Light-bridge area descent
Posted January 8th 2025, updated later
Associated movies
Off to the left of the thoroughfare running through the light-bridge area, there are two ramped platforms sticking out over the void; one before the bridge and one after it. Either ramp can be used to jump your Warthog across the gap to hit the steeply sloping far wall. If it hits neatly enough that you're not tumbled out, it can grip the wall and slide down to the bottom, where you can go exploring!
Going back to 2002 (see later for history and links), it's an excellent trick to play with, relatively easy and with handy checkpoints available for making attempts. I'll go into detail in this article based on my own investigation and experience, including some aspects which I suspect are new. One thing to say up front though: take Marines along as they'll add to the fun with a lot of screaming!
Setting up for the first ramp
Just before the left turn onto the thoroughfare, there's a hairpin bend. At the apex of the bend there's a checkpoint triggered: the entry checkpoint as I'll call it. Normally you'd be granted that checkpoint a few seconds later, on your way to the left turn. That's perfectly usable for making descent attempts, but if you want to make things a bit more convenient, you can delay the checkpoint a few extra seconds so you'll have less driving to do for each attempt.
The checkpoint is only briefly delayable however (beyond which it would be cancelled). So here's what to do, as seen demonstrated in BCM539. Dismount from the hog just before the checkpoint trigger line at the apex, throw a high grenade (either type), then drive on. By the time you're granted the checkpoint you should be on the thoroughfare. Basically then, this will save you tackling the corner on each attempt. That'll speed things along and can help you hone your technique faster, or experiment faster.
Setting up for the second ramp
The second ramped platform is across the bridge, so you'll need to activate the bridge first. After crossing the bridge, there's a tunnel ahead. A short way into it, a checkpoint is triggered: the exit checkpoint as I'll call it. This is what to use for making the descent attempts. But as before, you can optimize convenience by delaying the checkpoint a bit (it's briefly delayable like the entry checkpoint). Here are the details, and you can see things demonstrated in BCM540.
First of all, learn exactly where the trigger line is (slightly more than two Warthog lengths into the tunnel), by the patterning on the wall or floor (you can tell when the trigger has occurred because Cortana starts talking). Back the hog up until you're personally almost at the line. Dismount, throw a high grenade (either type), quickly cross the line and reboard, then drive back and (hopefully) get lined up for the ramp before the checkpoint comes. Note: if it doesn't come, that means the grenade caused too long a delay.
Which ramp to use?
In terms of maximum convenience in making descent attempts, the second ramp is best because you can get a checkpoint at which you're already lined up for the ramp. That makes honing your technique or experimenting relatively easy and rapid, and is especially valuable if you're trying to do tricky stunt descents. There are also no covie distractions.
But on the other hand, using the first ramp entails more liveliness due to the covies. They'll cause your Marines to do some shouting, and you might enjoy a bit of splattering before the jump. Sometimes there's even a Grunt on the thoroughfare; an obvious splatter target.
Descent technique
Directly across from the ramped platform is a protruding strip of wall with brightness down the centre (a light source behind cut-out patterning). You don't have to hit the strip (it's possible to slide down on either side), but it's the natural target to go for and has the advantage of being closest. Get some gentle spin in your jump, trying to hit the wall fairly flat to it (so, 4-tyre impact) and ideally with the hog pointing roughly upwards. The point of hitting flat is that you want to avoid bouncing and tumbling, so you're not ejected.
If all goes well, the hog quickly grips the wall then slides down. During the slide, you might like to apply power to try and keep an upwards orientation (I think this can help sometimes), but it's also possible to go power-free, letting nature take its course. The hog grips regardless.
It's not essential that the hog is pointing roughly upwards when you hit. As long as you hit fairly flat, the hog can grip and settle regardless. But I would say you'll be more prone to ejection if sliding down sideways. It's more unstable.
Feel free to move the camera around in flight to get different views. It won't make any difference to the hog dynamics. You can likewise play around with the camera when sliding down, if not applying power.
Note: if the hog goes into a tumble down the slope, you're very likely to die. However, BCM540 includes an example where I actually survived. The hog amusingly cartwheeled down!
Stunt descents
As well as the standard descent method, you might also enjoy trying some of the 'stunt' methods shown in BCM540. One method is where instead of doing a gentle spin off the ramp, you get a roll from the edge of the platform (quite hard). For the most part however, stunts means using explosive in some way.
