This is my bias opinion on the maps that make it into Bungie Favorites on Halo 3. A lot (but not all) of the maps are either race tracks or maps that are not as relevant to the game as they should be. The majority of amazing maps made by players go unnoticed, either because they are not race tracks or because the maker of the map is not known to Bungie. Your gamertag and ranking for matchmaking has more of an influence over your maps getting downloaded than the map itself. I, personally, hate race tracks. They destroy the point of Halo 3. Halo 3 is about playing fun game types, like Capture the Flag and Slayer, not going around and around on a race track. Can you play CTF on a race track? No. I have even seen maps that have made it into Halo 3 that have absolutely nothing to do with the game. There was a map called Optimus Prime, featuring a model of the transformer on Sandbox made out of blocks. THIS IS NOT A MAP. I have also seen maps that say "a great map for clan meets". What does this mean? Is this map like a table or something where you and your buddies can just talk? If that's what you want, open a private chat, don't download that. There is also this map on Longshore that has you jumping from lifeboat to lifeboat to make it to the end of the map. THIS IS ALSO NOT A MAP. Mazes are also stupid, and do not download those if your life depended on it.
I am posting this thread here for two reasons. One, if I posted this topic on the Bungie Forums, I would get banned faster than you could say "Banhammer". Second, many maps are going unnoticed if they are not race tracks, and I feel like I should do something about it. Screenshots get the most attention, but those are just pictures. Yeah, they can be cool, but maps and game types are what make Halo 3 a video game. There are a lot of maps that have made it into Bungie Favorites that are not race tracks, giant robots, or clan meeting maps, but still a lot of maps are neglected.
For example, the map "Epitel" by Noxiw has gone largely unnoticed in the Halo 3 world. This map is very well constructed, and features about fifty percent of Sandbox's mid level. I would recommend this map to anyone who loves Slayer and CTF. The map's structure extends into the sand, and has a very distinct elevation difference, perfect for One Flag game types. Each base has a turret facing a wall, so that they cannot be used without tearing them off. In the center, a catwalk extends to the elevated base on one side and extends to the lower one on the other. Several ramp-like structures can lead up to this catwalk, The lower base has a sender node leading straight underneath the elevated base, which still gives them the high ground advantage. This map would match the well-known "Utah Mambo" for best One Flag map. Unfortunately, this map has no fun vehicles to play around with, but would still be amazing for One Flag.
Another map that has been neglected by Bungie would be "Cobalt" by DoughBoyFresh54. This map has not been neglected by players as much; it had thirty people download it. Still, thirty people is not a lot in the Halo 3 community. This map is also on Sandbox, featuring the the level known as the "skybubble". It resembles a triangular structure with a platform in the center. On the platform there is one overshield, but below you will meet your doom. DoughBoyFresh54 has cleverly used upside-down scaffoldings to show spikes coming through the ground. Note that the spikes are below the grid, so you will die if you fall. This map only has six battle rifles for weapons, so the weapons that you spawn with are about all that you have. There are grenades. Traversing Cobalt was like traversing the upper level of Construct, but different because it has a smaller radius and is the lower level. You can go around and around the circle's two levels, sneaking up on opponents from behind, instead of passing through the center. This map would be a huge success in for Team Slayer, but could use more weapons.
Lastly, the map "Oasis" by Ark_Ywvia should definitely be in Bungie Favorites. The map is on Sandbox's mid section, and features a walled in area. Unlike most maps, this area's main bases, which are not really even bases but rather spawning locations, are not symmetrical. In the center of this map, there is a green grassy area with a rocket launcher. That should be the primary objective for your team: get the launcher, and use it against your enemies. Another cool feature to this map is that on the sides of the map, there are rooms and tunnels which can lead to excellent sniping locations and ways to avoid the center area of the map, where most o the conflict would be taking place in. I recommend Slayer for this map.
These are just a few examples of many, and you can download these maps from my file share. Add them to your file share and let's see how we can spread great Halo 3 maps around the community instead of race tracks. I was inspired to do this when I had a hard time getting some of my maps noticed by other players. I will continue to update this thread every now and again with players hard work here. Anyone else who wants to share their maps can do so on this thread as well. I hope people will now stop and take notice at someone else's work, other than their own.
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