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| {{Status|Gameplay}} | | {{Era|H1}} |
| {{Multiplayer map infobox | | {{Ratings}} |
| | {{Multiplayer Map Infobox |
| |name=Boarding Action | | |name=Boarding Action |
| |image=[[File:HCE BoardingAction Overview.png|300px]] | | |image=[[Image:BoardingAction.png|300px]] |
| |game=''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' and ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved (PC port)|Halo: PC]]'' | | |game=''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' and ''[[Halo: PC]]'' |
| |devname=<code>boardingaction</code>{{Ref/File|Id=HCEEK|HCEEK|HCEEK\tags\levels\test\boardingaction\boardingaction.scenario}} | | |location=2 unclassified [[UNSC]] Ships (Threshold System) |
| |map= | | |terrain=Space, Ships |
| |location=2 unidentified [[UNSC]] ships in orbit over [[Threshold]], [[Soell System]]{{Ref/Map|Id=Boarding|HCE|Boarding Action|Detail=Map skybox}} | | |weapons=*[[Assault Rifle]] |
| |terrain=Space, UNSC warships | | *[[Flamethrower]] (PC/Mac only) |
| |symmetry=Symmetrical
| | *[[Fuel Rod Gun]] (PC/Mac only) |
| |playernumber=4-16
| | *[[Needler]] |
| | *[[Plasma Rifle]] |
| | *[[Rocket Launcher]] |
| | *[[Shotgun]] |
| | *[[Sniper Rifle]] |
| | *[[Fragmentation Grenade]]s |
| | *[[Plasma Grenade]]s |
| | |vehicles=None |
| | |power-ups=*[[Active Camo]] |
| | *[[Health Pack]] |
| | *[[Overshield]] |
| |gametypes=*[[Slayer]] | | |gametypes=*[[Slayer]] |
| *[[Capture the Flag]]
| | |playernumber= |
| |pagegamelabel=CE | | *4-16 |
| }} | | }} |
| {{Article quote|Ship-to-Ship Combat.}} | | <center>{{Article Quote|Ship-to-Ship Combat.}} |
| | ''4-16 players''</center> |
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| '''Boarding Action''' is a [[multiplayer]] map in ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''. It is set in orbit near [[Threshold]] in the [[Soell system]].{{Ref/Reuse|Boarding}} | | '''''Boarding Action''''' is a [[multiplayer]] map in ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''. |
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| ==Layout== | | ==Layout== |
| There are two parallel [[human]] warships, which have had the exterior bulkhead removed and a good portion of the interior exposed to space. There are four [[teleporter]]s on both ships, two on the first level and two on the fifth level, which are the only means of transportation between the two ships. This map is usually picked by hosts for its extremely exciting [[SRS99C-S2 AM sniper rifle|sniper]] and rocket battles. Other hosts may turn off sniping to force players to board the other ship. This usually results in a frenzy of explosions and gunfire near each teleporter as each team frantically tries to stop the other team on their ship. The ships are in fact not that far apart, in truth it is simple to throw a grenade to the other ship. | | There are two parallel [[human]] battleships, possibly [[UNSC Prowler]]s, or Halcyon class cruisers. In addition, there are 4 teleporters on both ships, two on the first level, and two on the fifth level, which are the only means of transportation between the two ships. This map is usually picked by hosts for its extremely exciting [[sniper]] battles. Other hosts may turn off sniping to force players to board the other ship. This usually results in a frenzy of explosions and gunfire near each teleporter as each team frantically tries to stop the other team on their ship. The ships are in fact not that far apart - in truth it is simple to throw a grenade to the other ship. |
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| There are five symmetrical floors on each side, and are exact mirror copies of each other. Teleporters are found on the 1st and 5th floor, each leading into the exact same place on the other side. In the top right corner of each base (looking out), there is a small indent with a [[power-up]]. | | There are 5 symmetrical floors on each side, and other than being mirror copies of each other, they are exactly the same. Teleporters are found on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th floors, each leading into the exact same place on the other side. On the top right corner of each base (looking out), there is a small indent with a [[power-up]]. |
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| Learning the layout of this level is more important than most other maps, as the level can be very confusing to inexperienced players, similar to [[Chiron TL-34]].
