I assume that you mean multiplayer levels for Halo 2, correct? That major point aside a good netmap comes down to strategic value and overall innovation.
Sometimes the best maps are the most basic, yet involve the most strategy. Other times they have tons of new features for players to exploit and that compensates for the strategic void. Overall, however, the best maps are the ones that provide a bit of both to some degree.
As a former map designer for Bungie's previous series Myth, I find that the best netmaps are created by players that try to have fun when they play, as opposed to stat whores. These maps often exploit advantages for weaker and underused items in an effort to make them more popular, or simply play upon the novelty of the item(s).
Ideally a good netmap would have diversified terrain, a myriad of environments and make use of all types of vehicles, weapons and strategies. Relating these things points to Halo involves a few things.
First, size of the map must be taken into account. Large maps are often the most fun, but are only useful for large servers and games that do not get overcrowded in specific areas. Smaller maps can provide tons of strategy and shifting, but often end up with all the of action taking place within a given choke point. Resultingly, the size of the map must be the first and most important aspect of designing a map as you have to fit in all of the features you want without creating too much clutter.
Second comes features. I was personally a freature creep™ and would design a map based solely upon the limits of the current programmers' technology. This means that if weapon emplacements could be utilized, use them! Unlockable doors (with reset timers)? Why not. Utility lifts/Elevators (possibly with team restrictions)? Give it a shot. The ideas from this aspect are virtually limitless, but keep in mind 20 average ideas are often outdone by 2 great ones. You can also create a map with too high of a learning curve and that makes gameplay bad for everyone involved. A player should be able to play your map almost immediately and feel comfortable at all times. Getting lost, not knowing how to interface with objects, etc. should not be tolerated by players.
Lastly comes strategic value. This can make or break a map almost immediately. This also plays a very important role in determining the size of the map. You want vehicles to become important, but at the same time you do not want a single team spawn camping or being able to control the map with only a single strategic aspect being exploited. Therefore multiple routes and utilities must be used to create a strong environment for all players.
Example: Remember those elevators/lifts I mentioned before... imagine a turret (Shade) placed inside of a base, but upon a lift that moves upward along a 45 degree track to the roof of a base. This Shade could then be positioned to guard both inside or above a base depending on the situation. The drawback being the time needed to move the Shade from one position to the other along the track. Balancing aspects aside, a simple feature could be made into a very strategic one with the proper implementation.
Back on point, combining these features is what will make a map either successful or a complete failure in the long run. Strategy often determines the longevity of a map. Features are always fun for a short time, but to keep players coming back to your map again and again you want to make sure that your map can be played multiple ways.
If you want my actual idea for a Halo netmap, that would take a long time. I'm sure there are plenty of players out there with good or even great ideas, just make sure you take the time to refine those ideas before creating your map.
The problem so far with story based missions is that they are heavily dependant upon the actual story. As Bungie has released litte to no information regarding the plot of Halo 2 these ideas would be nothing more than pure speculation.
Provided that players will eventually be able to script their own missions for solo and coop use, a few neat ideas would be a first encounter with the Covenant, possibly as humans and not Spartans. As humans do not possess shields they would be much more vulnerable to attack and damage than their Spartan counterparts. This would make the missions a lot more challenging but in a different sort of way. Possibly the addition to class-based human roles along with a single Spartan could even be carried over to the multiplayer aspect of this mission.
Other possibilities include Spartan assault missions where you work alongside other Spartans in an effort to destroy the Covenant on their home turf. Unfortunately the ideas here are limitless due to the unknown nature of the storyline at this point. Once the plot becomes known we can then better speculate as to the actual spin-off stories, etc.
As for now I would prefer larger battles with more randomly scripted events to keep players coming back for more. Changing the game experience every time ensures that even a single episode can be played for months on end. Sure, some times might be easier than others, but using the same strategy every time will definitely get you killed more often than not. An ideal mission would keep you reacting as much as you try to plan. That way you never know what to expect. And yes, difficulty would be crucial to determining how many enemies or how difficult each event could possibly be played out.
My biggest fault is that I am a multiplayer geek. I equate everything, including balance, in terms of a multiplayer aspect. So designing story driven missions is not my forte. I enjoy incorporating storyline into all of my maps and often helped script solo missions with my netmaps, but normally you can do one or the other and I prefer the multiplayer by far. Also note that solo/coop missions take much longer to design so for every netmap I produce a full team may only be able to create a single mission if that.
To this point my favorite idea for multiplayer is the addition of humans to the mix. Imagine a human/Spartan team facing off against numerous Covenant class enemies. Sure balancing would take forever, but the advantages would be such that no game ever played out exactly the same no matter how mnay times you played a map.
