Halo 2 Game Variants

Let this book page overflow your browsers with the bounty of the varied and wondrous ways to enjoy Halo 2, particularly on Zombie Skate nights with your fellow GWJer.

We should strive to only put in the game types that are worth the effort of putting them up here and formatting them nicely.

Also,

zeroKFE wrote:

I would suggest that the optimal way to specify the options for a gametype is to indicate ONLY the options that should be changed from their default settings for the given game type.

In no particular order, the game types are:

Hamburger Hill

  • Game Type: King of the Hill
  • Player Options: Motion Sensor Off
  • King of the Hill Options: Uncontested Hill Off
  • Equipment Options: Starting Weapon Shotgun
    Secondary Weapon Magnum
    Starting Grenades Off
    Weapons on Map None
    Grenades on Map None
    Overshields Off
    Active Camo Off

Recommended Maps:

  • Lockout
  • Midship
  • anything really small

For a game with 6-8 people, 2 minutes to win is sufficient, but for larger than that, bring it down.


Zombie

  • Game Type: Slayer
  • Player Options: Motion Sensor Off
  • Team Options: Team Play On
    Friendly Fire Off
  • Slayer Options: Suicide Point Loss On
  • Vehicle Options: Vehicle Respawn Time No respawn
    Primary Light Vehicle None
    Secondary Light Vehicle None
    Primary Heavy Vehicle None
    Banshee Off
  • Equipment Options: Starting Weapon Energy Sword
    Secondary Weapon Shotgun
    Starting Grenades Off
    Weapons On Map None
    Grenades On Map Off
    Overshields Off
    Active Camo Off

Recommended Maps:

  • Foundation
  • Sanctuary
  • Turf
  • Terminal
  • Beaver Creek
  • Backwash
  • Gemini

Variants:

  • Zombie Lives: Player Options: Lives Per Round: 3
  • Zombie Snipe: Equipment Options: Replace Shotgun with Sniper rifles, play on a larger map

One person starts on the green team (zombies),
everyone else starts on the red team (survivors).
Zombies can only use swords, survivors can only
use shotguns. Once you are killed by a zombie melee
attack, you must hit Start and Change Teams to the
green team until the game ends.



Mike Myers

  • Game Type: Slayer
  • Match Options: Score to Win Round 250
    Round Time Limit 2 Minutes
  • Player Options: Lives Per Round 1
    Shield Type No Shields
    Motion Sensor Off
  • Team Options: Team Play On
    Friendly Fire Off
  • Equipment Options: Starting Weapon Magnum
    Secondary Weapon Shotgun
    Starting Grenades Off
    Weapons on Map None
    Grenades on Map Off
    Overshields Off
    Active Camo Off

Recommended Maps:

  • Midship
  • Ivory Tower

Variants:
Mike Myers Jugs

  • Game Type: Juggernaut
  • Match Options: Number of Rounds 2
  • Player Options: Shield Type Normal Shields
  • Team Options: Friendly Fire On
  • Juggernaut Options: Juggernaut Infinite Ammo On
    Juggernaut Motion Sensor On

One person on one team (Mike Myers), everyone else on the other team (The Victims).
Mike Myers can only use the shotgun. The Victims can only use the Magnum.
For the first minute, no one can shoot except Mike Myers.
Once that minute is up, the Victims can fire their Magnums.

In Juggernaut mode, the Juggernaut is Mike Myers. If someone kills Mike Myers, then
that person becomes the Juggernaut, and he's the real killer, and it's a plot twist!
Bet you didn't see that one coming...


