Halo 2

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Sparky
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Halo 2

Post by Sparky » Thu Sep 09, 2010 10:20 am

This topic is for everything regarding reverse-engineering / analyzing the Halo 2 engine and map files.

I will begin by posting relevant information from the Halo 2 Map Editor Read Me file:
Halo 2 Map Editor Read Me wrote:
What's New in Halo 2 Editing
Technology Differences between Halo 2 Map Editor and the HEK

Photon Mapping: New lighting results in more robust, accurate, and visually stunning maps. Use a less-intensive lighting setting when testing map changes.

Material System: The improved material system has more options and flexibility. Shader file extensions no longer determine shader type. Shader templates define shader material and are referenced by the unified .shader file. Users now have more options for Shader templates and improved data fields for shader files in Halo 2 Guerilla.

Instanced and Detail Geometry: Instanced and detail geometry allows the creation and placement of geometry that does not have to be stitched into the world.

Definitions & Terms
.ass (amalgam scene specification): (source file type) An intermediary format file produced by the 3ds Max exporter. When run through Halo 2 Tool, .ass files generate .scenario and .scenario_structure_bsp files, which can then be edited by other tools.

base directory: A directory that contains data and tags folders for Halo 2 Map Editor design.

.bitmap: (Halo 2 file type) An image file that is referenced by other Halo 2 file assets. For example, a .shader file references a .bitmap file for the image of a texture.

.bmp (Windows bitmap): (source file type) An image file used internally by Windows®. It supports 1-, 4-, 8-, 16-, and 24-bit color formats; 32-bit color support with an integrated alpha channel was added upon release of Windows XP and is supported by Halo 2 Tool.

BSP: The geometry of the entire level.

bump map: A map that defines surface relief.

.crate: (Halo 2 file type) A scenery object that has physics and/or may be destroyed in the level. They can be crates, dumpsters, car models, or even teleporters.

.decorator_set: Defines a collection of model objects and decals that can be applied to the level with the decorator brush in Halo 2 Sapien.

detail map: A map that defines the “noise” of a surface, such as that representing fine grain.

diffuse map: A map that defines color.

frame node: An object that controls where the origin of your game world is and which objects within the max file get exported. You’ll be linking objects to this frame node, and anything unlinked is not exported later. Halo 2 does not use frame nodes by default so these can be omitted from the level editing process.

geometry errors: (geometry creation) Reported in the tools whenever they are encountered. These errors are also logged in a .wrl file format which can be imported into most 3D modeling programs to help resolve the error.

.item_collection: Defines a collection of weapons, powerups, or ammo. A collection can be single or multiple items. Item collections are found under Netgame Equipment and placed in Halo 2 Sapien.

.jpg (Joint Photographic Experts Group): (source file type) A 24-bit lossy image file commonly found on the Internet that can be viewed in Internet Explorer and edited in a variety of art packages (e.g., Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, Microsoft Paint).

.light: (Halo 2 file type) Defines a stationary light fixture placed in Halo 2 Sapien. These light fixtures are not meant to illuminate an entire level and should be used sparingly.

.map: (Halo 2 file type) A distributable collection of all files (e.g., .shader, .sky) that make up a multiplayer map. The Halo 2 engine loads these files directly.

multilingual_unicode_string_list: (Halo 2 file type) Localizable text used for level preview descriptions and location names for Territories game types.

normals: The direction a face or polygon is facing. Faces are only visible from one side unless the % flag is used on the shader to make it a double-sided face.

photon mapping: A method of lighting in computer graphics using ray tracing. A lighting map using this method takes much longer than traditional methods; however, it realistically simulates the way light reacts in the real world. Photon mapping has the ability to simulate complex visual phenomena, such as refracting light through water and transmitting color through tinted glass.

.scenario: (Halo 2 file type) A file that contains spawn points, weapon locations, flag locations, level shot location, description text location, and other parameters needed to make the architecture design a fully playable level.

.scenario_structure_bsp: (Halo 2 file type) A tag file generated from exported 3ds Max geometry and compiled to be loaded by the Halo 2 game engine.

.scenario_structure_lightmap: (Halo 2 file type) A file that contains the lighting information for a level. These file types are generated by Halo 2 Tool and are used by the Halo 2 game engine to control settings for properly lighting a level.

sealed/unsealed world: (geometry creation) A sealed world is one where the level geometry is completely welded together. For example, a simple box-shaped room where the ceiling, walls, and the floor all share common corners without any gaps is a sealed world. If the ceiling were deleted from this world, it would be an unsealed world with open edges. Sealed worlds are recommended for Halo 2 level creation.

.shader: (Halo 2 file type) A file that determines visual characteristics or properties of objects found in Halo 2. For example, a .shader file containing information for a metal surface would determine how light bounces off the surface as well as referencing a material effects tag that describes the sound made when a player runs across it.

.shader_template: (Halo 2 file type) A tag that tells a .shader file the order to use when rendering.

.sky: (Halo 2 file type) A file containing the properties of the sky, such as sunlight and cloud movement.

.vehicle_collection: (Halo 2 file type) Defines a vehicle or vehicles such as a Warthog or Ghost. Vehicle collections are placed in Halo 2 Sapien.

tags: Data file types that Halo 2 Tool can use. These are created by running raw data files (e.g., .tiff, .jme) through Halo 2 Tool.

.tga, .targa (Truevision Graphics Adapter, Truevision Advanced Raster Graphics Adapter): (source file type) A raster graphics file that supports 1 through 32 bits per pixel. These file types are typically uncompressed but can be compressed using lossless run-length encoding.

.tif (tagged image file format): (source file type) An image file that supports 24 and 32-bit alpha-channeled images with either lossless or lossy compression.

.txt (text): (source file type) A file that contains only text. These file types do not support any formatting and can be opened with any text-viewing program.

Unicode text (*.txt) files: A type of text file that allows international characters to be stored and displayed.

Using Halo 2 Sapien
Kill Trigger Volumes
A kill trigger volume is used to create a trigger area or volume that kills the player when he enters it. These areas are most commonly used for preventing the player from going outside of the level, such as when the player falls off a cliff or into a deep chasm.

Adding Extra Vehicles and Turrets Through customization menus, you can create custom game variants to play. Custom game options change the defaults for equipment that normally appears in the level. This effectively overrides the default equipment setup and, in some cases, adds additional equipment to the level.

The player-adjustable options are the settings for Primary Light Vehicle, Secondary Light Vehicle, Primary Heavy Vehicle, Banshee, Primary Turret, and Secondary Turret.

Use Halo 2 Sapien to set up the netgame equipment in your level that serves as the default netgame equipment (weapons, vehicles, and turrets) for each game mode.

Once the default netgame equipment has been set up, place additional netgame equipment around the level where you want it to appear. Make sure its position and orientation are correct. Once placed, there will not be a visual representation of the object. After placing the object, unselect the Item/Vehicle Collection check box in the Properties Palette. This creates a vehicle or turret spawn point.

