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Invasion: Forging Checklist

Sat Feb 18, 2012 2:16 pm

Essentials:
-Dynamic Asymmetric gametype: Forge accordingly
-Spartan vs. Elites (in every sense of the word)
-Forge around Matchmaking Invasion (AA, Loadouts, vehicles etc)
-Fire team spawning
-Fire team roles/pathing
-Invasion appropriate Width
-Proper Verticality at the proper times
-Territories/objectives = 1 sprint/evade apart + Cover
-Delaying Elements between spawns and Objectives
-Expand the map, don't leave Phases behind
-Weapon and Vehicle "balance" (less is more)

There are a lot of guides on how to "make" an Invasion map, good ones, bad ones, and everything in between. Forgers, use this thread as a go-to guide to reference before, during and after creating any MATCHMAKING WORTHY Invasion Map. Whats covered here isn't the mechanics of labeling and adding hill markers, etc but there are links attached for that. Here we will discuss beyond the beginners instruction manual and move onto advanced forging. Things like pathing, flow, and theory. If you still have questions about the "how-to" of getting an Invasion map started, use these...

Straight from the makers mouth,Bungie.net's article on Forging Invasion and "The Halo Forge Epidemic" on YouTube has made great strides on not only giving you the information you need but also making it entertaining. And last but not least, a Basic guide to Invasion as seen on ForgeHub.

The actual Checklist came first to be used a quick reference. A brief description of each point is listed in Spoilers below. A link to a full bore breakdown will be near the end if you care to delve into it!

Lets get started!

-Dynamic Asymmetric gametype: Forge accordingly
Spoiler: show
Invasion isn't BTB, MLG, or Multi-team. It isn't like any other gametype ever seen in Halo. Don't stress about symmetry or placing neutral weapons. There doesn't need to be a Top-Mid. This point in the list is a catch all for that makes Invasion, well, Invasion. Its may be hard to quantify so when in doubt... Go play some Invasion matchmaking.

-Spartan vs. Elites (in every sense of the word)
Spoiler: show
Invasion is Reach specific (for now) and you'd know why if you've played ANY of the campaign. In essence do your best to merge the campaign and MM. Create a mission, a theme, a story and build off of that for a great player experience.

Ex: Elites attacking an Oni base on Reach for a core that will lead them to Earth... Spartans attacking an Elite held Forerunner structure on Halo etc.This is a VERY major point in the checklist that affects structure, aestetics, cover, weapons, vehicles, spawns, and objectives. Literally everything on the map requires SvE consideration. Its recommended that forgers read-on to the full article and understand how and why Matchmaking Invasion revolves around this concept.

-Forge around Matchmaking Invasion (AA, Loadouts, vehicles etc)
Spoiler: show
Working towards getting a map up to MM standards means using the MM gametype. Use the the built in Invasion gametype as a starting point. Don't add 5 falcons, don't use a fleet of mongeese, if in doubt, play more MM. This doesn't mean that only "remakes" can be good... its okay to think outside the box, just make you sure you start with the Standard and work from there.

-Fire team spawning
Spoiler: show
Spawns should be 1 sprint apart from their teammates spawns. A call back to campaign spawning... Bro-spawning is a co-op standard and respawn zones are essentially "Checkpoints". You died inches from the objective? Try again! Don't try to get fancy or change the gametype, thats not a Forgers job and its not the way Matchmaking works. Each team gets 3 fireteams of 2 players each. Each fireteam gets ONE spawn per phase and, usually, a group spawn in the later phases for vehicles.

-Fire team pathing/roles
Spoiler: show
Pathing and Flow aren't new to most forgers. Use what you know to dictate how each of the 6 fireteams proceeds and interact. Ideally you want each of the 3 defending fireteams paths to take them towards their attacking counterpart and vice versa. Off spawn an attacking fireteam should see a clear cut quickest way to the objective. If they want to deviate from this path of least resistance they should be able to at their own detriment. Don't encourage it but DO facilitate it... make sense?

