THE BORE

General => Video Game Bored => Topic started by: MrAngryFace on September 25, 2007, 09:28:22 PM

Title: Halo 3
Post by: MrAngryFace on September 25, 2007, 09:28:22 PM
I like it a lot so far. A bit easy on Normal, a LOT of fun on Heroic. Split screen is crap, then again who does that anymore. Then again I suppose more effort could have been put into it. Seems tacked on. Ah well. LIVE BABY. The AI is DEVIOUS. I mean that. The new high explosive fast projectiles are replaced grenades as oh shit, and snipers everywhere.

Also, visually, non split screen, its very impressive. Not so much because of what its pulling off, but because Bungie managed to not pull a Halo 2 with Halo 3 at a technical level.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: demi on September 25, 2007, 09:36:37 PM
It's a LOT funner on Legendary. Let's roll out.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: MrAngryFace on September 25, 2007, 09:38:40 PM
I suck at legendary. I played split screen with Drinky and some at home but Im playing WOW now, cause im tired and WOW is good for tired people. Plus I need to yell at the WOW forums about the latest patch sucking.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Van Cruncheon on September 25, 2007, 09:49:12 PM
yeah, it's good. i'm kinda dubious on the graphics on a technical level -- they aren't awful even at the worst, and they have their moments (like the explosions/debris and the lighting model), but it's clear that top-of-the-platform graphics aren't bungie's forte anymore. (apparently a bunch of the original devs left after halo?) like you said, though, at least they aren't glitchy like halo 2. the ai upgrade is great great great, and the set piece battles really impress. also GRAVITY HAMMER
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: MrAngryFace on September 25, 2007, 09:53:56 PM
Its not Halo 2, thats ALL I asked from Bungie, and I got what I wanted. So sad, Halo 2. I shouldnt see stuff render in front of me.

THAT GAME GOT 10s!

And also, the game looks very good, regardless. I mean we can nitpick, but there's way worse looking games out there, and even the original Halo isnt THAT good looking.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Van Cruncheon on September 25, 2007, 09:55:51 PM
it's pretty, yeah. still, when you're a tech nerd, it's instinct to play "spot the rendering issues". it's no halo 2 in that regard, for sure, but bungie still has plenty of room left to make a massive leap with halo 4 on the tech front. ;)

halo games still get tactical firefights better than any competitor. no fps -- not even the ones on pc -- do believably dynamic large-scale shootouts like the halo series. period.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Van Cruncheon on September 25, 2007, 09:59:44 PM
also, how halo 2 got 10s is beyond me. i honestly think halo 1 is largely beyond reproach -- yes, even the library, which while a visual mess was just frenetic ammo-chewing fun -- but 2's sp is all kinds of screwed from the tech to the level design to the pacing. it has a lot of brilliant staged moments, but it is half the game (literally) halo 1 is. halo 3, so far, does everything better than 2 as well.

edit: forgot about the last level of halo 1 with the timed warthog race. that was gimpy.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: CajoleJuice on September 25, 2007, 10:01:18 PM
Halo 1 co-op was some of the greatest shit ever.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: MrAngryFace on September 25, 2007, 10:02:22 PM
TIMED WARTHOG RACE
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: CajoleJuice on September 25, 2007, 10:02:52 PM
Holy shit, I just got on XBL and see 25 friends online. Out of the 21 actually playing a game, it's all Halo 3. :lol
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Van Cruncheon on September 25, 2007, 10:06:36 PM
hey, i was just on playing blue dragon
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: CajoleJuice on September 25, 2007, 10:10:11 PM
I think you were offline by the time I came on. I did not see Blue Dragon.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Van Cruncheon on September 25, 2007, 10:11:23 PM
i beat disc 1 :'(
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: demi on September 25, 2007, 10:27:45 PM
i beat disc 1 :'(

Did you think it was WOW OMG like most people were saying? I didn't.

That comes at the End of Disc 2 - Beginning of Disc 3
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Van Cruncheon on September 25, 2007, 10:30:48 PM
the water physics are neat -- when they're available -- and the light scattering is nice. i also like the more subtle hdr use as opposed to ABUSE in some games (lol heavenly sword wut).

though man while i am no 360 programming expert i can't fathom what in their rendering model would preclude 4x aa. as i told tvc, i think their scene rendering algorithms must be straight up brute force with little consideration for post-processing. in fact, the game seems to lack any real post-processing effects all around.

like i said in the other thread, the graphics are a mixed bag on a technical level. overall it looks really solid, but the curtain is thin and there are tears at the edges.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Van Cruncheon on September 25, 2007, 10:31:38 PM
i beat disc 1 :'(

Did you think it was WOW OMG like most people were saying? I didn't.

That comes at the End of Disc 2 - Beginning of Disc 3

it was a really good dungeon and a satisfying conclusion to the end of the disc, but no, i wasn't blown away. the pacing is too sharply done so far to make the player climax this early, anyhow.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: drohne on September 25, 2007, 10:32:28 PM
the lighting is really nice sometimes, but otherwise i'm not seeing the 'pretty.' the second level really looks like xbox 1 material. and bungie can't model human beings. yes, i know, cutscenes don't matter -- but going from heavenly sword's cutscenes to halo 3's cutscenes is like going back in time five years. every time i see miranda keyes and her independently operating sphincter mouth i reach instinctively for the right trigger.

two levels in, i haven't made my mind up about the game -- the first level has some GREAT open battlefields. but elsewhere it feels like halo 2, with big enemy packs who'd easily overwhelm you if they put in the slightest effort, but instead sit back and let you pick them apart with a br or carbine. on heroic. this is still fun -- is perhaps more fun than any fps that isn't called 'halo' -- but it's nowhere near as much fun as halo 1's intelligent, malevolent, aggressive elites. i'm not sure replacing elites with brutes was a good idea -- perhaps they ought not to have committed to that plot development -- space monkeys whose clothes fall off as they approach death are impossible to take seriously. though functionally they now behave a great deal like halo 2's elites.

that all sounds a bit negative, but it's just the skepticism of a big halo fan -- the mechanics are still shit hot, and i'm still totally engrossed when i'm playing. LET'S SEE HOW IT DEVELOPS
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: demi on September 25, 2007, 10:36:04 PM
Here's a thread on Achieve360Points of the locations of the hidden skulls. The skulls let you modify the game, for the little "meta-game" achievements. You also get an achievement for finding the skull itself. I think I'm the only one who cares about this, but if you want to squeeze a little more out of your investment^^^^^

http://www.achieve360points.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53723
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: BlueTsunami on September 25, 2007, 10:37:54 PM
I would totally buy this game but I'm not good at game juggling
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Van Cruncheon on September 25, 2007, 10:37:58 PM
i think it's pretty. not gorgeous, just pretty. my eyes -- when they aren't on the cutscene models -- are pleased. the color choice is great, the lighting model is nice, and the special effects are bright, varied, and dynamic.

yeah, the bit inside the hq is pretty sparse on the crazy shader effects, but it isn't until i spent a little time in retrospect that i noticed. i don't wanna sound like a gaf apologist, but really: you're inside a concrete structure, and the environmental art direction has never been about garish normal mapping and per-pixel lighting abuse. i think it's fine. if i'm gonna nitpick, i'll go after some pretty lo-fi textures, but again, i didn't really notice at the time.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: demi on September 25, 2007, 10:41:31 PM
I would totally buy this game but I'm not good at game juggling

I thought "game juggling" only applied to RPGs, you can run through Halo in a weekend. On easy, lol.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Van Cruncheon on September 25, 2007, 10:42:04 PM
demi, to most people, the appeal is the multiplayer. loner.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Hitler Stole My Potato on September 25, 2007, 10:42:41 PM
I put the disc in and my 360 RRODed.  Couldn't even get passed the Bungie logo. :(
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: demi on September 25, 2007, 10:44:19 PM
Multiplayer will still be there when I get back a year from now, no rush diving in!
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Van Cruncheon on September 25, 2007, 10:44:43 PM
good art goes the country mile. see: metroid prime. half the ninthings think the game was a technical powerhouse on the gc.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Van Cruncheon on September 25, 2007, 10:45:19 PM
I put the disc in and my 360 RRODed.  Couldn't even get passed the Bungie logo. :(

jesus. there is indeed a cruel gaming god amok today.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: drohne on September 25, 2007, 10:49:59 PM
i thought bungie's art direction wavered in parts of halo 2, but yeah, they've gotten back to a clean, distinctive, and attractively-colored look. the graphics are nothing approaching a problem for me, but everything else i'm going to play this fall looks completely OMGWTF, and it's a little disappointing that halo 3 isn't on that level.

sucks about the untimely rrod, hitler (can i call you hitler?) -- i've been worried that about that happening. i guess there's still time :x
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Candyflip on September 25, 2007, 10:56:59 PM
I'm really regretting not having a 360 at the moment. Fuck me.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: CajoleJuice on September 25, 2007, 11:06:01 PM
One of my buddies with a 360 that had never really played Halo before went from "Eh this game isn't that good, I kinda wish I didn't buy it" to "Ok, this is pretty fun" in only about 3 multiplayer games.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Van Cruncheon on September 25, 2007, 11:10:02 PM
they aren't kidding, btw, when they (they being the folks who wrote the ui text) said that in easy mode "the game plays itself." even normal is pretty easy, although i'm just bad enough at console fps to enjoy the cakewalk. i might bump up to heroic given that it still takes like 10 good hits post-shield to kill you.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: MrAngryFace on September 25, 2007, 11:22:50 PM
IM PLAYING WOW

Also play heroic or dont play
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: demi on September 25, 2007, 11:28:45 PM
IM PLAYING WOW

Also play heroic or dont play

:wag
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: MrAngryFace on September 25, 2007, 11:40:31 PM
SORRY DEMI I MEANT LEGENDARY
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Vizzys on September 25, 2007, 11:49:09 PM
We were playing LAN and I couldn't rid of black bars on the side of my widescreen HDTV when it was split in two. Is there a way to make it a vertical split or make the horizontal fill up the whole screen? The rest of the game (ie menus, lobbies) are full widescreen so I don't know what the problem is...

its not your fault, nor your tv's

blame the devs if you wish but thats not an error, just a design choice

(a choice that if you read bungies halo 3 forums, pisses alot of people off)
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: CajoleJuice on September 25, 2007, 11:55:49 PM
Oh wtf, that's horrible.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: CajoleJuice on September 26, 2007, 12:00:38 AM
I couldn't wait to try out some split-screen co-op over my friend's house on his new HDTV. :(
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Vizzys on September 26, 2007, 12:04:24 AM
with the amount of bitching it seems to be generating, it probably will

I still need my copy of this game :(
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Hitler Stole My Potato on September 26, 2007, 12:28:46 AM
I asked this on GAF but I've got a feeling that'll just get lost in all the hoopla....

I went out and got a new 360 since I was on a replacement program but now that I'm home it won't recognize my wireless router so I can't connect to Live . I've reset both my modem and my router but still no luck. Any advice?
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: TVC15 on September 26, 2007, 12:29:21 AM
I dunno.  I really can't help but be disappointed, especially seeing the fidelty of graphics in a lot of next gen games for truly the first time over the past week.

This is the single most important game that will be released in the 360's lifespan.  This is the "decisive" holiday season.  This is the biggest name in the MS arsenal.  This is probably the most well known game of these years (that isn't GTA).  Why does it still appear to be using an engine that is a direct descendent (and not even that far of a descendent) of the first Halo?  Did all of Bungie's good technical people leave after Halo, leaving their technology team to somewhat half-assedly hammer improvements onto the basic engine?

I mean, clear comparison, graphically, this game is sort of a metaphorical equivalent to Metroid Prime 3:  it's art is its saving grace, and it's a slight improvement over previous entries, but not by a ton.  Yes, comparing the game to Metroid Prime 3 on the GC 1.5 means that I am basically saying this is more Xbox 1.5 than 360.

More?  Resistance looks better.  Resistance has AA.  Resistance doesn't have the slight (very slight) hitches that Halo 3 has.  Of course, it doesn't have the Halo AI, or the better art, but I still think the graphical fidelity of the 360's Big Gun should at least match that of a launch title on the 360's rival system.  Forget about matching Gears, that was probably the more important achievement.

