The Halo CE Essentials Map Pack
This Map Pack is a compilation of many Halo Custom Edition Maps that I found were of high quality and were favored by most of the Halo CE community. These maps were made by numerous authors over the many years Halo Custom Edition has been released. I made this map compilation because I find that most of Halo Custom Editions servers play only stock maps while there is an abundance of great user created maps. I'm hoping this may change that. I've tried to pick maps that are of high quality and could reasonably be compared to the quality of official maps.
I highly recommend downloading HAC 2 so you can download maps to servers that are playing maps you don't have. Download here:
I also recommend downloading Open Sauce which you can get here:
A New Menu
The Universal UI is by: MoooseGuy & CMT
This is an essential, it allows you to play many Halo Custom Edition single player maps and firefight maps simply. I won't be providing any of the maps supported by Universal UI, because you can download them here:
Link to Universal UI forum thread:
The Main File Maps-Size: 974mb unpacked
Autumn Slayby: AkmAssassin
A huge beautifully detailed map set in a deep canyon full of hilly terrain, water ways, underground passages and a vehicle base. This ambitious map is full of surprises and could take hours just to explore. Recommended CTF (16 Players Total) [HUGE]
Camtrack Arenaby: author unknown
A high walled dusty baked earth arena similar to Blood Gluch but with an overpass and side ally. Recommended CTF (16 Players Total) [BIG]
Cliffhanger Finalby: Molkien
Set at the top of a mountain with the two bases on opposing sides with a deep crater between them feed by a waterfall and stream. Recommended CTF (5v5) [BIG]
CMT G3 Mousetrapby: Community Mapping Team (CMT)
A small map located on the Pillar of Autumn. Recommended Team Slayer (4v4) [SMALL]
CMT G3 Vestigialby: Community Mapping Team (CMT)
A large symmetric map located in the canyons of Delta Halo. Recommended CTF (16 Players Total) [BIG]
CMT Snow Groveby: Custom Mapping Team (CMT)
A large map set in a snow covered Forerunner canyon. Recommended CTF (5v5) [BIG]
Delta Ruinedby: Arteen
Delta Ruined is a small asymmetric map set in the ruins of Delta Halo. Recommended All Gametypes except Race (4v4) [SMALL]
Garden CEby: Higuy
A luxurious sci fi garden set above a sea. Recommended Team Slayer & CTF (3v3) [MEDIUM]
H3 Foundryby: Jesse & DSalimander
An abandoned Traxus warehouse complex in Voi. Recommended All Gametypes except Race (12 Players Max) [MEDIUM]
Immure 2by: NeuroKoNeza & MotherGoat
Immure is an open air prison facility built by the Forerunners for those forced into exile. No one is confident where exactly on Halo the mountain facility is, but the gigantic communications tower and solar panels provide an amount of autonomy. Recommended CTF (5v5) [BIG]
Launch Bay Xby: EJ Burke
Sixteen Spartans. One Longsword fighter. No supervision. Lots and lots of weapons. That's all you need to know. Recommended CTF (3v3) [MEDIUM]
Portentby: EJ Burke
A foreboding partially exposed forerunner facility set on an icy planet. Recommended Slayer (8 Players) [BIG]
Precipiceby: Siliconmaster
A vast forerunner complex hides many passageways... and many secrets. Recommended CTF (16 Players Total) [BIG]
Requiemby: Selentic
A Forerunner station orbitting a gas giant. Recommended CTF (3v3) [SMALL]
Revelationsby: Selentic, Massacre, and Conscars
This level takes place on an unfinished halo ring being constructed in the ark. Recommended CTF (16 Players Total) [HUGE]
The Optional File Maps (highly recommended)-Size: 634mb unpacked
Ambry CEby: Newbkilla
A vast snake like canyon, full of trees, cover, and forerunner structures and bases. Recommended CTF (4v4) [MEDIUM]
Anxietyby: Mothergoat & Mrs. Doublefire
Anxiety, a symmetrical rat race designed to create a certain sense of claustrophobia before being shipped off to one of the mountain prison facilities. Those exiled were dropped in this enclosed canyon for several months to prepare them for understanding. Recommended CTF (4v4) [MEDIUM]
Coreby: ChBgt909
A green valley located on Halo. Recommended CTF (5v5) [BIG]
Frosty Assaultby: MARTIN 'ALF-LIFE' BADOWSKY
A large central complex built on the shore of snow and ice covered beach. Recommended Assault (16 Players Total) [BIG]
