Statusphere
A FFA map created by Status 5000

Download Statusphere @ my Bungie thread!

More screenshots are at the bottom of this post.

*Note: This description was copied directly from my original thread at another site. I will certainly add more, updated information about this map soon.

This is a FFA map that I have been working on for a long time. I originally intended to enter it into the Forge the Foundry contest, but after missing the deadline, I decided to just take my time and create a map that I think will work very well for Halo 3 FFA.

Here is a video walkthrough that I created set to "Asilos Magdalena" by The Mars Volta. Please excuse any redundancy in the walkthough, as I know there is some. I'm in a somewhat delerious state as I've been up for two days straight finalizing this map.

Video "Stumble-Through": http://gameroom.mlgpro.com/view/dbV2FKSBJyg.html

As you can tell by watching the walkthrough, Statusphere is an intricately designed FFA map made with optimal balance, gameplay, and aesthetics in mind.

The main focal point of the map is top center, which houses a regular overshield on a 1 minute timer. The floor of top center is made entirely of fence walls, so that people on the bottom of the map still have the ability to kill people up top by shooting through the fencing.

Top center is accessable by 4 ramps, one leading up from each side of the square-ish map. Each ramp can be accessed by going through a teleport on the opposite side of the map, or by jumping from various locations. You can also use the gravity lift located bottom-mid center to propel yourself quickly to the top of the Statusphere, directly in line with the overshield spawn.

The map is symmetrical in a diagonal sense, apart from a few minor differences in the layout of two of the corresponding quandrants.

Statusphere was designed for optimal FFA gameplay. As such, there is not one all-powerful position that must be fought over for control. Instead, strategic map design provides some amount of cover to nearly every position on the map.

Players at top center have an excellent viewpoint and can see a large portion of the map. These players also have the benefit of being near an easily accessable overshield that spawns one minute after it is picked up. Four barriers provide these players with additional cover, but it is important to remember that because the floor is made of fencing, you are vulnerable to being shot from many different locations.

All spawn points are on the bottom floor of the map. Players have the choice of working the bottom of the map while utilizing strategically placed cover to keep them from being sitting ducks to opponents at higher altitutudes. Several dumpsters, four teleports, and two corner walls situated in roof-like position provide fast access to the middle teir of the map.

Spaced fairly evenly and consistently about the perimeter of the map are a variety of locations and cover that give players a better view of the map. None of these places have solid enough cover that a player could set up camp and go on a running riot from. Instead, the map can quickly be traversed in several different manners. The purpose of this map design was to encourage the use of advantageous spots for different circumstances, while at the same time requiring players to constantly be on the move for fluid, dynamic gameplay.

Statusphere was designed for 8 player FFA's. A few people who got early peeks at the map commented that they thought it would play well for 2v2 team slayer as well. Unfortunately, I have not yet taken the time to setup a team spawning system to optimize the map for TS. I most likely will in the future, if the demand is great enough.

Also, while Statusphere was created and designed to be a very clean, precise, and symmetrical map, it is a little rough around the edges in which I had to pile **** on top of more **** to block off the less stellar parts of Foundry. Granted, said roughness is not to a degree that it should greatly affect gameplay. However, a cleaner, more eco-friendly Statusphere version 2 is definitely a possibility for a future release.

Please run FFA's on Statusphere with your friends to see how it plays. As it stands, the map has not been playtested once. I can't forsee it being an abysmal failure though, and thus I would greatly appreciate any and all feedback and opinions you would like to share after playing.

Also, a "more baller" map description was planned for Statusphere, but for some reason Xbox Live mistakingly thought that something in said description was offensive. You can rest assured that a new description will be included with version 2, with well sure to be definite higher markings on the badass meter.

So please.... Download, play, and enjoy Statusphere.

It's in the 6th slot of my fileshare.

Make sure to let me know what you think, as I am definitely interested in creating more FFA and team maps in the future.

Screenshots: