highplainsdrifter

welcome to the site. If you need help getting to know it better I can help, don't hesitate to make your love for Halo known. And please keep your hands inside the vehicle at all times. ...Hm I don't know, you sure look like the type to start trouble, mister "I haven't been here since June", that's obviously a lie. I don't know what you're up to but I'll find out. I'm calling in a moderator to this thread, I hope your ready for it to get locked if not deleted.

Welcome! Have fun, enjoy the forums, and please feel free to join in the discussion. I will see you later then perhaps. Have a dandy day

Wow, how do I express a jolly lol? Getting to know everyone over these months has been great and also surprising. This community is amazing, I never could have hoped to have made so many friends, who may or may not know who they are. When I first posted on the forums I, like so many others, needed help but didn't plan on staying much further to join the wider Halo community and express my deep love for the game. But in the end it turned out that in a place where I expected to find little to no one looking for camaraderie, I instead found a whole site full of colorful, amiable, and willingly helpful people all brought together by this common bond. Thank you for the lively debate/discussion and good times, I'm proud to be a fellow member of these forums because of you all. I know this sounds corny but hey it's true this place is ******* awesome and you guys are what makes it beautiful.

Thanks for the song and food, and wishes. You guys are awesome, I would stay on longer but I'm going to go get faced so I can be hungover for public speaking tomorrow which is what my friends say is the point of the class. Have a super day!

I look forward to reading this and any additional info if you choose to put it on the forum. I like that you chose to make the Gladius a balanced aerospacecraft, the weapons system seems to match up in juxtaposition with it's speed and (I assume) maneuverability. Sounds pretty classic in terms of a high G fighter type, so I don't really have any improvements to offer. The name sounds perfect too. So I only have questions. Does the missile guidance system include a forward mounted laser, if so can missiles be fired air to air? What is the capable range of this interceptor, can it operate without a carrier or nearby base, and can it be fitted with a detachable framework to house a translight drive?

Sorry but the construct shown in the E3 trailer is not Onyx http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_swG05xhCE8 skip to 7:50 Bill Roper: "That's got to be the forerunner planet, right?" Frank O'Connor: "I don't know who said it was a planet, we know it's a sphere." BR: "Let's talk Dyson Spheres for a second, ok?" FO: "It's a mysterious artifact, that's for sure, it looks artificial to me." BR: "We're talking iike Ghosts of Onyx stuff now, right? Like machine planets or something like that?" FO: "I will say this, here's an exclusive; it's not the Shield World, the Forerunner world that's in the singularity in Ghost's of Onyx, it is not that. I will say that the panel tomorrow will be talking about Karen Travis's book, she's gonna go back to that place very early in the book." Other than that I have no idea as to whether or not any S-II's will return, I would REALLY like to see at least one in a following Halo title or a side game at least. If want to read my conspiracy theory but you haven't read Ghosts of Onyx through and don't want spoilers DO NOT READ THIS BELOW

Just keep in mind that the demo from E3 2004 had sequences that looked liked campaign and cinematics, of which multiple and major portions were cut (remember that single-shot rifle everyone now loves to hate so much?). Considering the shot wasn't completely rendered this could go either way, maybe they're showing off their motion capture, and maybe it's part of the game. Off topic, what I don't really like however is that 343 is carrying over the first person style from Reach. To me this was acceptable in Reach; Spartan III's didn't undergo the Spartan II training regiment, they are weaker, and are about as big as a regular human. Also the game is fully customizable in determining who Noble 6 is to the player. We already know who the Chief is and if you've read the books they go to great lengths to convey how sensitive not only the Mjolnir is to fine movements but also how efficient the S-II's are in utilizing this to remain virtually soundless through any movement. Using motion capture-- so far-- does nothing to convey this stealthiness to me, they should really think about tweaking it, and the possibility of first person cutscenes in Halo 4 makes me wonder about the direction 343 is trying to head in. I for one would not want to see this type of interactivity unless: there are no enemies nearby or I can shoot at the same time, I can look/move around, and it is not motion capture. I don't want to be stuck to the spot every time I interface with an ancient alien control panel, I want to jump and dance through the architecturally spectacular and bizarre ancient alien landscape. I'd much rather 343 work on perfecting the articulation of the Spartans through natural movements than adding these interactive cutscenes. I don't need to know who Master Chief is and making me interact with the environment won't allow me to understand him any better, I've been reading about him or in his skin killing aliens since I was 10.

