CE Map List Update!

The mega Halo CE Map List has been updated again. I've added the following maps:

containment_beta02 CoverCanyon2_Race crandorcayon dangermod deathisland.v.1.2 flatland foe2 fox_abandoned fox_abandonedepsilon freelands gauntlet_1.0 Gauntlet_Race grasslandv2 grope h2 oblivion highlow_race hopeless_war_beta_v0.6 hypo_v0.3 hypothermia_race kensworld2 lost

mass meatlocker_race mt_cereal_bowl multiplex my mystic_classic_race nervous_canyon_race pharaoh_2_final purity_and_innocence rider sanctuary sanctum teletubbies The_Hollow the-bridge trush_island1.1 vertimad whenhootersfly wishbone_beta X

Halo CE Non-Race Maps #1

This is my first in a series of posts about Halo CE maps that are not for race. Some perhaps could be made into race maps but none of these currently support race. I would love to play around on these, either CTF or KOS or just messing around.

Room Final

This is an efficiency apartment with a kitchen, living room, and front patio. It has teleports to take you up on top of the furniture as well as ramps to drive up on the couch. This could be a fun slayer map. It wouldn't make sense as a race map. It might be okay as CTF if it supports it. I haven't checked where the hills are for king of the hill, but it could be good.

Toys in the Warehouse

This is another map where you play a toy-sized MC. This map is the inside of a warehouse full of boxes. Some of the boxes are open and boards make ramps up and down. There are mouse holes and pits in the floor, as well. I love this map but it would be a terrible race map. It's a great sniper map.

WPITest

This map is the campus of Worcester Polytechnic Institute. It's nicely done, though not complete. The main courtyard and a few other buildings are detailed, but many are still blank brick. The map is primarily an outside map, though a few interior spaces are detailed as well. Teleporters take you to the rooftop sniper posts and tunnels take you underneath. It doesn't look like they'll ever finish it, but it would be a nice race map. The map has a web site where potential modders could contact the authors.

Solitude

This is a nice, medium sized map that takes place on a series of structures suspended over a long drop. The map is visually appealing and has lots of places to go and hide. It might make a decent race map, but is probably better for other game types.

Soli Deo Gloria

This is a large outdoor map with cliffside bases with tunnels and ladders. A middle structure provides some cover, as well. The existing race takes you out of your vehicle and up into the bases but it could probably be modified for a good race. It would also be a good CTF or other map, as well.

F.E.A.R.

Campaign

I thoroughly enjoyed the campaign. It was creepy and mysterious but had enough action to keep me interested. The environments were somewhat varied and the enemies were interesting. I love the slo-mo.

The ending was not entirely unpredictable, but there was a bit of a shock at the very end.

Multiplayer

I have mostly played 1 on 1 deathmatch and have had fun. I like sneaking around, stalking the enemy. The proximity mines are fun to leave in creative places. The weapons are somewhat varied but not goofy. Nailing someone to the wall is always fun as is frying them to a crispy skeleton with the particle beam.

I would love to see more maps with bots/AI. I hate them in Halo but I'd love to see them in FEAR.

User Interface

The user interface is pretty easy to use. Hosting a server is dead easy. You can choose a single map or a map cycle merely by clicking on map names. It's easy to set a password and the server name.

Custom Content

There is plenty of custom content available for FEAR. Some of the custom maps are goofy, but there are plenty of creative and interesting maps. The biggest problem with custom content is that you must have the same maps as the server or you can't join. While this is a good thing on a server with a map rotation as it gaurantees that you'll have all the maps in the rotation, it's very annoying when I'm hosting a pick-up game and everyone has to have all the maps I have even if I've only chosen one map for the rotation. I have not found a way to turn it off. Disabling downloads just blocks other people from joining.

Links

Fearmaps
Fear Files

Reviews

I plan on writing a series of reviews for games I play. I will not be trying to give an objective assessment or comprehensive review. I will be giving a very subjective review of the aspects of the game that I like or dislike. I won't review or comment on features I don't use. To provide some context, I am not a hardcore gamer. I generally play games casually and to have fun. I typically won't spend a lot of time mastering advanced techniques or difficult aspects of the game. I also tend to prefer simpler games over more complicated ones. I often use cheats. I have a full-time job, two kids, an older house, etc... My life is full of challenges. My gaming doesn't necessarily need to be. Sometimes, I just like to explore the game world without worrying about getting killed.