343 Industries has been pushing their team to the limit since the release of Halo 5, and have continued to offer extensive support and updates for the game, and unlock further potential in their Forge mode for creative gamers to craft their own ideas. Their latest update for Halo 5: Guardians on Xbox One, as well as for Halo 5: Forge on Windows 10, is absolutely huge!
The update brings in more than 650 new items for use in the map creation suite, suitable for all kinds of competitive games and mini-games alike. If that wasn’t enough, there’s also a powerful new feature that should really take Halo 5 to the next level… scripting! This powerful new toolset dubbed “Monitor’s Bounty” will allow you to script for up to 64 different objects, with four actions per condition, and three layers of script activation; map level, script level, and object level. This is a big deal, as it can empower modders and level designers to create unique experiences and games that 343i couldn’t even imagine.
If that wasn’t enough, and it is, you’ll also find new weapons, increased map options, extra skins, and the implementation of the new observer mode. Even if you’re not modding levels, the base game can still enjoy things like the Halo Reach Grenade Launcher, Warzone multiplayer map and more. you can now gift cash shop Req packs to friends or enjoy the new custom browser for finding new levels to play.
“Monitor’s Bounty, the 10th major content release for Halo 5: Guardians, is an epic salvo of experience-enhancing additions, from new weapons, armor, and skins, to brand new ways to build and play, all alongside the biggest Forge update ever seen in a Halo game.
With more than 650 new objects added to Forge, a new Custom Games Browser that lets players find and play in-progress multiplayer matches, a suite of new REQs, the new Observer mode, and an overhaul of the Arena matchmaking playlists, this may be the most game-changing release yet!”
This is by far the biggest update to Halo 5 so far, and we can’t wait to see what people can come up with given the vastly expanded tool set. To demonstrate the scripting and a few other features, 323 released a new trailer, which features Battle Golf, created using the new scripting system.
Well done 343 for giving me several reasons to dust off my copy of Halo 5, now hurry up and make it for the PC too, Forge mode isn’t enough for some of us you know!
Changelog
New / Updated Features:
“Observer Mode” is now available to everyone
Players can now browse and join Custom Games in progress
Players can now gift REQ Packs to friends on Xbox Live
New Character: Beam Goblin
Grunts have retrofitted the most deadly Covenant weaponry onto a new variant of their Grunt Goblin mech chassis, with a Scarab Beam replacing the needler, Wraith mortar rounds for grenades and homing plasma balls replacing the needle barrage
Tweaks and Changes:
Improved melee strike registration reliability (“ghost melee“)
Fixed an issue with controller input delay (“heavy reticle“)
Fixed an issue where some weapons could be fired more quickly than intended
Fixed an issue blocking players from viewing more than 12 bookmarks
Fixed some damage transfer issues with the Scorpion treads
Fixed an issue where enemies off screen would sometimes have their tag prioritized over enemies on screen
Fixed an issue with the H2 Beam Rifle sniper glint
Fixed an issue where AOE damage was not being applied to players boarding heavy vehicles
Lowered the AOE damage of the Hannibal Scorpion
Updated Wasp audio for near-destroyed state
Changed the physics impulse associated with the Gravity Hammer
Fixed an issue with the Scattershot damage when hitting enemies in specific situations
Fixed a bug causing variable player and player vehicle health on Sanctum
Mantis Boss:
Changed shields to recharge much more slowly
Grunt Goblin:
Improved readability of damage states, crossing damage thresholds and general damage feedback
Improved death sequence
Reduced maximum range on needle barrage attack
Improved visual variation between Grunt Goblin variants (including the new Beam Goblins)
Increased combat vocalization options, making for much more varied voiceover
Warden Eternal:
Significantly reduced black hole attack maximum range (makes it more possible to outrun/dodge it)
Knight:
Fixed a bug allowing a headshot shooting through the Knight carapace from the back
Fixed a bug that would allow the back armor to remain after destroying both weak spots
Grunt:
Reduced shielded Grunt variant’s shield strength
Elite/Soldier:
Fixed several bugs where an enemy could board a player vehicle, eject the player then break while trying to drive it around
Server-side improvements made to matchmaking
REQ CARDS
New / Updated Features:
Announcers can now be customized in Warzone, Firefight, and Arena
New Weapon Skins
New Stances and Assassinations
New scope: Morph Scope
New Weapons: Safeguard Sentinel Beam, Grenade Launcher, Pro Pipe
New Vehicles: Anti-Air Wraith, Oni Wasp, Hannibal Wasp
ARENA
New/Updated Features:
Minigames added to Game Variants
Super Fiesta updated with latest REQ weapons
Tweaks and Changes:
Removed small invisible cubes from Mercy
WARZONE
Tweaks and Changes:
Adjusted all Warzone enemy health for desired durability in Heroic and Legendary Warzone Firefight
Changed the difficulty to AI from Legendary down to Heroic
Made Navpoints on Friendly Players visible at all times
Made improvements to spawning
If a base is in process of being captured, the defending team can never spawn in that base, instead they are spawned near it. This allows for larger bases to more easily change sides.
