Nepenthe Amity
Banned
The September issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly features 19 pages of Halo 3 goodness. The article spans the gamut of interests; both the casual campaign player and the hardcore competitor can find something valuable in this article. Since we try to focus on the competitive aspects of Halo 3 in our coverage, I want to continue that tradition while not leaving out a nice, little run-down of many of the new, less competitive features to which we can look forward.
Halo 3 campaign mode will introduce a points system that rewards players for their performance throughout a level. Available in both single-player and cooperative modes, many factors will go into determining a player's overall scores in a given level. Killing a brute will give more points than killing an elite, but sticking the elite as opposed to using a battle rifle will multiply the points received for that kill. Hidden skulls will return and will serve as multipliers for every kill made and they are stackable. Potentially, every skull could be activated, at once making points sky-high. While the EGM article says the “resulting game experience would likely be impossible to complete,” given Bungie’s insanely dedicated campaign players, how much do you want to be someone who will beat the game, if at all possible? The best part about this “campaign metagame” is the scores will be available on Bungie.net, bringing a competitive aspect to the single-player mode. Of course, always seeking to outdo themselves, Bungie have upped the ante on the multiplayer options for Halo 3 considerably.
Forging New Ground
Besides the introduction of several new weapons, maps, vehicles and equipment, which we will be cover tomorrow, EGM had the opportunity to sink their teeth into Forge, the new “map editor.” This feature, perhaps better named a “console map editor”, allows players to assume the role of the Monitor (you know, that annoying, globular thing that took you around the Library in the Halo 1 campaign), flying around maps and manipulating “objects.” Objects include all of the following: crates, barricades, spawn/capture points, weapons, equipment and vehicles. Besides the ability to “place, grab and move” these objects, users will also be able to modify ammo count, respawn times and “other simple parameters.” Limits to how much stuff can be “bought” and used to change the level exist, though, and while they do not give a reason, game performance issues are the most likely barrier. Never fear, though, as Bungie themselves have boasted of playing “jenga” with many fusion coils and enjoying the ensuing gargantuan explosions when the tower fell.
Using Forge does not limit game play; you can either edit a map by yourself as a Monitor, then switch immediately to a character model and test out your work, or have people playing while you fly around as a Monitor. At least two Monitors are allowed in one Forge session and the ultimate limit on this is uncertain. Obviously this new option creates nearly limitless opportunities to tweak Halo 3 for optimized competitive play. Since we cannot possibly speculate about all of the ideas (I’ll leave that up to the forum-posters), here is a rundown of some of the things I have pondered to open the discussion and begin to widen the perspective about how cool this feature truly is.
Clearly, MLG customized Forge maps will enter into the fray wherever tweaks are needed. Certainly one of the biggest questions that remains is: by spawn/capture points do Bungie intend to give us the ability to tweak where players can spawn? Clearly this possibility would open up the game to an amazing amount of control. Looking back to Halo 2, as an example, a game type such as Colossus Team Snipers could have been rectified of its spawn trap and made playable at a competitive level. It is hard to imagine how they would implement this feature, but it would be very awesome for competitive play.
The ability to use barricades and crates may enable players to use Forge like a traditional map-editing tool. While we cannot remove walls or add them, stacking crates and adding barricades could serve to block off an area or add an additional entrance to a structure. Another question becomes what type of crates will we be able to use? The heavy, hard to move ones of Elongation or the lighter, easily movable ones of Midship? Obviously the most optimum weapon sets, respawn times and ammo amounts will be found on each map. Bungie made a Team Hardcore matchmaking list for Halo 2 in response to requests from the competitive community. It would not be surprising for them to add a competitive list, made by its community, in Halo 3 shortly after release that takes into account all of the tweaks enabled by the Forge tool.
Forge is a major step in competitive, console shooters. For the first time players and competitive leagues will be given the ability to have some control over the world in which a game is played. While many people would like to see the total control of a PC-style map editor, limiting the ability of what can be done does have at least one positive aspect. While crazy game types and fun little “honor games” (dumb example: you can’t move and have to let the monitor come and give you more ammo) will happen a lot, the community will stay fairly focused on the maps provided by Bungie, thus providing a more universalized base of players to test out the more popular variations that players and leagues develop. Forge adds a whole new level of anticipation and excitement to Halo 3.
