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[Blueblur1]

Don't hate the playa, hate the game.

 

[bobs...onGaf]

The match is Sunday 4:30 pm Eastern Time (US) or 9:30 pm GMT.
Don't worry about not being on GAF for very long part of HaloGAF are all the new members that are constantly joining (and then getting berated by all other members).

Spoiler

did I mention that you were good and I want to win

.

Thats a good time, any idea what they're like? Please tell me were not playing on those damn Atlas maps from last customs :lol

Actually I havent played for a bit, any chance of getting some customs in first?

 

[vhfive]

Thats a good time, any idea what they're like? Please tell me were not playing on those damn Atlas maps from last customs :lol

Actually I havent played for a bit, any chance of getting some customs in first?

None what so ever :lol but we do get to pick one of our own.
I'll be on tomorrow afternoon (for me, night for you europeans) and then again at night (work from 5:30p-10:30p). We should definitely get some games in then, and then once more right before the actual showdown.

 

[Kibbles]

BWU - http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&link=BWU_031210

 

[Trasher]

BWU - http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&link=BWU_031210

Haha, forgot it was Friday. Was really confused thinking it was up a day early.

 

[The Librarian]

Awesome BWU. The water in Reach sounds (and looks) awesome (thanks for the .gifs, Urk!) and the tracer addition to the grenade sounds like a good change.

 

[Sean P.]

Someone make some gifs asap, and some halo 3 ones to compare them to!

I would if I could :[

Looks great

 

[Kibbles]

^ The links below the pics go to gifs.

 

[Sai-kun]

WE HAVE WATER

 

[Sean P.]

Oh, glorious.

Anyone happen to have a gif of Halo 3's?

And god that looks amazing, with vegetation moving and all the mist coming off of it

 

[GhaleonEB]

Epic water update is epic. Thanks, urk.

Update to the visuals is kind of surprising considering how complete they looked; can't wait to see them in action.

And if you’re looking for even more podcast, you’re in luck. Next week, we’re gonna stick Sage in the hot seat and fire twenty questions his way aimed at the more technical stuff packed into the new engine. FOV, health model…hell, maybe we’ll even ask him if fall damage is in or out. Should be interesting.

Yummy.

 

[feel]

Sweetness!

edit- hey, my question (or at least one similar) got picked! nice.

 

[zumphry]

That water looks really, really good.

Spoiler

Valhalla 2 confirmed

Also, I don't know if it's wrong that I felt like Michael Scott during the first few lines of the update. :lol

 

[Kibbles]

Epic water update is epic. Thanks, urk.

Update to the visuals is kind of surprising considering how complete they looked; can't wait to see them in action.

I was definitely expecting them to upgrade from Alpha, but it's good to hear about the upgrades they got in already. The Alpha footage from the trailer looked only a little better than Halo 3 in terms of graphics. (My friend couldn't tell the difference, but he's not a "hardcore" gamer so maybe he just doesn't notice the things I do) I would've rather that they released the trailer with this new Delta footage. Ah well, hopefully we get to see it soon.

This Delta will go through updates before being finalized as the Multiplayer Beta though, right? I mean it's not even half-way through March yet, there's a lot of time.

 

[Trasher]

That part about "picking up" on grenades made me think. Will we be able to pickup grenades and throw them back like in CoD? I know that wasn't what Urk meant, but it made me wonder.

A strange thing happened in the Alpha last week. We were testing some of what will ultimately become part of the Arena experience and, for one reason or another, a small snippet of what seemed to be mundane, behind-the-scenes information ended up being displayed in the HUD for all to see. Should have been fairly innocuous for all intents and purposes, but the more our playtesters were exposed to it, the more they began to understand its initially vague intricacies and soon enough even our own guys were coming into work in the morning telling energetic stories centered on this curious little numerical oddity.

