Overload glitch (Halo 3)

For the Halo 2 Overload Glitches, see here.

The Halo 3 Overload Glitch can be done on Forge or in Multiplayer, however, overloading a map may cause your game to freeze.

How to Overload any Halo 3 Map

Overloading a map is usually done to disable the Guardians that prevent players from leaving the boundaries of a map; including the mines around Sandtrap, the turrets around Snowbound, and the laser turrets around Sandbox.

To overload a map in Halo 3, you must first start a Forge game. Go into edit mode by pressing up on the D-pad and spawn a Trip Mine. Open the spawn menu again, press X, and change the minimum run-time setting to the same number as the maximum run-time setting. Then leave edit mode, stand on the trip mine spawn and start dropping trip mines. You can drop trip mines faster by having a secondary weapon and repeatedly pressing X and Y at the right speed.(X, X, Y, X, X, Y...) Be warned, using this fast method for deploying trip mines on one spot can cause your Xbox 360 to freeze. There doesn't seem to be a definite number of trip mines that you need, it depends on the map and the number of objects on the map, so a good rule is to just keep throwing trip mines until they explode on their own (usually any where from 60-90 seconds after the first mine is dropped). Once the pile has exploded by itself, the map should be overloaded.

After some experimentation, this can be done with other equipment. Spawn, say, a Deployable Cover and set it up like a Trip Mine. Then, press X and Y in unison multiple times, throwing for a good few minutes. Once you have thrown enough, the map overloads. This method takes longer than Trip Mines, however.

Overloading Campaign

Currently, only one campaign level can be overloaded and it is The Covenant. To overload the campaign, you will need to perform two other glitches that can be very time consuming. You need to do the Marine Island Glitch as well as the 150 Hornets Glitch. Both glitches will be able to overload the campaign. The effects of overloading campaign are similar to the effects of modded maps in custom games and Forge. The effects are not permanent because when you hit the next loading point, everything will return to normal.

How to Save an Overloaded Map

This requires another method. In one spot where players won't go to, (preferably outside the map), simply make a big pile of weapons and equipment. Once you think you've made enough, spawn a scenery on the pile, and if it disappears, then just spawn a bunch of movable scenery on it. If it doesn't, keep trying. Once you think you've disappeared enough scenery, start a new round. If you've done enough spawning, it should be overloaded and you can save it, and it will still be overloaded next time you load it.

To be more specific, one must take the following steps:

1. Spawn a good 50 to 80 weapons in one place
2. Then, as stated previously, spawn a movable scenery piece on top to see if it disappears (i.e. a Radio)
3. If it does, proceed to spawn cheap movable scenery
4. After a good 50 spawns, set the runtime of the movable scenery to max (run min and run max being the highest)
5. You will experience a brief pause
6. At the point of the glitch, often one will experience lag and the aforementioned Overloaded Traits
7. Proceed to delete the spawned weapon pile, for they are not needed further
8. Start up your map again and all the movable scenery will immediately spawn and disappear in one place, causing a brief lag. From here on play your Overloaded Map. If Lag continues, revisit forge and cut run-times or if necessary delete a few objects to balance your Overloaded Map out.

The Effects of Overloading

Note: May cause the game to freeze on some occasions and could cause odd happenings such as randomly spawning objects on some Maps

You will know the map has been overloaded because certain elements of the map will have been disabled. The Elephants on Sandtrap will disappear, the guardians on Sandtrap, Sandbox and Snowbound will become inactive for the rest of the round, shield doors will no longer function, and gravity lifts such as those on Construct will disappear or become inactive. Overloading a map may cause other glitches as well.

Once the map has been overloaded, you are free to walk outside the boundaries of maps such as Sandtrap and Snowbound, until you hit invisible walls. You can try to get past these walls by utilizing the Forge Turret Glitch or side seat glitch (requires two players).

The Effects of Overloaded Maps

Assembly - The air lifts disable. The rushing air is still visible on the blue lift but not the yellow ones.

Avalanche - Unlike the other maps, this one requires you to overload the map multiple times. It's easy some times, but there is an easier way to. Go under or near the area of the Spartan Laser cave, then put the mines and overload the map like usual, and done, all man cannons are disabled.

Blackout - The air lift disables, though the rushing air is still visible.

Construct - Gravity lifts no longer work. Also all guns have to respawn.

Epitaph - The rocket launcher platform no longer functions and can be moved about, no shield doors, no holograms and no gravity lifts (though some graphics are still there).

Guardian - Main gravity lifts are disabled, hologram no longer works.

High Ground - Main gate disappears and the movable gates near the inactive mortar gun. The hatch on the bunker disappears.

Isolation - Gravity lifts are visible but don't function.

Last Resort - Bridge which attackers use to get into the spinning wheel disappears.

Sandbox - Watchtowers are disabled, grid and sky bubble's "floor" disappear.

Sandtrap - Minefield becomes inactive for the rest of the round. Fan lifts no longer work.

Snowbound - Shield doors are cut and turrets no longer shoot.

The Pit - All major weapons (e.g. Energy Sword) disappear temporarily. Fan lift stops functioning, although the air is still visible

Valhalla - Man Cannons are disabled.

Foundry - All objects disappear for a few moments, then respawn.

Narrows - Man cannons are disabled; rocket launcher on the lower level energy bridge disappears.

Trivia

• Some players have reported seeing Ghosts of Halo on maps after overloading them.