Interviews with Frank O'Connor http://www.metacafe....g_shocase_2012/ http://www.gamereactor.eu/news/19161/Halo+4%3A+Frank+O'Connor+Interview/ 343 Halo 4 Documentary http://www.gamesrada...-behind-scenes/ List of Halo 4 quasi-vague specifics http://www.msxbox-wo...ation-more.html Game Informer Article http://www.gameinfor...se-details.aspx GameTrailers Article: describing multiplayer maps Halo 4 Brings Big Changes to Multiplayer With Story-driven Spartan on Spartan Battles, Says 343 Industries Kotaku Article: more multiplayer information http://kotaku.com/58...-look-at-halo-4 Summary of Main Topics Covered -They stressed that character development would be a key focus of the next entry in the series, and that fans will learn much more about Master Chief. Halo’s protagonist will be facing a new threat “unlike anything he’s seen before,” and O’Connor told me that this threat will make a significant impact on both the narrative and the gameplay.- GI -"He will still be very stoic. He will not talk a lot, nor will he cry, but there is a piece of his humanity that we do want to come through and really express that with the decisions that we have the player make as they embody Chief, and the things that he needs to face and so for us 'dimensionalizing' him isn’t changing him. Because, frankly, he’s really well fleshed out in other areas of the universe. It’s really just bringing more of that to the game experience."- GT -Cortana is also set to play a pivotal role in the game, but Wolfkill and O’Connor didn’t elaborate on her status.- GI -"The entire multiplayer experience from soup to nuts is completely immersed in the fiction, as is the campaign," O'Connor said. "Every single element of multiplayer, from the simplest game of Team Slayer all the way up to the more interesting experiences that we'll talk about later this year are going to be fully immersed. Everything that you do when you're in multiplayer will have an impact on your Spartan's career."- GT -O’Connor spoke about how the campaign and multiplayer felt like they existed in separate worlds in previous games, and the team wants to change that. They want both modes to feel like they’re part of the same universe, and there will even be an explanation in the story that illustrates why red Spartans fight blue Spartans in multiplayer.- GI -"We're absolutely creating multiplayer levels from scratch," O'Connor stressed. "These are not play spaces that are recycled from the campaign. They're purpose built with competitive in mind."- GT -The maps won't be lifted from the campaign but rather have been created specifically to allow for balanced gameplay. When asked about balancing the multiplayer for MLG pro-gaming, O'Connor said that they are taking MLG seriously, but didn't go into detail as to what exactly that meant.- Ko -O'Connor and Kiki Wolfkill, executive producer at 343 Industries, showed off some of that multiplayer in the form of two Halo 4 maps: Warhouse and Wraparound. Warhouse is human-built industrial complex, an abandoned military base, that orbits a gas giant. Its most prominent feature was the giant Cyclops II being constructed or repaired in that base. Wraparound was a Forerunner multiplayer map, a solar facility that fuses and creates the artificial sun that powers a Forerunner Shield World. They were architecturally impressive, beautifully lit and what one might expect from a Halo multiplayer map if they were hoping for interesting looking multiplayer maps.- GT -It sounds as though multiplayer will be tied more to the fiction this time around, with a story-based reason explaining why so many spartans are duking it out all over the galaxy.- Ko -Spartan IVs will be introduced in this sequel, and they’re (as expected) bigger, faster, and stronger than the Spartans we’ve seen in Halo’s past.- GI -In multiplayer, characters will control Spartan 4s, which are a new type of Spartan super-soldier; there will be a wealth of customization options for your Spartan. Some of those options will be cosmetic, but some will be functional.- Ko -O'Connor and Wolfkill wouldn't elaborate on the functionality of this system, but they did say it would be deeper than the loadouts of Reach.- GI -They also hinted at some sort of coming announcement that will be a "crossing of the rubicon" for the Halo series. While hype is hype and blind items are blind, it did sound as though they are convinced that some aspect of Halo 4 will be seen as a large change to the core of the series.- Ko "O'Connor also focused on another key point, that player customization is no longer just aesthetic. "It has an impact on gameplay," he said. But that, like Halo 4's "big change, the big rubicon," is something 343 isn't detailing just yet. "It's a completely new way to play with your friends in MP and it's something I hate to tease, but its something we'll be illuminating you on later in the year."- GT -It's nice to get any info at all about the upcoming FPS blockbuster, but the Spring Showcase didn't bring us any significant answers regarding storyline, multiplayer direction, or release date. We may not know much as of now, but O'Connor ended the presentation by teasing the announcement of a "big ticket item" later this year.- GI

