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The Halo 3 Beta Thread

Sai said:
Thanks, Blim.

Concerning the saved films: Will they be saved permanently to our HDDs for later viewing once the game is released this fall?
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Yes, you'll be able to save and keep them as long as you want. In the beta you can keep one file per game type if I understood correctly. And you have no control over the playback.
 
squicken said:
That is so far the highlight of my brief Halo 3 experience. Pure dumb luck, but I've file shared it for all the world to see :)

*cough* Too bad there's no fast forward *cough*
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Thanks for adding me! I also downloaded your EGM annihilation.


What I hope is that Bungie incorporates a top 10 list. Also a 'Spotlight', where they choose some cool community videos or make Bungie Humpday (like the one against 1up) available.
 
EGM Shoe been playing Halo 3
http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8117408&publicUserId=5379799

Been playing Halo 3
It's 3:00 am. I can't stop playing Halo 3. This is not a good sign, because I'm only playing a three-level beta right now. How on earth will I be able to handle the final game with all the modes and maps put in? Answer: I'm doomed.

So here are some random notes and thoughts about the game, in case you haven't read it elsewhere...in bullet form because my brain is way too wasted to write an essay right now.

# Graphics: Like we said before in our first Halo 3 cover story...looks good, but it's not that in-your-face "Oh my god Gears of War" great. But that's OK because: 1.) Halo has a different art style, and for Halo's art style, Halo 3 looks damn good. 2.) I'd rather have performance over looks, and Halo 3 runs smooth as butter. So far, no lag in our eight-player games (*knocks on wood*)


# Sound: Now, this is in-your-ears "Oh my god" great. When you get sniped, you hear the bullet exiting your wet, bloody, pulpy body. When your comrades are fighting in the distance, you can hear the faint echoes of gunfire. The guns sound (and feel) powerful. Special effects for stuff like the bubble shield sound all sci-fi cool. I've never been happier to have 5.1 surround sound!


# Guns: I'm really enjoying Halo 3's arsenal ever since it hit me that, I really didn't care what weapon I was holding -- they were all effective and fun. In the past Halos, I always looked for certain weapons (rocket launcher, shotgun, etc.), but here, everything was fine by me. Needler...dual-wielded combos of submachine guns or spiker guns...assault rifle...brute shot...I never felt like I needed to find replacements for whatever I was holding in my hands at the time. Granted, I've only been playing a day, so I may not understand all the balancing intricacies yet....


# Modes: Lots of cool new ones and nice updates to old ones. We've been playing whatever the matchmaking servers have been serving us, but ones of note:


VIP: One "VIP" is overshielded, but he's the only one whose death equals a point for the other team. So protect him...and go after the other team's VIP.

Territories: Slightly different now. If I'm not getting my mode names mixed up, this one had one team having to defend five markers. The other team has under three minutes to capture them all. Gets intense when time's running out, and only one or two markers are left.

Land Grab: Like the old Territories in Halo 2. (Again, it's 3 a.m....I might be getting the names mixed up. If you have any corrections, please share!) Except, once you capture a point (and it takes a looooong time to do so), it's yours for good. So the fights are not the back and forth of capturing and recapturing points to get to the time goal the quickest (by having more points captured than your enemies). It's to be the first team to capture the majority of the five points on the map. Very fun when it's tied 2-2 and everyone's going after the last one!

Oddball/CTF: Is it me, or is the melee damage with the oddball or flag much greater than before? Now, you can one-hit kill anyone with a melee attack with either of those two things, and you don't even need to be behind him. If I'm not mistaken, it took at least a couple of hits in previous Halos.

(I'm too tired to research this properly right now.)

My only complaint: The modes need some quick instructions at the lobby screen, because we were all confused with what our objectives were at first. It took some trial and error to figure things out...especially for Territories. ("Why can't we capture this point? Oh...we're supposed to defend them...")

# Maps: I like a lot, but after a few hours of play, my group was voting down almost any match that was to take place on Valhalla, the big, Blood Gultch/Coagulation-style map (two bases, lots of land in between them). It just took too long to play, and objective games (like one-bomb assault) took even longer. But this is a personal preference thing. I know lots of people who loved those long Blood Gultch/Coagulation matches. Not me, though. Quick, intense action for me, please. But VIP on Valhalla was awesome. You can see where the VIP is from anywhere, so we'd have to send out "hunting parties" to take him down, and make decisions like whether to leave our VIP behind to fend for himself, or leave some body guards with him, or let him go out with us to kill the other VIP. Because of the extra real estate on Valhalla, VIP mode felt more intense, because you could be alone when the other hunting party finds you....


# Other random bits of gameplay info:


-You can pull guns off their turrets for mobile chain-gun action. Goes into third-person view, you can't reload, you have high recoil and slow moving speed, but...it's a chain gun. It's bad-ass.