Sound a little too mysterious? Sorry. It wouldn’t make much sense to dig in right now without the proper context in place. And since the final call hasn’t been made as to the utility and ubiquity of this particular snippet of information, we’re not going to cement it into your lexicon just yet. Until we start squawking, you’ll just have to take your best guess.

My best guess? It’ll end up in the public Beta in one form or fashion and you won’t have to wonder about it at all. Of course, you should keep in mind that my guesses are about as good as yours. If design wants this particular nugget to get panned, it’s gone.

This part just pissed me of... Why even say anything about this?! "Hey we just wanted to tell you guys that there is this mysterious thing that has been going on that we can't tell you about!" Screw you, Urk.

Btw, it sounds like the game is going to look pretty awesome when it is ready to ship. Perhaps a 35% increase graphically?

 

[Domino Theory]

Btw, it sounds like the game is going to look pretty awesome when it is ready to ship. Perhaps a 35% increase graphically?

Hopefully Powerhouse Level 3 gets a bump in visuals.

@NJ: Thanks for the code. You should've done it via PM to begin with.

Edit: Give the code to someone who needs it. I don't need this app anymore, my code is unused.

 

[CrunchinJelly]

Hmm, water seems to look pretty much the same from Halo 3.

 

[Chinner]

Hmm, water seems to look pretty much the same from Halo 3.

looks more natural and shit. the water in halo 3 looked good at the time but hasnt aged well at all.

 

[RebornYeti]

I was waiting for an update on the water, and now we got it! Sweet!

 

[Justinian]

Wow at that water. They have really captured the weight and fluid dynamics of a waterfall. Impressed.

 

[RdN]

Water is pretty good! Looking forward to the next Podcast.

 

[feel]

lol that black title frame is annoying

 

[Lazslo]

Hey Urk, I asked for a water update earlier this week so I'm personally going to take responsibility for that section, you truly are a community guru, thumbs up dddanks. Good stuff this week, I really enjoy this part of the product cycle at Bungie. Learning about the current game in small weekly fragments really makes the development process entertaining as a consumer. I also noticed that for some reason I want to know everything about multiplayer before the game ships but absolutely nothing about Campaign, weird.

 

[godhandiscen]

The water in Halo 3 was already the best water in any videogame bar Crysis. I don't know, maybe I need to take a look at Halo 3 again, but I am not impressed.

 

[Kibbles]

*gifs*

For that second one, they need to add a darker layer to the bottom of the textures to make it look like the concrete is wet where the water flows Plz.

 

[RotaryAce]

The water in Halo 3 was already the best water in any videogame bar Crysis. I don't know, maybe I need to take a look at Halo 3 again, but I am not impressed.

But Reach-Water has big waves and reacts to the player a lot more than in Halo 3. The explosion effects also will be awesome it they are as described in the update.

 

[godhandiscen]

But Reach-Water has big waves and reacts to the player a lot more than in Halo 3. The explosion effects also will be awesome it they are as described in the update.

Then once I get to see it I will be impressed. I am just saying that the gif didn't capture the awesomeness of the water if indeed it is THAT much better than H3's.

 

[AwesomeSyrup]

I never thought I'd say this about water, but that is sexy.

 

[Tashi]

Undulate.

Water sounds awesome.

 

[Iknos]

The water in Halo 3 was already the best water in any videogame bar Crysis. I don't know, maybe I need to take a look at Halo 3 again, but I am not impressed.

Worth repeating.

The best water on consoles is the best way to put it.

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

Yeah I think it was in the last 2 weeks I mentioned that the best BWU was the water ones.

And looking at these gifs of the water its hard to tell if there are any improvements because the water in HALO 3 was already so awesome. Will be interested to see the reflection they talk about because that was the one thing the HALO 3 water lacked.

 

[Chinner]

also bungie developers: a few years i had a map idea but no one picked up, seeing as your developing your possibly last halo game could you please turn this idea into a map?

this is my idea: the map is shaped like frankies face.

it practicality sells itself!

