Forge

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

Background
A multiplayer-only tool, Forge will allow players to customize multiplayer maps, 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.

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 deleting existing things off of a given map, you can actually place more things. 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.

Throughout the time you're editing you can press up on the D-Pad and change to your multiplayer model and play.

Once you're done with the editing you can start a party over System Link or Xbox Live and see how it works. You can build crate towers, grab a vehicle underneath a teammate, or have a friend jump on a crate and move it throughout the map.

All items spawned on forge will have a price, with weapons, crates and smaller items being cheaper than vehicles. There is a spending limit to the map which restricts total items than can be spawned.

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." Another object unique to Forge are teleporters.

While playing as a monitor a health bar is shown at the top and its basically the same amount as a Spartan's.

Cool Things to Try

 * 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 explosive 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


 * 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.

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 will be able to create teleporters with more than one destination portal; providing the ability to create such interesting features as a "Schroedinger's Teleporter" - 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.

Related Articles

 * Forge Objects