To go one step farther, place the player in the role of each side. It's not fun when that Covenant Elite is your best bud and he wants to take you out, is it? Scenario roles such as these could take the game well into 2006/7, provided that the technology remains up-to-date.
I hate to say it, but I do not think that Halo 2 will ever live up to even a tenth of the creative ability of its players. The technology is amazing, but without the proper developer tools the game simply falls short of its ultimate potential. If there is ever a chance to utilize the technology of Halo 2 I'm sure that people will all jump on the mod bandwagon, but until then it is more of a nice dream to hold on to for another year.
I too thought about playing the game from both sides as well as maybe having a squad based shooter for the "first contact" with the Covenant. Maybe a squad based shoter with the UNSC Marines during the first fight on Halo. I also thought that the game could feature a difficulty for coop mode (ie- one person could not complete this difficulty - unless he's like me and it's still the only game he plays).
Your idea that Halo 2 has an infinite amount of possibilities is true. We can only hope that they took everything they could into account when they made it.
Keep writing these ideas... someone important might be watching.
ya for halo 2 they need a fulll jungle level like gilty spark cept going under ground, and one level that has like 2 tanks in a city so ur just driving down fith avenue w/ 60 tons of steel blowing away eny thing in ur way im sure u can make a story for that , if not i can for u , then a flying misson would b fun fly a long sword bommer around, and one on 0 gravity on the moon or space thing that broke an u need to take back
the worlds on halo2 should be outside. because thats will be the best way to take the advantage of the vehicles. and when the atmosphere take control, you yust cant stopp playing, FREEDOM IS THE KEY, TO THE BEST GAME. and halo is the game that can do that on the best way. so take advantage of that.
it would be nice if they had a saber battle between the spartans and about thirty sabers,also a level that is open with the human and covenant forces having a huge battle with everything they have for like a closing level.and multiplayer levels with covenant or marines at your back.
ya that would be cool "if,"you had spartans at your back. I mean since a few of them survived reach and were rescude by MC and made it home in the book FIRST STRIKE.
Who would ever think to use a mounted flame thrower with a range of say 30 yards.easy to kill but good against anyone not expecting it.or if in multiplayer having an idea of arial insertions with marines or covenant troops that would be some cool reinforcements in a tough fight.
Well I Make Small Games With Gamemaker 5.1 A Freeware program. SO I Decided To Make A Top View Version Of The First Strike. And I Have Thought Up An ESD: Energy Shield Disrupter. If You Read The Books, Energy Shields Play A Big Part In It. This Will Be A Human Made Greenish Gernade When On Impact It Explodes Like A Regular Gernade But The Explosions Out Line Is Much Smoother And The Color Of The Explosion Is A Light Green This WOrks On All Energy SHeilds Except Large Ships Like Covenate Dropships ect. Once It Hits An Enemy It Destroys There Energy Shield Completly. But If Used On Spartans There Energy Shield Will Completly Drop But Will Recharge Like Normal
What Ya Think (PS: Sorry For The (C)aps On Every Word :cP Its A Habit.
whoever readed the third book (First Strike)will agree with me, if bungie make these level it would be two crazy one's. Espescialy for Unyielding Hierophant in coop mission. Imagine this part when linda is sniping on that rope (according to gmr revue you could hang on a side of a cliff and shoot) while the chief get chase by some Banshee. U just have to be a CRAZY SNIPER to knock down that amount of banshees swingning on that rope and not get seen by anybody. Agree whit me? How? By waiting the time, the chief say it to u on the com channel while he distract them! You better be fast or your teammates is toasted! if u got some comment bring it!
thank for read that far
In reply to: Return to Reach and Unyielding Hierophant
... but keep in mind, in general the events in the book occur between Halo 1 and Halo 2. We might not actually see any of the locations from First Strike in Halo 2 at all.
Comments
vicmitkal
Multiplayer? (Long)
I assume that you mean multiplayer levels for Halo 2, correct? That major point aside a good netmap comes down to strategic value and overall innovation.
Sometimes the best maps are the most basic, yet involve the most strategy. Other times they have tons of new features for players to exploit and that compensates for the strategic void. Overall, however, the best maps are the ones that provide a bit of both to some degree.
As a former map designer for Bungie's previous series Myth, I find that the best netmaps are created by players that try to have fun when they play, as opposed to stat whores. These maps often exploit advantages for weaker and underused items in an effort to make them more popular, or simply play upon the novelty of the item(s).