To add a machine gun turret that only appears when the player selects any option other than Map Default

1. In Sapien, open the scenario.

2. Select an existing machine gun turret in the level.

3. In the Game Window, right-click to place a copy of the turret.

4. In the Properties Palette, select Secondary Turret in the Classification box.

5. In the Item/Vehicle Collection box, click Clear.

You have now added support for an additional turret in the level. Depending on what the player chooses, the turret can be a Human machine gun turret or Covenant plasma turret.

Save the .scenario file, and the next time the level is in the game you can test this optional turret by going to the Secondary Turret setup in Game Options screen and selecting any option other than Map Default.

With some modifications to the properties, the preceding technique works for additional vehicles, as well.

There is quite a bit of flexibility for default and additional equipment in each level. Equipment can appear only in certain game types or when the player chooses the appropriate option from the Customization menu.

Too many different vehicle types for each classification can make customization difficult. For example, if all vehicles are set to Primary Light Vehicle, when the player changes game options for the Primary Light Vehicle all vehicles are affected by that change. Keep vehicle setups simple, and keep the game customization menus in mind when setting up not only the default vehicles but also optional vehicles and equipment.

Game Types
There are basic requirements for each multiplayer game type. There are also specific requirements for each game type that must be considered when building a multiplayer level.

Spawn behavior can be set for each game type in the Properties Palette and may not necessarily appear in a particular game type. Team-specific spawn locations are controlled by spawn zones (for more information, see the Spawn Zones section).

Assault

An Assault game-type scenario must meet detailed requirements:

· 16 Player starting points.

· 3 Assault bomb spawns, set to red, blue, and neutral.

· 4 Assault bomb returns, two red and two blue.

Setting Assault Bomb Spawns

Place an assault bomb spawn set to the red team in the red base and another set to the blue team in the blue base.

To place an assault bomb spawn point

1. In Sapien, open the scenario.

2. In the Hierarchy pane, click the Mission folder, click the Game Data folder, click the Netgame Flags folder, and then click the Assault Bomb Spawn folder.

3. In the Properties Palette, set the type to Assault Bomb Spawn.

4. In the Game Window, right-click to place the bomb spawn.

5. In the Properties Palette, flag these by selecting multi flag/bomb and single flag/bomb.

6. Place a third assault bomb spawn in the center of the scenario assigned to the neutral team, and flag this one by selecting neutral flag/bomb.

Setting Assault Bomb Returns

Place two assault bomb returns for each team. Place the two red returns in the red base and the two blue returns in the blue base. The procedure is the same as setting an assault bomb spawn except that bomb returns are located in the Assault Bomb Return folder.

In the Properties Palette, assign all three flags on each assault bomb return by selecting multi flag/bomb, single flag/bomb, and neutral flag/bomb.

Capture The Flag

A Capture the Flag (CTF) game-type scenario must meet detailed requirements:

· 16 Player starting points for each team, red and blue.

· 3 CTF flag spawns, set to red, blue, and neutral.

· 2 CTF flag returns, one red and one blue.

Setting Spawn Points

There are two types of player spawn points: initial spawn zones and respawn zones. Initial spawn zones mark where players start the game. Respawn zones are where players restart after being killed in the level (for more information, see the Spawn Zones section)

Setting Flag Spawns

A blue flag spawn should be placed in the blue base, and a red flag spawn should be placed in the red base.

To place a CTF flag spawn point

1. In Sapien, open the scenario.

2. In the Hierarchy pane, click the Mission folder, click the Game Data folder, click the Netgame Flags folder, and then click the CTF Flag Spawn folder.

3. In the Game Window, right-click to place the flag spawn.

4. In the Properties Palette, assign the flags on these flag spawns by selecting Multi Flag/Bomb and Single Flag/Bomb.

A flag spawn set to the neutral team should be in the center somewhere, with its flags set to Neutral Flag/Bomb.

Setting Flag Returns

Put a flag return set to team Red in the red base and a flag return set to team Blue in the blue base. The procedure is the same as setting a flag spawn except that flag returns are located in the CTF Flag Return folder.

In the Properties Palette, assign all three flags on these as multi flag/bomb, single flag/bomb, and neutral flag/bomb.

Juggernaut

A Juggernaut game-type scenario requires 16 player start points.

King Of The Hill

A King of the Hill game-type scenario requires 16 player start points and five hills.

Hills are an area defined by several "King Hill x" entities. The entities are added as netgame flags. These flags should be placed clockwise around the area you want to define as the ‘hill’. These points define the hill in the architect as well as the visual marker that the player sees in the game. They are sorted into an appropriate folder and each of these folders represents one possible hill. Halo 2 supports a maximum of eight hills per level.

To properly support a single hill KotH game, hill 0 should be placed in a central location of the level. For game modes that support more than one hill, the game engine will select hills at random from your level. The player who inhabits that area, alone, is considered king.

Hill entities need no particular flags set. The team is typically left at the default (red).

Oddball

An Oddball game-type scenario requires 16 player start points and three Oddball spawn locations. These spawn locations should be team-neutral, with no flags set.

Slayer

A Slayer game-type scenario requires 16 player start points.

Territories

A Territories game-type scenario requires 16 player start points, at least 5 defined territory locations, and 10 territory flags.

To create a territory location, place two or more territory flags near each other, select them, and assign their identifier field to the same number. All territory flags with the same number create the area that territory defines.

At minimum 5 territories require at least 10 territory flags in the scenario with identifiers set to numbers 0 through 4.

Using Halo 2 Guerilla
The Object Palette
An Object palette contains the list of objects, such as crates, barricades, and road cones, that the game engine loads for the scenario. These objects are independent of the level and are generally destructible. The list for these objects is created in Guerilla; however, the items themselves are placed on the terrain in Sapien. (...)

Description Text
Description text appears when a level is selected on the Halo 2 for Windows Vista menu. It is a short paragraph describing the level's concept and setting. Use description text to inform players about the level and objectives.

Creating Description Text

To add description text, create a Unicode string file in the data/scenarios/descriptions folder. For details on creating multilinqual_unicode_string_list files, see the Creating Unicode Strings section.

Including Description Text in Levels

To include description text in a level

1. In Guerilla, click the Tags, Scenarios, and Multi folders, and then open the scenario.

2. Open the Level Data heading of the .scenario file.

Description text for the scenario is located in the Game Engine Strings box. This will either be empty or display the name of the multilingual_unicode_string_list currently selected for the scenario.

3. To change or add description text, click Browse, click the Tags, Scenarios, and Descriptions folders, select a new multilingual_unicode_string, and then click Open.

The name of the new description text file is displayed in the Game Engine Strings box.

Location Text
Location text refers to the different territories in the scenario of a Territories game type.

Creating Location Text

To add location text to a scenario, create a Unicode string file called location_names.txt and save it in the level folder. Typically, this is a folder with the same name as the level in the data/scenarios/multi folder. See the section on creating multilinqual_unicode_string_list files. For details, see the Creating Unicode Strings section.