Escape (a misnomer)

  • Game Type: Assault
  • Match Options: Number of Rounds 4
    Round Time Limit 6 Minutes
  • Player Options: Damage Resistance On
  • Team Options: Friendly Fire Off
  • Assault Options: Bomb Type Single Bomb
    Enemy Bomb Indicator When Armed
    Bomb Reset Time 60 seconds
    Slow with Bomb Off
    Damage Resistance On
    Vehicle Operation On
  • Vehicle Options: Primary Light Vehicle None
    Secondary Light Vehicle None
    Banshee Off
  • Equipment Options: Starting Weapon Sniper Rifle
    Secondary Weapon Rocket Launcher
    Starting Grenades Off
    Weapons on Map None
    Grenades on Map Off

Recommended Maps:

  • Zanzibar

Variants:

  • Add vehicles

Start with even teams. The team that starts on the beach must bring the bomb
into the base and plant it.
For the first 2 minutes (or 1 minute), no one may fire any weapon, vehicle, or turret.
There's a major wall separating the beach side of the map from the rest of it, and
players must stay on their team's side of that wall during this cease fire.


Never Ending Assault

  • Game Type: Assault
  • Pre-made Gametype: Single bomb fast

Recommended Maps:

  • Relic

Make the teams even, and prepare for a loooong game.


Melee Ball

  • Game Type: Oddball
  • Match Options: Number of Rounds 2
    Score to Win Round 1 Minute
    Round Time Limit 15 Minutes
  • Player Options: Extra Damage On
  • Oddball Options: Ball Count 3 balls
    Speed with Ball Fast
  • Vehicle Options: Everything set to Off or None
  • Equipment Options: Starting Weapon Plasma Pistol
    Secondary Weapon None
    Starting Grenades Off
    Weapons on Map None
    Grenades on Map Off
    Overshields Off
    Active Camo Off

Recommended Maps:

  • Warlock
  • Anything small

No one may fire any weapons! Melee only. Might want to change your controls for
this one.


Tower of Power

  • Game Type: Slayer
  • Match Options: Score to Win Round 50
    Round Time Limit None
  • Player Options: Shield Type No Shields
    Motion Sensor Off
  • Team Options: Team Play On
    Respawn Time Modifier Cycling
  • Slayer Options: Suicide Point Loss On
  • Vehicle Options: Vehicle Respawn Time No Respawn
    Primary Light Vehicle None
    Secondary Light Vehicle None
    Primary Heavy Vehicle None
    Banshee Off
    Primary Turret Large Machine Gun
    Secondary Turret Large Machine Gun
  • Equipment Options: Starting Weapon Energy Sword
    Secondary Weapon Shotgun
    Starting Grenades Off
    Weapons on Map None
    Grenades on Map Off
    Overshields Off
    Active Camo Off

Recommended Maps:

  • Ascension

The two teams fight for control of the Tower of Power, where the machine gun is king.


SWAT

  • Game Type: Slayer
  • Match Options: Number of Rounds 4
    Score to Win Round 25
    Round Time Limit 4 Minutes
  • Player Options: Lives Per Round 1
    Shield Type No Shields
    Motion Sensor Off
    Extra Damage On
  • Team Options: Team Play On
  • Slayer Options: Suicide Point Loss On
  • Vehicle Options: Primary Light Vehicle None
    Secondary Light Vehicle None
    Primary Heavy Vehicle None
    Banshee off
  • Equipment Options: Starting Weapon Battle Rifle
    Secondary Weapon Magnum
    Weapons on Map Human

Recommended Maps:

  • Colossus

One shot, one kill (almost). Fletcher, this is just the game for you.



Battle of York

  • Game Type: Capture the Flag
  • Match Options: Number of Rounds First to 2
    Score to Win Round 1
    Round Time Limit 10
  • Player Options: Lives per Round 1
    Shield Type No Shields
    Motion Sensor Off
  • Team Options: Friendly Fire Off
  • CTF Options: Flag Type Single Flag
    Flag Reset Time 60 seconds
  • Vehicle Options: Primary Light Vehicle None
    Secondary Light Vehicle None
    Primary Heavy Vehicle None
    Banshee Off
    Primary Turret None
    Secondary Turret None
  • Equipment Options: Starting Weapon Brute Shot
    Secondary Weapon Energy Sword
    Starting Grenades Off
    Weapons on Map None
    Grenades on Map Off
    Overshields Off
    Active Camo Off

Recommended Maps:

  • Coagulation
  • Anything big and open

Variants:

  • Secondary Weapon None to discourage base camping
  • Add Warthogs!

