Halo 1 & 2 for PC
This topic has moved here: Subject: Aaaaggghhh!! I am so-o-o-o-o confused about Halo PC/CE! Please Help!
  • Subject: Aaaaggghhh!! I am so-o-o-o-o confused about Halo PC/CE! Please Help!
Subject: Aaaaggghhh!! I am so-o-o-o-o confused about Halo PC/CE! Please Help!
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Until today, I thought CE meant "Combat Evolved." This is what I have seen in the stores for the PC: "Halo" with "Combat Evolved" in smaller letters on the box. So I figured everyone who had Halo for the PC had "Halo Combat Evolved," or (as I thought) "Halo CE" for short. I further assumed that the contents of this box included SP campaign and MP. Now I see all these Google hits for Halo CE that say the CE stands for "Custom Edition" and that it is a stand alone MP download and that it has NO single player campaign and that it stinks for MultiPlayer! And another thread that says it is really, really good for MP. Then I find yet another thread that says that all the really good players have migrated to Halo CE servers and make it hard for new players to survive long enough to get good; so those new players must start out on the Halo PC MP game servers where most players aren't worth a hoot.

If "Combat Evolved" and "Custom Edition" are two different products; did Gearbox pick "Combat Evolved" to purposefully have the same initials as "Custom Edition," so as to confuse poor Halo illiterates like me? Wow. I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone....

Can someone please clear up this mess: Tell me what the features and compatibilities correspond to the following listed phrases; and how do they differ from one another? And what flavor of Halo do most folks in this forum play (or consider to be "Halo" on the PC)? And what type of servers do they play on?

A.) "Halo PC"
B.) "Halo Custom Edition"
C.) "Halo Combat Evolved"
D.) "Halo CE"

Thank you!

  • 07.08.2004 6:54 PM PDT
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Translation...
Halo: Combat Evolved = Halo PC
Halo: Custom Edition = Halo CE

A few things you should know about Custom Edition. Please take some time to read and to spread the word. :)

Gearbox released this as a separate download, because they thought it too big for a mandatory autodownload. It boosts framerates on many existing maps (by utilizing "fast shaders") and allows users to create their own custom maps, which can include new weapons, new vehicles, new sounds, etc. There are already MANY new maps to choose from (I think I have 100+ atm). There are even Halo 2 maps in the works, complete with Plasma Sword and the updated battle rifle. Apparently, Gearbox also reworked the netcode from the ground up, meaning the feeling of CE can be slightly different from PC at first. Some people complain that the lead time is random (that's probably what they were talking about in that thread you mentioned where they were saying CE was bad for multiplayer), but I think it just takes a steadier hand and more concentration to aim witht he pistol. It takes more patience and skill. Actually, to tell the truth, I disliked CE when it first came out, because I would always pwn on PC. As soon as I started playing CE, I'd get my butt kicked, but I stuck with it and have been playing ever since it came out. I can't go back to PC. It's too sloppy and (frankly) boring, playing the same maps over and over again.

Perhaps the most important thing about CE is that it is the only hope for further updates to Halo. It has basically been said that further support for Halo PC is nonexistent. However, there is a glimmer of a hope that Halo CE may get a patch in the future. It has been said that if enough gamers convert to CE that there will be continued support into the future for this game. If you care about Halo at all, then do your best to download and USE Halo CE. Get others involved. Spread the word.

To address your other comments: Yes, there are a good deal of decent players on CE, but there are more "moderate" players joining the fray everyday. I guarantee that if you stick with CE for at least a month and then go back to PC, you will note a marked increase in your fragging skills. ;)

Anyway, if you have ANY questions, don't be afraid to ask.

  • 07.08.2004 8:29 PM PDT
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Also, if you want need some convincing as to why you should get Halo Custom Edition, check out these sites for pics on user-created maps and mods.

New Mombasa

This is a make of the Earth City as seen in the E3 Halo 2 demo. Although the design is original, the texturing and things are based off the demo. The mod thats coming along with it adds the Battle Rifle, a new MC skin, and other changes. Go here (careful, large quality pics):

New Mombasa Pics

Zanzibar

This is a make of the multiplayer map seen in another E3 demo: Zanzibar. It is in it's early stages but the team is hard at work on it, and progression is coming along pretty fast! You can find the first 4 of their weekly updates at the forum here:

Halomods Mapping Forum

Decoy

This is an awesome map with add adjustments to the weapon balance to make the game a fun new challenge. A video was just posted on this forum here:

Decoy Vid

Find the map here:

Decoy Map

Quagmire

Reminiscent of the 343GS level from the campaign mode, Quagmire by Molkien is a pretty sweet map for lots of game types. It's murkiness and nice design allows for some pretty good sneaking and the bridges make for some sweet fire fights like Ice Fields. Look here for it:

Quaggie DL

  • 07.08.2004 9:13 PM PDT
Subject: Feeling better, now
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Thanks for the explanation, leoht! Your words gave me a good framework on which to make sense of all the eclectic facts I had scavenged. I went to the store last night and checked the Halo "Combat Evolved" box again, to make SURE I wasn't in the Twilight Zone: I shows as good for 56K modem and has artwork and words that strongly suggest that the Flamethrower and Plasma cannon are in, which jibes with my limited online experience at a commercial arcade. But the question is begging to be asked: If CE is so good, and free, why not just ship it as a bonus in the box with Halo PC? It would increase the CE base AND help sell more copies of Halo PC. Seems like a no-brainer to me. What am I missing?

