How would you improve Halo Combat Evolved?

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Sparky
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How would you improve Halo Combat Evolved?

Post by Sparky » Tue Mar 06, 2012 7:51 am

Given the source code to the game, what changes would you make? Yes, source code is potentially forthcoming, and no, I don't know exactly when. But if and when it becomes accessible, what would you want improved with the game, or with which improvements would you be willing to assist?

Continue the list, or discuss:

1. General net code & Net-related front-end
- increase max multiplayer limit from 16 to 64 for LAN-selected connection types
- auto-detect internet speed using HDM server ping to set default connection speed

2. Map selection
- recognize any single/multiplayer .map file within the maps folder within the in-game ui.map map list menu

3. Net synchronization, specifically
- allow synchronization of all scnr-tag-related references
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Re: How would you improve Halo Combat Evolved?

Post by Vegerot » Tue Mar 06, 2012 4:07 pm

Sparky wrote:2. Map selection
- recognize any single/multiplayer .map file within the maps folder within the in-game ui.map map list menu
This is exactly what I was talking about in my "ultimate HDL" thread.
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Re: How would you improve Halo Combat Evolved?

Post by Sparky » Sat Mar 10, 2012 6:30 am

Vegerot, please link to the topic you mentioned.

- Send map names and descriptions to multiplayer game server master list using ustr tags in the loaded map file.
- Allow players to specify the IP of their own multiplayer game server master lists -- include GameSpy, MGM/HDM, and a place to manually enter the info (this involves ui.map changes also); maybe with a similar interface to the server selection screen in Minecraft.
- Fix the bug where information is not always sent to the master list.
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Re: How would you improve Halo Combat Evolved?

Post by 002 » Sun Mar 11, 2012 7:05 am

I've come up with several good ideas:

- Splitscreen Co-Op and Multiplayer. Play with a keyboard and have your friend play with a gamepad, possibly an Xbox controller.

- Xbox Multiplayer support. Got Halo for the Xbox? It's got network support AND Blood Gulch. By the way, I mean the original Halo, not the remake. Think of it: You've got four friends on your Xbox, you on your computer, and eleven more people you don't even know.

- Scenery synchronization. Right now, players, vehicles, weapons, and items are always synched, without needing a mod. If you're modding, this isn't always an issue, unless you're making a map out of scenery. Clients will no longer need the mod to see your creation, unless you added tags, which would crash your clients if they didn't have the mod.

- AI synchronization. If you are playing a really kickass mod with Zombies, Zombies, and more Zombies, then you want to be able to play that over the internet. Unfortunately, you can't. With AI syncing, you can experience the mod as it was meant to be.

- Exception error fix. Basically, fixes crashing if your game encounters a modded server it can't play on. Instead, it should simply disconnect and display a message along the lines of "Cannot play on server. Mod required."

- "Pure" servers. Tired of people not bringing the mod? Or are you sick of people cheating with mods? It should display a message "Cannot play on pure server." (or "Kicked by server operator." if they don't have the new client.)

Code: Select all

Player queries server.
Pure server detected.
Player sends MD5.
Server checks MD5.
Player join/kicked depending on match.

Code: Select all

Client doesn't send MD5:

Player queries server.
No MD5 sent in 10 second timeout.
Kicked from server.
All the client does is send the MD5. Everything else is serverside.

which leads to:

- Kick reasons. If you're kicked from the server, you want to know why. Same with a ban. It should say something like "Kicked/Banned: <reason>" with the server sending the entire string.


I've got more ideas, if you want.

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Re: How would you improve Halo Combat Evolved?

Post by TaxiService » Sun Mar 11, 2012 8:11 am

- being able to stand on moving vehicles.
- sceneries with physics.

can't think of anything else right now.


EDIT: a hug button.
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Re: How would you improve Halo Combat Evolved?

Post by Mgalekgolo » Sun Mar 11, 2012 5:53 pm

Switch AI with scenery and shit like that. Also no clipping with maps like extinction.
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Re: How would you improve Halo Combat Evolved?

Post by Moxus » Tue Mar 13, 2012 1:32 pm

TaxiService wrote:- being able to stand on moving vehicles.
- sceneries with physics.

can't think of anything else right now.


EDIT: a hug button.
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Re: How would you improve Halo Combat Evolved?

Post by Amy » Tue Mar 13, 2012 5:39 pm

Having AI be able to move on scenery maybe?
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Re: How would you improve Halo Combat Evolved?

Post by Sparky » Wed Mar 14, 2012 1:06 pm

002, your ideas about server behavior and maps can be simplified to just having the host server upload the hosted map file in its entirety to a player who joins with a different map file. The client should be given the option to spend the time downloading the mod or map, or to try another server instead. It should be like how it is in the Marathon series games.

That should fix any game-crashing issues also, but the synchronization can simply include object instance boolean values of ON and OFF with certain simple tags like device machines, and simple bipd coordinate synchronization with AI, like with players. The number of AI wouldn't affect the maximum number of clients, though.

