Halo: Reach Forum
This topic has moved here: Subject: User Generated Content in Halo: Reach - Your ideas
  • Subject: User Generated Content in Halo: Reach - Your ideas
Subject: User Generated Content in Halo: Reach - Your ideas
  •  | 
  • Exalted Mythic Member

Destiny awaits. And it will be great.

Halo 2 built on Halo: CE by adding online play and essentially inventing the online interface that would be used for console-based games (the "party" system, friends list, etc.). Halo 3 did a similar thing that will very likely go down as equally innovative: the addition of User Generated Content (UGC) to the mix. UGC are your basic Screenshots, Map Variants, Saved Films, Film Clips, and Gametypes. Along with the File Share system, they revolutionized the way ideas and cool things spread. From the "put this on ur file sharr 2 haz reconz" chain screenshots to the creation of larger-than-life structures in Forge and the amazing sticks broadcasted to all, UGC truly became a part of the Halo experience.

What's next? With Halo: Reach shaping up to be another First Person Shooter in a way similar to previous Halo outings, what new things will this bring to the UGC table?

I foresee a few "upgrades" to the system:

Forge will likely still be around in some form or other (for mere tweaks of maps), but I hope to see a full-blown Map Editor come about. I don't exactly expect something as deep as a Far Cry editor, but I do expect more control over the finished map than what is currently possible with Forge. The main reason (at least from what I can attempt to understand) for no such editor in Halo 3 was its lack of true accessibility. For players to play on a fully user-created map, each player would have to have the map downloaded - this could quickly consume your average Joe's hard drive, considering that maps would be quite hefty in terms of file size. Sticking to Foundry and Sandbox-style "object editors" allows any random person to join a game being played on a map variant they've never seen at all with no hassle. If Bungie could find a way to work around the file size obstacle at the very least and implement such an editor, I wouldn't doubt seeing complete collections of user generated maps appear all over the place. Halo: CE for the PC still has an active map-making community - it goes to show that full blown map editing gives a title a damn long lifespan.

Film Clip Recording will likely become more intricate as well. I foresee more advanced tools that perhaps function like a "Windows Movie Maker" on the Xbox. Clips being stitched together is a definite possibility - that, coupled with Render-to-Video, could lead to a Machinima boom unlike any other by making Halo the most accessible Machinima-making game on the market.

What would you like to see from Halo: Reach's UGC? Any ideas? Share 'em here!

  • 06.30.2009 2:13 PM PDT
  •  | 
  • Exalted Legendary Member

I used to eat Sammiches all the time, but that time is now over.
EON Sergeant
Spartan Special Ops Corporal

my idea is here

EDIT: Your title is misleading. I have no ideas for User-generated content.

[Edited on 06.30.2009 2:19 PM PDT]

  • 06.30.2009 2:17 PM PDT

Remember,
It is easy to be male
it is another thing to be a man.

i would like to see a forge that has simple terrain controls and the ability to place ready made structures into a map. Think the small buildings on Sandtrap and Snowbound

  • 06.30.2009 2:18 PM PDT