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[OverHeat]

Dont know if this was posted but gametrailers best E3 multiplayer game is
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/best-multiplayer-best-of-e3/732427

Spoiler

Black Ops 2

 

[789shadow]

I am so fucking fed up with Sprint Sword. I only take solace in the fact that it looks nerfed in Halo 4.

Halo Reach: Or What was Bungie thinking?



Bulletin
Damn bsangel. Damn.

I'm pretty much convinced that the "Bad Ideas" division that was responsible for stuff like The Library was given the lead on the development of Reach.

 

[Franklinator]

If I were you, I would try to pace yourself so that you DON'T beat it before the EC stuff (hopefully) fixes stuff.

I can't stop playing. I have already prepared myself for a terrible ending.

 

[Bregmann Roche]

I got to first base with Liara today

I'm disappointed that this wasn't a response to my marinara reference. I tip my cap to you all the same.

Halo Reach: Or What was Bungie thinking?

Answer: "Let's get this sucker out the door so we can sink our teeth into some of that sweet sweet Activision money".

Spoiler

Which in turn leads to the question: What was Bungie thinking?

 

[Slightly Live]

Found it.

Crawler video.

 

[dangerbyrnes]

I can't stop playing. I have already prepared myself for a terrible ending.

nothing can prepare you for it... nothing!

Found it.

Crawler video.

crawlers are so cool, i think i will still call them pawns though, way more interesting name. she also said theres a heavy and sniper variant. i wonder if theres only 3 main enemies, but a bunch of variants.

 

[Tawpgun]

Answer: "Let's get this sucker out the door so we can sink our teeth into some of that sweet sweet Activision money".

Spoiler

Which in turn leads to the question: What was Bungie thinking?

Whether intentionally or not, I feel like this was the case. There were really some very strange design choices. Didn't we figure out that the vast majority of the old Halo team, aka the Bungie Greats/Experienced people... didn't they start working on Destiny?

Like, you'd think someone who has worked on Halo in the past would take sandbox lead, but instead they gave it to the guy who came from working on Shadowrun.

They did have to agree to make two more Halo games for microsoft when they split. So ODST was an easy task. Same engine, and everything. Re-use all dem assets.

That's not to say hard work didn't go into Reach, but there are some design choices I can't fathom. Armor Lock. Space section in Zealot. How does that stuff get through testing?

 

[Sai-kun]

As far as the long-range unit goes, imagine a sniper round tearing through your visor, and you’ve got the basic notion.

hey this sounds awful

 

[789shadow]

hey this sounds awful

That's probably exaggerated.

 

[Sai-kun]

I'm picturing sniper flood forms.

 

[dangerbyrnes]

hey this sounds awful

I'm having flashbacks to halo 2 outskirts on legendary.

 

[Zoso Achilles]

So who's playing reach now/later? Mind if I join in about half an hour?

 

[Tawpgun]

Ok one thing has been REALLY bugging me.

The Prometheans are a powerful and mysterious element of the ancient Forerunner Warrior-Servants whose forebears fell from power following the Human-Forerunner War. Some of the remaining Prometheans appear to be tasked with defending the mysterious alien world we’ve recently shown you, along with its payload of terrifying secrets and emerging threats.

I want an explanation.

Are these Prometheans, or are they Promethean Machines, Promethean AI, etc etc.

Because in all the media released, 343 can't seem to decide.

In cryptum, Prometheans are very few. It's a rank among the warrior-servants reserved only for the most powerful ones. The didact, for example, is a Promethean. It feels a little cheap to call these guys prometheans.

 

[kittens]

crawlers are so cool, i think i will still call them pawns though, way more interesting name.

Seriously! Out of everything we've seen of Halo 4 thus far, it's the names they've given things that have made me raise my eyebrow the most.

