Nice! What day would you go?
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Halo |OT14| They call it Halo
- Thread starter Overdoziz
- Start date
Nice! What day would you go?
Hydranockz
Member
What has been cropped?
Speaking of Halo 3, I just came across this fantastic video.
OdysseusVA
Banned
That video made me miss the E Dorian theme a lot :/
Who are you?
Rickenslacker
Banned
It has a solid feel but I have my gripes with it. Bumpers could be better buttons as they're pretty chintzy as-is, I'd prefer flat face buttons, the coating on the sticks are probably the quickest to show wear on any controller I've used. D-pad goes without saying.
Classic Controller Pro is the shit though, wish I had more to play using it.
History on NTSC video: It's an ancient analogue format. So, the start and edge of each frame, and the start and end of each line within the frame, aren't guaranteed to be all nice and clean. So, SDTVs always made it standard to crop the outer edges of the picture. Hence, console game's HUDs are (or at least used to be) always quite far inset into the image.
So, even without going to a reference shot, it's clear that the HUD elements in Computron's images are far too close to the edges of the image. Since it's the upper part of a split-screen image, it's not a big deal that the elements are close to the bottom (which is the middle of the screen), but they really shouldn't be so close to the sides.
But, I will post a reference image, so that you guys believe me.
(Which, by the way, is the full image from this post.)
^^That picture looks like it could be from the beta, or some earlier build perhaps.
The retail build has the HUD extend all the way up to the edges horizontally, minus some title-safe regions on the top and bottom when you are doing the two-way split.
Take a look on youtube if you wanna check.
Well, 92 is the number I found online from an HBO post from someone who did the math for all the Halo games.
The first .gif had a tiny sliver (~10px) of the bottom chopped off. That wont effect the horizontal FOV. I thought it looked weird to have the title safe region add some blank space and have the HUD float up by those ~8/12 pixels so I cropped that tiny sliver off the bottom.
That .gif came from the bottom half of this splitscreen video. This is what it looks like from the xbox:
Notice that the HUD extends farther out than in your screenshot.
The .gif at the top of this page is from the top half of the split screen, so the title-safe region adds a bit of extra screenspace above the hud and that hasn't been cropped off.
the difference for the first .gif is is negligable and doesn't effect the horizontal FOV.
This gif isn't cropped, other than the black bars and the other splitscreen on the bottom, player 2:
^That's player 1's entire view.
The retail build has the HUD extend all the way up to the edges horizontally, minus some title-safe regions on the top and bottom when you are doing the two-way split.
Take a look on youtube if you wanna check.
Well, 92 is the number I found online from an HBO post from someone who did the math for all the Halo games.
The first .gif had a tiny sliver (~10px) of the bottom chopped off. That wont effect the horizontal FOV. I thought it looked weird to have the title safe region add some blank space and have the HUD float up by those ~8/12 pixels so I cropped that tiny sliver off the bottom.
That .gif came from the bottom half of this splitscreen video. This is what it looks like from the xbox:
Notice that the HUD extends farther out than in your screenshot.
The .gif at the top of this page is from the top half of the split screen, so the title-safe region adds a bit of extra screenspace above the hud and that hasn't been cropped off.
the difference for the first .gif is is negligable and doesn't effect the horizontal FOV.
This gif isn't cropped, other than the black bars and the other splitscreen on the bottom, player 2:
The Real Napsta
Member
Why are you like this?
Brolic Gaoler
formerly Alienshogun
Your fucking daddy.
Dangit, you didn't get the reference at the bottom of my post. The image I posted was taken on May 12, 2012, one day before that HBO post that you're referring to.
Aaaanyway, I tested some stuff in Halo 3 based on what you just posted and found the discrepency. Turns out Bungie was smarter than I realized. Since a 16:9 setting forces the 4:3 split-screen image to be deeply inset into the display, the HUD is placed at the left and right edges of the screen. When the console is set to 4:3, however, the edge of the split-screen image is also the edge of the display, so the image is horizontally inset to avoid unwanted cropping. And when I was capturing things, I was taking split-screen with a 4:3 setting, not a 16:9 setting!
So basically, I wasn't accounting for Bungie being cleverish, and thus was wrong.
Rickenslacker
Banned
You can't even bumper jumper on that thing. Trash.
Dangit, you didn't get the reference at the bottom of my post. The image I posted was taken on May 12, 2012, one day before that HBO post that you're referring to.
