[sup]1[/sup]The home of Trollface.jpg on Forge Hub. Enter at your own risk! Forging 101: Ghost Merging What is Ghost Merging? Originally stumbled upon by Death YoYo, further developed by Fritzster, and perfected by tylyr1, Ghost Merging is a fantastic new glitch that is revolutionizing the way we forge. In short, when this glitch is performed, the result is an object in your hand that can pass through any geometry, both movable/immovable objects and default map geometry alike. Utilizing this handy trick can cut forging time down considerably, allowing you to focus on design. No longer are interlocking and merging daunting tasks, and no longer should one fear merging objects at odd angles or on uneven surfaces. You Have my Attention, sir. Just how does one go about Ghost Merging? 1. Choose the object you wish to ghost merge, and spawn two of them into the map. 2. Bring up the object menu on one of the items, and set it to never respawn. Leave the other item alone. 3. Dummy both items. To dummy an object, hover your monitor's green reticle over an object and quickly tap Up+A. You should not see the object move. If it does, try again. At this point, you should be able to take another item and use it to push the dummied object off of its spawn point, you will see the item move, but its teardrop will remain in the same location (This might be difficult at first, but just keep practicing, as it gets easier every time you do it). An alternative method of dummying an object involves no movement of the object whatsoever. To execute this method, when in Monitor mode, press Up on the D-Pad and then X in very quick succession. Much like the method above, you want to press the buttons almost simultaneously, but press X ever so slightly after pressing Up. If done correctly you will be in Player mode but have the item list open, simply spawn the items you wish to use from this list and they will already be dummied. 4. Pick up the item you left alone (the normal respawn item). Continue to hold the item and wait. 5. After about 30 seconds, you should see the 'never respawning' item disappear. At this time, press X to bring up that object's menu. Raise the run-time minimum to equal the run-time maximum. 6. The item you were holding should have duplicated, leaving one item floating in the air, and another in your monitor's hand. This item can pass through any object. So all you have to do now is release the object in the desired location and you're done. Once the item is released, the object that was floating in the air when you duplicated it, will disappear. 7. Profit. Pics or it Didn't Happen. Ask and you shall receive. Well, sorta. How about a video instead? Tylyr's video tutorial should help some of the more visual learners out there. YouTube- Ghost Merging Tut - Make any Immoveable Object No-Clip Advanced Techniques Pre-Bracing (non-OLN objects) This is the most handy trick used in conjunction with the Ghost Merge. Pre-Bracing eliminates the need for you to manually rotate the duplicated item. By setting up some guides, you can make sure you get the precise angle you intend to merge at each and every time without fail. This process is set up prior to the Ghost Merge steps listed above, and later executed between steps 4 and 5. For instance, lets say my goal is to merge a double block into the sand at a very specific angle. Before performing the glitch, set up a guide that would allow you to press a block against it to get the block at the angle needed. So after step 4 of Ghost merging, but before step 5 (when you are holding the object you plan on duplicating), you can take your object to the guide, press it against it to get the block in the desired orientation, then duplicate it. Your ghost merge item is now already at the angle you need it to be at, and all is left for you to do is release it in the correct location. Pre-Bracing (OLN objects) The Pre-Bracing method detailed above only works for non-OLN objects, OLN objects will default back to their 'initial' spawn rotation when they reappear during the glitch process. If you are ghost merging with an OLN object and need to Pre-Brace it then you need to change the objects 'initial' rotation. The way to do this is do take the OLN object you want to ghost merge, set up a brace at the desired angle as with the method above, press the OLN object in to the brace so it is at the right angle, then save and quit. If you then load up this new map and perform the normal ghost merge procedure, the OLN object will end up with the rotation at which you saved it when it reappears. Post-Bracing This technique has been developed for the purpose of ensuring a precise, level height of ghost merged items. This technique is most useful on flat surfaces. The premise of Post-Bracing is that you can dictate specific merge heights by placing objects on the ground where you intend to merge. Confused? Here's an example Let's say you are merging several double blocks in succession on Sandbox's flat areas. Place a large column on its side, flat on the ground where you plan on merging a box. When you have duplicated your box and are ready to push it into the ground, push it directly over the column. The height of the column does not allow the box to travel as far down into the ground. Instead it only lets the box merge down one bridge-width into the ground. So the box is merged down just enough that you will not lose grenades beneath it, while still maintaining a good height for the box. Doing this repeatedly ensures a flat surface so you do not have to guess. There are numerous applications of this trick. In the below image, the block on the right is just sitting flat on the ground. The box on the left has used Post-Bracing with a column to merge it down just enough to protect from stray grenades. Using a 2nd Controller At times, it may not be easy to 'eyeball' your Ghost Merges and get them pixel perfect. To assist in this, power on a secondary controller