Each level can have up to 16 territory names. Names are added to ge_territories_territory_x, where x is replaced with a number from 0 to 15.

Including Location Text in Levels

To include location text in a level

1. In Guerilla, click the Tags, Scenarios, and Multi folders, and then open the scenario.

2. Open the Level Data heading of the .scenario file.

Location text for the scenario is located in the Level Strings box. This will either be empty or display the name of the multilingual_unicode_string_list currently selected for the scenario.

3. To change or add location text, click Browse, click the Tags, Scenarios, and Multi folders, select a new multilingual_unicode_string, and then click Open.

The name of the new location text file is displayed in the Level Strings box.

Map Shots
Map shots are displayed when the level is selected in Halo 2. They are a representative screenshot taken somewhere in the level selected. You can add a map shot to your level with Sapien.

To create a map shot

In Sapien, open your level.

Position the camera in the Game Window, and then press ALT+PRTSCRN to take a screenshot. The screenshot is placed on the Windows clipboard and can now be made into a map shot with any graphics program that supports an alpha channel.

For best results, maximize the Game Window when taking map shots.

To create a professional looking map shot, use the mapshot_template.tif template provided in the tools directory. The template is 220 x 207 pixels with a single pixel light blue border and an alpha channel. Crop your screenshot to fit within the template border, and then flatten the image and save it as a 32-bit .tif file in the data\ui\global_bitmaps\map_shots folder.

Before your map shot will appear in game you need to convert it to a .bitmap file with Halo 2 Tool. Map shots should be placed in the tags\ui\game_bitmaps\mapshots folder of your level. For details on how to convert the file, see the Import Bitmaps section.

When you first convert your map shot, you will get an error because the file is not in the right format. To fix the error, open the new .bitmap file in Halo 2 Guerilla, and then change the Type to interface bitmaps and the Format to 32-bit color. Save the .bitmap, and then convert your original image again. It should now compile correctly.

To assign the map shot to your level, open the scenario in Guerilla, and then scroll down to the Level Data header. In the Multiplayer section, you’ll see an entry for bitmap. Click Browse to assign your map shot to the level. Save the scenario and recompile the level to see your map shot in the game.

Halo 2 Tool Texture Creation
Import Bitmaps
Halo 2 Tool's bitmaps command converts TIFF (.tif), TARGA (.tga), JPEG (.jpg), and Windows bitmap (.bmp) image files into compact Halo 2 .bitmap files that can be loaded and drawn by the game engine. Image files that are intended to be used as Halo 2 .bitmap files must have pixel dimensions that are powers of two—that is, the length and width are any of 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024, or 2048 pixels long. (...)

General Level Design Information
Design Style Guidelines
· Halo 2 multiplayer levels should follow the Halo universe from a design and aesthetics perspective. Multiplayer levels borrow geometry or architectural elements from single-player environments; however, multiplayer levels tend to be removed from the narrative portion of the Halo universe. This allows a Halo 2 multiplayer level to look and feel like Halo while offering the designer more freedom.

· Human structures, ships, vehicles, weapons, and other elements are based on a military theme. The Human technology style is relatively near-future with obvious advanced technology that is recognizable and functional without being overly complex. The color palette reflects the military theme: dark greens, olive, gun metal, burnished aluminum, dark gray, black, and brown. Human construction style tends to be angular with 30- and 45-degree angles being standard.

· Covenant structures, vehicles, ships, weapons, and other elements are based on a science-fiction theme. Covenant technology is more advanced than comparative Human technology but less advanced than Forerunner technology. The Covenant color palette is metallic red, blues, and purples. These same colors are also found on their energy fields, shields, and other luminous elements. Covenant construction style tends to be organic and features smooth curves and rounded surfaces.

· Forerunner structures, such as the Halo ring, and the technology they contain are far more advanced than Human or Covenant technology. These structures tend to be massive and distinctly alien. External Forerunner structures tend to have smooth metallic surfaces with large, bold architectural features. Interior structures tend to be open and reminiscent of a cathedral. Common interior elements, such as pillars, illuminated control panels, wall panels, and various alien machinations, are the hallmark of Forerunner construction. The Forerunner color palette consists of metallic colors such as silver. Blues, purples, and yellows are commonly found on the luminous elements of Forerunner construction.

· The inner surface of the Halo ring and its terrain mirror the environments found on Earth, with the exception of geological formations or features related to geothermal or volcanic activity such as geysers or volcanoes. These environments include rolling plains and grasslands, deserts, oceans, lakes, beaches, islands, forests, snow, and ice-covered canyons.

Technical Design Rules and Tips for Multiplayer Levels
· Halo 2 levels must support all seven multiplayer game types (Capture the Flag, Slayer (Deathmatch), King of the Hill, Oddball, Juggernaut, Assault, and Territories) to function properly. Missing netgame flags for necessary elements like objectives, player spawns, and so forth can cause the game or server to crash.

· Supporting all the game modes in each level ensures consistency when playing multiplayer games.

· Each level must have a minimum of 16 player spawns per team for each game type. Player spawns can be set up for use in more than one game type.

· Adequate spawn points keep the game and player spawning behavior working.

· Minimum distance between player spawns should be 20 units or greater for nonteam game types and 2.5 units or greater for team-based game types. If two or more spawn points are within these minimum distances, it’s possible that a player would not be allowed to spawn until there are no other players within the minimum distance.

· Halo 2 has robust physics that must be considered for their impact on level design.

· Avoid thin geometry in level design. Thin geometry is more likely to suffer from collision problems, as players and vehicles can pass through it. Manually created collision models should be simple and robust.

Design Suggestions: Level Design Tips for Multiplayer Levels
· Keep the level simple. A level can have a simple layout yet still offer great gameplay depth for all Halo 2 game types.

· Try to support all the game types well. Most multiplayer levels support some game types well, whereas others do not offer as good of a gameplay experience. This is the most challenging aspect of Halo 2 multiplayer level design.

· Maps that support all the game modes well tend to be the most popular.

· Popular Halo 2 multiplayer levels tend to be symmetric in layout but with balanced asymmetrical features that add variety without giving one side a distinct advantage. Asymmetrical features can be anything including terrain features, cover, powerups, or even weapons.

· Balanced levels have two distinct team bases. with multiple entrances and exits to facilitate movement into and out of the base. Vehicles are very effective at blocking travel routes, so design the base entrances, exits, and access ramps accordingly.

· A multiplayer level does not have to have every vehicle in it to be fun. Do not add vehicles if the level is not designed to support it.

· Balancing the level for a player on foot versus a player in a vehicle is crucial. Take travel times and distances into account for both players. Teleporters are a good tool but are easy to abuse. Players can take flags through a teleporter. Only players can use teleporters; therefore, teleporters are good tools to balance travel distance and times between players on foot and players in vehicles.

· Balance the weapons and item placement. Use these items to create or control traffic or game flow in certain areas of the level. Powerful weapons and powerups should be placed toward the middle of the level or require the player to travel a farther distance.

