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[Future PhaZe]

I think that they will. This is a perfect opportunity to introduce fans to those elements without causing confusion.

 

[Frenck]

I think that they will. This is a perfect opportunity to introduce fans to those elements without causing confusion.

Exactly. It doesn't tinker with the Master Chief story arc and since it's a prequel the player needs to bring some curiosity about the backstory of the trilogy with him if he bought the game.

Before the Reach teaser was released I thought that 343 would be the first ones to take this step in their games but the two minute teaser already dipped deeper into the existing Halo lore than any other Bungie game. They even mentioned a specific event from Ghosts of Onyx which is pretty revolutionary for Bungie when you think about it.

 

[Future PhaZe]

As someone who is just starting Reach my only question would be why does the armor for the Spartans in Reach look so much more advanced in comparison to Chiefs armor in Halo: CE?

If it's a spoiler for Fall of Reach I'd rather just be told so and I'll find out while reading.

 

[Metroidvania]

...sigh.

At this point, neither side is gonna convince the other of anything, judging from the last 5-10 pages. The people who believe believe, and the people who don't, don't.

I realize one of the main reasons this arguement is still going is because we have so little info on anything else, but come on, it's just going in circles.

Before the Reach teaser was released I thought that 343 would be the first ones to take this step in their games but the two minute teaser already dipped deeper into the existing Halo lore than any other Bungie game. They even mentioned a specific event from Ghosts of Onyx which is pretty revolutionary for Bungie when you think about it.

Agreed, I'd REALLY like to see if we as Noble team possibly run into the other groundside spartan II's and Dr. Halsey to make it underground to avoid being glassed.

As someone who is just starting Reach my only question would be why does the armor for the Spartans in Reach look so much more advanced in comparison to Chiefs armor in Halo: CE?

It's more like a "retcon" than anything else, I think. Though we don't know what ONI's been up to since the Mjolnir and SPI armor came out.

edit: Hmm, I thought modular enhancements didn't come out til Mark VI, but I could be wrong, will have to go re-read Reach.

 

[Frenck]

As someone who is just starting Reach my only question would be why does the armor for the Spartans in Reach look so much more advanced in comparison to Chiefs armor in Halo: CE?

If it's a spoiler for Fall of Reach I'd rather just be told so and I'll find out while reading.

They kept the chest plate consistent. That's always the biggest indicator for Mark V armor. The rest of the suit is modular and designed to make room for special purpose equipment and enhancements.

EDIT:

There is also obviously a big difference in graphical detail. Depicted in Reach's engine the Chief's armor would probably look a lot like this.

 

[Frenck]

edit: Hmm, I thought modular enhancements didn't come out til Mark VI, but I could be wrong, will have to go re-read Reach.

That part is in First Strike iirc. We learn about the modular nature of the suit in Castle Base.

 

[tahrikmili]

They kept the chest plate consistent. That's always the biggest indicator for Mark V armor. The rest of the suit is modular and designed to make room for special purpose equipment and enhancements.

EDIT:

There is also obviously a big difference in graphical detail. Depicted in Reach's engine the Chief's armor would probably look a lot like this.

Is a Spartan really that much taller compared to a normal human? That's like a Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine compared to a normal human, almost. The game never makes you feel you are that.. big..

 

[Frenck]

Is a Spartan really that much taller compared to a normal human? That's like a Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine compared to a normal human, almost. The game never makes you feel you are that.. big..

The little booklets that come with the games indicate that the artistic depiction of the Spartan compared to the technicians is pretty accurate. While the trilogy doesn't do a good job making you feel like one of these huge Spartans it's pretty easy to see the difference when you play The Rookie in ODST.

Some of the enemies appear to be twice as big as before.

 

[Walshicus]

As someone who is just starting Reach my only question would be why does the armor for the Spartans in Reach look so much more advanced in comparison to Chiefs armor in Halo: CE?

Because Halo CE was released in 2001 and Halo: Reach will be released in 2010?

 

[Truant]

Wait are there brutes in this?

Brutes are the worst thing ever, in terms of concept, design and execution. It's like they just googled 'random creature' and got gorilla and decided to roll with that. I have no idea why they picked those lame things to be in a series with relatively cool creature designs. It boggles my mind to this day.

 

[Frenck]

Wait are there brutes in this?

Brutes are the worst thing ever, in terms of concept, design and execution. It's like they just googled 'random creature' and got gorilla and decided to roll with that. I have no idea why they picked those lame things to be in a series with relatively cool creature designs. It boggles my mind to this day.