The idea is to bring back the old times of bows, arrows, and swords. In truth, this game type is all about
long-range Brute Shot battles. Since it's one life per round, most of the scoring occurs when the team on
offense wipes out the defending team.


Zombie Shark

  • Game Type: Slayer
  • Team Options: Team Play On
    Friendly Fire Off
    Betrayal Penalty None
  • Vehicle Options: Primary Light Vehicle Ghost
    Secondary Light Vehicle Ghost
    Primary Heavy Vehicle Tank
    Banshee Off
    Primary Turret None
    Secondary Turret None
  • Equipment Options: Starting Weapon Needler
    Secondary Weapon Energy Sword
    Starting Grenades Off
    Weapons on Map None
    Weapons Respawn Time No Respawn
    Grenades on Map Off
    Overshields Off
    Active Camouflage Off

Recommended Maps:

  • Containment
  • Coagulation

It's just like Zombie - only now with added sharks.

Rules:
The Teams at Start:

  • One person starts on the green team (the Zombies).
  • Two people start on the blue team (the Sharks).
  • Everyone else starts on the red team (the Survivors).

Weapons and Vehicles:

  • Sharks must always try to keep themselves in a Ghost. They are only allowed to run people over.
  • Zombies are only allowed to use their swords.
  • Survivors are only allowed to use their needlers and drive the tanks.
  • Zombies and Survivors are allowed to board/kick a Shark off a Ghost but they must immediately drop it.
  • Melee is fair game for all.
  • No one may fire the vehicle weapons.

Team Switching:

  • If a Zombie or Zombie Shark kills a Survivor, the Survivor switches to the green team and becomes a Zombie.
  • If a Zombie or Zombie Shark kills a Shark, then that Shark switches to the green team and becomes a Zombie Shark.
  • A Zombie Shark acts exactly like a normal Shark, but anyone he kills becomes a Zombie or Zombie Shark.

Other:

  • If a Zombie kills a Shark when the Shark is nowhere near a Ghost, the infection doesn't count.



JFK
  • Game Type: Assault
  • Match Options: Score to Win Round 1
    Round Time Limit 5 Minutes
  • Player Options: Suicide Penalty None
  • Assault Options: Bomb Type Single Bomb
    Enemy Bomb Indicator Always On
    Bomb Reset Time 5 Seconds
    Damage Resistance On
  • Vehicle Options: Primary Light Vehicle Warthog
    Secondary Light Vehicle Warthog
    Primary Heavy Vehicle None
    Banshee Off
    Primary Turret None
    Secondary Turret None
  • Equipment Options: Starting Weapon Magnum
    Secondary Weapon None
    Starting Grenades Off
    Weapons on Map Sniping
    Weapon Respawn Time Double Time
Recommended Maps:
  • Coagulation

Variants:

  • Add more weapons, maybe rockets.
  • Have Fletcher play el Presidente

The red team plays the assassins. The blue team plays the President and the Secret Service.
Teams should be even, possibly with a 1 or 2 person advantage for the blue team.
At the start of the round, a brave soul from the blue team picks up the bomb and becomes President John F. Kennedy. He must ride in the passenger seat of the modified Lincoln Continental (Warthog) while two of the Secret Servicemen take up the driving and gunner positions. The driver must drive at the slowest possible speed and attempt to bring the President to the opposing base. When the warthog reaches the base, the President jumps out and tries to plant the bomb.

The rest of the Secret Servicemen fan out and attempt to protect the President as best as they can.
The Assassins concentrate on killing the President before he can plant. If the President is killed before he plants, then the blue team must wait until the bomb returns to their base. At that point, anyone can pick it up and become the President. Remember that the bomb won't return if there's a blue player near it.

Citrus Casanova
Donator V3.0
zeroKFE's picture
Location: In your fruit bowl terrorizing the oranges

Good idea, Yoyoson.

It looks like this is what you did already, but just to make it clear to others:

I would suggest that the optimal way to specify the options for a gametype is to indicate ONLY the options that should be changed from their default settings for the given game type.

