Campaign scoring
From Halopedia, the Halo wiki
Campaign Scoring, also referred to as meta-game or Score Attack, is an optional game feature for the campaign modes of Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, Halo: Reach, Halo: Spartan Assault, in all six campaigns of Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Halo: Spartan Strike, and Halo 5: Guardians.[1][2]
Overview
When playing Campaign with Campaign Scoring turned on, progress is measured in points, which are earned by killing enemies. Different enemies award different points, and bonuses are provided in the form of medals. Betrayals, deaths, and reverting to the last checkpoint deduct points. Having skulls activated will multiply the player's points, as well playing on higher difficulties and finishing the level quickly.
Free-for-all vs. Team Scoring
In Free for All scoring, points are awarded to individual players based on their kills. This can also be used to unlock the meta-game achievements. In Team Scoring, points are shared among the team, culminating in a cumulative team score.
Campaign scoring was first introduced in Halo 3. Each level features a campaign scoring meta game achievement for beating the par score on the level.
Points are earned by killing enemies, with the player shooting the killing shot (or throwing the killing grenade) earning the points. If a player is driving a vehicle, any kills by AI passengers will earn the player full points. If the player or party reverts to the last checkpoint (through death or options menu), they will restart with the number of points they had when they hit the checkpoint minus a 25-point penalty for each restart.
Missions with campaign must be completed in one playthrough in Halo 3; if a player saves and quits midway through the level their score is reset to zero when the player reloads the level.
Players cannot earn any of the campaign scoring achievements for the level simply by using team scoring; both players' individual scores are presented when the level is finished. Individual scores determine whether an achievement is unlocked.
The in-game scoreboard is significantly more subdued than in subsequent games. When earned, medals appear as small icons just above the scoreboard in the lower left corner of the player's HUD. The scoreboard features a running tally of the player's total points (including difficulty, skull and style multipliers) and displays the current time bonus; the time bonus multiplier is not calculated toward the point total until the level is complete.
The post-level Carnage Report is similarly simplistic. Statistics are presented in four categories: Carnage (Deaths, Betrayals, Friendlies Killed, Kills), Enemy Kills (Infantry, Specialist, Leader, Hero), Enemy Vehicle Kills (Light, Medium, Heavy, Giant), and Points Breakdown (Medals, Medal Points, Normal Points, Points). All are simple number totals.
Points Breakdown
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Multipliers
Difficulty Multipliers
- Per-kill
Skull Multipliers
Skull Multiplier Iron 3.0x Black Eye 1.5x Tough Luck 1.5x Catch 1.5x Fog 1.5x Famine 2.0x Thunderstorm 1.5x Tilt 2.0x Mythic 2.0x
Time Multipliers
- Overall
Mission Times & Multipliers Sierra 117 0-15 min = 3.0x, 15-20 min = 2.5x, 20-25 min = 2.0x, 25-30 min = 1.5x, 30+ min = 1.0x Crow's Nest 0-20 min = 3.0x, 20-25 min = 2.5x, 25-30 min = 2.0x, 30-35 min = 1.5x, 35+ min = 1.0x Tsavo Highway 0-15 min = 3.0x, 15-20 min = 2.5x, 20-25 min = 2.0x, 25-30 min = 1.5x, 30+ min = 1.0x The Storm 0-15 min = 3.0x, 15-20 min = 2.5x, 20-25 min = 2.0x, 25-30 min = 1.5x, 30+ min = 1.0x Floodgate 0-10 min = 3.0x, 10-15 min = 2.5x, 15-20 min = 2.0x, 20-25 min = 1.5x, 25+ min = 1.0x The Ark 0-20 min = 3.0x, 20-30 min = 2.5x, 30-40 min = 2.0x, 40-50 min = 1.5x, 50+ min = 1.0x The Covenant 0-20 min = 3.0x, 20-30 min = 2.5x, 30-40 min = 2.0x, 40-50 min = 1.5x, 50+ min = 1.0x Cortana 0-15 min = 3.0x, 15-20 min = 2.5x, 20-25 min = 2.0x, 25-30 min = 1.5x, 30+ min = 1.0x Halo 0-15 min = 3.0x, 15-20 min = 2.5x, 20-25 min = 2.0x, 25-30 min = 1.5x, 30+ min = 1.0x
Style Multipliers
- Per-kill
Style Multiplier Grenade Stick 1.25x Headshot 1.25x Assassination 1.25x Splatter 1.25x Multi Kill 1.25x Super Detonation 1.25x