- Watcher, Crawler. (Sounds like they were named by a five year old. Seriously. I know several kindergarteners who've named their stuffed animals similar things.)
- Spartan Ops and Spartan Points.
- Wraparound and Warhouse. (Thankfully corrected.)
- Sticky Detonator (Too many syllables. Awkward to say.)
- Forerunner/Promethean Vision (Both are awkward to say, and are just really stale.)
- Team Demon / Team Fury
- Naming the entire multiplayer suite Infinity still seems strange to me. I don't care if it ties into the fiction, hah. War Games isn't as bad, but it's definitely a bit corny.

Scattershot, Prometheans (and Promethean Knights), the Hardlight Shield, and the new map names are all awesome, though.

So who's playing reach now/later? Mind if I join in about half an hour?

I'll be on in about 40 minutes. GT = shanti 666.

 

[Bregmann Roche]

That's not to say hard work didn't go into Reach, but there are some design choices I can't fathom. Armor Lock. Space section in Zealot. How does that stuff get through testing?

That stuff bothers me, but what really confuses the hell out of me is the contradictory stuff. Reach was supposed to be all about teamwork (remember "leave that 'lone wolf' stuff behind?"), but then the assist system is broken compared to all previous halos. What about the focus rifle? It's supposed to be a Covenant long range weapon but it performs better in CQC.

The list of contradictory stuff goes on, but we've already crapped all over the game enough as it is and we're all still playing it (almost all at least) so I'll just drop it.

 

[The Librarian]

When I read this:

Individual Crawler types include the basic unit, a more heavily armed unit, and a deadly, long-range unit.

I immediately thought of the Flood ranged forms from Halo 3, and then I said, "Oh no." But I have hope that the execution of such an idea is better in Halo 4.

 

[Arnie]

Ok one thing has been REALLY bugging me.



I want an explanation.

Are these Prometheans, or are they Promethean Machines, Promethean AI, etc etc.

Because in all the media released, 343 can't seem to decide.

In cryptum, Prometheans are very few. It's a rank among the warrior-servants reserved only for the most powerful ones. The didact, for example, is a Promethean. It feels a little cheap to call these guys prometheans.

From the bulletin

Promethean Crawlers are impressively armed Forerunner machines,

 

[Ramirez]

So, basically I should have asked for Dragon's Dogma on father's day instead, gotcha.

 

[dangerbyrnes]

Ok one thing has been REALLY bugging me.
I want an explanation.

Are these Prometheans, or are they Promethean Machines, Promethean AI, etc etc.

Because in all the media released, 343 can't seem to decide.

In cryptum, Prometheans are very few. It's a rank among the warrior-servants reserved only for the most powerful ones. The didact, for example, is a Promethean. It feels a little cheap to call these guys prometheans.

well, i posted this from cryptum a while back. it could be an explanation for what they are. could also be a coincidence.

I was escorted along lifts and enclosed tracks by two guards of the Council’s own select security, designated by sleek black and red armor. Through translucent walls, I saw unfamiliar automatons speeding along their own tracks and tubeways; some were decorated in the most alarming insectoid carapaces. But more surprising still were the numerous embodied and heavily armored ancillas. I had heard of Warrior-Servants utilizing such during battle and for other special tasks, but we encountered hundreds spaced throughout the ship, floating in serene quiescence, in apparent low-power mode, their blue, red, or green sensors dimly aglow. They will come alive in an emergency. They can replace human commanders, if necessary. They are a vital portion of the Council metarchy—the overall network of ancillas that support the Council. But compared to a metarch-level ancilla, these are mere toys.

Bear, Greg (2011-01-04). Halo: Cryptum: Book One of the Forerunner Saga (Halo: the Forerunner Saga) (p. 256). Macmillan. Kindle Edition.

 

[Fuchsdh]

When I read this:



I immediately thought of the Flood ranged forms from Halo 3, and then I said, "Oh no." But I have hope that the execution of such an idea is better in Halo 4.

Urgh. The difference is likely (reading between the lines) that the Pawns seem to be "glass cannons"--each variant is easy to kill, whatever the punch they're packing.

The problem with the Flood ranged forms is they didn't have any form of "reload" so they could pin you indefinitely and they were far too resilient--aside from a sword lunge and a sticky, you might as well be shooting darts at them.