Duke of York
Donator V4.0
Yoyoson's picture
Location: Working towards my Master of Science in Bilateral Thumbstick Control and Time Sensitive Button Mashing

zeroKFE wrote:
Good idea, Yoyoson.

It looks like this is what you did already, but just to make it clear to others:

I would suggest that the optimal way to specify the options for a gametype is to indicate ONLY the options that should be changed from their default settings for the given game type.


Yeah, like the man said!

Duke of York
Donator V4.0
Yoyoson's picture
Location: Working towards my Master of Science in Bilateral Thumbstick Control and Time Sensitive Button Mashing

Okay, I think I'm done making changes for the time being. If you want to add more or make changes, feel free to go ahead without the worry of me going in and blasting it to pieces.

Edit: Okay, I lied. Watch out!!

Junior Executive
superspork's picture
Location: <-- I am here

It's nice to know that the few I made by memory were correct.

I got a fever.... And the only prescription...is more cowbell!

Last.fm

Citrus Casanova
Donator V3.0
zeroKFE's picture
Location: In your fruit bowl terrorizing the oranges

Nice work folks. I'll be sure to enter some of these into my Xbox before next Wednesday so that we can be sure to have access to all the games we want even if one person or another isn't available to be party leader.

Junior Executive
superspork's picture
Location: <-- I am here

We need Zombie Shark on the list.

ASAP!

I got a fever.... And the only prescription...is more cowbell!

Last.fm

HR Giger Counter
Donator V4.0
MaxShrek's picture
Location: Fragville Junction, NY

Man, I have yet to play a Zombie game where everybody follows the rules.

"Do you prefer the sword, or a bullet in the head?"
'I'll take vanilla, if you don't mind.'

Useless, Yet Entertaining
Fletcher's picture
Location: Office of the EIC, bitches!

Dirty mouth?

Mills of the Serengeti wrote:
Man, I have yet to play a Zombie game where everybody follows the rules.

Try Orbit:

Zombie Skate

Fabulous.

Don't be saucy with me, Bernaise. - Count DeMonet

FalseGravity - My first blog.

The Escapist - My first Editor-in-Chief job.

Claw Shrimp
Donator V5.0
LobsterMobster's picture
Location: On a picnic, going "La la la!"

I don't understand why you guys like Zombie so much. Why not play AvP2, which has that exact thing built in and you don't have to mess with manually switching teams or weapons?

NOTE: Not a doodle bug.

Steam-XBox-PSN: Lobstermancer

Citrus Casanova
Donator V3.0
zeroKFE's picture
Location: In your fruit bowl terrorizing the oranges

LobsterMobster wrote:
I don't understand why you guys like Zombie so much. Why not play AvP2, which has that exact thing built in and you don't have to mess with manually switching teams or weapons?

It's a built in gametype in Perfect Dark Zero too, but that isn't the point.

Claw Shrimp
Donator V5.0
LobsterMobster's picture
Location: On a picnic, going "La la la!"

zeroKFE wrote:
LobsterMobster wrote:
I don't understand why you guys like Zombie so much. Why not play AvP2, which has that exact thing built in and you don't have to mess with manually switching teams or weapons?

It's a built in gametype in Perfect Dark Zero too, but that isn't the point.

Then what is?

NOTE: Not a doodle bug.

Steam-XBox-PSN: Lobstermancer

Citrus Casanova
Donator V3.0
zeroKFE's picture
Location: In your fruit bowl terrorizing the oranges

Ask this guy.

Claw Shrimp
Donator V5.0
LobsterMobster's picture
Location: On a picnic, going "La la la!"

Who's he?

NOTE: Not a doodle bug.

Steam-XBox-PSN: Lobstermancer

Duke of York
Donator V4.0
Yoyoson's picture
Location: Working towards my Master of Science in Bilateral Thumbstick Control and Time Sensitive Button Mashing

Actually there's a more automated version of Zombie for CounterStrike as well, but then we have to set up a third party voice chat solution and there's no split screen, and not everyone has PCs and you don't get to sit on the couch anymore.

