Halo 2: Remnant Edition

[XZodia]

I want to try to standardise the mainmenu and map set. To make it easier to just play some mods over XBC/Kai.

What menu features and maps would you want in it?

The maps and xbe will be hosted on either the Remnant or Halo Mods server.
I will provide an program which will download any new maps to keep everyone up to date.

This program will also be used to upload Post Game Carnage Reports to a database (provided by kornman) on Halo Mods.
Allowing people to track there stats like in the XBL days.
If all goes well I will also try to enable level icons in custom games which would show your number of games won or something.

[Click16]

I want to try to standardise the mainmenu and map set. To make it easier to just play some mods over XBC/Kai.

What menu features and maps would you want in it?

The maps and xbe will be hosted on either the Remnant or Halo Mods server.
I will provide an program which will download any new maps to keep everyone up to date.

This program will also be used to upload Post Game Carnage Reports to a database (provided by kornman) on Halo Mods.
Allowing people to track there stats like in the XBL days.
If all goes well I will also try to enable level icons in custom games which would show your number of games won or something.

Are you serious? This could be the coolest ever if it happens. Having a rank over XBC (or stored in this database) would make me want to play H2 again. If possible, hosting "matchmade" games which affect your rank. (Correct me if I used "affect" wrong.) I'll help with whatever I can. Please ask me for help, I would love to. Perhaps I can make the program which downloads the maps?

[XZodia]

Well I'm still looking into the player rank idea but it should be possible one way or another.
I've been investigating how the mainmenu uses wgit's and I now understand the difference between the custom game lobby and matchmaking lobby as far as they are concerned. However, I expect there is more to it than that. So if you want to help you can download the plugins I recently posted and get yourself familiar with how they work.

[T Beezie]

This could be the coolest ever if it happens.

I would have to agree with Click16... this could be very cool!
I would love to see an easier way for peeps to get together and enjoy some of the greatest maps of all time.
I remember way back, when the Killtrocity map-packs were released, XBC and Kai were on fire!
A standardized map set and mainmenu would be teh koolist evar!

and online stat tracking?!?!

kornman RULES!

[XZodia]

Just to clarify, kornman is just giving me server space. I have to do all the codingz >_>

[T Beezie]

aaaaaw.. you rule too XZodia.
I just wish I knew more about coding, I'd be glad to lend a hand.
But if this thing ever reaches the "beta" stage, hit me up.
Always happy to help out where/when I can.

[troymac1ure]

What's the limit for the mainmenu? 1000 maps
Also what maps will be qualified? Possible add 10 definate and then rotate 5 temp spots through for trial maps to see if they qualify to be added or just add any old map?

[CaptainPoopface]

I don't want to be a party pooper, but this seems like putting the cart before the horse. First, we need a batch of mods that people want to play. Second, we need to see how many people are available for some set of time slots, and if that number is sufficient and stable enough to warrant the bells and whistles you are talking about.

I think it's a good idea to standardize the distribution of maps. What are the menu options you're talking about? The Killtrocity v2 menu has an instant respawn time setting, and I think it has the fuel rod cannon available by default (not that I use it in my mods). The instant respawn is useful though. What about custom gametypes?

First, we need mods though.

[XZodia]

What's the limit for the mainmenu? 1000 maps
Also what maps will be qualified? Possible add 10 definate and then rotate 5 temp spots through for trial maps to see if they qualify to be added or just add any old map?

Well I can make the map limit whatever I want, I imagine 1000 would be plenty.
Just had a thought though. I could use RTH to make it so you can search/filter the maps that appear in your list via your PC.
The real limit is the space on your xbox HDD. But the cool thing is, as I will use a debug connection to send files to the xbox, you can add/remove maps while running the game.

Using this system, maps could be given tags such as SLC, CTF, Custom Weap etc
Which would allow any map to be part of the system and the user would filter there selection depending on what they were doing.
Eg. If you wanted to play over system link, you would filter for SLC.

I don't want to be a party pooper, but this seems like putting the cart before the horse. First, we need a batch of mods that people want to play. Second, we need to see how many people are available for some set of time slots, and if that number is sufficient and stable enough to warrant the bells and whistles you are talking about.

I think it's a good idea to standardize the distribution of maps. What are the menu options you're talking about? The Killtrocity v2 menu has an instant respawn time setting, and I think it has the fuel rod cannon available by default (not that I use it in my mods). The instant respawn is useful though. What about custom gametypes?

First, we need mods though.

Plenty of good maps exist already. The problem is that organising everyone to have them is difficult.
Maps can be added to the system over time, meaning there is always something new to play.
Once the system is in place, it will be easier to arrange times to play. I could even give it a time table, allowing people to arrange matches.

Instant respawn is a good one. I'm going to change what's available in the quick options, can you think of anything which should be in there? That you would like to be able to change with ease?
I've been looking into changing the standard weapon set, but I think it would be nessessary to replace existing weapons to do so. While that wouldn't be out of the question, I think it would create more problems than its worth.
As for custom gametypes, it depends what you mean? Gametype files are another thing which could be added to the system, but I expect that would be the limit of that.

