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[Shake Appeal]

With ODST, my first playthrough was solo Legendary, and it actually worked out pretty great. But I think there are enough changes to Reach that I'll probably dial it back to Heroic.

Take a break after a couple of levels, play some MP. I'll leave Firefight or suchlike for when I've completed the campaign.

I hope like hell there's a simultaneous release date.

 

[GhaleonEB]

With ODST, my first playthrough was solo Legendary, and it actually worked out pretty great. But I think there are enough changes to Reach that I'll probably dial it back to Heroic.

Take a break after a couple of levels, play some MP. I'll leave Firefight or suchlike for when I've completed the campaign.

I hope like hell there's a simultaneous release date.

Release Date | Japan_09/15 | Everywhere Else_09/14

 

[Tashi]

Excavating The Pit

<3

 

[squidhands]

Excavating The Pit

<3

"What if we floated Hang 'Em High in the sky above Hang 'Em High?"


:lol :lol

 

[Shake Appeal]

Release Date | Japan_09/15 | Everywhere Else_09/14

Delicious.

I actually missed the launch (and first couple of months) of Halo 3 because I was moving to England to do my MA and made the very mature, responsible, and regrettable decision of leaving my 360 at home.

I will live and breathe Reach for a week at least.

 

[Thagomizer]

Cotton leans away from the design docs. Looks like our deal is done.

“I still think the idea of rooftops in a city sounds cool.”

Carney agrees.

“It’ll happen. One day.”

I tell ‘em both I’m not writing that down.

HHHMMMMM

 

[Tashi]

Also, the camera's on the Pit only follow the host. It's a sure way to tell who's host when you're playing online.

 

[Shake Appeal]

“Joe Tung named it,” Carney notes. “It’s from The Wire. It’s where all the deals went down.”

Holy shit.

 

[AwesomeSyrup]

That thing about the Pit was cool. I wish there were more pictures though.

 

[Trasher]

Also, the camera's on the Pit only follow the host. It's a sure way to tell who's host when you're playing online.

This a joke? If not, then wow haha.

Holy shit.

Awesome.

 

[Ramirez]

I like the blue version better than the one we got...

 

[feel]

Excavating The Pit

<3

So fuckin awesome, I love the pit. Such good memories, sadly nothing will ever play as great as that on default matchmaking Reach with the jetpacks allowing people to just float wherever. But there's always the possibility of changing that on saturday customs with the gaf crew.

 

[big ander]

Excavating The Pit

<3

“So, that’s Bernard Tschumi, a French architect,” Carney notes, lightly touching a finger to the rim of his gold-rimmed monocle.

:lol
Great article.

 

[electricpirate]

Holy shit.

I didn't realize the level got demoted from the towers.

 

[Kapura]

I changed my desktop background from oonsk'd reach wallpaper to the cyberdyne version of the map. So cash.

 

[SpudBud]

Excavating The Pit

<3

The color scheme in the concept art is pretty awesome.

 

[kylej]

The Pit would be better if the loudspeaker voices spoke Wire quotes.

*gets blained*
"It ain't your turn to give a fuck"

 

[The Librarian]

Holy shit.

Oh wow.

Now all Bungie needs to do is name a level after something from Star Trek.

 

[Shake Appeal]

I didn't realize the level got demoted from the towers.

They should have an orange couch sitting in the middle of the bridge.

 

[urk]

Oh wow.

Now all Bungie needs to do is name a level after something from Star Trek.

Nerd Base.

 

[The Librarian]

Nerd Base.

Enterprise is more subtle.

 

[Shake Appeal]

Nerd Base.

Sez the unrepentant Star Wars fanboy.

 

[kylej]

Nerd Base.

Condom Struggle.

 

[The Librarian]

I hope Bungie keeps the "screen turns red when hurt" mechanic out of Reach and keep it like it was in the Beta. That's one of the things I loved about Beta. I'm so sick of my screen turning red when I'm hurt in FPSs.

 

[urk]

Sez the unrepentant Star Wars fanboy.

OT only. I'm old school.

 

[Thagomizer]

I hope Bungie keeps the "screen turns red when hurt" mechanic out of Reach and keep it like it was in the Beta. That's one of the things I loved about Beta. I'm so sick of my screen turning red when I'm hurt in FPSs.

I don't mind the red edges, but what I hate is when it obstructs your view of the game or changes the color pallet so much that you can't tell what the hell you are looking at.

MW2 and it's strawberry jam is one of the worst offenders.

 

[big ander]

OT only. I'm old school.

Greedo shot first, in my world

 

[bobs...onGaf]

That spoiler wasn't really a spoiler ;-)

I'll be getting Reach 2-3 days late, so I'll bail out from HaloGAF during release week.

Wondering how I'll play first. For Halo 3, I was still in high school, so I played it Heroic co-op three levels at a time with my brother over three mid-week evenings.