I'll try to put some of the newer gametypes on here.
Of the ones I can think of:

Baron's No-shields version of Zombie
Baron's Tremors (like Jaws)
Battle of York
Zombie Shark

What am I missing?

I <3 Brains
Donator V3.0
lunabean's picture

LobsterMobster wrote:
I don't understand why you guys like Zombie so much. Why not play AvP2, which has that exact thing built in and you don't have to mess with manually switching teams or weapons?

Some of us don't have PCs, but like zero said, that's not the point.

So far keeping it together's been enough
Last.fm

Guerrilla Comedian
Donator V3.0
Demiurge's picture
Location: Seattle

It's not even so much the Zombie gametype, it's the people who play it. Halo 2 is a comfortable way to get together with these stellar, sometimes inebriated people and goof off. It's not like anyone's playing on Zombie Skate night to win.

"Brütal Legend is a biker chick—inked goddess to the few and shallow, leathery harpie to the rest." - Sean Sands

Positronically Delicious
Donator
Danjo Olivaw's picture
Location: Krauser Lab

Demiurge wrote:
It's not like anyone's playing on Zombie Skate night to win.

But if we were, I totally would.

I can't speak for AvP, but Halo 2 presents a nice sword/shotgun dynamic that is like butter. For every human-zombie interaction, the zombie appears to have the upper hand, but with perfect timing the human actually has the superior weapon. Every match I secretly hope the humans will really win, except when I'm the zombie. They never do yet I persist.

Positronically Delicious
Donator
Danjo Olivaw's picture
Location: Krauser Lab

Don't we normally have vehicles in Escape? Why would the bomb carrier be able to drive with the bomb if there are no vehicles?

Duke of York
Donator V4.0
Yoyoson's picture
Location: Working towards my Master of Science in Bilateral Thumbstick Control and Time Sensitive Button Mashing

Nope, no vehicles in Escape. I guess I turned "Vehicle Operation with Bomb" on by mistake, and recorded it.

Positronically Delicious
Donator
Danjo Olivaw's picture
Location: Krauser Lab

Why do we leave the vehicles out. It's not like that'd be a great advantage considering everyone has rocket launchers.

Coffee Grinder
Location: Northridge, CA

This is a cool game variant.
Title: THE REPUBLICAN

Game Type: SLAYER
Score to win round: 250
Round Time Limit: 10 MIN
Respawn Time: 3 SEC
Shield Type: NORMAL
Motion sensor: OFF
Team play: OPTIONAL
Vehicle Respawn Time: HALF AS OFTEN
Primary Light: WARTHOG
secondary light: GHOST
primary heavy: SCORPION TANK
banshee: ON
primary turret: LARGE MACHINE GUN
secondary turret: LARGE PLASMA

starting weapon: SHOTGUN
secondary weapon: ROCKET LAUNCHER
starting grenades: ON
weapons on map: SNIPING
weapon respawn time: DOUBLE TIME
overshields: OFF
active camoflage: ON

Suggested Map: Coagulation, Elongation, Waterworks, Containment, Sanctuary, Lockout, Midship, burial Mounds, Zanzibar,

HR Giger Counter
Donator V4.0
MaxShrek's picture
Location: Fragville Junction, NY

JFK?

"Do you prefer the sword, or a bullet in the head?"
'I'll take vanilla, if you don't mind.'

Spawn Point
Donator
momgamer's picture
Location: Uhhh..... Long story....

We just show up, right? Or do I need to message someone?

Maybe this issue is best debated amongst the people who need to get off my lawn. - JoeBedurndurn

Abandon All Hope
Chiggie Von Richthofen's picture

Que? I think you're in the wrong Zombie thread. There's like three of them. Try this one.

Spawn Point
Donator
momgamer's picture
Location: Uhhh..... Long story....

Danjo already pointed out I was a doofus.

Maybe this issue is best debated amongst the people who need to get off my lawn. - JoeBedurndurn