[XZodia]

Also, while looking for an app icon, I found a cool potential SP->MP conversion

http://halo.wikia.com/wiki/Sacred_Icon_(level)

[CaptainPoopface]

I remember that map! It's where you fight a giant Sentinel thing (can't remember what they're called at the moment - Enforcer?).

Incidentally, if anyone now has the means to convert some/all/most of the campaign BSPs in a way that would be system link compatible, I would love that, still. Not to derail your thread.

Would we need RTH to be able to use your special sauce? Unfortunately, I don't have RTH because I'm afraid I might destabilize my precious old Xbox by tinkering with it, and I do not have the standard "entire afternoon" it seems to take to get it set up.

I do like the idea of categorizing maps based on what kind of game they are for.

[XZodia]

Well there is the MPC way viewtopic.php?f=10&t=2115
but theres extra work involved to make it a proper multiplayer map. (for gametype settings, mp menu etc)

As for the app, yea most of this would be achieved with a debug connection. However, it could still download the maps to your pc for you and I could potentially add a ftp option to upload them to your xbox.

[XZodia]

@CPF: I like your idea of a phone friendly webpage thing, it could even just be a facebook group?

As for this, I'm going to have a bit more free time soon and I've had an idea for how I can figure out stat tracking.
I'm making a memory analyzer sort of thing for the xbox (its being added to yelo neighborhood) allowing me to look for certain values in Halo 2's memory while it is running.
Hopefully, this will allow me to find out where in memory it tracks players stats, which I can then use to make a stat tracker program.

[troymac1ure]

I wonder if it would be possible to hack the XBE to redirect the "Xbox Live" server to a private server. Then you could just log on to "Remnant Live" and play against others who are online. Of course this would also require setting up a server to mimick Xbox Live as well.

[XZodia]

Theoretically Possible. Realistically Impossible.

[Grimdoomer]

Realistically Impossible.

Eh not so much, actually not at all. I made a simple ini file for my debug kit back in the day to redirect server traffic from xbox live/partner net to a local apache server I setup. I then wrote a server tool that would watch incoming traffic looking for xbox consoles, and work through the connection process. I never got full xbl sign in implemented, but I had enough code to make my console think it could connect to xbox live. Creating a homebrew xbox live server for xbox 1 would not be that difficult at all (especially since the kernel source code exists in the wild). We would just need a half decent server that can handle a good amount of bandwidth. The multiplayer hoppers for halo 2 were on the same mainframe as the xbox live system for xbox 1. That mainframe is still on to this day and if I had to guess those hoppers are still active, just sitting dormant. But who knows, they may not be, but even then they could just be recreated based on what the game code does with the parameters and return values to/from the script calls.

This idea is good, but it has been attempted many times in the past and always ends up in the same place. Two to three people sitting on xbc that play that the same few maps we have been playing for years.

[CaptainPoopface]

@CPF: I like your idea of a phone friendly webpage thing, it could even just be a facebook group?

Hmmm, I avoid facebook like the plague. I was thinking something like HTML5 or jQuery Mobile, but follow whatever inspiration you have.

I'm making a memory analyzer sort of thing for the xbox (its being added to yelo neighborhood) allowing me to look for certain values in Halo 2's memory while it is running.
Hopefully, this will allow me to find out where in memory it tracks players stats, which I can then use to make a stat tracker program.

Ooh, this sounds like a good trainer-maker. Could you use it to find where the overshield powerup timer is initialized? The eqip tag setting does not seem to affect it. Or the gravity value, so we could do some SLC gravity trickery without scripts.

[troymac1ure]

Also, while looking for an app icon, I found a cool potential SP->MP conversion

http://halo.wikia.com/wiki/Sacred_Icon_(level)

Just converted and now about to test to see if it works. Will report back

EDIT: Map loads and plays fine, but FP hands are missing and MC doesn't have Melee. I tried swapping the Elite HLMT to MC and then MC gets a sword lunge instead of Melee. Oh well, all for tonight.

Also, the second BSP looks like it would have a fun section as well.

[XZodia]

Hmmm, I avoid facebook like the plague. I was thinking something like HTML5 or jQuery Mobile, but follow whatever inspiration you have.

Well I don't think anyone has the time to setup a website...

Ooh, this sounds like a good trainer-maker. Could you use it to find where the overshield powerup timer is initialized? The eqip tag setting does not seem to affect it. Or the gravity value, so we could do some SLC gravity trickery without scripts.

Trainer makers were my inspiration but I'm not sure what you'd search for for either of those...

Just converted and now about to test to see if it works. Will report back
EDIT: Map loads and plays fine, but FP hands are missing and MC doesn't have Melee. I tried swapping the Elite HLMT to MC and then MC gets a sword lunge instead of Melee. Oh well, all for tonight.
Also, the second BSP looks like it would have a fun section as well.

yea, me a CPF were doing that a few months ago, it has a lot of potential but we forgot about it...