While browsing a website called ForgeHub, where you can find Halo 3 and Halo: Reach maps built by other gamers [1], I ran across a custom map variant called Lost Woods, which was created for Halo 3.[2] The concept is relatively simple—it's just a room full of pillars. You have to dodge through the pillars looking for your opponents. Since Halo: Reach came out we don't play Halo 3 anymore, so I decided to recreate Lost Woods for the newer game. I named the recreation Lost Forest.[3]
One of the areas in the Forge World is a huge empty room called the Coliseum. It can be seen from the outside in the picture above. I blocked off the entrance with a wall and put in a low ceiling. Then I spaced out square columns, eight across and eight deep. Then I placed some spawn and respawn points and laid out a few grenades that can be picked up once your initial count has been used up. Then I placed a few markers for Headhunter where you can "cash in" your collection of flaming skulls.[4]
After I had the map created, I had to make a custom game variant to go with it. I started with the basic Slayer game type.[5] I turned off the timer (what an annoying feature). Since the ceiling is low, there's no need for the jetpack and the game is too fast-paced for invisibility to be of any use, so I turned off those load-outs. I also turned off armor lock just because Leann doesn't like it. I set the default weapons to shotgun and sniper rifle with unlimited ammo. Since there are no other weapons placed on the map, these are all you get. Finally, I turned off the radar, so there's no way to know where your enemies are except to spot them running around. This means that sometimes they spot you first.
Once I had this set up I did the same thing starting with a Headhunter game type. And then I did it with the Infection game type. I named the Slayer version of this game "Leper", the Headhunter version "Leper Hunter", and the Infection version "Leprosy".[6]
Notes:
[1] To learn more about editing maps in Halo 3 and Halo: Reach, as well as game types, see my review of Halo: Reach.
[2] You can view the original thread here.
[3] If you have an XBox 360 and the game Halo: Reach, you can download the map variant Lost Forest here.
[4] Just for fun, I also stuck a rocket launcher on top of the ceiling, where no one can actually get it.
[5] Slayer is just a free-for-all run around and shoot everyone else.
[6] There is an explanation for these names. For the original map, Lost Woods, the game type was named Lucky Charms. But it wasn't a variant of Slayer, it was a variant of Infection (which features a zombie running around trying to infect the other players so that they become zombies, too). The alpha zombie was called a leprechaun. Even though my game variants weren't based on the infection game type, I chose to give the original game a nod. So I shortened leprechaun to leper. Perhaps I was also influenced by the card game Munchkin which has a monster called a "leperchaun". If you have an XBox 360 and the game Halo: Reach, you can download the game type Leper here. The game type Leper Hunter can be downloaded here. And the game type Leprosy (which hasn't been beta-tested, yet) can be downloaded here.
One of the areas in the Forge World is a huge empty room called the Coliseum. It can be seen from the outside in the picture above. I blocked off the entrance with a wall and put in a low ceiling. Then I spaced out square columns, eight across and eight deep. Then I placed some spawn and respawn points and laid out a few grenades that can be picked up once your initial count has been used up. Then I placed a few markers for Headhunter where you can "cash in" your collection of flaming skulls.[4]
After I had the map created, I had to make a custom game variant to go with it. I started with the basic Slayer game type.[5] I turned off the timer (what an annoying feature). Since the ceiling is low, there's no need for the jetpack and the game is too fast-paced for invisibility to be of any use, so I turned off those load-outs. I also turned off armor lock just because Leann doesn't like it. I set the default weapons to shotgun and sniper rifle with unlimited ammo. Since there are no other weapons placed on the map, these are all you get. Finally, I turned off the radar, so there's no way to know where your enemies are except to spot them running around. This means that sometimes they spot you first.
Once I had this set up I did the same thing starting with a Headhunter game type. And then I did it with the Infection game type. I named the Slayer version of this game "Leper", the Headhunter version "Leper Hunter", and the Infection version "Leprosy".[6]
Notes:
[1] To learn more about editing maps in Halo 3 and Halo: Reach, as well as game types, see my review of Halo: Reach.
[2] You can view the original thread here.
[3] If you have an XBox 360 and the game Halo: Reach, you can download the map variant Lost Forest here.
[4] Just for fun, I also stuck a rocket launcher on top of the ceiling, where no one can actually get it.
[5] Slayer is just a free-for-all run around and shoot everyone else.
[6] There is an explanation for these names. For the original map, Lost Woods, the game type was named Lucky Charms. But it wasn't a variant of Slayer, it was a variant of Infection (which features a zombie running around trying to infect the other players so that they become zombies, too). The alpha zombie was called a leprechaun. Even though my game variants weren't based on the infection game type, I chose to give the original game a nod. So I shortened leprechaun to leper. Perhaps I was also influenced by the card game Munchkin which has a monster called a "leperchaun". If you have an XBox 360 and the game Halo: Reach, you can download the game type Leper here. The game type Leper Hunter can be downloaded here. And the game type Leprosy (which hasn't been beta-tested, yet) can be downloaded here.
Image attributions:
All images are screenshots of the video game Halo: Reach., which is © Microsoft Corporation. They are presented here in the context of providing information about the product, and thus constitute fair use.
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