· Keep players (and vehicles) out of places where they should not be. Use obstacles, sky, and player clipping to prevent exploiting the level.

· Vehicles (especially Warthogs and Ghosts) can be manipulated into areas they should not be. Players will always try to block important level paths or objectives with vehicles. While these are valid tactics, make sure such tactics do not limit the gameplay in the level.

· Be creative!

Player Statistics and Metrics
This section includes important player values and statistics as well as player dimensions in real-world and 3ds Max units for the player dimensions and player actions, as well as for some common game objects such as vehicles and doors. All player values and statistics refer to the Master Chief character unless otherwise noted.

Player Screen Field of View

The player field of view (or FOV) value is 70 degrees.

Halo to Real-World Scale

As a reference, the Master Chief is approximately 7 feet tall.

This makes the unit scale approximately 10 units = 1 foot or 1 unit = 1.2 inches.

Player Dimensions (Generic 3ds Max Units)

Key: [length(depth) × width × height]

Full Height (Standing) 18.418 × 29.828 × 70.127

Height (Ready Pose) 28.198 × 39.376 × 65.11

Crouched 43.372 × 30.719 × 42.455

Vehicle Dimensions (Generic 3ds Max Units)

The following are the dimensions for the visible model for the listed vehicles.

Key: [length(depth) × width × height]

Warthog 191.766 × 134.000 × 104.264

Ghost 137.967 × 144.484 × 057.926

Banshee (Open Cockpit) 181.368 × 223.696 × 158.011

Scorpion 330.661 × 200.490 × 134.610

Shade Plasma Turret 144.035 × 084.424 × 086.98

Player Speed (World Units/Second)

Forward Movement Speed (Running) 2.25

Backward Movement Speed (Running) 2.00

Side Strafe Movement Speed (Running) 2.00

Player Movement Angles (Degrees)

The player cannot move up any slope that has an angle value greater than 45 degrees.

Ground Step Height (Generic 3ds Max Units)

The maximum height for a piece of geometry (such as stairs and guide walls) that still allows the player to walk or run onto or over it.

Crouched (Walking) 8

Standing (Running) 12

Note: These values reflect a player at the full velocity for the listed movement type. For geometry such as stairs (vertical faces), the player will always catch or hitch; this is why ramps are used instead of stairs in Halo. There are techniques for visually representing stairs with invisible ramped collision geometry overlaid for smooth player movement.

Jump Height (Generic 3ds Max Units)

The maximum height of an object a player can jump on or over.

Crouched (Walking) 76

Standing (Running) 80

Crouch Jump (Run, Jump, Crouch) 99

Note: Other factors that apply additional velocity to the player may affect this value. The values listed assume the player is at standard movement speed.

Jump Distances (Generic 3ds Max Units)

The maximum distance between geometry or objects at the same height that allows the player to jump from one to the other.

Crouched (Walking) 136

Standing (Running) 312

Crouch Jump (Run, Jump, Crouch) 330

Ceiling Geometry Height (Generic 3D Studio Max Units)

The minimum clearance between the ground and ceiling (e.g., interior ceilings, top doorway frames) that allow the player or a vehicle to pass underneath.

Player

Crouched 50

Standing 70

Vehicles

Warthog 75

Ghost 56*

Banshee 112*

Scorpion 118

Note: The third-person camera view for vehicles is set at a much higher distance than the actual physical and visual geometry and will clip into the world at the values listed.

* These vehicles can be tweaked or forced through the objects depending on the angle and velocity. Keep this in mind when designing the level.

Minimum Path Widths

The minimum widths between geometry or objects that allow the player or vehicle to move between them.

Player

Crouched 40

Standing 40

Vehicles

Warthog 100*

Ghost 128*

Banshee 220*

Scorpion 230*

Note: Vehicles can be manipulated\exploited by forcing them through openings with smaller values than those listed above. The values listed are for driving the vehicle through an opening with little hindrance and minimal visual clipping of the model. Keep these factors in mind when designing the level.

* These vehicles can be tweaked or forced through objects or openings depending on the angle and velocity.

Equipment List: Weapons

The following sections contains quick reference lists for all valid multiplayer weapons, associated ammo, and items by game name and tag name.

Single Weapons

Halo 2 weapons are placed as item_collections. An item collection can be a single weapon or a group of weapons.

The following list is for the placement of a single weapon.

Weapon Name Description Item Collection Tag

Human Weapons

M6C Pistol Magnum \tags\multiplayer\single_weapons\magnum.item_collection

M7/Caseless Sub Machine Gun SMG \tags\multiplayer\single_weapons\smg.item_collection

BR55 Rifle Battle Rifle \tags\multiplayer\single_weapons\battle_rifle.item_collection

M90 Shotgun Shotgun \tags\multiplayer\single_weapons\shotgun.item_collection

S2 AM Sniper Rifle Sniper Rifle \tags\multiplayer\single_weapons\sniper_rifle.item_collection

M41 SSR MAV/AW Rocket Launcher \tags\multiplayer\single_weapons\rocket_launcher.item_collection

M9 HE-DP Fragmentation Grenade Frag Grenade \tags\multiplayer\single_weapons\frag_grenades.item_collection

Covenant Weapons

Plasma Pistol Plasma Pistol \tags\multiplayer\single_weapons\plasma_pistol.item_collection

Plasma Rifle Plasma Rifle \tags\multiplayer\single_weapons\plasma_rifle.item_collection

Needler Needler \tags\multiplayer\single_weapons\needler.item_collection

Carbine Carbine \tags\multiplayer\single_weapons\carbine.item_collection

Beam Rifle Beam Rifle \tags\multiplayer\single_weapons\beam_rifle.item_collection

Brute Shot Brute Shot \tags\multiplayer\single_weapons\brute_shot.item_collection

Energy Sword Energy Sword \tags\multiplayer\single_weapons\energy_sword.item_collection

Brute Plasma Rifle Brute Plasma Rifle \tags\multiplayer\single_weapons\brute_plasma_rifle.item_collection

Plasma Grenade Plasma Grenade \tags\multiplayer\single_weapons\plasma_grenades.item_collection

Forerunner Weapons

Sentinel Beam Sentinel Beam \tags\multiplayer\single_weapons\sentinel_beam.item_collection

Weapon Groups

Weapon groups are a list of weapons which are specified to spawn or alternate their spawning in the game. They can be placed as a group using the following:

Weapon Group Name Group Contains Item Collection Tag

Group All Weapons Battle Rifle, Magnum, Needler, Plasma Pistol, Plasma Rifle, Rocket Launcher, Shotgun, Sniper Rifle, \tags\multiplayer\weapon_groups\group_all_weapons.item_collection

Group Close Range

Needler, Plasma Pistol, Plasma Rifle, Shotgun, SMG

\tags\multiplayer\weapon_groups\group_close_range.item_collection

Group Heavy Weapons

Rocket Launcher

\tags\multiplayer\weapon_groups\group_heavy_weapons.item_collection

Group Long Range

Battle Rifle, Rocket Launcher, Sniper Rifle

\tags\multiplayer\weapon_groups\group_long_range.item_collection

Group Pistols

Magnum, Plasma Pistol, Needler

\tags\multiplayer\weapon_groups\group_pistols.item_collection

Group Random

Battle Rifle, Plasma Rifle, Rocket Launcher, Shotgun, SMG, Sniper Rifle

\tags\multiplayer\weapon_groups\group_random.item_collection

Group Rifles

Battle Rifle, Plasma Rifle, Shotgun

\tags\multiplayer\weapon_groups\group_rifles.item_collection

Group Special Weapons

Rocket Launcher, Sniper Rifle

\tags\multiplayer\weapon_groups\group_special_weapons.item_collection

Items

Items such as ammo and powerups can be placed in the level by using the following tags.