I'm hoping the only reason it wasn't actually in Forza 4 is that it's top speed is 78 MPH, if Horizon is actually open world and doesn't try to keep you within tight roadside boundaries and maybe a few off road tracks are included I could see the teaser Warthog being a hint. Although, I definitely share your doubt about a drivable Warthog ever making an appearance in a Forza title, it's highly unlikely and the Autovista version might have been the only Forza hype for Halo 4 but the possibility that they could be developing an open world game which could have room for utilizing a vehicle like the Warthog makes me giddy. Improbable, yes, but not im :drool:able

This is just speculation but with a release date of Fall 2012, the non-drivable Warthog of Forza 4, and the possibility of it being open world... ...drivable Warthog?

No it will actually happen without a third party, it's weird I'll get snuck up on, after I'm dead the other player walks away and usually no one else was firing at us. I have experienced what you're talking about before though. I'll have to capture this in theater, sometimes I can even shoot in between the initiation and dying.

Excellent point TwinReaper (and thanks for the data as always) if you're saying that the option to cancel an assassination would result in simply a beat down then I agree with you. Canceling the kill altogether would be very frustrating for players who already have a problem with assassinations, and I can see how players trying to exploit this alternative by repeatedly jumping out of a single assassination would be a major point of conflict. Assassinations are essentially a surprise and exiting the animation quickly could leave the prey stunned even though the would-be-assassinated is subject to the camera snap as well and could have a chance to gain the advantage, any result other rerouting to a beat down would simply serve as a point of debate IMO. I had really hoped this could easily be changed for armor lock though, what a disappointment. lol For some reason I feel like I have been let loose from an assassination once before but I wasn't doing anything to escape it, it just kind of lagged out and I was free. Have you guys been experiencing more recently that weird effect from lag that allows the assassination to initiate, then you think you're out of it, but then you die anyway? Or is that nothing new?

I was hoping that leaving this thread alone would encourage some free speech but it looks like that didn't really work. Anyway, I completely agree with both of you, during an assassination you are completely vulnerable to attack and snapping should be left as it is. As for armor lock; with invulnerability, the EMP lacking an actual charge time as RedStar mentioned, and exit snapping helping with the melee combo this feature is kind of overpowered to say the least. I think getting rid of the additional advantages of exit snapping and the unbalanced EMP would keep armor lock from being the odd AA out. Even keeping exit snapping from being involved with armor lock would help out a lot with the melee problem but a lot still needs to be done to this AA in particular. I wonder if the snapping has something to do with the code that makes it hard to remove, it doesn't really seem to belong with armor lock.

