-
Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!
The Halo 3 Beta Thread
- Thread starter GhaleonEB
- Start date
I can't make a full impression, either, mainly due to the fact all the weapons, maps, and etc. aren't final. But I did have a blast. The weapon balance seems fit (though some weapons do need tweaks [Carbine]).Jube3 said:
I anticipate the other multiplayer maps (Shrine, Last Resort) and the campaign (co-op, plz
).a Master Ninja
Member
Falagard said:
Stinkles is pretty good about shooting down wrong/pointless speculation, so I'm taking his word on this one.
siamesedreamer
Banned
They can take away our sticky, but the can't take away our 20K post goal!!!!!!!!!!!
Merovingian
Banned
20k is too much. But this beat records. And it was the beta, can't imagine where the final game thread will reach. :lol
Laika said:
the only two complaints I really have is lower the carbines power (which Stinkles has said is already changed) and change up the missile pods locking system. I don't want it to completely go away because I realized the missile pod kind of needs a locking on system, but maybe alter it so it only stays locked-on for a few seconds or you have to keep your reticule on target for it stay locked-on.
edit: Jfox; go to memory, select games, go to Crackdown, select Halo 3 public beta and delete.
How anyone can prefer Halo 2 over Halo 3 MP is beyond me, but to each their own.
A few points I'd like to reiterate. I posted some thoughts on them piecemeal as the Beta progressed, but it feels like a good time to wrap it all up. In no particular order:
GUI
There's a subtle theme that runs through the GUI in the Beta that I've come to really appreciate, and that's how every input has an associated transition animation - it's not just an instantaneous change. A few examples:
-Pickup up a piece of equipment causes the icon for that item to fly from the bottom of the HUD - where the equipment was located - to its location under the grenade indicator. It doesn't just appear there.
-When grenades are picked up, the grenade indicator "pops" up and the number transitions over to the next number. It helps confirm that you've picked them up just by the movement of the HUD out of the corner of my eye, rather than checking the number specifically.
-The highlighted section in menus doesn't just jump from one option to the next - it fades out from one and fades into the next.
-The boot-up sequence when respawning.
-Even entering and exiting the Beta is a slow fade-in and fade-out.
There's more, but that's enough. It is subtle but all adds up to a smoother, more seamless experience than before. It's one of my favorite additions.
Weapon Feedback Loop
This is what I call the cycle of taking a weapon out, firing, striking a target and reloading. The factors are animation, sound and the graphical and particle effects. It's rather hard to define, but the overall weapon feedback loop is just stronger and more satisfying than before. Examples include how taking out the Assault Rifle isn't a single simple motion - it hitches slightly with a nice snick-snick sound, almost as if it's being cocked. The sniper rifle reloading sound is layered, loud and awesome - you reload that and you know it's time to rock and roll. The hammer slams back and forth on the AR with each shot, the SMG sounds like a wild animal and the Spiker Rifles are just terrifying to hear raining down on you. The simple act of firing a weapon is more fun and satisfying than it was in Halo 2.
Animation
Bungie has kept their animators on a steady diet of awesome pills since Halo 2 shipped. The animation in Halo 3 (Beta!) is the best I've seen in an action game. The rag dolls deserve special mention, as do the riders on the Mongoose. The head tracking and body movement over bumps is meticulous in its detail. I love how, when launching over a large jump, the rider stands up slightly and braces for impact just before landing. That same level of detail is applied to everything and it makes the combat that much more seamless and impactful.
Weapons and Equipment
What's to say that hasn't been said? The new Assault Rifle is indeed the ultimate spawning weapon. The Carbine rocks now. I <3 the new Needler. God bless the Death Sta - I mean Spartan Laser. Dual wielding Brute Spikers is like grabbing and revving two huge power drills while firing a hail of angry bees at your enemy - it feels gooooood. The new shotgun is an animal. Turrets are dangerous but perfectly balanced when carried. Grenades and melee have impact.
Equipment is beautiful in how it can be used by friend and foe alike. I've had Power Drainers backfire on me just as often as not, and yet I still love them so. The Bubble Shield is awesome. The Gravity Lift is fun. The Proximity Mine is responsible for some of my favorite kills in the game. Shield door fights are amazing.
The core combat is simply beautiful and stands head and shoulders over Halo 2. Others will talk about the reduced melee lunge and almost non-existent auto tracking. I'm not as observant. It just feels right in ways Halo 2 didn't.
