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Halo |OT8| A Salt on the Control Room

Vire

Member
Thanks for posting that Hypertrooper, I hadn't seen that.

The last line is rather interesting...

Far more? Taking with a massive grain of salt.
 
Did you see the E3 Awards thread I did? Expect many bitter people come GOTY time..

Forgot to comment on this yesterday.

If Halo 4 wins GAF's GOTY, I'm expecting genuine hatred from any number of posters. Because it's Halo. It won't be met with disgruntled disapproval, like MGS4, at the very least.

Even though I'm excited about the return of Hunters in campaign, I really hope 343 doesn't rely on the Covenant as a major focal point throughout the game. We've done that, it's time for something new...
It's interesting. I had originally thought we'd be fighting the Covenant in the beginning, and as the game progressed, they would be slowly faded out as more and more classes of Promethean infantry were revealed. By the end, you're not fighting the Covenant at all. Guess I was wrong.
I think they're...fine/okay in 3/ODST, but I also think that they're just an Elite without the two biggest elements that make Elites interesting. First, the recharging shield that forces players to make a risk/reward judgement. Should I finish the battle by continuing the offense or take a knee and regain some shields, risking having to start from the beginning of the fight by doing so because the Elites play by the same rules as the player? Second, the Elites' agility and tendency to dodge away from shots and grenades reinforces the first point by giving them the ability to prolong the battle and get some of their health back of their own volition, not just because the player shifted into a passive mode of defense.

Once you blew off a Brute's armor, that was it. Fight over, go ahead and regain shields at your leisure because finishing the enemy off is now trivial. They had no ability to become a threat again apart from lamely rushing and more than likely getting shot in the head in the process. I dunno, it might just be a philosophical thing. I like AI that has the player's own restrictions and abilities.

I've said this all before, but in lieu of this post I think it bears repeating. I'm not too sure what you meant by "a philosophical thing," and so that might be what I'm about to elaborate on. A lot of people compare Elites to Brutes as if they're the same thing: they're not. I may be reading your post incorrectly, but from your "faux elite comment in another post, it seems to me you're comparing them as if they're suppose to be interchangeable. I think Brutes aren't faux Elites simply because they aren't. They're not supposed to be. That was never Bungie's intention, and they kept reiterating that and hitting upon that all the way up to Halo 3's release.

It's fine to prefer Elites over Brutes for the reasons you listed (having an enemy that matches the player's abilities), but other points I have a problem with, like "Once you blew off a Brute's armor, that was it," because you're taking them out of context of their gameplay design. In short, out of everything I'm saying, is this: You fight through a couple of Elites whereas you fight through a pack of Brutes. Fictionally Brutes are as strong and as durable as Elites, but Bungie had to make them different from a gameplay standpoint, and out of that came the concept of the Brute pack. The fight was never over when you blew off a Brute's armor because you had to deal with six or seven other Brutes at the same time. Their difficulty came in numbers and coordination with each other, not being individualistic and opportunistic like Elites. You don't see an encounter like that hallway or barracks in Crow's Nest, the last fight of Tsavo Highway or The Ark, among others, with Elites in other Halo games.

Now, that all isn't to say that Brutes aren't placed in Elite roles or used as Elites in certain situations. Sometimes you'd come across a group of Covenant that has mostly Grunts and Jackals and only one or two Brutes. In those situations you're "that's it" criticism works better and is understandable, but those situations weren't given as much weight, nor were as numerous, as Brute pack encounters. Those small group encounters were more common in the beginning of the game when the player was being eased into the gameplay.

Bungie pretty much spelled out the Brute's gameplay design in the ViDoc "Et tu, Brute?". There's one line that sums up the whole ViDoc, and the design:

When a player kills him, they're like, "Oh man, I had to kill that guy." Then they go around a corner and there's like four more of them standing there, right, and they're like, "Shit."

Inspired by this thread, I want to ask HaloGAF a question: How many of you consider a Halo game to be your favorite game of this console generation? Or favorite game ever?

Halo is hands down my favorite game series, but I'm not sure if any of them individually are my favorite game ever. And as far as this gen goes, I think Super Mario Galaxy 2 -- beginning to end, pound for pound -- was more fun than any Halo game. It doesn't have the replayability of Halo, but it was nearly flawless while it lasted.

This could get way off topic really easily, but I'm still curious to hear what people think.
If I want to be completely honest with myself, if I look out the amount of time I've sunk into, and how much enjoyment I've gotten out of, one game, I'd have to say that not only is Halo 3 my favorite game of this generation, but of all time.
 