Source - MLGPro.com
Halo 3 campaign mode will introduce a points system that rewards players for their performance throughout a level. Available in both single-player and cooperative modes, many factors will go into determining a player's overall scores in a given level. Killing a brute will give more points than killing an elite, but sticking the elite as opposed to using a battle rifle will multiply the points received for that kill. Hidden skulls will return and will serve as multipliers for every kill made and they are stackable. Potentially, every skull could be activated, at once making points sky-high. While the EGM article says the “resulting game experience would likely be impossible to complete,” given Bungie’s insanely dedicated campaign players, how much do you want to be someone who will beat the game, if at all possible? The best part about this “campaign metagame” is the scores will be available on Bungie.net, bringing a competitive aspect to the single-player mode. Of course, always seeking to outdo themselves, Bungie have upped the ante on the multiplayer options for Halo 3 considerably.
Forging New Ground
Besides the introduction of several new weapons, maps, vehicles and equipment, which we will be cover tomorrow, EGM had the opportunity to sink their teeth into Forge, the new “map editor.” This feature, perhaps better named a “console map editor”, allows players to assume the role of the Monitor (you know, that annoying, globular thing that took you around the Library in the Halo 1 campaign), flying around maps and manipulating “objects.” Objects include all of the following: crates, barricades, spawn/capture points, weapons, equipment and vehicles. Besides the ability to “place, grab and move” these objects, users will also be able to modify ammo count, respawn times and “other simple parameters.” Limits to how much stuff can be “bought” and used to change the level exist, though, and while they do not give a reason, game performance issues are the most likely barrier. Never fear, though, as Bungie themselves have boasted of playing “jenga” with many fusion coils and enjoying the ensuing gargantuan explosions when the tower fell.
Using Forge does not limit game play; you can either edit a map by yourself as a Monitor, then switch immediately to a character model and test out your work, or have people playing while you fly around as a Monitor. At least two Monitors are allowed in one Forge session and the ultimate limit on this is uncertain. Obviously this new option creates nearly limitless opportunities to tweak Halo 3 for optimized competitive play. Since we cannot possibly speculate about all of the ideas (I’ll leave that up to the forum-posters), here is a rundown of some of the things I have pondered to open the discussion and begin to widen the perspective about how cool this feature truly is.
Clearly, MLG customized Forge maps will enter into the fray wherever tweaks are needed. Certainly one of the biggest questions that remains is: by spawn/capture points do Bungie intend to give us the ability to tweak where players can spawn? Clearly this possibility would open up the game to an amazing amount of control. Looking back to Halo 2, as an example, a game type such as Colossus Team Snipers could have been rectified of its spawn trap and made playable at a competitive level. It is hard to imagine how they would implement this feature, but it would be very awesome for competitive play.
The ability to use barricades and crates may enable players to use Forge like a traditional map-editing tool. While we cannot remove walls or add them, stacking crates and adding barricades could serve to block off an area or add an additional entrance to a structure. Another question becomes what type of crates will we be able to use? The heavy, hard to move ones of Elongation or the lighter, easily movable ones of Midship? Obviously the most optimum weapon sets, respawn times and ammo amounts will be found on each map. Bungie made a Team Hardcore matchmaking list for Halo 2 in response to requests from the competitive community. It would not be surprising for them to add a competitive list, made by its community, in Halo 3 shortly after release that takes into account all of the tweaks enabled by the Forge tool.
Forge is a major step in competitive, console shooters. For the first time players and competitive leagues will be given the ability to have some control over the world in which a game is played. While many people would like to see the total control of a PC-style map editor, limiting the ability of what can be done does have at least one positive aspect. While crazy game types and fun little “honor games” (dumb example: you can’t move and have to let the monitor come and give you more ammo) will happen a lot, the community will stay fairly focused on the maps provided by Bungie, thus providing a more universalized base of players to test out the more popular variations that players and leagues develop. Forge adds a whole new level of anticipation and excitement to Halo 3.
Source - MLGPro.com