 

[RotaryAce]

Then once I get to see it I will be impressed. I am just saying that the gif didn't capture the awesomeness of the water if indeed it is THAT much better than H3's.

In the first gif/video the new effects are more subtle, but in my opinion the rolling waves in the second one are way better than the ones in Halo 3. The overall coloring of the water is more natural too.
Valhalla Waterfall Image
H3 Water 1
H3 Water 2

 

[Thermite]

^ The links below the pics go to gifs.

NOM NOM

Goddamn.

 

[Kapura]

So urk posts some smooth prose about the wet spots of the game and everybody on HaloGAF develops a water fetish.

with great power etc.

 

[GhaleonEB]

So urk posts some smooth prose about the wet spots of the game and everybody on HaloGAF develops a water fetish.

with great power etc.

It was Frankie that cultivated my water fetish, thank you very much.

 

[InvincibleAgent]

"Most likely it does not equal is"? That line makes no sense lol.

lern 2 red

"Most likely =/= is"

means:

"It is most likely the case that... " has a meaning distinctly different from "It is the case that... "

It's OK, he's charging for his Mass Effect and Bioshock guides as well. :lol :lol

People write guides on websites that charge money. IGN has insider-exclusive content, and my friend Amber manages the Planet Resident Evil subsite of IGN. She gets paid. Are you telling me Capcom has to okay that?

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

In the first gif/video the new effects are more subtle, but in my opinion the rolling waves in the second one are way better than the ones in Halo 3. The overall coloring of the water is more natural too.
Valhalla Waterfall Image
H3 Water 1
H3 Water 2

Rubbish. Check the water at the beginning of The Covenant. That is where it looks its most incredible. I'm sure improvements have been made, I just can't see them yet.

 

[kylej]

Water lovers need to check out God of War 3.

http://www.giantbomb.com/quick-look-god-of-war-iii/17-2160/

Skip to 3:30

 

[feel]

Water lovers need to check out God of War 3.

http://www.giantbomb.com/quick-look-god-of-war-iii/17-2160/

Skip to 3:30

So hot. Need to find time to unwrap my gow collection, to first play gow 1 again, finally play 2, and then get this.

 

[GhaleonEB]

Water lovers need to check out God of War 3.

http://www.giantbomb.com/quick-look-god-of-war-iii/17-2160/

Skip to 3:30

Surface looks great, but there's absolutely no interaction between the character and the water. Halo 3's water had actual physics to it, flowing around and over objects and leaving wakes behind what passed through it. That's what always impressed me about it, and seeing videos of static, scripted water just makes it that much more impressive over time.

 

[big ander]

Water looks awesome.
I'm thirsty now.

 

[Sai-kun]

So urk posts some smooth prose about the wet spots of the game and everybody on HaloGAF develops a water fetish.

with great power etc.

I've had a water fetish since Frankie talked me into Halo 3 water.

 

[NOKYARD]

Water level please.

Jetski version of the Mongoose please.

Multiplayer map in the same area so we can forge water sports please?

 

[EazyB]

I've always preferred nice reflections in water to heavily physics-driven flow. It's hard for me to appreciate stuff like water flowing around a a vehicle on Valhalla especially when I'm actually playing the game. Reflections are very blatant and play a much bigger aesthetic role during actual gameplay.

It's neat to stop and look at Halo 3's impressive water physics every thousand matches or so though, just wish there were realtime reflections of the environment and player models.

 

[JaggedSac]

The water that the Frostbite engine generates impressed me the other day. Looks pretty darn good.

 

[Lazslo]

I've had a water fetish since Frankie talked me into Halo 3 water.

Yeah, same here. I never thought someone with just the powah of words could make me enjoy simple water (out of all the things in a Halo game) I think it was this paragraph below in one of the updates that had me hooked on water in video games. Even today I still find myself, appropriately while getting shot at, busting rounds into the H-two the izz-O (word-play) to watch the physics and ripples.