Like I said, though, it plays well enough.  It's Halo.  Not a huge advancement in play, but more Halo is always a good thing.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Van Cruncheon on September 26, 2007, 12:32:40 AM
pretty much. personally, i'm happy with a good game, and i'll let the gaffot fanboy brigade fight this one, but it would have been nice to see bungie knock one out of the park technically. ah well, the visuals hardly impede the gameplay, and the visual bits that DO matter -- the physics, the explosions, and the weapon feedback -- are there. still, it ain't gonna make any LOL PS3 SUX megalists in the future console wars!

resistance is definitely more impressive technically, but it's also grey, has terrible enemy ai which substitutes hitpoint sinks for meaningful engagement, and has some of the worst weapon balance ever. it's fun, but it still feels amateurish in design next to halo 3, visual complaints aside. halo 1 really had it all, and we've come to expect it all from future installments, but i ain't gonna let visual flaws ruin a good game for me. unless that game is on the wii, because YUCK.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: CajoleJuice on September 26, 2007, 12:39:27 AM
After playing a bit more multi, I'm reminded of why I never was all that impressed with Halo 2. I'm going to be playing much more TF2 and COD4, I think. :-\
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Van Cruncheon on September 26, 2007, 12:40:02 AM
how many times did you get called a motherjew n*ggerfaggot
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: CajoleJuice on September 26, 2007, 12:40:41 AM
I heard variations of "your mom" about a dozen times already.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: TVC15 on September 26, 2007, 12:41:20 AM
Yeah, but you know how it goes.  In the fanboy wars, graphics are more important than gameplay, and now 360 is "weaker" than PS3.

I am hoping later levels throw more physics in.  From what I've played, it's just a bunch of little objects and it has little importance on gameplay.  I like when physics are implemented and used in a game.  Like in Bullet Witch.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: drohne on September 26, 2007, 12:56:54 AM
if we're talking halo 2 onwards, i'm really not seeing the excellence of halo's ai. with halo 2 they decided to double or triple the number of enemies on screen, and to balance the thing, enemies stopped trying very hard to kill you. remember in halo when you run into maybe four elites at the end of 'assault on the control room'? that's an 'oh shit' moment on heroic or legendary, where you have to try and squeeze a ghost in or use ridiculous hit-and-run tactics. in halos 2 and 3 you can take out a dozen brutes or elites from cover, more or less at your leisure. the enemies in resistance are really stupid about grenades -- probably by design rather than negligence -- but they'll flank you pretty aggressively. and i don't know if anyone agrees with me, but the enemy ai in gears is maybe the best i've ever seen -- the way locusts methodically encroach on your position is awesome.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Van Cruncheon on September 26, 2007, 01:00:47 AM
it's more the individual ai than the group ai, true, but i had a moment with an armorless brute where he put his back to a tree and sidled around it while i circled-strafed. as i fired on his position, he waved grunts from the brush and a couple tentatively attacked while the rest broke and fled. it's the ILLUSION that bungie's ai folks are so good at -- they understand that i don't want smarter-than-me algorithmically brilliant superbots, i want the idea that there's personalities and wills of various strengths governing the entities, and that context matters enough to make my enemies react in quasi-realistic rather than optimal ways. and while it's hardly that sophisticated, the illusion is there, and that makes me really get into the game.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: drohne on September 26, 2007, 01:01:33 AM
yeah, maybe i should be playing halo 3 instead of posting about it -- i haven't even had time to see moments like that
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: CajoleJuice on September 26, 2007, 01:02:04 AM
Maybe I should play the campaign.

Or TF2.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: TVC15 on September 26, 2007, 01:11:16 AM
I had a peanut butter sandwich and my tummy isn't quite in FPS mode, but I wanna play it.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Lucretius on September 26, 2007, 01:17:50 AM
I played the first ten minutes of campaign mode and I started getting motion sick.  Bungie should partner up with the pharmaceutical industry for some "Finish the Fight" branded Dramamine. 
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Van Cruncheon on September 26, 2007, 01:21:16 AM
INNER EAR FUEL
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: TVC15 on September 26, 2007, 01:22:38 AM
Maybe it's an age thing, but over the past few months, I have noticed myself getting motion sick with a few games, whereas it used to only happen with a few PC FPSes before, usually ones with either odd fields of view or weird framerates.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: MrAngryFace on September 26, 2007, 01:33:03 AM
Resistence doesnt look better, come on ;p
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: CajoleJuice on September 26, 2007, 01:36:59 AM
I really have no urge to play this game. I just played solo campaign for like 5 minutes and turned it off. Then I stared at the title screen for a while. Maybe it's because I know I have work I should be doing. I'll do that now, I guess.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Van Cruncheon on September 26, 2007, 01:38:22 AM
no-one said it looked better -- that's a purely subjective thing. i said it was a more technically impressive game, given that it is pushing a lot more polys, has more effects, and has anti-aliasing. whether or not that translates to "looks better" is up to the individual. personally, i find slate grey and dark ochre unappealing without a little variety to break it up, and resistance waits until far too late in the game to do so.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: MrAngryFace on September 26, 2007, 01:40:38 AM
well if we're gonna argue things that are relative lemme open up another new forum, cause we're gonna need room.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Lucretius on September 26, 2007, 01:45:24 AM
not that there's anything really wrong with the controls, but after playing Metroid Prime 3 for the past week I find myself really wishing I could play Halo 3 with Wii aiming controls.  I think it would help with my motion sickness too.  Again, this is not me complaining about the Halo controls... just me confessing that I generally suck at FPS's on consoles and I'm a total mouthbreathing queasy wuss.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: demi on September 26, 2007, 01:45:37 AM
If you want to play, I'm waiting in Legendary, babes.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: MrAngryFace on September 26, 2007, 01:49:16 AM
Of all of us I think Demi has actually PLAYED the game the most lol :(
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Van Cruncheon on September 26, 2007, 01:50:10 AM
Of all of us I think Demi has actually PLAYED games the most lol :(

fixed
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Smooth Groove on September 26, 2007, 01:53:11 AM
Resistance's enemies were really low poly and they all looked the same.  OTOH, Halo 3 have some of the best designed and animated enemies. 
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: MrAngryFace on September 26, 2007, 01:53:25 AM
Of all of us I think Demi has actually PLAYED games the most lol :(

fixed

haha :(
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: TVC15 on September 26, 2007, 01:56:35 AM
Resistance's enemies were really low poly and they all looked the same.  OTOH, Halo 3 have some of the best designed and animated enemies. 

With just as many polys as Halo 2!

Nobody here is arguing that Resistance is artistically better.  It is technically better, but Halo has better art.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: MrAngryFace on September 26, 2007, 01:57:33 AM
Regardless, Bungie said IN PUBLIC that they never intended to push the visual envelope with Halo 3 and create the best looking game on 360, and in fact focus on gameplay. With that as their clear aim I dunno how you can fault them for producing a game with above average visuals. Its just silly. I mean sure, we can argue that people are shallow and EXPECT games to look WOW, but should we rate the performance of develoepers off of user hype and stupid expectations?
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Van Cruncheon on September 26, 2007, 01:58:42 AM
sg, resistance's later levels had some crazy fuckin' geometry, though. as ever, don't take this as an endorsement of its sp game -- i really disliked it. that doesn't stop it from having some really ace engine programming driving it; engine and graphics programming that's quite a bit better than halo 3's. yeah, yeah, it's wasted on crap, you say, but we aren't arguing quality -- we're just wondering why bungie didn't really put the 360 through some stricter paces given the focus on this title. the lack of aa is an honest mystery. don't take it as an overarching criticism of the game.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: abrader on September 26, 2007, 01:59:41 AM
I am loving it and about to go playu now.

Earlier my girlfriend said "Its just like resistance"
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Van Cruncheon on September 26, 2007, 01:59:52 AM
Regardless, Bungie said IN PUBLIC that they never intended to push the visual envelope with Halo 3 and create the best looking game on 360, and in fact focus on gameplay. With that as their clear aim I dunno how you can fault them for producing a game with above average visuals. Its just silly.

outside of the lack of aa, i ain't blamin' 'em. i LIKE the game. we're simply anticipating the fallout and wondering why -- halo 2 aside -- some basic visual features weren't implemented.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: TVC15 on September 26, 2007, 02:01:05 AM
I dunno, I think it's a fair thing to fault them on.  I said before, visuals are the easiest thing to get right, and I find it a bit weak that this year's big game is significantly weaker looking than 360's big game of last year, Gears of War.  It plays well, but it's not a giant improvement over previous games in the series (although, note, I probably won't get into competetive miltiplayer, which I am assuming was the focus).
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: MrAngryFace on September 26, 2007, 02:01:08 AM
They didnt do it because of Halo 2. They instead focused on framerate and an even presentation. Halo 2 was a visual MESS. Anyone who's played it recently on BC is well aware of this and grateful they took a measured approach
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Van Cruncheon on September 26, 2007, 02:03:04 AM
yeah, multiplayer was the focus, and by all accounts, it's beyond robust and fully-featured. this game ain't gonna disappoint halo fans, no doubt, but its gonna make internet list wars nigh-on intolerable.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: TVC15 on September 26, 2007, 02:03:11 AM
But anyone who's played Gears can tell you that the game could have looked a lot better and still had a fine framerate and presentation.  
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Van Cruncheon on September 26, 2007, 02:04:34 AM
not necessarily. gears has a LOT of cheats and hacks, visually, to look the way it does, many of which would have compromised halo's clear style.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: MrAngryFace on September 26, 2007, 02:05:39 AM
A.) Halo 3 is not on Unreal 3, but instead on their own engine
B.) Bungie has PROVEN they have issues with visuals
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: TVC15 on September 26, 2007, 02:05:58 AM
I think you and MAF should play through Gears, Prole.  See what a AAA next gen game is SUPPOSED to look like.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: MrAngryFace on September 26, 2007, 02:06:28 AM
whatever TVC, whatever
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Van Cruncheon on September 26, 2007, 02:06:54 AM
I think you and MAF should play through Gears, Prole.  See what a AAA next gen game is SUPPOSED to look like.

you mean five hours of post-processed grey? I TROLLED U BACK. this is what bud light does to you!
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: TVC15 on September 26, 2007, 02:07:31 AM
You can't possible argue that Gears doesn't look as good as Halo 3.  I know Unreal 3 is a great engine, but that hardly excuses Bungie for coasting by on an aging engine for more than a half decade.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: MrAngryFace on September 26, 2007, 02:09:38 AM
Whats your hobby these days? Playing games or verbally hacking them to death?

Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Phoenix Dark on September 26, 2007, 02:09:56 AM
I think everyone expected Halo 3 to look better than it does. Calling it Halo 2 HD is far off but it's improvements seem more subtle than many wanted.

Gears kicks you in the face with it's visuals. It looks stunning despite the colors.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: TVC15 on September 26, 2007, 02:11:31 AM
Whats your hobby these days? Playing games or verbally hacking them to death?



Being disappointed with the visuals in the biggest game on the 360 (and the biggest game there will be on the system) is hardly being petty.  The game plays well, but there's nothing wrong with being disappointed in the visuals.  As a video game, visual input is important.  This is why the Wii blows:  third rate graphics.  This is why Halo 3 is disappointing in that same aspect.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Van Cruncheon on September 26, 2007, 02:11:48 AM
1. i like how halo 3 looks. i also acknowledge it is a technical underperformer. you cna have a largely good-looking low-tech game (halo 3) just as you can have a bad-looking high-tech game (resistance).

2. graphics in halo 3, as maf stated, were not a priority to bungie, as they said in that egm interview. they've probably lost their top talent.

other than that, what am i supposed to say? that bungie should have shifted priorities and hired a bunch of carmackian devs? they focused on features and stability first and foremost. visuals might have made the game tech nerds wanted, but it wouldn't have made the game halo fans wanted given bungie's apparent resources. that's not to say it couldn't have been both, but bungie made their decision, and the end result is that despite visual issues on a technical front halo 3 doesn't suck.

on the other hand, i enjoy nitpicking technical features, but there's always the need for a little perspective.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: TVC15 on September 26, 2007, 02:13:35 AM
How do I continue my game that I left off before?  It's only letting me start over from mission 1.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Phoenix Dark on September 26, 2007, 02:14:03 AM
Whats your hobby these days? Playing games or verbally hacking them to death?



Being disappointed with the visuals in the biggest game on the 360 (and the biggest game there will be on the system) is hardly being petty.  The game plays well, but there's nothing wrong with being disappointed in the visuals.

That's the big thing. This is the game that's gonna allegedly secure the 360's place over the PS3...yet it looks more like an upgrade over Halo 2 and than a leap. I'm not sayin it's ugly
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: MrAngryFace on September 26, 2007, 02:14:37 AM
Perspective is fine, but 90% of the gaming talk I hear from PEOPLE is bitching. I'd rather just not participate anymore. Maybe it looks like im embracing ignorance, but I might just have a bit more fun.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Van Cruncheon on September 26, 2007, 02:15:08 AM
it's not ALLEGEDLY. the current sales indicate that it HAS secured that position. only gaffers and fanboys care about its potential as a chit in the "who's more powerful" console feud. everyone else is PLAYING THE GAME WHICH IS VERY GOOD.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: TVC15 on September 26, 2007, 02:16:00 AM
Sorry, graphics are a big part of gaming, and as such they are a key feature of gaming discussion.  Didn't mean to put you off.

