[Dr Evil]

Originally Posted by Laa-Yosh

This very video talks about how they want to move more of their storytelling into the game instead of expanded universe merchandising stuff.

This is more than welcome news. I always felt Bungie really dropped the ball with regards to storytelling. Very interesting universe, but the games did a poor job of telling anything. The first game was ok with that imo and it felt natural that some questions are left for the sequels, but they never delivered and what little story was left for the games felt like a mess to me (multiple visits to earth etc.)

I really hope that they manage to do more than talk with Halo 4. Gameplay has always been great.

[scently]

Originally Posted by Prophecy2k

Hi five!

Same here... although i haven't at all enjoyed the story-telling of the past few Halo games (none since Halo 2 actually), I'm happy that this one is being done by a new developer that seems to care about the SP campaign and the quality of the narrative.

I haven't personally read any of the EU stuff. All i've seen were the animes, which weren't very good imho, although they were useful to me in understanding abit more about the world and universe (a heck of a lot moreso than the past few games).

I did like the aesthetic representation of the forerunners in the anime. They looked pretty awesome, and I do hope they look that way in H4 if and when you encounter them.

Well I wouldn't hold my breathe if I were you. The description of the forerunners in the Forerunner trilogy is quite different from the one in the Legends anime. Whatever design they eventually decide to use, I suspect it will more closely resemble the description in the trilogy than anything else, including the original forerunner design by Bungie. Let's just chalk it all up to "artistic expression" eh.

[Laa-Yosh]

The anime version was not designed by Bungie, as far as I know.
In fact, most of the Halo Legends movies took a lot of liberties with the material.

[scently]

Originally Posted by Laa-Yosh

The anime version was not designed by Bungie, as far as I know.
In fact, most of the Halo Legends movies took a lot of liberties with the material.

That's exactly what I am saying. Bungie had a design, Halo Legends has a different one and the Forerunner trilogy is radically different.

[Prophecy2k]

oh wow...

Guess they'll definitely be different then. Well so long as they look unique and are woven into the game narrative in an interesting way then i'll be happy.

I'd just like to play a Halo game with a satisfying narrative again, so as to give me a more meaningful context within which to wage my war against the enemies of mankind

[RobertR1]

Where the hell is NRP!?

[Acert93]

Robert, that is the same question we have been asking about you

[RobertR1]

Dota 2

[(((interference)))]

Bungie did this concept art of a Forerunner wearing a combat skin:

[AlStrong]

Legion?

[Laa-Yosh]

Well, his monochrome cubist version at least...

[function]

I hate Reach campaign so much.

This Halo 4 reveal has stemmed my bitter tears. No sign of Arbiter yet though.

[(((interference)))]

It does look like Legion actually.

But I'd expect the Forerunner in H4 to look quite similar. 343/Bungie also did some concept art of Forerunners for some of the Halo CEA terminals:





However are we sure we're going to be fighting the Forerunner? I thought they were all extincy, my first thoughts when I heard Chief would be facing off against an 'ancient evil' was the Precursors (aka the Flood) as I don't think you could call the Forerunners 'evil'.

The Precursors seem to play a similar role to the Reapers in Mass Effect
http://www.halopedian.com/Precursor

The Precursors were responsible for seeding the galaxy with life, creating the Milky Way's diverse composition of species. Over time, they would also judge whether or not a species was worthy of the Mantle. If the species was not deemed worthy, or was found to be problematic, the Precursors would eliminate that species. Amongst the large numbers species that they had created, the humanoid species native to the world of Ghibalb, coming to be known as the Forerunners, were next chosen for this task.

This species was eventually judged to be unworthy of taking on the Mantle, and was slated for elimination. It was at this point that the early Forerunners became aware of this threat, engaged the Precursors, and succeeded in eliminating them, though a small but unspecified number managed to escape the Forerunner's campaign of extermination. Prior to their destruction, however, the Precursors had created and shaped yet another potential holder of the Mantle, a collection of humanoid species referred to as humanity, hailing from the planet known as Erde-Tyrene.

Before their ultimate downfall, a plan was created and put into play by the surviving Precursors, which would involve a reunifying of the Forerunners and humanity from their shared origin. This plan centered on the targeted species to be subject to the Flood, and whether or not the humans would be able to overcome this parasitic foe, or ultimately succumb to it.[4] While the humans would eventually prevail, their nearly concurrent defeat at the hands of the Forerunners would temporarily stifle this plan.

[Laa-Yosh]

AI seems to become a pretty common topic in upcoming SF games. Mass Effect, Halo, Quantic Dream's new demo...

[(((interference)))]

Frankie did a Q&A on Waypoint:
http://halo.xbox.com/blogs/Headlines...tin-30712.aspx

Few interesting ones:

Does the BR have spread? Is it hitscan? –xBrutaIity

The BR is a three-shot burst weapon. It is hitscan. In its current tuning, it has recoil (not bloom) which causes it to rise slightly (in a predictable and suppressible way). It is not a replacement for the DMR as has been discussed in the community. You will not see bloom as it currently exists in Vanilla Reach on any weapon, but there will be different methods for reticle targeting that vary depending on the weapon, and players will have a wide arsenal of weapons to choose from. More news about that later.


