So, Halo 5 introduced the ability to utilize scripts on a per-map basis, also allowing users to save, modify, and customize objects with functions, albeit with limitations. One of the biggest being that people would try to create functional game types through these scripts and even had to use unconventional methods to do this a lot of times.
But what if that were a thing of the past?
Enter the Gametype Scripting Tool. I feel the community would hugely benefit from something like this on the user-end for generated content. A tool where users canccreate their own, brand new, official-styled gametypes that are only limited by the imagination. A tool that helps users fill in the gaps and help add amazing community content. The way 343 constructs and compiles their official gametypes was a system that was called “Megalo” scripting. Whether H:I will use this same scripting or not has yet to be known.
Now, I used to do custom gametypes in Halo 4 for fun, and we had a pretty advanced .xml layout of decompiled gametypes. What I would hope to see with a Gametype Tool is one that is user-friendly and, for the most part, flexible with basic error checks. What would be beneficial is something with features like:
-Basic Tree Folder Structure
-Autofill boxes for basic settings (Base Gametype, max players, max teams, etc).
-Ability to assign gametype icon from huge list of premade or simple custom icons (using predefined shapes and objects).
-Creation of in-game options for the specific mode.
-Drop down list of engine-defined conditions with descriptions on how to properly use them.
-Drop down list of engine-defined actions with descriptions on how to properly use them or what they do.
-User-Defined Forced Object Check (map must have this defined object placed on loaded map for engine to let the game start or else objectives would be missing, etc.).
The reason I want this to become a reality is because, while frowned upon, modding helped the community in Halo 4 by sparking viral and insane custom games variants to the point that 343 added one of them, Mini-Slayer, into MatchMaking. Being able to create fun or even extremely competitive gametypes within the community would not only help the community thrive, but also take off a small amount of stress from 343 on needing to come up with new, mow viable gametypes. Personally, seeing the wicked and insanely artistic maps created in Forge by the community has sparked a huge interest for me into the scripting side of gametypes to come up with something amazing and entertaining as well.
What do you guys think? Would any of you want to mess around with actually creating your own game types from scratch? I see it as something easy enough to do, as long as we had something like 343 that enables us to create these modes.