But it was Joe Staten (I would describe him as about 85% less excited by it than me)who spotted the best new water feature which is a waterfall from a very early level, where the water flows smoothly and slickly over some big, smooth boulders, and then cascades more energetically down the larger drops - to end in a convincing mist and splash as it hits the main body of the river.

Urk is absolutly starting to fill those shoes pretty good though. I got the same sense of excitement and anticipation again.

The reflection and shimmering atop the water is naturally more visible and pronounced where the sunlight skins the surface and the refraction adds a near photo-realistic and completely hypnotic effect to the water whether I'm peering out across it or leering down through it.

Well played young padawan wordsmith. Can't wait to see the new rivers and streams on Reach!

 

[Apath]

I've always preferred nice reflections in water to heavily physics-driven flow. It's hard for me to appreciate stuff like water flowing around a a vehicle on Valhalla especially when I'm actually playing the game. Reflections are very blatant and play a much bigger aesthetic role during actual gameplay.

It's neat to stop and look at Halo 3's impressive water physics every thousand matches or so though, just wish there were realtime reflections of the environment and player models.

Agreed.

Yeah, same here. I never thought someone with just the powah of words could make me enjoy simple water (out of all the things in a Halo game) I think it was this paragraph below in one of the updates that had me hooked on water in video games. Even today I still find myself, appropriately while getting shot at, busting rounds into the H-two the izz-O (word-play) to watch the physics and ripples.

Urk is absolutly starting to fill those shoes pretty good though. I got the same sense of excitement and anticipation again.

Well played young padawan wordsmith. Can't wait to see the new rivers and streams on Reach!

It's exactly because of how much Bungie hyped up its water in their weekly updates back in the months leading up to Halo 3's release that I'm still pretty skeptical on the water in Reach. Not that it will look bad -- quite the contrary: I think it'll look good and have decent physics. These updates just seem to hype it up as some amazing fucking thing is all =\

 

[dilatedmuscle]

Surface looks great, but there's absolutely no interaction between the character and the water. Halo 3's water had actual physics to it, flowing around and over objects and leaving wakes behind what passed through it. That's what always impressed me about it, and seeing videos of static, scripted water just makes it that much more impressive over time.

I would rather have physics driven water. One thing that has always impressed me about Halo is that its been substance over smoke and mirrors. I still think Halo 3 has the best graphics on 360 minus the image quality. I would rather see the hundreds of tiny scratches on the spartan armor while zooming in on the character then have Killzone 2 characters that look great from afar but have mediocre textures (same goes for environment textures).

The problem with this generation is that its hard to combine substance with smoke and mirrors with current consoles. Few games have done it well; Uncharted 2 and Crysis 2, which is on pc, (Alan Wake?)are the only ones who do this well to a great extent. Seems like Halo reach may combine both in some ways. They said the textures and Polygons will be much better in reach then in Halo 3 and in some instances (destroythegenerator.gif) it shows off some fancy shmancy post processing that was not in halo 3 to any great noticeable level.

 

[Apath]

I would rather have physics driven water. One thing that has always impressed me about Halo is that its been substance over smoke and mirrors. I still think Halo 3 has the best graphics on 360 minus the image quality. I would rather see the hundreds of tiny scratches on the spartan armor while zooming in on the character then have Killzone 2 characters that look great from afar but have mediocre textures (same goes for environment textures).

The problem with this generation is that its hard to combine substance with smoke and mirrors with current consoles. Few games have done it well; Uncharted 2 and Crysis 2, which is on pc, (Alan Wake?)are the only ones who do this well to a great extent. Seems like Halo reach may combine both in some ways. They said the textures and Polygons will be much better in reach then in Halo 3 and in some instances (destroythegenerator.gif) it shows off some fancy shmancy post processing that was not in halo 3 to any great noticeable level.

Since when does Killzone 2 have mediocre textures?