Will the mid-construction mech seen on one of the Multiplayer levels appear in some form in the campaign of Halo 4? –Franc and Co

The Cyclops 2 seen in the center of War House will not be playable. But we will have some vehicle surprises, at least one of which will dwarf that weapon.

Will there be any Covenant presence in Campaign or Multiplayer? Be it weaponry, equipment, architecture, etc. –Lloyd Jo en es

Yes. The Covenant will definitely return, albeit in a completely (graphically, politically and sonically) overhauled form, but they may be the least of your problem

Are there going to be more, fewer, or the same number of guns in Halo 4 compared to Halo: Reach? Is there one gun that when you saw it you just went "WOW!" –Someone

It is not the same number of guns. I can state bluntly that we have made significant changes to the sandbox. Perhaps the most radical overhauls and additions it’s ever had in a single iteration. Fans should expect to see very new stuff. And not just weapons. As usual a couple of things will get deleted (or changed), but on balance, it will be more new stuff. And yes, a lot of guns have made me go wow. New ones and old ones. Almost every single gun sound effect makes me go wow.

[Prophecy2k]

Originally Posted by (((interference)))

The Precursors seem to play a similar role to the Reapers in Mass Effect
http://www.halopedian.com/Precursor

Oooh wow!... Kinda seems like they ripped off Mass Effect's Reapers and Prothian backdrop, or vice versa. It kinda cheapens it knowing how similar they both are now.

I'd rather 323i retcon all that back story, and re-write it all into something more original and unique

[swym]

Originally Posted by Prophecy2k

Oooh wow!... Kinda seems like they ripped off Mass Effect's Reapers and Prothian backdrop, or vice versa. It kinda cheapens it knowing how similar they both are now.

And Mass Effect in turn rips the same Precursors/Eternal Ones backdrop from Star Control III:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daktaklakpak#Eternal_One

In fact, there is a lot in the Mass Effect universe which highly resembles stuff from the Star Control universe.

[Laa-Yosh]

And all these games are based on good old classic sci-fi novels and their concepts from Clarke and the others. Some SF tropes are very, very old, like even Alien is borrowing a lot from Voigt's Space Beagle stories. Also, the Reapers are pretty much like Cthulhu and the others in Lovecraft's universe. Giant ancient tentacle-monster gods from the depths of space whose mere presence drives the tiny humans insane.

So it's not about who 'rips' who nowadays, but more about who does it well. Mass Effect has very good storytelling and compelling characters, not sure if those were there in Star Control. Then there's the gameplay which is of course another completely different issue.

[Silent_Buddha]

Star Control 2 had an excellant story and excellant gameplay. The less said about Star Control 3 the better.

Regards,
SB

[Prophecy2k]

Originally Posted by Laa-Yosh

And all these games are based on good old classic sci-fi novels and their concepts from Clarke and the others. Some SF tropes are very, very old, like even Alien is borrowing a lot from Voigt's Space Beagle stories. Also, the Reapers are pretty much like Cthulhu and the others in Lovecraft's universe. Giant ancient tentacle-monster gods from the depths of space whose mere presence drives the tiny humans insane.

So it's not about who 'rips' who nowadays, but more about who does it well. Mass Effect has very good storytelling and compelling characters, not sure if those were there in Star Control. Then there's the gameplay which is of course another completely different issue.

Agreed highly Laa-Yosh. Playing Mass Effect, the universe and lore seemed unique and distinct enough to not take my mind away to recalling other sci-fi material whilst i was playing. Of course Halo hasn't done that either, but then the story telling in Halo games has been dreadful at best, to the point that the only way to realistically get a handle on what's going on in the Halo universe is to read the expanded universe material. It then becomes much harder not to imagine or recall other sci-fi stuff when reading that, becuase your mind is interpreting the scenes, settings, characters and backstory in a similar way to how it processes stuff in other sci-fi settings.

Hopefully 323i can rectify this and tell a decent story visually within the Halo 4 game, that presents a unique enough aesthetic and picture in the players mind so as to stand out from the all the other older sci-fi stuff.

[scently]

Eh, the Precursors were mentioned in Halo 2, which was way before Mass Effect but as Laa Yosh said, they are all based on one sci fi classic or the other.

[dragonelite]

I saw somewhere people are saying the are going to put Cortana in a human body something about a model spoiled it on facebook not sure if true.

[AlStrong]

That poor camel is gonna be out of feet soon.

[dragonelite]

Originally Posted by AlStrong

That poor camel is gonna be out of feet soon.

There are some bioware guys at 343 if im not mistaken. That poor Camel.

[Prophecy2k]

Sorry guys... I think I missed the camel reference...?

Anyone wanna inform a poor misguided soul?