| | ==Weapon Location== |
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| | [[Plasma Rifle]] – located to the left of the base |
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| | [[Shotgun]] – located to the right of the base |
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| | [[Assault Rifle]] – located behind the base |
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| | [[Rocket Launcher]] – take a left, go through the corridor, climb up the ladder, and to the right, the rocket shall lay in the small “room” |
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| | [[Fuel Rod Cannon]] – Proceed as you would for the rocket launcher, and instead of turning right on the last part, go towards the left end. Then, climb the ladder at the end, and to your left, the fuel rod shall lie behind a barrier. |
| | [[Image:FuelRodGunBA.jpg|right|thumb|The Fuel Rod Gun]] |
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| | [[Image:PlasmaGrenadesBA.jpg|thumb|[[Plasma Grenades]]]] |
| | [[Plasma Grenades]] – Continue from the directions of the Fuel Rod Gun, but continue forward. Finally, in front of the level five teleporter, there should be 4 Plasma Grenades. |
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| | [[Flamethrower]] – You should spawn from the base. Then, head towards the left, but rather than go up the first ladder, continue and head down the ladder on the extreme left. Then, proceed by simply walking forward (by cautious by not jumping too far off the level one). You should take the upgrade, an active camouflage, that is next to you in between the two pillars. Continue forward, go past the teleporter, up the ladder, and the flamethrower should lie on your right. |
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| | [[Sniper Rifle]] – Do as you would for the Flamethrower. Then, go down the ladder infront, past the other teleporter of that level, and climb the ladder next to the health pack. Then, travel to the right, where the alternate Rocket is located. Climb up the ladder, which should lead you to Floor Four. If you wish to make a detour, the [[Overshield]] is simply located to the right, between the two pillars. Proceed to your right, where you can also pick up some [[Fragmentation Grenades|frags]], and climb the ladder at the end. Go to the left, past the [[Needler|Needlers]], past the other level five teleporter, through the corridor, and take a left. |
| | [[Image:SniperBA.jpg|thumb|right|The Sniper Rifle. Note the platform to the left]] |
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| | [[Needler]] – Follow the directions to the sniper rifle until you reach the needler. |
| | There is an ideal sniper location to the left of the sniper rifle, where it is arduous to locate someone unless you already know of the place. After sniping, though, to avoid giving up your hiding place, back into the corridor and out of site. If you’ve been spotted, then you can simply jump between the pillars to land on an overshield. |
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| | ==Combat== |
| | An interesting way to simulate ship-to-ship combat is to do a 4-Xbox [[system link]], and have 16 players, eight to a team, loaded with all [[Rocket Launchers]]. Volleys of rockets across the two ships greatly resemble hot exchanges of cannon fire between two eighteenth-century ships-of-the-line. |
| | It is not at all uncommon in any game type to find yourself standing directly above or below an enemy as the ships have several floors, with each floor number marked on the wall. Often times one player will come through a teleporter right in to another player without much warning. Should you fall into the space between the two ships, obviously you will die, but after falling a certain distance, you hit an invisible floor, for lack of a better term. |
| | The map is very popular for rocket battles. |
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| | Another popular game type on Boarding Action is all snipers, in either Team Slayer or CTF, because of how many parts of the map are remote to each other, the fact that you can see almost all of the map from any area, and that most weapons can't reach to most parts of the map. |
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| ==Tactics== | | ==Tactics== |
| ===General=== | | ===Game Types=== |
| *An interesting way to simulate ship-to-ship combat is to have 16 players, eight per team, loaded with all [[M41 SPNKR|rocket launchers]].
| | This map is very good for Capture the Flag, Assault, and Team Slayer. Free-for-All gametypes work too, especially Oddball matches with NavPoints turned off or Slayer with every weapon type. |
| *It is not at all uncommon in any game type to find yourself standing directly above or below an enemy, as the ships have several floors, with each floor number marked on the wall. Oftentimes, one player will come through a teleporter and run right into another player without warning.