Went through spawns connected to all bases on all maps and adjusted to make spawning at bases a better experience.
Removed all Legendary Grunt Mechs. Too strong for Warzone.
Fixed various String and Audio Response Bugs
Fixed bug where Watchers on Sanctum would sometimes fly out of environment.
Removed some tougher minions from Mythic bosses
Fixed a Phantom that dropped some minions to their death.
Apex 7
Tank Master Rok has returned to the battlefield.
New Soldier boss added.
Noctus
Removed Hydra from Soldier Minion behind Garages
Removed bosses from Monument, but they are still close by.
Nerfed Mantis bosses
ARC
Switched Grunt Jockey and Warden
WARZONE FIREFIGHT
New/Updated Features:
New Firefight Map added – Prospect
New Firefight Map added – Temple
Added Heroic Version of Warzone Firefight
Added Mythic Version of Warzone Firefight
Added support for Mythic Warzone Firefight Game Variant and Weekend Hopper
Tweaks and Changes:
Renamed Warzone Firefight Hopper to Legendary Warzone Firefight
Increased vitality of Protect Core objects in round 3 on Urban
Adjusted Warden spawn locations in round 5 objective on March on Stormbreak
Adjusted Warden spawn locations in round 5 objective on Urban
Adjusted various enemy compositions for objectives across all maps
Mitigated issue where boss would escape the Mantis during boss encounter on Skirmish at Darkstar
FORGE
New/Updated Features:
New Forge Canvases
Barrens – The most commonly requested Forge canvas has arrived! A large, open, pretty much flat desert canvas for building on that includes three different lighting themes.
Depths – Another open/flat canvas… under water! No longer break out of Fathom to build your underwater Spartan fantasies; build them in Depths! Apparently Spartans aren’t allergic to the water in depths for some reason.
Massive Scripting Update!
“Action Target” – This powerful new system lets actions modify up to 64 other objects at once!!! (whaaaaat, super powerful)
Actions can be performed on other objects and even players
Lots of different filters to action on exactly the object you want; team, spawn order, object variable, boundary contents, and more
Even select one or more nearest, furthest, or random objects in the list
Action Targets are available in most original and new script actions
Defaults to “THIS” object for backwards compatibility with existing actions
Multiple Actions – Scripts can now have 4 actions per condition
Script Options – For each script there are options that change their behavior
Condition Interrupt – If the Condition re-evaluates as True while the scripts actions are running it interrupt them and restart the sequence
Round Interrupt – Changes if the round end interrupts/cancels the script sequence
Always Runs – Allows you to enable/disable a script if the object is despawned
Script Disabling – Ability to disable scripting at 3 different levels.
Map Level – Disable scripts for the entire map
Object Level – Disable scripts on an individual object
Script Level – Disable an individual script on an object
Enhanced Scripts – Enhancements to previously existing script actions
Spawn
Force: On/Off – On makes the object spawn even if someone/thing is occupying its current position
Position/Rotation: Reset
Position: On/Off – Turn on/off the position of the OBJECT(s) being reset
Animation: Play
Position: 0.0 – 1.0 – Some animated objects (such as Forge variants of the Pistons) can now be told to animate to
Move: Offset
TARGETS – Set a different target for the object to move off of, lets you move one object to another
New Conditions
Number: Check – Like the Power Channels but numbers. Tests Global (26 channels), Team (26 channels per team), Players (26 channels per player), and Object (1 per Object)
Score: Check – Trigger events off of score changes
Round: Time – Trigger events at specific times in the round
Boundary: Check – (Finally!) Check when players or objects enter, exit, or remain inside of the boundary on an object
New Actions – Tools for manipulating objects, scoring, and more.
Number: Change – Partners with the Number: Check condition. Allows for the modification (set, increment, decrement, multiply, divide, remainder) of Global, Team, Player, and Object number variables. Even randomize them easily.
Trait: Apply – Applies one of the traits specified in the Minigame custom game options to any player
Traits: Clear – Clears all traits from specified players
Wait – With multiple actions sometimes you want to wait before you trigger the next action or use this to build really specific custom timers
Score: Change – Modify the score of players and/or teams. Also can be used as a helpful debug tool sometimes in Forge to know the value of a Number variable
Round: End – Ends the round. Yep, that’s about it.