ALSO HOW DO I CONTINUE MY FUCKING GAME!!!!!
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: MrAngryFace on September 26, 2007, 02:16:29 AM
bitch bitch, graphics omg bitch wtf whine
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Van Cruncheon on September 26, 2007, 02:16:50 AM
Perspective is fine, but 90% of the gaming talk I hear from PEOPLE is bitching. I'd rather just not participate anymore. Maybe it looks like im embracing ignorance, but I might just have a bit more fun.

fair enough. on the other hand, these are just impressions, but i get yer point. i'll leave it as stands.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Van Cruncheon on September 26, 2007, 02:17:47 AM
Sorry, graphics are a big part of gaming, and as such they are a key feature of gaming discussion.  Didn't mean to put you off.

ALSO HOW DO I CONTINUE MY FUCKING GAME!!!!!

YOU BOUGHT A WII! YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT GRAPHICS!!!

did you save your game from the pause menu

Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: TVC15 on September 26, 2007, 02:18:02 AM
Someone tell me how to continue my fucking game, or I will show you what bitching REALLY is.

No, I did not save from the menu.  Previous games auto-saved, did they not?
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Van Cruncheon on September 26, 2007, 02:20:30 AM
no, they didn't. previous games required you to save from the pause menu, as i recall.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: drohne on September 26, 2007, 02:20:37 AM
omg tsavo highway <3

it's all just densely-populated open battlefields that you can navigate in any ridiculous way you like. i think my favorite thing about halo is to invent some absurd suboptimal approach and keep trying it until it works. i spent like an hour and a half on that level, but damn it i managed to fight three wraiths at once with just my fuel rod gun, using their mounting wreckage as cover.

the 'pretty' seems to be kicking in as well

edit: no, it was almost exactly an hour: http://www.bungie.net/stats/PlayerCampaignStatsHalo3.aspx?player=drohne

these bungie.net stats campaign stats are awesome
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Phoenix Dark on September 26, 2007, 02:30:42 AM
I say "allegedly" because the race isn't over yet. While I definitely believe the 360 will be the victor, those seeds of victory were sown long before Halo 3 came out. Sony played a part in it as well.

The question is will Halo 3 secure a victory over the PS3. I dunno. I'm not the type of person who thinks MGS4 is gonna change everything (especially considering it's gonna be a 360 title, believe) but it's hella early.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Van Cruncheon on September 26, 2007, 02:33:18 AM
how would the fact that it doesn't deliver us some "sh3 old man" tech wankery keep it from being an incredibly high-scoring hardcore fan-friendly superexperience? the thing that made halo what it is -- the net play, the balance, and the online feature set -- is there, and how. gaf isn't reality, pd. 4M copies shipped. those 4M will sell out in a couple weeks. you're not gonna see those sales or that level of word-of-mouth chatter on the ps3 any time soon.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Eel O'Brian on September 26, 2007, 02:35:04 AM
I like how at the beginning of the game

spoiler (click to show/hide)
you survive a 2 mile fall from space
[close]

but for the rest of the game a slight bump from a ghost at the right angle will kill you
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Phoenix Dark on September 26, 2007, 02:42:55 AM
how would the fact that it doesn't deliver us some "sh3 old man" tech wankery keep it from being an incredibly high-scoring hardcore fan-friendly superexperience? the thing that made halo what it is -- the net play, the balance, and the online feature set -- is there, and how. gaf isn't reality, pd. 4M copies shipped. those 4M will sell out in a couple weeks. you're not gonna see those sales or that level of word-of-mouth chatter on the ps3 any time soon.

Halo 2 did amazing numbers on a larger install base. Different situations in terms of the time of release, but the point is that one game won't decide the fate of a 5-8 year console cycle. What comes after Halo 3, especially as the traditional PS titles start arriving

it's late night and i feel like hitchens. contrarian time
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Van Cruncheon on September 26, 2007, 02:44:56 AM
if the ability to impress other graphic devs was all it took to guarantee a game's impact and popularity, we'd all be playing lair

...

oh god, what a horrible fate
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: TVC15 on September 26, 2007, 02:46:35 AM
Lair doesn't have good graphics, even in HD.  It's a really, really hideous game by any stretch.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: demi on September 26, 2007, 03:08:15 AM
Two more levels then done with Legendary.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: CajoleJuice on September 26, 2007, 03:25:22 AM
bitch bitch, graphics omg bitch wtf whine

You obviously haven't read any of his TV show threads.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: demi on September 26, 2007, 03:27:39 AM
Sorry, graphics are a big part of gaming, and as such they are a key feature of gaming discussion.  Didn't mean to put you off.

ALSO HOW DO I CONTINUE MY FUCKING GAME!!!!!

Go to the Campaign Lobby instead of "Solo Campaign" - you can choose what level you want to start from, along with the different insertion points
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: TVC15 on September 26, 2007, 03:28:55 AM
bitch bitch, graphics omg bitch wtf whine

You obviously haven't read any of his TV show threads.

When I criticize TV shows, I am always clear on why I bitch about what I do, and I'll even say when my bitchings are nitpicky.  I don't consider being underwhelmed by Halo 3's visuals nitpicky. This isn't like a Dynasty Warriors game where I expect functional but not wow, this is supposed to be *the* humungadunga.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: CajoleJuice on September 26, 2007, 03:33:50 AM
Well, I guess I was trying to imply that. Compared to the way you dissect TV shows, this is nothing. I completely agree with you.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: demi on September 26, 2007, 03:39:09 AM
I don't think it's that impressive visually, even while I'm near the end of the game. Just kick back, load up some (Legendary) co-op, and call each other n*ggerfaggotjews
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: TVC15 on September 26, 2007, 03:40:53 AM
I don't think it's that impressive visually, even while I'm near the end of the game. Just kick back, load up some (Legendary) co-op, and call each other n*ggerfaggotjews

Hopefully I can play with you after the dentist tomorrow, but if I get doped up, don't be surprised if I am too vagina'd up to get my FPS on.   
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Solo on September 26, 2007, 07:42:42 AM
I beat the first 3 levels. I was completely "what the fuck, Halo am duped me AGAIN" after the first 2, but the third was totally fuckawesome (the one that is like Silent Cartographer on acid, driving warthogs up the highway). So its gonna take some more time to decide on things.

First impressions:

- graphics are unbelievably disappointing. Yes, I realize Bungie had to sacrifice lots of bells and whistles in order to have a huge scope and a good framerate (both of which it does), but I still cant help but feel disappointed, especially playing it directly after Bioshock
+ the level design has finally progressed from god awful to pretty good. Ive really enjoyed all the levels so far
- the weapons all sound incredibly weak. Its like Bungie forgot to turn the volume up to a decent level. Really makes the game lose something
+ the gunplay and AI are as solid as ever
- the animations and character models are pretty embarassing
+ has me wanting to play more, which is more than I can say for the previous game in the series
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: tiesto on September 26, 2007, 08:55:56 AM
I've only played a couple of MP matches and one-on-one matches w/my brother's friend last nite... haven't even had time to delve into the single-player. My brother's been hogging the game up pretty much. But yeah, I'll echo that I'm a bit disappointed with the graphics, I guess I was kinda hoping for something in comparison to Gears, considering that this is the biggest 360 game this year.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: MrAngryFace on September 26, 2007, 09:55:19 AM
I beat the first 3 levels. I was completely "what the fuck, Halo am duped me AGAIN" after the first 2, but the third was totally fuckawesome (the one that is like Silent Cartographer on acid, driving warthogs up the highway). So its gonna take some more time to decide on things.

First impressions:

- graphics are unbelievably disappointing. Yes, I realize Bungie had to sacrifice lots of bells and whistles in order to have a huge scope and a good framerate (both of which it does), but I still cant help but feel disappointed, especially playing it directly after Bioshock
+ the level design has finally progressed from god awful to pretty good. Ive really enjoyed all the levels so far
- the weapons all sound incredibly weak. Its like Bungie forgot to turn the volume up to a decent level. Really makes the game lose something
+ the gunplay and AI are as solid as ever
- the animations and character models are pretty embarassing
+ has me wanting to play more, which is more than I can say for the previous game in the series

'unbelievably disappointing' -- 'pretty embarassing' - Lets save these words for a 360 game that deserves it. IF IT LOOKS GOOD IT LOOKS GOOD. Jesus christ all mighty.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Himu on September 26, 2007, 10:35:44 AM
lol maf spin zone. "that deserves it" lol the animations and graphics in the biggest gaming event of the year being half assed compared to all the other games on system doesn't warrant being mentioned in the presence of maf.

played single player co-op with buddy last night. pretty fun time.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Solo on September 26, 2007, 10:59:54 AM

'unbelievably disappointing' -- 'pretty embarassing' - Lets save these words for a 360 game that deserves it.

Which is Halo 3, to me. I called the graphics "unbelievably disappointing". Why? Halo 1 was the most graphically impressive game on the original X-Box for several years. Halo 2 was more of the same, but hey, it was still on the same platform. Was I being unreasonable to expect a graphical presentation on the 360 that measured up to how well Halo 1 looked on the X-Box in 2001? I dont think so. Yet here is Gears, Bioshock, the Tom Clancy games, etc., all crapping on Halo 3 graphics-wise. I called the animation "pretty embarassing". Why? Simply put, on next-gen systems, for a team as talented as Bungie, with as big a budget as Bungie had, with as much dev time as Bungie had, what they turned out is pretty crappy. The movement is stiff, and all the vehicles, NPCs, and enemies still look like they are sliding around rather than walking. These are the sorts of things Id expect out of some middle-of-the-road PC dev, not a first party MS developer.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Mupepe on September 26, 2007, 11:01:28 AM
i can understand some disappointment with the graphics... but the animations, really?

they may not be super fluid, but there are TONS of animations.  I seriously never see them doing the exact thing twice on Legendary.  

Anyways, I don't care much about the graphics.  They may not be the technical showcase everyone has expected from this generation, but it's by no means BAD by this generation?  It's just not a top looking title.  The graphics look average, not good, not bad.

anyways, what the fuck happened to us, this thread looks like something pulled off of fucking GAF.  Halo has been about gameplay, art and atmosphere since the first!  Leave this fucking argument at GAF and use a thread titled 'Halo 3' to talk about about the gameplay

I played the Forge for the first time last night.  If you're on with friends and you're organized, this shit is fucking awesome.  

It's just a change of pace for a Halo game.  I loved it.  I also figured out that at least for a while after launch, most people will be playing Halo 3, so I think I'm going to set my Xbox Live settings to Friends Only.  The first night was decent, but the 14 year olds got the game yesterday afternoon and they already make me want to commit suicide.

And if I absolutely have to play with these cocks, here's some good advice plug your mic in to your controller, and don't use it.  You won't hear them on your tv and it's not like you really want to talk to these assholes anyways
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: MrAngryFace on September 26, 2007, 11:01:47 AM
Im gonna explain it for the kids in the audience.

I dont care if you guys wanna critically analyze the game, thats fine. Im the one that commented about the character models to drinky, but I did so IN PASSING OBSERVATION. You know why? I wasn't disappointed. Know why? Cause I actually did some fucking homework.

It comes down to this. You CANNOT legitimately leverage complaints about the graphics not being the top of the line against this game when in fact it is based entirely on your uneducated expectations. If any of you REALLY gave a shit about the visuals you would have looked into previous articles on the game prior to release to see what was what. In doing so you would have discovered, pretty easily too, that Bungie had NO INTENTION of competing with ANY 360 game for top visuals. Every interview with Bungie focused on all the ideas that they felt were important to enhance replayability and the core gameplay.

So in the end all the bitching about the graphics not looking like or competing with Bioshock is Grade A WHINING. ARGH! SURE! GOD DIDNT SPECIFY A COLOR FOR A SKY OR MAKE ANY SPECIFIC PROMISES BUT I HATE THE COLOR BLUE! DAMN U GOD!

If any of you REALLY wanna play graphical effect nitpick theater start your own thread that takes a cross section of the latest games and analyze that. Im sure everyone can use their fancy words to explain why the fuck its ok to use hyperbole to describe something that is AT WORST above average.

Tear apart the gameplay all you want, because Bungie PROMISED something there. Beating a horse for not making you breakfast because it decided to instead give you a ride into town so you could buy your own god damned breakfast is BAD CONVERSATION.

In short, shut the fuck up Himuro you god damned freak.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Himu on September 26, 2007, 11:02:38 AM
lmao he freaked
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Solo on September 26, 2007, 11:02:47 AM
I dont dislike Halo 3 (yet) and I can live with the graphics, Mupepe. Like I said, I am enjoying what I have played so far. I just find it visually to be a mixed bag, sometimes its a total eyesore, and other times, it looks quite nice.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Himu on September 26, 2007, 11:04:06 AM
I'm going to go co-op mission 5 with my buddy now. :) I'd like to play on Heroic after beating it on normal.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: MrAngryFace on September 26, 2007, 11:04:19 AM
lmao he freaked

I freak because its people like you Himuro that bring this gaming forum closer to fucking Gaming Age
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Mupepe on September 26, 2007, 11:04:36 AM
It comes down to this. You CANNOT legitimately leverage complaints about the graphics not being the top of the line against this game when in fact it is based entirely on your uneducated expectations. If any of you REALLY gave a shit about the visuals you would have looked into previous articles on the game prior to release to see what was what. In doing so you would have discovered, pretty easily too, that Bungie had NO INTENTION of competing with ANY 360 game for top visuals. Every interview with Bungie focused on all the ideas that they felt were important to enhance replayability and the core gameplay.
QFT QFT QFT QFT QFT

good and balanced gameplay > omgwtfbbqgraphics!

can we start talking about the game again?  please?

