: For a fiction lover, one of the great allures to Halo's fabulous multiplayer
: suite was the simple fact that even custom matches of Capture the Flag
: took place not in a nameless arena, but in specific location in the
: universe; a place that has its own foothold in the overarching story. H4
: of course took this idea to a new level, tying the MP maps (and the entire
: mode itself) more directly to the fiction than ever before. Many of the
: new DLC maps in particular have some beautiful skyboxes with lovely little
: nods to some of the extended fiction.

: I'd love to know what multiplayer maps you all find particularly interesting
: from a purely FICTIONAL standpoint. What maps have had you wondering just
: what had happened on those battlegrounds, or perhaps what might still be
: to come? Was it a magnificent vista, or a small detail that tied to a
: novel? Share your thoughts!

: Much love,
: Grim

Epitaph: I always loved the setting of this map. Was the meaning of the hologram ever figured out? I thought I read somewhere that it was supposed to be Mendicant Bias. In any case, the first time I heard the Halo theme on this map I nearly cried.

Cold Storage: I cannot express how much I love this map, given it's setting. One trapped Pure Form, one apparently escaped and accessed the teleporters to freedom on the other side of the walls, where they continue to mock the monitor stuck inside, having failed it's only task. Was anyone else around for the "Smuggler" updates? Those sealed the deal for me.

Heretic: I loved to think of how this ship went from being a part of Regret's fleet in Halo 2 as Midship, to part of the Fleet of Retribution in Halo 3 as Heretic. Where it was going, what kinds of battles it had fought and had yet to fight. Although Thursday War kind of killed that for me (as it and it's predecessor did for many things).

Sandtrap: If you were never captivated by this map then you played Halo the wrong way. What was this structure? Where is it? Is it even Forerunner? What is the secret of Sandtrap?

Sandbox: Goes hand in hand with Sandtrap, IMO. I still think this is the greatest Forge map, if only because it was the the most visually interesting to me, and I had a lot of fun on Forged Sandbox variants. A lot more fun than I ever had on Forge World maps (with a few exceptions..). Like Sandtrap, it has a mysterious aura, one that sometimes even gave me the creeps if I was alone forging on it.

God, I miss Halo 3. :/