 

[Slightly Live]

The different colours, red/blue, represent the various types of each unit, so we've seen the basic one, red and another one, which could be the more armoured type going by the clip with blue.

I wonder what colour the last type is? Green? Purple?

 

[Recarpo]

So who's playing reach now/later? Mind if I join in about half an hour?

You're welcome to join me, although my internet has been a little pissy tonight so I don't know if I'll be able to stay on. Need a new router . GT:recarpo.

 

[Trey]

I'm picturing sniper flood forms.

Fuck those guys.

Forget AL. Forget bloom. Forget the Library. Forget dual wielding. Forget Legendary Jackal Snipers.

Pure Forms are the worst thing ever in Halo.

 

[Slightly Live]

Have any of you guys ever wondered what 343 is going to do after Halo 6? It seems the studio is really focused on a trilogy and I always hear people saying "Defining the next 10 years" and "telling this story". Does the game division disband, create new game experiences/characters, or focus more on the expanded fiction and merchandise? What becomes of Halo as an IP?

Hopefully the new trilogy introduces enough interesting stuff to allow the universe to carry on in new directions and with new characters.


As much as it isn't the focus of the studio it has to be something that 343 continually wonders themselves.

I think planning ahead for a decade is more than enough right now for a studio that hasn't shipped their first game yet.

I'm Frankie will be wearing his planning cap in many future meeting to come over the next few years planning the next decade after that.

 

[789shadow]

Hey Kittens, send me an invite when you get on.

 

[Korosenai]

Does anyone have a link that shows the halo canon in chronological order?

 

[FyreWulff]

Have any of you ever wondered what 343 is going to do after Halo 6?

They'll make more Halo games

 

[Slightly Live]

Does anyone have a link that shows the halo canon in chronological order?

Here.

 

[Bregmann Roche]

Have any of you ever wondered what 343 is going to do after Halo 6? <snip>
As much as it isn't the focus of the studio it has to be something that 343 continually wonders themselves.

I'm sure it will be a mix of long-term plan for the core games and "seeing what sticks" from the rest of the universe. I'm sure there have been at the very least brief discussions of some kind of follow up to both ODST and Halo Wars. There's a lot of room in the universe for other types of games, whether we get them or not depends on how well Halo 4 does.

I think if 343 were solely a game studio I would except that, but it is not. They're essentially the caretakers of the IP. Games, licensing, toys, novels, etc. Sure the next 10 years of game development is enough for now, but Halo is so much more than that now. How do you treat the IP in the future?

Get a major motion picture made. That's probably very high on 343's "things to do with the IP outside of games" list.

 

[Slightly Live]

I think if 343 were solely a game studio I would except that, but that isn't the case. They're essentially the caretakers of the IP. Games, licensing, toys, novels, etc. Sure the next 10 years of game development is enough for now, but Halo is so much more than that now. How do you treat the IP in the future?



Even beyond video games, where does Halo go?

http://www.g4tv.com/videos/56405/the-future-of-halo-with-frank-oconnor/
http://www.gameinformer.com/b/featu...alo-wars-and-halo-39-s-expanded-universe.aspx
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7igpLvjusE
http://stratics.com/community/threa...ks-about-the-“halo”-universe’s-future.272003/
http://www.gamematics.net/future-halo-bright-frankie/
http://www.1up.com/news/interview-past-and-future-halo
http://www.1up.com/previews/interview-halo-4-past-present-future
http://www.toronto.com/article/731300
http://techland.time.com/2010/09/14/frank-oconnor-343-industries-and-the-future-of-halo/

 

[Retro]

Have any of you guys ever wondered what 343 is going to do after Halo 6?

Halo 7, 8 and 9?

Seriously though, I wouldn't be opposed to more spin-offs within the Halo universe, in the same vein as ODST and Reach (talking about the concept, not the quality, nobody wants another Reach). Taking a significant event and expanding on it. Maybe stuff from the books and such.

