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PreviousHalo 3 Legendary Map Pack Interview
Xbox 360 Interview by Tom Bramwell
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Bungie continues to support Halo 3 with new content and auto-updates and, as we heard yesterday, has no intention of letting up. Due out this spring, the Legendary Map Pack will introduce another selection of multiplayer maps, the first of which has been identified as Ghost Town.
"We can't confirm a release date quite yet - we're working with Microsoft to sort that out," community and PR director Brian Jarrard tells Eurogamer. "There will be a premium, there will be a charge - we're not quite sure what the price will be yet because we're still negotiating that with our publishing partners. It's likely that we'll have 3-4 maps in this pack - probably three like we did last time - and this is the first bit of information we've put out about one of them."
Jarrard is speaking to us at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, where he also provides us with an exclusive new screenshot of Ghost Town and sits us down with Mike Zak, one of Bungie's talented environment artists, who discusses the new map and Bungie's multiplayer map creation process in general. Before we get to that though, there's some consternation over the name. "It's called what?" says Zak, incredulous. It's called Ghost Town. "What?" "I think you missed that memo," says Jarrard, adding that the map's gone through "five or six" different names as we try to console Zak.
"It was originally called Ghost Town in development," Zak explains. "Almost every map we start off with has whatever happens to be its development name and we inevitably change it and can never force ourselves to say it correctly when it comes out. So I've been training myself to say 'Mortar'." Bad luck. "In a late, last-minute push it changed back to Ghost Town," says Jarrard. "Right." With that settled, we move on to the matter at hand.
Eurogamer: You mentioned just now before I'd turned the tape on that it was based on the North Africa parts of Halo 3. Can you talk a bit about its background?
Exclusive screenshot. Woo. Sections of Bungie even liken this level to some of Counter-Strike's, we're told.
Mike Zak: It's sort of in the same environment as the jungle parts of the African/Kenyan kind of landscape. It's lusher like the jungle in terms of using a lot of the same foliage and canopy. It's more like the dam at the end of the jungle - the backside of the dam.
Eurogamer: What's the layout?
Mike Zak: In a way it's probably a bit of a successor to Turf from Halo 2 in that it's basically a kind of a square, with major alleys on all four sides and then it's got an internal building that has routes through it at different levels, and then there's also loops around the backside of the major alleys. It's asymmetrical, but it plays pretty well as far as a Flag game, it plays pretty well for Assault games, Slayer games. It's really popular. We played it at our Bungie pentathlon, so it's been really solid gameplay-wise for a couple of months now.
Eurogamer: So it's a good all-rounder, really.
Mike Zak: Yeah. It's not super-small, but it's not a big map - it's a really good four-on-four map. It really hits that sweet spot, I think.
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Comments: 1-42 of 42 in total
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Ignatius_Cheese
27/02/08 @ 13:55
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I, for one, would like to see some of the original Halo: Combat Evolved maps converted to the Halo 3 engine in a "Classics" pack. That would be fooking awesome!
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BadBoyBonner
27/02/08 @ 13:56
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Are they taking the p**s with that 1080p anti-aliased image, or have they got a much bigger announcement to make about a Halo 3 update?
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 27/02/08 @ 13:57
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@BadBoyBonner - LOL
Well spotted! How on earth can Bungie claim that is a genuine screenshot when everyone now knows the game is rendered at 1152x640 with NO anti-aliasing! You'd need a bloody miraculous HDTV so see anything approaching that quality. Should someone call a lawyer? ;) On second thoughts, maybe it fell through a time warp from the future and is actually an Xbox 720 screenshot taken from Bungie's first ever high-definition game, Halo 4! Ouch! |
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Inquisitor
[mod]
27/02/08 @ 14:19
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The screenshots that you take in game do something weird though, I think when you take a screenshot from saved film mode the resolution is upped.
Nothing tricky or sly about it, just means the screenshot looks crisper than the game. |
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groovychainsaw
27/02/08 @ 14:55
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It is pretty slick in multiplayer though, you have to give it that - it is a pick-up-and-play expericnece, which many other multiplayer games are not. I think thats why its popular, its simplicity.
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"Since COD4, there has been a lot of defection from the Halo multiplayer camp (and rightly so). "
There have always been two types of players. The ones that like the much faster kills of COD4/CS and the ones that like the slower pace of Halo and ofc vehicles ;) The same happened on the original XBox between Halo 2 and Rainbow 6. Both amazing online games. There really is no reason why people should introduce hate between these games or the players. Some people like beer, some like wine. Sadly some people like whine ;)
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 27/02/08 @ 15:02
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"Microsoft exclusively sells to males aged between 14-35 who only play FPSs, racing games, fighting games and the occasional western style RPG. "
That pretty much describes the vast majority of video-gamers of any platform, in any part of the planet. But I guess you read Engels, and watch Fassbinder's movies... One thing's true though, Halo forum threads usually attracts flies.
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 27/02/08 @ 15:08
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Never mind if it actually does anything new or original....
Looking forward to the next instalments of GT, MGS, WipeOut, Killzone, RFOM on PS3? Hardly anybody is doing anything new, nearly all the 'big releases' now are the same old stuff dressed up in a shinier suit.
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 27/02/08 @ 16:23
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squirrelsalot
27/02/08 @ 15:43
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"cue halo haters saying how lame halo is."
