Sep 2018

Halo 1: NHE v1.0 is finally released.

Aug 2018

Testing is completed and the v1.0 release candidate is tested at Beach LAN 7. No bugs were reported.

July 2018

Testing of the final release begins.

Jun 2018

Stuntman discovers a hidden file in a debug version of Halo that helps significantly for reverse engineering. Subsequently, Mintograde discovers a new potential way of handling the hostman that would actually prevent him from spawning, which would theoretically improve NHE gameplay. Devilman mods the xbe so that teams do not swap colors after every game. He also removes the bored camera which is a necessary step for the new hostman method if it ever comes to light. Also, unnecessary player and map geometry are removed from the host xbe.

May 2018

Stuntman holds a map making contest that is held at the VA Beach 2018 LAN. Tinker is the winning map out of 5 contestants.

Apr 2018

DDS creates new attract vids to replace the stock ones shown in the title screen. The .fortune easter egg quotes are replaced with new ones. DDS also changes various other string text in the UI.map.

Mar 2018

Insidious & DDS fix the menu to allow more than 20 maps to be displayed correctly. DDS creates a credits screen that can be accessed from the title menu. The team votes to include no spread on the final release along with no plasma pistol charge and needler shooting sounds.

Feb 2018

Mintograde reverse engineers Halo to make the scoreboard automatically show up during gameplay. This enables the scoreboard screen to be captured and/or streamed. This requires a separate xbe which is only to be used on the host xbox. DDS creates a test build of NHE that removes spread from the pistol and no scoped sniper. It plays very well and a debate starts as to whether to include it in the final release.

Jan 2018

DDS removes the flashing effect on ground and rock textures used on the walls and floor of Battle Creek, Outbound, etc. DDS also creates Practice Mode which replaces the Race gametype. All weapons and powerups respawn every 30 seconds so people can practice nade tricks. Mudbone reaches out to Jeff Steitzer (the Halo multiplayer announcer) and requests a recording of him saying “Practice Mode” so that it can be used when a practice mode gametype loads. Jeff Steitzer graciously obliges and provides the team three excellent sample tracks to choose from. DDS implements this into each map.

Feb 2017

Beta V7 is released.

Jan 2017

Mintograde reverse engineers Halo to break the 13 map limit and increases it to 20 maps. Insidious implements a pre-game countdown at the beginning of each game which nullifies the unfair advantage created by the varying render speeds of different Xboxes. He also further optimizes the hud timer script and redoes the lighting on Imminent. DDS creates a newer version of Decidia and Dsalimander redoes the lighting on Downrush and Exhibit. Stuntman releases Atlas.

Dec 2016

Beta V6 is released. Shortly after Insidious discovers a way to toggle different NHE modes piggy backing off of the vehicle selection menu options. He also figures out how to create a training mode that includes spawn markers, random zones, powerup announcements, and powerup waypoints. Mintograde reverse engineers the Halo executable to confirm the spawn influence distance in game (which is used to display the random zones in training mode).

Oct 2016

Many players notice holes in Derelict on BetaV5 and the NHE team confirms that the holes are inadvertently and unavoidably created whenever a map is rebuilt in 3DS Max (which is required for the hostman box). This issue is resolved when Dsalimander joins the NHE team and discovers a new way to teleport hostman outside the map using a ghost. This method requires “all vehicles” or “ghosts” to be turned on for each gametype until such time Cluis can find a way to inject a hostman box into a completed map. DDS discovers a way to add an onscreen timer using campaign cut scenes and Insidious develops it.

Aug 2016

NHE BetaV5 is used on all stations at Beach LAN 5.

