How to Make a Good Map on Halo
Get familiar with the Forge system, which is the program in Halo 3 which allows the user to edit and create maps., Decide what kind of map you wish to build and what type of custom games you plan to play on it., Select a map you wish to edit or...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Get familiar with the Forge system
It is fairly daunting at first, but once you learn to master a few techniques, making maps will get easier.
You can access the Forge from the main menu screen between Custom Games and Theater. -
Step 2: which is the program in Halo 3 which allows the user to edit and create maps.
Do you want a vehicle-heavy map or one where players have to navigate an obstacle course? What you want your map to look and feel like can guide you to select a good starting map.
Large maps, such as Sand Trap, Valhalla and Avalanche, are a perfect starting point for vehicle based games and sniper matches.
Close-combat maps such as Black Out, Guardian and Epitaph are more suitable templates for maps intended for close-range games.
Basically, think about what you want to do with your map and then you'll be able to select the right one. , There are several default maps on Halo 3, such as Sand Trap, Isolation or The Pit, but most map makers prefer Foundry and Sandbox because they were intended to be used primarily as a Forge map.
Some maps, such as Foundry and Sandbox, are only available through downloaded content, however the Heroic map pack in which Foundry is located, is free to download.
Currently, the Legendary and Mythic map packs must still be purchased. or you can buy odst and get all the maps , You could start by deleting all the existing objects on the map so you have a blank template to work with, although there are blank maps that are available to download which already have this done for you. , Spending the time to make sure the objects on your map are symmetrical and straight or adjoin properly can give a professional feeling to your map, but some of the funniest and crazy maps are the ones with a huge pile of weapons and vehicles in the middle of a room.
Experiment with both to decide, or make two separate maps if you can't choose. , Don't get too complicated to begin with
- you just want to start off with the bare bones of the map so you can correct mistakes easier.
Setting up zones is a good idea too
- places where the vehicles and players spawn, key areas and pathways
- these can all be planned out now.
Make sure there is enough room to drive if there are vehicles and that it functions well. , This may be in the form of second stories or vehicles, shield doors or man cannons, objects like these which aren't too detailed are good to start adding now.
If your map has several bases or areas, it may be a good idea to just concentrate on one or two at a time before moving on to the next ones. , This will help you to see if there are any major faults, such as levels too high to reach, or impossible obstacles.
Try many different scenarios when you are testing your map
- drive around, jump and see if there are lines of sight.
Testing will be invaluable
- there's nothing worse that inviting all your friends to a new map you've made and none of them can leave the spawn point because you forgot to add a teleporter! , Make sure that they are evenly spaced out and that the powerful weapons, such as rockets, shotgun and the energy sword, are evenly spaced out throughout the map.
These weapons also benefit from having risk in order to get them
- for example having the shotgun in an exposed place, or the rockets next to some fusion coils.
This makes it fair and exciting for people to play and adds an element of tactics to the game.
Stock weapons such as battle rifles and assault rifles should be made easier to get, and grenades (if you choose to have them) should also be fairly abundant. , Take care to place them in secluded places to avoid "spawn killing"(although it is fun), where players get killed immediately after re-entering the map.
If there are spawn points for different teams, make sure this is set up by entering the spawn point's set up by pressing X before placing it and selecting "Attackers"
"Defenders" or another team number.
This will ensure that only members of that team spawn from that point. , Make sure there are no major faults and set up weapon re-spawn times.
Make sure it works well for the game type you intend to use it for and make sure it all flows well.
Don't think you have to spend all your budget on objects
- quite often a map can be too over-loaded with weapons and objects, so less is indeed more in some cases. , Have a few play tests on it and be prepared to make changes! Some areas may be way to powerful (a room with only one entrance and infinite rockets is only fun for the person in it killing everyone else!) while others may be not used at all, so you may want to put something in there to entice other's into it.
Remember, map creation is an ongoing process
- don't be surprised if you come back to an earlier map months later and change everything with all the experience you've gathered since. -
Step 3: Decide what kind of map you wish to build and what type of custom games you plan to play on it.
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Step 4: Select a map you wish to edit or build upon.
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Step 5: Start working on your map with your original plan in mind.
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Step 6: Decide whether you want to spend the time rotating every object perfectly or if you just want to chuck your objects in any order in what ever way.