Ideally a good netmap would have diversified terrain, a myriad of environments and make use of all types of vehicles, weapons and strategies. Relating these things points to Halo involves a few things.
First, size of the map must be taken into account. Large maps are often the most fun, but are only useful for large servers and games that do not get overcrowded in specific areas. Smaller maps can provide tons of strategy and shifting, but often end up with all the of action taking place within a given choke point. Resultingly, the size of the map must be the first and most important aspect of designing a map as you have to fit in all of the features you want without creating too much clutter.
Second comes features. I was personally a freature creep™ and would design a map based solely upon the limits of the current programmers' technology. This means that if weapon emplacements could be utilized, use them! Unlockable doors (with reset timers)? Why not. Utility lifts/Elevators (possibly with team restrictions)? Give it a shot. The ideas from this aspect are virtually limitless, but keep in mind 20 average ideas are often outdone by 2 great ones. You can also create a map with too high of a learning curve and that makes gameplay bad for everyone involved. A player should be able to play your map almost immediately and feel comfortable at all times. Getting lost, not knowing how to interface with objects, etc. should not be tolerated by players.
Lastly comes strategic value. This can make or break a map almost immediately. This also plays a very important role in determining the size of the map. You want vehicles to become important, but at the same time you do not want a single team spawn camping or being able to control the map with only a single strategic aspect being exploited. Therefore multiple routes and utilities must be used to create a strong environment for all players.
Example: Remember those elevators/lifts I mentioned before... imagine a turret (Shade) placed inside of a base, but upon a lift that moves upward along a 45 degree track to the roof of a base. This Shade could then be positioned to guard both inside or above a base depending on the situation. The drawback being the time needed to move the Shade from one position to the other along the track. Balancing aspects aside, a simple feature could be made into a very strategic one with the proper implementation.
Back on point, combining these features is what will make a map either successful or a complete failure in the long run. Strategy often determines the longevity of a map. Features are always fun for a short time, but to keep players coming back to your map again and again you want to make sure that your map can be played multiple ways.
If you want my actual idea for a Halo netmap, that would take a long time. I'm sure there are plenty of players out there with good or even great ideas, just make sure you take the time to refine those ideas before creating your map.
Sincerely,
Vic Mitkal
a.k.a. Pimpy™
Anonymous (not verified)
halo 2 levels
In reply to: Multiplayer? (Long)yeah, both mutiplayer maps and story missions, but your post was very interesting.
vicmitkal
Story Missions... (Long)
In reply to: halo 2 levelsThe problem so far with story based missions is that they are heavily dependant upon the actual story. As Bungie has released litte to no information regarding the plot of Halo 2 these ideas would be nothing more than pure speculation.
Provided that players will eventually be able to script their own missions for solo and coop use, a few neat ideas would be a first encounter with the Covenant, possibly as humans and not Spartans. As humans do not possess shields they would be much more vulnerable to attack and damage than their Spartan counterparts. This would make the missions a lot more challenging but in a different sort of way. Possibly the addition to class-based human roles along with a single Spartan could even be carried over to the multiplayer aspect of this mission.
Other possibilities include Spartan assault missions where you work alongside other Spartans in an effort to destroy the Covenant on their home turf. Unfortunately the ideas here are limitless due to the unknown nature of the storyline at this point. Once the plot becomes known we can then better speculate as to the actual spin-off stories, etc.
As for now I would prefer larger battles with more randomly scripted events to keep players coming back for more. Changing the game experience every time ensures that even a single episode can be played for months on end. Sure, some times might be easier than others, but using the same strategy every time will definitely get you killed more often than not. An ideal mission would keep you reacting as much as you try to plan. That way you never know what to expect. And yes, difficulty would be crucial to determining how many enemies or how difficult each event could possibly be played out.
My biggest fault is that I am a multiplayer geek. I equate everything, including balance, in terms of a multiplayer aspect. So designing story driven missions is not my forte. I enjoy incorporating storyline into all of my maps and often helped script solo missions with my netmaps, but normally you can do one or the other and I prefer the multiplayer by far. Also note that solo/coop missions take much longer to design so for every netmap I produce a full team may only be able to create a single mission if that.
To this point my favorite idea for multiplayer is the addition of humans to the mix. Imagine a human/Spartan team facing off against numerous Covenant class enemies. Sure balancing would take forever, but the advantages would be such that no game ever played out exactly the same no matter how mnay times you played a map.
To go one step farther, place the player in the role of each side. It's not fun when that Covenant Elite is your best bud and he wants to take you out, is it? Scenario roles such as these could take the game well into 2006/7, provided that the technology remains up-to-date.
