Teleporters

A teleporter instantly transports a player from one location to another when he enters it. Teleporters in Halo 2 can be one way (restricting travel in one direction) or two way.

A teleporter is composed of three object types placed using Halo 2 Sapien. The objects that comprise a teleporter are the visible teleporter object (.scenery), a light (.light) that gives the surrounding geometry the green glow from the teleporter model, and the netgame flags that make up the teleporter source and destination targets.

To create a two-way teleporter, place the visible teleporter model objects for the entry point (source) and the exit point (destination).

To create a two-way teleporter

1.      In Sapien, open the scenario.

2.      In the Hierarchy Pane, click the Mission folder, the Objects folder, the Scenery folder, and then Edit Palettes.

3.      In the Select Object Type window, select Scenery in the Object Class drop-down list, and then click Add.

4.      Browse to the teleporter scenery you want to add (typically, in \tags\objects\multi\2way_teleporter.scenery), click Add, and then click Done.

5.      In the Game Window, right-click to place the teleporter.

If the .scenery object placed has no type assigned, use the drop-down list to select 2way_teleporter. Right-click in the Game Window to place another teleporter model.

Note: The 2way_teleporter.scenery model has two variants. In the Properties Palette, there is a Variant Name box for the .scenery object; if this is blank or set to Base, then the two-way teleporter model with a base and top will be used. If the Variant Name box has Receiver entered, then only the base will appear. This is the one-way teleporter exit model.

Netgame Flags

With the models in place, you can set the netgame flags that define the entrance or sources (src) and an exit or destinations (dest) for the teleporter. For a two-way teleporter, you need four netgame flags total (two source and two destination).

To place a teleporter entrance

1.      In the Hierarchy Pane, click the Mission folder, the Game Data folder, the Netgame Flags folder, and then select Teleporter(src).

2.      In the Game Window, right-click to place a teleporter(src) on the teleporter model.

3.      In the Properties Palette, set the Facing box to the opposite direction the player will enter the teleporter.

4.      In the Properties Palette, set the Identifier box to 0.

The Identifier box links two teleporters together.

Next, place the target destination, or exit, for the teleporter.

To place a teleporter exit

1.      In the Hierarchy Pane, click the Mission folder, the Game Data folder, the Netgame Flags folder, and then select Teleporter(dest).

2.      In the Game Window, right-click to place a teleporter(dest).

3.      In the Properties Palette, set the Facing box to the same direction the player will exit the teleporter.

4.      In the Properties Palette, set the Identifier box to 0.

The teleporter is now one way. To make it a two-way teleporter, follow the preceding steps, but reverse the placement of the netgame flags. Add a Teleporter(src) at the location of the Teleporter(dest) that was first added, and then add a Teleporter(dest) at the location of the Teleporter(src). Make sure to group this set of teleporter netgame flags together by setting their Identifier box to 1 in the Properties Palette. (If you add another teleporter set, set the Identifier box to 2 and so forth).

You have now created a two-way teleporter, where the player can enter one teleporter and exit at another location but go back through that teleporter exit and return to the original teleporter location where he entered.

Teleporter Lighting

To add a light to the teleporter

1.      In the Hierarchy Pane, click the Mission folder, the Lighting Data folder, the Lights folder, and then Edit Palettes.

2.      In the Select Object Type window, select Light in the Object Class drop-down list, and then click Add.

3.      Browse to the teleporter light you want to add (typically, in \tags\scenarios\objects\lights\multi\mp_sphere_teleporter.light), click Add Tags, and then click Done.

4.      In the Game Window, right-click to place the light.

5.      If the .light object placed has a type of none, then use the drop-down list to select mp_sphere_teleporter.

6.      To adjust the light radius, go to the Flags box and select the Custom Geometry check box located in the Properties Palette for the light. While pressing ALT and the left mouse button, move the mouse to adjust the size of the light radius (when the light is selected and ALT is held, the light Manipulation Gizmo turns yellow). Once you are done positioning the light and scaling its lighting radius, place additional lights around the remaining teleporter models.

Note: You must relight the level to see the lights that were added to the teleporters.

Save your .scenario file, create a new .map cache file, and then run the level in the game to test the two-way teleporter.