I dont dislike Halo 3 (yet) and I can live with the graphics, Mupepe. Like I said, I am enjoying what I have played so far. I just find it visually to be a mixed bag, sometimes its a total eyesore, and other times, it looks quite nice.
I wasn't really pointing my finger at you.  But this is one of the worst threads I have read on this gaming forum.  Same shit regurgitated for 3 pages
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: MrAngryFace on September 26, 2007, 11:06:18 AM
Then you have the opposite side of the spectrum where Tom Chick DID talk about Gameplay but compared to different types of FPS games to one another :p
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Solo on September 26, 2007, 11:06:51 AM
Ill talk about the game again Mupepe. Bioshock's "Fort Frolic" aside, Halo 3's "Tsavo (sp?) Highway" is the most awesome level Ive played in a shooter in a long ass time. Crusing around in warthogs amidst Halo ruins and driving over briges and shit = sweetness. I really loved how the Halo theme kicked in when the warthogs were dropped for you. It was like the game was telling you that now it is time to kick ass.

Oh, and the gravity hammer is just pure bliss to use.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: MrAngryFace on September 26, 2007, 11:08:46 AM
The Tank/Bridge mission was easily my favorite part of Halo 2. I need to man up and knock myself down off of Heroic so I can complete more of the game :(
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Mupepe on September 26, 2007, 11:16:58 AM
Ill talk about the game again Mupepe. Bioshock's "Fort Frolic" aside, Halo 3's "Tsavo (sp?) Highway" is the most awesome level Ive played in a shooter in a long ass time. Crusing around in warthogs amidst Halo ruins and driving over briges and shit = sweetness. I really loved how the Halo theme kicked in when the warthogs were dropped for you. It was like the game was telling you that now it is time to kick ass.

Oh, and the gravity hammer is just pure bliss to use.
hell yes.  The second level was pretty tedious, but the first time I saw Brutes charging at me with the hammer I said OH FUCK! and throw a plasma grenade on him.  That's when I knew I had fallen in love again.  I love the emotion they put into the characters.  Watching them talk to each other, yell at each other and then how they either charge or run when they finally see you.

Also, it's fun as fuck punching people online.  :)
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: MrAngryFace on September 26, 2007, 11:22:09 AM
Brutes are scary motherfuckers, they're like half as powerful as a big daddy but have better weapons.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Mupepe on September 26, 2007, 11:25:38 AM
Brutes are scary motherfuckers, they're like half as powerful as a big daddy but have better weapons.
:lol

The end of the first part where you look down on the ruins and see the scene of the Brute kicking the soldier (from the 2007 trailer) got me too.  It was bad ass.

The Chieftain Brutes (is that right?  i can't recall) are bad ass in their headdresses and whatnot.

The only thing I don't like is that when you hit them enough their armor falls off in a cheesy way.  I wish it just stayed on while they died.  But it's all good.

Also, I've spent quite a bit of time with the saved games.  I might cave in and buy the extra slots and memory to upload my videos to Bungie :(
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: MrAngryFace on September 26, 2007, 11:28:56 AM
lemme know if you upload some.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: demi on September 26, 2007, 11:32:41 AM
I'm going to go co-op mission 5 with my buddy now. :) I'd like to play on Heroic after beating it on normal.

NORMAL?

*HAIR RIP*
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Mupepe on September 26, 2007, 11:38:09 AM
lemme know if you upload some.
will do.  I'm trying to figure out if you can select only parts of a saved game.  I hate going through 8 minutes of a saved film for one cool thing.

I took a few cool pics too.  Let me see if they uploaded to Bungie.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Smooth Groove on September 26, 2007, 12:24:37 PM
 "possible" Spoiler link

http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/gadgets_and_gaming/article2532768.ece

Writer and website are dicks if they did spoil it.  Just because someone has spoiled it, it doesn't mean that they are justified in spreading it some more.  The worst thing is that this story's headline is on google's frontpage news. 
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: ferrarimanf355 on September 26, 2007, 12:55:52 PM
I completed the first level, and damn, this is worth the hype. I'm going to concentrate on getting to the terminals, since there's only seven of them, and then go back when I'm done and get the skulls. I'm playing it on normal now, and when I beat it, I want to finish Legendary on co-op. Can I save co-op games?
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: demi on September 26, 2007, 01:01:45 PM
Yes
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: TVC15 on September 26, 2007, 01:04:08 PM
I still don't think them aiming for not great visuals is a very good excuse for delivering not great visuals.  I guess they have a, er, heh, "low quality bar."
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: ferrarimanf355 on September 26, 2007, 01:27:38 PM
Yes
Oh, thank God, I don't want to do all of it in one sitting. Doing it once every weekend is more my speed.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: abrader on September 26, 2007, 01:28:51 PM
I still don't think them aiming for not great visuals is a very good excuse for delivering not great visuals.  I guess they have a, er, heh, "low quality bar."

I personally think the X360 is at its limit.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: border on September 26, 2007, 01:32:52 PM
If it's so damned easy to beat Gears of War's graphics, how come nobody else seems to have done it?

Halo 1 was the most graphically impressive game on the original X-Box for several years.
Not really.  Splinter Cell easily took the crown, and it was revealed a mere 7-8 months after launch.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Smooth Groove on September 26, 2007, 01:49:12 PM
I still don't think them aiming for not great visuals is a very good excuse for delivering not great visuals.  I guess they have a, er, heh, "low quality bar."

I personally think the X360 is at its limit.


Abrader am Sfag confirmed.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: abrader on September 26, 2007, 01:51:33 PM
I still don't think them aiming for not great visuals is a very good excuse for delivering not great visuals.  I guess they have a, er, heh, "low quality bar."

I personally think the X360 is at its limit.


Abrader am Sfag confirmed.

The games are still fun - but the system isnt going to top things like bioshock and Gears of War. That should be easy enough to see....just like the PS2 last gen, the X360 has its bottlenecks limiting how far it can go.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Smooth Groove on September 26, 2007, 01:57:01 PM
I still don't think them aiming for not great visuals is a very good excuse for delivering not great visuals.  I guess they have a, er, heh, "low quality bar."

I personally think the X360 is at its limit.


Abrader am Sfag confirmed.

The games are still fun - but the system isnt going to top things like bioshock and Gears of War. That should be easy enough to see....just like the PS2 last gen, the X360 has its bottlenecks limiting how far it can go.


I still haven't seen any proof that the PS3 is capable of more than the 360.  360 sports games have finally gotten to be 60fps this year while PS3 versions are still stuck at 30fps. 
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: border on September 26, 2007, 02:01:34 PM
Done with Normal mode after about 7-8 hours -- probably the most disappointing game of the trilogy (though I tend to hold Halo 2 in higher regard than a lot of people).  Hard to explain without spoilers, but a guess there's a few non-spoiler problems worth considering:

--Story takes a while to really get going, then wraps up fairly quick
--Abuse of certain motifs -- Halo theme pounds almost everytime you hop in a vehicle, one major setpiece battle that is cool the first time is twice repeated to somewhat lesser effect (I guess they couldn't think of anything else?)
--Music feels mostly cribbed from the first two games....nothing new that is memorable here (though to be fair I tend not to notice music unless I'm playing Legendary)
--The story just feels really abbreviated, seems less expansive and epic than the previous 2 games.  In a lot of ways it feels like it ramps down when it should be ramping up.
--If Halo 2 ended too early, Halo 3 somewhat overstays its welcome (I guess that evens it out :D)
--Cortana looks like some kind of cyber-dominatrix now....if they wanted us to take her and her relationship with Master Chief seriously, why did they slut her up so much?  Fanservice at its most embarassing.

Spoilers below are nothing highly specific to the story (ending, plot points), but spoiler-y enough to freak out some people:

spoiler (click to show/hide)
--Fighting brutes not as fun as fighting Elites - Elites as enemies gone for good :(
--Covenant story-arc is concluded 3/4 of the way into the game in an unsatisfying way and then everything after that is fighting the Flood UGGGGGH
--We never got the Urban Earth War that Halo 2's marketing and ending seemed to promise....a little desert, a little jungle, then back to Halo :\  Earth levels are good, but story-wise they feel like filler material.
--Cortana "flashes" don't ever add up to much of anything, I have no idea what they were really attempting to do with that...the whole subplot with her and Gravemind is useless....but maybe I just missed something interesting or insightful
[close]

I'll hold off final judgment until I'm done with it on Legendary.....as a good gameplay experience can easily overcome all of this nonsense, and I'm hoping that's where they will really deliver.  I'm just mildly annoyed that they didn't really kick it up for this game.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Van Cruncheon on September 26, 2007, 02:06:16 PM
again, i think online multiplayer will always be their primary emphasis. it's clear there's a big rift with this game between those who bought it for SP and those who bought it primarily for MP.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Smooth Groove on September 26, 2007, 02:11:30 PM
again, i think online multiplayer will always be their primary emphasis. it's clear there's a big rift with this game between those who bought it for SP and those who bought it primarily for MP.

I'll only be playing HALO 3's SP for awhile.  I hope it's fun enough. 
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: abrader on September 26, 2007, 02:15:08 PM
I still don't think them aiming for not great visuals is a very good excuse for delivering not great visuals.  I guess they have a, er, heh, "low quality bar."

I personally think the X360 is at its limit.


Abrader am Sfag confirmed.

The games are still fun - but the system isnt going to top things like bioshock and Gears of War. That should be easy enough to see....just like the PS2 last gen, the X360 has its bottlenecks limiting how far it can go.


I still haven't seen any proof that the PS3 is capable of more than the 360.  360 sports games have finally gotten to be 60fps this year while PS3 versions are still stuck at 30fps. 

I am not saying the PS3 is any better or any worse. Take your system wars elsewhere.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Van Cruncheon on September 26, 2007, 02:17:13 PM
abrader, you need to work on your online communication skills
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: border on September 26, 2007, 02:17:22 PM
I still think it'll probably wind up better than almost any other FPS that comes out this year (Crysis is the only other contender at this point)......I just found myself saying "Cool.." a lot, when I expected to be saying "WoW!"

The story is not an absolute mess, but I'd be really surprised if you told me that this was the overall arc that Bungie had planned from the beginning.  Something about the game has a "We made it up as we went along" sort-of feel.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Robo on September 26, 2007, 02:18:43 PM
I think my favorite part of the game so far is when I drove a 4-wheeler around a Scarab for 15 minutes waiting for the fuckwit A.I. to shoot the goddamn thing down before I put the bitch in park, relieved my reliable comrade of his shooting duties, stuffed a battle rifle down his throat, aquired his rocket launcher and brought the motherfucker down myself in a matter of seconds.

How Earth has managed to last as long as it has is fucking baffling.

And I need someone to play co-op with me. :'(
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: demi on September 26, 2007, 02:19:06 PM
Halo 3 part for BORDER'S EYES ONLY
The part with the two scarabs was pretty cool, but got annoying on Legendary after our Hornets got shot down  :'(

Also, the inside of the Flood ship was neat
[close]
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Smooth Groove on September 26, 2007, 02:25:12 PM
I still think it'll probably wind up better than almost any other FPS that comes out this year (Crysis is the only other contender at this point)......I just found myself saying "Cool.." a lot, when I expected to be saying "WoW!"

The story is not an absolute mess, but I'd be really surprised if you told me that this was the overall arc that Bungie had planned from the beginning.  Something about the game has a "We made it up as we went along" sort-of feel.

Have you played Bioshock yet?   I'm sure Halo 3 has superior combat and more replay value, even though I haven't played it yet, but it'll be hard for H3 to beat Bioshock's stunning artistic direction and atmosphere.  From the responses to both games so far, I think Bioshock will probably win more GOTY awards.   
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: abrader on September 26, 2007, 02:32:58 PM
abrader, you need to work on your online communication skills

I type - you read.

Not much more too it.

Spellcheck cunts can fukk off untill they can read/write 4 languages and make as much $$ as me.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: abrader on September 26, 2007, 02:35:23 PM
I personally think Halo3 is much more thrilling than Bioshock.....and I think Halo3 has more replay value...Bioshock only looks better....
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: border on September 26, 2007, 02:42:24 PM
I think my favorite part of the game so far is when I drove a 4-wheeler around a Scarab for 15 minutes waiting for the fuckwit A.I. to shoot the goddamn thing down before I put the bitch in park, relieved my reliable comrade of his shooting duties, stuffed a battle rifle down his throat, aquired his rocket launcher and brought the motherfucker down myself in a matter of seconds.
It shouldn't take that long at all......even with the wussy flak cannon, the AI can take down a scarab really quick.  I think your driving is to blame.  Probably not giving him the angle he needs :P

Quote
Have you played Bioshock yet? 
Yes, got bored of it after 4-5 hours.  I'm thinking Halo 3 will come out on top just for the multitude of options it presents players with.  Bioshock is just for a certain type of person, but Halo has true mass appeal.