Never gotten all the hate for Cortana (level). Personally, I think, as do several other people on here, that it doesn't matter how many missions there are nearly so much as what's in those missions.
Varied environments.
Interesting and challenging encounters.
Good storytelling.
And so on.
I think "varied" is a little much. I felt like I was in a giant's decomposing lower intestine the whole time, being attacked by poop-eating bacteria. Not pleasant, especially when you consider that something hiding inside this giant's colon is telling you to get the fuck out.
 
Forgot to comment on this yesterday.

If Halo 4 wins GAF's GOTY, I'm expecting genuine hatred from any number of posters. Because it's Halo. It won't be met with disgruntled disapproval, like MGS4, at the very least.
I am surprise how well received Halo 4 is at the gaming side.
 

monome

Member
a “level” actually comprises different environments and radically different play styles that might otherwise have been split into different levels.

I was correcting myself, but thanks for the heads up.

Still, Requiem is artificial so the limits are non existent within the fiction to change it at will and create whatever environments 343i sees fit.
It is just too expensive to do and I don't picture 343i going beyond the traditionnal one themed environment, one mission thing.
And I expect driving, flying, jumping, running within the course of one mission so as to have different paces within one gaming session.

If BSAngel means I can have water, rocks and sand during the course of one mission it's not what I'm trying to talk about.

Missions will probably have each a unique visual signature, accentuated by one striking environment each and the rest will just be 343i designing a better than Halo Forerunner structure to mesh things together and make the progression through Requiem unforgettable.
 
Inspired by this thread, I want to ask HaloGAF a question: How many of you consider a Halo game to be your favorite game of this console generation? Or favorite game ever?

Halo is hands down my favorite game series, but I'm not sure if any of them individually are my favorite game ever. And as far as this gen goes, I think Super Mario Galaxy 2 -- beginning to end, pound for pound -- was more fun than any Halo game. It doesn't have the replayability of Halo, but it was nearly flawless while it lasted.

This could get way off topic really easily, but I'm still curious to hear what people think.

Mass Effect 2 might be mine...
 

Woorloog

Banned
Mass Effect 2 might be mine...

Favorite game on 360? Yeah, Mass Effect 2 might be mine too.
Loved Halo 3 and ODST, Mass Effect 1, Red Dead Redemption and others but i think i've played Mass Effect 2 the most. Single player anyway, if i count in Halo 3's MP hours then i've played it quite a lot.
A tie beetween Halo 3 and Mass Effect 2, i'd say. If Halo 4 is as good as it seems to be, then it will beat them both though.

Hummmmm....I don't need another SP trailer...yet I want it...

Yep. I wonder whether i can avoid watching it.

Do you remember and/or see some of the comments made in Vire's E3 "Best of Show" voting thread? Imagine that with greater numbers and more intensity because it's GAF's GOTY.

What kinda comments there were?
 
ME>ME2 even if buggy and the combat is slow.

I can certainly see this from the stance of pure "newness" and exploration. Playing ME1, I hadn't gotten that caught up in a universe since Halo. Really brilliant stuff. Even my wife would try to make sure she was around to watch while I was playing it, and she wouldn't let me finish the ending until she had gotten home from work, lol. I love that woman.
 
really hoping we can continue this streak of good bulletins going. We've gotten pretty good info on weapons, specializations, music, and achievements over the past three weeks.

i hope 343 unveils what new map they're showing off, as well as the new game mode in the next bulletin. or maybe just talks about competitive ranking.
 

DesertFox

Member
really hoping we can continue this streak of good bulletins going. We've gotten pretty good info on weapons, specializations, music, and achievements over the past three weeks.

i hope 343 unveils what new map they're showing off, as well as the new game mode in the next bulletin. or maybe just talks about competitive ranking.

Yeah this has been a nice change of pace - and don't forget the Covenant and Forerunner weapon blowouts we were promised.
 
I've been playing some Halo 3 campaign recently just to refresh myself on it. The FOV is really disorienting, I feel really clumsy in just how I navigate because of it. I'm starting to nail down why a lower crosshair is really bothersome to me, at closer ranges while I'm trying to go for headshots my view is cutting off a lower portion of my target's body, so I feel all this top space is going wasted while what I'm trying to aim at is getting reduced.

BUT! Ceremonially dueling a hammer Chieftain while the rest of his Brutes circle around and watch, then picking up his hammer and invincibility powerup afterwards and going Chieftain on the onlookers is so good.