Scoring formula
The formula for campaign scoring is:
Points Earned = Unit's base point value X (Style Multiplier + Occasional Secondary Style Multiplier) X Difficulty Multiplier X Sum of Skull Multipliers X Time Multiplier
*Note* - The time multiplier is added not to every score but at the very end of the level (i.e. total score =15,000 X 2.0 for time bonus = Grand Total of 30,000)
Achievements
Achievement Name Points Required Level Guerilla 15,000 Sierra 117 Demon 15,000 Crow's Nest Cavalier 15,000 Tsavo Highway Askar 15,000 The Storm Exterminator 15,000 Floodgate Ranger 50,000 The Ark Vanguard 50,000 The Covenant Orpheus 15,000 Cortana Reclaimer 15,000 Halo
Campaign scoring in Halo 3: ODST is based on that found in Halo 3 -enemies award the same number of points- yet also represents a significant step forward. Most noticeable is that many more medals are awarded in campaign and Firefight. In Halo 3, only eight medals are awarded in campaign. In ODST, most of the medals found in Halo 3 multiplayer can be awarded in campaign; specifically the spree, weapon spree, multi-kill and style medals. These medals provide score bonuses; the more difficult the medal, the more points awarded. Bonuses for killing and weapon sprees are particularly large, and can be essential in meeting par scores. One noticeable difference with the multi-kill medals is that only a single multi-kill medal is awarded at a time, unlike in Halo 3 multiplayer, where a player is awarded all of the multi-kill medals. For example, if a player earns an Overkill they will receive only that medal and will not also receive a Double Kill and Triple Kill.
The in-game scoreboard now includes a timer, and displays the sum of the player's current multipliers (difficulty, skull, and time). Although the difficulty, skull and style bonuses are immediately added to the player's running tally, the time multiplier is again not calculated until the end of the level. Medals and points now flash prominently near the player's reticule, similar to how they appear in multiplayer, rather than next to the scoreboard as they did in Halo 3.
The Postgame Carnage report is much more detailed in ODST. Par scores are displayed on the first page, with the basic stats. Most notably, rather than simple class totals, kills are now displayed with graphics for each individual enemy and vehicle type (as well as friendly kills and betrayals). Players can now view the medals they earned in the level, as well as their tool of destruction and largest kill.
Unlike Halo 3, there are no campaign scoring achievements in ODST; instead, scoring achievements are found in Firefight.
Points Breakdown
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Multipliers
Difficulty Multipliers
- Per-kill
Skull Multipliers
Skull Multiplier Iron 3.0x Black Eye 1.5x Tough Luck 1.5x Catch 1.5x Famine 2.0x Thunderstorm 1.5x Tilt 2.0x Mythic 2.0x
Time Multipliers
Mission 3.0x 2.5x 2.0x 1.5x 1.0x Mombasa Streets <15 mins; 15-20 mins; 20-25 mins; 25-30 mins; >30 mins Tayari Plaza <10 mins; 10-15 mins; 15-20 mins; 20-25 mins; >25 mins Uplift Reserve <10 mins; 10-15 mins; 15-20 mins; 20-25 mins; >25 mins Kizingo Boulevard <10 mins; 10-15 mins; 15-20 mins; 20-25 mins; >25 mins ONI Alpha Site <10 mins; 10-15 mins; 15-20 mins; 20-25 mins; >25 mins NMPD HQ <10 mins; 10-15 mins; 15-20 mins; 20-25 mins; >25 mins Kikowani Station <10 mins; 10-15 mins; 15-20 mins; 20-25 mins; >25 mins Data Hive <15 mins; 15-20 mins; 20-25 mins; 25-30 mins; >30 mins Coastal Highway <15 mins; 15-20 mins; 20-25 mins; 25-30 mins; >30 mins
Scoring formula
The formula for campaign scoring is essentially the same as in Halo 3:
Points Earned = (Unit's base point value X Total Style Multipliers X Difficulty Multiplier X Sum of Skull Multipliers) X Time Multiplier
*Note* - The time multiplier is added not to every score but at the very end of the level (i.e. total score =15,000 X 2.0 for time bonus = Grand Total of 30,000)
Par Scores
Level Par Score Mombasa Streets 100,000 Tayari Plaza 25,000 Uplift Reserve 60,000 Kizingo Boulevard 75,000 ONI Alpha Site 60,000 NMPD HQ 40,000 Kikowani Station 50,000 Data Hive 50,000 Coastal Highway 60,000
Campaign scoring is subject to only minor changes in Halo: Reach.
