Forge

Forge is a Halo 3 gameplay mode that allows for both playing and designing multiplayer maps.

Background
Forge allows players to customize maps for custom game (online or offline) use. Options include changing and resetting spawn points, weapon spawns, weapon timers, vehicle spawns and timers, vehicle spawn points, and add existing geometry to the map’s existing structure in the form of crates, boxes, fusion coils, lifts, teleporters, turrets, etc. However you can only use certain weapons, vehicles, scenery, and equipment on certain maps, this way you can't spawn a hornet or a scorpion in the pit.

The amount of items you can drop is regulated by an economy budget system, with different items having different values and each map having an overall budget that the items you place cannot exceed by having money to allow you to not use an excessive amount of memory. By deleting existing things off of a given map, you can actually place more things. The spending limit is merely a counter to help the player gauge how much they can place on the map at a given time, no real currency is used. Players can modify and create their versions of maps, save them and share them with their friends, but that’s only half or so of what Forge allows.

In addition to functioning as creation-driven tool, Forge is also a playspace. Up to eight players can be on a given map at a time, shifting back and forth between their chosen multiplayer model and the Forge model – a Monitor. Players can play actual games in Forge, goof around, kill each other, play Slayer where each team designates a Monitor to supply weapons, vehicles, equipment and cover on the fly. While in Forge mode, the player can press up on the D-Pad to cycle through Monitor or Player modes. Note this feature can be changed so only the party leader is able to become a Monitor and edit the map. Once you're done with the editing you can start a party over System Link or Xbox Live and test it for flaws.

As revealed in Bungie's 8/27/07 Podcast, you can add items in Forge that aren't available in a regular match. One example is the Yellow Powerup, the alternative to the Over shield or the Active Camouflage. The Yellow Power up is completely customizable in its effects; it can cause the interacting player to run faster, jump higher, grow an overshield/active camouflage, and even change the player's color. Effects aren't limited to one or two at a time, but rather a number of effects can occur simultaneously. The hosts described it as equivalent to an "instant juggernaut." You can only change the actual properties of this custom power up via game settings.

While playing as a monitor a health bar is shown at the top and its basically the same amount as a Spartan's. This can be tweaked as well to allow the Monitor to have damage resistance, overshields or be invulnerable.

In the 11/2/07 update,Bungie said that an eventual forge update will allow users to create player spaces and make some one spawn somewhere with a specific item. These will all be part of the advanced Forge options, including vehicle customization and "zones" for controlling gameplay.

Infinite respawns
To set an object to instantly respawn, without any wait time, set the objects minimum and maximum counts (under the object summary page) to the same number. The object will now instantly respawn when disturbed. You can make an infinite fusion core shower using this technique, or a massive pile of trip mines.

Remote control of fusion core bombs
With the infinite respawn tool comes a trick that allows you to remotely turn on and off fusion core bombs (continuous explosions). When you have one running on infinite respawn, and it keeps blowing up, if you wish to turn it off, select the fusion cores in the scenery object list, hit x, and then set the minimum number to 0. The infinite respawn will be turned off.

Cool Things to Try

 * Man-Cannon anywhere - On maps with man-cannons, go into a man-cannon. Immediately after you've entered it, go into Forge mode. Fly around anywhere you want. And when you're done, go into regular mode. The game will think you're still in the man-cannon, so you'll go flying!


 * Warthog Launch - (See picture) [[Image:447190-Full.jpg|right|thumb|170px|Piled like this, a hog can be launched across Sandtrap.]]


 * Elephant Flipping - Use all possible explosives on 1 side of an elephant and blow them up. Alternatively, you can simply push a Scorpion tank into the Elephant and lift it up...


 * Magic Carpet Ride - Spawn a crate, and have another player ride on top as you move it around


 * Explosion Mania - Create a never ending explosion of fusion coils all over the map, then try to play the map against friends and see how long you can survive


 * Monitor of Death - Be the monitor and deploy a tank, then throw it around the level and try to splatter the other players this can also be done by spawning a radio antenna and useing it like a bat, very fun.


 * Grenade Hold - While not in monitor mode throw a grenade, but right after pressing the left trigger press up on the d-pad to go into monitor mode. If done correctly the grenade shouldn't have been thrown. Then when you see an opponent, go back into normal mode and the grenade will be released and thrown. It works really well with plasma grenades but any kind works.


 * Floating Objects - There are two ways to do this, first, set an object down onto an object a friend is holding (your friend's object must be as big or bigger or it will be pushed through) and, once set down, have your friend sell the item they are selling, your item will remain in the air as though your friend's object was still holding it up. Another way to do this is to have a friend shoot your object as you let go, it will remain in the air. Unfortunately these objects only stay in the air until moved. Fortunately some objects (such as teleporters) are unmovable, and can be used as floating platforms for other items, this allows for flying bases, although they are not always stable without multiple teleporters under them.