I hate to say it, but I do not think that Halo 2 will ever live up to even a tenth of the creative ability of its players. The technology is amazing, but without the proper developer tools the game simply falls short of its ultimate potential. If there is ever a chance to utilize the technology of Halo 2 I'm sure that people will all jump on the mod bandwagon, but until then it is more of a nice dream to hold on to for another year.
Sincerely,
Vic Mitkal
a.k.a. Pimpy™
Anonymous (not verified)
Story Missions... (Long)
In reply to: Story Missions... (Long)I too thought about playing the game from both sides as well as maybe having a squad based shooter for the "first contact" with the Covenant. Maybe a squad based shoter with the UNSC Marines during the first fight on Halo. I also thought that the game could feature a difficulty for coop mode (ie- one person could not complete this difficulty - unless he's like me and it's still the only game he plays).
Your idea that Halo 2 has an infinite amount of possibilities is true. We can only hope that they took everything they could into account when they made it.
Keep writing these ideas... someone important might be watching.
Matt
Anonymous (not verified)
new level idea
ya for halo 2 they need a fulll jungle level like gilty spark cept going under ground, and one level that has like 2 tanks in a city so ur just driving down fith avenue w/ 60 tons of steel blowing away eny thing in ur way im sure u can make a story for that , if not i can for u , then a flying misson would b fun fly a long sword bommer around, and one on 0 gravity on the moon or space thing that broke an u need to take back
Wanted9867
Hmm..
In reply to: new level ideaI don't want to fantasize too much because I know that then I'll be disappointed when the game actually comes out =(...
Anonymous (not verified)
from norway
the worlds on halo2 should be outside. because thats will be the best way to take the advantage of the vehicles. and when the atmosphere take control, you yust cant stopp playing, FREEDOM IS THE KEY, TO THE BEST GAME. and halo is the game that can do that on the best way. so take advantage of that.
Anonymous (not verified)
halo2 levels
it would be nice if they had a saber battle between the spartans and about thirty sabers,also a level that is open with the human and covenant forces having a huge battle with everything they have for like a closing level.and multiplayer levels with covenant or marines at your back.
Anonymous (not verified)
ya
In reply to: halo2 levelsi think that would b realy cool!!
Anonymous (not verified)
ya that would be cool "if,"yo
In reply to: halo2 levelsya that would be cool "if,"you had spartans at your back. I mean since a few of them survived reach and were rescude by MC and made it home in the book FIRST STRIKE.
Anonymous (not verified)
think of this
Who would ever think to use a mounted flame thrower with a range of say 30 yards.easy to kill but good against anyone not expecting it.or if in multiplayer having an idea of arial insertions with marines or covenant troops that would be some cool reinforcements in a tough fight.
Anonymous (not verified)
Reach lvl
they should make a halo game that happined b4 halo if u have read the book "Halo, The Fall of Reach" u know what im talking about:)
Anonymous (not verified)
[HALO 2:IDEA]
Well I Make Small Games With Gamemaker 5.1 A Freeware program. SO I Decided To Make A Top View Version Of The First Strike. And I Have Thought Up An ESD: Energy Shield Disrupter. If You Read The Books, Energy Shields Play A Big Part In It. This Will Be A Human Made Greenish Gernade When On Impact It Explodes Like A Regular Gernade But The Explosions Out Line Is Much Smoother And The Color Of The Explosion Is A Light Green This WOrks On All Energy SHeilds Except Large Ships Like Covenate Dropships ect. Once It Hits An Enemy It Destroys There Energy Shield Completly. But If Used On Spartans There Energy Shield Will Completly Drop But Will Recharge Like Normal
What Ya Think (PS: Sorry For The (C)aps On Every Word :cP Its A Habit.
Anonymous (not verified)
Return to Reach and Unyielding Hierophant
whoever readed the third book (First Strike)will agree with me, if bungie make these level it would be two crazy one's. Espescialy for Unyielding Hierophant in coop mission. Imagine this part when linda is sniping on that rope (according to gmr revue you could hang on a side of a cliff and shoot) while the chief get chase by some Banshee. U just have to be a CRAZY SNIPER to knock down that amount of banshees swingning on that rope and not get seen by anybody. Agree whit me? How? By waiting the time, the chief say it to u on the com channel while he distract them! You better be fast or your teammates is toasted! if u got some comment bring it!
thank for read that far
narcogen
I agree...
In reply to: Return to Reach and Unyielding Hierophant... but keep in mind, in general the events in the book occur between Halo 1 and Halo 2. We might not actually see any of the locations from First Strike in Halo 2 at all.
Then again, who knows...