ME>ME2 even if buggy and the combat is slow.
I haven't played through ME3 yet, but of the first two I think I enjoy playing 1 a little more. I actually really liked the Mako sections, but I just really love vehicles with wacky handling, like CE's Warthog. It was pretty relaxing roaming around all those empty planets and engaging in some sparse combat with my hopping buggy, much preferred it over mineral mining.

Another thing about ME1 over 2 was weapon modding. I loved turning my sniper rifle into an impromptu hitscan rocket launcher when I added mods to increase damage at the expense of adding heat, as well as a mod that adds splash damage on top of increasing heat. So I only had one shot per cooldown, but it was ridiculously fun to snipe someone's foot and have them insanely ragdoll.
 

Woorloog

Banned
I can certainly see this from the stance of pure "newness" and exploration.

Me too but ME2 is so much better in so many other things i simply cannot think ME1 being better.
I don't think i need to explain what's wrong with ME3 :p

Dammit, i really want to play Halo 2 again but with new graphics, really wish that would happen. On 360 or PC, don't think i'll buy NextBox until its price has dropped a lot.

BUT! Ceremonially dueling a hammer Chieftain while the rest of his Brutes circle around and watch, then picking up his hammer and invincibility powerup afterwards and going Chieftain on the onlookers is so good.

Oh man, that is one of the best moments in Halo 3! I love cheating and killing everyone while dueling...
 

Karl2177

Member
Favorite game: Mass Effect 1
Favorite series: now either Borderlands or Halo, since they really botched Mass Effect 3's ending

Dax, your point on the Brute pack versus Elite style is fair, but I feel you're overlooking how the Brute functions in general. They are meant to be opponents that you don't want to fight up close. And that is where their AI should really shine. Instead in 3 and later games, they dance around like the Elites did. In Halo 2 they may not have been fun to fight, because there was no clear way to defeat them, but when they went berserk, it was clear that your plan of attack must change. In Halo 3 and later it was simply target the berserking one with a headshot weapon.

Another time when I wish I was at my computer...
 

Shadders

Member
Yep. Kinda glad they didn't do a Legendary edition this time. Wouldn't be able to afford it.

Great time for rich Halo fans though.

Yes.. it is all starting to add up, isn't it? I've ordered the LE OST, but I took a sharp intake of breath at the price. My H4 shopping list so far:

Console - £270
LE Game - £65
UNSC Pad - £40
Tritton Warheads - £200
LE OST - £59

That's over £630 and I don't feel like I'm even getting started. There'll be t-shirts, posters, game fuel.. I really want a new TV to play Halo 4 on too.

There's a lot of Mega Bloks and McFarlane stuff I really want too.. I need that Cryo pod..

I can just feel an imminent announcement of a Halo/Nokia collaboration on a Limited Edition Halo Lumia 900 too.

Shit, I'm giving them ideas.

EDIT: Nothing will beat what I spent on Halo 3 Launch:

LE Console - £280
Legendary Game - £100
LE GAME - £60
Both McFarlane pads - £80
Halo 3 Zune - £140
3 Faceplates - £45
ActionClix - £25
Full Set of McFarlane Figures - £75
A massive hamper from the Bungie Store - £320 (including Bungie's outrageous international shipping)

£1200 on Halo 3 launch. This very nearly lead to divorce.
Huh... MS unveiled a new look/corporate logo. (sorry if old) Just interesting, that's all.

I'd love to know what they spent developing that logo.
 
I always kill the Chieftain with a fire grenade from the stealth Brutes. Don't turn your back on me, you'll liable to get burned.

And no, Cortana(the level) sucks. Always has, always will. Halo 4 may have the best campaign because there's no shitty Flood levels
 
Man, reading back over the Achievement list this morning really has me stoked. Awesome stuff; keeps things interesting in the campaign and more pure in the MP. Super excited...

Now to try and get to my goal of 116,000 Gs before it comes out! Blarg...
 

Woorloog

Banned
And no, Cortana(the level) sucks. Always has, always will. Halo 4 may have the best campaign because there's no shitty Flood levels

Am i only one who is disappointed no Flood in Halo 4?
I really want them back, Pure Forms too.

I want a massive battlefield with the UNSC, the Covies, the Prometheans, the Sentinels and the Flood each fighting there.

The full track of Awakening is kickass.

Indeed. Love it!
 

