Halo 3 (interesting post I found on another forum)

[Alienated]

I dont know if anybody has seen this yet. It's really old but it caught my eye on how many things he was right about. He was dead on about a lot of the info he revealed on Xbox 360. He knew about the map packs. He knew most of 360s specs.The only thing he seemed to get wrong was referring to X360 as Xbox 2. But it's likely that way back when this was first posted, the name wasn't even decided yet...

Anyways, SPREAD THE WORD. Post this elsewhere. I want this info to spread until Bungie is forced to either confirm or deny this rumor. So post this everywhere you can. I thought this was all a rumor too till I ran into an old bookmark of a thread on Gamespot linking to this post. But based on what we now know, I think this could be legit.

One major thing that stood out was this "The main concern over adding another core is whether Microsoft will be able to increase the amount of L2 Cache available for the processor. If not, the extra power could be bottle necked by a cache limitation." It seems Microsoft did add another core, but I'm not sure if they upped the L2 Cache. For all I know the previous kits could have only included 512 KB of L2 Cache like the PS3's current processor. But the L2 Cache was an issue that Anandtech brought up as well and the PS3 on-die memory controller which should more than compensate. I really hope the 1 MB of L2 Cache will be sufficent for multithreaded games. If not, I hope MS increases the L2 Cache, or incorporates an on-die memory controller as well.

The stuff about Tivo like functionality, MS's own Eyetoy, and the Light guns for Halo 3 (hopefully compatible with Perfect Dark Zero) all sound extremely exciting. I hope MS is still pursuing them. I am also happy that Bungie will finally get rid of those annoying predetermined gamelists and instead allow you to create the custom games you want to play. The massive battles and the additional flying and waterbased vehicles in Halo 3 sound exciting. I would love to be able to use a pelican, or a helicopter in the game. But the thing I am happiest about by far is the inclusion of a Live capable Halo 1 with the HDD. Halo 1 is still my favorite game of all time and I miss the pistol so I am very happy about this.

This was originally taken from a not too well known Xbox forum and managed to find it's way onto the Gamespot forums too. Read it for yourself and see what you think. I believe him for the most part, because i don't think anyone in their right mind would waste this much time to make up this much crap. It is a lot to read, but if you care about the Halo series, which direction they are going, and what Bungie is planning on doing with Halo 3, it will be WELL worth your time. If you are just going to say it's too much to read, then please leave. Thanks, and enjoy- madman22 (that's the guy who originally copied and pasted it)

Original Post:

"Found below is every significant piece of info about everything bungie has decided on, regarding Halo 3. I know you guys won’t believe me when I tell you I know what’s going on with Halo 3. I don’t care too much if you don’t believe. No one believed me when I said that Halo 2’s live features will be limited because Bungie isn’t going to let you search for the specific games with the settings you want to play. This time, if you don’t believe me, I would appreciate it if you just skip over this thread if you don’t rather than bash me incessantly for doing what I think is right. Just ask yourself, does this seem like something realistic/reasonable based on what you know about MS and Bungie. And once you admit that it is, please take the time to contact them to let them know how you feel about the changes being considered there.

Yes, this information is from a friend. And I will vouch for my friend. He is in a position to know precisely what’s going on at Bungie and has never once lied to me about this kind of stuff in the past. And yes, I know that makes it sound like I’m making this all up. Thus you can rest assured that should everything go according to plan (it almost never does) everything mentioned below will be a part of Halo 3. I really want Halo fans to here about these changes because this time around, whether the changes being considered below make into the final game will depend partially on fan input. So I strongly recommend that fans of the series contact Bungie and MS via either email or through petitions letting them know what they think about this.

And before getting excited about any of the information below, please remember it’s too early for anything to be confirmed or finalized. Some of the changes below may well not make it into the final game. Here’s what my friend has confirmed for certain…
Work on Halo 3 is very much deeply underway though Bungie will wait a little longer before even announcing the game. They want to build the core of the game or atleast get the basic details ironed out before they announce it.