Quote from: demi
spoiler (click to show/hide)
Also, the inside of the Flood ship was neat
[close]
That level is just terrible, though :(  Previously I had no issues with playing the entire game through on Legendary, but this time I might just stop and avoid the last 2 levels altogether.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: demi on September 26, 2007, 02:43:48 PM
The Energy Sword seems major useless in comparison to the Gravity Hammer
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: border on September 26, 2007, 02:48:48 PM
I didn't notice much difference between the two at all (in SP).....except that I only came across the hammer like 3 times, but the swords were really common.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: abrader on September 26, 2007, 03:00:33 PM
Does it seem like MC can jump much higher in this game? its like im running thru the jungle and leaping/flying along the highroad while the grunts run along the low road.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Robo on September 26, 2007, 03:17:19 PM
I think my favorite part of the game so far is when I drove a 4-wheeler around a Scarab for 15 minutes waiting for the fuckwit A.I. to shoot the goddamn thing down before I put the bitch in park, relieved my reliable comrade of his shooting duties, stuffed a battle rifle down his throat, acquired his rocket launcher and brought the motherfucker down myself in a matter of seconds.
It shouldn't take that long at all......even with the wussy flak cannon, the AI can take down a scarab really quick.  I think your driving is to blame.  Probably not giving him the angle he needs :P

I'm a good driver!  And all you need to do is hit the damn legs somewhere... anywhere!  It isn't like they're small targets.  I'm exaggerating a bit to make my frustration seem more valid, but I do feel like they act as little more than cannon fodder and I literally have to do every single little thing myself. 

Need to get somewhere?  Guess if I don't want to get stuck waiting for this prick to make 8-point turns to get around a little rock -or- if I don't want the vehicle to flip for no good reason, I gotta drive!  Need to kill something with the Warthog turret?  Guess I need to man the damn thing if I want it done in any reasonable amount of time and pray the driver doesn't get us royally fucked.

Is "Normal" to blame?
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: border on September 26, 2007, 03:23:23 PM
I thought you had to hit the joints on the inside of their legs.....not just "anywhere" on either side of their legs.  Drive around underneath the Scarabs, don't circle them....
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: MrAngryFace on September 26, 2007, 04:06:55 PM
I think what you can nail them for, and what has me disappointed, is that a lot of interviews had them claiming they were focusing on single player, and while I like it a lot so far, the length and impressions ive read sure makes it look like multiplayer still got the lions share of the attention.

Border: As for the story they consulted with Eric Nylund who has spent 3 books expanding the Halo Lore. I think the big problem is that they took elements from Fall of Reach to create a connection between MC and Cortana that was almost ignored before. Like her talking about choosing him. I think A LOT of impact is lost not because Halo 3 presents these elements badly, but that the game was proceeded by two games with almost no story.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: The Fake Shemp on September 26, 2007, 06:10:47 PM
So far, this game is leagues better than Halo 2 in its single player mode.  I think the original was kind of lightning in a bottle in regards to the campaign, but this one has done a good job thus far of removing the bitter aftertaste of the second installment's rush campaign mode.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: abrader on September 26, 2007, 07:45:01 PM
I <3 Halo2 campaign....Halo 1 is still my absolute fav tho.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: CajoleJuice on September 26, 2007, 09:00:27 PM
Update from my friend via test message while I was in class:

"dude halo is gay. $30 down the drain" (he split it with his roommate) :lol
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: CajoleJuice on September 26, 2007, 09:08:02 PM
"halo is such pussy shit. no blood. no dismemberment. the aliens talk like ewoks"
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: border on September 27, 2007, 12:07:05 AM
So far, this game is leagues better than Halo 2 in its single player mode.  I think the original was kind of lightning in a bottle in regards to the campaign, but this one has done a good job thus far of removing the bitter aftertaste of the second installment's rush campaign mode.

The main sting of Halo 2 was the abrupt cliffhanger.....I'm thinking people will start to have a better attitude about H2 now that the trilogy is complete.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Vizzys on September 27, 2007, 12:20:21 AM
Update from my friend via test message while I was in class:

"dude halo is gay. $30 down the drain" (he split it with his roommate) :lol

time to get new friends

wanna play some halo 3 later tomorrow?
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: CajoleJuice on September 27, 2007, 12:32:38 AM
yea, im down with that

I don't get home until pretty late, but that doesn't really matter for you.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Vizzys on September 27, 2007, 01:25:29 AM
yeah I dont have a copy yet
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Smooth Groove on September 27, 2007, 01:36:43 AM
Halo 3's review scores are surprisingly high so far.  It's sitting at 95.7% right now at gamerankings.   With Bioshock (95.5%) still so fresh in so many people's minds,  I thought that reviewers would be more reluctant to dish out such high scores to another FPS.   It'll be interesting to who ends up with more accolades in the end since the two games had such different goals and designs. 
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: demi on September 27, 2007, 01:37:06 AM
Beat it :rock
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Ichirou on September 27, 2007, 01:50:46 AM
Beat it :rock

No one wants to be defeated.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: MrAngryFace on September 27, 2007, 01:51:00 AM
Well basically from reviews it seems like:

Halo 3: Good Single Player - Awesome Multiplayer

Bioshock: Awesome Single Player - Multiplayer what?
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Smooth Groove on September 27, 2007, 01:56:32 AM
Well basically from reviews it seems like:

Halo 3: Good Single Player - Awesome Multiplayer

Bioshock: Awesome Single Player - Multiplayer what?

I don't think it's fair to give less consideration to Bioshock for GOTY just because it doesn't have a multiplayer mode.  Don't they usually have a multiplayer GOTY anyway? 
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: brawndolicious on September 27, 2007, 02:07:20 AM
not for consoles.  but it's not very often a multiplayer console game gets GOTY.  The only recent ones I can remember are halo.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: drohne on September 27, 2007, 02:52:55 AM
level 4 pretty much rocks. as did level 3. i guess the first couple levels were sort of a false start -- the enemies even seem smarter when they're given some space to move around, rather than a corridor to bunch up in.

spoiler (click to show/hide)
though now the flood have shown up, which is never a very good sign -- i actually don't mind the library, but the flood stuff in halo 2 was awful awful awful
[close]
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Smooth Groove on September 27, 2007, 03:06:23 AM
Did they intentionally try to make Master Chief feel more powerful?  I'm only at the underground base right now but I've already gone through several fights with me owning a bunch of brutes by myself.  Either the game has gotten easier or my skills with a control pad have subconsciously improved.  I'm guessing it's the 1st.  lol  If making MC even more powerful were intentional, they did a good job.  The odds appear even more overwhelming than the previous games yet MC seems to dispatch enemies with far more efficiency. 

The first two levels are pretty fun but I wish that Bungie had made a better tutorial or background narrative.  I'm too lazy to read the manual to learn about the new features or refresh my memory on the story. 
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: abrader on September 27, 2007, 03:21:10 AM
I just played Halo 1 for 3 chapters...

Halo 3 is SOOO much easier...hell the first time you fight a red and blue elite togther in the pillar of autum corridor is harder than anything I have encountered so far in Halo 3.

Damn Halo 1 is still so good and holds up so well. Trilogy of the generation for sure. All three games are solid, and all three games kick as much ass today as they did then (halo, halo 2)
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Smooth Groove on September 27, 2007, 03:25:15 AM
I'm guessing that they make the AI easier since you're fighting so many more enemies at one time.  If you're not playing co-op, you have to be really good to not get your ass kicked by 4-6 brutes w/Elite AI from previous games.  Also, I'm just playing normal right now.  I bet Legendary will be hellish for one player to handle. 
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: abrader on September 27, 2007, 03:26:55 AM
Iv only ever finished Halo 1 on Legendary - damn that took some blood ;) I solo'ed it all.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Smooth Groove on September 27, 2007, 03:31:44 AM
I get owned in Halo 1 legendary even with keyboard/mouse control on PC.  Of course, I do much better on the PC than on the Xbox but the margin of error is still extremely slim.  Too bad that they didn't have achievements pts. back then.  I"m sure that beating Halo 1 on legendary by yourself would have garnered many pts.  What was that alternate ending anyway when you beat Halo 1 on legendary? 
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: CajoleJuice on September 27, 2007, 03:32:54 AM
Beating Halo 1 in co-op on Legendary with my friend was one of the greatest gaming experiences I've ever had. So awesome.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: abrader on September 27, 2007, 03:33:36 AM
I dont even remember - I did this back in the first year Halo was released. My girlfriend at the time Marianna also beat it on Legendary. Halo was oddly the ONLY videogame she liked...when we broke up she bought her own XBOX just to play Halo over and over.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: tiesto on September 27, 2007, 08:41:44 AM
Played through the first level in campaign last nite... wanted to play more but I got a really bad ear infection halfway through playing. The bastard with the gravity hammer killed me like 10 times in the large shootout in the end of the first chapter. Fucking annoying as hell, always sneaking up on me, and it didn't help that when I got to the checkpoint, I was virtually exhausted of ammo. I like the single player so far, from the little bit I've played, and I'm always a fan of jungle settings in games.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: bork on September 27, 2007, 12:05:22 PM
Man just got it, got online, and already have met some of the foulest, nerdiest trash-talking bitches I think I have ever had the displeasure of playing with.  One guy even uploaded a video of him "owning" me (this was after like my fifth game versus his hours and hours of play time) for no reason.  So after he got beaten in turn and killed 5 times in succession by me, I uploaded a similar video of "TEH NOOB PWNING" him.  :P

There was even one guy that ended up my partner in a match that was insulting ME before the match even started: "GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE ME LOOK BAD!!!" and "YOU PROBABLY SUCKED AT HALO 2 HEE HEE" in an Urkel-like voice.  I want to go back to using no headset, but I also want to hear these losers squeal with disgust when they lose.  These guys can never take it.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: ferrarimanf355 on September 27, 2007, 01:38:51 PM
So, are we starting our own group, or are we using the GAF group?
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: demi on September 27, 2007, 02:02:30 PM
So, are we starting our own group, or are we using the GAF group?

...
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: hyp on September 27, 2007, 03:05:32 PM
best halo ever.  the magic from part 1 has finally come back.  can't say i've had as many laugh out loud moments and genuine fun in any other game this gen.  (ok maybe some drunk wii sessions) 4 player online co-op with friends is the greatest feature to grace ANY game.  bungie fuckin' delivers.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Mr. Gundam on September 27, 2007, 05:20:09 PM
So, uh, does Halo 3 tie into Marathon continuity?
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Robo on September 27, 2007, 05:25:33 PM
So, uh, does Halo 3 tie into Marathon continuity?

This needs to be answered.  I got the impression from somewhere that the Terminals you find have something to do with Marathon, but the messages were all cryptic bullshit to me.  Maybe just a self-homage? (lol bungie)
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: demi on September 27, 2007, 05:34:20 PM
There are only 7 terminals, I just got them for the achievement.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Robo on September 27, 2007, 05:40:26 PM
I actually only half-read them.  I was too far into Gaylo kill-die-bleed action mode to stop and read some iheartbees nonsense.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: demi on September 27, 2007, 05:58:21 PM
in reply to Billy's spoiler
You fight two at once later on
[close]
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Robo on September 27, 2007, 06:02:17 PM
In spite of my earlier nitpicking about relying on the A.I. during that part, I totally agree.  :bow
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: demi on September 27, 2007, 06:04:07 PM
I think tagging a Wraith is a better feeling, cause they kept fucking killing me when I rushed them.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: The Fake Shemp on September 27, 2007, 06:15:12 PM
I just hit the cartographer - how close am I to the end?
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: demi on September 27, 2007, 06:15:41 PM
There are 9 levels, see which achievement you last unlocked
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: The Fake Shemp on September 27, 2007, 06:29:53 PM
Okay, so I'm 2/3rds the way through.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: FatalT on September 27, 2007, 06:31:15 PM
Halo 3 is so awesome.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Mupepe on September 27, 2007, 06:37:26 PM
http://www.evilbore.com/forum/index.php?topic=12955.0

use this thread for pics!!
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: drohne on September 27, 2007, 07:37:22 PM
LEVEL FOUR SPOILERZ

spoiler (click to show/hide)
i spent like 15 minutes trying to jump a ghost onto the scarab from that crane -- because that would have been fucking awesome. then i said 'forget it' and jumped on without the ghost. i killed the literally two brutes and two grunts manning the deck when i noticed that shielded panel on the back -- 'oh, i guess they locked the door; there must be a bunch of hardass motherfuckers inside' -- but actually i shot the thing and the whole scarab blew up. :/

maybe i should have done the whole 'shoot the legs' thing first, cos the way i did it, it wasn't as cool as halo 2's scarab. yeah, that one was totally scripted, but it had dozens of elites on board and made for a really memorable fight.
[close]
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: abrader on September 27, 2007, 09:20:23 PM
Halo 1, 2, and 3 combined have now taken my favorate game spot away from Super CastleVania 4.