They should all meet up with their teammates near the objective(s). And thats just pathing... Roles refers to who picks up the DMR/NeRf on Phase1, who gets the vehicles or power weapons. Make sure roles are clearly defined using spawns, weapon placement, and pathing.

-Invasion appropriate Width
Spoiler: show
12 players is lot for Halo, add to that fireteams roles and pathing and we've got the need for a very large playspace. The map needs to be wide enough to allow fireteams to have their own paths and battles without stumbling into some one else's battle ON ACCIDENT... Still, the map should be "Small" enough to allow players to meet up and coordinate attacks/mount defenses. You can't flank when all of Forge World is in use. Unsure about your map? Play some MM Invasion and draw some inspiration. In general, "focus" the width in the later phases since you are building upon the entirety of the map.

-Proper Verticality at the proper times
Spoiler: show
Same concept as width with a few exceptions. As the map expands INCREASE verticality on all levels. IMO, Invasion needs Aerial vehicles but its not written in stone. Regardless, ensure that the map is CAPABLE of accommodating falcons, banshees, jet packers in the later phases and include skill jumps, ramps, and ledges in the early phases etc... who knows what changes will be needed after playtests and you don't want to have to redesign your whole map just because you weren't "planning" on including a few things. Ever heard a call-out of S1, S3, or TOP-mid? An FPS needs verticality, invasion is no different.

-Territories/objectives = 1 sprint/evade apart + Cover
Spoiler: show
This 1AA proximity lets teams coordinate and allows the middle team to choose if they want to go left or right. It also lets the Defenders respond to the Attackers in their objectives quickly. Add structure/cover to prevent cross mapping shooting from or into the objective from spawn and vice versa.
The Objective should not be a power position.

-Delaying Elements between spawns and Objectives
Spoiler: show
Simple really. Add structure, cover, shield doors, or use the map itself to prevent players from INSTANTLY affecting the objective from their spawns or vice versa.

-Expand the map, don't leave Phases behind
Spoiler: show
Use the first phase as an Attacker vehicle spawn, power weapon spawn, etc. There is no point using that budget and objects on a part of the map you'll use once. No, be frugal and practical. Reuse as much of the map as you can and don't use teleporters. Ever.

-Weapon and Vehicle "balance" (less is more)
Spoiler: show
Place Needle Rifle(s) on the 1st phase for elites to counter the spartans magnums. Only add DMR/NeRf to P1. Add power weapons and vehicles starting P2 and thenescalate for the 3rd phase. Don't stress too much about symmetry here. A focus rifle does not counter a sniper nor the scorpion a wraith. They can kill each other, sure, but one does not REQUIRE the other. Don't fall into the trap of adding every vehicle and power weapon. Dynamic ASYMMETRIC Gametype remember? That said, Elites need ways of taking down vehicles and spartans shouldn't be confronted by banshees, revenants, AND wraiths at every turn. Playtest, playtest, playtest, then more MM

__________________________________________________________

Okay, the heart of the matter! Its time for the break down of who, what, where, why and when!


WALL OF TEXT

-Dynamic Asymmetric gametype: Forge accordingly
Invasion isn't BTB, MLG, or Multi-team. It isn't like any other gametype ever seen in Halo. Some might compare it to Rush as seen on BF3 and they do share similarities but only as much as Halo can with BF. Symmetry is nearly impossible to achieve in Invasion what matters most is "balance". Trying to make an Asym gametype balanced has haunted game-designers since the dawn of FPS so don't feel bad when that invasion maps need dozens of playtests before they can even be considered even close to MM quality. It may be hard to quantify but I'll do my best... In no other gametype are there multiple TYPES of objectives (Terr, Bomb, CTF) or an expansion of the map itself. All other gametypes are played on one playspace from start to finish. I didn't even mention respawn zones, bro-spawning, or escalating combat which includes power weapons, vehicles, and load-outs.

