The Real Napsta
Member
So Frankie, any chance we can get the red X back?
I'll do the gameplay later. But in short, my take on Halo 4's story.
First, they did a great job establishing and building characters. Aside from Johnson, the Chief and Cortana, Bungie didn't really create any human characters that resonated with me, or even had clearly defined character traits. They were just kind of there.
Laskey (sp?), the asshole captain of the Infinity and a few other side characters felt much more authentic. It was helped by excellent voice acting, but the added animation detail sold a lot of nuance as well. I have a lot of problems/questions with the actual story, but the way it was told is really commendable. As a side note - having Taylor and Downes record their lines together paid dividends. Their relationship was the heart of the story and it worked.
I also enjoyed the way the Chief was portrayed, in particular his physicality. This the first game where you really feel like a walking, powerful tank of a man. It was sold in game and in the cinematics very well. In particular, the way the Chief inspired both awe and apprehension - even misunderstanding - in those around him was very well done. 343 captured what it means to be a Spartan from more angles that Bungie ever attempted.
That said, I was disappointed in the story on multiple fronts. I'll spoiler tag here strategically. I know this could go in the story thread or the OT or wherever, but here I am.
When 343 first revealed Halo 4, and we saw what we now know was Requiem, I got excited to explore the place. What was Requiem? What was its purpose, who built it, and why? So I was surprised at the total lack of curiosity about those questions; I still don't know what Requiem was for. It was just a setting.
The first part of the story sets up the urgency with which the Chief wants to get Cortana to Halsey and get fixed up. Then we meet the (spoilerz!)Didact, and Chief’s motivation shifts to stopping him. But that shift took place before I had any idea what the threat was, and I didn't follow how they knew what it was either. It was just some dude in a huge ball with Force powers. So there was this long period of time in the Campaign when I was confused about why he took priority over saving Cortana; it was established why saving Cortana was critical long before I knew why stopping the Didact was more important.
And then we get to the (spoilerz!)Didact himself. There was a lot of build up, but I'm still not sure I follow anything about his story. Why was he locked up, and why on Requiem? Why did he immediately turn to zapping humans? Why did he have Force powers? The Didact in the books is not an evil character, though that could be taken as a matter of perspective. But if they wanted the Didact's motivations to be understandable from a certain point of view, why make him look and sound like a clichéd villain?
Also: Why was the Librarian also there - what's she been up to, she wasn't locked up - and why did she only appear that one time? What did she do to the Chief, and why didn't she tell him or us what she did? And why did she disappear after, and where did she go? I thought her cameo and actions were downright comic.
And as for the ending:What happened when the Chief triggered the bomb? That scene with Cortana confuses me greatly. I have no idea what time/space continuum it takes place in, why the Chief wasn't nuked, why Cortana could touch him, and why after she goes away the Chief is still floating and in good shape. I just didn't follow that at all. I assume it's related to the little unexplained static charge the Librarian hit the Chief with, but I need more to go on than that.
I also laughed out loud when the multiple Cortanas arose from the bridge to snare the Didact. Something about the image was random and comic to me and it just didn't work.
So, yeah. I didn't care for the actual story, which was a big deal considering how high 343 raised the stakes in the story, on both personal and galactic levels. Their story telling has come a long ways, but the actual story left me unsatisfied and baffled.
I have all but one termnal unlocked on Waypoint, but have not watched them.
You're forgetting the biggest change. The hill timer only goes down when someone is in the hill or there are 5 seconds remaining.
What changes do you (any anyone else that wants to answer) realistically expect to see/want in the next couple of months?Inf Slayer and such are fun in a casual sense.
Slayer Pro scratches my competetive itch.
We still have the league coming up. Keep in mind these can be our own settings.
It's enough to keep me satiated until 343 addresses the issues. If nothing significant is done by New Years, I'm gonna panic and freak out.
LOL
What changes were made to KOTH?
Very nice. Love some of those AR concepts, frankly i find many of them better than anything seen in-games. That is very often the case though... I reckon choosing beetween concepts as basis for final model is difficult.
Eeek! What map? I don't even remember. I hope it wasn't Complex.
I hope for H5 to be on the next system with three things
1.Dedis
2.60fps
3.Return to Halo! no equipment, no ordnance, no loadouts, no sprint, no AA's, just good old fashioned default weapons everyone gets the same stuff when they spawn. Map control to return, and powerups and weapons to actually be on the map.
AND YOU GET EVERYTHING WHEN YOU BUY THE GAME. NO DOUBLE EXP. NO SKINS NO PREORDER BONUSES FORCING ME TO BUY IT SOMEWHERE.
Sign the petition now.
It is pretty ridiculous that this has gotten to the point that people are complaining about complainers who are complaining about the game.
I think that is kind of what's special about HaloGaf though, there's more passion displayed here over every detail of the series than I see in most other community threads. That said the passion displayed could probably be toned down a wee bit.
