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Halo PC Gametype FAQ
Preface
So, you're new to Halo multiplayer, or perhaps to Halo, period. You've got the game installed on your PC, your settings are all correct for smooth gameplay, and you've chosen a server to play on. You connect to the game, and immediately set out to have fun.
Minutes later, your teamates are yelling at you over teamchat, you've killed 10 people and somehow your score is -1, and instead of fighting along side of you, your teamates are all gravitating towards blue markers! What the hell is going on?
Chances are, you're not playing according to the gametype. Halo is far more than your simple deathmatch game, and sometimes simply diving and killing everything that moves will not make you a winner.
But how the hell do you know what's going on? Who do you kill? What goal are you trying to achieve? Where are you supposed to run? Where are my pants?* The answers lie within this guide.
When you Enter the Game
When you first connect to a game in progress, the announcer will tell you what general gametype you are playing. For example, "Slayer," or "Capture the Flag." This is your first hint as to what kind of game you are playing. The second hint is the icon to the left of your health indicator. The icon tells you what gametype you're in, and what team you're on, if applicable.
If you're in a team game, your teamates have a green arrow above their head (unless this is shut off by the server admin). This lets you know who's on your side. If in the event there are no green arrows, note the color of your gametype icon. If it's a team game, everyone on the same team will have the same color armor, and that team color is indicated by the gametype icon.
Having said that, let's get onto the gametypes, shall we?
  
Slayer
Slayer is your standard deathmatch game. No rules, outside of "kill thine enemy." Standard kill requirement to win is either 25 or 50 kills. The host decides what weapons people start with, so you may start with a rocket launcher in hand, or you might have to hide behind your plasma pistol until you come across a larger weapon.
In the "Team Slayer" setting, you work with a number of teamates to achieve a total kill count, usually of 50.
  
Oddball
The objective in Oddball is to hold the ball, a human skull, for the longest amount of time. The standard required time with the ball is two minutes. While holding the ball, you are unable to fire, and throw grenades. Your only options are to either drop the ball to defend yourself, melee with the skull (which generally does more damage than a normal melee), or simply flee your pursuers for as long as possible. Hiding is difficult to do, as the skull is marked by a blue indicator for those who are after it.
In "Team Oddball," it is the objective of the team to protect the guy holding the ball from the enemy team. If the holder loses the ball, another teamate can pick it up to add to the total time. Again, two minutes is the standard.
Juggernaut
Juggernaut is an oddball varient that has no oddball at all. Instead, YOU are the ball, and the objective is to kill and not be killed. It's a sort of reverse tag, where to become "it," you must kill the player that is currently "it" and take the position. In Juggernaut, the only player that recieves points is the Juggernaut. Further, the strength of the Juggernaut is augmented, so he is stronger and faster. The first player to score 15 kills wins.
Reverse Tag
Similar to Juggernaut, except there is a time requirement.
  
King of the Hill
Just like what you played in grade school, the rules of King of the Hill are to stay in the area marked as "the hill" longer than anyone else. Two minutes is the standard hill time. The hill is designated by a floating yellow border. Standing within that border will accrue time.
In Team King, the team works together to get the longest hill time. When multiple teamates are standing in the hill, the teamate with the longest hill time is the only player that adds time to the team's total.
Crazy King
Crazy King is a King of the Hill varient. The only difference is that the hill no longer stays in the same place. At a regular interval, the hill will move to different portions of the map, and it's up to you (or your team) to run to the new hill and continue to build up time.
  
Race
Race is the gametype designed to cater to vehicles. The objective is to reach a number of markers in order (the next appears after you've reached one), and complete laps before anyone else. A lap is completed when a full set of markers has been touched. First person to three laps wins.
In Team Race, the first team to have all of its members get all their laps wins.
The host has the option of turning off the "flag order," making it so that you do not have to hit each marker in a specific order to win. Further, they can set the markers to "Rally," so that everyone in the game has the same marker, and the first to reach that marker scores a lap.
 
Capture the Flag
By far the most popular Halo gametype, capture the flag is a team game that is exactly as you played it as a child. Namely, each team has a flag, and the objective is to grab the other team's flag and bring it to your own flag, back at your designated base. The standard rules include that a flag cannot be captured if the capturing team's flag is not at home, and that to return a stolen flag, a member of the team must simply touch the flag. Three captures wins the match.
Assault
Assault is a CTF varient that's best described as "Reverse CTF." Rather than fighting your way to the other team's base, grabbing their flag, and returning home to your flag, your opponent's flag will spawn in your base, and your objective is to take the flag, and bring it to the other base. In standard assault, there is only one flag at a time. So, one team is on offense while the other team is on defense. The flag switches teams after a certain period of time. When this happens, the rolls reverse, and it is the job of the former defending team to go offensive and bring the other teams flag to their base. Five captures wins the match.
Assault isn't a familiar gametype to most people, and as such it can be confusing to see a teamate running with the flag to the other team's base. Instead of killing the poor guy, ask if the gametype is assault. Most likely, he's trying to score a point. Another big hint is the enemy's flag appearing on your flag stand. Also, if your whole team is defending the base, but no flag is there, you are most likely playing assault. Lastly, if the announcer says "Capture the Flag," but your flag is gone and there is no blue marker pointing out the enemy flag, then you are playing Assault and are on the defending team.
Conclusion
That covers everything for this FAQ. Remember, take a moment before you run into the fray to figure out what's going on. If you can't tell just by looking (or listening to the announcer), then don't be afraid to hit the chat button and ask what everyone's playing. Often, a server is dedicated to a specific gametype, but sometimes servers will change gametypes with every map, and it's necessary to stop for a second and get your bearings. Now that you know what you're playing, go out and kick some ass!
*Silly, I don't wear pants! |
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