so that you may view the merge from all angles to make sure its aligned properly. You can even have your secondary player walk along the surface to see if there are any bumps or inconsistencies. The reason this does not work for just having another friend in the party with you is because the off-host sees things substantially different than they actually are when merging. Since your secondary controller is a host, just like you, it sees objects as they really are, in their accurate orientations. Use this to your advantage and you can save valuable time re-doing merges over and over again. Counter-Merging Since Ghost merging only allows you to push an object half way through another, if you want your object merged in further, you must first go underneath the map, then perform the glitch from below the map. Gunnergrunt has provided a helpful video tutorial for your viewing pleasure. YouTube- Counter-Merging Tutorial Ghost Merging the last of any object You know how there is always one pesky item left on your object list after you've ghost merged the rest of them into your map? You could always geomerge it, but that went out of style ages ago! Well Mr. Fancypants, here's a tutorial that will show you how to ghost merge that final object on the list. Here's how it works: First, will need to spawn that final item and dummy it. Next, you will need to dummy a second object of the same type (make sure you set this one to "Never" respawn). Well, you already have a map full of them, so why not use one of those? You should use the Up+A method to dummy here, and we suggest selecting an item that is partially interlocked or suspended in the air. That way, the object will move away from its tear drop on its own. Now that both objects are dummied, carry out the ghost merge process as you usually would. Just grab the item that remains at 30 second respawn, wait till the other one disappears, and then set the run-time minimum to full. Place the object where you'd like it, and then start a new round to set the "Never" item back to its original location. You just ghost merged all the objects on your list! YouTube- Ghost Merging Tricks 1 Interlocking more than half way Here's the situation: You want to ghost merge an object more than halfway into another object of the same type. You can't just despawn the second object, because it will spawn again when you change the run-time minimum to full (during the ghost merge). All you have to do is dummy the object that is in the way, and move it away from its teardrop. And while you're at it, set that object to "Never" respawn so you can use it as part of your ghost merge process. Now dummy the object that you are trying to merge, and treat everything as a normal ghost merge from that point. Start a new round, and both objects will be in place. Ta-da! YouTube- Ghost Merging Tricks 2 (Thanks to Gunnergrunt for those 3 video tutorials) Ghost Merging Canvases What makes ghost merging easier than it's own canvas right? Provided by chrstphrbrnnn and Shad0w Viper, a ghost merge canvas is a one step way to dummy all of the items that are possible to ghost merge. That's right, all one has to do is restart the initial round and ever item is ready to be ghost merged. Every possible item is placed on the map and set to No/Never, meaning the object will not be placed at the start of the round and will never respawn, thus you have every object ready after a round restart. But you will lose your item you say? Nay, all items appear on the initial starting of the game and can be deleted. Ghost Merging Steps With the Canvas: 1) Start your Ghost Merge Canvas 2) Restart the round upon starting the game 3) Spawn the object you want to Ghost Merge and 'Dummy' or 'Displace' it. 4) Pick the item up, set the run time maximum to the highest value and your item is ready to be merged. Note: If you spawn all of your objects (all 40 Double Blocks, etc), you will not be able to delete your No/Never block without first deleting a double block. The No/Never item will not appear if all of the items are currently placed on the map, however you can simply delete one of the items and remove the No/Never block, or just remove the No/Never status. This isn't an issue with the non-budget glitched version of the canvas, however when it comes to budget glitching it can be. Spawning all of one item and then deleting on will cause you to break the budget glitch on that item and if you are over-budget you will not be able to spawn all of that item. Therefore, when using the UBG canvas variant, make sure to never max out an items capacity before removing/undoing the No/Never item. Forge Hub's Official Ghost Merge Canvas - Created By: chrstphrbrnnn & Shad0w Viper Forge Hub's Official Ultimate Budget Glitch GMC Variant - Budget Glitched By: Short Bizzle Notes Ghost Merged Items Disappearing You may notice that Ghost Merged items will disappear after a while once you have placed them. If you run in to this issue persistently then there is a way to stop it happening. Brace the object in question completely with teleporter nodes, such that if you grab it, it will stay in position completely. Double tap A to grab and quickly release the object, and this should reset any ill effects of the Ghost Merging process and stop the item disappearing in future. Host You must be host in order to perform this glitch, you can have others in the party if you wish but they will not be able to perform the glitch. As mentioned in the 2nd Controller Method, other players in your party will not be host, thus they will not be able to perform the glitch. Geometry items you are using will also appear drastically differently for off-host players. Therefore, whilst having other players in the game won't hurt the process (aside from the possible lag issues that all online Forging can potentially bring), they won't be able to help at all unless they are a second controller on your own Xbox, thus are technically host as well.
