Community survey results (2020)

Edit

In July of 2020, The Reclaimers Library hosted a survey to determine knowledge and interest levels of various modding topics in the website's user base. These results will be used to prioritize further content and research. However, as a reader, please feel free to reach out directly to the c20 maintainers or ask for help in the Discord server if there is a topic you need more help with.

Intro #

How many years have you been modding Halo?
Option Count Percent
1 or less 16 16
2-3 years 1 1
4-6 years 3 3
7-10 years 4 4
11+ years 9 9
What operating system(s) do you use for modding?
Option Count Percent
Windows 30 30
Linux 5 5
Mac 0 0
What types of activities do you partake in?
Option Count Percent
Tag editing 22 22
Custom maps 21 21
Modeling 17 17
Texturing 15 15
Documentation or educational content (e.g. tutorials, YouTube videos) 14 14
Community building (e.g. running or moderating community groups, organizing events) 13 13
Halo scripting 12 12
Music or sound effects 10 10
Server hosting 8 8
Streaming and gameplay videos, montages 7 7
Lua scripting 6 6
Animating 5 5
Software and tools development 3 3
What Halo games are you interested in modding?
Option Count Percent
Halo 1 Custom Edition 26 26
Halo 3 MCC 16 16
Halo 1 MCC 12 12
Halo 2 MCC 11 11
Halo Reach MCC 11 11
Halo 2 Vista/Project Cartographer 10 10
Halo 1 PC (Retail) 8 8
Halo 1 Xbox 6 6

General software #

3D asset creation #

Topic What's that? Uninterested for now Curious about I would like more info I know how to do this
Using Blender 2
2 		5
5 		6
6 		14
14 		5
5
Using 3ds Max 1
1 		11
11 		4
4 		6
6 		10
10
Using Maya 6
6 		17
17 		2
2 		3
3 		3
3
UV unwrapping (any software) 4
4 		2
2 		5
5 		11
11 		10
10
Porting models from other Halo games to H1 3
3 		6
6 		4
4 		11
11 		8
8

2D asset creation #

Topic What's that? Uninterested for now Curious about I would like more info I know how to do this
Using Photoshop 0
0 		7
7 		3
3 		5
5 		17
17
Using GIMP 1
1 		13
13 		2
2 		6
6 		10
10
Using Krita 11
11 		9
9 		5
5 		4
4 		3
3
Using Paint.NET 2
2 		12
12 		1
1 		2
2 		14
14
Alpha channels 0
0 		4
4 		3
3 		4
4 		20
20
Porting bitmaps from other Halo games to H1 0
0 		6
6 		7
7 		8
8 		11
11

Other software #

Topic What's that? Uninterested for now Curious about I would like more info I know how to do this
Version control (e.g. git, subversion) 5
5 		6
6 		2
2 		4
4 		13
13
Audio editing/DAWs (e.g. Audacity, Reaper) 1
1 		5
5 		2
2 		8
8 		15
15

Halo toolkits and mods #

Topic What's that? Uninterested for now Curious about I would like more info I know how to do this
HEK - Halo Editing Kit 2
2 		0
0 		2
2 		9
9 		19
19
OpenSauce 2
2 		10
10 		5
5 		7
7 		8
8
MEK - Mozz Editing Kit 2
2 		3
3 		5
5 		14
14 		7
7
Invader 6
6 		3
3 		7
7 		13
13 		3
3
HAC2, Optic 4
4 		10
10 		1
1 		10
10 		7
7
Chimera, lua scripting 4
4 		2
2 		4
4 		15
15 		7
7

Tags #

General tags #

Topic What's that? Uninterested for now Curious about I would like more info I know how to do this
Editing tags with Guerilla/OS_Guerilla 1
1 		2
2 		4
4 		6
6 		19
19
Editing tags with invader-edit-qt 5
5 		7
7 		6
6 		10
10 		4
4
Editing tags with Mozzarilla 2
2 		3
3 		7
7 		10
10 		10
10
Real-time tag editing 2
2 		5
5 		5
5 		10
10 		10
10
Extracting tags 1
1 		3
3 		2
2 		9
9 		16
16
Sharing and releasing tags 1
1 		2
2 		5
5 		13
13 		10
10
Finding publicly-shared tags 1
1 		3
3 		4
4 		12
12 		11
11
Organizing the tags directory 2
2 		2
2 		2
2 		15
15 		9
9