Story reasons. They were needed as a mindless replacement for the Elites who started doubting the lies of the Prophets. If you have to introduce new minions who are overly aggressive idiots for story purposes you should make them look the part.

 

[Kibbles]

Playing Halo: Combat Evolved right now. I read Tom Morello's impressions again and he says the first 2 levels relate to

Spoiler

Halo and Truth and Reconciliation

, so I just replayed those levels. Halo still as awesome as it was years ago. <3 the music an ambiance.

Sahweet. I just threw two plasmas, one blew up a grunt and the explosion from it blew off my other plasma towards a jackal in the back but it hit the ceiling, and landed on the Jackal's head.

Speaking of Halo: CE, I saw this really nice vid for Halo: Custom Edition.

 

[Pudding Tame]

Is a Spartan really that much taller compared to a normal human? That's like a Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine compared to a normal human, almost. The game never makes you feel you are that.. big..

Yeah, the opening to Crow's Nest in Halo 3 is probably the best comparison of how much bigger the Chief is to a normal human, and in the fiction there are others who are even bigger than the Chief.

 

[Louis Wu]

Speaking of Halo: CE, I saw this really nice vid for Halo: Custom Edition.

I could have sworn I'd seen that before - but there's no link to it in the HBO news archives, and I doubt I'd watch it and NOT mention it - you're right, it's great. Weird.

Thanks!

 

[clashfan]

Yeah, the opening to Crow's Nest in Halo 3 is probably the best comparison of how much bigger the Chief is to a normal human, and in the fiction there are others who are even bigger than the Chief.

The animation of the new trailer makes this old cutscene look so stiff.

 

[Blueblur1]

I just finished MW2's campaign and while ago and tried out the multiplayer.

My two cents: MW2 is an above average game and completely overrated. I hope Bungie continues doing their own thing with Reach. Probably gonna sell my copy of MW2 on Amazon.

 

[Striker]

Playing Halo: Combat Evolved right now. I read Tom Morello's impressions again and he says the first 2 levels relate to Halo and Truth and Reconciliation, so I just replayed those levels. Halo still as awesome as it was years ago. <3 the music an ambiance.

Sahweet. I just threw two plasmas, one blew up a grunt and the explosion from it blew off my other plasma towards a jackal in the back but it hit the ceiling, and landed on the Jackal's head.

Halo and Two Betrayals are my favorite Halo series levels ever. So memorable and have a TON of replay value.

Speaking of Halo: CE, I saw this really nice vid for Halo: Custom Edition.

Ton of great looking maps, and of course, the Ivory Tower remake.

 

[The Librarian]

Playing Halo: Combat Evolved right now. I read Tom Morello's impressions again and

Spoiler

he says the first 2 levels relate to Halo and Truth and Reconciliation,

so I just replayed those levels. Halo still as awesome as it was years ago. <3 the music an ambiance.

Spoilers?

I'm doing my semiannual run through of Halo: Combat Evolved. I'm up to about halfway through The Silent Cartographer. Halo owns Truth and Reconciliation a lot.

Speaking of Halo: CE, I saw this really nice vid for Halo: Custom Edition.

Cool video.

 

[Darklord]

Wait are there brutes in this?

Brutes are the worst thing ever, in terms of concept, design and execution. It's like they just googled 'random creature' and got gorilla and decided to roll with that. I have no idea why they picked those lame things to be in a series with relatively cool creature designs. It boggles my mind to this day.

Totally agree. They are utterly terrible.

 

[gibonez]

Wait are there brutes in this?

Brutes are the worst thing ever, in terms of concept, design and execution. It's like they just googled 'random creature' and got gorilla and decided to roll with that. I have no idea why they picked those lame things to be in a series with relatively cool creature designs. It boggles my mind to this day.

Brutes are awesome I just wish they looked like this instead of how bungie depicted them.

 

[∀ Narayan]

Everything is pretty cartoony in the Halo games. It looks like Reach is going to be an attempt to rectify this image.

 

[ToyMachine228]

Brutes are awesome I just wish they looked like this instead of how bungie depicted them.

Yeah Brutes really aren't intimidating at all. When we first heard about them, and read about them in the books, they sounded crazy. But the way they look, speak, and animate...They're not intimidating at all. They could really use an update. Elites however have really always been nailed. They look like the tough, honorable warriors that they are.

 

[Trasher]

That part is in First Strike iirc. We learn about the modular nature of the suit in Castle Base.

You are correct, sir.

Pretty much if you want to learn anything about Reach and what happens, it is better to read First Strike. That book actually has events that take place on Reach.

 

[Blueblur1]

Everything is pretty cartoony in the Halo games. It looks like Reach is going to be an attempt to rectify this image.