Item Name Description Item Collection Tag

Human Items

Magnum Ammo Magnum Pistol Ammo \tags\multiplayer\powerups\ammo_magnum.item_collection

SMG Ammo SMG Ammo \tags\multiplayer\powerups\ammo_smg.item_collection

Battle Rifle Ammo Battle Rifle Ammo \tags\multiplayer\powerups\ammo_battle_rifle.item_collection

Shotgun Ammo Shotgun Ammo \tags\multiplayer\powerups\ammo_shotgun.item_collection

Sniper Rifle Ammo Sniper Rifle Ammo \tags\multiplayer\powerups\ammo_sniper_rifle.item_collection

Rocket Launcher Ammo Rocket Launcher Ammo \tags\multiplayer\powerups\ammo_rocket_launcher.item_collection

Covenant Items

Needler Ammo* Needler Ammo* \tags\multiplayer\powerups\ammo_needler.item_collection*

Carbine Ammo* Carbine Ammo* \tags\multiplayer\powerups\ammo_carbine.item_collection*

Brute Shot Ammo* Brute Shot Ammo* \tags\multiplayer\powerups\ammo_brute_shot.item_collection*

Powerups

Powerup Super Shield Overshield \tags\multiplayer\powerups\powerup_super_shield.item_collection

Powerup Invisibility Active Camouflage \tags\multiplayer\powerups\powerup_invisibility.item_collection

* Denotes an item that may exist in the tags but be unsupported in game.

Item Groups

Youcan place an item group which will spawn through all the powerups as well

Item Group Name Group Contains Item Collection Tag

Group All Powerups Active Camouflage, Overshield \tags\multiplayer

Equipment List: Vehicles
The following section contains quick reference lists for all valid multiplayer vehicles and stationary gun turrets by game name and tag name and location.

The following list is for the placement of the specified multiplayer vehicle.

Vehicle Name Description Vehicle Collection Tag

Human Vehicle

M12 Warthog LRV Chaingun Warthog \tags\multiplayer\single_vehicles\warthog.vehicle_collection

M12G1 Warthog LAAV Gauss Rifle Warthog \tags\multiplayer\single_vehicles\warthog_gauss.vehicle_collection

M808B Scorpion MBT Scorpion Tank \tags\multiplayer\single_vehicles\scorpion.vehicle_collection

Covenant Vehicles

Ghost Ghost \tags\multiplayer\single_vehicles\ghost.vehicle_collection

Spectre Spectre \tags\multiplayer\single_vehicles\shadow.vehicle_collection

Banshee Banshee \tags\multiplayer\single_vehicles\banshee.vehicle_collection

Wraith Wraith \tags\multiplayer\single_vehicles\wraith.vehicle_collection

Vehicle Groups

The following is for the placement of vehicle groups in which a list of vehicles are specified and spawn or alternate their spawning in the game.

Vehicle Group Group contains Vehicle Collection Tag

Ghost\Warthog\Banshee Ghost, Warthog, Banshee \tags\multiplayer\vehicle_groups\ghost_warthog_banshee.vehicle_collection

Stationary Guns (Turrets)

The following are the list of available stationary guns or turrets for placement in multiplayer Halo 2 levels.

Turret name Description Turret Tag

Human Turret

MG Turret Machine Gun Turret \tags\multiplayer\single_vehicles\h_turret_ap.vehicle_collection

Covenant Turret

Small Plasma Gun Turret Small Plasma Gun Turret \tags\multiplayer\single_vehicles\plasma_turret.vehicle_collection

Halo 2 Sapien Console Commands
The following console commands can be used in Halo 2 Sapien to make level editing easier. To open or close the console in Sapien press the TILDE (~) key. To execute a console command, enter the command followed by a space and then the new value. For toggle commands 0 is off and 1 is on.

Note: These commands are for development use only.

Console Command Default Value Valid Values Description

debug_instanced_geometry 0 0-1 Outlines instanced geometry objects. The additional debug_instanced_geometry_ commands will only be displayed if this command is on.

debug_instanced_geometry_bounding_spheres 0 0-1 Displays the bounding spheres for instanced geometry. Requires debug_instanced_geometry to be enabled.

debug_instanced_geometry_collision_geometry 0 0-1 Displays the collision geometry for instanced geometry. Requires debug_instanced_geometry to be enabled.

debug_instanced_geometry_names 0 0-1 Displays the names of instanced geometry, including the instance number. Requires debug_instanced_geometry to be enabled.

debug_instanced_geometry_vertex_counts 0 0-1 Displays the vertex counts for instanced geometry. Requires debug_instanced_geometry to be enabled.

debug_objects 0 0-1 Displays bounding radii of the game objects or models and collision models.

debug_sound 0 0-1 Displays visual representations of the sounds being played and their audible radii including labels indicating the specific sound being played to the player.

debug_structure 0 0-1 Outlines the structure bsp including collision planes (such as those placed in 3ds Max for player containment).

game_speed # 1 0-20 Changes the speed you travel around the level.

geometry_cache_list 0 0-1 Displays a list of geometry items currently being cached.

geometry_cache_status 0 0-1 Displays geometry cache information.

kill_volume_disable N/A name Disables the named kill trigger volume.

kill_volume_enable N/A name Enables the named kill trigger volume.

rasterizer_fog_atmosphere 1 0-1 Toggles atmospheric fog on or off.

rasterizer_fog_plane 1 0-1 Toggles the fog plane on or off.

rasterizer_wireframe 0 0-1 Draws the current world scene including the world model (BSP) and all models such weapons, vehicles, characters and effects in wireframe mode, including invisible geometry that has collision data.

render_instanced_geometry 1 0-1 Toggles the rendering of instanced geometry objects.

render_model_triangle_counts 1 0-1 Toggles the drawing of the triangle counts for models.

render_model_names 1 0-1 Toggles the drawing of the names of models, including model subparts.

visibility_debug_portals 0 0-1 Draw or outline the portal definitions in the Game Window.

File Specifications
.ass file specifications

The .ass file format holds an intermediate version of a Halo 2 map that is on its way from a modeling program into Halo 2 Architect. Data stored in .ass files are not directly readable by the Halo 2 engine: A compilation step run by Halo 2 Tool is required to convert the map to engine-ready binary BSP data.