TCKaos

Member
8 missions = 8 visually different environments.

and the Composer bit from the achievements means shit will happen.
It should make shit rain all over humans/forerunners and announce the terrible events of Halo 5. So whether Flood comes back and rips environments or some more disturbing shit, I do believe Requiem won't end up nice and cozy if the Chief, the Didact and the Composer end up there.
Requiem being ravaged/mutated will probably pose as to how you don't want the rest of the galaxy to end up if the Chief does not act and lead into Halo 5 events.

Well, you've also got to remember that
Spartan Ops takes place something like six months after the end of Halo 4's campaign, so that regardless of what happens at the end of Halo 4 Requiem will still exist in a semi-habitable state, the Covenant will still be present and it will still be defended by Prometheans.
 

Kujo

Member
Has there been any word of fixes for the overpowered banshee, terrible spawn system and matchmaking (not partying full high ranking teams against individual low ranking randoms) for Halo 4?

Yeah I just played some BTB in Reach...
 

op_ivy

Fallen Xbot (cannot continue gaining levels in this class)
GotG for me would be halo 3 (due mainly to its superior campaign to reach) or forza 4 (which is racing perfection, aside from the dlc emphasis on MOAR CARS and zero tracks).
 

Calm Killer

In all media, only true fans who consume every book, film, game, or pog collection deserve to know what's going on.
Based on the average length of a Halo mission, I expect the game to be about 6-7 hours on my first heroic playthrough.

There is no Heroic. Legendary or GTFO.
 

TCKaos

Member
Has there been any word of fixes for the overpowered banshee, terrible spawn system and matchmaking (not partying full high ranking teams against individual low ranking randoms) for Halo 4?

Yeah I just played some BTB in Reach...

If I remember properly someone said that they were looking at the Banshee and trying to figure out how to fix it.

Really all they would have to do is implement a cool-down on flippyshit and remove the fuel rod while buffing the actual plasma cannons.
 
Has there been any word of fixes for the overpowered banshee, terrible spawn system and matchmaking (not partying full high ranking teams against individual low ranking randoms) for Halo 4?

Yeah I just played some BTB in Reach...

no, nothing official but seems better, you will be matched by tighter trueskill systems.
 

JackHerer

Member
I want a massive battlefield with the UNSC, the Covies, the Prometheans, the Sentinels and the Flood each fighting there.

Hopefully Halo 5 being on next-gen tech will open up some more possibilities for larger scale battles in campaign.

I remember seeing that cutscene in Reach with all the Warthogs and Falcons charging into war and being disappointed that that's all it was, a cutscene.


If I remember properly someone said that they were looking at the Banshee and trying to figure out how to fix it.

Really all they would have to do is implement a cool-down on flippyshit and remove the fuel rod while buffing the actual plasma cannons.

Sounds good to me. Banshee fuel rod in Reach is stupidly OP with that ridiculous splash damage. If they leave it in they should give it like a 15 second cool down before firing.
 

Calm Killer

In all media, only true fans who consume every book, film, game, or pog collection deserve to know what's going on.
Yes.. it is all starting to add up, isn't it? I've ordered the LE OST, but I took a sharp intake of breath at the price. My H4 shopping list so far:

Console - £270
LE Game - £65
UNSC Pad - £40
Tritton Warheads - £200
LE OST - £59

That's over £630 and I don't feel like I'm even getting started. There'll be t-shirts, posters, game fuel.. I really want a new TV to play Halo 4 on too.

There's a lot of Mega Bloks and McFarlane stuff I really want too.. I need that Cryo pod..

I can just feel an imminent announcement of a Halo/Nokia collaboration on a Limited Edition Halo Lumia 900 too.

Shit, I'm giving them ideas.

EDIT: Nothing will beat what I spent on Halo 3 Launch:

LE Console - £280
Legendary Game - £100
LE GAME - £60
Both McFarlane pads - £80
Halo 3 Zune - £140
3 Faceplates - £45
ActionClix - £25
Full Set of McFarlane Figures - £75
A massive hamper from the Bungie Store - £320 (including Bungie's outrageous international shipping)

£1200 on Halo 3 launch. This very nearly lead to divorce.


I'd love to know what they spent developing that logo.

Why do you buy a console at every launch? Don't you have a 360 already?
 

Woorloog

Banned
Christ, and I thought Myyke was mad. :p

I think myself mad for spending 200€ on two games this year (ME3 and Halo 4 LE) plus some others (totalling... 75€?).
But that? Don't know what to say...


Oh shit, i just realized i'm screwed if SC2 Heart of the Swarm is released this year, i absolutely will buy its collectors edition...