Taxi, I don't know what a hug button is. With animations (antr), I'd say expand the palette of available movements with the bipeds, including a "prone" or "lying down" option in addition to the "crouch" animation.

With physics, I'd say refine how the engine uses phys tags referenced by bipd, scen and other object-based tags, so that these objects can have physics like vehicles... Although with scen, you could use the garb tag type instead. There are still workarounds that show this particular change is really necessary yet.

Mgal, the engine seems stable enough already, allowing us to make certain swaps, but in general could be made more stable with dependency swaps across the board.

No clipping relates to improving the game's rendering engine. The clipping problems you have are likely related to +portal planes used during the map's modeling stage.

Amy, in general that would involve doing more with the "is a pathfinding obstacle/object" flag in the object-type tags.
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Re: How would you improve Halo Combat Evolved?

Post by Samuco » Sat Mar 17, 2012 6:38 pm

Sparky wrote:002, your ideas about server behavior and maps can be simplified to just having the host server upload the hosted map file in its entirety to a player who joins with a different map file. The client should be given the option to spend the time downloading the mod or map, or to try another server instead. It should be like how it is in the Marathon series games.
Remember halosync? When you hosted a mod it uploaded the map and did some md5 craziness. Never worked though due to the IP-Address extraction not working.

We need complete synchronisation. Machines/AI/Scenery etc with fully scriptable AI Code.
I would love to be able to code AI's in C or something.

Sparky wrote:Taxi, I don't know what a hug button is. With animations (antr), I'd say expand the palette of available movements with the bipeds, including a "prone" or "lying down" option in addition to the "crouch" animation.
Just add a bunch of emotions for bipds. Like hug another player, cry, cheer etc. SImilar to battle-field-heroes.
Sparky wrote:With physics, I'd say refine how the engine uses phys tags referenced by bipd, scen and other object-based tags, so that these objects can have physics like vehicles... Although with scen, you could use the garb tag type instead. There are still workarounds that show this particular change is really necessary yet.

It would be nice if you could also specify a maximum damage amount to objects. Like in log-mod, a player could shoot a log for a while and it would break.

Other ideas:
1. Build a map editor into it? Maybe be able to edit the map during a multiplayer game (although the server would need to specify this to stop admins abusing it!)
2. More filters need to be added that cope with mods. There should be several categories of mods (Normal, Weapons, Scenery, Custom Map, Editor, AI) which players can disable.
3. Custom gametype names.
4. Built-in memory editor (maybe allow console to show object stuff. Idk)

OH, and a bsp editor :P

Then port all of it to iOS devices for fun.

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Re: How would you improve Halo Combat Evolved?

Post by kiddten » Sat Mar 17, 2012 7:18 pm

Voicechat.
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Re: How would you improve Halo Combat Evolved?

Post by Sparky » Sat Mar 17, 2012 10:03 pm

"maximum damage to objects" is a map file thing, under the coll tag. It can already be done with scenery and vehicles, for example. These are map file changes, though.

An advanced master server lobby would be nice, but again this mostly involves ui.map file changes... otherwise, I'd say add more features to the engine's handling of ui.map files.

Think of the glitches... eh... improve radiosity detail. Think of glitches, you know there are so many! Make the scen swap thing more stable, for example, to remove the "blue warthog respawn glitch" from happening... think people...
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Re: How would you improve Halo Combat Evolved?

Post by Samuco_ » Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:04 pm

Sparky, you need AIM. Add samucosayshi
And nil, respond for crying out loud <_<

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Re: How would you improve Halo Combat Evolved?

Post by Samuco » Sun Mar 18, 2012 3:45 am

Sorry for spamming your AIM nil :roll:
I was extremely bored and had consumed excessive caffeine.

Your account seems to be online 24/7...

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Re: How would you improve Halo Combat Evolved?

Post by nil » Sun Mar 18, 2012 3:44 pm

Samuco wrote:Sorry for spamming your AIM nil :roll:
I was extremely bored and had consumed excessive caffeine.

Your account seems to be online 24/7...
I just forgot to sign off. I don't normally leave my account on 24/7.

As for this silly thread, my response is: focus on how you can improve Halo right now instead of hopelessly waiting for "source code." Notice that I didn't say improve Halo modding.

Such improvements say could be:
*Creating more maps that replace weak or unpopular maps (eg: chiron, infinity, boarding action, death island, longest). Think Crossing, Outpost 49, Shaft, Barrier.
*Improve the appearance of the game. Think Refresh or FTW mods.
*Improve/make map editing tools making other improvements easier.

This does not include adding AI's, modifying weapon sets, making Halo into something not really Halo.
I am no longer active to Halo or MGM, and don't guarantee a response on the forums or through email. I will however linger around the discord room for general chatting. It's been fun!

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