I would argue that with each subsequent release, the Halo series has become less cartoony. I loved the design and exaggeration present in Halo: CE but I see how that is less attractive with the whole FPS arms race that the media and faboys been propagated over the course of this console generation.

 

[szaromir]

Wait are there brutes in this?

Brutes are the worst thing ever, in terms of concept, design and execution. It's like they just googled 'random creature' and got gorilla and decided to roll with that. I have no idea why they picked those lame things to be in a series with relatively cool creature designs. It boggles my mind to this day.

I would argue that Drones and Jackal snipers are much worse from the gameplay perspective, with Drones being worse also from the design perspective. I actually don't think that any of the enemies that Bungie added in Halo 2 worked well at all.

 

[i hate bees]

The animation of the new trailer makes this old cutscene look so stiff.

In fairness, Halo's strong point was never its cutscene's, some of them are average where as others are just bad.

 

[feel]

I hope they find a way to introduce new enemies in this game. It's a shame the game will probably be held back of introducing lots of new stuff because of the books.

 

[Kibbles]

Need to replay Halo 2 again too. I was just listening to some of the soundtrack. "Ghosts of Reach" for the win. Every piece I've listened to so far is amazing. I'd like to see more of this music, but it just doesn't fit Reach, whereas it fit moments in Halo 2 perfectly. I feel like Reach is going to be a mix of the action-style music in Halo mixed in with some ODST.

 

[clashfan]

Been watching the Halo 3 cutscenes again. I'm amazed by the differenced in detail between the Reach cutscene and Halo 3 cutscenes. I think we should prepare to be amazed by Reach graphics.

 

[enzo_gt]

To a certain extent they didn't, at least in the trilogy. They never acknowledged the existence of other Spartans, ONI was never mentioned, Dr. Halsey was never mentioned. Core elements of the EU were simply ignored in order not to confuse the player.

ODST expanded on that by introducing ONI but it still left out some of the prominent themes from the Nylund novels.

Let me put it this way, if we just go by the trilogy the Master Chief is the last surviving Spartan, ONI doesn't exist or is so far removed from the conflict that they may as well not exist and we don't know anything about the Spartan program and its origins.

Considering that it's a bit surprising for A. other Spartans to appear, B. a Spartan III to appear and C. for them to namedrop ONI in the first two minute teaser of the next big Halo game and I hope that other elements from the EU find their way into the game.

This may be true, but I've seen people who haven't read or don't know much about the back story built upon in the books and enjoy the Halo story fine, maybe because of some of the mystery involved with the Spartan program. Maybe I'm taking for granted all the 'extra' knowledge I have.

 

[Veelk]

I think there is a bit too much brute hate going on here. Honestly, I can understand liking the elites over the brutes, but they are not THAT far and ahead of them. In fact, if you compare the most technologically advanced Elites (from Halo 2) to the best brutes (Halo 3), I'd say that Brutes win by a landslide, and I personally think that Halo 1 Elites pwn both! So, while I can understand the joy for Elites coming back, and preference over to them over the brutes, to say that the Brutes are the worst idea in the gaming is laughable. They were made into competent warriors in Halo 3, worthy of their position as main enemies. If these elites simply end up being halo 2 elites in HD, I won't be impressed. If the Elites are going to be done, they need to be done right to reclaim their spot from Elites. So, enough with the hate already.

 

[big ander]

I think there is a bit too much brute hate going on here. Honestly, I can understand liking the elites over the brutes, but they are not THAT far and ahead of them. In fact, if you compare the most technologically advanced Elites (from Halo 2) to the best brutes (Halo 3), I'd say that Brutes win by a landslide, and I personally think that Halo 1 Elites pwn both! So, while I can understand the joy for Elites coming back, and preference over to them over the brutes, to say that the Brutes are the worst idea in the gaming is laughable. They were made into competent warriors in Halo 3, worthy of their position as main enemies. If these elites simply end up being halo 2 elites in HD, I won't be impressed. If the Elites are going to be done, they need to be done right to reclaim their spot from Elites. So, enough with the hate already.

Brutes really don't seem scary at all now. I've been repeating part of Halo 3 for a HaloGAF competition, and whenever I shoot a Brute he stands still, growls some, then gets his armor knocked off, snarls and looks to the sky, then dies. This is on Heroic. They should have been even more savage and crazy.

 

[DiabolicalBagel]

Monkeys really don't seem scary ever. I've been repeating part of Halo 3 for a HaloGAF competition, and whenever I shoot a monkey it stands still, growls some, gets electrocuted, his plastic falls off, he snarls and looks to the sky, then dies. This is on Heroic. They should have been elites.