Very well written, although I have to say its been a long time coming. MW2 is no excuse either EDIT: First post lolz
When using the up plus d pad trick you have to hold X not just tap it, that is the only way to do it (at least for me and it works a lot easyer i think)
holy ****, this thing is real!!! everyone try out this glitch it will make your life sooo much easier!!!!!!!!!!! OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!im gonna go try it out to see if it really works
This guide has been slow to release due to the facct they wanted it to be 100% accurate and easy to follow. LIGHTSOUT, myself, and many many others know the correct way to do the glitch, and holding X is not the way. (Not yelling) Anyway, great guide, long time coming indeed, but all in all a good guide. And yay for my picture being the pre-brace picture.
http://www.forgehub.com/forum/halo-forge-discussion/85959-new-forge-glitch.html This is the original FH thread about it... you can follow that to figure it out. I'm definitely supporting Yo yo and Tylyr1 for most of the work.
Well everything's here, so I guess this deserves a front page mention. However, most people who like to forge have known about ghost merging for a while now, but it's obviously still extremely helpful as a reference for new forgers. Very well written, LIGHTSOUT.
HA! It's done! Took long 'nuff. Not the neatest or most organized, but does tell the new forger everything they need to know. There should be a link to the original thread to provide more information, as there are tips there tat go un-reconized. Also, the Up-A method is outdated and rather hard for new players, so I suggest you only provide that during counter merging. Some more tips should be imported or at least linked. But overall, not too shabby LIGHTS, I know you hate me
Seems this is the new place to discuss it so I'll ask: is there ANY advantage to up+A over up+X? I can't find one, it seems like it would only be useful without prebracing, to get angles correct.
I've been ghost merging for a little while, but this still had things I didn't know. For instance, I've been dummying both objects this whole time. And I never knew about the Up+X method. I'll try it soon. Very helpful writeup. thanks.
Excellent, I've known about this glitch before, but the Pre-Bracing stuff helps a lot. Thanks for posting this.
Well this is normally based on preference, but I like the Up-X method much better now because you are guaranteed to have a dummied object, unlike Up-A where sometimes you have to guess and try over again. However you CANNOT use Up-X on counter-merging because the eye-drops appear in the air, thus you cannot grab the object. This is pointed out in my guide below: Quoted from the original tips section....
Perfect! I've been waiting a long time for a guide like this, and you've delivered! Thanks, I will leave you a small sum of cash in my will.
i dont support this. BFP St1cky is the one who stumbled upon the glitch a loooooooooong time ago along with some of the people named. So giving credit to only 3 people is ghey.besides that i think its been way too long for anything like this to be released to the monkeys. way to stay ahead of the curve forgehub... pfft
well then perhaps they shouldnt have kept it to themselves. As far as anyone at FH is aware of, this article is accurate. Besides, getting credit for the glitch isnt near as important as the glitch itself, so get over it. Oh, and sorry it took so long, cancer can be a ***** sometimes. Don't post again in here unless you change your attitude.