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| *Another popular game type on Boarding Action is all Snipers, in either [[Team Slayer]] or [[Capture the Flag|CTF]], because of how many parts of the map are remote to each other, the fact that you can see half of the map from almost any area, and that close range weapons can't reach to most parts of the map. It is possible, however, to headshot an enemy player using the [[M6D magnum|pistol]] when the shooter and the target are on opposite sides of the map, but this is rare due to the massive distance.
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| *There is an ideal sniper location to the left of the sniper rifle, where it is arduous to locate someone unless you already know of the place. After sniping, though, to avoid giving up your hiding place, back into the corridor and out of sight. If you've been spotted, then you can simply jump between the pillars to land on an [[overshield]].
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| ===Capture the Flag=== | | ===Capture the Flag=== |
| *If you wish to be the flag carrier, the most direct method is to go through the teleporter on Level 5 and then proceed down to the enemy base. First, you should spawn close to the flag. Then, go to the left of the flag and go up the first ladder you reach. You should grab the flag, as it will deter any pursuing enemies and offer a quick getaway. If it is vacant, though, don't panic. There is also the [[Unidentified fuel rod gun|fuel rod gun]] for similar purposes (in Halo PC only). Note: do ''not'' grab the flag if you intend to score; eventually, the enemies will simply overwhelm you, grenade you or fire from a relative distance. Run the moment you come within contact of the flag and then ''scram''. However, don't follow this unless you have set up a plan. Position snipers and escort for the getaway. Usually, the first scoring will be the simplest, as the opponents are usually composed of disorganized hassles, unless you are facing a large group of players. However, when you are past the wall and almost at the wall, don't celebrate yet, as you are in an exposed area and are prone to enemy sniper fire.
| | If you wish to be the flag carrier, the most direct method is to go through the teleporter on Level 5 and then proceed down to the enemy base. First, you should spawn within close proximity to the flag. Then, go to the left of the flag and go up the first ladder you reach. You should grab the flag, as it will deter any pursuing enemies and offer a quick getaway. If it is vacant, though, don't panic. There is also the [[Fuel Rod Gun]] for similar purposes. Note: do ''not'' grab the flag if you intend to score; eventually, the enemies will simply overwhelm you, grenade you, or fire from a relative distance. Run the moment you come within contact of the flag, and then ''scram''. However, don't follow this unless you have set up a plan. Position snipers and escort for the getaway. Usually, the first scoring will be the simplest, as the opponents are usually composed of disorganized hassles (One prominent exception is when you are facing a clan). However, when you are past the wall and almost at the wall, ''DON'T'' celebrate yet, as you are in an exposed area and are prone to sniper fire. Charge towards the flag. |
| *If you have the sniper rifle, a good idea is to try and take out opponents on the enemy ship while the flag carrier of your team tries to capture the flag or escape back to your base.
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| *You can use close-quarters weapons, such as the [[M90 shotgun|shotgun]], or [[M7057 flamethrower|flamethrower]] (in Halo PC) to defend you base, or keep your flag from being captured by the enemy team.
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| ==Pro-Strategies==
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| *Boarding Action is one of the best, if not the best, overall classic team-slayer maps in Halo Combat Evolved. This is primarily because it allows almost every player a view of the majority of the map at any given time. It emphasizes long-range weapons; such as the sniper rifle, pistol, fuel rod, and rocket launcher. However, it provides many opportunities for close quarters combat with weapons such as the shotgun or assault rifle. The map is fairly easily navigated to an experienced player, allowing power-ups and power weapons to be controlled quickly. The teleporters allow for almost complete map control to the team who has secured the upper decks, but can also prove to be a weapon for the opposition, as they can be used to insert forces directly behind enemy lines.
