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The Halo 3 Beta Thread

Territories is a flawed gametype IMO - I'm surprised many here seem to love it. With a few tweaks I think it'd be a lot more fun.

1) The progress indicator has been removed. In Halo 2 there was a small group of icons on the bottom that slowly filled up which was useful in letting both teams know which territories to prioritize. Now the number just blinks red when someone is standing there - there is no way to tell whether it's 10% captured or 90% captured. I guess I can understand not letting the defense team see that stuff, but your teammates should at least be able to see its progress.

2) You can't really leave the territory at all. The zone should be made a bit bigger. If you jump out of the way to dodge a grenade or two and then go back, it just restarts capturing again from zero. You should be allowed to leave it for a few seconds. Have it function like the flag in CTF where the progress bar depletes (and the defenders would be able to stand on it to make it deplete faster). That'd be more fair I think, especially with the long time it takes to capture territories.

I have some map-specific complaints too. Territories on High Ground almost always turned into a nade-spamming fest - the defenders can just toss grenades at each territory from a very far (and safe) distance away where the person capturing the point can not even see them let alone shoot at them. I don't think that is very fair. And on Valhalla, the defending sniper has a clear shot of almost every territory. Defending team almost always gets control of the spartan laser too and usually drives around in the warthog gunner ripping everyone to shreds.

I played Big Team Battle playlist almost exclusively though, so perhaps Territories was more fun in Team Skirmish (4v4). But on BTB at least, it almost always got vetoed by the majority of players.
 
Sean said:
2) You can't really leave the territory at all. The zone should be made a bit bigger. If you jump out of the way to dodge a grenade or two and then go back, it just restarts capturing again from zero. You should be allowed to leave it for a few seconds. Have it function like the flag in CTF where the progress bar depletes (and the defenders would be able to stand on it to make it deplete faster). That'd be more fair I think, especially with the long time it takes to capture territories.
Click to expand...
Huh? I would always jump out of the territory and then back in and it would never reset for me. AFAIK the bar slowly starts going down as soon as you leave, but it doesn't reset.
 
In one of my last games, someone tried the warthog defense for territories in Vahalla. Failed miserably for them. Most of the time I never even saw them, just went around, and the time they finally confronted me they ended up eating three grenades in rapid succession, making it a breeze to take the point. It is too open to snipers though, but that alone won't really stop a decent team.
 
I got a weird e-mail this morning from Xbox.com, its Halo 3 related? And it seems to have a pic of a new environment.

I cant take a pic since I'm on another computer.

HISTORY CIRCLING
BACK UPON US.

The gears of the Universe spin further
and further apart.
Ever greater grows the gulf between souls,
And distance gives false hope of safety
But for the grim tidings this messenger bears:

The enemy is almost upon us

Closing in from all sides,
Moving faster than the light
it snuffs with its passage,
Time echoes with the news of destruction.
History winding back upon itself.

Waves of an army march this way in unison, Suffering and corruption are its battle cries.
For I have known this darkness
and felt its embrace once before-
Horror best laid to rest

Yet a Journey must commence

Look for the signs, the keepers of the flame.
They will lead you to war, and perhaps, to victory.

0613Halo3_forerunner_image.jpg
 
This has probably been seen by most of you guys, but I visited the Halo3.com site and was surprised to see new art of the chief.
It's pretty weird, it's very similar to the emotion promotional concept art, but more cleaned up but still a similar softness to the model.
edit: now that I see them together, it's the same model and art piece (holding gun, chief pose, chief look, etc) just without all the artsy lighting effects.

5y2bk3m.jpg

sized up
4z087tl.jpg


emotion portrait
5z6xpqx.jpg


big version: http://www.bungie.net/images/Games/Halo3/Wallpapers/H3_Emotion_portrait.jpg
 
CreepingDea7h said:
Huh? I would always jump out of the territory and then back in and it would never reset for me. AFAIK the bar slowly starts going down as soon as you leave, but it doesn't reset.
Click to expand...

Well it does restart if you leave, but the zone is bigger than he seems to indicate. If I was the only one on a territory and got it halfway, then went away and came right back it would be back at zero. However the "zone" I think is a lot bigger than people realize. I had absolutely no problem with dodging stuff then going back to it. You can leave the immediate area and the bar goes away, but you can step right back and it's still there you're just not seeing the bar anymore, you have to get further away than that to actually reset it.
 
Kind of inappropriate to ask for it here, but can anyone upload the complete artwork of this? Both the full 'logo' and the one with the different colored Master Chiefs.

