Editing The Silent Cartographer

Known as <code>B30</code> during development, the level geometry for ''The Silent Cartographer'' went through multiple design iterations by Bungie employees, including Art Director [[Marcus Lehto]] and Environmental Artist [[Paul Russel]].{{Ref/YouTube|Id=IGN|9ndZbg8Mr-Q|IGN|Halo: Combat Evolved Devs React to Speedrun (Martin O’Donnell, Marcus Lehto)|D=27|M=5|Y=2021}} As one of the first levels constructed, it was originally a testbed sandbox where Bungie tested lighting, graphics, weapons or vehicles.{{Ref/Film|Id=Commentary|[[Halo 3 Legendary Edition|''Halo 3'' Legendary Edition]], Halo: Combat Evolved developer commentary}}

The level geometry was given to designer [[Jaime Griesemer]], who then led the design on level objective and combat encounters.{{Ref/Reuse|Id=IGN}} Director of Cinematics [[Joseph Staten]] has stated that the original objective of the level was to assassinate a Covenant "Prophet," which at this point in time was described as "an Elite with a funny hat" who was searching for the Cartographer.{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Commentary}}{{Ref/Film|[[Halo 3 Legendary Edition|''Halo 3'' Legendary Edition]], Halo 2 developer commentary}} However, this is conflicted by design documentation stating the Prophet assassination mission was a cut level that took place earlier (in some cases <code>[[Cut_Halo:_Combat_Evolved_levels#B10|B10]]</code> and others <code>[[Cut_Halo:_Combat_Evolved_levels#B20|B20]]</code>).{{Ref/Site|Id=DigsiteDeliveries|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/digsite-deliveries|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Digsite Deliveries|D=07|M=07|Y=2023}}{{Ref/Site|Id=DigsiteDeepDive|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/digsite-deep-dive|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Digsite Deep-Dive|D=20|M=06|Y=2024}} As well, this statement is conflicted by information that the objective of the mission wouldn't become a map room until later. It is still possible however that this level would have featured the Prophet assassination, as the objective of the mission changed over time.{{Ref/Reuse|Id=DigsiteDeepDive}} The objective of assassinating a Prophet would later form the basis for the ''[[Halo 2]]'' campaign levels [[Delta Halo]] and [[Regret (Halo 2 level)|Regret]].{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Commentary}} [[Engineers]] were meant to appear on this level, but were removed from the game, though their [[tags]] remain in the map file. The wave-advancing artificial intelligence for the opening beach assault, in particular, became one of the two AI scripts Griesemer and programmer [[Chris Butcher]] developed for the game, the other being the defensive AI seen throughout other levels.{{Ref/Film|[[Bungie ViDoc: O Brave New World]]}}

The level was first showcased by Project Lead [[Jason Jones]] and Joseph Staten during [[Halo Gamestock 2001 Demo|the gameplay demo of ''Halo Combat Evolved'' at Microsoft Gamestock 2001]]. In the demo, the player arrived at the island on a Banshee, and drove a Warthog to the Cartographer facility. The player ventured deeper into the facility, defeating Covenant defenses before reaching the Cartographer. When activated, the Cartographer displayed the spinning hologram that became the one at the security override station in the final game. The demo did not feature any cinematics or scripted dialogue. Instead, Staten narrated the game’s premise as an introduction while the track ''[[Truth and Reconciliation Suite]]'' plays in full as background music.{{Ref/YouTube|Id=gamestock|6uvDdjN7qKE|Martin O’Donnell|Halo Gamestock 2001|D=27|M=5|Y=2021}}{{Ref/Site|URL=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamestock-2001-hands-on-halo/1100-2696082|Site=GameSpot|Page=Gamestock 2001: Hands-on: Halo|D=27|M=5|Y=2021}}

By [[Halo: Combat Evolved Beta 1749|''Halo: Combat Evolved'' Beta 1749]], the general level design has been completed. Minor changes and additions were made prior to the final release: for example, Assistant Art Lead Steve Abeyta added a unique sitting animation for the Marine sitting opposite of the player in the Pelican at the beginning of the level, and artist [[Shi Kai Wang]] animated the holographic Halo ring breaking into pieces when the Cartographer is accessed.{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Commentary}}

During the ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' developer commentary included in the ''[[Halo 3 Legendary Edition]]'', Joseph Staten stated that a level was intended to take place in between The Silent Cartographer and Assault on the Control Room. He recalled that due to this level's absence, the cinematic depicting Echo 419's descent inside the bowels of Installation 04 was created to justify the travel to a completely new region in the next level. However, Jason Jones interjected, clarifying that The Silent Cartographer and Assault on the Control Room internal names were <code>B30</code> and <code>B40</code> respectively, indicating that no level was cut. They both then agreed that during development they had "painted themselves into a corner" due to the two missions directly transitioning from a exterior island extraction to a deep Forerunner interior, and with a lack of things like "big matte painting helped transitions," the team needed to create the cinematic seen in the final game.{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Commentary}}

===X40===

Per notes of a "Key Plot Points" document from Joseph Staten dated January 24th, 2001, the original intro cinematic for the mission was going to include a "rallying speech" by Captain Keyes.{{Ref/Reuse|Id=DigsiteDeepDive}} This information lines up with a scene present within the original ''Halo'' storyboards known as "X40." The storyboards depict the commandeered [[Dextro Xur-pattern Spirit|Spirit]] dropship (notably shown flying backwards to reflect [[Shi Kai Wang]]'s original design intent for the ship) arriving at the makeshift human base at a Forerunner structure, flanked by [[Longsword]] fighters. The Spirit lands at the base to an audience of hundreds of assembled Marines, who cheer at the return of the Captain and the Master Chief. The crowd is hushed and Keyes gives a speech, before turning away from the crowd and addressing the Master Chief and Cortana directly.

This also aligns with information recalled by Staten during the ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' developer commentary included in the ''[[Halo 3 Legendary Edition]]'', where in a cut part of the game Keyes would have explained the information about Installation 04 from the mission The Truth and Reconciliation "in a more elegant way," sarcastically calling the version in the final game "some choice dialogue." However, in the commentary, Staten remembers this scene having come from a cut level; with him, [[Marty O'Donnell]] and Jason Jones unable to remember what level was cut.{{Ref/Reuse|Commentary}} The X40 cinematic would have unquestionably taken place within a separate environment, which could be regarded as a "level" in a production sense. While otherwise likely mistaken, it is possible this scene could have originally taken place during a different mission, and/or the cutting of a level may have influenced the decision to drop the scene entirely.

These storyboards also give a look at what Bungie intended for [[Alpha Base (Installation 04)|Alpha Base]], later featured heavily in [[2003]]'s ''[[Halo: The Flood]]'' as the UNSC base of operations on the ring. Part of the original pitch of ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' would have seen the player waging a larger guerilla war against the Covenant on the ring, though by the final release almost all mentions of a UNSC home base on the ring were removed for time. The base in these storyboards resembles a [[Beacon tower]] like those featured elsewhere in the game, though the base as visualised in [[2018]]'s ''[[Halo: Fireteam Raven]]'' has a drastically different appearance.