The word Dynamic also speaks to the way Loadouts counter, not only one another, but also vehicles and strategy without being identical. AL can pop a Bubble that was protecting a core and an elite with the Concussion Rifle can blow a player with AL off the ground before he even gets a chance to use it. Jet packers with PP can take to the skies after falcons or to try to reclaim their Banshee and spartans with Grenade launchers can keep a wraith immobile for quite a long time if they can manage to survive long enough to get close to it given their slow gait.

There are plenty of situations where one AA will beat another or one vehicle beats another or DMR beating PP. It happens. If things were perfectly balanced no one would ever win.


-Spartan vs. Elites (in every sense of the word)
Invasion is Reach specific (for now) and you'd know why if you've played ANY of the campaign. Though we've faced many an Elite over the years a squad of spartans has never before been seen in a Halo Campaign. They work together to accomplish their objective and its the forger's job to create this mission. In essence do your best to merge the campaign and MM. Create a mission, a theme, a story and build off of that for a great player experience.

Ex: Elites attacking an Oni base on Reach for a core that will lead them to Earth... Spartans attacking an Elite held Forerunner structure on Halo etc.This is a VERY major point in the checklist that affects structure, aesthetics, cover, weapons, vehicles, spawns, and objectives.

A helpful link to ReachingPerfection regarding a maps Essence - LINK

Stick to your story, if there is ever a doubt as to what will happen next refer back to your plot... Do the elites need evac, do spartans need to take down an AA gun before proceeding, whats in the core that we need so desperately? SvE also means not giving elites human weaponry/vehicles and vice versa. There are maps that use covenant or UNSC crates as the objective with the allusion that weaponry lie within... thats a decent way of skirting the rule but think about whether its necessary. Covie/UNSC weaponry aren't equal but they are fairly balanced considering the differences in size and health of SvE (something we'll cover later). Canon and preferences aside keep weapons and vehicles in their appropriate locations. Spire make it fairly easy to steal freshly spawned equipment from the opponents while Breakpoint makes it extremely difficult. Boneyard is average, right in the middle of weapons and vehicles being steal-able, but not out in the open and not in plain view from spawn.

SvE goes beyond a nice story... Forge as a spartan with sprint, magnum and AR then trade out to be an evading Elite with PR or Needler. Do this alternately for the 1st phase and then upgrade your weapons and loadouts for the 2nd and 3rd phase... use camo and AL from time to time just to see what gameplay will be like. Hologram, AL, camo, etc move slow when compared to sprint and evade so get a feel for what this will be like. Use jetpack to see what places will need to be killzoned off or forged off all together. Repeatedly switch from Elite to Spartan to see how fast you move, how high you jump, and what walls you can evade up etc. Doing so will make your map better and since saving, ending, and restarting a forge session resets the amount of credits you can earn you net some more monies.


-Forge around Matchmaking Invasion (AA, Loadouts, vehicles etc)
Working towards getting a map up to MM standards means using the MM gametype. Use the the built in Invasion gametype as a starting point. Don't add 5 falcons, don't use a fleet of mongeese, if in doubt, play more MM. This doesn't mean that only "remakes" can be good... its okay to think outside the box, just make you sure you start with the Standard and work from there.

Its "Okay" to tweak a gametype slightly... I say "Okay" because its a terrible idea but I understand the need to make something unique or try to "fix" something that you aren't happy with. However, thats going about it the wrong way, IMO. A lot of the problems with Invasion stem from bad decision making like running at an Armor locking Shotgun wielding camper. How did you THINK that would work out?

Bottom line is that if you are forging a map for MM then you need to use the MM gametype. Posting an MLG map that played best 8v8 and used jet pack and AL as loadouts would garner a lot of flak and "nope ur bad". Invasion is the same way. Start with the default gametype, plan on 6v6, and do your best to stick to your story.


-Fire team spawning
A call back to campaign spawning... Bro-spawning is a co-op standard and respawn zones are essentially "Checkpoints". You died inches from the objective? Try again! Each team gets 3 fireteams of 2 players each. 6v6. Each fireteam gets ONE spawn per phase and, usually, a group spawn in the later phases for vehicles.