SingleSpartanBeta.jpg
 
Don’t know if this has already been mentioned on the thread or not…

Mr. O’Connor posted some of his anticipations when it came to the general GAF opinion of the beta. I think it's pretty pertinent, relevant and ACCURATE (who’d a thunk?):

Here's my prediction for gaf reactions in May:

* It has hardly changed at all.
* Oh my god it's changed dramatically.
* That texture looks like crap.
* That explosion effect is amazing.
* Halo 2.5
* Wow, that water effect is unreal.
* The Space Marines are bald.
* The soft surfaces are cool.
* Why is the animation funny.
* The translucent ice effect is rad.

But the thing is, in May, we are not releasing a screenshot, or a target render. We're releasing three playable levels of a game with many of the new MP features for you to try out. You will be trying out our new netcode, not our new shaders. I will cut my own wrists if it's still a graphics bitch or lovefest after a week. I want people to enjoy our graphics, but I really, really want folks here, on this forum, to be talking about gameplay.

You won't get to fap or hate about the final graphic bar until fall. I personally predict more fapping in fall.
Click to expand...
Well done, Stinkles…I'd call you clairvoyant, but GAF is pretty transparent when it comes to games about ring worlds... :)
 
Mr Vociferous said:
Don’t know if this has already been mentioned on the thread or not…

Mr. O’Connor posted some of his anticipations when it came to the general GAF opinion of the beta. I think it's pretty pertinent, relevant and ACCURATE (who’d a thunk?):


Well done, Stinkles…I'd call you clairvoyant, but GAF is pretty transparent when it comes to games about ring worlds... :)
Click to expand...
Nice, Voc - I was just thinking of that post the other day but couldn't find it in Stinkles' history.

This might be as good a place as any to ask this. I'm planning to purchase the Halo 3 Zune, possibly tomorrow. My original plan for this year was to both replace my computer and acquire a digital music player. I like the Zune because it plays nice with the 360 and will likely do so to larger and larger effect as time goes on. However, I was planning to buy the Zune after the computer upgrade, because I want to move my music library from CD to the computer, and then the Zune. I don't want to load it onto my current PC, then AGAIN when I upgrade. The advent of the Halo 3 Zune has me buying things out of order.

It is possible to use the Zune as a transfer device, ripping my music onto PC and then trasferring them to the Zune, then getting the new computer and transferring from the Zune down to it? I don't know much about the Zune DRM yet and couldn't find the answer to that question.
 
Halo 2 is such a sad game compared to the Beta, you guys that were saying there wasn't much of a difference, were we playing the same games? :lol

3 cheers for buttom combos, host BR, and a crap load of other horseshit!
 
Ramirez said:
Halo 2 is such a sad game compared to the Beta, you guys that were saying there wasn't much of a difference, were we playing the same games? :lol

3 cheers for buttom combos, host BR, and a crap load of other horseshit!
Click to expand...
Gotta love it!

Btw, this thread is on the fourth page now? WTF!
 
Ramirez said:
Halo 2 is such a sad game compared to the Beta, you guys that were saying there wasn't much of a difference, were we playing the same games? :lol

3 cheers for buttom combos, host BR, and a crap load of other horseshit!
Click to expand...
The glitches and seldom BS (one grenade kills, latency) sucks, at least compared to the hawtness that is the Halo 3 beta.

I missed the Veto option. :(
 
GhaleonEB said:
It is possible to use the Zune as a transfer device, ripping my music onto PC and then trasferring them to the Zune, then getting the new computer and transferring from the Zune down to it? I don't know much about the Zune DRM yet and couldn't find the answer to that question.
Click to expand...
MP3 players apply DRM to songs you copy from your computer too?

I guess DRM is only for the stuff you buy it from the online store. I think you will get answers in off-topic.
 
I bored with no Halo 3 Beta, so I decided to finally watch some of the stuff on the extra Halo 2 Limited Edition disc. I got around to the part that talks about all the stuff that didn't make the game. There were a ton of characters that were cut out over the course of making both games that I had never heard about.

I'm just wondering how many of those things will make it into Halo 3 because they made it seem like several of the items were cut because of the Xbox hardware was holding them back. One thing that really comes to mind is that dinosaur looking creature that you could actually ride. And I remember someone posting a pic in this thread of some huge beast that they talked about on the disc. I liked that one creature they talked about would go around the battle field cutting up dead bodies. There were several other things that I can't remember now because its 2 am.