For ODST I was in college, and I played it Legendary solo all in one straight on a Saturday afternoon/evening/night.

Probably gonna go do like with ODST, we'll see.

Haha yeah I know, still worrying that I look, even in other threads I constantly make that mistake. :lol

Im solo-ing it first time, I want to get all immersed and all that, by the time I finish co-op will probably never happen due to multiplayer though.

I'm a lot more clumsy in Halo 3 now than I was going into the Beta.

If Reach doesn't pull me in with its multiplayer, I think I'm going to be done with online gaming except for co-op (and maybe Firefight - depends on how robust its features are). Other multiplayer games have come and gone, but I always came back to Halo. There was always Halo.

This is probably a good thing, though, as not having to play any game online means I have an excuse to do other stuff, and focus on college.

I sort of echoe that sentiment, I almost dont want to be dragged in by Reach just because I really need to get stuff done. :lol Thing is I know I will be on Halo 3 even if Reach doesnt scratch my need so its a lose lose situation, I hope Reach turns out great.

 

[The Librarian]

I don't mind the red edges, but what I hate is when it obstructs your view of the game or changes the color pallet so much that you can't tell what the hell you are looking at.

MW2 and it's strawberry jam is one of the worst offenders.

Red edges are pretty annoying to; ODST definitely made me see that. Since we have health bars in Reach, there's no reason for there to be any other indication. Halo 1 had it right.

 

[FourDoor]

Greedo shot first, in my world

No he didn't! The reticule bloom screwed him up which is why Han got the kill shot! :lol

Spoiler

hide R2D2 as an easter egg please in Reach please...

 

[Miggytronz]

I hope Bungie keeps the "screen turns red when hurt" mechanic out of Reach and keep it like it was in the Beta. That's one of the things I loved about Beta. I'm so sick of my screen turning red when I'm hurt in FPSs.

x2

 

[big ander]

No he didn't! The reticule bloom screwed him up which is why Han got the kill shot! :lol

Spoiler

hide R2D2 as an easter egg please in Reach please...

:lol

 

[GhaleonEB]

Red edges are pretty annoying to; ODST definitely made me see that. Since we have health bars in Reach, there's no reason for there to be any other indication. Halo 1 had it right.

I thought Halo 3's implementation was perfect.

 

[bobs...onGaf]

Love that Pit article, im glad the Pit turned out how it did, but the concept artwork is interesting, having that catwalk available to players would have really changed the dynamic of the map.

I try out another joke. I note that the original concept sounds way better that the real deal! It’s become the running gag with these multiplayer postmortems. No matter what the original concept was, if it didn’t make the cut, the community (that’s you), automatically assumes it would have been way better.

Nuh-Uh, The Pit turned out awesome, I cant envisage those concepts working out as well.



Also the Hang em High convo made me laugh.

 

[Brainboy]

The bit about the cameras in the control room kind of blew my mind. That probably would have been pretty awesome, just like all the other original concepts!

 

[op_ivy]

The bit about the cameras in the control room kind of blew my mind. That probably would have been pretty awesome, just like all the other original concepts!

definitely. hopefully we'll see it reincarnated in one of the reach maps, for multi AND single player. Imagine the ai camera focusing in on approaching dropships and switching to nearby hallway cameras as a group of elites charges through the perimeter. fun.

 

[EazyB]

The Pit article was awesome. Keep em coming. What I really want is a postmortem on some of the shittier maps. More an explanation or apology for them than a postmortem. Is it too early to have a postmortem on why Swordbase turned out so shitty?

The thought of it being set in a forerunner environment is such a tease. Though I can't think of any human map that wouldn't look better with forerunner structures instead. The Pit isn't ugly for the normal reason Bungie's human environments are ugly (rust) but they managed to make it one ugly ass map nonetheless. :lol

I don't like The Pit as much as most people around here do. I don't like how slayer plays with radar on. It's a fucking amazing CTF map though.

 

[zumphry]

I like the blue version better than the one we got...

Yeah, I think it looks pretty cool compared to what The Pit looks like. Even though I doubt The Pit would work in Reach, it'd be cool to see a remake like that first picture there.

Making Hang Em' High over and over again maps sounds really fun.

 

[electricpirate]

Also the Hang em High convo made me laugh.

Hmmm... speaking of which, Hang Em high would work really well with Reach's sandbox; Fall Damage, reliable mid-long range weapons, health packs, and geometry that doesn't rely too heavily on jumps would play quite well in Reach.

The only things I'd worry about would be how Jetpacks affect the risk of catwalk runs. If you can Jetpack over and just grab the sniper or rockets why risk a run on the platforms?

 

[Tashi]

This a joke? If not, then wow haha.

Not a joke. Go into custom games alone and you'll see. There's a camera in each green box and in sword. If you're host it will not only follow you but other players. It just only moves for the host.

I don't like The Pit as much as most people around here do. I don't like how slayer plays with radar on. It's a fucking amazing CTF map though.