I agree that the inclusion of equipment/AA's and weapons should be canon factual or at least have a good explanation but i have a few opinions on this that i think add something to the rest of what you talked about. First of all, the assault rifle went missing for all of Halo 2 (which begins on board an Earth orbiting MAC platform, so yes of course it is possible SMGs are favorable in the close quarters of boarding actions, but MC sets foot on Earth and the In Amber Clad without ever seeing an AR) and then reappeared in Halo 3 (which begins on Earth immediately after the events of Halo 2). Bungie didn't have qualms about reinstating weapons that apparently had been deemed replaceable in previous titles, what remains to be seem is whether or not 343 has these qualms. I agree with you that there is a possibility they were both scrapped but as this has happened before, i won't agree that they indeed were due to canon. Remember there are several points in Reach when you can pick up AA's as if they are equipment, and since Noble SIx can only carry one at a time i would venture so far to say that maybe Noble Team and he are just using different equipment from that which is used later during Halo 3. I might also add that the bubble shield in Halo 3 is a bulky device, not a flattened wafer. IMO the advanced technology of the AA's found on Reach got glassed, this however doesn't preclude the possibility that the technology was simply not mass produced elsewhere at the time or transmitted before the glassing. Furthermore, AA's are only viewed as opposites to equipment because they almost all function with entirely different purposes from Halo 3 equipment which is mainly offensive. Although, there is still the lingering conflict of Noble Team NPCs using armor lock and sprint at any time, but spartans do sprint... the inclusion of sprint has always confused me somewhat because they didn't do a similar ability sooner and that it fills an AA slot. This strikes me as a translation of canon into gameplay (a Spartan could easily carry an extra one if not all AA's with him/her, but this would make gameplay in Reach extremely easy). This doesn't mean i agree with every AA, just that i can see them coming back in similar forms.

I agree with you there, AA's definitely shouldn't be the focus of Halo 4 the way they can be in Reach. Pickups for sure were a main part of gameplay especially in objectives and could easily go back to their roots in Halo 4. Nobody complains about bubble shield or active camo except for being in loadouts because they were in Halo 3. The DMR is not a balanced weapon for any other game than Reach (it still has it's problems however), if it made it back i'd like to see it combined with the BR into a variable semi-auto three round burst rifle with far less power or accuracy (error angle deceleration) than either of them had. I think they could salvage this by keeping the AA's from Reach out of competitive matchmaking and convert to pickups the ones people don't hate. Jetpack could become a leap with a cooldown like evade, bubble shield and invisibility could make it back, sprint duration or cooldown lengthens, and armor lock returns to oversheild... They should keep the orginal AA's for customs, firefight, and Dino Blasters. Because how can you hate Dino Blasters?

I'm glad you made this topic I'd definitely like for grenades to go a little further, infinite grenades should return as a option, and your idea of binocular zoom having a range finder is a great idea. I really don't like that the distance to another player or objective is the only thing you can get the rangefinder to work for. I would much rather have a rangefinder that works for any surface you look at and secondary tags showing the distance of players/objectives when the binocular zoom is engaged. While i love this idea i'm not sure what my opinion of it's possible affect on MP could be, imagine being able to ballpark the angle you need to throw a grenade after quickly checking the distance with binocular zoom. Could be amazing, could be aggravating. And marking targets, in my mind, could only avoid being detrimental if it showed a 'freeze frame' of where the player was, i don't agree very much with this or any form of tagging outside of elite slayer however. Remember the grenade fights on CE that reminded you of ship battles? I'd love for that to return with infinite grenades and this addition to binocular zoom but i'm not sure what affect it would have for playlists.

Welcome to the forums Just to clarify, do you mean act of the reticle on your HUD changing size, or error angle acceleration- the process of your weapon becoming less accurate? Also, are you referring to this happening with Vanilla or TU settings, or just the general differences between Reach and previous titles?