Intermediate map files are always expected to be in a specific location (the \data\scenarios\multi\[levelname]\structure\ directory in the main Halo 2 Architect directory for proper processing by Tool.

File Structure

The .ass file format is ASCII-based, meaning that the intermediate level data are stored within a plain text file. Internally, each file is broken down into discrete sections that are usually identified by commented headings. Individual data values within a section are separated simply by white space and line breaks. No sections are optional; all sections must be present even if they only carry a value of 0.

The structure of an .ass file is broken down into the following major sections.

File Header: Supplies version compliance and map creator information.

Materials: Declares references to Halo 2 texture mapping assets.

Objects: Defines the building blocks used to construct the level.

Object Instances: Describes the level by positioning instances of the defined objects.

The following data types and their syntaxes are defined for .ass files.

Data Type Example Value

Integer Value 42

Real/Floating Point Value 12.345678

String Literal Value "covenant"

In-line Comment ;This is a comment

Numbers that specify dimensions or positions in space will be scaled when compiled for the game engine, with 100 units in an .ass file equal to 1 Halo World Unit (10 feet in the real world). For reference, the Master Chief is slightly shorter than 100 units in an .ass file. The .ass file format uses the MAX coordinate system, where the x axis points forward, the y axis points left, and the z axis points up.

File Header

The file header section contains details that are helpful for understanding how to interpret the contents of the file. In the event of a problem, the file header also contains useful information for tracking down the author and equipment used to generate the file.

Example File Header

;### HEADER ### gHeaderh Section Heading

2 ASS File Version

"MAX" Software Package

"6.0" Exporter Version

"hwroeske" Author Name

"Familiar" Host Name

File Header Data Value Details

ASS File Version: Revision number of the .ass file format specification used by this file. Halo 2 maps always obey revision 2.

Software Package: Name of the software packages used to export the file. All versions of 3ds Max are identified by the sting literal gMAXh, for example.

Exporter Version: Version of the exporter used to generate the file.

Author Name: Account name of the user who exported the level.

Host Name: Computer name used to export the level.

Materials

Materials describe the look and behavior of geometry in the Halo 2 game engine. An .ass file is not responsible for fleshing out the details of these materials. Instead, it merely provides the names of materials and shaders referenced by the level geometry that the game engine will later use to link to the proper texture maps and other resources.

Material Header and Its Data Value Details

;### MATERIALS ### gMaterialsh Section Heading

1 Material Count

Material Count: States the number of materials that will be defined following this header. Materials are numbered starting with 0 and continue to (Material Count – 1).

Material Definition and Its Data Value Details

;MATERIAL 0

"zanzibar basic_concrete" Shader Name

"" Material Name

Shader Name: Name of the Halo 2 shader tag (minus the file extension) the engine will reference to define this material.

Material Name: Name of the material to reference within the shader. For most materials, the Shader Name is sufficient and this value is ignored. This value is usually left as an empty string.

Objects

The actual vertices and triangles of a level are defined in discrete building-block pieces called objects. Later in the file, instances of these objects are arranged to form the final geometry of the level.

Object Header and Its Data Value Details

;### OBJECTS ###

4 Object Count

Object Count: States the number of objects that will be defined following this header. Objects are numbered starting with 0 and continue to (Object Count – 1). Object order can be any assortment of the types listed below.

Sphere Object Definition and Its Data Value Details

;OBJECT 0

"SPHERE" Object Type

"" XRef File

"" XRef Object

-1 Material Index

25.000 Sphere Radius

Object Type: Identifies the object's type. Always set to gSPHEREh for a sphere primitive.

XRef File: If this object is a temporary stand-in that will be replaced by an object defined elsewhere, this value contains the path and name of the containing file. Usually this is just a blank string, meaning the object stands on its own and will appear as defined in the current file. This feature is specific to 3ds Max, as Halo 2 Tool requires .max files present to work. When using exporters for other programs, define all of their objects within the .ass file and set this value to a blank string.

XRef Object: If the object is a placeholder, this value contains the XRef File name of the object that will replace it. If it's not a placeholder, this is a blank string. This feature is specific to 3ds Max, as Halo 2 Tool requires .max files present to work. When using exporters for other programs, define all of their objects within the .ass file and set this value to a blank string.

Material Index: Assigns a material to the object with the corresponding number in the material header (see the Materials section). A value of 0 references the first defined material, 1 the second defined material, and so on. The scene root indexes a special material value of –1.

Sphere Radius: Establishes the size of the sphere by defining its radius.

Box Object Definition and Its Data Value Details

;OBJECT 1

"BOX" Object Type

"" XRef File

"" XRef Object

0 Material Index

12.500 12.500 12.500 Box Extents

Object Type: Identifies the object's type. Always set to gBOXh for a box primitive.

XRef File: If this object is a temporary stand-in that will be replaced by an object defined elsewhere, this value contains the path and name of the containing file. Usually this is just a blank string, meaning the object stands on its own and will appear as defined in the current file. This feature is specific to 3ds Max as Halo 2 Tool requires .max files present to work. When using exporters for other programs, define all of their objects within the .ass file and set this value to a blank string.

XRef Object: If the object is a placeholder, this value contains the XRef File name of the object that will replace it. If it's not a placeholder, this is a blank string. This feature is specific to 3ds Max, as Halo 2 Tool requires .max files present to work. When using exporters for other programs, define all of their objects within the .ass file and set this value to a blank string.

Material Index: Assigns a material to the object with the corresponding number in the material header (see the Materials section). A value of 0 references the first defined material, 1 the second defined material, and so on. The scene root indexes a special material value of –1.

Box Extents: Defines the length, width, and height of the box relative to its center. Each extent is one-half of its measured size, so a box with a length of 10, width of 20, and height of 30 would have extents of 5, 10, and 15, respectively.

Pill Object Definition and Its Data Value Details

;OBJECT 2

"PILL" Object Type

"" XRef File

"" XRef Object

0 Material Index

200.000 Pill Height

50.000 Pill Radius

Object Type: Identifies the object's type. Always set to gPILLh for a pill primitive.

XRef File: If this object is a temporary stand-in that will be replaced by an object defined elsewhere, this value contains the path and name of the containing file. Usually this is just a blank string, meaning the object stands on its own and will appear as defined in the current file. This feature is specific to 3D Studio MAX as Halo 2 Tool requires .max files present to work. When using exporters for other programs, define all of their objects within the .ass file and set this value to a blank string.

XRef Object: If the object is a placeholder, this value contains the XRef File name of the object that will replace it. If it's not a placeholder, this is a blank string. This feature is specific to 3ds Max as Halo 2 Tools requires .max files present to work. When using exporters for other programs, define all of their objects within the .ass file and set this value to a blank string.

Material Index: Assigns a material to the object with the corresponding number in the material heading (see the Materials section). A value of 0 references the first defined material, 1 the second defined material, and so on. The scene root indexes a special material value of –1.

Pill Height: The full height of the pill shape.