Aaaanyway, I tested some stuff in Halo 3 based on what you just posted and found the discrepency. Turns out Bungie was smarter than I realized. Since a 16:9 setting forces the 4:3 split-screen image to be deeply inset into the display, the HUD is placed at the left and right edges of the screen. When the console is set to 4:3, however, the edge of the split-screen image is also the edge of the display, so the image is horizontally inset to avoid unwanted cropping. And when I was capturing things, I was taking split-screen with a 4:3 setting, not a 16:9 setting!
So basically, I wasn't accounting for Bungie being cleverish, and thus was wrong.
I suppose that in 4:3 they inset the HUD from the left and right sides as well because of the Title-safe region, while in 16:9, they already have the black bars on either side so they don't have to inset any further on that axis.
It could be cool if they used the black bars on the left and right side for something, like perhaps a map, scoreboard, etc. Or they could extend the HUD out there...
Yep.
Having information close to your center of vision isn't a terrible thing; combine that with aesthetic cleanliness considerations and you have a pretty good reason to not shove the HUD outside the frame.
That said, stuff like scoreboard isn't a bad idea.
If I had a capture card, I could combine two different captures of the same clip; one in splitscreen with no HUD and one in fullscreen with the HUD turned on.
That way I could get a 4:3 HUD ratio, but composite it so that it's sitting naturally on top of a 8:3 gameplay screen ratio like the .GIF above.
That's the way I prefer to have my HUD when I play stuff on PC across multi-monitors/ultrawidescreen, so that I don't have to look in my periphery to get vital info.
Anyway, for .GIFs, splitscreen captures are pretty nice since you get a smaller resolution/filesize, larger FOV and people can read what the HUD is saying instead of having to do some trick like this:
You don't even have to play the game that way to capture it.
You can play it in Fullscreen, then capture it in theatre in splitscreen.
The only thing you miss out on is a few effects like dynamic shadows, but get the other benefits.
Reach's splitscreen is even wider, it's black bars are pretty thin.
xxjuicesxx
Member
I went back to Halo 3 a few weeks ago. Sad face. All up in me.
PM Devin for a deal.
Oh Halo 3 and its beautiful ability to do split-screen theatre.
...Erm, actually, are you sure that it would composite nicely? Split-screen images aren't vertically centered the same as fullscreen ones, and as you noted there could be some weird graphical discrepencies where the images come together. You might have to do some funny business?
//================
By the way, I just checked Halo 4 to see if 343i had Bungie wisdom with respect to split-screen. And... the split-screen settings aren't great. The HUD is positioned the same when in both 16:9 settings and 4:3 settings. In both modes, it's set up with a large horizontal inset, but very little vertical inset. Anyone playing split-screen on an SD CRT is going to have the upper player's health bar slightly clipped and chunk of the lower player's motion tracker missing.
Well, if you wanna capture some clip for me, I would be up for it.
I don't think it would be that difficult since its only the HUD, and there is a lot you can do with AE and pins, warps, masks, etc... Although I don't think it will come to that.
I might even be possible to make something similar to that IllimiRoom concept video that Microsoft released with the periphery of xbox game being projected by the xbox onto your nearby walls:
Demoncarnotaur
Member
Listening to Halo Wars OST. So Halo, yet pretty original.
I really wish Halo 4 embraced its musical legacy more.
I really wish Halo 4 embraced its musical legacy more.
The dubstep was a great choice.
Demoncarnotaur
Member
Eh, that was all exclusive to the remix stuff so I don't mind. I just wish Halo 4 embraced past themes more and created its own actual theme.
This, really.
Halo's music is half the experience for me. Most of the tracks in 4 are pretty forgettable. 117 and Green and Blue and maybe To Galaxy are the only ones that are Halo-ish. The rest are typical blockbuster movie tracks. There's no main theme.
RIP E Dorian theme.
Pretty good.
3/5
You and your E Dorian theme, lol.
Solace and Haven were two other great tracks that I enjoyed from the Halo 4 ost.
Computer
Member
If I had a capture card, I could combine two different captures; 1 in splitscreen with no HUD and one in fullscreen with the HUD turned on.
Dem Halo 3 medals sooo good. Simple, big, colorful, recognizable with a quick glance. Halo 4 medals are a busy look alike mess. The medals are a analogy for the entire game of Halo 4. To take something so simple that works so well and fill it with useless shit to make it appear new and improved.