Gametypes
<3 the new Territories. VIP is awesome - just take the PP out of it, or give one to each team. Love the new arming rules for Assault. The classics are still classic. I actually like the opacity of the new Hill, and the detail of seeing the generators on the ground.
Nits to Pick
Keep Team Slayer out of team playlists. Slayer belongs in Team Slayer and Rumble Pit - please keep'em there.
I can't see most of the HUD while outdoors on Snowbound. The light translucency is completely obscured by the snow.
Um....that's about it, really. Everything else comes down to the kind of tweaks I'd expect as a game moves from Beta to final, no need to even mention.
Oh, and Saved Films - and the sharing and viewing functions - will rock the world itself.
Loved it. I had more fun than I ever did in Halo 2.
A few points I'd like to reiterate. I posted some thoughts on them piecemeal as the Beta progressed, but it feels like a good time to wrap it all up. In no particular order:
GUI
There's a subtle theme that runs through the GUI in the Beta that I've come to really appreciate, and that's how every input has an associated transition animation - it's not just an instantaneous change. A few examples:
-Pickup up a piece of equipment causes the icon for that item to fly from the bottom of the HUD - where the equipment was located - to its location under the grenade indicator. It doesn't just appear there.
-When grenades are picked up, the grenade indicator "pops" up and the number transitions over to the next number. It helps confirm that you've picked them up just by the movement of the HUD out of the corner of my eye, rather than checking the number specifically.
-The highlighted section in menus doesn't just jump from one option to the next - it fades out from one and fades into the next.
-The boot-up sequence when respawning.
-Even entering and exiting the Beta is a slow fade-in and fade-out.
There's more, but that's enough. It is subtle but all adds up to a smoother, more seamless experience than before. It's one of my favorite additions.
Weapon Feedback Loop
This is what I call the cycle of taking a weapon out, firing, striking a target and reloading. The factors are animation, sound and the graphical and particle effects. It's rather hard to define, but the overall weapon feedback loop is just stronger and more satisfying than before. Examples include how taking out the Assault Rifle isn't a single simple motion - it hitches slightly with a nice snick-snick sound, almost as if it's being cocked. The sniper rifle reloading sound is layered, loud and awesome - you reload that and you know it's time to rock and roll. The hammer slams back and forth on the AR with each shot, the SMG sounds like a wild animal and the Spiker Rifles are just terrifying to hear raining down on you. The simple act of firing a weapon is more fun and satisfying than it was in Halo 2.
Animation
Bungie has kept their animators on a steady diet of awesome pills since Halo 2 shipped. The animation in Halo 3 (Beta!) is the best I've seen in an action game. The rag dolls deserve special mention, as do the riders on the Mongoose. The head tracking and body movement over bumps is meticulous in its detail. I love how, when launching over a large jump, the rider stands up slightly and braces for impact just before landing. That same level of detail is applied to everything and it makes the combat that much more seamless and impactful.
Weapons and Equipment
What's to say that hasn't been said? The new Assault Rifle is indeed the ultimate spawning weapon. The Carbine rocks now. I <3 the new Needler. God bless the Death Sta - I mean Spartan Laser. Dual wielding Brute Spikers is like grabbing and revving two huge power drills while firing a hail of angry bees at your enemy - it feels gooooood. The new shotgun is an animal. Turrets are dangerous but perfectly balanced when carried. Grenades and melee have impact.
Equipment is beautiful in how it can be used by friend and foe alike. I've had Power Drainers backfire on me just as often as not, and yet I still love them so. The Bubble Shield is awesome. The Gravity Lift is fun. The Proximity Mine is responsible for some of my favorite kills in the game. Shield door fights are amazing.
The core combat is simply beautiful and stands head and shoulders over Halo 2. Others will talk about the reduced melee lunge and almost non-existent auto tracking. I'm not as observant. It just feels right in ways Halo 2 didn't.
Gametypes
<3 the new Territories. VIP is awesome - just take the PP out of it, or give one to each team. Love the new arming rules for Assault. The classics are still classic. I actually like the opacity of the new Hill, and the detail of seeing the generators on the ground.
Nits to Pick
Keep Team Slayer out of team playlists. Slayer belongs in Team Slayer and Rumble Pit - please keep'em there.
I can't see most of the HUD while outdoors on Snowbound. The light translucency is completely obscured by the snow.
Um....that's about it, really. Everything else comes down to the kind of tweaks I'd expect as a game moves from Beta to final, no need to even mention.