My opinion on the topic of those quotes from Waypoint: "stealthy whisper", "feel like an anvil dropping" is that these refer to just the sound effects, movement animations, cinematics, and HUD animations. I don't know how valid this is but IMO if there weren't AA's, not even sprint, in Reach the DMR would be so overpowered that people would be complaining again. Reach was different, yes, but pickups from Halo 3 also changed the game, they're all different and play to their own balances. I don't agree with throwing things out solely because it was part of the balancing act of a certain title. Take for example the BR, it's definitely the ancestor of the DMR in the evolution of Halo. For me it will depends on what happens to the big picture of Halo 4.

I'm pretty sure using the weapon you're holding would be more realistic than your gun suddenly disappearing and being replaced with a knife. It's just a little thing that would make Halo move smoother and not get as old as fast. The current assassinations don't 'get old fast' for me but i think this would add a lot more beauty to the campaign, multiplayer, customs, and firefight without sacrificing anything really. As for showboating, I can understand that, they aren't necessary but they show skill/rashness and are fun. And fun is what Halo is about. We can all agree that maybe players should be able to switch assassinations on and off, and the duration for holding down the melee button could be longer. Keep it clean frands

The current voting weirdness is a temporary situation that is being implemented as a poll to determine whether or not the Team Slayer playlist gets converted to TU settings. This should be ending today if my math is correct. Here is a link with all the February Update changes listed. http://www.343industries.org/forum/topic/5782-halo-reach-february-updates-in-full/ And here is a link with more technical information. http://www.343industries.org/forum/topic/4643-halo-reach-full-playlist-details-review-only-no-comments/ I hope that helps and welcome to the forums. Twinreaper, i'm going to edit this when i have something intelligent to add to what you said.

DId you know that all of the Spartan II's were chosen at random from the original and larger candidate gene pool because there wasn't sufficient funding for the program to use more than half of the original roster? John 117 was chosen because he correctly 'guessed' the result of a coin toss. Dr. Halsey instructed him to call it in the air, the future Master Chief did and then grabbed it before it landed. This debate on the nature of luck vs fate is a constant theme throughout his story. *King of the Hill was a game John played at school before he was kidnapped. He always won.

Jeeze, Twinreaper, everybody knows that 'graphics' includes everything except reload time... Now i'll say something that makes sense. Do you think Halo 5 on the 3g xbox will include any components from CE (and any other title) or just emulate it?

Yeah Halo 2 is basically the Blam engine with 'better graphics'. I remember when i was a kid being amazed at how real CE looked... and then.. being amazed at how real Halo 2 looked! It's funny how things change your perspective

Good topic, I think that your opinions are well formed but i don't agree with all of them. To me the DMR isn't perfect but i don't think the BR was perfect either. I think changing the commendations and challenges to better encourage people into going for the objectives is a great idea. I really enjoyed the objective games and playlist but stopped playing because I'd put so much effort into getting maybe one teammate there with me, while all the other hung around the base, and then die at the enemy base or on the way back because the other team was doing the same thing. Ranks are pointless to me and i'm glad Reach did away with them, all they do is make Halo more like other FPS and create infighting. I enjoy that i can look at my stats though because i play a lot of Swat and Snipers with my brother, we don't much care about any other stats though. However when people start arguing about whose stats are better i just tune out. It's too bad rank and stats are still a big deal and there isn't really a way around that. I actually wish the Revenant was easier to take down, other than that i think that the vehicles are balanced for how Reach plays. That doesn't mean most of the vehicles aren't weak but road ragers can get mighty annoying if they aren't so easy to put down. I think the remakes are fine actually, it's the maps from the campaign that i tend to have problems with. I mostly don't like that they aren't original but some are amazing, Spire for me is as bad as they get (even though none come close to the awkwardness of Spire). The revamped maps are just meant to be played differently than the originals, like how Blood Gulch keeps changing in every title, i see the remakes and revamps as another dimension of the originals. They aren't exactly perfect for new titles that's for sure and time could have gone into making more exclusive maps for MM.