Quote Originally Posted by English Mobster View Post
Here's how I design a map, personally:

  • Multiple routes to the flag. If you include vehicles in your map, make one designed for vehicular combat while the other one is designed for infantry only.
  • Put one or two power weapons on the map, and make it so you have to take the longest possible route to get to these weapons.
  • Think as if you are making a map for Team Fortress 2, with a few changes to allow for Halo's gameplay (vehicles and whatnot). Make a sniper perch at each base, then one or two out in the middle. However, if it allows for too much camping, DON'T put the sniper rifle near the sniper perch. Make it so players have to go get the sniper rifle THEN go up on the perch and own everything. Make some tight corners as if you were designing them for a Pyro ambush, so players will turn the corner and immediately have to start shooting at someone they had no clue was there five seconds ago. Make tiny nooks and crannies as if you were allowing a Spy to recharge his cloak, except utilize them in Halo for hiding players so they can sneak past/ambush a group of enemies going down the path. You'd be surprised how well it works.
  • If you have ANY kind of chokepoint, put another side path around it. Make it so players can break through a team camping a point and be able to flank them.
  • Make it so whatever one team does, the other team can counter it. DOUBLE-CHECK BOTH SIDES CAN COUNTER SOMETHING WHILE IT'S STILL ON PAPER. If you give one team a shotgun, either give the other team another shotgun or a flamethrower.
  • The only place you should NOT have alternate routes is directly in front of the flag. This promotes teamwork to break through a team which is just camping the flag. If the flag guy can escape without anyone knowing where he is, the cap is essentially guaranteed, and there is ZERO tension for the flag guy. Make it so the guy has to go RIGHT past where the enemy team is, creating tension. Tension is good. Tension = Fun. Why do you think people watch scary movies?
This plus use spawn points to counter spawn killers and when you use vehicles, place another that counters (defends against) that vehicle

Quote Originally Posted by p0lar_bear View Post
Chiron is fucking awesome once you realize how the layout works, which is something the average Halo player can't be assed to do.
and this.

chiron is my favorite, the only thing they failed on was that most of the rooms can be used as nade traps...which i do whenever i have nades lol. I also like how you dont really need your team, since it's very likely that your team will be filled with douchebags anyway...with at least one guy meleeing the afk guy for minutes on end.