 * Flying Vehicles - Normally if a player is driving a vehicle and a monitor picks it up the player is removed, but if the player is in the sideseat of the vehicle they will stay in it, able to shoot and move as usual as the vehicle is moved around the map. This can also be done with machine gun turrets.


 * Unreachable Items - It is easy to place items in places where players cannot normally reach, this makes taunt power weapons, powerups, equipment and vehicles an easy and fun thing to place.


 * Flying Elephant - By setting up large numbers of fusion cores and other explosives to spawn inside of elephants, it is possible to have them fly into the air, dropping explosives at random as they travel high above the map.


 * Obstacle Course - If you have good (co-operative) friends, it's fun to make obstacle courses, simply construct a path that requires teamwork to travel through (ie: steps that require stacking to get on top of, objects that need to be in one place and need to be moved to another along a narrow path, a wall of objects that needs the force of multiple players to move, etc.) and make the start a bomb spawn point and the end a bomb plant pad, this can easily be turned into a two team race.


 * Obstruct the Windmill on Last Resort - This can be done by simply flooding the trench with large items, although it is impossible to stop the mill, the result is entertaining more often than not. If you want to get a bunch of stuff into place at once, try spawning it next to the trench and then using grav lifts to move it into place.


 * Environment Battles - By making a gametype where player damage is 0% environment battles become strategic war games. Since players can still effect the environment (ie blow up fusion cores, light propane tanks, flip large objects etc.) the environment is a viable weapon.


 * Block Grav Lifts - Blocking grav lifts with large objects like crates is hilarious. Whether the map is used for king of the hill or slayer, the obstruction is either a dangerous waypoint or a noob trap.


 * Disable Door shields and turrets on Snowbound - Load the big underground entrance (the one near the shotgun) with all the explosives on the map (use a canvas version of the map preferably) then set instant respawn trip mines (with minimum runtime maxed out) near the pile, throw a bunch on and let it rip, it should disable the entire shield network and even shutoff the turrets


 * Under Snowbound - place a mongoose under one of the low rocky overhangs (as close as you can to the edge) in the underground portion near the shotgun spawn. Then place two large crates near it making it only possible to reach it from behind. Enter the mongoose and then exit, but be quick to go into monitor mode, if you are too slow you will die. A way to make this easier is to have 1 person use this trick and place a 2 way teleporter above ground, and 1 on a ledge under the map.


 * Trip Mine Launch - Make instant spawn trip mines near a vehicle (within trip mine throwing range) have a friend sit in the vehicle and not move. Plant as many trip mines as possible (when the game cant handle any more, the first ones you place will disappear in a small flash of blue light). After setting all the mines you can, blow them up, this is a cheap and quick way to launch something without a difficult to build explosives pile.


 * Race Track - create a race track on any map, set the waypoints sequentially and add interesting obstacles, some cool things to do include making a waypoint in midair and a gravlift jump leading to it, and making a run through a wall of explosives.


 * Target Practice - set up fusion cores above a man-cannon and have them fall at set intervals, works well on Valhalla when the trainee stands in the middle of the map with a sniper.


 * Mid-air spawning - Stack crates, or spawn an especially tall object to reach the desired height, place any objects you want to spawn in mid-air on top of the pile, then delete the objects underneath. Works perfectly to create an artillery effect on D-day maps


 * Secret Rooms - Block off a section with a tall sturdy wall, add a teleporter inside and place another one in some difficult to reach place on the map. Normally these rooms contain power weapons or multiple power ups making it a valuable room to control.


 * Outside of Last Resort - In the main room of the power plant (the biggest one) fly up to the invisible barrier and force the monitor onto a ledge high above the power drainer spawn, once up there fly towards the turbine in the back of the base, once you cannot move anymore, lower yourself off the ledge and you should be behind the fence separating the main base from the turbine. USE BOOST THE ENTIRE TIME it makes the process alot easier. It also helps to add a teleporter back there so that other players can get to it without any hassle.


 * Party Hog - It is possible to drive the transport warthog in The Pit by using forge. First set up a teleporter on the other side of the fence (if you set it on the ground it will disappear, so set it on one of the support bars on the fence) and then move the transport warthog against the fence with a large object (barriers work well) and then blow it up. When it respawns it will be drivable. It is possible to get the warthog across the fence. Be careful while in player mode on the outside of the fence since standing on the ground here for 5 seconds will cause you to suicide, this does not include standing on top of objects like the warthog, although it does include being in a vehicle on the ground.


 * Outside of all maps - Fly to the barrier and spawn a receiver or two way node, once you get it placed where it stays put, spawn another two way node inside the map and go through it in monitor mode to avoid deadly falls


 * Rocket Racing - Spawn each 2-man team near a mongoose and a Rocket launcher on Sandtrap.Make the gametype king of the hill where the hill moves [ or territories, whichever you prefer]and have fun blowing each-other up!