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| *One of the best strategies for team-slayer, and one that has been utilized successfully in many high-level games, is to control the entire upper floor. Once done, one person should be able to control the entire map by teleporting back and forth to his/her sniper and fuel rod spawn points. Since there are two of each, a second person can do the same for the other half of the map. In skilled hands, the sniper can kill in 1-3 shots. It is especially powerful if the target is going up ladders, since this makes it almost impossible for them to evade. The only way to counter this is to climb up backwards, and fire at the sniper as you go. And, if ever an enemy should take cover behind a wall, utilizing the fuel rod's blast radius should kill them if their shields are already down. Remember, the fuel rod has a much greater range and blast radius in Combat Evolved than in later installments to the Halo series. Make sure to collect ammo as needed. If necessary, it is possible to retreat by jumping directly into the overshield or cloaking spawn (respective to which side of the map you're on), and from there to collect whatever weapons you need to reclaim the sniper's nest. Rocket launchers, however, should be avoided in most circumstances, as their projectiles are easily spotted, and generally take too long to arrive at their destination.
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| *In conclusion, Boarding Action is an incredibly fast-paced and dynamic map, which allows for all styles of infantry based play. Though, CTF might be a little broken, as the majority of the spawn points are out in the open and easily targeted by snipers.
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| ==Trivia==
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| ===Miscellaneous===
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| *This map is one of the few multiplayer maps which includes all the weapons and power ups.
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| *If the levels model is extracted, it can be noted that both sides of the maps are actually of the exact same model ship but on opposite faces of the ships (from above, one side red and one side blue). In addition, the model used in the level was actually copied right next to the original facing the opposite way. This can only be seen if the levels model is extracted from the file.
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| *By spawning a Banshee, the player can explore the top of the ships. They are completely flat, and the opposite sides do not have anything on them.
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| *The map was originally designed with jetpacks in mind.
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| ===Easter egg=== | | == Not played much in multiplayer == |
| When examining '''levels\test\boardingaction\bitmaps\deckdecals.bitmap''', one will find a photograph of a woman hidden inside the mesh. According to level designer Hardy Lebel, this was added by a freelance artist: "What that freelance artist had done was... he made some polies across the bottom of the Boarding Action map no-collide so that the player could walk right through them. And if you happened to walk through that secret section of the map, he'd built a little tiny room that had pictures of his girlfriend on every wall, and it was like this little shrine to this crazy freelancer guy's girlfriend." Multiplayer artist Derrick Moore came forth and said that the woman in the picture is his wife.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-Jtv9t6r_g '''Oddheader:''' Top 10 Video Game Mysteries & Discoveries of 2020]</ref>
| | It is no play much in Halo PC multiplayer because it is at the bottom of the scroll. It is more often than not over looked. |
| | == Theories == |
| | *A possible explanation is that the teleporters are only a gameplay concern; or that the map is set some time after the Human-Covenant War, when teleporters have been more widely implemented. |
| | *You can see the moon Basis from the red ship, so it could be in the [[Soell]] system. |
| | *It's possible, since the map features two ships (possibly ONI Prowlers), neither of which seems to be the [[Pillar of Autumn]], that [[ONI]] had been to Halo before or after the events of the [[Halo:CE|first game]]. |
| | *Another possibility is that the two ships are UNSC freighters because of their box like appearence. |
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| ==Gallery== | | == Trivia == |
| {{Linkbox|gallery=yes}}
| | *With the exception of ''[[Derelict]]'', this is the only map to include space (vacuum) in it. |
| <gallery>
| | *This map is one of the few maps in ''Halo: PC'' or ''Halo: CE'' which includes all the possible weaponry and upgrades. |
| File:HMCC HCE Boarding Action Map.png|Boarding Action map.
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| File:HCE BoardingAction EasterEgg.png|The woman in the mesh
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| File:HCE BoardingAction Screenshot.png|A screenshot of Boarding Action.
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| File:HCE BoardingAction Space.png|The space skybox on the outside of Boarding Action.
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| File:HCE BoardingAction BlueSide.png|Blue side.
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| File:HCE BoardingAction RedSide.png|Red side.
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| File:HCE BoardingAction Afar.png|Boarding action as viewed from further outside the map.
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| </gallery>
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| ==Sources==
| | {{Levels}} |
| {{Ref/Sources}} | |
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| {{Levels|H1|mode=yes}}
| | [[Category:Multiplayer]] |
| | [[Category:Multiplayer Levels]] |
| | [[Category:Default Multiplayer Levels]] |
