Editing Halo Custom Edition

{{era|H1}}
[[Image:Halocustomedition.jpg|right|thumb|200px]]
[[Image:ce1.png|frame|right|Screenshot of ''Halo 2: New Mombasa'', a user-created map based on the ''[[Halo 2]]'' E3 trailer.]]
'''''Halo Custom Edition''''', sometimes abbreviated '''''Halo CE''''' (which is not generally accepted as an abbreviation for ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''), is a free expansion that requires a key code of ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' by [[Bungie Studios]], which was ported to the [[PC (realworld)|PC]] by [[Gearbox Software]]. ''Halo CE'' was released by Gearbox as an unsupported add-on, which requires the original game. However, users do not need to pay to play it, as it is downloadable from selected websites.
== Features ==

''Halo Custom Edition'' has the ability to load and play user-created content and maps created with the ''Halo Editing Kit''. Many custom levels have been created by dedicated members of the modding community and have been posted for download at a plethora of websites. 

Custom maps may contain entirely new content, including: 
* Level geometry
* [[Weapons]] 
* [[Vehicles]] 
* Player character 
* Sounds 
* Game interfaces 
* Level scripts & interactivity
* Objects
* Special effects
* Animations
* HUDs
* Single player modifications

An arguably better netcode was put into Halo: Custom Edition, as well. It noticeably reduced lagging for some, but for others it made it more erratic.  Also, a Rules feature can be activated by pressing the F2 button by default. It displays all of the specifics for the gametype currently being played on the server.

With the Halo Editing Kit, AI [[Covenant]], [[Marines]], and [[Flood]] can also be added. This has allowed some map makers to create their own mods that play like a campaign mission, with checkpoints and objectives. 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.

== Community ==

Several modding communities have emerged since the advent of ''Halo CE''. One of the most prominent communities is [http://hce.halomaps.org Halomaps.org] which has multiplayer custom maps. Modders use the ''Halo Editing Kit'' to incorporate custom models, images, physics, and data into an easily distributed .MAP file, which is compressed and uploaded. In the game, many clans establish themselves to fight one another on custom maps. They train intensely on some maps. This extends and steepens the learning curve for many players. These clans will sometimes make maps of their own.

== ''Halo'' Editing Kit ==

[[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 of ''Halo''. 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.

This editing kit includes ''Guerilla'', a game resource and tag editor, in addition to ''Sapien'', a mapping and object placement editor, and ''Tool'', a map resource compiler. Most original content must first be modeled in 3ds max (or Gmax) and then converted to a HEK friendly format using the ''Blitzkrieg'' exporter and ''Tool'' to be edited or added to a custom map. This allows users and players to created completely original and barely similar maps.

A third party program, called the Halo Editing Kit Plus, is able to rip everything from a map, including the .scenario(the actual bsp). This allows users to mod maps. A very often modded map is Blood Gulch, with more changes than most other maps. However, some mappers use the HEK+  to protect their maps, so users are unable to rip anything from the map. 

The Halo Editing Kit is available for downloading.

== Related Links ==

*[[Halo Editing Kit]]
*[[Halomaps.org]]

== External Links ==

*[http://www.fileplanet.com/files/140000/140271.shtml Download Halo: Custom Edition]
*[http://www.gearboxsoftware.com/index.php?p=games&game=halo ''Halo'' PC at Gearbox Software]
*[http://www.bungie.net/ Bungie Studios]

== Other ==

There are also 'cheats' for Halo CE, called [[Developer Mode]], more commonly called dev mode, or also known simply as dev. It is used by map designers to test out maps they make. It can also be used to cheat in single-player maps that can be downloaded. However they can only be used in single-player maps because when dev is activated, the host can only start a server through LAN. The only way for it to work in multiplayer is to download a small application which allows you to enable or disable devmode without restarting the game, thus allowing you to enable it within a multiplayer game. Even then most of the [[cheats]] can only be used by the host. To play Halo Custom Edition you must download it and have the Halo Key and game CD.

[[Category:Games]]
[[Category:Multiplayer]]