Apr 2016

Cujjer and NTG Fr33 test nearby subroutines and find the one that affects each issue. Insidious re-codes a new talking timer script that is flawless and on a 30-minute loop cycle. Stuntman joins the NHE team for map creation/editing support. DDS figures out a much more precise & quicker method for re-compiling the new NHE and talking timer scripts into maps, and rebuilding them back 100% accurate. DDS attempts to replace all the physical “.sound” tag files in the maps for rebuilding, but runs into a major error that was affecting the talking timer script to not function properly. Insidious devises a way to properly remove the necessary sounds (teleporter, power ups, etc.) by removing all references in the necessary tags. Halo 1: Final previously loaded blank sound files, which actually corrupted the map for importing/exporting back to tags (but still works in game on the xbox). Insidious’ and DDS’ theory on back engineering a map and adding new geometry (hostman box), starts to come alive in full effect. The hostman can now be put very high above the map which makes the green arrow much less conspicuous. DDS Succesfully remakes Chillout and Derelict 100% accurate from 3ds Max – Full complete rebuild. With Insidious’ help, the NHE team hires cluis, the creator of ‘Arsenic’, to provide Xbox tags which auto load in Arsenic and makes map upgrades error free and considerably less time consuming. Cluis also starts working on a new way to add a hostman geometry box way above the map without needing to fully rebuild the map in 3DS Max.

Mar 2016

Devilman reattempts to translate the Halo PC nade fix to the Xbox version and finds success! The fix only corrects the nade count on spawn. Further testing is needed to correct the other issues affected by the event handler.

Feb 2016

Devilman determines the Yelo Debug Communication Library created by xbox7887 and kornman00 can be used to set a breakpoint. Using the library, which is written in C#, one should be able to create an app that will connect with a debug Xbox using xbox7887’s modified xbdm.dll and then find values and set breakpoints. Progress stalls until such time the NHE team finds someone who can create this app.

Jan 2016

Devilman successfully establishes a debug connection using the b2276 release of Halo running on the ram upgraded original Xbox (flashed with a debug bios and using xbox7887’s modified xbdm.dll). Memory dumps are successful using the Yelo Debugger App created by grimdoomer. The values for nades are found however attempts to set breakpoints in visual studio fail as this requires debug symbols which are unattainable for Halo.

Dec 2015

Devilman successfully reverse engineers Halo PC to start with 4 nades on spawn instead of 2 nades. Attempts to use IDA Pro to translate the changes to the Xbox version fail. Devilman purchases an RGH modded Xbox 360 and converts it into a Dev Kit. A debug session is established with Halo running and the value for nades is found. The values can be poked in real time however a breakpoint could not be set in Visual Studio as the values fell into the dynamic memory range. Values in that range will not breakpoint.

Nov 2015

Insidious finds the solution for Damnation and Downrush. The scripts had increased the map file size larger than the game would accept. Insidious finds a fix previously done by ViperNeo that allows for a larger map to be loaded and solves the problem. Work on fixing the 2 nades resumes. NTG Fr33 and Mudbone ask for assistance from old Bungie employees that worked on the multiplayer for Halo. They respond but are of no assistance.

May 2015

DDS runs into a problem with Damnation and Downrush. The maps will not load after adding NHE scripts. The work on fixing the 2 nades comes to a halt until this problem can be corrected.

Apr 2015

Devilman purchases a ram upgraded Xbox and flashes it with a debug bios to assist in establishing a debug session with Halo. Progress is very slow.

Feb 2015

DDS and Devilman start work on fixing the 2 nades problem. DDS determines that the problem cannot be fixed using scripts. Research into trainer creation begins and attempts to use the evox remote debugger and a debug bios loader fail.

Jan 2015

DDS is successful in creating an NHE beta on the map Prisoner and starts work on other maps. It becomes apparent there are only 2 nades on spawn for 2v2 games instead of the normal default of 4.

Nov 2014

DDS releases Halo 1: Final v1.0 which is created using scripts. He then starts using scripts to create what would become NHE. The biggest challenge is finding the hostman and teleporting him to a location inside the map that does not affect spawns.

May 2013

McDick proposes the concept of NHE to DDS over a conversation on Facebook.

edit: Mando discusses with Mcdick about his idea of having a neutral host box where "hostman dies at the beginning of the game and never respawns, or somehow can get out of bounds where it doesn't affect the spawns." Mcdick, realizing Mando went to jail soon after this encounter, decided to propose this "NHE Concept" to DDS over a conversation on Facebook.

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