HiredN00bs
Member
First Halo 4 perfection in SWAT.
WAT
WAT
User 73706
Banned
He has the potential for some solid compositions if it's in his comfort zone but he's largely a software instrument-based composer masquerading as an orchestrator. I've already gone on a rant comparing him to Davidge. I really don't have much of a problem with Marty's music (his twitter on the other hand...), but I remember we'd see him in vidocs working with these huge string ensembles implying he did all of his stuff organically... when in reality, everything but some strings, chorus, one or two guitars and saxophone were just done using some high-end virtual instruments. He lists credits for the choir samples used on the ODST soundtrack inner cover as opposed to using real vocals for god's sake.
Your editing software deserves better.Well, if you wanna capture some clip for me, I would be up for it.
My concern is that you might have to fudge around the relative locations of the HUD elements to get the matching to work. But then, if you can work that magic with the emblems and the game messages in that 4:3 capture, you could probably make that happen.
All the lightbulbs and all the stars in the sky aspire to shine like Martin O'Donnell.
If stinkles is listening, we need the monks back, we need the classic Halo theme somehow in Halo 5 as well.
Also, Halo Wars 2 will most likely never happen. Microsoft took perhaps the second most successful RTS studio and shut it down. Even after Halo wars got good reviews, was received well by fans, and sold pretty decent amounts. It would be pretty tough to have such talent in-house for an RTS again.
Also, Halo Wars 2 will most likely never happen. Microsoft took perhaps the second most successful RTS studio and shut it down. Even after Halo wars got good reviews, was received well by fans, and sold pretty decent amounts. It would be pretty tough to have such talent in-house for an RTS again.
SD capture card?
MrGreencastle
Member
There is no better response than this.
Demoncarnotaur
Member
I miss the Halo Wars times.. The franchise seemed so alive, vibrant and full of potential and options.
Given, its not like those opportunities are gone, they just feel further away.
Given, its not like those opportunities are gone, they just feel further away.
FUNKNOWN iXi
Member
Old Halo music was mysterious. It got the blood flowing as you know the journey you're about to embark on is going to be epic. Journey, wonder, awe, mystery and bravery are several words to describe past Halo music.
The music in Halo 4 seems to be going more sci-fi and action oriented; it feels like a movie. Both great quality IMO, just a different direction. The Halo 4 OST was pretty good overall (<3 117), so I just think we need to give it more time. 343's taking Halo down the Mass Effect route.
The Halo Wars community was so heavily invested in that game too. So much potential for that franchise still waiting to be tapped into.
The music in Halo 4 seems to be going more sci-fi and action oriented; it feels like a movie. Both great quality IMO, just a different direction. The Halo 4 OST was pretty good overall (<3 117), so I just think we need to give it more time. 343's taking Halo down the Mass Effect route.
The Halo Wars community was so heavily invested in that game too. So much potential for that franchise still waiting to be tapped into.
My dad was a monk, well... My dad's friend and my dad kinda hung with him for a bit.
Dazzle DVC90. It has terrible filtering so the dot crawl is insane, and coupled with my comically slow harddrive it also records absurdly blurry results. The cherry on top is that it has the worst software package ever.
Refer to the Halo 3 image I posted.
MrGreencastle
Member
The silver fox always says it how it is.
--
Thread is gold: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=511493&page=17
Devin Olsen
Member
I honestly don't want to even spend the time responding to this, but enough people seem to believe you that I figured I would set the story straight.
Tl;Dr - Dani doesn't have a fucking clue what he's talking about.
I did not trick or bully anyone into selling that controller. I offered cash for something I wanted and the gentlemen accepted. No trickery was involved and certainly no bullying was involved either, I promise you.
I never bragged about it, I just simply post it on here from time to time because it is a pretty interesting thing to have. Not bragging, simply just showing off something that I have that I really like. I do not remember ever asking how much it was on here, I may be wrong but if you could dig up a post I would appreciate you doing that rather than just putting words in my mouth.
While not an official Halo product it is cooler that the majority of official Halo controllers out there for obvious reasons.
I have not once tried to sell the controller. I have however been approached numerous times by people to sell the controller. I have gotten very real offers WELL over what I paid for it, but I have always turned them down because it was never my intention to profit from it. It's something that I really wanted and plan to keep forever.
Tl;Dr - Dani doesn't have a fucking clue what he's talking about.
Really uncalled for, I have no idea what your problem is.
