This post may just get buried like my others, but I have a few ideas I would like to try, but I'm not sure if Halo's engine will support. I am currently working on a new bsp and a very large list of tags so I just thought I would ask here first before I waste three days on something that will not work, instead of something else that needs done.

1)Can gbxmodel permutations have more health than the actual biped? Kind of like how the grunt methane tanks will only come off with a certain amount of overkill, like the sniper rifle. Maybe through AI health settings?

2)Can gbxmodel regions be made to only be destroyed by explosives? Not the entire model, just a region of it.(I doubt it though)

3)Is there a way to disallow a player to exit a vehicle, but still allow them to shoot?

4)What markers are "required" for the flamethrowers fire effect? I tried changing everything to just use primary trigger but I still can't see the fire. Yes I can see it from the built-in flame thrower.

5)Is there a way to take a weapon away from the player?(I doubt it)

6)Is there a way to replace the players weapons with a new one temporarily, the switch them back?(I doubt it)

7)Can boolean ever be used when modeling a bsp? I know that it generally causes errors but would it work for one very simple hole in my map?

8)How would I make a "~damaged" permutation completely blank, so that when it's destroyed there won't be anything there? I know I need something there because it says no geometry to export. Would there be a way to just put an invisible plane into my model to be the destroyed version.

9)Is there a way to change a bipeds animations based on what regions have been destroyed?(I really doubt it)

10)What method could I use keep track of score or rounds survived via the hud?

11)What method could I use to add a timer onto a model or piece of scenery? I remember a time bomb or something like that a long time ago that had a countdown timer. I know how to use the numbers bitmaps, but not how to make them go up or down outside of ammo counters.

12)In relation to the previous question, can the timer be made to count up not down? I still need a countdown as well though.

13)Can I make an encounter seek out the player no matter how far away they are?

14)Can I remove the apparent fear of heights from the AI? My map requires that they drop down from ledges above you but in my previous maps I noticed that they will stop at the edge regardless of move locations.

15)Can I "force" an encounter to ignore the player to attack a biped created through an effect file?

EDIT1: To account for lights placed in my map as .light_fixture or whatever it is, do I need to run radiosity in sapien or can I still use the lightmaps command in tool. I would prefer to use lightmaps if at all possible, I don't like using sapien if I don't have to.

EDIT2:Can I change the picture associated with the maps loading screen without changing all current maps?(I highly doubt it)

EDIT3:How would I implement a rotating animation into a weapon, like a minigun barrel? I set one up but it keeps returning to the default position before it can start spinning. I tried making it a jmo but I got a message saying that first-person fire-1 cannot be an overlay.

EDIT4:What first-person animations, if any, can be overlays?(Other than first-person overlays and moving)

That's all I have now, but if this thread has not died and I get any more I'll add them to the list.

Any help would be appreciated and probably save me a lot of time
Edited by rerout343 on Jan 28, 2011 at 05:16 PM

1- You can do that the same way the flood's arms can be shot off. The gbxmodel needs a bunch of regions and permutations. The nose region would have to be defined, any you'd need a model perm for a grunt head with no gas thingy. Then, you need to set the health for the nose in the collision-geometry materials. And you'd need a new collision, that had a nose shape.

2- Look in the collision geometry. You can set the material type, like cyborg armor or snow or whatever. Then make the explosives damage that material differently.

3- I think there's a checkbox in the seat area of the vehicle tag that's called "locked". But then you can't exit the vehicle either.

4- The markers you need should be specified at the top of the weapon tag somewhere or in the effect tags. Make sure your particle settings and stuff ingame are set to high.

5- Maybe destroy it with scripts, or make it detonate somehow. I dunno.

6-Yes. But it has to be a specially tagged, scripted, and outfitted weapon, using auto-pickup and detonation and stuff. I'll do this for dual wields, and maybe put-away animations.

7-Yes. Make sure that you're making a sealed world regardless.

8- Make an invisible shader, or just a very small triangle/cube.

9- For the sake of simplicity, no. I'm trying to make spartan-elite perms like this, but it hasn't been working out so well.

10- Scripting. Use HUD messages like the campaign, or the maw's countdown timer.

11- Well, the only way is ammo counters or meters.

12- No.

13- Magic sight is a script command and an encounter setting.

14- Check the checkbox somewhere in the actor or actor variant that says dives off ledges.

15- Technically not through effect files. Unless you were able to blind everyone except the effected-biped. Also, I don't think actors can be command-listed or scripted to see effect-spawned vehicles or bipeds.

EDIT1- Tool works.

Three more(Adding to main post)

1)Can I change the picture associated with the maps loading screen without changing all current maps?(I highly doubt it)

2)How would I implement a rotating animation into a weapon, like a minigun barrel? I set one up but it keeps returning to the default position before it can start spinning. I tried making it a jmo but I got a message saying that first-person fire-1 cannot be an overlay.

3)What first-person animations, if any, can be overlays?(Other than first-person overlays and moving)
Edited by rerout343 on Jan 28, 2011 at 05:17 PM

New q1- It's probably in ui.map or bitmaps.map. If you can mod those then you can.
New q2- You can try using "first-person firing", I think that's an fp animation. Fir-person ammunition and the overcharge jitter can also be overlays I think, but that's just off the top of my head.

Old questions-
It would be helpful if you could elaborate what exactly these things are for.
1-You mean like a sentinel shield?
8-shader_transparent_chicago or shader_transparent_glass
10-use search

Thanks for the help so far.
Edited by rerout343 on Jan 29, 2011 at 07:47 AM