Bungie has received Xbox 2 development kits and it’s employees are continuously sought for feedback regarding hardware decisions as well as regarding various accessories and features. The prototype system currently goes by the codename Xenon and is currently based on Apple’s dual 3 Ghz G5 processor and ATI’s r520 generation of graphics cards. But there is talk that the processor maybe beefed up or another core and a internal HDD added should MS conclude that which we already know, that the PS3 will prove to be a tough competitor and that the backward compabilty will be a key factor in whether or not Xbox 2 succeeds. Many developers at Bungie seem eager to have another core added to the CPU. The main concern over adding another core is whether Microsoft will be able to increase the amount of L2 Cache available for the processor. If not, the extra power could be bottle necked by a cache limitation.

There is also a strong possibility that Xbox 2 will have both a large HDD and a TV Tuner card allowing people to use their Xbox 2’s along with Xbox Live to add Tivo like functionality to the console. They are also considering adding other PC like functionality to this version of the console including various music and video codecs, internet browsing, instant messaging, and possibly even applications like picture editors, and word processing applications utilizing a wireless keyboard and mouse. But it still hasn't been decided if the standard console will come packaged with a HDD. Another priority for MS is supposedly to have an answer to Sony's Eyetoy. Microsoft is seriously considering investing resources into developing their own version of the Eyetoy for the Xbox 2 as they see new innovative controls being a key component of the next generation.

Microsoft is really pushing Bungie to try to have atleast a playable demo of Halo 3 ready to go by early 2006. There was huge infusion of cash into Bungie after the success of Halo 2 and they are strongly considering contracting out a ton more talent developers in order to speed the production up on the last game of the trilogy. And Bungie is really pushing to have Xbox 2 feature backward compatibility with their previous two games and a HDD to make this possible. Bungie wants fans to be able to play all three games of the trilogy on the same console.

More importantly, a HDD may be needed if Bungie is to make Halo 3’s levels massive, completely destructable (down to every building, tree, and ambient life form), and incorporate all the other features that they are planning. Numerous Bungie employees including my friend thus see the HDD as critical. Infact, there is talk that if a HDD is packaged with the console, it will come preloaded with a direct port of Halo 1 nearly identical to the original but with revisions to levels that required excessive backtracking, full Live support, the banshee open for multiplayer use, and more customization of games over Live rather than limiting players to predetermined playlists.

As far as Halo 3 is concerned, very little about the game has been decided but there are a great many changes strongly being considered. Many of these features were ones that Bungie wanted to implement in Halo 2 but were unable to due to time constraints. What Bungie is sure of, according to my friend, is that they want to completely redefine combat yet again. No one at Bungie likes the idea of releasing the same game with new levels and slightly improved graphics. So there are a couple of suggestions going around about how to reinvent the franchise.

Bungie recieved quite a few fan requests for a gravity gun after Half Life 2 came out so that could be a possibility. But then again, Bungie gets a lot of requests for a lot of things, silly things, like asking to go more in depth and explain how the universal translator in Master Chief’s armor works. So it doesn’t mean too much though some developers there do like the idea of including a gravity gun though. For one thing, Bungie is considering including several new types of grenades including EMP grenades with a much larger blast radius that are ideally suited for temporarily disabling all nearby vehicles including airborne vehicles like the banshee, proximity grenades that only explode if someone approaches them within ten seconds and fast moving grenades that bounce all over the map for 10 seconds until they hit a player or vehicle. To implement them all, Bungie is considering just having one type of grenade on the map. But these standard grenades can be made into either sticky grenades, EMP grenades, proximity grenades, or bouncing grenades based on which button the player holds down as they press the trigger to launch the grenade into the air. This is an early feature still being tested at the moment.

Another thing that Bungie is working on is to develop a lightgun that can be used to play Halo 3. Before you get flashbacks of Duck Hunt, the new lightgun is meant to be far more advanced. The current plan is to have it shaped like the rifle from the game complete with a scope through which to look through and zoom in, but with triggers and shafts, one to be gripped with each hand. The two triggers allow for independent control of dual weapons, or a weapon and grenades. And each shaft houses all the buttons that would found on the controller to allow you to do anything you could do while playing the game using a standard controller. This is all in preliminary stages though and could wind up never becoming reality.