Anyway, we know the Mongoose is in. But, what about other things like the flamethrower or that fighter-jet looking UNSC plane or some of the cut characters (like that big dude)?


And Ghaleon, I too am getting a Halo 3 Zune tomorrow. I'm trading in a ton of shit to get it. I might try to post some pics of it or something.......
 
I agree with Dopey. I don't like some of the changes Bungie made with Skirmish(one hit ball/flag kills, no flag throwing/bouncing, points instead of time, wtf hill marker). Killing with ball used to require actual skill(and sometimes luck with Halo's wacky melee lunge). Now it's just camping by the shield doors.

It just seems like they changed stuff just to change stuff. Oh and "host BR" is still there and always will be.
 
Ramirez said:
Halo 2 is such a sad game compared to the Beta, you guys that were saying there wasn't much of a difference, were we playing the same games? :lol
Click to expand...

I tried playing Halo 2 last night and I don't think I could go back to it now.

Controls were hard to get used to after playing H3, kept trying to use the RB button instead of X. Having both dual-wield guns reload at the same time felt awkward. And I couldn't figure out which was the white button to check the stats, heh.

Weapon balance sucked compared to the H3 beta. SMG was useless, needler was useless, shotgun is broken (host advantage bs). The plasma pistol tracking was cheap, rocket launcher lock-on was cheap, unlimited sword battery was cheap...

Valhalla is also a much much better map than Coagulation.
 
I'm replaying through Halo 2's campaign now. Its a nice compromise since the multiplayer is damn near unplayable. Quitters, button combos, standby, etc. Don't get me started.

Anyway, the campaign is better than I remember it. At that time of release, I was really irked that I had to play as the Arbiter. I didn't want to know the Covenant. I didn't want them to have personality. I wanted them to stay mysterious and scary. Since coming to terms with that, I've found that the campaign is actually a good time. My one grip is that the Arbiter levels have you stuck using Cov weapons which I pretty much hate. I much prefer the human weapons any day of the week. Not the case in the Halo 3 beta, but in H2 they're just more satisfying to use.

Also, the flood levels. This time, I just used Arbiters active camo and ran past most of the flood. It made that section so much more bearable. Now I'm outside in a tank with a couple other elites and we're whooping ass together. Its much more fun this way. Its good to be outside again.

I'm a bit worried that the last few levels will leave a bad taste in my mouth again though. I didn't care for brutes last time through. And if memory serves, I'll be up against Brutes AND Flood. A losing combination. :( But we'll see how it goes. After this, I'm doing Halo 1's campaign again. Something I haven't done in forever! I bet I still know most of it by heart though! :)
 
I'm probably going to replay Halo and Halo 2 for the third time this summer...just too much awesomeness. The second time, last summer, was such a pleasant surprise...I appreciated it so much more on the 360 (sharp, clean upscaled graphics!, 5.1 sound on my new system, 360 controller). The sections that most people seemed to hate (flood, library, arbiter, flood, etc) I didn't (library) or loved even more (arbiter). Especially combat with the flood even more so in Halo 2. They're not as zombie-like as most people think. Grenading a group of flood and seeing them fly past you is always very satisfying. I used a shitload of grenades and shotguns with the flood the second time I played those games and I was much more agressive on them, which made the experience less frustrating. It wasn't as dark on my new TV either, could see much more. It's most fun when everyone is joining in on the fight, convenant, flood, elites, brutes, flood, those flying robots, etc.
 
Ramirez said:
Halo 2 is such a sad game compared to the Beta, you guys that were saying there wasn't much of a difference, were we playing the same games? :lol

3 cheers for buttom combos, host BR, and a crap load of other horseshit!
Click to expand...
Yeah, I loved playing Halo 2 MP and finding it to be clunky and unplayable, then coming to my message boards to find out that the Halo 3 beta was just Halo 2 in HD.

BTW, I'm going to be busy tonight, so I'm hoping that Stinkles posts the update a bit late.
 
Ramirez said:
Halo 2 is such a sad game compared to the Beta, you guys that were saying there wasn't much of a difference, were we playing the same games? :lol

3 cheers for buttom combos, host BR, and a crap load of other horseshit!
Click to expand...
I went back to it for a few games in the middle of the Beta. The main difference is the latency and netcode. I remember the praise Halo 2's netcode got. It's complete shit now. But, the game is still pretty fun. I haven't run into any button combos lately and haven't been stanbyed or modded in forever. And the only host advantage I've noticed is the shotgun.
 
