Before we begin, here’s a list of things that are required for you to play Grifball online in Halo 3.
* Heroic Map Pack - This was the first set of downloadable maps available through the XBOX Live Marketplace. Originally they came with a fee of 800 Microsoft points, but now they are completely free! You absolutely need these in order to play Grifball, as one of the maps (Foundry) is used for the Grifball court.
* Map Variant and Game Type - The next thing you’ll need is the custom variant of the Foundry map and the game type that goes along with it. You can find those at
http://www.bungie.net/stats/halo3/fileshare.aspx?gamertag=grifball&filter=gamevariants
and
http://www.bungie.net/stats/halo3/fileshare.aspx?gamertag=grifball&filter=mapvariants
You may need to sign up for a free Bungie.net account before you can download the files to your XBOX. It’s worth it if you want to play Grifball!
* Teams - You’ll need two teams of 4 players each. You can play 2 on 2 or 3 versus 3, but it’s not nearly as fun as playing with a full roster of 4 players per team.
Setting up the map variant and game type
Now that you have the Heroic map pack, map variant and game type downloaded and enough players, it’s time to set up your first game!
One thing I should mention is that sometimes it takes a couple minutes when you start up Halo for files you’ve set to download to your XBOX to begin downloading. You’ll know when they have finished because you’ll receive a message on your screen alerting you that the download is complete. You don’t need to do anything to start the download. It happens automatically.
Okay, so once the map and game type files have finished downloading, the first thing you need to do is create a custom match by choosing Custom Games in the main menu. Now choose the Map option and look in your list of maps for Foundry. In the next list that pops up you should find the variant called GBSPL08. Go ahead and load that. Now choose the Game option and look in the Assault list for a game variant also called GBSPL08 and load that up. Now your game is all set up and ready to be played. There’s one last thing you need to do. Invite 7 other people to play, of course!
The very simple rules of Grifball
* Each round begins with a face-off, where all four players from each team rush the middle of the court where the ball is placed. The object of course is to take possession of the ball.
* The ball carrier will turn orange and has a 2x overshield. He’s also going to be faster than normal players. Anyone can pick up the ball and become the ball carrier.
* You score a goal by placing the ball on the opposing teams circular goal on their end of the court.
* You earn one point for a goal scored. Each time a goal is scored, the round is over.
* The first team to reach five goals will be the winner, however every game plays to a total of nine goals, so you could conceivably have a 9-0 shutout, for example.
* When you get killed, you re-spawn in 3 seconds at your own goal. Look out for players who may be “spawn camping” near your goal. Nothing sucks more than to get killed and then be killed again as soon as you re-spawn.
* You absolutely need to learn to use your radar. You can damage or kill your own teammates, which is more commonly known as betraying. Betraying a teammate could easily result in your team surrendering a goal.
A few tips to help improve your Grifball play
* Quit betraying me! - As I mentioned in the rules, try not to betray your teammates. It’s going to happen eventually and usually does at least a few times in each game, but you have a much better chance of winning if you can minimize your betrayals. Once you a lose a man, for the brief time he’s out of the game, that creates a lane for the opposing team’s ball carrier to potentially use and ultimately score.
* Taking out the ball carrier - Killing the ball carrier can be a real pain. A common strategy used by many players is to switch to the secondary weapon, the sword. When the ball carrier is approaching, try to back off just a bit before you take a swipe at him.
* Work on your timing - Hammering is all about timing. The more you play, the better you’ll get at timing your swing and taking out your opponent. If you find a player who seems to be particularly hard to kill, try to bait him into swinging first, then move in for the kill. If you’re up against a player whose using his sword instead of his hammer, try to not to give him any space to set up his swing.
* Fling the ball carrier - Learn how to launch your ball carrier towards the goal. This can be very effective. Crouch down and let the ball carrier jump over you. If you hammer as he’s just passing over you, this can give him a huge boost, launching him over the heads of the opposing players. It takes a little practice to get it just right.