Mercury Fallingby: Skilit & TGCheeky
A Forerunner Power complex in the frozen wasteland. Recommended Race (8 Players) [BIG]
New Mombasa Classicby: author unknown
A large city battle ground with highways and buildings modeled after Halo 2's New Mombasa. Recommended Team KOTH (16 Players Total) [HUGE]
No Remorseby: NeuroKoNeza ,ZexGX , & Lightning Rec0
No Remorse features many twists, turns, back alleys, lofts, apartments, nooks, crannies that you'd normally find in a terrestrial city. As if on the outskirts of a walled city the buildings spill out into the water and down to the sea. Recommended Slayer (8 Players) [MEDIUM]
Seclusion Reduxby: il Duce Primo, Massacre, Dano, DSalimander
A reduxed, abandoned Forerunner prison secluded from all life. Recommended KOTH (8 Players) [SMALL]
The Narrowsby: Peter Sakievich
The Narrows are found among the mountain desert paths of Halo. Narrow passages lead from base to base with caves pocketing the canyons. Recommended CTF (3v3) [SMALL]
Yoyorast Island V2by: Yoyorast
The second version of one of the most famous Halo CE maps, which reiterates all the great things from the original and corrects the original's problems. Recommended All Gametypes except Slayer (16 Players Total) [BIG]
Installation/Requirements
You need a Halo Custom Edition, which you can download here:
You also need a computer that can handle Halo Custom Edition. For a reference, the requirements for Halo Combat Evolved are listed below (most computers made after the mid-2000s can handle it).
Minimum system requirements
Computer/Processor: 733 megahertz (MHz) processor.
DirectX: DirectX® 9.0 or later. (DirectX 9.0b is installed by Halo.)
Memory: 128 megabytes (MB) of RAM.
Hard Disk: 1.2 gigabytes (GB) of free hard disk space.
Video card: 32 MB with 3D Transform and Lighting capable.
CD: 8X.
Sound: Sound card, speakers, or headphones with multiplayer play.
*56.6 Kilobytes per second (KBps) modem or 10 MB network adapter. Multiplayer servers require broadband to run a server.
*Additionally, you must have an Internet Service provider (ISP) or a Local Area Network (LAN), if you want to play multi-player games.
Assuming you have Halo Custom Edition installed and know how to open up .zip files/extract from .zip files, here's how you install the map pack (or any Halo Custom Edition maps for that matter).
*skip to final step if you know the location of your Halo Custom Edition installation
1. Click the start button or open up windows explorer.
2. Click on computer
3. Click on the storage device you installed Halo Custom Edition to, in most cases this should be 'Local Disk (C:)'.
4. Depending on your system, you may have two folders called program files. If you have one called Program Files (x'numbers here') click on that. If you only have one program files folder click on that (even if it doesn't have the numbers).
5. Click on a folder called 'Microsoft Games'
6. Click on the folder named 'Halo Custom Edition' NOT HALO. It should look something like this: Computer>Local Disk (C:)>Program Files>Microsoft Games>Halo Custom Edition
7. Now extract all the '.map' files to the folder called maps. All the .map files are within the folder named maps inside the .zip you downloaded. If it asks to replace UI.map or any other .map files click 'Move and Replace'. If you have WinRar, you can just open up the .zip and drag and drop all the .map files to your maps folder in Halo Custom Edition.
There you go, your new maps are awaiting, go into Halo Custom Edition and check if those maps installed properly. If the Universal UI shows up, you installed the maps correctly. If it doesn't, go through the instructions again and back track where you probably made a mistake. If you are still having issues, send me a message, if a problem keeps happening, I will probably make an FAQ or revise the install instructions.
Credits
Special thanks to StormUndBlackbird for screenshots and map evaluations, Dennis for managing halomaps.org and its forum, Bungie for making Halo, Gearbox for releasing Custom Edition, the map creators for their respective maps, and the Halo CE community for making maps and keeping this game alive for all these years. If anyone needs to be credited for the maps listed, message me the map you need to be credited for and I will check and give you your deserved credit.