The HUD is only slightly altered. Points awarded appear to the right of the player's reticule. Medals earned flash on the left side of the player's HUD, above the player's motion tracker. The in-game scoreboard is largely the same as was used in ODST with a running clock and the current total multiplier. Although the time bonus is displayed as part of this total, again it is not calculated and added to the score until the level is completed. The post-game Carnage Report has mostly received only cosmetic changes, though the enemy classes are now more clearly marked.
Once again, nearly all medals found in the game (save multiplayer gametype-specific medals) are found in the campaign. Multi-kill medals are now awarded in their entirety, as they are in multiplayer, and are awarded the moment they are earned. Thus, a player earning an Overkill will also have earned a Double Kill and Triple Kill.
Players are also less likely to have their kills stolen by AI allies. In Halo 3 and ODST, players would only receive credit for a kill if they landed the final killing blow; in Reach, the player will still receive credit for enemies on whom they have inflicted damage who are then finished off by their AI allies.
The most noticeable change is that difficulty, skull and time multiplier amounts have all been adjusted, leaving them dramatically lower than in previous games. However, the scoring formula is tweaked, so that instead of the skull and difficulty multipliers being multiplied together, they are added together. This results in a higher multiplier overall. For example, with the old scoring formula, playing heroic with the Iron skull on would result in a multiplier of only 1.5 before time bonus (1.25 X 1.2 = 1.5). With the new formula, the multiplier is 2.45 before the time bonus (1.25 + 1.2 = 2.45).
As with previous games, the player's score resets upon saving and quitting. Turning on campaign scoring in Reach has the unique effect of causing the game to return to the campaign menu when the level is completed, rather than moving on to the next level. On The Pillar of Autumn, this means that the game does not advance to the credits, so the player does not have the chance to view its cutscene.
There are no achievements for beating the par scores in Halo: Reach.
Multipliers
Difficulty Multipliers
- Per-kill
Skull Multipliers
Skull Multiplier Iron 1.2x Black Eye 1.1x Tough Luck 1.1x Catch 1.1x Cloud 1.1x Famine 1.2x Thunderstorm 1.2x Tilt 1.2x Mythic 1.2x
Time Multipliers
Unlike all other games, every level in Halo: Reach features the same time bonuses. Even Lone Wolf features decreasing time multipliers, which is ironic given that the player's sole goal in the level is to survive as long as possible.
2.0x 1.5x 1.2x 1.0x <10 mins; 10-15 mins; 15-20 mins; >20 mins
Scoring formula
The formula for campaign scoring is essentially the same:
Points Earned = Unit's base point value X Total Medal Multipliers X (Difficulty Multiplier + Sum of Skull Multipliers) X Time Multiplier
*Note* - The time multiplier is added not to every score but at the very end of the level (i.e. total score =15,000 X 2.0 for time bonus = Grand Total of 30,000)
Par Scores
Level Par Score Winter Contingency 10,000 ONI: Sword Base 40,000 Nightfall 10,000 Tip of the Spear 15,000 Long Night of Solace 20,000 Exodus 10,000 New Alexandria 10,000 The Package 15,000 The Pillar of Autumn 20,000 Lone Wolf 50,000
The Master Chief Collection features the most extensive campaign scoring to date. Every level across all six games in the collection (save for non-combat levels, Mombasa Streets, and Lone Wolf) features not only a par score but also a par time, all of which award an achievement. Additionally, there are eleven achievements for earning medals in campaign; medals are only earned in campaign when campaign scoring is active. Campaign scoring is only available when a level is started from the beginning and will be disabled if the player starts from a rally point later in the level.
Although point values for unit kills vary, the games otherwise utilize the same scoring formula. As with previous games, points are awarded based on unit values, and difficulty, skull and time multipliers. All games in the collection award the same set of 31 medals in campaign. Whether the player earns points for AI kills varies depending on the game. This scoring formula does not apply to Halo 3: ODST and Halo: Reach Firefight which award medals and calculate points in the same manner as the original games. Halo 4 Spartan Ops does not feature any scoring at all.
Most games feature only the skulls found in their original game, save for the Anniversary games which feature several new ones. The Anniversary games also feature some skulls which have a 0.00x multiplier that will completely disable campaign scoring and prevent the player from unlocking any campaign scoring achievements. Skull multiplier values are similar to those found in Halo: Reach, however they once again multiply together rather than adding, resulting in the lowest skull multipliers to date.