The biggest complaint forgers have with fireteam spawns are spawnkilling. So, fix it! Don't change the gametype, forge around it! Attackers spawns need to be somewhat exposed to encourage movement forward and punish those AFK boosters. Immediately surrounding the spawn should be some basic cover that will allow players to regain shields and/or grab a DMR/NeRf. This cover should be flankable and not absolute. Players should not be able to camp so quickly off spawn especially when they have an objective to take. The 3rd level of Cover happens between the objective and their spawn. Its easy to stay alive and to defend but is essentially neutral so they will have to fight the Defenders. Think under the ship in boneyard or in the bravo cave on Spire.


-Fire team pathing/roles
I've got some Links here... Courtesy of ReachingPerfection.com
Path Manipulation
Path Maps

If we adapt these articles to cater to invasion you want at least 6 paths on your path map so that each Fireteam gets at least 1 secondary path if they choose to deviate from their main. Ideally you want each of the 3 Defending fireteams paths to take them towards their Attacking counterpart and vice versa. Off spawn an Attacking fireteam should see a clear cut quickest way to the objective. It doesn't have to be obvious but some stairs, ramps, a structure, or a path should be clearly visible from their spawn...If they want to deviate from this path of least resistance they should be able to at their own detriment.

Why would they not take the shortest quickest path? Maybe the Defenders are assassination camping or just outslaying them on that part of the map. Maybe their teammates are calling for back-up somewhere else or they just want to overwhelm one side or the other. Pathing is an integral part of Invasion that allows the players to choose their route. Don't encourage it but DO facilitate it... make sense?
They should all meet up with their teammates near the objective(s).

Roles refers to who picks up the DMR/NeRf on Phase1, who gets the vehicles or power weapons. Make sure roles are clearly defined using spawns, weapon placement, and pathing. To elaborate, dictate roles by placing weapons or vehicles in clear view of the spawn zone showing that team what they have available. Further define the role once the player has spawned and has the weapon. For instance, just because a sniper is in view off spawn doesn't mean that spawn is in a good position to use it... it could be a low spawn or one inside a windowless structure.

On Boneyard; 3rd phase; attacking Elites; far right spawn (bravo spawn). The weapons spawn not only out of sight but also BEHIND the players... why? The question bugged me for a while... how could they have missed such a blatant wast of resources? Then I realized why. The players should be in vehicles. Let the left and middle teams go across the map using conveyor and pull the core. Once the core is out its too long a distance to travel for the bravo team elites and the core is only moving further and further away. Thus, their job should be to take vehicles, or barring that, pick up the Focus Rifle from behind them and put some long distance shots on Spartans. They could also grab the Plasma Launcher and prepare for a last second Spartan vehicle push... let the warthog or Scorpion exit the bay and turn its back to the blueberries then fire off 4 and fire some more.

This team should never touch the core once its outside of the building as they have the job of Anti-Vehicle team (unless they want to use the ghost to boost the core ;) )


-Invasion appropriate Width
We've covered fireteams, pathing and the fact that Invasion is 6v6 now all we need is the Dancefloor. As said above, the map needs to be wide enough to allow fireteams to have their own paths and battles without stumbling into some one else's battle ON ACCIDENT... Still, the map should be "Small" enough to allow players to meet up and coordinate attacks/mount defenses.

In general the width of an Invasion map should be about 2 grids wide (3 sprints if canvas doesn't have a grid). This will allow for each of the attacking fireteams to have 1 sprint between them and half a sprint on the left and right for flanking/movement. Width, like many things, is map specific and up for debate. Breakpoint has a very small starting phase... attackers are only half a sprint apart.

In the later stages extreme width becomes unnecessary . This is because all the 1st and 2nd phase is already available as playable area so the 3rd phase does not need to be as large, well it doesn't need to be as wide. From the core to core cap should be about 2-3 sprints depending on the verticality. The core carrier moves slower than normal players and it should take 30 (spire)-45 (boneyard) seconds for them to walk the whole distance. To test this in Forge spawn a turret where the core will spawn as the player speed is the same whether walking a core or carrying a turret.


