Weekly Update – 3/10/2018 Mar 11 - TheFeelTrain

Another week another update that's on the wrong day. The idea is that one day the update will be a full six days late and we'll go back to Fridays.

At least this one has more pretty pictures. Let's go look at them.

Area of Effects

We're always on the lookout for talented people to join our team. But sometimes we have our eyes on someone specific, like an effects artist. We need someone to craft muzzle flashes, vehicle particles, weather effects, explosions, and other things of that nature.

What We're Looking For

• Someone who is organized, proactive, and a team player
• Basic knowledge of Photoshop, GIMP, or similar image manipulation software
• Experience with Shuriken and/or the ability to learn new systems quickly
• Experience working with Unity 5 or higher
• Ability to effectively communicate ideas and learn from critical feedback

Apply Now

Also a quick reminder we will never be accepting any applications without a portfolio of some kind. We have to set the bar somewhere. We also are not and we never accepting applications for QA testing. What I like to say is, "If you have to ask, you're not getting in."

Judge, Jury, and Executioner

It's time to reveal not a new armor, not a new object, not even a new map. It's an old map. You may recognize it if you've followed our map designer's work in Halo 2 Anniversary and/or Halo 5 Forge. It's Judgement. But this time instead of being made out of Forge pieces it's getting the full map treatment. Both Blaze and Aviixe are going to talk about designing and concepting Judgement.

Blaze: "Judgement is a design adapted from a map that I originally built in H2A’s Forge mode. At the time 343 was looking for forge maps suitable for HCS Season 2. While I had another map Dispute being considered for implementation and going through thorough testing by Halo pros, I used this as an opportunity to build another map from the ground up for this type of play. From then, it’s gone through a fair amount of changes being recreated for Halo 5’s catering to its mechanics and then meshing the best elements of both."

Blaze: "The team wanted a Covenant themed map and I felt this was the easiest blockout to translate. I suggested a place of worship among the High Charity hanging gardens. The hanging gardens have always been an area of Halo 2 that intrigued me, so I was really excited when Aviixe went with it with seemingly just as much excitement and as you can see, he knocked it out of the park. I dumped probably 50+ references images of into our Discord chat, from water, plants, shapes, skyboxes, everything covenant. I went wild but the thing I insisted that he include was lilypads, because, lilypads!"

Aviixe: "The little background lore that Blaze and I came up with for this map was that it would be a sort of garden/holy place of worship for the Covenant in High Charity. I envisioned this place as the Covenant’s version of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, with plant life occupying so much of the space if can’t really escape the player’s vision, waterfalls, pools with lilypads lying about. We saw a few glimpses of garden like places in portions of Halo 2’s campaign taking place on High Charity, but I wanted to turn that up to eleven, as much as I could, for this map."

"Details like the tiny artificial beach, the strong overhead lighting, which is seen a lot in High Charity, and the cherry blossom tree I think also speak to the sacred importance of the location. The cherry blossom, specifically, I painted in because I thought it was just visually stunning, but I thought it could be an interesting subconscious connection due to how it has significance in Japanese culture. To them, it’s a symbol of life. Perhaps this contrasts the Covenant’s aims in their genocidal campaign against Humanity? Perhaps it parallels how the hierarchs have lied to the rest of the covenant about the Great Journey?"

Blame Bean

Bean doesn't seem to understand that "dropping a fire mixtape" does not mean literal fire is involved. But that's okay, he's learned his lesson. At least we think he has. You can never really know with Bean. At least the fire department recognized Bean of i01 fame and let him off with a warning.

What's your final judgement on Aviixe's concept art? I think it's as lit as that house Bean dropped that fusion coil on. Hopefully this deeper look into the design process of one of our original maps will hold you over until the next update. I'll see you again when Friday Saturday the weekend rolls around.

TheFeelTrain