Other new weapons and vehicles that development is hard at work on include a flame thrower (it was scrapped near the end for both Halo 1 and Halo 2, so there’s a good chance it could be scrapped again), a human jet ski, a large boat with a cannon and the ability to carry up to three people, and a helicopter. So obviously, battles over bodies of water will be included in the third game of the series and this will be accommodated by making it so that all the covenant hover vehicles including the wraith and the ghost will be able to hover on both water and land. Work has already begun on programming in various weather and particle effects including snow, rain, lightning, dust storms (presumably for a desert level), fog (presumably for a rainforest level) as well as many ambient life forms found on Earth, including fish, sharks, alligators, birds, rabbits, stampeding rhinos, and civilians in complete panic and disarray. In addition, the design team is already hard at work on a human land counterpart to the ghost such as either an ATV or possibly a motorcycle. Design is also working on creating more faster and scarier flood variants confirming that the flood will indeed be found on Earth in the third game.

As you probably guessed, this time around, the game will center on repelling the covenant invasion of Earth. The levels will be much bigger as will the number of enemies and the number of allies by your side. This will be a full blown massive war between the covenant, humans and flood with tons upon tons of units from each faction engaged in combat at any given time all over the massive levels. The outdoor levels also allow players to free roam and choose which battles they wish to engage in thus giving players the sense that they truly are fighting an epic war for Earth’s survival. Bungie is very set on harnessing Xbox 2’s graphical prowess to truly give players the sense that they are just one soldier in the middle of a massive war. To facilitate this, the AI will be ramped up some more, the multiplayer games will support up to 32 players (and possibly 50-64 players) at once, as well as a few more playable characters with unique strengths and weaknesses.

The playable characters being considered include Hunters (bigger targets, slower except when charging someone without a weapon, but they have more life, are much faster and have more varied melee attacks) and the flying Drones found in the first level of Halo 2 (weaker but faster and possessing the ability to fly limited distances). But there is talk that all the characters in Halo will be playable characters. As already mentioned, the flood will be unleashed upon Earth and as before will seek out large dark areas where they sometimes congregate in numbers too massive for even Master Chief thus occasionally forcing him to strategically destroy light sources and sneak past them in the shadows.

Master Chief will be able to sprint this time and will also be able to quickly duck and roll out of the way in order to avoid charging vehicles and hunters. Bungie is also considering heeding the requests of fans by utilizing the improved AI to implement rudimentary bots for use in unranked multiplayer games. A feature being considered tied to this includes voice control of nearby marines and bots. No one is sure exactly how this will be implemented but it’s likely that by utilizing the headphones used on live, nearby bots and marines will be able to recognize and obey simple commands such as defend this area, retreat and take cover, follow me, drive this vehicle to enemy flag, wait here, attack in line formation etc.

Also a popular request, Xbox Live games will have many more options and players can choose to play withatleast 31, 15, or 7 other players in the game type and the map of their choice. Increasing the number of players in one game on live is a priority for both MS and Bungie. There is a possibility that Halo 3 may support as many as 64 players online. On a similar note, MS wants to allow up to 8 wireless controllers to link up with each console so that 8 players can share a large HDTV.

In Halo 3, players will also be able pick such rudimentary options as whether they want infinite grenades, which starting weapon they would prefer, and whether all starting primary and secondary weapons as well as the heavy and light vehicles are randomly determined each respawn. Everything in the game from the trees to the giant skyscrapers will be fully destructible. Another popular fan request being considered includes an online co-op and counter-op mode with atleast 16 players. These 16 player co-op and counter-op modes will only be available for a select few massive open ended single player missions. In co-op 15 players play along side you as fellow marines while the counter-op team will assume the roles of elites and other units all over the massive map with the job of preventing your team from completing the mission in the allotted time. When one of the co-op or counter-op players die, they simply assume the role of one of the computer controlled allied or opposing characters should one be available. Another game mode being considered is a multiplayer version of Assault on the Scarab in Halo 2. One team starts on a slow moving scarab and has to prevent the other team from infiltrating it and destorying the control room through any of multiple entry points until it reaches and destroys a specific target. They scarab may be infiltrated from the ground or from the air (a shorter path but there are multiple turrets on the scarab to get past).