Screen Effects: Set – Set the screen Filter and/or FX for players. Option to switch back to the level default or ignore changing one of the FX. Use this to turn off FX when going inside of buildings or just change them for effect.
Switch: Interactive – Enable/disable the interactivity of a switch
Sound: Play – Plays a sound for all or specific Player
Physics: Set – Change the physics of objects!
Nav Marker: Change – Add or remove Nav Markers on for specific players on specific objects. Options to change the noun/verb text, color, and display distance.
Spawn Order: Change – Change the spawn order on an object or player. Changing on players will make them only use spawn points with the same spawn order. For objects you can use this as another piece of filtering criteria in scripts.
Label: Change – Add or remove labels on objects/players at run time. Another great tool for identifying/filtering things at runtime based on gameplay events.
New Screen Filters – Useful filters for enhancing the visual theme of your levels
Heat Distortion, Under Water, and Infected Flood
New Screen FX – New screen effect
Bubbles – who doesn’t need bubbles!
File Recovery – The Recovery feature from Halo 5 Forge PC has been brought into the Xbox One
Creates an auto-save of your map when disconnected from the server (crashed or exited quickly otherwise).
When starting a Forge session you will be presented with an option to work on the version they saved previously or pickup with the auto-saved server version.
Machinima Mode – Enabled Machinima Mode when in Forge. Great for taking screenshots of your level or prefabs without having to use a camera or go into theater mode.
New Material Overlays
Shellac – Make your object look like it’s covered in thick plastic resin
Emissive – Make your objects glow in the dark (w/ adjustable brightness)
Blend Control – Change settings to control how light or heavy the grime and/or frost looks on an object
{RESET MAP STATE} Map Option – Restores objects states, clears, variables, etc.
Custom Games – Some enhancements to the custom game settings
Spawn in Vehicle – Custom game settings now include the option to spawn into vehicles
All Weapons in Loadouts – All the weapons in Forge can now be equipped as primary and secondary weapons in Custom Games
Max Players – Set the max players for your lobby
Allow Observers – Allow/disallow people to watch your session
Privacy – Make your session private or public for others to join
Minigame – A simple mode for building your own custom game modes in.
Four trait slot options can be setup and triggered with the Forge scripting
Options to enable/disable objects minigame:object labeled objects in Forge
NOTE: In this mode when playing a Team based game, player scores do not contribute to the team score. This is intentional to allow for a wider variety of custom gameplay experiences. Through scripting it is possible to convert player score into team score though.
Tweaks and Changes:
Van prop got more baller and supports 3 colors!
Disabled tertiary from fo_accent_heavy_support_12x21x9_a.crate since it’s not supposed to have it
Lighting on the “Beacon” light fixture was pointing to the side, not down. Fixed
Added change colors to some of the objects that are hidden at play time to help with level organization
Invisible Grav Lift, Teleporters, Sounds, light, and wall/block/projectile invisible blockers
Things like sounds, fx, decals, blockers, etc. can now be set to normal physics so that they work with vehicle welding (amongst other fun uses)
Fixed script timer issue
Fixed to translate actions in certain physics modes
Fix/improvements to boundaries on objects
Fixed a problem where objects would be deleted from the map if they didn’t have respawn settings
Team blockers now work vs. infected!
A number of reset action fixes
Improvements to placement code, should prevent trying to place objects in the air
Added option to force spawn to prevent objects not spawning when things are nearby
Reworked the reset action to be more clear with resetting velocity or not
Made sound emitter 50% smaller to make it easier to hide for welding to vehicles, etc.
Changed materials on Script Brains to make them a little easier to see their colors
Breakout pillars had secondary color enabled on them for color change
Removed FX from invisible 2 way teleporter which was eating budget
Many of the script properties have more steps of precision allowing for better tuning
Added more reference colors; User 4-9 and Objective: Primary & Secondary
Added new label types:
User labels for helping you mark and manipulate objects through script
Minigame: include/exclude to allow/deny objects for mini-game mode
Five minigame: object labels
Forge: Include lets the object only be available in Forge; great for debug terminals and tools you only want when Forging
Known Issues:
Note: These are some of the known issues we ran into while finishing this update. For now work around these issues and we will look to fix them in a future patch.
Using Number: Check script condition to compare Team vs Team numbers will always pass the condition test
Example: (Team Red Alpha = -1 equal Team Blue Golf = 1) will still pass. <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/2/72x72/1f641.png" alt="