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Step 7: Begin with the basic stuff
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Step 8: such as crates and ramps to get the overall feel of your map before you place the finer details in.
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Step 9: Start adding more detail to your map.
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Step 10: Change into player form (as opposed to oracle form)aka: monitor mode and walk around and play-test your map as much as possible during these stages.
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Step 11: Add weapons and grenades and objects such as barrels and boxes.
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Step 12: Set up spawn points.
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Step 13: Complete the finishing touches.
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Step 14: Invite a few friends over to test the map.
Detailed Guide
It is fairly daunting at first, but once you learn to master a few techniques, making maps will get easier.
You can access the Forge from the main menu screen between Custom Games and Theater.
Do you want a vehicle-heavy map or one where players have to navigate an obstacle course? What you want your map to look and feel like can guide you to select a good starting map.
Large maps, such as Sand Trap, Valhalla and Avalanche, are a perfect starting point for vehicle based games and sniper matches.
Close-combat maps such as Black Out, Guardian and Epitaph are more suitable templates for maps intended for close-range games.
Basically, think about what you want to do with your map and then you'll be able to select the right one. , There are several default maps on Halo 3, such as Sand Trap, Isolation or The Pit, but most map makers prefer Foundry and Sandbox because they were intended to be used primarily as a Forge map.
Some maps, such as Foundry and Sandbox, are only available through downloaded content, however the Heroic map pack in which Foundry is located, is free to download.
Currently, the Legendary and Mythic map packs must still be purchased. or you can buy odst and get all the maps , You could start by deleting all the existing objects on the map so you have a blank template to work with, although there are blank maps that are available to download which already have this done for you. , Spending the time to make sure the objects on your map are symmetrical and straight or adjoin properly can give a professional feeling to your map, but some of the funniest and crazy maps are the ones with a huge pile of weapons and vehicles in the middle of a room.
Experiment with both to decide, or make two separate maps if you can't choose. , Don't get too complicated to begin with
- you just want to start off with the bare bones of the map so you can correct mistakes easier.
Setting up zones is a good idea too
- places where the vehicles and players spawn, key areas and pathways
- these can all be planned out now.
Make sure there is enough room to drive if there are vehicles and that it functions well. , This may be in the form of second stories or vehicles, shield doors or man cannons, objects like these which aren't too detailed are good to start adding now.
If your map has several bases or areas, it may be a good idea to just concentrate on one or two at a time before moving on to the next ones. , This will help you to see if there are any major faults, such as levels too high to reach, or impossible obstacles.
Try many different scenarios when you are testing your map
- drive around, jump and see if there are lines of sight.
Testing will be invaluable
- there's nothing worse that inviting all your friends to a new map you've made and none of them can leave the spawn point because you forgot to add a teleporter! , Make sure that they are evenly spaced out and that the powerful weapons, such as rockets, shotgun and the energy sword, are evenly spaced out throughout the map.
These weapons also benefit from having risk in order to get them
- for example having the shotgun in an exposed place, or the rockets next to some fusion coils.
This makes it fair and exciting for people to play and adds an element of tactics to the game.
Stock weapons such as battle rifles and assault rifles should be made easier to get, and grenades (if you choose to have them) should also be fairly abundant. , Take care to place them in secluded places to avoid "spawn killing"(although it is fun), where players get killed immediately after re-entering the map.
If there are spawn points for different teams, make sure this is set up by entering the spawn point's set up by pressing X before placing it and selecting "Attackers"
"Defenders" or another team number.
This will ensure that only members of that team spawn from that point. , Make sure there are no major faults and set up weapon re-spawn times.
Make sure it works well for the game type you intend to use it for and make sure it all flows well.
Don't think you have to spend all your budget on objects
- quite often a map can be too over-loaded with weapons and objects, so less is indeed more in some cases. , Have a few play tests on it and be prepared to make changes! Some areas may be way to powerful (a room with only one entrance and infinite rockets is only fun for the person in it killing everyone else!) while others may be not used at all, so you may want to put something in there to entice other's into it.
Remember, map creation is an ongoing process
- don't be surprised if you come back to an earlier map months later and change everything with all the experience you've gathered since.
About the Author
Joyce Wells
Enthusiastic about teaching DIY projects techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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