[Question] Halo 2 Vista unlocking maps modifications

[Spartan234]

I'm just wondering: is there any way to compile a .scenario file without checking shared.map?

http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/4853/capture2vi.png

I'm sorry if it looks like a noobish question.

[Computron]

Can someone explain the shared.map and mainmenu.map and how their used? I think I understand the Idea behind it, but I do not see how to utilize it for my own maps.

[CodeBrain]

Think of the mainmenu.map as the ui.map of Halo 2 Vista. Really that's all it is.

Halo 1 was the first that started the "shared tag" map styles. You already know them as bitmaps.map, sounds.map, and loc.map. Bitmaps.map obviously stored bitmaps inside of it, sounds.map stored sounds used by the game, and I have no idea what loc.map stored inside of it.

Halo 2 changed this by having all the tags located in one map. shared.map is for multiplayer maps while single_player_shared.map is obviously for singleplayer maps (aka Campaign). Instead of the game loading tags through the actual cache file (like it did in Halo CE) any tag thats in the cache file is loaded through the "shared" map files instead. Because of this, modified tags would not be loaded without modding the game (See the Main Menu mod in the H2V releases section)

[Spartan234]

But is it possible to force tool to compile maps with the cache file instead of the shared.map file with the same method as Halo CE for replacing the loading screen on custom maps (modifying the bitmaps.map with an hexa editor)?

[CodeBrain]

But is it possible to force tool to compile maps with the cache file instead of the shared.map file with the same method as Halo CE for replacing the loading screen on custom maps (modifying the bitmaps.map with an hexa editor)?

If you read my post at all you would have seen that what is bolded can be done:




Halo 2 changed this by having all the tags located in one map. shared.map is for multiplayer maps while single_player_shared.map is obviously for singleplayer maps (aka Campaign). Instead of the game loading tags through the actual cache file (like it did in Halo CE) any tag thats in the cache file is loaded through the "shared" map files instead. Because of this, modified tags would not be loaded without modding the game (See the Main Menu mod in the H2V releases section)

[Spartan234]

Don't worry, I have understood what you said :downs: but my question is: by modifying the shared.map file (if it is possible) could Halo 2 V be as moddable as Halo CE?

[Resinball]

Then the question should be, "How would you modify the shared.map file?"


Unfortunately we can only edit the existing file (with a HEX editor), we cannot inject new data into the shared.map file (or any other .map files) besides small tweaks such as changing a text field or value.

[Kornman00]

Multiplayer maps have a shared tag instance space on top of their own tag instances. All shared tags (ie, tags found in sharing definition files for shared.map) are first initialized. All tag instances at 0x2710 and after are references to shared tags. That leaves the space under that for map-relative tag instances. Since shared (ie, basically global) tags are initialized first, they will take precedence over your local tag set. For example, the shared tag index defines "globals\globals" already, so this is why your local globals tag is ignored. However, since your "scenarios\multi\example\example" scenario isn't defined in the shared tag instances, it's then loaded and used in the map-relative tag instances.

Since H2X maps didn't have this, and most app makers in the community are half-assed at best, you don't see any real support for this design (which was created to hinder local tag modifications).

[supersniper]

its a simple fix but no one wants to do it, just modify the tags in the shared.map

[Patrickssj6]

yadeeyadee

Why didn't they make it like DLLs...Halo searches first for the tag inside the map file, if it doens't exist then in the shared file. Just like the DLLs where the one inside the same folder gets loaded first, if it doesn't exist then the app looks in the system folders.

[Kornman00]

Why didn't they make it like DLLs...Halo searches first for the tag inside the map file, if it doens't exist then in the shared file. Just like the DLLs where the one inside the same folder gets loaded first, if it doesn't exist then the app looks in the system folders.


Since H2X maps didn't have this, and most app makers in the community are half-assed at best, you don't see any real support for this design (which was created to hinder local tag modifications).
The system was made 99% entirely for anti-cheating and mods online

[supersniper]

exactly ^^

[leorimolo]

Isnt it possible to reference the sp_shared tags with our multiplayer map? Yes I really want a pelican to play with lol.

[KantIZBack]

I've been trying to work on modifying the shared.map i just need to understand the map format better.