Halo: Custom Edition

***Halo: Custom Edition***(also known as ***Halo CE***, which is also the accepted abbreviation of *Halo: Combat Evolved*) is a standalone, multiplayer-only, expansion for *Halo PC*.

The expansion was released on March 15, 2004 by Gearbox Software as an unsupported version of the original game. Just like *Halo PC*, it requires a product key during installation.

## Features

*Main Articles: Modding, Halo Editing Kit and Developer Mode.*
*Halo: Custom Edition*, in its most basic definition, is a modding-friendly version of *Halo PC*. It allows players to browse through user-created content and maps created with modding kits. Modders would incorporate the Halo Editing Kit to incorporate their own creations such as custom models, images, physics, and data into an easily distributed .MAP file, which is compressed and uploaded. The amount of content that can be created is almost unlimited, although they are limited by the game engine it runs on. Some players have used it to improve how the game runs overall, either by upgrading vehicles and weapons, or adding new ones entirely. Some players have even taken elements from later *Halo*games and implemented them into *Halo: Custom Edition*(such as the speed boost for the Ghost, which was introduced in *Halo 2*).

A few examples of user-created content may include custom character models that uses an Elite biped instead of the default Spartan biped, a Call of Duty inspired level or even special animations and effects for weapons, melee and reloading. Some have even used the mods to unpack the game's code, allowing them to find cut content and other secrets buried in the code. Much of the user-created content can be found on modding dedicated websites such as Modacity and halomaps.org.

Two new features were added in *Halo: Custom Edition*that weren't present in either *Halo: Combat Evolved*or *Halo PC*. One of them was a rules feature that can be viewed by pressing the F2 button (with default settings). It displays all the specifics for the gametype being played in the server. The other feature was the ability to display the name of all players in the same team above their respective green arrows (by pressing F3). Additionally, an arguably better net-code was put into *Halo: Custom Edition*as well. The game has noticeably reduced latency issues compared to *Halo PC*.

### Halo Editing Kit

The Halo Editing Kit, commonly referred to by its acronym, **HEK**, is a repackaging of the development tools that Bungie created and used in the development process for *Halo: Combat Evolved*. The Halo Editing Kit was released for the creation of custom content for *Halo: Custom Edition*. It is a free, unsupported add-on released by Gearbox Software.

With the Halo Editing Kit, AI characters can also be added onto a map. This has allowed some map makers to create their own mods that can be played like a campaign mission with checkpoints and objectives, and with some skill, cutscenes; because of this, this allows players to create their own campaign missions right from scratch, or even entirely new games. People can also make "teams" of AI that will fight each other. The player can fight alongside Elites and Grunts against marines, or vice-versa. Also, some map makers have added entirely new AI bipeds, with some retroactively finding ways to add Brutes to *Halo*campaign. It is also possible for game models from entirely different games to be added as well, as long as the game's engine can handle it.

Custom maps may contain entirely new content, including, but not limited, to:

* Level geometry
* Bitmaps
* Weapons
* Vehicles
* Bipeds
* Sounds
* Game interfaces
* Level scripts and interactivity
* Objects
* Special effects
* Animations
* HUDs
* Single player modifications
* New campaigns/campaign levels
* Edit any of the ten *Halo: Combat Evolved*campaign levels/multiplayer maps
* AI in multiplayer maps
* AI encounters
* Cinematics/cutscenes
* Dialogue

### Developer Mode

The developer mode, commonly referred to as *devmode*, is used to execute commands in *Halo: Custom Edition*. Bungie used it during the development of *Halo: Combat Evolved* to run tests, as did Gearbox Software with *Halo PC*. Map makers can use it in *Halo: Custom Edition*to test their own creations. Some designers created a specialized devmode program called "alldev." This allows *Custom Edition*users to open devmode on servers they created. Devmode can be used for many things, like giving players bottomless clips or invulnerability. Devmode is also used to play single player maps made for *Halo: Combat Evolved'*s campaign.

### Limitations

   The engine that *Halo: Custom Edition*runs on (the same engine as *Halo: Combat Evolved*and *Halo PC*) has become frustrating to many map developers, as more complicated features require more complicated solutions and procedures. Coupled with the obsolete software used for the engine, trying to add more up-to-date bipeds or other custom made content is almost impossible due to their incompatibility with each other. Theoretically, anything present in other *Halo*engines is also possible in *Custom Edition*, but is often imperfect. Mappers have come up with a make shift boosting system through continuous damage indicators, usually behind the player, to speed up the vehicle. This has been modified to deal zero damage, but still shows arrows indicating damage on the HUD. This technique is no longer required with Open Sauce 3.1.

There are also possibilities with dual-wielding, although still imperfect. The user converts it into one weapon, replacing the secondary trigger (grenades) for the secondary weapon trigger, although when you pick it up, you instantly pick up two instead of one. One of the most frustrating was the limited space for tags, one of the problems that Custom Mapping Team has faced. This has not been a concern to many mappers, though.

## Community

Several modding communities have emerged since the release of *Halo: Custom Edition*. One of the most prominent communities is halomaps.org which has the most updated multiplayer custom maps. Members of the modding community often discuss about user-created content and explores the need of "room for improvement", with several others providing tutorials to guide new members to modding and to share their findings of tinkering with the *Halo*engine with the rest of the members. The modding community contribute their custom content in various projects, ranging from production of machinima to development of a single-player campaign and recreation of multiplayer maps from newer *Halo*titles and other entertainment titles.

## Links

### Internal Links

* Halomaps.org
* Halo Map Tools
* Halo Cache Editor

### External Links

* Download Halo: Custom Edition
* *Halo* PC at Gearbox Software
* Halomods wiki
* Halomaps.org website
* **Halomaps.org**: *Halo: Custom Edition* download link