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This topic has moved here: Subject: Halo 3 and Custom Multiplayer Game Types LONG POST
  • Subject: Halo 3 and Custom Multiplayer Game Types LONG POST
Subject: Halo 3 and Custom Multiplayer Game Types LONG POST
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  • last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT

The difference between the Halo:CE and Halo2 custom game type configuration abilities was dramatic. With Halo2 we, as a community, were able to come up with many exciting custom variants that were simply not possible in the original. We all made a number of fantastic custom games due to the flexability of the options provided. Personally there are three game types that I setup that I'm proud of, "three bomb what", "keep away", and "flag scramble" * . You probably don't know these games by those names yourselves, and I don't claim to be the first to come up with them, but the ability that Bungie gave us to create these custom games was excellent.

Unfortunately there were certain rules for some of these games that were simply not possible to enforce within the framework provided by the game. Consider Zombies (or what ever your group of friends calls it). The problem was two fold. First you could neither define a rule that green spawns with a sword, nor define a rule that enforced that red spawed with a shotgun (or what ever your varient spawned humans with). Second there was no facility to enforce that a red player killed by a green player (zombie) would have to switch teams.

The ability to have atleast some control within Halo3 to define custom rules and weapon-team parameters would be incredible. Being able to have even finer grained control of weapon paramerts would be the icing on the cake.

Custom rules as I see it, would include being able to define death-event type rules, such as

green killed (betrayed) by green : no change
green killed by red : no change
red killed by red (betrayed) : no change
red killed by green : player switches to green team

This would enforce not only the "Zombie" game type, but would surely lead to other game types. Custom rules would certainly include other things that I've not included here, or thought of.

Being able to define that green team spawns with weapon X while red team spawns with weapon Y would further enforce custom game varients such as Zombies and lead to even more custom game possibilities.

Speaking of weapons, why can't I define that there are nades on the map, but they're all plasmas nades. Or that players spawn with frags or plasma.

Why can't I choose that there are covenant carbines on the map only, instead of having to choose rifles, which include BRs and sniper rifles?

Why can't I have no weapons on the map, no weapon the player spawns with and have a melee only match with players punching each other? (perhaps with frag nades on the map to spice things up)

My point is that Halo2 proved that players will create a wide variety of custom game types that many people will greatly enjoy, but Halo2 only gave us a hint, a tease if you will, of what is possible. Bungie needs to embrace this trend, giving the player finer grained control over both weapon spawns and game rules.

I believe that finer grained control over the rules of custom games is the upgrade that we need for multiplayer on Halo3.

- McGrude

* "Three Bomb What?" - Single bomb on foundation with 4 teams, no sudden death, spice to taste.

"Keep Away" - odd ball, two balls, no weapons on map, no nades, plasma pistol primary weapon, melee only. No time to win, round time limit 5 to 10 minutes. Radar off. Ball marker always. One on one or all the way to 8 on 8. Best on Elongation.

"Flag Scramble" - Midship, neutral flag, 7 minute time limit, no score to win. No weapons on the map, primary weapon plasma rifle, starting nades, betrayal penalty off. Bring it home as many times as you can in seven minutes. Best as a 4 on 4, but scales with even teams to 8 on 8.

[Edited on 5/17/2006]

  • 05.17.2006 8:11 PM PDT