forge pieces, each other, and on the environment. It also opens up many possibilities for subtle player movement influence in terms of design theory.
Real-Time Object Highlighting/LabelingWhen working in Halo: Reach with a creation that had a high object count in small areas there were occasions where Forgers would accidentally grab the wrong Forge object. With real-time object highlighting and labeling in Halo 4, it is easy to tell what object a Forger is about to grab. The name/type of the object is listed below the reticle and the object is highlighted with a colored shimmer. Green is the standard color for highlighted objects, Yellow means that the object is currently being held, and Red means that the objected is currently locked and cannot be grabbed.
Locking ObjectsPrior to Halo 4, while flying around a Forge creation (whether your own or someone else's there would be times where you accidentally grab or delete an object, resulting in it being removed from it's perfect resting spot only to force the Forger to replace it with the utmost precision. Halo 4 seeks to rectify this random event by supplying a new feature that allows Forgers to "lock" objects in their current state. This stops objects from being grabbed and hence they are unable to be manipulated. This also stops objects from being accidentally deleted. This includes making the object immune to being deleted via the new "Delete Everything" option. An option to lock all objects on the map exists for times when a Forger needs to ensure that their pieces are kept snug in their positions. Locked objects shimmer red when highlighted.
Duplicating ObjectsSometimes while Forging, a single object may need to be used several times over. In previous iterations of Forge, a Forger would need to re-enter the menu in order to grab a new instance of the object with fresh settings. Now in Halo 4 there is an option to duplicate already existing objects. Duplicating keeps the characteristics of an object for use with the new instance. This includes rotation angles. It results in a surplus of saved time.
MagnetsWork can be a lot faster when things snap together. Halo 4's Forge mode introduces a new system referred to as "magnets". Magnets are points on Forge objects that attract towards each other. There are many of these points on each object. On a cube, a magnet can be found at the center of each edge and in the center of each face. More complex objects have magnet points in places that make sense. This new system allows for quick iteration, especially for new forgers. It is possible to turn the magnet system off and on, as well as control the strength of magnets. When a piece is magnetized to another piece, the magnetized point serves as the point of rotation for the object. So if an object is magnetized on one of its sides, the object will rotate around that side rather than around its center.
Forge Environments
"With hundreds of human colonies now razed in the wake of the Covenant War, the UNSC has dispatched large numbers of advanced pioneer groups to survey potential new worlds. The discovery of Eudemon X49-05 was considered lucky, but concerns remain about the moon’s structural integrity."
Erosion is set in the likes of a cavern that holds a dark and dreary aesthetic. The object palette of Erosion reflects this, providing rustic variants of many of the Forge objects. There are several main areas of Erosion that provide forgers a choice in environment. The Grifball Court provides a large indoor area with a pristine shine to the metal that gives forgers the chance to build indoor creations while possibly incorporating the floor, walls, or ceiling. Outside of the Grifball Court is a pre-made terrain area that is great for new forgers who don't know where to start. New forgers are able to block off parts of the terrain and add their own structures if they so choose. It also provides veteran forgers a chance to work around the terrain and challenge their design skills. Finally the Lagoon provides a large dark area with water at the bottom of the massive cavern. While a killzone exists slightly above the water, it provides a great tool for setting the atmosphere of a creation. Erosion provides the largest selection of differing areas among the three Forge Environments.
"This observation outpost was established to examine the site of a spectacularly violent meteor collision recorded by an ONI patrol drone in 2547. When researchers first arrived, they were startled to find a non-native fragment of the impacting agent had actually survived and was of unknown origin. More recently, interest in the site has grown as the fragment has proven to have originated from long before the earliest of known Forerunner artifacts."
Impact is a massive forge environment set in the beauty of space. It features a clean white metallic forge palette with many new large structural pieces and unique objects like an animated object and an object with a hologram in it. The environment provides two large area meteors, one with built-in structure that cannot be deleted. Impact is said to be great for most forgers that require a large amount of space for their projects. It also provides an intricate skybox that offers several key landmarks for use by Forgers when planning out their map, helping Forgers provide orientation for their players. Impact provides the most extensive object palette of the three Forge Environments.
"When ONI dispatched its first expeditionary group to this sector, it was believed that these impressive citadels were individual constructs strategically organized to protect this portion of Requiem. Teams on the ground now believe that they are actually the ramparts and battlements of an impossibly large structure below the surface of the sea."