They need a boxed trilogy soon with Halo 1 and 2 redone with the Halo 3 engine.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Vizzys on September 28, 2007, 02:45:01 AM
just got my copy lol
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: The Fake Shemp on September 28, 2007, 06:27:40 AM
They need a boxed trilogy soon with Halo 1 and 2 redone with the Halo 3 engine.

Microsoft would be smart if they did this in a year or so.  Halo trilogy boxset with updated graphics for the first two installments, a bonus DVD of the creation of the entire trilogy and extra multiplayer maps for Halo 3.  Charge $80 and they'd make a fortune.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: brawndolicious on September 28, 2007, 06:30:39 AM
Don't charge $80.  And for god's sake don't charge for DLC maps.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: CajoleJuice on September 28, 2007, 11:22:29 AM
Last update from my buddy:

"halo 3 = sold"

:lol
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Robo on September 28, 2007, 01:41:15 PM
Don't charge $80.  And for god's sake don't charge for DLC maps.

For Allah's sake, Bungie, don't make buckets of money!
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Smooth Groove on September 28, 2007, 01:44:41 PM
They need a boxed trilogy soon with Halo 1 and 2 redone with the Halo 3 engine.

Microsoft would be smart if they did this in a year or so.  Halo trilogy boxset with updated graphics for the first two installments, a bonus DVD of the creation of the entire trilogy and extra multiplayer maps for Halo 3.  Charge $80 and they'd make a fortune.

They already have upgraded Halo 1 and 2.  They're called the PC versions.  Seeing how most of the complaints about Halo 3 are related to the lack of AA and overall blurriness, MS will probably release a PC version to show H3 in its full glory. 
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: MCD on September 28, 2007, 01:47:47 PM
Don't charge $80.  And for god's sake don't charge for DLC maps.

I don't think you need to worry about charging for maps anymore.

most if not all the DLC maps on the 360 were not free then after some time they made them free.

for example, see halo 2, gears of war and lost planet maps.

Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: brawndolicious on September 28, 2007, 03:53:21 PM
I don't think you need to worry about charging for maps anymore.
most if not all the DLC maps on the 360 were not free then after some time they made them free.
for example, see halo 2, gears of war and lost planet maps.
I know but it's just stupid as hell that you start up halo 2 in 2007 and then it says "PAY $4 OR DON'T PLAY RANKED GAMES FOR A FEW MONTHS."

I mean, whenever that happened everybody went over to BTB.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: MCD on September 28, 2007, 04:49:20 PM
I don't think you need to worry about charging for maps anymore.
most if not all the DLC maps on the 360 were not free then after some time they made them free.
for example, see halo 2, gears of war and lost planet maps.
I know but it's just stupid as hell that you start up halo 2 in 2007 and then it says "PAY $4 OR DON'T PLAY RANKED GAMES FOR A FEW MONTHS."

I mean, whenever that happened everybody went over to BTB.

I know what you mean man.

shit happened with me in Gears, everyone was enjoying the new maps while my ass kept getting kicked till they become free.

Gears really needed a map filter badly.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: abrader on September 28, 2007, 06:06:31 PM
Don't charge $80.  And for god's sake don't charge for DLC maps.

I don't think you need to worry about charging for maps anymore.

most if not all the DLC maps on the 360 were not free then after some time they made them free.

for example, see halo 2, gears of war and lost planet maps.



Right - but you are telling me you wouldnt buy a super killer nice Halo Trilogy for X360 (complete with Halo/Halo2 rebirth episodes?)? I would buy it tomorrow if it ws on the shelf. Id pay up to 100$. Also an extra disk of online/lan maps or some shyt - bring the online community to the next level by bringing Halo 1 ans 2 multiplayer co-op to XBLA.

Fuck all there is so much awesome potential there.

Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Vizzys on September 28, 2007, 06:10:02 PM
just won my first 3 matchmaking gamez

oddball :rock
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: MCD on September 28, 2007, 06:21:35 PM
Don't charge $80.  And for god's sake don't charge for DLC maps.

I don't think you need to worry about charging for maps anymore.

most if not all the DLC maps on the 360 were not free then after some time they made them free.

for example, see halo 2, gears of war and lost planet maps.



Right - but you are telling me you wouldnt buy a super killer nice Halo Trilogy for X360 (complete with Halo/Halo2 rebirth episodes?)? I would buy it tomorrow if it ws on the shelf. Id pay up to 100$. Also an extra disk of online/lan maps or some shyt - bring the online community to the next level by bringing Halo 1 ans 2 multiplayer co-op to XBLA.

Fuck all there is so much awesome potential there.



I'd rather have them on the next Xbox with even more superior graphics  :D
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Robo on September 28, 2007, 07:10:25 PM
I suck so much ass at Halo 3 multiplayer and my unfamiliarity with the Halo and Halo 2 maps makes it even worse.  I lose almost every confrontation that involves a beatdown and when I finally do get the jump on someone, someone else runs up and starts tag teaming me.  I swear, Slayer is all about finding where the action is and cleaning up people who are already fighting and half-dead.  Thats the primary strategy behind scoring big.  Fucking janitors!

Everyone post your bungie.net service records so we can see who sucks the most!

http://www.bungie.net/Stats/Halo3/default.aspx?player=jim+robobo
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: CajoleJuice on September 28, 2007, 07:18:45 PM
http://www.bungie.net/Stats/Halo3/Default.aspx?player=CajoleJuice
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: hyp on September 28, 2007, 07:43:01 PM
http://www.bungie.net/Stats/Halo3/default.aspx?player=hypoetical
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: demi on September 28, 2007, 07:44:50 PM
http://www.bungie.net/Stats/Halo3/Default.aspx?player=demifish
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Robo on September 28, 2007, 08:01:08 PM
Other than demi, who apparently hasn't gotten around to trying to get the online achievements yet, I'm the worst so far by a considerable margin. :'(  If you click the badges at the top, you can see kill/death ratio and a bunch of other statistics.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Vizzys on September 28, 2007, 08:20:35 PM
http://www.bungie.net/Stats/Halo3/default.aspx?player=lovas

just put up a short clip of me another teammate planting the bomb :bow
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: thekavorka on September 28, 2007, 08:28:02 PM
http://www.bungie.net/Stats/Halo3/Default.aspx?player=Dr%20Tim%20Whatley

I just finished basic training(matchmaking for newbies). I'd be up for some games tonight. 
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: demi on September 28, 2007, 09:21:18 PM
I just got the super secret skull nobody could find :rock
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: demi on September 28, 2007, 11:54:25 PM
I'll play with you when you get back.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: tiesto on September 29, 2007, 02:51:10 AM
http://www.bungie.net/Stats/Halo3/Default.aspx?player=AfrikaShoxx (http://www.bungie.net/Stats/Halo3/Default.aspx?player=AfrikaShoxx) - this is 99% my brother playing. I'm not that good at this game (I am really bad at any game that requires 3D movement and dual analog manipulation, I am MUCH better at 2-D and retrogaming), even though I'm the best of my friends.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: TVC15 on September 29, 2007, 03:10:05 AM
Halo 1, 2, and 3 combined have now taken my favorate game spot away from Super CastleVania 4.

They need a boxed trilogy soon with Halo 1 and 2 redone with the Halo 3 engine.


I wouldn't be surprised if we see that in like 2 years.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: drohne on September 29, 2007, 03:22:49 AM
'the ark' is a shockingly great mission -- it's beautifully constructed and paced, and it manages to include basically everything that's good about halo. took me like an hour and a half on heroic, though as ever, much of that was spent in silly experimentation. i love how the game is starting to revisit scenery from the first halo -- IT'S HALO HD BUT IN A GOOD WAY. another couple missions of this quality, and i think this is my goty...though the level design in halo games has a way of taking unexpected swandives
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: FatalT on September 29, 2007, 07:25:03 AM
(http://xs319.xs.to/xs319/07396/Fatal.jpg)

I'm a sexy beast.

http://www.bungie.net/Stats/Halo3/Default.aspx?player=FatalT
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: hyp on September 29, 2007, 06:43:19 PM
I just got the super secret skull nobody could find :rock

i got all the skulls last night.  holy shit @ the covenant level one!
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: demi on September 29, 2007, 06:44:59 PM
Yeah, it's insane how to get that one. I'm not sure what it does, though. It is supposed to add dialogue, but I didnt hear anything out of the ordinary.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Smooth Groove on September 29, 2007, 09:36:41 PM
'the ark' is a shockingly great mission -- it's beautifully constructed and paced, and it manages to include basically everything that's good about halo. took me like an hour and a half on heroic, though as ever, much of that was spent in silly experimentation. i love how the game is starting to revisit scenery from the first halo -- IT'S HALO HD BUT IN A GOOD WAY. another couple missions of this quality, and i think this is my goty...though the level design in halo games has a way of taking unexpected swandives

Halo 3 is giving me much more than I expected so far.  I expected the same old Halo gameplay but the amount of new weapons, vehicles, equipment have brought a lot of freshness to the experience.  The comrades' AI feels even more natural than before.  Halo 3 is so much more refined than its predecessors that I don't know if it's fair anymore to call it Halo HD.  The game has been so fun that even a graphics whore like me is willing to overlook its visual flaws.  It's a shame that the overall blurriness detract quite a bit from an otherwise beautiful game.  The lighting and amount of action going on are some of the best I've ever seen.  I'm sure that the eventual PC port will look quite stunning with a higher res and AA. 

Halo 1, 2, and 3 combined have now taken my favorate game spot away from Super CastleVania 4.

They need a boxed trilogy soon with Halo 1 and 2 redone with the Halo 3 engine.


I wouldn't be surprised if we see that in like 2 years.

Like I said, we already have upgraded Halo 1 and 2.  They're just on the PC.  I hope that Halo 3 will be on the PC by next fall but that's probably too optimistic. 
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: y2kev on September 29, 2007, 09:38:13 PM
halo 3 is really great
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: drohne on September 29, 2007, 11:35:22 PM
i don't think halo 3 is a particular leap from halo 2 -- halo 2 was the big stylistic leap, though it wasn't wholly successful. the thing about halo 3 is that it's consistently good. neither of the previous games was anything of the sort -- halo 3's heights aren't as high as the first game's, but it doesn't really have those valleys. it's mostly the game halo 2 should have been. though its writing is abysmal -- its attempts at snappy action movie lines fall hilariously flat, its characters play totally against their strengths, and it gives you a new idiotic twist before you've managed to digest the last idiotic twist. halo 2 had moments of charm.

two levels left. i think i'll manage to squeeze them in tonight.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: y2kev on September 30, 2007, 12:43:01 AM
You're going to hate level 8.

Absolutely hate it.

but 9 is as high as halo 1. but i think storming the beach in level 7 is as good as Silent Cartographer.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Vizzys on September 30, 2007, 01:23:00 AM
just finished the fight

it was good

flood bad

fuck those green spike shooting things. also having to destroy the bodies after they are down kind of sucks.

Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Hitler Stole My Potato on September 30, 2007, 02:12:00 AM
You're going to hate level 8.

Absolutely hate it.

but 9 is as high as halo 1. but i think storming the beach in level 7 is as good as Silent Cartographer.

I really didn't mind 8 at all, but then again I like fighting the flood.  The flood are horribly underappreciated imo.  I love the feeling of fighting them in the Halo games - everything is out of control while you're fighting for your life, running out of ammo and the dead are coming back to life leaving  you to scramble for an exit....it just seems so desperate.  The Covenant battles can get nuts too but there's also a feeling of containment while the Flood is a fight for pure survival (at least on Heroic and Legendary).

Personally, I think the bookends of the game (levels 1 and 9) are probably my least favorite parts of the game.  I got to give credit to Sierra 117 for the installation battle at the end, that was pretty good, but there are just way too many annoying snipers scattered throughout that level and the design as a whole just wasn't interesting.  Level 9's call back to the first game just fell flat with me.  I didn't care for it then and I don't care for it now.  I would've liked to see something else, particularly when it came to Guilty Spark and the Gravemind....seems to me a lot of untapped  potential was left sitting on the table.

Level 7 though is probably the best level I've ever played in a FPS, or possibly any game for that matter.  So much win in that section that it should be criminal.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: y2kev on September 30, 2007, 03:06:57 AM
8's problem for me was that:

1. I was playing on legendary and the flood turrets are really so unforgiving.
2. I got turned around in that level quite a few times
3. It looked like Prey, replete with assholes and so on
4. The story bits were obnoxious and wasteful
5. The stuff I like halo for is not in this level, or, for that matter, Halo 2 really.

I used to hate the flood. Used to, anyway. They're much better in Halo 3. They fight considerably more intelligently and there are more varied flood types. I just seriously dislike close quarters fighting like that. The melee is too disorienting for me. It reminded me of stabbing in the dark on High Charity of Halo 2, which is like the low point of the series for me.