What about a Halo game that's entirely from the eyes of the Covenant? Imagine Halo: Covenant Elite; the events of Halo: CE (get it?) from the eyes of Thel 'Vadam. Cover all of the events from his early career on Sanghelios to his defeat at Installation 04 (leading into his parts of Halo 2, obviously).

You've got all of these amazing set pieces that are instantly familiar but seen from a new angle, an amazing Villain in the Master Chief... and if it's done right, you could feel like a proper elite, a huge fucking badass with an energy sword and a fleet of fanatics at your disposal. Sounds like a hell of a fun time, no?

 

[Falagard]

I'm sending some friend requests through to some HaloGaffers, nobody on my list plays Reach anymore.

 

[Bregmann Roche]

http://www.g4tv.com/videos/56405/the...frank-oconnor/
http://www.gameinformer.com/b/featur...-universe.aspx

I can't wait to visit Z!

 

[Zoso Achilles]

http://www.g4tv.com/videos/56405/the-future-of-halo-with-frank-oconnor/
http://www.gameinformer.com/b/featu...alo-wars-and-halo-39-s-expanded-universe.aspx
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7igpLvjusE
http://stratics.com/community/threa...ks-about-the-“halo”-universe’s-future.272003/
http://www.gamematics.net/future-halo-bright-frankie/
http://www.1up.com/news/interview-past-and-future-halo
http://www.1up.com/previews/interview-halo-4-past-present-future
http://www.toronto.com/article/731300
http://techland.time.com/2010/09/14/frank-oconnor-343-industries-and-the-future-of-halo/

I said goddamn.

 

[Bregmann Roche]

What about a Halo game that's entirely from the eyes of the Covenant? Imagine Halo: Covenant Elite; the events of Halo: CE (get it?) from the eyes of Thel 'Vadam. Cover all of the events from his early career on Sanghelios to his defeat at Installation 04 (leading into his parts of Halo 2, obviously).

You've got all of these amazing set pieces that are instantly familiar but seen from a new angle, an amazing Villain in the Master Chief... and if it's done right, you could feel like a proper elite, a huge fucking badass with an energy sword and a fleet of fanatics at your disposal. Sounds like a hell of a fun time, no?

343 is probably trying to keep the universe moving forward. One of the issues with Reach (and with prequels in general) is that the sense of exploration/mystery (in terms of the narrative) is lost the moment the player realizes "I know how this ends". One of the impressive tricks that 343 has pulled the last few years has been this feeling that the universe is moving forward even as they give us the mega-prequels of the Bear trilogy. Those books are far removed from the current state of the universe while being excitingly relevant to the "present" Halo story (Halo 4). You can't pull something like that off by going back to tell the story of Halo: CE through the eyes of the Covenant.

EDIT:
I'm getting on Reach. Franklinator: get your hands out from under whatever alien lady's shirt they've wandered up and get serious.

 

[Franklinator]

EDIT:
I'm getting on Reach. Franklinator: get your hands out from under whatever alien lady's shirt they've wandered up and get serious.

Liara is not just some "alien lady." what we have is special

 

[789shadow]

Liara is not just some "alien lady." what we have is special

You totally wouldn't understand this, but do you use completely blue text and post on Gamespot?

lol kidding.

 

[Steelyuhas]

Also part two: I saw Prometheus today. AVP was better.

What in the actual fuck?

Dont know if this was posted but gametrailers best E3 multiplayer game is
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/best-multiplayer-best-of-e3/732427

Spoiler

Black Ops 2

I wasn't even aware that they showed MP for Blops at E3.

 

[Korosenai]

Here.

Damn you!

Anyways, after reading Ghosts of Onyx, there is something that is really bugging me regarding Spartan III's...