-Proper Verticality at the proper times
Verticality is very important to all gametypes ESPECIALLY invasion. As the map expands INCREASE verticality on all levels. For the 1st phase use ramps, slopes, ledges, and windows when you can. The height does not need to be extreme for the 1st phase. Subtleties make the map flow well as opposed to man cannons up to a massive Spire which almost stops gameplay completely. On Boneyard and Spire the attackers have to fight uphill while Breakpoint has them going downward into the hills. Some maps/forge world locations allow this, others make it very difficult. Think carefully before ever starting to build where on FW (or other canvas) an Invasion map would work given that it needs both width, length, and height.

Like most Halo maps there should be some crouch jumps, evade walls, or some other way for capable players in the know to get around the map. On Spire, phase 1, the bravo spartans can jump up onto the massive cave between their spawn and the objective but most players don't think to do so. This type of "Jump" is to put fire onto any elite that has gotten above the cave and has taken up residence there. It is countered by teamwork. Elites on the Alpha perch can use their NeRf to put shots into the spartan or an elite in the junkyard can use a needler or an EMP with both track well to assist. There are other jumps and tactics like this throughout Invasion... they allow high level teams even MORE routes of travel/attack but are not all powerful.

IMO, Invasion needs Aerial vehicles but its not written in stone. Regardless, ensure that the map is CAPABLE of accommodating falcons, banshees, jet packers in the later phases and include skill jumps, ramps, and ledges in the early phases etc... who knows what changes will be needed after playtests and you don't want to have to redesign your whole map just because you weren't "planning" on including a few things. Ever heard a call-out of S1, S3, or TOP-mid? An FPS needs verticality, invasion is no different.


-Territories/objectives = 1 sprint/evade apart + Cover
There isn't much more to say about this. Its pretty self explanatory. The territory should not be a position of power. If it were the defenders would not push out at all. They would hold the hill and "Camp" without seeking out the attackers.
This is ALSO the standard in MM because the proximity lets teams coordinate without having to share too much dancefloor. Adding cover forces players to pick ONE objective to defend/attack, protects the attackers in the hill, prevent spawn killing from the hill etc.


-Delaying Elements between spawns and Objectives
Simple really. Add structure, cover, shield doors, or use the map itself to prevent players from INSTANTLY affecting the objective from their spawns or vice versa. The cover itself doubles as protection FOR the spawns by separating them from the objective. Boneyard does this by walling off the objectives and placing spawns at different heights than the hills. Spire has shield doors, rocks, and height, while Breakpoint uses the map structures themselves.


-Expand the map, don't leave Phases behind
Aside from the need for a safe spawn/vehicle spawn, the budget used to create an entire phase in invasion is not small. At least, it shouldn't be. Re-use it, re-purpose it as best you can. MM Invasion re-uses the first phase as an attacker vehicle spawn. Invasion also reuses phase 2 as phase 3 because the objectives are different. CTF is played VERY differently than 2 hills or 2 bomb plants. If you re-use phase 1, for phase 2 you MUST change the objective's locations or type. I don't think you should but its not something that is written in stone... yet.

ANOTHER reason for not leaving phases behind is it creates a jarring and sudden change after every tier. One second players are in a lush grassy gulch and the next they spawn on a barren beach... or in a big gray structure with no windows. Its very unsettling to not know where you are especially since the game has been going for a while. Its a whole new map to experience, learn, and try to use... this is true for Invasion in general but MM Invasion reduces the learning curve by placing phase 2 attacker spawns at or near the end of the 1st phase so that the players are already familiar with the area. A good map will also add some foreshadowing or alluding to the next phases... Attacking Elites can see an ominous structure from their high phase 1 spawn on Breakpoint and the Spire itself is quite daunting for Spartans off spawn. Boneyard uses the initial Loadout cam and large shield doors to let players see the rest of the map before the 1st phase is over.

The 2nd and 3rd phases of Invasion maps have practically no learning curve because they usually share spawns and the objectives are in predictable and foreshadow-ed locations.