I remember seeing that cutscene in Reach with all the Warthogs and Falcons charging into war and being disappointed that that's all it was, a cutscene.

Cutscene with fucking frame rate issues!!! Not to mention being lame, stupid (though cool looking).
 

Portugeezer

Member
Yes.. it is all starting to add up, isn't it? I've ordered the LE OST, but I took a sharp intake of breath at the price. My H4 shopping list so far:

Console - £270
LE Game - £65
UNSC Pad - £40
Tritton Warheads - £200
LE OST - £59

That's over £630 and I don't feel like I'm even getting started. There'll be t-shirts, posters, game fuel.. I really want a new TV to play Halo 4 on too.

There's a lot of Mega Bloks and McFarlane stuff I really want too.. I need that Cryo pod..

I can just feel an imminent announcement of a Halo/Nokia collaboration on a Limited Edition Halo Lumia 900 too.

Shit, I'm giving them ideas.

EDIT: Nothing will beat what I spent on Halo 3 Launch:

LE Console - £280
Legendary Game - £100
LE GAME - £60
Both McFarlane pads - £80
Halo 3 Zune - £140
3 Faceplates - £45
ActionClix - £25
Full Set of McFarlane Figures - £75
A massive hamper from the Bungie Store - £320 (including Bungie's outrageous international shipping)

£1200 on Halo 3 launch. This very nearly lead to divorce.

Shhhhhiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiat!
 

Omni

Member
I'm loving the Halo 4 OST samples. I always wondered what a "Call of Generic Transformer Field OST"" would sound like.


*sigh*

I really hope that 343i pull something special out with the campaign, because with all of these questionable changes to the series that are arguably for the worst, I'm almost done with Halo altogether... At least I've got Bungie's new IP to look forward to, I guess. Marty hasn't let us down yet.
 

Deadly Cyclone

Pride of Iowa State
Just checked out the cheevos. Nice to see only 4 MP achievements, and no stupid "Do X on Y map with Z weapon/AA/etc." ones.

A lot of campaign, a lot of Spartan Ops.
 

Striker

Member
Has there been any word of fixes for the overpowered banshee, terrible spawn system and matchmaking (not partying full high ranking teams against individual low ranking randoms) for Halo 4?

Yeah I just played some BTB in Reach...
The Banshee is one thing I'm curious to how they'll balance. For one, ditch the fuel rod blast. It has no business in MP, whatever if they feel like using it for campaign. Make the plasma cannons on the Banshee useful and it'll be a decent aerial assault.

Spawns will be no different than any other Halo (bad), so I don't think that will change a whole lot. Map size and instant spawns will alter these changes, as well.

As for Halo 4 BTB, there still lingers questions about its own. Enabling loadouts has players having the ability to spawn with the 3x DMR, Plasma Pistol secondary (EMP machine), and plasma grenades. And Slayer in those 14-16 player matches should only have a number of weapons on the map, decreasing the amount of heavy ones, re: Rockets, Laser, and Rail Gun. I would hope it's mostly CTF, Assault, Plots, etc. - slayer is not generally good for its maps and that amount of people. But like Halo 3 Social BTB and Reach's (once 343 took charge anyways), Slayer will run course.
 
It really did hamper the replayability of the campaign for me which sucks because H3 does have some really enjoyable levels.

that single handedly stops me from replaying just about any mission with those cortana/gravemind interruptions. that was just a terrible design choice for a video game meant to be replayed.
 

op_ivy

Fallen Xbot (cannot continue gaining levels in this class)
The Banshee is one thing I'm curious to how they'll balance. For one, ditch the fuel rod blast. It has no business in MP, whatever if they feel like using it for campaign. Make the plasma cannons on the Banshee useful and it'll be a decent aerial assault.

Spawns will be no different than any other Halo (bad), so I don't think that will change a whole lot. Map size and instant spawns will alter these changes, as well.

didnt they say they overhauled how it flies? more like a glider or something (halo ce)?

i really hope btb was worked on. it was a blast in h3 but sucks in reach (and i like reach). the dmr loadout has me worried though. /ghaleon
 
I for one am relieved that the campaign is 8 missions long. I've never thought of Halo as a game that demands an outlandishly long single player segment. For me, the priorities in campaign are to show off the traditionally good enemy AI, give us opportunities to explore the weapon and vehicle sandbox and spoil us with eye exploding arcing vistas to delve into along the way. I don't think I'd appreciate a 15 level Halo campaign.

I'm more miffed there's only ten launch maps.
 
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