-Needlers: also bad ass now. Can't dual-wield them, that's why. (Bungie nerfed Halo 2's Needlers because dual-wielded, they were unstoppable.)

-Brute Shots: 6 shots before reloading

-Active Camo: Now a giant, shimmering ball instead of that little blue pyramid pickup. No sigh of overshields anywhere (except in VIP mode, when the VIPs are automatically overshielded).

-Banshees have a torpedo attack.

-Warthogs and two-man Mongoose ATVs: L trigger = power slide.

-Plasma pistol: Keeping it charged will drain your ammo, so you have to keep that thing quiet until it's time to attack. It also doesn't track as well now. This is in attempt to cut down on cheap moves, such as Halo 2's "noob combo." But it does serve as an EMP gun. Shoot it at a vehicle to disable it.

-Special "X button" power pickups: Bubble Shield (instant shield), Track Mine (proximity mine), Personal Grav Lift (put a lift anywhere you want to reach higher altitudes), Energy Drainer (continually hurts everyone within a small radius). One time, I dropped a Bubble Shield right when I turned around the corner and someone launched a rocket at me. Just in time -- the rocket exploded harmlessly against the transparent shield instead of harmfully against my face. Thanks Bubble Shield! You saved my life, and we both looked damn cool while you did it!

OK, that's it for now. I'll proofread this later...if I can pull myself away from the game....
 
Tieno said:
-Banshees have a torpedo attack.
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!!

We can use the Banshee's Fuel Rod in multiplayer now? Do they fire in an arc like Halo 1's? Or are they more similar to Halo 2's?

Wonder if we'll be getting the Fuel Rod Guns in multiplayer this time around as well. Though with the Rocket Launcher and Spartan Laser, it might be kind of redundant.
 
The fact that I've missed out on the Forza demo and the Halo 3 beta over the last week is like a great big kick in the nuts.

But it's strangely satisfying. :)
 
I put in a few hours last night and had a complete blast, but after awhile the matchmaking system started really irritating me: In match after match, I was served up Slayer on Higher Ground over and over--seriously, we're talking 9 out of 10 times here! The 10th match was Crazy King on Snowbound, which was by far the most fun game of the evening. And, after a good 25-30 matchs total, I *still* don't think I've played Valhalla once--it's just been High Ground and Snowbound over and over. Come on, Bungie, mix it up a little!
 
Man, all these impressions coming in for this game is making me so freaking excited to play this! Wednesday can't come soon enough!

By the way, when does this hit Live on Wednesday. Is it going to go up in the morning? I am wondering because the bungie.net timer is counting down to 12 noon EST on Wednesday.
 
Am I too late to bitch about how the new Halo 2 matchmaking requires me to buy the new maps to do anything at all? Because I'd like to. **** that shit!

Halo 3 better have some god damn ability to choose a damn room ala Gears, because this shit stinks.
 
Rlan said:
Am I too late to bitch about how the new Halo 2 matchmaking requires me to buy the new maps to do anything at all? Because I'd like to. **** that shit!
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I'd like to bitch about how after having legitimately paid for the maps the first time around I can't redownload them, thus ruling me out of everything but Double Team and Team Hardcore despite having paid my €3.
 
Rlan said:
Am I too late to bitch about how the new Halo 2 matchmaking requires me to buy the new maps to do anything at all? Because I'd like to. **** that shit!

Halo 3 better have some god damn ability to choose a damn room ala Gears, because this shit stinks.
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I'm pissed too. I decided to play some Halo 2 again to get ready, and I can't even play ****ing matchmaking.

Hell, I'd buy the maps even, but it won't let me pick what credit card to use and my default isn't active anymore.
 
i've been staying away from previews and media since the damn thing's coming out in a few days and i may as well surprise myself, but those new shots look great -- the quality of the lighting didn't come across in the leaked media at all. the spartans look like real physical objects somehow...there's almost a claymation look to them, which i really like.
 
drohne said:
i've been staying away from previews and media since the damn thing's coming out in a few days and i may as well surprise myself, but those new shots look great -- the quality of the lighting didn't come across in the leaked media at all. the spartans look like real physical objects somehow...there's almost a claymation look to them, which i really like.
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On highground there's this huge missile station thingy, the lighting is gorgeous there.
 
Tieno said:
-Needlers: also bad ass now. Can't dual-wield them, that's why. (Bungie nerfed Halo 2's Needlers because dual-wielded, they were unstoppable.)