I understand that need to stand out and do something unique, I mean, we aren't going for remakes here but as above, do what you will but remember to START with MM Invasion and the Standard MM gametype. Here is a link to Foreshadowing from the good folks over at Reaching Perfection.


-Weapon and Vehicle "balance" (less is more)
Place Needle Rifles (NeRf guns) on the 1st phase for elites to counter the spartans magnums. 2 should be enough but every map is a little different and it depends on the dynamic of attackers and defenders. Breakpoint attackers come from above and have needlers which track so the elites get one lousy NeRf gun. As the elites fight an UPHILL battle against magnums & DMRs on Boneyard 3 NeRfs are distributed, 1 for each Fireteam. This is tough to balance but the thing to remember is that less is more. If you give the elites too many NeRf then the natural response is to give the Spartans MOAR DMRs and that escalates quickly to distributing power weapons, which is the wrong thing to do.

Instead think of what can be done to reduce the placed weapons on the map. If the Elites are TOO powerful with just a single Needle Rifle think of what can be done on the map itself as opposed to adding DMRs. Do the elites have a high perch or are the spartans spawns too exposed? Every map is a little different and there isn't a right answer from my end but there are more aspects to consider than just throwing down more weapons.

For the later phases of Invasion, give the map several playthroughs with the same settings to see how players act/react to various weapons and vehicles... the more players play the map the more they will learn and adapt to the enemies tactics. If things go poorly on the 1st playthrough you should analyze and interpret but don't go crazy by deleting everything on the map or changing the map structures themselves. Certain weapons and vehicles WILL need tweaking so remember the mantra, "Less is More". Instead of adding more and more power weapons/vehicles think what changes can be made to the culprit itself. Is the banshee too powerful? Well, what kind of cover does it have when its in the air? Is it killing the spartans off spawn or bombarding the objectives? Think of a solution to the problem itself and not so much a counter or balance.

If the banshee is spawn killing spartans think of adding cover or moving their spawns... Maybe the banshee has too much cover, there is no right answer from where I sit because the right thing to do might actually BE to move the Banshee to the 3rd phase instead of the 2nd. It depends on the map and the way your game is meant to be played. However, take some time to think of the MANY solutions OTHER than adding lasers or tanks.

With this mentality you can think outside of the "If you give a mouse a cookie" box and start seeing balance issues with fresh eyes. Try to fix the problem not just the symptoms.
________________________________

That was a long and drawn out read but I hope its received well and people put it to good use. The Checklist has been made by using our conceptualization of the Invasion gametype as a whole, which can be found HERE for those that have an interest above and beyond forging.

Questions, comments, or concerns are welcomed and the thread will be updated as needed. Please, let me know what you think.
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Re: Invasion: Forging Checklist

Sat Feb 18, 2012 2:16 pm

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Re: Invasion: Forging Checklist

Sat Feb 18, 2012 2:57 pm

tl:dr
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Re: Invasion: Forging Checklist

Sat Feb 18, 2012 10:36 pm

If you look at the Invasion Conceptualization, you will note that Sarge lists a number of observations about the different Tier play areas, such as Tier 2 has the Tier 3 capture but it is not used, Tier 1 is accessible during Tier 2, the play area expands, rather than progresses, etc. Others have made similar unique observations.

When I looked at them all together, it became clear to me that they reduce down to one simple concept. The entire map is ONE map and that during Tier 1, the invaders were simply prevented from approaching with any proximity to the Tier 2 Objectives - basic game flow management and nothing else.

So for a forger, the entire map must be viewed as one map and the means to prevent approaching Tier 2 Objectives during Tier 1 is important so that the Invaders cannot begin capturing Tier 2 immediately when Tier 1 ends. This would be unfair to the Defenders.

Well, having said that, some maps simply do not allow easy means of preventing such movement. And in the map I am working on now I decided it would make more sense (given the theme) and logistically a lot easier to not try to prevent access during Tier 1, but making Tier 2 an Assault Tier. Thus there is little advantage of moving ahead, since you have to go back and get the bomb anyways. It isn't perfect, but the bomb does make it less critical of an issue.

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