I fixed that for you.

 

[godhandiscen]

Why do you guys blame the Brutes? AI code is AI code. The set of behaviors that Bungie implemented on the Brutes wasn't good enough, but how is a change of 3D mesh going to magically improve things?

I am personally not worried since I actually enjoyed fighting against brutes. I love the fact that they are brutal damage sponges. I am pretty sure the AI behaviors will improve, but if you were absolutely dssatisfied with the enemy behavior in Halo 3, then it is a long shot that you will like the enemies in Halo Reach unless the changes are drastic.

In my opinion, the enemies they can improve a lot are the Hunters. I mean. Nothing really wrong with the AI, but the level design doesn't take advantage of their behavior. The first time I felt a Hunter was actually hunting me was during ODST. I had run out of ammo and the hunter was chassing me all around the city. The battle was massively epic. Level design impacts your perception of the enemies, so unless Reach is a sandbox like hub in ODST or the original Halo, I doubt we will get a feeling for what the AI can achieve.

 

[goldenpp72]

Yeah Brutes really aren't intimidating at all. When we first heard about them, and read about them in the books, they sounded crazy. But the way they look, speak, and animate...They're not intimidating at all. They could really use an update. Elites however have really always been nailed. They look like the tough, honorable warriors that they are.

They look like more realistic donkey kongs in halo.

 

[DiabolicalBagel]

Why do you guys blame the Brutes? AI code is AI code. The set of behaviors that Bungie implemented on the Brutes wasn't good enough, but how is a change of 3D mesh going to magically improve things?

I'm gonna go out on a whim here and suggest that different entities utilize different behaviours so it wouldn't simply be a change of model. (crazy thought, I know)
I'm also gonna suggest some crazy idea about exploding plastic suits instead of shields that recharge, not like that would make a major difference in the way you combat them or anything, right?
And maybe as someone else pointed out earlier, they don't look menacing at all, elites do.

No, wait... that can't be it. Why would disliking aspects such as the way they act, the way you and them intereact, the ease with which you can kill them and their appearance have any bearing on why we dislike them as a whole?

Oh well, beats me.

 

[FilthyLies]

I'm gonna go out on a whim here and suggest that different entities utilize different behaviours so it wouldn't simply be a change of model. (crazy thought, I know)
I'm also gonna suggest some crazy idea about exploding plastic suits instead of shields that recharge, not like that would make a major difference in the way you combat them or anything, right?
And maybe as someone else pointed out earlier, they don't look menacing at all, elites do.

No, wait... that can't be it. Why would disliking aspects such as the way they act, the way you and them intereact, the ease with which you can kill them and their appearance have any bearing on why we dislike them as a whole?

Oh well, beats me.

Man I dunno berserking Halo 2 Brutes were pretty terrifying- especially with the knowledge that if they got to you, you were pretty much dead. Halo 3 Brutes on the other hand are incredibly disappointing and are really just huge chumps.

 

[zumphry]

Man I dunno berserking Halo 2 Brutes were pretty terrifying- especially with the knowledge that if they got to you, you were pretty much dead. Halo 3 Brutes on the other hand are incredibly disappointing and are really just huge chumps.

Especially on Heroic/Legendary.

For how I'd like Brutes to behave, I'd rather them berserk when they'd have their armor on more. And maybe make their armor stronger (and not just act as pretty cardboard) and possibly recharge.

For them attacking, make sure they actually pay attention to you, and go after you like the Elites did in Halo 1/2. And for their melee? Make it so that 1 melee on Legendary could take possibly take out my shield (might be too harsh). Pretty hilarious to have maybe 1/8th or 1/4th of my stamina taken out on Legendary in ODST, and just be flung backwards.

Spoiler

Or just keep them out of Reach, and just have Elites. But, it's nice to want things.

Just my thoughts.

 

[minasodaboy]

real-time AA and 3D confirmed!

Spoiler

Also, Avatar was gud. Like holyfuckingshit gud.

100% agreed. 3D was amazing.

and i know we're going to be in 2010, technological advancement and all that, but seriously go watch these, and don't tell me you don't come away feeling pretty damn amazed that we're complaining about the graphical fidelity of the reach trailer.

 

[squidhands]

Wait are there brutes in this?

Brutes are the worst thing ever, in terms of concept, design and execution. It's like they just googled 'random creature' and got gorilla and decided to roll with that. I have no idea why they picked those lame things to be in a series with relatively cool creature designs. It boggles my mind to this day.