I just want CTF to show up more. It's such a rare occurance in both the Beta and Halo 2 - Yet it was the most played game of my group. I keep hearing others tend to play it when they're in private matches - is it just not suited to random play?
 
Well, I just went on a post-Beta adding-Gaffers-to-my-friend-list spree, so if you get an FR from somebody you don't know, it's probably me. :P
 
armubaba said:
Well, I just went on a post-Beta adding-Gaffers-to-my-friend-list spree, so if you get an FR from somebody you don't know, it's probably me. :P
Click to expand...
Hmm... I'm not sure how I feel about accepting FRs from Michigan fans. :)
 
Something I've always wondered about is what Cortana says in the level High Charity:

I'll do what I can to slow the launch sequence. But there's something inside the ship, a presence that's fighting back. For a Covenant construct it's unusually formidable.
Click to expand...

Was it simply a little detail about a Convenant construct, with no real importance? Or was it something else, possibly Gravemind, somehow?
 
Instigator said:
Something I've always wondered about is what Cortana says in the level High Charity:

Was it simply a little detail about a Convenant construct, with no real importance? Or was it something else, possibly Gravemind, somehow?
Click to expand...
It's my theory that that was Gravemind. It's been implied that he can interface with computer systems - he uses Installation 05's teleportation system to move the Chief and the Arbiter, he has control of 2401 Penitent Tangent, and at the very end of Halo 2 Cortana is apprehensive about him touching her terminal.
 
GhaleonEB said:
It's my theory that that was Gravemind. It's been implied that he can interface with computer systems - he uses Installation 05's teleportation system to move the Chief and the Arbiter, he has control of 2401 Penitent Tangent, and at the very end of Halo 2 Cortana is apprehensive about him touching her terminal.
Click to expand...
I never thought about it like that...dirty!
 
Cracking open my Halo 3 Zune right now........the box is so beautiful I almost don't want to open it.

I ended up paying $0 for it (in fact I got $8 back that I put down on Mass Effect). Gamestop has a shit ton of trade in deals going on right. I basically got $210 for trading in six games and a DS.
 
siamesedreamer said:
Cracking open my Halo 3 Zune right now........the box is so beautiful I almost don't want to open it.

I ended up paying $0 for it (in fact I got $8 back that I put down on Mass Effect). Gamestop has a shit ton of trade in deals going on right. I basically got $210 for trading in six games and a DS.
Click to expand...
The insurance claims I was hoping would get paid got cleared today. (Not sure if anyone recalls this discussion, but we were billed for $800 in stuff I didn't think we had to pay for, and my wife talked our insurance into covering it.) So I'm stopping by to pick this up today. And also, an air conditioner. :lol

I saw a video of someone unpacking the box and I lusted for it. Artwork all over the inside, folds, etc.
 
Ghaleon - empty your PM box!

In other news, despite all the demos and XBLA games that came out since the Beta ended, I still haven't deleted it... :lol

I wonder what the BWU will be about today...
 
JdFoX187 said:
Is this a limited time thing? I'm thinking about getting one in August.
Click to expand...

Its "limited", but there's no telling how many they'll make. My Gamestop only got in 2 for the 2 pre-orders. However, the other Gamestop in the area called them to see if they got in any extras.
 
Proelite said:
More the artist called Eks:
http://gallery.mudpuddle.co.nz/albums/Spartan-III/theedge_19.jpg
Click to expand...
This first art got me thinking that how awesome it would be if for the climax in Halo 3 we have to walk on one of the Halo ring where space is limited and melee is the your main weapon. At one point you have to run upside down so you gotta run fast wearing some kind of special suit. And finally Mongoose run to reach the detonator.
 
MirageDwarf said:
This first art got me thinking that how awesome it would be if for the climax in Halo 3 we have to walk on one of the Halo ring where space is limited and melee is the your main weapon. At one point you have to run upside down so you gotta run fast wearing some kind of special suit. And finally Mongoose run to reach the detonator.
Click to expand...
Too bad that the Halo's are much bigger than that depicts...
 
MirageDwarf said:
This first art got me thinking that how awesome it would be if for the climax in Halo 3 we have to walk on one of the Halo ring where space is limited and melee is the your main weapon. At one point you have to run upside down so you gotta run fast wearing some kind of special suit. And finally Mongoose run to reach the detonator.
Click to expand...
That sounds like one of the most stupid ideas that I've ever read on GAF.
 
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