Spoiler

I just finished reading Ghosts of Onyx today, and i'm trying to get back into and catch up on all of the Halo lore. When reading about Spartan III's, I found out that Carter, Cat, Emile, Jun, and Noble 6 were all Spartan III's. That was something I did not realize before, and I find to be really cool.... minus one little error. Halsey knows every single Spartan II that she created. Halsey does not find out about Spartan III's until she lands on Onyx. So if Halsey does not know about Spartan III's until Onyx, and 5 out of 6 spartan's in noble squad were Spartan III's, why would she not question where they came from or how they were spartan's?

 

[Vire]

Any news in the past few days? I've been busy with the NBA Finals.

 

[Retro]

Been a busy day for me in Photoshop and HaloGAF;

And yeah, I know they're moving the universe forward, but I still feel like seeing Pre-Combat Evolved events through the eyes of the Covenant might be kind of cool. Let you see some Spartans (not necessarily Master Chief) through the eyes of their enemies. Lots of great previously unseen places and events they could play with; Sanghelios, The Great Schism, etc.

Dunno. Sounds cool. I actually didn't mind the Arbiter stages in H2, I liked the idea of getting into the mindset of an 8-foot-tall armored-up Energy Sword-wielding reptilian zealot badass.

 

[Plywood]

The only issue with the Arbiter levels was that you never got to fight any humans. Which was of course unacceptable.

 

[daedalius]

Team brs on the pit... then it changes to team slayer on high ground. Nooooo.

Oh well still dominated

 

[Biggest-Geek-Ever]

The Arbiter stages brought you the flood almost immediately, which put him in a negative light right then and there. He also got more shitty bosses than Master Chief.

The only issue with the Arbiter levels was that you never got to fight any humans. Which was of course unacceptable.

 

[Plywood]

TS on Highground in 2012.

What went wrong?

 

[Fracas]

RIP J10. I guess you'll be missed.

Also, who is playing Reach right now? I'll probably hop on.

 

[Steelyuhas]

The only issue with the Arbiter levels was that you never got to fight any humans. Which was of course unacceptable.

Resists...the...urge..to post it....

The Arbiter's Halo 2 arc stands as my favorite part of the trilogy. Being a integral part of a Civil War within the Covenant was a fascinating and bold move, and the three-way fights between the Elites, Covy loyalists, and Flood near the end of the game was awesome. I do agree that you should have fought humans at some point, but I think Bungie wanted to stay away from that because they thought that people wouldn't like the Arbiter if you were just mowing down Marines.

 

[Plywood]

Considering how incompetent the marine AI seems to be in each iteration of the game(unless you throw them a power weapon and even then) I think people would have swore fealty to him if they had gotten at least one chance to shoot the human douchebags driving around in hogs crashing into walls and PULSING THE HOG TURRET.

 

[Steelyuhas]

Considering how incompetent the marine AI seems to be in each iteration of the game(unless you throw them a power weapon and even then) I think people would have swore fealty to him if they had gotten at least one chance to shoot the human douchebags driving around in hogs crashing into walls and PULSING THE HOG TURRET.

His grace, The Arbiter, not the first of his name...

 

[Retro]

The only issue with the Arbiter levels was that you never got to fight any humans. Which was of course unacceptable.

Agreed. Not sure if it was a ratings thing or not, I know killing things is all fine and good until they look like humans. It would need to happen though. You would need to be able to camo your way into a mass of marines and go all Sauron-at-the-beginning-of-Lord-of-the-Rings on their ass or it just ain't gonna feel right.

No flood levels. It's all about Covenant Empire conquering humanity.

The Arbiter's Halo 2 arc stands as my favorite part of the trilogy. Being a integral part of a Civil War within the Covenant was a fascinating and bold move, and the three-way fights between the Elites, Covy loyalists, and Flood near the end of the game was awesome. I do agree that you should have fought humans at some point, but I think Bungie wanted to stay away from that because they thought that people wouldn't like the Arbiter if you were just mowing down Marines.

Would love to see some stages set during the Great Schism with the Elites suddenly on the ropes and facing down a swarm of brutes that are flat out bigger, meaner, and stronger than they are.

And yeah, my initial thought of having the player assume the role of the Arbiter is out. Needs to be some other Elite.