MLG CTF Pit just might be the best game type Halo 3 has ever seen.

 

[Thagomizer]

Hmmm... speaking of which, Hang Em high would work really well with Reach's sandbox; Fall Damage, reliable mid-long range weapons, health packs, and geometry that doesn't rely too heavily on jumps would play quite well in Reach.

The only things I'd worry about would be how Jetpacks affect the risk of catwalk runs. If you can Jetpack over and just grab the sniper or rockets why risk a run on the platforms?

Put a lean-to style roof and railings just barely too small for Spartans to be able to jetpack up to it, but still large enough where everyone is easily visible, on the platform with the rifle and the catwalks and put a ramp with the same lean-to between the platform and the catwalks.

Bam.

 

[Kibbles]

I really hope the motion blur is more smooth in the final game. Watching some Killzone 3 video right now reminds me how good KZ2's (and 3's) motion blur is. If it ends up being more like that, that'd be nice. The motion blur was a bit harsh in the beta.

 

[Lazslo]

The Pit article was a really good read, it's pretty awesome that Bungie does stuff like that for the fans even almost 3 years after ship.

Anyway, I was playing H3 Campaign today and noticed that the equipment that the Brutes can deploy really helps to visually see the improvements to the AI when fighting in an encounter. The addition of the equipment in Halo 3 just made the Brutes feel much more intelligent compared to the Elites in Halo 2. I guess when you give an enemy more shit to do, it will appear as better AI- so it just makes sense to add to this concept in Reach

It made me wonder how Reach is going to implement this transparency of AI to makeup for the lack of equipment-specific actions. The only thing I could think of is that in Reach the Elites, or at least some of them, will have some forms of AA that is present with them from spawn similar to their Spartans counterparts.

We already know it's possible in Reach for enemies to Jam Radar, Go Camo and do the new bubblesheild-Armorlock. This leaves the Deployable Cover, Portable Grav-Lift, Power Drain, Regen, Trip Mine and my favorite- The Flare. I know that most of these won't make it into Reach but I hope Bungie continues to add to this concept of having enemies display actions that make them appear more intelligent in battle.

 

[BladedExpert]

MLG CTF Pit just might be the best game type Halo 3 has ever seen.

I can't honestly think of anything better. So good

 

[Zeouterlimits]

<3 the excavation, <3 The Pit. Such an amazing map.

Having a live issue with B.net though. It freaks out whenever I try to go there in Chrome. It's a cookie issue, but I've delete my B.net cookies. Shall have to try deleting my live-related cookies.

 

[Dirtbag]

MLG CTF Pit just might be the best game type Halo 3 has ever seen.

1). Heavies - Standoff
2). CTF - Isolation
3). Oddball - Epitaph
4). CTF - Rat's Nest
5). Anything - Orbital

Spoiler

 

[GhaleonEB]

I wanted to round up the postmortems that Bungie has run recently, but the news filtering system seems borked for me. I select "top news", and when I try to advance to the next page, the filter resets to view all news, including the epic Comm Chatter. Using Search is futile. The only ones I've been able to dig up where these - I know they did a few more Halo 3 maps. Can anyone find the links?

Halo 3: The Pit | Sandtrap | Guardian | Construct | The Flood

ODST: Engineer

Also, CTF on Rat's Nest kicks ass.

Edit: thanks, Wu. <3

 

[Shake Appeal]

Classic CTF on The Pit, Standoff (with laser removed and both sides given a Chopper), and Valhalla (with laser removed and replaced by rockets).

Halo 3: Combat Perfected.

 

[Louis Wu]

I wanted to round up the postmortems that Bungie has run recently, but the news filtering system seems borked for me. I select "top news", and when I try to advance to the next page, the filter resets to view all news, including the epic Comm Chatter. Using Search is futile. The only ones I've been able to dig up where these - I know they did a few more Halo 3 maps. Can anyone find the links?

Halo 3: The Pit | Sandtrap | The Flood

ODST: Engineer

Also, CTF on Rat's Nest kicks ass.

Guardian | Construct

The link generator is busted - but you can advance the pages manually - start with this link:

http://www.bungie.net/News/Blog.aspx?filter=topnews&page=0

Then change the 0 to a 1, then a 2, etc. Slow, but it works, and it saves you LOTS of non-top-news posts.

 

[electricpirate]

Guardian | Construct

The link generator is busted - but you can advance the pages manually - start with this link:

http://www.bungie.net/News/Blog.aspx?filter=topnews&page=0

Then change the 0 to a 1, then a 2, etc. Slow, but it works, and it saves you LOTS of non-top-news posts.

Thanks Ghal and Louis, I've never seen the construct and Engineer post-mortems.

Construct one is interesting for me because It's probably on the list of my most hated maps on halo 3. Of course, what I didn't like about the map (the top level) was what they loved, but, eh, c'est la vie.