Shaders and bitmaps #

Topic What's that? Uninterested for now Curious about I would like more info I know how to do this
Compiling bitmaps 2
2 		4
4 		2
2 		12
12 		12
12
Bitmap compression 2
2 		3
3 		5
5 		13
13 		9
9
Cubemaps 2
2 		4
4 		5
5 		10
10 		10
10
Multipurpose bitmaps 2
2 		4
4 		5
5 		8
8 		13
13
Detail maps 2
2 		4
4 		5
5 		8
8 		13
13
Texture animation 2
2 		3
3 		6
6 		14
14 		7
7
Colour change (e.g. armour) 2
2 		3
3 		5
5 		9
9 		13
13
Shader lens flares 2
2 		4
4 		7
7 		13
13 		6
6
Model shaders 2
2 		3
3 		4
4 		16
16 		7
7
Environment shaders 2
2 		3
3 		5
5 		13
13 		9
9
Chicago/extended shaders 2
2 		5
5 		6
6 		15
15 		4
4
Plasma shaders 3
3 		4
4 		5
5 		15
15 		5
5
Glass shaders 3
3 		4
4 		4
4 		13
13 		8
8
Water shaders 2
2 		4
4 		4
4 		14
14 		8
8
Meter shaders 3
3 		5
5 		4
4 		14
14 		6
6

Other tags and concepts #

Topic What's that? Uninterested for now Curious about I would like more info I know how to do this
Custom HUD elements 2
2 		3
3 		7
7 		13
13 		7
7
Custom fonts 2
2 		4
4 		8
8 		7
7 		11
11
Strings (e.g. cinematic titles, pickup messages) 2
2 		3
3 		3
3 		14
14 		10
10
Functions (e.g. "A in", "C out") 3
3 		1
1 		5
5 		16
16 		7
7
Projectiles and contrails 2
2 		4
4 		8
8 		8
8 		10
10
Effects 2
2 		3
3 		8
8 		11
11 		8
8
Particles and point physics 2
2 		3
3 		10
10 		10
10 		7
7
Glow and lightning tags 3
3 		4
4 		9
9 		13
13 		3
3

Objects and items #

Topic What's that? Uninterested for now Curious about I would like more info I know how to do this
Device machines, light fixures, and controls 3
3 		3
3 		5
5 		17
17 		4
4
Custom scenery 2
2 		2
2 		5
5 		12
12 		11
11
Model regions 4
4 		3
3 		2
2 		17
17 		6
6
Extracting models for modification 1
1 		5
5 		4
4 		14
14 		8
8
Collision models 1
1 		3
3 		5
5 		16
16 		7
7
Widget attachments (e.g. lights, antennas 2
2 		3
3 		6
6 		14
14 		7
7
Markers and nodes 4
4 		4
4 		3
3 		13
13 		8
8
Animation types (overlay, replacement, etc) 2
2 		3
3 		5
5 		18
18 		4
4
Vehicle physics 1
1 		3
3 		8
8 		15
15 		5
5
Vehicles and seats 2
2 		4
4 		7
7 		11
11 		8
8
Rider animations 2
2 		7
7 		6
6 		13
13 		4
4
Custom bipeds 2
2 		8
8 		5
5 		13
13 		4
4
3rd person animations 2
2 		6
6 		5
5 		17
17 		2
2
Custom weapons 2
2 		4
4 		6
6 		11
11 		9
9
First person animations 2
2 		5
5 		3
3 		17
17 		5
5
Custom equipment 2
2 		3
3 		7
7 		15
15 		5
5

Map-making #

General map-making #

Topic What's that? Uninterested for now Curious about I would like more info I know how to do this
BSP modeling 4
4 		1
1 		7
7 		10
10 		10
10
Materials and material flags 4
4 		1
1 		5
5 		14
14 		8
8
Lighting and lightmaps 4
4 		1
1 		6
6 		11
11 		10
10
Portals 2
2 		1
1 		6
6 		15
15 		8
8
Fog planes 4
4 		1
1 		6
6 		12
12 		9
9
Weather polyhedra/volumes 3
3 		1
1 		7
7 		15
15 		6
6
Using Sapien 4
4 		2
2 		6
6 		6
6 		14
14
Sound environments 2
2 		2
2 		9
9 		9
9 		10
10
Weather and wind 3
3 		2
2 		11
11 		8
8 		8
8
Scenery and sound scenery placement 2
2 		2
2 		3
3 		10
10 		15
15
Detail objects and decals 2
2 		2
2 		6
6 		13
13 		9
9
Custom UI maps 2
2 		7
7 		11
11 		7
7 		4
4
Custom resource maps 2
2 		6
6 		10
10 		11
11 		3
3
Custom skyboxes 3
3 		1
1 		10
10 		14
14 		4
4
Extracting BSPs for modification 2
2 		5
5 		3
3 		14
14 		7
7