Pill Radius: The thickness of the pill shape and rounding on the ends.

Mesh Object Definition and Data Value Details Due to its complexity, the syntax for defining mesh objects is broken down into three sections in this document. Most of the specifications appear immediately below. Detailed explanations of the triangle and vertex definitions are split off into separate blocks that follow.

;OBJECT 3

"MESH" Object Type

"" XRef File

"" XRef Object

24 Vertex Count

[Vertex Definitions]

12 Triangle Count

[Triangle Definitions]

Object Type: Identifies the object's type. Always set to gMESHh for a mesh object.

XRef File: If this object is a temporary stand-in that will be replaced by an object defined elsewhere, this value contains the path and name of the containing file. Usually this is just a blank string, meaning the object stands on its own and will appear as defined in the current file. This feature is specific to 3ds Max as Halo 2 Tool requires .max files present to work. When using exporters for other programs, define all of their objects within the .ass file and set this value to a blank string.

XRef Object: If the object is a placeholder, this value contains the XRef File name of the object that will replace it. If it's not a placeholder, this is a blank string. This feature is specific to 3ds Max as Halo 2 Tool requires .max files present to work. When using exporters for other programs, define all of their objects within the .ass file and set this value to a blank string.

Vertex Count: Number of vertices defined in the mesh. Because Halo 2 meshes support smoothing groups by splitting vertices along group boundaries and assigning the resulting vertex pairs differing normals, mesh objects in an .ass file may contain more vertices than the corresponding source mesh.

Triangle Count: Number of triangles defined for the mesh.

Vertex Definition and Its Data Value Details

-500.000 500.000 0.000 Vertex Position

0.000 0.000 1.000 Vertex Normal

1 Bone Influence Count

2 1.000 Bone Weight

[...]

1 UV Count

1.000 1.000 UV Coordinates

[...]

Vertex Position: The x, y, and z coordinates of the vertex defined in the object's local space.

Vertex Normal: The x, y, and z components of a vector that defines the vertex normal in the object's local space. This vector should be normalized.

Bone Influence Count: The number of bone nodes that have influence over this vertex.

Bone Weight: A pair of values that identifies both the index of the Object acting as a deforming bone for this vertex and the amount of influence it carries for deforming the vertex's position and normal. Repeats for Bone Influence Count number of bone and weight pairs.

UV Count: The number of texture mapping coordinate pairs defined for this vertex.

UV Coordinates: The U and V texturing coordinates for this vertex. Repeats for UV Count number of coordinate pairs.

Triangle Definition and Its Data Value Details

0 Material Index

0 Vertex Index #1

1 Vertex Index #2

2 Vertex Index #3

Material Index: Assigns a material to the triangle face with the corresponding number in the materials header (see the Materials section). A value of 0 references the first defined material, 1 the second defined material, and so on.

Vertex Index #1: Number of the vertex corresponding to the first point of the triangle.

Vertex Index #2: Number of the vertex corresponding to the second point of the triangle.

Vertex Index #3: Number of the vertex corresponding to the third point of the triangle.

Object Instances Object instances take references to objects defined earlier in the file and give them unique positions and orientations around the world, building up a complex level from fundamental pieces. A single object may be referenced by multiple object instances, each uniquely positioned and oriented. These instances are preserved through to the Halo 2 game engine and, with proper level design, result in a much lower memory footprint for the level than if they were stored as an exhaustive list of triangles and vertices.

All levels define a special gScene Rooth node as the first object instance, which serves to give special context to the hierarchy of nodes that follows. The scene root instance node has the same value in every level and is presented in detail for reference in this document after the general Object Instance description.

Object Instance Header and Its Data Value Details

;### INSTANCES ###

2 Object Instance Count

Object Instance Count: States the number of object instances that will be defined following this header, including the scene root node. Object instances are numbered starting with 0 and continue to (Object Instance Count – 1).

Object Instance Definition and Its Data Value Details

;INSTANCE 1

0 Object Index

"b_LevelFrame" Object Instance Name

0 Unique Instance ID

0 Parent Instance Index

0 Inheritance Flag

0.000 0.000 0.000 1.000 Local Rotation

0.000 40.000 0.000 Local Translation

1.000 Local Scale

0.000 0.000 0.000 1.000 Pivot Point Rotation

0.000 0.000 0.000 Pivot Point Translation

1.000 Pivot Point Scale

2 Object Bone Index

[...]

Object Index: Assigns an object to the object instance with the corresponding number in the objects section. A value of 0 references the first defined object, 1 the second defined object, and so on. The scene root node indexes a special object value of –1.

Object Instance Name: The name of the object instance. This value usually matches the name of objects within the originating level design software. The scene root node always carries a name of gScene Rooth.

Unique Instance ID: An identifier handle number for the object instance. Every object instance must have a number that is unique to it within the scope of the .ass file. The scene root's Unique Instance ID is always –1.

Parent Instance Index: Identifies the object instance as the hierarchal child of the object instance numbered correspondingly to this value. The scene root has no parent and indexes a special object instance value of –1.

Inheritance Flag: Currently unsupported and always set to 0 for all object instances.

Local Rotation: The rotation component of the object instance's local transformation matrix relative to its parent node. This value is stored in a quaternion. The scene root node always has a rotation quaternion of 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0.

Local Translation: The x, y, and z translation component of the object instance's local transformation matrix, relative to its parent node. The scene root node always uses a 0 vector for translation.

Local Scale: The scale component of the object instance's local transformation matrix, relative to its parent node. Only uniform scaling is supported in this revision of the .ass file format. The scene root node always has a scaling factor of 1.0.

Pivot Point Rotation: The rotation component of an offset transformation matrix, relative to its pivot point. This value is stored in a quaternion. If the pivot point is the center of the object, this value is 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0. The scene root node always has a rotation quaternion of 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0.

Pivot Point Translation: The x, y, and z translation component of an offset transformation matrix, relative to its pivot point. If the pivot point is the center of the object, this value is a 0 vector. The scene root node always uses a 0 vector for translation.

Pivot Point Scale: The scale component of an offset transformation matrix, relative to its pivot point. Only uniform scaling is supported in this revision of the .ass file format. If the pivot point is the center of the object, this value is 1.0. The scene root node always has a scaling factor of 1.0.

Object Bone Index: Identifies an object used as a bone by the vertices in the instance's referenced object. It repeats to list all the objects influencing the instance's object as a bone. If no bones are influencing the object, this section is skipped. The scene root defines no bones and skips this section.