So, most people talking on this PC forum about "Halo" are talking about "Combat Evolved" (in other words, they do not know about or prefer not to play "Custom Edition")?

And I still think it is unbelievably stupid (or customer abusive, if done on purpose) that Gearbox picked "Custom Edition" to have the same initails as "Combat Evolved."

And thanks for the pics, Zanzibaked. I'm behind a firewall at work, so didn't get some of what you linked; but liked what I did get!

  • 07.09.2004 7:44 AM PDT
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I share your confusion/frustration - I only just figured out this week that Halo: Combat Evolved was not Halo CE - I feel like such a noob

So far I find CE a little annoying as I get a lot of text all over the scren when I first join a game. Not a huge deal if everyone is joining together, but if you are joining late you are 'blind' for a couple of seconds (read "dead")

The 'feel' is a little different and I was totally getting my butt kicked for an hour or so, then just mostly getting my butt kicked...... I've been playing with settings to see if that helps, but I just feel 'out of sync' somehow.

  • 07.09.2004 11:29 AM PDT
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Oh yea, one more thing. Gearbox= Stupid. (not really, but yah know). The fact that they couldnt just call it Halo: Special Edition is beyond me. Many people have been confused by this. However, when all is said and done, especially with GearBox's hands tied behind its back, they didnt do a half bad job.

  • 07.09.2004 5:35 PM PDT
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Halo PC does indeed add the Fuel Rod Gun and Flamethrower, as well as the rocket hog. Map makers in the Custom Edition community have successfully added other weapons to Halo CE, such as the Plasma Sword and Battle Rifle from Halo 2. I'm sure you saw some of these in the links that Zanzibaked posted.

I've heard of 56Kers playing Halo, but I can't imagine it to be very fun. Halo operates off of server-side code, which makes lag a big issue to begin with, even with low-latency connections. Add a horrible connection into that mix and you're just asking to be disappointed, unfortunateas that is. You would be at an extreme disadvantage with such a high ping. The minimum I'd play with is a slow cable connection, but that's just me and I consider myself to be fairly competitive by nature (as opposed to professionaly). However, if you want to play Halo (any version) on 56K, I ain't gonna stop you. More power to you. :)

But the question is begging to be asked: If CE is so good, and free, why not just ship it as a bonus in the box with Halo PC?
That is precisely the question that has been posed to Gearbox on their forums. We don't get the world's best explanations over there, but a developer has apparently posed this idea to the Powers That Be, but we were told it was rejected. It would appear that Microsoft and Bungie aren't putting a whole lot of effort into the survival of Halo for PC at the moment, doubly so in the case of Halo CE. Shipping Halo CE with Halo PC would probably do wonders for the Halo community in general, but alas... It might be worth it to note here that CE is technically free only to Halo PC owners. You still need a CD key to play it, although Halo CE uses none of the files from Halo PC. Remember that it was originally slated as an update to PC, but turned into its own entity when the filesize entered the picture. This is technically where ALL Halo players should be, but the fact that it is a separate download has made the conversion challenging.

So, most people talking on this PC forum about "Halo" are talking about "Combat Evolved" (in other words, they do not know about or prefer not to play "Custom Edition")?
You would be correct in assuming this. I think the vast majority of players don't know what Halo Custom Edition is, despite it being mentioned in the Message of the Day when you start Halo PC multiplayer. Also, there are a lot of people who have downloaded CE, gotten their butts kicked, and gone back to regular Halo where it is much easier to find people who are worse than you. The fact that so many people either don't know about CE or choose not to play it is part of the reason you've been seeing more and more posts about it on this forum lately. We have to get more players into CE, so Halo can get some much-needed updates. Because we LOVE Halo! :)

And I still think it is unbelievably stupid (or customer abusive, if done on purpose) that Gearbox picked "Custom Edition" to have the same initails as "Combat Evolved."
Agreed, but nothing can be done about that now. Also, keep in mind that Gearbox doesn't always have the luxury of doing exactly as they envision. They have to run everything past Microsoft and ultimately Bungie, as this was their original creation. Coulda been a Gearbox goof, or maybe not...

  • 07.09.2004 6:29 PM PDT
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Someone is creating weapon mods along with multiplayer models like an Elite in the game so that you can choose anything instead of just a Spartan soldier.

  • 07.09.2004 8:07 PM PDT