Multiplayer maps #

Topic What's that? Uninterested for now Curious about I would like more info I know how to do this
Netgame flags and multiplayer setup 4
4 		8
8 		4
4 		11
11 		5
5
Multiplayer balancing strategies 4
4 		9
9 		5
5 		10
10 		4
4
Netcode sync workarounds (e.g. biped crushers) 4
4 		6
6 		5
5 		14
14 		3
3

Singleplayer maps #

Topic What's that? Uninterested for now Curious about I would like more info I know how to do this
Scripting 3
3 		3
3 		5
5 		12
12 		8
8
Cinematics 3
3 		6
6 		4
4 		14
14 		4
4
Dialogue 3
3 		8
8 		3
3 		12
12 		5
5
Recorded animations 2
2 		6
6 		7
7 		13
13 		3
3
Device control groups 3
3 		6
6 		6
6 		13
13 		3
3
AI and encounter setup 2
2 		3
3 		5
5 		14
14 		6
6
AI behaviour and balancing strategies 2
2 		5
5 		4
4 		13
13 		7
7

Servers #

Topic What's that? Uninterested for now Curious about I would like more info I know how to do this
Hosting dedicated servers 3
3 		9
9 		4
4 		7
7 		9
9
Server mods (e.g. SAPP) 3
3 		8
8 		5
5 		8
8 		8
8
Console commands and rcon 4
4 		7
7 		3
3 		10
10 		8
8

Programming and reverse engineering #

Topic What's that? Uninterested for now Curious about I would like more info I know how to do this
Hooking/patching game code 6
6 		5
5 		4
4 		12
12 		4
4
Programmatically editing or creating tags with Reclaimer 7
7 		7
7 		4
4 		10
10 		3
3
Using Cheat Engine 5
5 		5
5 		2
2 		10
10 		9
9
How Halo's engine works (e.g. tag tables, game state) 3
3 		3
3 		0
0 		21
21 		4
4

Conclusions #

Top 30 desired topics #

  1. How Halo's engine works (e.g. tag tables, game state) (21)
  2. Animation types (overlay, replacement, etc) (18)
  3. Device machines, light fixures, and controls (17)
  4. Model regions (17)
  5. 3rd person animations (17)
  6. First person animations (17)
  7. Model shaders (16)
  8. Functions (e.g. "A in", "C out") (16)
  9. Collision models (16)
  10. Chimera, lua scripting (15)
  11. Organizing the tags directory (15)
  12. Chicago/extended shaders (15)
  13. Plasma shaders (15)
  14. Vehicle physics (15)
  15. Custom equipment (15)
  16. Portals (15)
  17. Weather polyhedra/volumes (15)
  18. Using Blender (14)
  19. MEK - Mozz Editing Kit (14)
  20. Texture animation (14)
  21. Water shaders (14)
  22. Meter shaders (14)
  23. Strings (e.g. cinematic titles, pickup messages) (14)
  24. Extracting models for modification (14)
  25. Widget attachments (e.g. lights, antennas (14)
  26. Materials and material flags (14)
  27. Custom skyboxes (14)
  28. Extracting BSPs for modification (14)
  29. Netcode sync workarounds (e.g. biped crushers) (14)
  30. Cinematics (14)

Top 15 curiosities #

  1. Weather and wind (11)
  2. Custom UI maps (11)
  3. Particles and point physics (10)
  4. Custom resource maps (10)
  5. Custom skyboxes (10)
  6. Glow and lightning tags (9)
  7. Sound environments (9)
  8. Custom fonts (8)
  9. Projectiles and contrails (8)
  10. Effects (8)
  11. Vehicle physics (8)
  12. Porting bitmaps from other Halo games to H1 (7)
  13. Invader (7)
  14. Editing tags with Mozzarilla (7)
  15. Shader lens flares (7)

Top 10 unknown topics #

  1. Using Krita (11)
  2. Programmatically editing or creating tags with Reclaimer (7)
  3. Using Maya (6)
  4. Invader (6)
  5. Hooking/patching game code (6)
  6. Version control (e.g. git, subversion) (5)
  7. Editing tags with invader-edit-qt (5)
  8. Using Cheat Engine (5)
  9. UV unwrapping (any software) (4)
  10. HAC2, Optic (4)

Top 10 best understood #

  1. Alpha channels (20)
  2. HEK - Halo Editing Kit (19)
  3. Editing tags with Guerilla/OS_Guerilla (19)
  4. Using Photoshop (17)
  5. Extracting tags (16)
  6. Audio editing/DAWs (e.g. Audacity, Reaper) (15)
  7. Scenery and sound scenery placement (15)
  8. Using Paint.NET (14)
  9. Using Sapien (14)
  10. Version control (e.g. git, subversion) (13)