Oh, and Saved Films - and the sharing and viewing functions - will rock the world itself.
Loved it. I had more fun than I ever did in Halo 2.
Buttonbasher
Member
Frenck said:
Pretty good write up here: http://geeksofdoom.com/2007/06/11/game-review-halo-3-multiplayer-beta/
It seemed like it was more effective in VIP games than in everything else. In regular slayer and team matches, I've had people less than 15' away from me miss completely without any real effort on my part to dodge it. It was so bad that I'd laugh on the inside whenever I hear the charge and see the green glow.radjago said:
VIP is a whole different story. I've seen people land shots from a base length away on the VIP with the thing.. and that's with him actually trying to dodge it.
Tieno
Member
I don't know, but September feels awfull close to me
-This month: finals
-July: Vacation to Italy and Austria
-August: Learning how to drive (gotta learn it someday)
-September: BAM, Holy shit Halo 3 is already here? WTF?!! And the new acadamic year starts the same week Halo 3 is released here.
TOO SOON BUNGIE, TOO SOON! I WANT THE WAIT TO FEEL LIKE I ACTUALLY EARN IT
-This month: finals
-July: Vacation to Italy and Austria
-August: Learning how to drive (gotta learn it someday)
-September: BAM, Holy shit Halo 3 is already here? WTF?!! And the new acadamic year starts the same week Halo 3 is released here.
TOO SOON BUNGIE, TOO SOON! I WANT THE WAIT TO FEEL LIKE I ACTUALLY EARN IT
I can't wait to play Halo 3 
Imperial Hot
Banned
I just did that, you can definitely seeProelite said:
a face. You can make out a nose, and the two eyes. The right eye has some sort of scar from what looks like being burned.
I really hope that that is just in there as like a goof, and not going to be used in game.
Imperial Hot
Banned
Halo can never come too soon.Tieno said:I don't know, but September feels awfull close to me
-This month: finals
-July: Vacation to Italy and Austria
-August: Learning how to drive (gotta learn it someday)
-September: BAM, Holy shit Halo 3 is already here? WTF?!! And the new acadamic year starts the same week Halo 3 is released here.
TOO SOON BUNGIE, TOO SOON! I WANT THE WAIT TO FEEL LIKE I ACTUALLY EARN IT
I can't wait to play Halo 3
Buttonbasher
Member
Try to get a picture when he shoots, and it lights up. It wont work for me.snack said:
SPOILERButtonbasher said:
http://i10.tinypic.com/5zfu2hd.jpg
Best I could do. Damn you Virtualdub for your lack of WMV support.
Buttonbasher
Member
Oh shi--
http://nikon.bungie.org/news.html?item=18927
What could this mean, and how long has the I Love Bees countdown been stopped? It used to still run...
http://nikon.bungie.org/news.html?item=18927
What could this mean, and how long has the I Love Bees countdown been stopped? It used to still run...
The Elite
BOSS
Buttonbasher said:Oh shi--
http://nikon.bungie.org/news.html?item=18927
What could this mean, and how long has the I Love Bees countdown been stopped? It used to still run...
It is running for me.
Buttonbasher
Member
But still all of the other stuff is interesting. Sounds like this AdjutantReflex is waiting:DoctorWho said:
a Master Ninja
Member
I loved ilovebees. Tremendous voice acting in those things, it was like a serial radio show. Plus it all tied together at the end like a Seinfeld episode.
This new viral marketing has peaked my interest.
This new viral marketing has peaked my interest.
Buttonbasher
Member
Awesome way to keep people distracted from the fact that their Halo 3 went away for "hibernation".a Master Ninja said:
Should we start a new thread?
Imperial Hot
Banned
I didn't see that part. I just turned the brightness up a bit on the video.Buttonbasher said:
a Master Ninja
Member
AdjutantReflex's posts make it clear that it is the AI contained within the Ark that can help a "Reclaimer" (*cough*human*cough*) remotely activate all 7 (6 now) Halos in the array.
Buttonbasher
Member
We need a new thread.a Master Ninja said:
Buttonbasher
Member
I'll start it.DoctorWho said:
OverHeat
« generous god »
http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=news&cid=12538
Goodbye Halo 3 Beta, We Barely Knew Thee
The Halo 3 beta Stats are Gone NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
Goodbye Halo 3 Beta, We Barely Knew Thee
The Halo 3 beta Stats are Gone NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!