-Brute Shots: 6 shots before reloading

-Plasma pistol: Keeping it charged will drain your ammo, so you have to keep that thing quiet until it's time to attack. It also doesn't track as well now. This is in attempt to cut down on cheap moves, such as Halo 2's "noob combo." But it does serve as an EMP gun. Shoot it at a vehicle to disable it.
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All good news here, and adjustments that I wanted to see for Halo 3. Can't wait to play it myself:)
 
Damn cant wait

# Graphics: Like we said before in our first Halo 3 cover story...looks good, but it's not that in-your-face "Oh my god Gears of War" great. But that's OK because: 1.) Halo has a different art style, and for Halo's art style, Halo 3 looks damn good. 2.) I'd rather have performance over looks, and Halo 3 runs smooth as butter. So far, no lag in our eight-player games (*knocks on wood*)
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I dont understand the smooth as butter thing...is it 60fps ? (i though it was 30) . IF yes , amazing :) . If no , there is nothing worth mentioning about a 30fps game with less than 16players ....anyway , will see soon
 
Tieno said:
But that's OK because: 1.) Halo has a different art style, and for Halo's art style, Halo 3 looks damn good. 2.) I'd rather have performance over looks, and Halo 3 runs smooth as butter. So far, no lag in our eight-player games (*knocks on wood*)
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I agree that performance is all, but... no lag with 8 players? What an achievement.
 
AltogetherAndrews said:
I agree that performance is all, but... no lag with 8 players? What an achievement.
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Godbless the limiting possibilities of clientside servers.

I remember I was playing 150 player matches of Joint Ops without lag two years ago.
 
So I woke up today, spent a few hours catching up on all of the Halo 3 Beta media around the world, and surprise surprise, I'm still jealous - very jealous... especially since I was catching up on this thread and reading that so many people were STILL getting F&F invites... :(

I'm really surprised at how GAF guys are playing this... damn...
 
Wow, I think this is the best shot yet(from OP)

Halo3_High-Ground-1stperson-01.jpg



Reminds me of Gears but it shows how much better the graphics are compared to Halo 2. Awesome.
 
Skilotonn said:
So I woke up today, spent a few hours catching up on all of the Halo 3 Beta media around the world, and surprise surprise, I'm still jealous - very jealous... especially since I was catching up on this thread and reading that so many people were STILL getting F&F invites... :(

I'm really surprised at how GAF guys are playing this... damn...
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Have you tried the orphan/wheelchair/cancer angle yet? Telling you dude, it works.
 
Blimblim said:
They are acceptable as they are, but there is room for improvement imho.
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Hey Blim, any ideas why your videos are so stuttery when I stream them? I think MS ****ed up the streaming software in the new update.
 
I watched a lot of HD videos last night (Gamespot, IGN) and I think this is easily one of the best-looking games I've seen so far this generation. In fact, it might be my favorite looking game yet. Everything is just so incredibly polished. And I reaaaally dig the lighting.
 
The sounds are probably the most crisp I've yet heard from a shooter. A plain joy to listen to the sound effects from all the mechanics at work when reloading and firing.
 
See, see! Shoe thought the needler sucked too! :lol

Who would be ballzy enough to sell their invite? Obviously a very limited number are out there...
 
Y2Kev said:
See, see! Shoe thought the needler sucked too! :lol

Who would be ballzy enough to sell their invite? Obviously a very limited number are out there...
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Someone who's willing to wait 4 days to play the beta through Crackdown and make a thousand bucks.
 
GhaleonEB said:
I almost forgot a great moment -

On one of my last games, Assault on Valhalla, the other team planted the bomb in our base. The defense cleared them out and I and two others ran in to defuse the bomb.

*BOOM*

squicken had planted a proximity mine right on the bomb. It blew our whole damn team up. Needless to say, we lost. :lol

It was a great example of how the new Equipment adds subtle but fun layers of strategy to the game.
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can you shoot the mine from afar to blow it up? or does it self explode after a few seconds? because if it just sits there until someone walks over, i dont really think that they should be allowed to be drop in plant zones.
 
MaX_PL said:
can you shoot the mine from afar to blow it up? or does it self explode after a few seconds? because if it just sits there until someone walks over, i dont really think that they should be allowed to be drop in plant zones.
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It emits a sound and has a glow. Yes, you can shoot it to blow it up.
 
Going around reading impressions around the net really shows that Bungie have really nailed it with Halo 3... my goodness...

And seriously speaking, not just from the Halo fanatic in me, but I'm in love with the graphics - the lighting is superb, modelling and design is what I've come to love from Bungie, and it's so damn fast and smooth - I haven't seen a single hitch or hiccup in any of the videos I've watched... it's the best damn work in progress I've ever seen... it's so polished and smooth...

Even though knowing full well that the graphics will improve for the final, I am very much impressed with the vibrant, huge, sharp looking levels, and super detailed Spartans that I'm watching right now...

I really like the customization details we got for the Spartans (and Elites in the final, I'm positive) - little things like the stripe around the arm and thigh are pretty cool too, as well as the individual parts as well - I already know how I'm gonna customise my blue and while killing machine already...

urk said:
Have you tried the orphan/wheelchair/cancer angle yet? Telling you dude, it works.
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I'm getting to the point that I'll do ANYTHING to play it right now, seriously! :lol









...no really, anything.
 
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