Ravine is set on a beautiful rock high above the water, tied to a large Forerunner structure. It is very reminiscent of the atmosphere of Forgeworld. Ravine also features a palette aesthetic of clean white metal pieces. The large forerunner structure provides a great piece of flat real estate for use as integration into a Forger's creation. Ravine also features the best terrain or BTB usage with very slight changes in elevation and a large expanse. In addition to the natural terrain and forerunner structure, Forgers may also utilize the actual ravine and create maps between the cliffs or against the cliffs. Like Erosion the water has a killzone place above it, but it can still serve as a strong aesthetic feature for community creations.
Released Forge Videos
Forge Reveal @ RTX
Achievement Hunter @ RTX
Exclusive Halo 4 Forge Mode Details
Forge Maps Overview
Serious Building Techniques
Achievement Hunter @ RTX
Exclusive Halo 4 Forge Mode Details
Forge Maps Overview
Serious Building Techniques
Forge Communities
Blueprint [BP]
Blueprint is a Bungie.Net group led by Homeboyd903. It was created as a location for forgers to work closely with Community Cartographers, and work together to perfect maps intended for integration into matchmaking. Playtests are held often and feedback is in abundance among the community.
Forge Café [FC]Forge Café was one of the largest Forging groups on Bungie.Net alongside Forever Forgers. Forge Café moved to their own domain in early 2012. They are best known for their Forge Café Recap videos of their Forge Café Custom Game Nights.
Forgehub [FH]Forgehub, was one of the first and arguably largest Forge communities in the Halo universe. It was originally founded by TrueDarkFusion and TheYavimayan as a wordpress blog that posted the infamous Forging 101 tutorials as well as tons of unique creations for Halo 3 created by the group's "Guilders". It still exists to this day as one of the go to places for Forge relations as it provides an extensive content submission area, contests/tournaments, and featured content.
GrifballHub [GH]Grifballhub, founded by H2O Camper, serves as one of the major communities behind the Halo sport of Grifball. Filled with passionate and fun forgers, it is one of the best places for those who love themselves a great Grifball court, especially with the newly revamped Grifball gametype in Halo 4.
MLG Forge Forum [MLGFF]The MLG Forge Forum is home to Forgers that tailor to the competitive gameplay that is MLG. With access to many guides, seasoned Forging veterans with ample advice, and the chance to make a map that is part of the MLG circuit makes this an important corner of the Forging scene.
Reaching Perfection [RP]Reaching Perfection, originally a personal blog for GodlyPerfection, focuses on unending improvement and is filled with many aspiring game/level designers and other individuals interested in the whole world of game design. While not fully Halo focused, most of the community uses Forge as a creative outlet and tool for improvement. Best known for the Forge Lessons a collection of articles on level design theory.
The Halo Council [THC]The Halo Council, one of the go to places for Halo 4 info, holds a strong Forge community dedicated to quality competitive gameplay. Home to many seasoned veterans of the Forging scene, several MLG forgers have come to call it their home.
The Halo Forge Epidemic [THFE]The Halo Forge Epidemic originally started as a youtube channel dedicated to the Forging scene. They have created themselves a forum home in the 343Industries.org community. This community is an endless resource for Forge tutorials and Creation Showcases.
Waypoint [WP]Waypoint is the official internet location of 343 Industries. Among the vast community is a Community Creations section where many Forgers have spent their time advertising their creations, offering feedback, and setting up get togethers to play customs. Being a part of the official Halo community comes with additional perks.
XForgery [XF]XForgery was spawned from a forge group originally called Forgery started by Sk3tch of Bungie Studios. The community moved from the Bungie.Net group to start their own website. This community offers a friendly family type environment for forgers while offering weekly playtests as well as showcasing many community creations.
Technical Resources
Here you will find various resources that cover the technical side of building a Forge map, things like: a list of Forge objects, gametype creation guides, Forge trick guides, Sketchup components, etc. If there is anything you think should be added to this list then please PM me.
- Dynamic Forge Menu
- MORE COMING SOON...
Level Design Resources
Below is a collection of handy level design resources for use by Forgers to improve their designs. Most of these resources refer to other games, but are still somewhat applicable in terms of design theory in the world of Forge. If there is anything you think should be added to this list then please PM me.
- Carney's Crash Course: Map Design 101
- Forge Lessons
- A Comprehensive and Collaborative Guide to Map Design by Forgers for Forgers
- Map Design Theory - Knowledge
- Theory of Flow [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3]
- Quake Competitive Design Guide
- Ben's Small Bible of Realistic Multiplayer Level Design
- Lunaran's Deathmatch Encyclopedia
- No More Wrong Turns