The viability of programming a map/mission maker is also being strongly considered though many Bungie employees aren’t convinced that there is enough demand for this feature to warrant the amount of work such an addition would require.

The only aspect of the game that will not be completely revamped is the graphics engine! I was surprised to hear that too but it makes sense when you think about it. Bungie put an enormous amount of time on the graphics engine already creating almost photorealistic in game graphics. Instead of spending an enormous amount of time redoing it all again, Bungie will spend this time working on the actual game and instead use Xbox 2’s significant processing and graphical power to create much bigger, much much more populated, fully destructable levels with a great many enemies, simultaneous battles, ambient life and objects such trees and the covenantes. This is all essential is Bungie is to implement the revolutionary new gameplay feature discussed below.

The HDD if MS opts to include it with Xbox 2 will be used for a lot more than just faster level loading and game saves this time around. Bungie is considering letting players play music tracks stored on the Xbox’s HDD. In addition, all actions and events will be stored to the HDD so that players will be able to review their gameplay from multiple angles at any desired speed after the level ends and players will even be able to store their favorite clips of gameplay to the HDD. You know how during Live matches, you get to view the gameplay of a fellow teammate from a more aerial perspective. That’s supposedly what the stored footage on the hdd looks like. But that’s just scratching the surface of what this aerial viewpoint and zooming feature will be used for.




To me the info sounds true. Except for teh helicopter part. Maybe its a fan-operated transport.

[Black Eagle]

The first one could very well be legit. However the second one was also posted on Bungie.net. The original post came after E3, which is when all the Xbox 360 info came out. The poster was still referring to the "Xenon" and speculating on the controller. Not a very legit source.

[Gronar]

Meh, he wants you to email Bungie to confirm this rumor. How many times has MS and Bungie both said, "we do not speculate or comment on rumors". You will find out what Halo 3 has in store for you when Bungie releases the info, and not a moment sooner.

[Amutt]

Some of it sounds nice, but the light gun thing is some what stupid, And I can't say I would be thrilled to hear about playing as multiple characters in multiplayer with different powers. While it may sound like a good idea now I, as I am sure everyone else, can imagine an unbalanced system that leans itself towards everyone picking one type of character.

[Mintap]

That was wayyyyyyyy too long so I didn't read very far lol.

[Alienated]

Originally Posted by Mintap

That was wayyyyyyyy too long so I didn't read very far lol.

Blame A.D.D

and the copy that that you say came after E3, is actually over a year old
P.S i hate lightguns, there dumb, i hope its not true

[grrl got game]

LOL, well, I'll just say this, that's way too much for me. I don't think Halo is a stealth or combattive type of game. It's a shooter with a story, a great shooter with a story, and that's all I want. I don't want any "Special" grenades or "special" guns. I want Halo 3 to be damn original. And if it has flying vehicles, water fights and flying grenades, then that's too far for a great game to go.

Why don't we just wait until it comes out? I can't wait, but now that I hear this, what should I believe, a keyboard, or Bungie?

Anyone can say anthing. I am a monkey.

I am your father, I am John F. Kennedy. I am your mom. I am a dog.

Ooooo, that was soooo easy.
TOO EASY

[Amutt]

If you believe Bungie over rumors then go ask them for your sprint option, combo melee attacks, 4 types of Wathogs, 4 wheeler, and different grenades to be added into Halo 2. Everything said, even by Bungie, before 6 months from realese, is total bs.

[Alienated]

Originally Posted by Amutt

If you believe Bungie over rumors then go ask them for your sprint option, combo melee attacks, 4 types of Wathogs, 4 wheeler, and different grenades to be added into Halo 2. Everything said, even by Bungie, before 6 months from realese, is total bs.

Yep, Nothing is final, untill it goes gold, look at the ORIGINAL halo for example (and im not talking combat evolved) and even halo 2, I wish it had the E3 demo map in it.

[TheGreatCaboose]

Ill probably read it all after I come home from my ss class but its in the morning right now.