No, someone liked the horror movie Rawhead Rex and figured no one else would be lame enough to notice. ;-)

 

[Future PhaZe]

Brutes are meh. They are fun in combination with Elites but suck as the main enemy of a game.

I'm playing ODST heavily right now and I'm just amazed by the soundtrack. Marty has done great work before but I think this soundtrack is just on another level. Very much looking forward to his work in Reach and it looks like he's off to a good start.

I really hope that the 4 player legendary coop in Reach (assuming that it's in) is much more difficult. Four players moving around using plasma pistols and headshot weapons makes the game far too easy until you run into flood or strong vehicle sections. I'm also of the opinion that the Iron skull should be on by default during a legendary run in coop.

 

[ToyMachine228]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the Battle Rifle that Sgt Johnson receives in Contact Harvest different? It has single-shot, and burst fire if I remember correctly. That's what Bungie initially said about the Battle Rifle in Halo 2. And Contact Harvest was written by Joe Staten. So maybe the BR in Reach will be like that. This may have already been discussed, it just popped in my head and I thought I'd throw it out there.

 

[Future PhaZe]

If there are a lot of weapons to give the player an option then I think that would be a possibility but as a main replacement of the BR I can't see it functioning that way. It would be too similar to the Carbine.

Edit: Oh single fire AND burst fire? That'd be cool.

 

[Slightly Live]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the Battle Rifle that Sgt Johnson receives in Contact Harvest different? It has single-shot, and burst fire if I remember correctly. That's what Bungie initially said about the Battle Rifle in Halo 2. And Contact Harvest was written by Joe Staten. So maybe the BR in Reach will be like that. This may have already been discussed, it just popped in my head and I thought I'd throw it out there.

According to the leak, that is the case, but with Halo 2, things can change. I wouldn't jump to any conclusion just yet, even the Beta weapons may be changed upon release.

 

[Tokubetsu]

I understand Bungie needed them for story reasons to replace the elites but brutes would have been better off as an "Oh Fuck!" moment generator. Imagine encountering a brute chieftain and it kills and entire squad of ODSTs, takes chunks out of the surrounding area with it's hammer before swinging and sending you flying, starting the encounter.

 

[ToyMachine228]

According to the leak, that is the case, but with Halo 2, things can change. I wouldn't jump to any conclusion just yet, even the Beta weapons may be changed upon release.

Oh yeah I know, just throwing it out there. But considering all the BR controversy that Halo 3's playlists brought, I wouldn't be surprised to see it undergoing changes for Reach. In Halo 2, while zoomed it fired single-shot, and not zoomed it fired bursts.

 

[NemesisPrime]

Wait are there brutes in this?

Brutes are the worst thing ever, in terms of concept, design and execution. It's like they just googled 'random creature' and got gorilla and decided to roll with that. I have no idea why they picked those lame things to be in a series with relatively cool creature designs. It boggles my mind to this day.

There should not be many Brutes in this. Maybe just a few. You main bad ass enemies will be Elites.

 

[Wizman23]

Played some Halo 3 Multiplayer with some friends on Saturday night after not playing for a few months and it was a nice reminder to why Halo is still king among console multiplayer games. Within the first 5 minutes of the first match more crazy and fun shit happened then anything in the past 6 weeks of broken ass MW2 multiplayer that I played. I'm glad I just play games to have fun and don't pay attention to stupid ass shit like frame rate and all that. Another thing I noticed was that there were no quitters the entire night. We were playing Big Team and it stayed 8 vs. 8 the entire match with no lag pretty much every game. I don't know if all the douschebags migrated to MW2 or what but usually Big Team is a clusterfuck of mass quitters. Not on Saturday. Bottem line is that a game from 2007 still blows away anything on xbox live to date, and to think we are getting a brand new Halo in less then a years times means the gaming gods are smiling down upon us.

 

[Arhal_Katarn]

Oh yeah I know, just throwing it out there. But considering all the BR controversy that Halo 3's playlists brought, I wouldn't be surprised to see it undergoing changes for Reach. In Halo 2, while zoomed it fired single-shot, and not zoomed it fired bursts.

I just re-read what Morello said about the new BR. He said its holds 12 rounds and fires single shots. If thats true its going to change things massively in multiplayer.

 

[Smokey]

I'm about halfway through reading 'The Fall of Reach'. Pretty good so far. I find it interesting that Bungie never mentions Halsey or the MJOLNIR project in the games. It's kind of cool though to read how everything started, but one thing that is never really expressed in the games is how brutal the MJONIR suits make the Spartans. In the book the reflexes, strength, vision of the Spartans is off the charts, but this never really translates into the games.

Maybe they'll fix this in Reach?