But, fundamentally, they still jump around way too much, have those little fuckers that are too difficult to kill, and the TURRETS in this game are RUTHLESS. I hate them.

Anyway, I loved 9 because the homage to Halo 1 really worked for me. My hands were sweating like I can't remember. But I definitely see how it could fall flat. It was cheap even. But it was so awesome.

The story shit is so obtrusive in level 8. The game's writing is lollie and it's just so in your face in that mission. I dunno.

7 is soooo amazing. 3, 4, 6, and 7 are some of my favorite levels ever.

I see what you mean about Sierra 117. I just replayed it and it's a much more enjoyable level on easier difficulties. Legendary means the snipers are incredibly precise and powerful. And the game's erratic checkpoint system means you are going to be repeating a lot of the sniper sections multiple times.

But I can't even imagine playing Tsavo highway on normal. 1up members complaining about how hard it is on heroic are really out there after they all pretend to be megafans. I suck at FPS and even I slugged through legendary...and it was an amazing experience. Keep in mind I had to drop down in Halo 2 because it was so boring and repetitive.

I don't like Halo 2 very much.

H3's multiplayer is also crack. Wonderful wonderful crack.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: y2kev on September 30, 2007, 03:13:05 AM
P.S. Hitler, I was glad you replied to me here. I was trying to dig for your posts in the thread on GAF...but it's like 900 pages.

I was really interested in reading how you felt. You can't really talk Halo 3 on GAF outside the huuuuuuge thread right now without someone starting a thread about how it's ruining Microsoft's bottom line or killing xbox.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: drohne on September 30, 2007, 03:56:29 AM
yeah, i knew i'd spoken too soon about halo 3's consistency. 8 was easily the worst halo level ever. unbelievably long and confusing. totally unfun. and the scarcity of good weapons made fighting the flood a nightmare. i just gave up and sprinted through with a plasma sword...though sometimes i'd be hiding in a corridor from a dozen of those needly guys, with nothing resembling a suitable weapon, and i'd just laugh it was so awful. i'm going to pretend none of that happened, and pick up from level 9 as if i'd just finished level 7.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: drohne on September 30, 2007, 07:09:46 AM
hm, didn't like the last level either -- it wasn't offensive like level 8, just...kinda lame

spoiler (click to show/hide)
whose brilliant idea was it to end the trilogy on two fuckin flood levels? yeah, it'd be a plotting stretch to squeeze the covenant back in, but fuck the story. bungie really committed to their plot twists, to the game's detriment i think -- ending the game with flood bullshit, replacing elites with brutes. guilty spark is nobody's idea of a final boss -- it's as if return of the jedi ended with luke skywalker fighting r2d2. and maybe i'm just being a graphics whore, but i think i would've liked that final warthog run if it didn't take place on a bunch of...triangles or something. that ain't ballin. i half expected an arwing to fly by

i liked the post-credits part of the ending. just the slow pace of it and the way master chief was swimming around in zero gravity. an uncharacteristically quiet little finish to a loud game.
[close]

a disappointment: halo 3 doesn't have ANY of those sequences where you'd walk into a fight between two or three hostile parties -- flood/covenant, elites/brutes, etc. those are some of my favorite halo moments

question to people who've got the bonus disc -- and gj on those cases microsoft -- did bungie somehow run out of time again? iirc the campaigns of the first two halo games only came together at the last minute -- the painted backdrop cutscenes and those two dud levels at the end make me think halo 3 had similar issues

a bad finish can smother your enthusiasm for a game...i liked halo 3 better yesterday. i'll probably like it again once i replay the good levels on legendary.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: demi on September 30, 2007, 07:18:04 AM
I liked screaming at my partner who was driving the warthog on the last level.

WE GON' DIE, PUNCH IT nicca
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: y2kev on September 30, 2007, 11:16:44 AM
I liked screaming at my partner who was driving the warthog on the last level.

WE GON' DIE, PUNCH IT nicca

Same. I really liked that sequence. Though graphically it was kind of plain.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: thekavorka on September 30, 2007, 12:51:22 PM
hm, didn't like the last level either -- it wasn't offensive like level 8, just...kinda lame


a disappointment: halo 3 doesn't have ANY of those sequences where you'd walk into a fight between two or three hostile parties -- flood/covenant, elites/brutes, etc. those are some of my favorite halo moments


Yeah, my favorite Halo sequence was near the end of Two Betrayals where you see the Covenant and Flood all fighting, and you have to get through there.


I only finished the first level so far on Heroic. I was getting my ass kicked a lot, and it took forever to beat. Those Jackal Snipers piss me off so much.  I'm thinking of bumping it down to normal the rest of the game.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: hyp on September 30, 2007, 02:17:47 PM
i'm in the same boat as most of you.  level 8 was just pure blah.  i hate replaying it with my friends who haven't beaten it.  funny thing, i still get lost. 

overall, i really really enjoy the campaign mode.  in fact, i've been playing it over and over because of the new meta scoring game.  really adds a ton of value in addition to 4 player co-op.  i'm decent at multiplayer, but i'm finding that campaign on legendary is making me a better player overall.  trying to score 15k on legendary is a crazy task at times, and you learn to get good at headshots quick.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: MCD on September 30, 2007, 08:07:48 PM
Bioware should really team up with Bungie to help them with the human models, animation and cutscenes.

seriously.

Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: border on September 30, 2007, 09:32:48 PM
question to people who've got the bonus disc -- and gj on those cases microsoft -- did bungie somehow run out of time again? iirc the campaigns of the first two halo games only came together at the last minute -- the painted backdrop cutscenes and those two dud levels at the end make me think halo 3 had similar issues
The documentary focuses on each department (art, design, audio, weapons, multiplayer, testing) rather than trying to give you an overview of development from start to finish.  It feels more like it was done over the summer, with everything about to wrap.  You are never given an indication that they were ever rushed or in trouble, like the H2 documentary did.  The H2 doc was at times a pretty honest look at the difficulties Bungie faced, whereas the H3 doc is more like a puff piece with some fun facts and insights.

Given that they shipped the game in September, it's hard to come to the conclusion that they really ran out of time.  The matte backgrounds are inexplicable, though -- it's a really jarring change to the cutscenes.  I don't follow Bungie close enough to keep up with interviews, but I'm sure someone will ask them what happened there.

I think in this case we can chalk Halo 3's problems up to just some bad decisions that were never questioned, not a lack of time.  When you think about it, the overall narrative is pretty well covered in the levels that were there.....and another 3-6 months wouldn't have given us the Elites, or more Covenant-content.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: AdmiralViscen on September 30, 2007, 09:52:43 PM
The last two levels weren't totally exciting, but I wouldn't call them duds. The Flood one was graphically great and not small at all, with no repeating rooms or anything like past Halos. And the last mission was similarly well-designed, even if it wasn't too long.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: ferrarimanf355 on September 30, 2007, 10:12:18 PM
I suck so much ass at Halo 3 multiplayer and my unfamiliarity with the Halo and Halo 2 maps makes it even worse.  I lose almost every confrontation that involves a beatdown and when I finally do get the jump on someone, someone else runs up and starts tag teaming me.  I swear, Slayer is all about finding where the action is and cleaning up people who are already fighting and half-dead.  Thats the primary strategy behind scoring big.  Fucking janitors!

Everyone post your bungie.net service records so we can see who sucks the most!

http://www.bungie.net/Stats/Halo3/default.aspx?player=jim+robobo
I haven't even played online yet. I'm just busy going through single-player on Normal.
http://www.bungie.net/Stats/Halo3/default.aspx?player=tifosiotaku
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: AdmiralViscen on September 30, 2007, 10:19:37 PM
I suck so much ass at Halo 3 multiplayer and my unfamiliarity with the Halo and Halo 2 maps makes it even worse.  I lose almost every confrontation that involves a beatdown and when I finally do get the jump on someone, someone else runs up and starts tag teaming me.  I swear, Slayer is all about finding where the action is and cleaning up people who are already fighting and half-dead.  Thats the primary strategy behind scoring big.  Fucking janitors!

Everyone post your bungie.net service records so we can see who sucks the most!

http://www.bungie.net/Stats/Halo3/default.aspx?player=jim+robobo
I haven't even played online yet. I'm just busy going through single-player on Normal.
http://www.bungie.net/Stats/Halo3/default.aspx?player=tifosiotaku

the fuck
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: ferrarimanf355 on September 30, 2007, 10:20:35 PM
I suck so much ass at Halo 3 multiplayer and my unfamiliarity with the Halo and Halo 2 maps makes it even worse.  I lose almost every confrontation that involves a beatdown and when I finally do get the jump on someone, someone else runs up and starts tag teaming me.  I swear, Slayer is all about finding where the action is and cleaning up people who are already fighting and half-dead.  Thats the primary strategy behind scoring big.  Fucking janitors!

Everyone post your bungie.net service records so we can see who sucks the most!

http://www.bungie.net/Stats/Halo3/default.aspx?player=jim+robobo
I haven't even played online yet. I'm just busy going through single-player on Normal.
http://www.bungie.net/Stats/Halo3/default.aspx?player=tifosiotaku

the fuck

I'm saving Legendary for co-op. I can barely survive five minutes on Heroic without getting killed.  :'(
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: tiesto on September 30, 2007, 10:22:27 PM
Woo, beat Blue Dragon, beat Earthbound... now its time to work on SP Halo 3. Just beat the level where you're riding on the highway with the Warthog, battling the Brute Coptors, like the 3rd "real" level in the game (if you don't count the prologue as a level). Good times so far, the levels seem a LOT shorter than Halo 1 or 2, (or maybe I've actually gotten a bit better at these games... naah... :P) and the fat seems much more trimmed down, which I actually really appreciate.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: The Fake Shemp on October 01, 2007, 04:47:21 AM
It's hard to find a lot of faults with this game, as it's so damn fun.  You can nitpick just about anything to death, but this is balls out fun.  And the feature set is phenomenal.  Halo 2 had longevity that I just didn't understand, but I see myself playing this for a long time.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: drohne on October 01, 2007, 07:32:28 AM
damn -- the difficulty gap between heroic and legendary seems pretty big this time. just did sierra 117, and until i adapted, i was dying every five seconds. a single brute will take you down pretty quickly if you give him a clear shot. you have to play really conservatively...it's an interesting challenge, but heroic was definitely more fun.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Mupepe on October 01, 2007, 10:46:03 AM
damn -- the difficulty gap between heroic and legendary seems pretty big this time. just did sierra 117, and until i adapted, i was dying every five seconds. a single brute will take you down pretty quickly if you give him a clear shot. you have to play really conservatively...it's an interesting challenge, but heroic was definitely more fun.
and oh the snipers :'(
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Solo on October 01, 2007, 11:02:17 AM
Ok, so I FINALLY got to play some more (only had the chance to play once so far, beating the first three levels). Like I had said earlier, levels 1 and 2 were pretty blah, and I was afraid Halo had duped me again. I also said that I had loved level 3. Well, I got through 4, 5, and 6 last night, and each one was more fuckawesome than the last. So levels 3, 4, 5, and 6 were all fucking great, and I am really loving a Halo game for the first time ever. Three more levels to go, and Im really curious to see level 8, since it seems to be the "Library" (although I really hope its not the case, as that level was the worst FPS level Ive probably ever seen) of Halo 3.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: drohne on October 01, 2007, 10:40:19 PM
omg the snipers. you'd spend like five minutes poking away at some brutey bastard in a gold hat and then you'd step out to scavenge his brute shot and get sniped instantaneously. then you'd do it again, making a point of killing the sniper first, and some other sniper would kill your ass two steps later. cry cry cry. but there aren't too many after that first level, thank fuck -- my campaign stats say i killed THIRTY
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: ferrarimanf355 on October 02, 2007, 12:10:10 AM
3 gold skulls and 2 silver ones... getting there...  :-*
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: drohne on October 04, 2007, 03:35:35 AM
solo legendary is a bitch -- crow's nest took me forever, and i must have spent half an hour in that one goddamned hallway with 15 brutes packed in. the difficulty is just on the border of being no fun -- which is one critical thing that bungie gets right. i like gears of war and heavenly sword -- i might like them better than halo 3 -- but their 'insane' and 'hell' modes are nothing of the sort. if you're going to offer an imposingly-named hard mode, make it hard enough that i have to devise new tactics: this is what makes action games replayable
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Smooth Groove on October 04, 2007, 04:02:02 AM
Heavenly Sword is not better than Halo.  WTF, Drohne, leave that crap at GAF.  I agree w/you that level 8 was a bitch to get through.  I just ended up running by everything because I got sick of fighting the flood.  Not only do the flood jump around too much, they're also way too fast to fight strategically in tight spaces.  I don't know why Bungie always has those lulls in their games that almost everyone hates even though their games are supposedly play tested to death.   Luckily level 9 was pretty fun to play even though the "final boss" was a pretty dumb choice.   It would have been more fun to go up against a crazed, powered up Prophet of Truth.   I didn't really understand the visual design of the last stage but  I still thought that it looked pretty. More importantly, it really captured the feeling that everything is crumbling around you.   

