Modding

Modding is a way of changing the form and play of a game by manipulating its base coding. This can vary from changing colors of a character, to re-making a map or weapon, such as in Halo 2. Using the mods can significantly altar the processes of a game.

Modding for Cheating
Modding can add weapons, turn weapons that are single-wielded into dual-wielded weapons, such as the Covenant Energy Sword or even Sniper Rifles. Also, mods can make a player jump incredible distances, and in some cases, break the game or map barrier.

Other mods include:


 * Auto-headshots
 * Infinite ammunition
 * Super-Speed
 * "Spawn Raping"
 * The creation of new weapons
 * The modification of weapons in Halo 2, such as vehicles and various weapons
 * The modification of maps
 * Automatic power weapons, like sniper rifles and rocket launchers
 * Creation of energy barriers
 * Creation of flying turrets
 * Swapping weapon abilities and characteristics (example: shotgun ammunition turns into a spray of wraith shot, plasma pistols shooting overshield power-ups).

Most of these maps are hard drive maps such as Containment (Level) or Terminal (Level), It is possible to modify the maps on the Game Disk, But it is a very hard process and may break your DVD drive, The easier way is to copy the game to the Xbox HardDrive, But you won't be able to play on XBL with them.

All of these mods are used in Halo 2 to give the "modder" a slight edge in gameplay. However, he/she can only use a lot of the mods if he/she has host of the game. Often, modders are in a party with a "bridger" or a "stand-byer." Bridgers use a program on the computer which interacts with other players' routers and xboxs to make a modder or anyone else host of the game. This is effective in the process of "leveling-up." This is when gamers join a modder's game to get their level boosted up because the modder is almost unstoppable. Stand-byers use many techniques to freeze other gamers games. This includes: Pressing the "stand-by" button on a modem, and slightly unplugging the ethernet cable from their Xbox. When a stand-byer is successful, other gamers either get the dreaded "blue screen" or they get a similar black screen. Everyone but the stand-byer gets this. This allows the stand-byer to run around the map and kill all opponents. This is effective, but illegal, as are all mods.

Any use of these mods is in violation of Xbox and BUNGIE code and will get their account banned from all matchmaking games.

Bungie takes action
This has become such a widespread problem in the "Matchmaking" system that Bungie was forced to resolve the problem by releasing auto-updates which ban hackers from the system and terminate their accounts. Bungie has banned thousands of players and is working to clean up the rest, earning in the process the moniker 'Banhammer.' Several sites offer a list of cheaters and hackers.

Although there used to be several ways to mod, Xbox Live and Bungie have collaborated to rectify the programming mistakes and prevent the game from being modded as much. They are also reinforcing much stricter punishments for cheaters, such as instant bans and longer suspensions. It is also known that if you log onto xbox live with softmods turned off but your maps are modded, you have about 6 hours before Bungie bans you with the trusty hammer.

Modding for Everyone's Enjoyment
Sometimes, though, people mod for fun by making the mods on the maps able to be used by everybody in the game. This is what modding was originally intended for: fun and messing around. Often modders make a map with a theme, such as a snowy version of a normal map, a night time version of a normal map, a SWAT type map, or anything you can imagine. Some mods add player models from a Campaign map to a Multiplayer Map, including Heretic Elites, ODSTs etc. Sometimes people make mods just to see what kind of new and innovative things they can do such as "Active Scenery" which allows objects, like Pelican Dropships, to move around the map without AI or anyone controlling it. An example of Bungie made active scenery is the Train on Terminal or the Monitor on Backwash.

Some also mod to make nice screenshots like those seen at Halouvre.

It should be noted, however, that this type of modding can still result in a ban from matchmaking, and is still considered illegal, although Bungie doesn't appear to mind it as long as the modder does not go onto xbox live.

Softmods and Hardmods
Despite common belief getting a chip installed in your Xbox is not the only way to have mods. Many popular mods are retrieved through what is called "soft" modding.
 * Soft modding does not require a chip; it is done through a special file and an Action Replay.
 * "Hard" mods are done by buying a certain chip from the internet and installing it on to your xbox.
 * Softmodding is much easier because all you need is an action replay, splinter cell and Linux files.