 * Pirate ships - have each team spawn on a different elephants on Sandtrap. Put 3-4 portable grav lifts on each elephant. Have the two teams parallel each other's elephants and use the grav lifts to board each other's elephants.


 * Baseball - have a player make as many Rockets as possible and a grav hammer not too far away (this works best on Valhalla), then have 1 player get a rocket and the other get the grav hammer. Now shoot a rocket at the player with the gravity hammer and at the last second get the player with the hammer to hit the rocket and after a few attempts you should get it out of the map.


 * Death pits - meaning placing all the explosive scenery in one spot and put it on unlimited respawns and place a respawn point over it and set it off. the result big boom and instant death (it works best in the back of High Ground). HAVE LOTS OF FUN!!!


 * Overloading a map - Place 2 Trip mines at your feet and set it so it respawns instantly. Next, get an SMG and a pistol (no dual wield) and press X and Y very fast. You will keep throwing Trip Mines. You know the map is overloaded when the Gravity Lifts don't work, certain things like the main gate on High Ground begin to disappear and the mines on Sandtrap and the cannons on Snowbound are not working either. Wierd stuff begins to happen when you overload a map...


 * Kamikaze Chief - when in Player Mode have someone stick you with either a plasma grenade or a spike grenade. Quickly turn into Monitor Mode and the grenade will disappear. While being a monitor, fly next to a player you want to give your nasty surprise to and turn back into Player mode again. The grenade will reappear with just as much time left on the fuse. NOTE: this trick does NOT work in reverse as the monitor when stuck and you change into a human and back the grenade is gone forever... Have fun with this trick.


 * Turrets and Vehicles- On Sandtrap put all the turrets and really good weapons (Spartan Lasers, Snipers, Shotguns, etc.) on one end and all the vehicles on the other end with only a few weapons. Then make all the respawn times 10 seconds.


 * Laser Tag- Delete all the weapons, respawn places, scenery, and vehicles and put in only Spartan Lasers. This may seem plain but trust me, its hard The Pit.


 * Mazes- Easier to do in Foundry than any other map, due to the amount of createable objects at your disposal, Its fun to make hugely complicated mazes that, on the outside, may seem like an unimaginable amount of objects stacked randomly, but once inside, they can be quite impressive and some of the more well done mazes can go on for hours. However, to make a maze, you must have at least a basic understanding of floating objects, stability and direction, or else your map might all fall apart if someone throws a grenade out of frustration.


 * Sky Bases- Patience and an understanding of floating objects is required in order to construct vast aerial fortresses. Simply stack up crates, or any platform for that matter, and delete the ones underneath. When done enough, you should have a floating fortress.  Try making multiple sky bases and add turrets, weapons, and even vehicles. Make cover ports for players to exchange fire from.  This could add up to become a supreme multiplayer match if given enough effort.


 * Flying Frenzy- Using teleporters and grav lifts, create an aerial array of objects scattered across open skies. If made correctly, a player could boost off of a grav lift, hitting a floating teleporter in mid air.  Then he could be teleported high above the map, overlooking a series of floating lifts and nodes.  You and your friends could spend hours soaring above the clouds. It would also be entertaining to delete a key grav lift directly before a player uses it, sending him hurtling towards the ground.  Some may call this "sky diving", as you can instantly dive from the highest point of an open map.


 * Reverse the Field on High Ground- Start by taking the turret that sits atop the bridge and place it so that it faces the other direction. Then complete the process by adding various crates and walls inside the base.  This may change the flow so that it may seem the outsiders are holding the defenders prisoner, controlling the outdoors and terrorizing the base.


 * Desert dogfight-On sandtrap spawn everyone without the ability to pick up weapons,but next to a banshee or hornet.The players instinct would be to get to the nearest armed vehicle.So everybody would be in an aerial dogfight.

Sandtrap mosaics [see below]



Trivia

 * You take the form of a monitor (like 343 Guilty Spark) while you are in Forge mode.
 * The Elephant can not be spawned due to its size and specific purpose on maps.
 * Forge keeps track of stats and kills.
 * Created map variants can be saved and shared with the community. Also, if your creation is liked by Bungie, they will put it up to be downloaded by other players for use.
 * You are able to create teleporters with more than one destination portal; where an "IN" portal could send you to either a power-weapon spawn or a bottomless pit.
 * The idea of the was taken from Marathon:Infinity, which also has a map editor named Forge.
 * In the monitor form you can become invincible or almost invincible and so kill players by spawning weapons and using your human form or using the object spawning and grappling to splatter players. A player can also change into the monitor form and be used as a mobile resupplying dock or super weapon, making forge an amusing combat game.
 * Some weapons may be purchased at no cost if they were originally on the map and are not deleted. However this will leave you with a penalty making it so that you need to sell the same amount you have spent under zero to reach zero again and make money again.
 * Even when the editing mode is set to "Party Leader Only", other players may enter forge mode through the start menu.

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