With the impending launch of Halo 3 more information is being steadily released about all of the features that will be available. Out of the new features that Bungie is introducing such as 4-player online co-op, and saved films, the Forge feature is my favorite by far. After finding out that the game will support saving and sharing of custom levels and gametypes I realized that the Forge feature is what will propel H3 to a new benchmark in console FPS games. For you PC freaks out there that'll talk about Tribes having demo films in 1998, and mods being available forever, I ALREADY KNOW!
To prepare and alleviate some anticipation for H3's launch I've been giving some thought into some custom game modes that I want to create. In no particular order...
Halo Kart
Players racing around a track either in laps or checkpoint based. The track is created using boxes and other elements (fusion cores anyone?) and racers get a mongoose. Checkpoint can be done with single flag CTF. Getting to the flag is the first leg, and getting back to the base is the second checkpoint.
Variant 1 "God Mode": One player can act as "god" and cause random havoc around the track such as dropping fusion cores randomly (or tanks), or even gravity lifts.
Variant 2 "Team Mode": Instead of personal mongooses, players are given warthogs and allowed to kill each other.
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
Low gravity + swords only. To make this mode really shine a custom level should be made using boxes stacked on top of one another to make a lot of really high pillars. Players have to jump from pillar to pillar, and can even be used as a CTF game. The ground can be filled with unlimited gravity lifts, so when you fall you'll float back up. Should make for some interesting dynamics with grenades too.
Indiana Jones
A runway, or even full track, is setup using boxes layered on top with fusion cores. Players start at one end and have to make it to the other end. At a certain point the beginning fusion cores get "ignited" causing a cascading explosion that the players have to outrun. Probably best on mongooses.
Command & Conquer Generals
This one is pretty straight forward. Take any team based objective game such as CTF, and make one person on each team the "commander" that spawns items, vehicles etc to help out their team and give directions.
Infection
Similar to the game type in Perfect Dark Zero. A small number of players start off as infected (armed with a sword, or even no weapon at all) who then have to kill the healthy players. Bases will have stocks of vast armory that they can use to defend themselves.
Long Jump
A giant ramp made out of boxes with a nice kicker at the end. Take a mongoose, put on low gravity and see how far you can go!
American Gladiators: Assault
Based off of that incredible show we all know and love. Assault is the event where the gladiator has that awesome tennis ball shooting cannon, while the contestant hides behind obstacles using various weapons to try and hit a target. The Halo version can have one player using a gatling gun turret, or other form of turret, with essentially everything else following the same model.
Cops and Robbers
A variant of Oddball. The teams are uneven with the cops getting less players, but having access to a large arsenal such as Scorpion Tanks and Banshees. The robbers have a larger number of players, but only get crappy weapons and mongoose. The cops have to prevent the robbers from stealing the oddball.
Ace Combat
Team Deathmatch with all banshees or the new human version the Hornet, and no other weapons.
Pearl Harbour
Uneven teams again. One attacking and one defending. The defending team has fewer players and access to their base which is loaded with weapons and turrets. The attacking team has access to little to no weapons and only banshees or the new Hornets. Attacking team has to detonate a bomb in defending team's base or do CTF or anything kind of objective game like that.