In particular you can use a grenade blast to somersault the hog towards the wall. In the movie I showed some forward somersaults using a plasma grenade (see pic). The version featuring a short run-up is actually a pretty good method of getting down I think. And I definitely consider it the easiest stunt method.
As I found (and showed in BCM541), stunts using a grenade can also get you to the bottom without using a ramp at all. You can just go off the edge, which has a rim along it. The grenade blast can give you enough boost to reach the wall.
Deep set-ups
Instead of setting up with the entry checkpoint or exit checkpoint, you can actually use one originating from deeper into the level (there are some benefits to this), and you can also get Marines from there, such as an Stacker - who you normally wouldn't have. I'll elaborate, and you can see a demo in BCM541.
Let's say you indeed want him. Drive to the hillside survivor area, pick him up (note: it's random as to whether he's armoured or not) and exit. Enter the rockslide area, slay most or all of the initial covies (it helps to've got a sniper rifle earlier), then approach the Marines to trigger the dropships.
Drive back to the light-bridge area and get lined up for descents. The ship arrivals continue despite your absence, with a checkpoint each time. As such, you can use any of those three checkpoints for your set-up.
There's plenty of time to use use the dropship 2 checkpoint, which comes about 140 seconds after the first ship turned up, and which would typically be due about a minute after you get back, if you didn't dawdle. The next checkpoint comes about 65 seconds later, and the last about 44 seconds after that. (Note: all these timings are for PAL Xbox; they may differ on NTSC/PC).
An advantage of deep set-ups is that you can take your time getting into whatever position you want. There's no rush. In particular this could be useful for doing some type of stunt descent. You can also have armoured Marines, for resilience against grenade blasts used when doing stunts. Another aspect is that it gives you a way of checkpointing at the bottom (if you're interested), namely if there's at least one dropship checkpoint pending.
Pending dropship checkpoints can also be used for making successive modifications to your set-up, which can be very useful for doing stunts. It lets you adjust your initial position and potentially adopt or adjust a grenade aim, and then checkpoint to consolidate.
Descending to music
When creating a deep set-up, it's possible to end up having music during your descent fun. If using dropship checkpoints in the general manner I described, make sure that the rockslide area is the final survivor area (so, clear the other two first). Music will then start just before the dropship 4 checkpoint; so that's the checkpoint to use for completing your set-up.
Things to do when you're down
The bottom floor is T shaped, but with the bar of the T (running parallel to the bridge) much longer than the stem. A rather squat T then. Things are very misty, but even without the mist there wouldn't be a lot to see on the ground. The sights are striking though, and you can look up to see the bridge and the platforms. A plasma pistol has just enough range to reach the underside of the bridge, so you might like to try a bit of zapping. A pistol can't make it.
History and links
As far as I'm aware, the trick goes back to early 2002 with the credit going to Team 7HR33. On the One-Shots page at HBO you'll find two pictures from Team 7HR33 submitted on February 13th 2002, taken from below the light-bridge.
In a forum thread the following March, Louis Wu mentioned those pics. xbill chimed in and subsequently contributed to HBO's 'Tip and Tricks' section with an item containing pictures and a video, although the video is no longer accessible. Incidentally, Wu said that Team 7HR33 had explained the method in a forum post, but I searched and found nothing. I wonder if Wu misremembered, thinking instead of a post in which Team 7HR33 had described how to get down the main shaft on SC, in co-op.
In the Frogblast archive at High Impact Halo there's an an item dated September 4th 2002 called Below the Lightbridge in Level Two, basically comprising a 37-second video but also referencing Team 7HR33 and xbill. In the video he descends from the second ramp (hitting the wall roughly sideways).
I don't know if anyone was using checkpoint delaying to optimize convenience, so maybe I've added something new there (but of course, it's just routine engineering). Likewise, I don't know if anyone did any 'stunt' descents such as seen in BCM540. Maybe those are new.
Given the presence of the ramped platforms and the fact that the far wall is sloped enough for a Warthog to grip, I wonder if Bungie actually did that deliberately so you could reach the bottom. Note also that the 'strips' directly opposite are brightly marked. Perhaps to get your attention and maybe give you an idea!