Additionally, the Collection is far less forgiving with regard to time. When a player starts a level they are eligible for a 3x multiplier until they reach the par time. At that point rather than decreasing in tiers as in previous games, the time multiplier decreases incrementally until it reaches a multiplier of 1.00. Five to twenty minutes after that[Note 1] the game stops awarding additional points altogether; kills and medals can still be earned, however they award 0 points. Players will still lose points for dying or resetting checkpoints.
This point cutoff is particularly notable because par times in the Master Chief Collection are based on speedrun times; the most common par time is only 15:00 and the longest is only 25:00. This is notable because many levels such as Assault on the Control Room would normally take the better part of an hour, with a speedrun requiring players to bypass large sections of the level. As such, playing through the level as intended will inevitably result in the player running up against this time cutoff.
The in-game scoreboard is located at the bottom right of the screen in all games save for Halo 3: ODST in which it appears at the top right due to that game's unique HUD layout. Players can choose one of four different options for how their score will be displayed: Score, Time, Competitive Score, and Competitive Time.
Score is the closest to previous scoreboards, except that it displays only the player's score and not time. Points are calculated immediately based on difficulty and skull multipliers, with the time multiplier added once the level is complete.
Time displays a play clock only. Medals earned will still flash on the screen, but the player will not see their points until they complete the level and view their post-game carnage report.
Competitive Score is the only scoreboard which displays all information and clearly demonstrates the scoring formula: running point total, time clock, and time multiplier. Uniquely, the time multiplier is added immediately with each kill. This results in the alarming sight of the player's running total rapidly decreasing once the player reaches the par time and the time multiplier begins counting down. The scoreboard also includes a "rival": a player who previously played the level against whom the player can compare their progress. The scoreboard displays a meter which is subdivided based on the level's checkpoints. If the player is ahead of their rival at a checkpoint the meter will turn green, if they are behind, it will turn red. In either case, it will display how many points ahead or behind the player is.
Competitive Time features the same "rival" mechanic, but displays the time clock only, and bases the rival performance on time rather than score.
Unlike previous games, saving and quitting will not nullify the player's progress, but will allow the player to continue where they left off when they resume, though they will receive a point penalty just as if they had reverted to the last checkpoint.
At launch Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST had a unique quirk to their scoring, whereby the player earned points for destroying Covenant vehicles and turrets, even if they were unoccupied. In all other games, vehicles and turrets only awarded points if occupied. When ODST was released on PC in 2020 this quirk was patched out, though it remains in Halo 3.
Multipliers
Difficulty Multipliers
Skull Multipliers
- Main article: Halo: The Master Chief Collection skulls
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Achievements
| Game | Par Scores | Par Times |
|---|---|---|
| Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary | Overachiever | Did Somebody Say... |
| Halo 2: Anniversary | Arcade Owner | Going Nowhere Fast |
| Halo 3 | Better With Age | Speed Demon |
| Halo 4 | You Had it Coming | Easy As One Two Three |
| Halo 3: ODST | The Marine Corps Gives Its Regards | Can't Stop Here, This is Brute Country |
| Halo: Reach | We'll Be Back | Fast Fall |
Notes
- ^ The amount of time it takes for the multiplier to decrease from 3.00x to 1.00x and then again to the point cutoff varies greatly from mission to mission, ranging from 5 to 20 minutes. For example Assault on the Control Room reaches par time at 15:00, 1.00x multiplier at 30:00, and cuts off at 40:00. Tip of the Spear's times are 15:00, 25:00, and 30:00 comparatively. Tayari Plaza has the shortest par time in the Collection at 3:00, however its multiplier does not reach 1.00x until 18:00 and cut off until 28:00.
Trivia
- Meta in ancient Greek means "after", so meta-game means "after-game", or in a more philosophical sense, "the game behind the game". In the case of campaign scoring, you are playing a meta-game in which you are trying to get as high score as possible, and to accomplish that, you are playing the actual campaign game—in other words, the Campaign Metagame is a game about a game.
- In Halo: Reach, the current record in campaign scoring is 134,320,688, set by FA Aras Cade on April 23, 2012. This beat the previous record of 117,077,496 set by OWA 000 on April 20, 2011[3]
Gallery
Solo Score Attack in Halo 5: Guardians.
Co-op Score Attack in Halo 5: Guardians.
The post-game screen for Score Attack in Halo 5: Guardians.
The "Recap" page, where the player can view more of their stats.