I hope for H5 to be on the next system with three things
1.Dedis
2.60fps
3.Return to Halo! no equipment, no ordnance, no loadouts, no sprint, no AA's, just good old fashioned default weapons everyone gets the same stuff when they spawn. Map control to return, and powerups and weapons to actually be on the map. Uncomplicate the geometry. Don't make me constantly get caught on some random gas pipe.
AND YOU GET EVERYTHING WHEN YOU BUY THE GAME. NO DOUBLE EXP. NO SKINS NO PREORDER BONUSES FORCING ME TO BUY IT SOMEWHERE.
Sign the petition now.
fixed for childish humor lulzPP is childs play
I hope for H5 to be on the next system with three things
1.Dedis
2.60fps
3.Return to Halo! no equipment, no ordnance, no loadouts, no sprint, no AA's, just good old fashioned default weapons everyone gets the same stuff when they spawn. Map control to return, and powerups and weapons to actually be on the map. Uncomplicate the geometry. Don't make me constantly get caught on some random gas pipe.
AND YOU GET EVERYTHING WHEN YOU BUY THE GAME. NO DOUBLE EXP. NO SKINS NO PREORDER BONUSES FORCING ME TO BUY IT SOMEWHERE.
Sign the petition now.
You're forgetting the biggest change. The hill timer only goes down when someone is in the hill or there are 5 seconds remaining.
VGAsUrk, where are those Destiny screenshots
I hope for H5 to be on the next system with three things
1.Dedis
2.60fps
3.Return to Halo! no equipment, no ordnance, no loadouts, no sprint, no AA's, just good old fashioned default weapons everyone gets the same stuff when they spawn. Map control to return, and powerups and weapons to actually be on the map. Uncomplicate the geometry. Don't make me constantly get caught on some random gas pipe.
AND YOU GET EVERYTHING WHEN YOU BUY THE GAME. NO DOUBLE EXP. NO SKINS NO PREORDER BONUSES FORCING ME TO BUY IT SOMEWHERE.
Sign the petition now.
Does the hill timer drain more quickly with more people in the hill?
VGAs
Yeah, it's gotta look right stowed and held in first person. Also should communicate it's function/role just by looking at it. Then there's tris, textures, and trexels per clock cycle to consider.
VGAs
Because Scumbag Infinity only cares about recreating canon locations.No, I just know that 343's design philosphy is bigger = better, so at least Forge could save us with proper Halo maps. Big and convoluted never makes for good Halo maps. Even something like Headlong was 10x more streamlined than the labyrinths in Halo 4.
Seriously, Complex was deemed fit for release in 2012. Complex. That map is just a bunch of building assets stamped out in random places in a field. There is zero rhyme or reason to its layout. Remember when Bungie released videos prior to Halo 2's launch where they went through different maps and explained the design process behind each? I'm dying to get a video like that for the maps thrown onto this disc. Why was this path built here in Exile? Why was this building designed like this in Complex? Why did you make Solace so unnecessarily busy? Why is Abandon some hills with Forge pieces at the top?
Every single map designed by 343 feels like they wrote down a big checklist of all the different elements that make up a great Halo map, but they had zero understanding of how those line items come together to make something cohesive.
Perhaps my biggest frustration with the map design is how... grounded everything is. Everything is earthy and filled with rocks and soil and vines and typical stuff you could imagine being on Earth somewhere. Setting multiplayer inside a giant virtual reality system gives you a blank slate to build whatever the hell you want, so why not build maps that are totally beautiful and unique while retaining great structures for flow and combat? I'm thinking of something like Wipeout Fury.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whaBLoKl9So&t=0m26s Imagine having some beautiful abstract environments like this with clean surfaces and curves. Why not? It could be amazing.
Terminals explain most of this. As for the whole Cortana thingShe was made of Hardlight after she came out of the bridge, it would appear the "boxed" chief in hardlight and interacted there with him as a hardlight AI that's why she could touch him and why he was protected from the nuke.
Edit: Looks like Tawp covered some of this.
Urk, where are those Destiny screenshots
I hope for H5 to be on the next system with three things
1.Dedis
2.60fps
3.Return to Halo! no equipment, no ordnance, no loadouts, no sprint, no AA's, just good old fashioned default weapons everyone gets the same stuff when they spawn. Map control to return, and powerups and weapons to actually be on the map. Uncomplicate the geometry. Don't make me constantly get caught on some random gas pipe.
AND YOU GET EVERYTHING WHEN YOU BUY THE GAME. NO DOUBLE EXP. NO SKINS NO PREORDER BONUSES FORCING ME TO BUY IT SOMEWHERE.
Sign the petition now.
dont remind me.
i need more bungie in my life
I hope for H5 to be on the next system with three things
1.Dedis
2.60fps
3.Return to Halo! no equipment, no ordnance, no loadouts, no sprint, no AA's, just good old fashioned default weapons everyone gets the same stuff when they spawn. Map control to return, and powerups and weapons to actually be on the map. Uncomplicate the geometry. Don't make me constantly get caught on some random gas pipe.