Scene Root Object Instance

;INSTANCE 0

-1 Object Reference

"Scene Root" Instance Name

-1 Unique Instance ID

-1 Parent Instance

0 Inheritance Flag

0.000 0.000 0.000 1.000 Local Rotation

0.000 0.000 0.000 Local Position

1.000 Local Scale

0.000 0.000 0.000 1.000 Pivot Point Rotation

0.000 0.000 0.000 Pivot Point Translation

1.000 Pivot Point Scale
The following are three Halo 2 .map files whose hex data you can analyze and compare with Halo Full and Halo Demo/Trial:

Halo 2 "Main Menu" - Equivalent to ui.map
Halo 2 "01a Tutorial" - Single player map
Halo 2 "Beaver Creek" - Multiplayer map from Halo 1


Halo 2 File Icons
Image
Image

List of maps available in Halo 2 Vista version (aka. "H2V" version):

Base
mainmenu
shared
single_player_shared

Single Player
00a_introduction
01a_tutorial
01b_spacestation
03a_oldmombasa
03b_newmombasa
04a_gasgiant
04b_floodlab
05a_deltaapproach
05b_deltatowers
06a_sentinelwalls
06b_floodzone
07a_highcharity
07b_forerunnership
08a_deltacliffs
08b_deltacontrol

Multiplayer
ascension
backwash
beavercreek
burial_mounds
coagulation
colossus
containment
cyclotron
deltatap
dune
elongation
foundation
gemini
headlong
lockout
midship
needle
street_sweeper
triplicate
turf
warlock
waterworks
zanzibar
Last edited by Sparky on Thu Sep 09, 2010 2:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Either you are groping for answers, or you are asking God and listening to Jesus.

2310
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Re: Halo 2

Post by 2310 » Thu Sep 09, 2010 12:01 pm

Excellent work Sparky! :D But I'm not able to do much, seeing as I do more design than programming ...

Also, what are we going to do with the H2V features if they are not in the Halo Demo engine?

Sparky
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Re: Halo 2

Post by Sparky » Thu Sep 09, 2010 3:11 pm

For unsupported features, we will need to either remove those features or convert them to comparable functionalities.
Either you are groping for answers, or you are asking God and listening to Jesus.

Mgalekgolo
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Re: Halo 2

Post by Mgalekgolo » Thu Sep 09, 2010 3:18 pm

meh i vote convert cuz it will take long BUT think of all the unsupportness, and halo demo is a little too limited dont you think? halo full at least, it seems to handle better
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DARKJB007
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Re: Halo 2

Post by DARKJB007 » Thu Sep 09, 2010 6:08 pm

Im not sure it would be possible to convert the halo 2 files with full i tried it and it just kept analyzing the map index then gave me an error and for even better conversion i put the ce encyclopedia file in my full folder to help convert easier i even compared bloodgulch to beavercreek in hex fiend but the map is organized differently bloodgulch has alot more holes in the tags than beavercreek
and i dont think it will work right unless a new engine would be created for halo demo but that means everything would have to be redone . :mrgreen:
JB

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Re: Halo 2

Post by Smythe » Fri Sep 10, 2010 6:53 am

...
Useful i guess, well actually not really. 90% if not 100% of this information is available to anyone who owns halo 2 on vista or 7.
DARKJB007 wrote:Im not sure it would be possible to convert the halo 2 files with full i tried it and it just kept analyzing the map index then gave me an error and for even better conversion i put the ce encyclopedia file in my full folder to help convert easier
because this makes total sense. someone might wanna point out what's wrong here because i can't be bovvered.
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Mgalekgolo
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Re: Halo 2

Post by Mgalekgolo » Fri Sep 10, 2010 11:37 am

@dark

the CE incy dosen't do shit, and its in halo demo format...
what the fuck were you thinking?
helping convert halo 2?
srry man but seriously, think before posting(firsthand experience)
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Re: Halo 2

Post by 002 » Sun Sep 12, 2010 6:37 am

http://cl.ly/2039bfde451b4fd85023
Tags are organized the same annoying way.

http://cl.ly/1816dd87ce0592843c72
Types of tags have the same backwards four-letter names and dependencies are similar. Also, offsets are similarly organized.

--------------
DARKJB007 wrote:Im not sure it would be possible to convert the halo 2 files with full
You don't have to be sure if Eschaton can rip tags from Halo CE maps. It just does.
DARKJB007 wrote:i tried it and it just kept analyzing the map index then gave me an error
What are you opening? with what?
DARKJB007 wrote:and for even better conversion i put the ce encyclopedia file in my full folder to help convert easier
Doing that won't do shit. Mgalekgolo is right.
DARKJB007 wrote:i even compared bloodgulch to beavercreek in hex fiend but the map is organized differently
:wall:.
DARKJB007 wrote:bloodgulch has alot more holes in the tags
Where are these holes and why isn't Halo crashing when I open Bloodgulch?
DARKJB007 wrote:and i dont think it will work right unless a new engine would be created for halo demo but that means everything would have to be redone
Halo 1 and 2 have the same engine with only some minor differences. Look it up.

Mgalekgolo
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Re: Halo 2

Post by Mgalekgolo » Sun Sep 12, 2010 8:16 am

what would conversion (to halo 1 engine) require?
id rather have the campaign than the multiplayer. how possible is this? i dont care bout graphics, just lag.
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Re: Halo 2

Post by Modzy » Sun Sep 12, 2010 10:05 pm

There's a reason no one wants to make H2 map editors: because they're useless.

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Re: Halo 2

Post by Smythe » Mon Sep 13, 2010 1:46 am

Modzy wrote:There's a reason no one wants to make H2 map editors: because they're useless.
Because one already exists, they have sapien too.
And nobody has the game, the community is smaller than ours.
Although i do have it and i can tell you, Dual weilding a Shotgun and a fuel rod = Confusing but awesome :D
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Re: Halo 2

Post by kiddten » Mon Sep 13, 2010 1:58 am

olly12345 wrote:
Modzy wrote:There's a reason no one wants to make H2 map editors: because they're useless.
Because one already exists, they have sapien too.
And nobody has the game, the community is smaller than ours.
Although i do have it and i can tell you, Dual weilding a Shotgun and a fuel rod = Confusing but awesome :D
Dual Rockets. Do It.
kiddten, on most things nowadays wrote:no
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Re: Halo 2

Post by Smythe » Mon Sep 13, 2010 2:55 am

Nah the second rocket launcher goes all weird.
Scarab guns. Now that is a combination!
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Re: Halo 2

Post by Sugarlumps » Mon Sep 13, 2010 4:30 am

Flaming Bunnies wrote:
olly12345 wrote:
Modzy wrote:There's a reason no one wants to make H2 map editors: because they're useless.
Because one already exists, they have sapien too.
And nobody has the game, the community is smaller than ours.
Although i do have it and i can tell you, Dual weilding a Shotgun and a fuel rod = Confusing but awesome :D
Dual Rockets. Do It.
No. Dual wield Sniper and BR. Or 2 BRs, (2 headshots to take someone down). OR even better, turrets? Lol 4 armed turret spartan.
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Sparky
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Re: Halo 2

Post by Sparky » Mon Sep 13, 2010 1:03 pm

The Halo 2 engine doesn't normally allow dual-wielding of weapons where you see both hands holding the first weapon in first-person view, unless it's an SMG. But sniper rifles, rocket launchers, and swords aren't dual-wieldable.
Either you are groping for answers, or you are asking God and listening to Jesus.

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