Overall, Halo 3 was a much better game than both its predecessors.   I haven't tried MP yet since I only have the 2 day Gold membership in the box but just the SP alone has insane replay value.  Halo 3 does a better job of most FPS games in making the higher difficulties feel completely different.  Unlike other FPS games, Halo 3 doesn't just increase the difficulty by making the enemies' aim almost perfect and increasing damage.  On the higher difficulties in Halo 3, you have to put more effort in planning your attacks in addition to becoming more accurate.  Just the 1st stage on Heroic made me fight more strategically than I did the entire time on normal.   
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: ferrarimanf355 on October 04, 2007, 11:36:22 AM
Gawd, getting past that last part in level 3 was a bitch.  :'(
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Van Cruncheon on October 04, 2007, 02:14:36 PM
dude, he said he LIKED heavenly sword more than halo 3, not that he critically evaluated it as better. i like hoshigami more than ff tactics -- but there's no way i'd champion hoshigami in a critical comparison because point-for-point it doesn't measure up, and those games are far more legitimately comparable than hs and halo 3. getting worked up over matters of preference is totally gaf!
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: MrAngryFace on October 04, 2007, 02:21:40 PM
I like bullet witch more than heavenly sword
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Smooth Groove on October 04, 2007, 02:26:25 PM
dude, he said he LIKED heavenly sword more than halo 3, not that he critically evaluated it as better. i like hoshigami more than ff tactics -- but there's no way i'd champion hoshigami in a critical comparison because point-for-point it doesn't measure up, and those games are far more legitimately comparable than hs and halo 3. getting worked up over matters of preference is totally gaf!

I know, I'm just messing with Drohne.  However, I don't really get how people can say that they enjoyed more games that they wouldn't rate very high.  Shouldn't the biggest determinent of a game's quality be how fun it was to play?  It seems odd to seperate quality and enjoyability for a medium such as videogames.  When I read a review, I want to know how likely the game is going to be fun to play and not how well made the game is from a critical viewpoint.  Using film critics' approach to reviewing videogames is just wrong because games like SOTC end up with 9s even though many people won't have fun playing it.  
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: MrAngryFace on October 04, 2007, 02:29:35 PM
(http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb165/mrangryface_bucket/avatar.png)
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: hyp on October 04, 2007, 02:30:03 PM
i wanna punch your avatar in the face, maf.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Smooth Groove on October 04, 2007, 02:32:34 PM
Cocky Funny is hilarious.  He's my new favorite poster. 
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Van Cruncheon on October 04, 2007, 02:33:07 PM
Quote
Using film critics' approach to reviewing videogames is just wrong because games like SOTC end up with 9s even though many people won't have fun playing it.  

quite the opposite: sotc is an ugly, technical mess of a game that many people enjoy a great deal because of a theme. if it were approached critically, it's a 6/10. treated as an experience one must convince one's self of, it is apparently a 9/10.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Van Cruncheon on October 04, 2007, 02:33:34 PM
Borges said praise and censure were sentimental acts and had nothing to do with true criticism.

:bow borges :bow
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: MrAngryFace on October 04, 2007, 02:34:48 PM
I like heavenly sword better than borges.

(http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb165/mrangryface_bucket/avatar.png)
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: hyp on October 04, 2007, 02:36:14 PM
 :punch :punch :punch

your avatar reminds me of some punk i knew in 5th grade.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Smooth Groove on October 04, 2007, 02:43:58 PM
Quote
Using film critics' approach to reviewing videogames is just wrong because games like SOTC end up with 9s even though many people won't have fun playing it.  

quite the opposite: sotc is an ugly, technical mess of a game that many people enjoy a great deal because of a theme. if it were approached critically, it's a 6/10. treated as an experience one must convince one's self of, it is apparently a 9/10.

But SOTC is artsy which means most critics probably felt like they had to give it a glowing review.  Similarly, most artsy films are very limited technically due to their lower budgets but they rarely get docked for not having state of the art effects. 
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Mupepe on October 04, 2007, 03:13:48 PM
SOTC is a piece of crap technically.  But I love the game <3 <3 <3
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Van Cruncheon on October 04, 2007, 03:51:34 PM
15 fps and a wonky camera affect gameplay
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Smooth Groove on October 04, 2007, 04:27:30 PM
15 fps and a wonky camera affect gameplay

Which means that the game likely won't be fun to play for many.  So basically the game got rewarded 9s for its ideas rather than for its execution.  That's why I said that game reviewers should stop trying to be like film critics.  If a game wasn't fun to play because of technical issues, then it shouldn't be rated highly simply because it had "artistic" value. 
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Van Cruncheon on October 04, 2007, 05:27:49 PM
but they had fun playing it. people find fun in the strangest places. "fun" is not a word that -- ironically -- should be in the critic's lexicon. a critic should break down the execution relative to his or her level of knowledge and experience, not declare something subjectively "fun" and then haphazardly shore up his declamation. otherwise, unlimited saga is one of the best rpgs of the ps2 era! you don't want THAT! "fun" is determined by each individual, not a self-declared expert -- the expert's role is breakdown and the process of evaluation, not the ultimate determination of quality.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: MCD on October 04, 2007, 05:31:24 PM
Professor Prole, i agree with you on the bad execution, but what other games offer what SOTC is offering?

in other words, HUGE BOSSES.

can't remember any.

 
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: MCD on October 04, 2007, 05:34:05 PM
What other games offer consistent framerates and good controls?  Alot.

with SOTC bosses?

Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: demi on October 04, 2007, 05:34:43 PM
Professor Prole, i agree with you on the bad execution, but what other games offer what SOTC is offering?

in other words, HUGE BOSSES.

can't remember any.

 

They weren't huge. That's just Team ICO's camera trickery at work. Are penises in porn REALLY that big?
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: MCD on October 04, 2007, 05:38:07 PM
demi got me.  :lol

Team ICO could have done a better job, lazy developers.

 
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: MCD on October 04, 2007, 05:54:13 PM
Hopefully they get better with their PS3 project.

and like you said Billy, controls need to be tightened.

Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: ferrarimanf355 on October 04, 2007, 08:02:07 PM
Wow, this thread was wrecked pretty quickly...  >:(
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: hyp on October 05, 2007, 03:44:16 PM
http://thexboxdomain.net/2007/10/05/video-halo-3s-forge-says-let-there-be-super-mario-bros/

Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: CajoleJuice on October 06, 2007, 05:27:36 PM
Rocket Race kicks an amazing amount of ass. Wow.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Mupepe on October 06, 2007, 06:56:45 PM
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v147/wastingthistime/3927240-Full.jpg

Took this awesome pic of my roommate and I playing.
there's a stickied thread just for this  :-*
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: ferrarimanf355 on October 06, 2007, 08:44:53 PM
I got the skull in the fourth level. I can't grenade jump for shit, so I used a Deployable Cover item, jumped on it, then jumped onto the silo to get it.  :-*
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: bork on October 07, 2007, 02:55:58 PM

It's funny because I couldn't find it. Who reads stickied threads?  ::)

 :maf :maf :maf :punch :punch :punch
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Mupepe on October 07, 2007, 03:59:39 PM
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v147/wastingthistime/3927240-Full.jpg

Took this awesome pic of my roommate and I playing.
there's a stickied thread just for this  :-*

It's funny because I couldn't find it. Who reads stickied threads?  ::)
:o  don't you roll your eyes at me mister.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Mupepe on October 07, 2007, 04:05:12 PM
I will go on record saying I never read stickied threads. Real talk.
I always glance over them too.  now instead of rolling your eyes, let's roll around in bed.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: ferrarimanf355 on October 07, 2007, 06:25:02 PM
Found the skull on the fifth level. 7/13 now. That Hyabusa helmet should be mine in no time.  :-*
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: tiesto on October 07, 2007, 10:29:32 PM
OK, I'm like somewhere within the bowels of level 8, the last few levels were incredible but yeah this level is fucking ANNOYING... My brother says it takes forever, too, and its like the longest level in the game. Levels 6 and 7 were a bit meatier than the prior levels but they still kept the excitement factor up. Will probably beat the game sometime this week.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Smooth Groove on October 07, 2007, 10:38:45 PM
OK, I'm like somewhere within the bowels of level 8, the last few levels were incredible but yeah this level is fucking ANNOYING... My brother says it takes forever, too, and its like the longest level in the game. Levels 6 and 7 were a bit meatier than the prior levels but they still kept the excitement factor up. Will probably beat the game sometime this week.

Make sure you take out the turrets first in that level.  Or you can just switch that level to easy.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Bloodwake on October 08, 2007, 12:02:33 PM
OK, I'm like somewhere within the bowels of level 8, the last few levels were incredible but yeah this level is fucking ANNOYING... My brother says it takes forever, too, and its like the longest level in the game. Levels 6 and 7 were a bit meatier than the prior levels but they still kept the excitement factor up. Will probably beat the game sometime this week.

Is that the
spoiler (click to show/hide)
flood
[close]
level? Because yeah, that's basically the worst level in the game, especially since it's so close to the end.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: tiesto on October 08, 2007, 12:07:34 PM
Yup, it's THAT level... Although coming off the previous level's high, I don't think anything could compare.

Level 7 = best level EVAR in the Halo series :bow :bow :bow
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Bloodwake on October 08, 2007, 12:11:29 PM
Yup, it's THAT level... Although coming off the previous level's high, I don't think anything could compare.

Level 7 = best level EVAR in the Halo series :bow :bow :bow

Hell yeah it is.

spoiler (click to show/hide)
HORNET BANSHEE DOGFIGHT SEX
[close]

Wait for the ending. That's all I'm going to say. Especially if you are a fan of the first Halo.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Mupepe on October 08, 2007, 12:48:17 PM
Is Floodgate the fifth level?  if so, then I have 2 awesome levels ahead of me?  followed by 2 meh levels right?
Title: I just got 25 kills in a row without dying on Halo 3.
Post by: The Fake Shemp on October 09, 2007, 01:05:02 AM
Take that!
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Vizzys on October 09, 2007, 01:12:41 AM
u so hardcore willco
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: hyp on October 09, 2007, 07:46:49 PM
http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=12844

looks like bungie has updated the playlists:

Halo 3: Matchmaking Playlist Update 1

Posted by lukems at 10/9/2007 11:07 AM PDT

Halo 3's Matchmaking Playlists, just like Halo 2's, are dynamic and ever-changing entities. Even now in the perilous Bungie towers, we're looking at new hoppers, gametypes and modes to test for future iterations and changes of these playlists. Multiplayer Lead Tyson Green and test wunderkind David Gasca sent the following list of changes to us -- and these changes are live now:

    * Big Team Battle matches are now 16-player affairs.
    * In the Team Slayer playlist, the appearance of Shotty Snipers has been greatly reduced.
    * Now, when players veto Shotty Snipers, the game that results from the veto will not be Shotty Snipers.
    * In one-sided VIP matches, the attacking team will now see a waypoint for the VIP they are hunting.
    * In Lone Wolves, Slayer gametypes will appear more frequently.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: CajoleJuice on October 09, 2007, 09:06:16 PM
* Big Team Battle matches are now 16-player affairs.

That's the way it should be.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: hyp on October 09, 2007, 09:11:01 PM
yeaaaa baby. 
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: AdmiralViscen on October 10, 2007, 01:54:27 PM
KOTH and Oddball just got fucked
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: Bloodwake on October 10, 2007, 01:57:31 PM
How about making Lone Wolves SIX people instead of five?

I'm sorry, five person games are just boring.
Title: Re: Halo 3
Post by: drohne on October 10, 2007, 06:37:42 PM
lone wolves should be 8 players. 5 is already really sparse on some maps, and if one guy happens to drop, you're just running around looking for people half the time. and holy shit, at least one in every game in every three involves a bunch of morons cooperating for achievements. i don't wear a mic when i'm playing ffa, so my only options are to play along or to fuck everything up -- i played along a few times, but now i throw timely grenades and put the game BACK ON FUCKING TRACK

'cortana' on solo legendary was the worst gaming experience of my life -- and for reference, I'VE PLAYED LAIR. the 'run like fuck' strategy i used on heroic didn't work on legendary. so i'd sit in some scrap of cover for ages and gradually pick away at those green spikey bastards with my plasma rifle or whatever joke weapon happened to be on hand -- i could actually see the shots dispersing before they hit my faraway targets. but i guess it worked well enough. i'd like to send a big 'fuck you' to the sadistic morons who designed this shit. and a big 'fuck me' to the masochistic moron who sat through it

FOR ALL THAT, and for all my other disappointments with halo 3, i think it'll be my goty. legendary is its secret weapon. and legendary is BACK after halo 2's sniper bullshit. my legendary playthrough was a fresh experience -- and that right on the heels of a heroic playthrough. that's how an action game inspires LOVE