AND YOU GET EVERYTHING WHEN YOU BUY THE GAME. NO DOUBLE EXP. NO SKINS NO PREORDER BONUSES FORCING ME TO BUY IT SOMEWHERE.
Sign the petition now.
Let us sprint and jump in a Mantis since it's just a big exoskeleton anyway.
I'm willing to sign it.
But I'm genuinely curious, from a business perspective, what would you put in to still appeal to casuals, and CoD fans, and the like? As much as we hate them, Halo needs to get them to buy it in order to remain viable as a mainstream title.
Issac posted these to his blog, too.
link plz
I need to see this.
No huge, AotCR like level with a shittonne of vehicular action in Reach was the biggest disappointment. For all its faults, Halo 4 at least has "Reclaimer".
And Halo 3 was just perfect. Tsavo Highway, The Ark, The Covenant.
sogood.gif
Edited in my explanations
Something about your second answer.I don't really like that they introduced terminals because it's stuff that should be actually exposed to the player in the game in my opinion. In Halo 3, I think a lot of people wanted to find out about the Forerunners, their history, and Flood connection, but in the game we got next to nothing, and they stuffed a really awesome story in the terminals instead. It's honestly the only real good piece of narrative in the game, and it's hidden in text terminals. I haven't watched the Halo 4 terminals yet, but it appears that it also holds important and interesting plot information that shouldn't featured as a part of the main narrative.
I have no idea why I spoiler tagged that, but it's already done at this point.
It was on Solace, cut me deep, real deep.
Why do people still think PV is OP? Hear the sound it makes when it goes off? Look right at the radar for the expanding circle that leads you right to the bastard.
I'm willing to sign it.
But I'm genuinely curious, from a business perspective, what would you put in to still appeal to casuals, and CoD fans, and the like? As much as we hate them, Halo needs to get them to buy it in order to remain viable as a mainstream title.
still though using PV leads them right back at you if the enemy actually uses their radar when the sound goes off.I prefer Camo personally, I find I can throw people's aim off by using it while fighting in DMR battles. That said PV is very handy and has very few drawbacks.
I prefer Camo personally, I find I can throw people's aim off by using it while fighting in DMR battles. That said PV is very handy and has very few drawbacks.
Ahh ok. Yea we were doing pretty well last night.
What changes do you (any anyone else that wants to answer) realistically expect to see/want in the next couple of months?
(legitimately curious on thoughts on this)
Camo is the one that is OP IMO. Still haven't found a solid counter for it.
(ACTUAL CAMPAIGN ENDGAME SPOILERS)(ACTUAL CAMPAIGN ENDGAME SPOILERS)If you fail to crawl up to the nuke to detonate it in the final QTE, you know what happens if you take too long? It doesn't blow up. You don't get killed by Didact. You hear the shield drain sound effect even though you don't have shields and it fucking fades to black. Why the fuck is that even a QTE?!
eh uts usually easy to distinguish them in the mix of blue dots, still needs a tone down though.Camo is the one that is OP IMO. Still haven't found a solid counter for it.
still though using PV leads them right back at you if the enemy actually uses their radar when the sound goes off.
eh uts usually easy to distinguish them in the mix of blue dots, still needs a tone down though.
I hope for H5 to be on the next system with three things
1.Dedis
2.60fps
3.Return to Halo! no equipment, no ordnance, no loadouts, no sprint, no AA's, just good old fashioned default weapons everyone gets the same stuff when they spawn. Map control to return, and powerups and weapons to actually be on the map. Uncomplicate the geometry. Don't make me constantly get caught on some random gas pipe.
AND YOU GET EVERYTHING WHEN YOU BUY THE GAME. NO DOUBLE EXP. NO SKINS NO PREORDER BONUSES FORCING ME TO BUY IT SOMEWHERE.
Sign the petition now.
SpOps latest episode: Why am I not surprised there is a brazen dudebro with a shotgun on that Spartan team. :|
Or Overshield. Direct hits on non-overshielded guys will kill them always. Hitting just next to them might not kill them.
Just played through Episode 2.
God, the Covenant missions everything that is wrong with the design philosophy of Sp Ops. It so quickly devolves into FRG Elites, dieing and throwing yourself at the wall of enemies as more drop in, one hit kills with constant, visual and aural taxation from explosions and gun fire.
My god, why? Such potential.
It does make me look forward to the Promethean levels, they're much more manageable and interesting.
Shocked how 343I have managed to make Covenant far less fun to fight.
LOL@infinite spawning Mantes on Meltdown.
Might try Blops, I'll see what my money situation is.
That is pretty nice looking, but I do like the Halo 4 look also.Unrelated to the current topic but I found this old Reach BR concept I had saved on my laptop and tell me this isn't the sexiest BR you've ever seen,
I appreciate the reponse. I was honestly kind of hoping I had missed something critical at a few junctures, other than the bits in the terminals, but it doesn't look like it. Very strange writing decisions to leave so many critical plot points unexplained like that.
SpOps latest episode: Why am I not surprised there is a brazen dudebro with a shotgun on that Spartan team. :|