I don't hate the halo games, I actually think they're pretty good. I just feel sorry for the people who honestly think that halo is the best fps out there. |
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2 things:
I don't know how you worked out the middle two levels were lackluster when the Ark and the Covenant levels were the best in the series for me... And as for new/original... Saved films? I don't think that's been done on a console before, and you can't forget that Halo 1 brought a fair amount of new stuff to the table, you can't expect sequels to completely change a game just to satisfy the 'originality' crowd... Halo is a solid shooter series that's fun to play, if you don't like it, then there's no need to act like your taste in games is somehow better just because.
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 27/02/08 @ 16:32
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Love Halo 3, but barely touched the last map pack after buying it. Hardly any fucker had the maps, so if you want to play you have to endure endless shitty non-Slayer modes like VIP and endless loudmouth idiots instead of the charming cheapskates on your friends list who haven't bought the maps
Really, I wish we could get back to days of the maps being released free... to sustain the community and maintain interest levels in the game etc. Make them mandatory downloads too, so you can't play online without them. |
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One of the main problems with Halo (all of them) for me is that the main baddie, i.e. the flood, is shit. They should have thought of something new for the H2, and definately for H3, as both ames were really good right up until the flood levels, which quckly degenerated into a boring slog from A to B.
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'Wandering around in a giant organic mess'
I wasn't talking about that level. The Ark, which was the desert level, was tons of fun for me, and got the Vehicle sections absolutely perfect, it felt like a sprawling level with a good mix between long range/close quarters/vehicle combat. The level after, the one with the 3 towers was similarly set out and worked a treat. I'd only really mark the last two levels and the second level as poor, so 2/3 of the game isn't bad. "Saved films? What is the actual point of that other than having to fast forward through a few hours of gameplay to find a single screenshot that helps a fanboi toss over Halo3s lighting effects? " They are great for saving clips with your friends and sharing them. I and many others have gotten a lot of use out of saved films, be it sending amusing clips to friends, showing off, reliving amusing moments in co-op. It's a good feature that is new to consoles. "Halo 1 brought nothing to the table that hadn't already been done in Half Life" Whilst not exactly ground breaking, it's a few small things: Vehicle sections that actually worked and were fun, The rechargeable shield system which loads of FPS games use now, the grenades being on a single button rather than having to cycle thorugh inventory, a melee system and the two weapons only system had only ever been used in realistic shooters. There's nothing major, but how many games these days knock you out of your seat with incredible originality. It's a shooter with solid mechanics that plays well (for the most part...) But hey, yes, because you dislike Halo YOU ARE A BETTER PERSON THAN ME!
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 27/02/08 @ 17:04
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Just put them on ignore people. This thread for me is 3 posts long and nobody has gone emo yet. Life is sweet.
Oh and BTW: http://cad-comic.com/comic.php |
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subtlesnake
27/02/08 @ 18:13
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"Whilst not exactly ground breaking, it's a few small things: Vehicle sections that actually worked and were fun, The rechargeable shield system which loads of FPS games use now, the grenades being on a single button rather than having to cycle thorugh inventory, a melee system and the two weapons only system had only ever been used in realistic shooters. There's nothing major, but how many games these days knock you out of your seat with incredible originality. It's a shooter with solid mechanics that plays well (for the most part...) "
For their time, I think these mechanics were pretty major. FPS games up until this point had pretty much just involved a battle of attrition, with tens of enemies being thrown at the player, wearing his health down until the next 'top up'. This meant that the intensity of each individual encounter was limited, as the enemies you'd be facing were pale shadows of yourself. In Halo on the other hand every Elite (on the Heroic or Legendary difficulties at least) is your equal, and if you're not careful, can kill you, especially at close range. Furthermore the fact that Elites themselves have shields means that you can't just wear down their health slowly, but must face them on their own terms, exposing yourself to fire while you hope to gain the upper hand in the exchange, constantly risking the depletion of your shield, and the loss of health, which will serve to make future encounters more difficult for you. When you add in melee and grenades you get a wonderfully balanced and intense combat experience, all be it one that needs to be experienced on difficulty level where the Elites will push you - play on normal and you may as well not bother. If any one is unconvinced of Halo's prowess compared to PC shooters of the time, play the first level of the game on Legendary, and then play the first few levels of MOH:AA, Halo's supposed 'competition' at the time. I think you'll find that one experience holds up remarkably better than the other. |
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captainrentboy
27/02/08 @ 21:14
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My favourite level in Halo 3 was the big fucker, where you got to fly in those new helicopter type thingymajigs, and also got to fight two of those gigantic Spider like doodeemawhatsits.
Yeah I can't remember the proper names, but that level was one of the best in the entire series, and it came after level 4 too, so to sum up, Headbog you're fucking wrong :) I also faaar prefer Halo's multiplayer to COD4's, but I guess I'm in the minority there. |
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TheChieftian
27/02/08 @ 21:31
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Just give us sidewinder (and none of that "inspired by" bullshit like elongated in Halo 2, just a faithful port) and a big team slayer game type
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Amoebalove
27/02/08 @ 22:05
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@headbog
you're entitled to your opinion but you have to remember that it is just your opinion and people don't have to agree with you. i personally think the Halo games are excellent but thats just my opinion and do you think that for one second that the enjoyment i get from playing them is lessened by your negative views. you really need to chill out a bit and just be happy that there are so many great games out there no matter which system you own. |
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Oh look! Frod & headbog, the SDF tagteam in a swing.
"Xerx3s is a prophet" Nope, it's just that it's always the same predictable people. What we have to remember though is that one day they where normal people, until they met the internet. XD |
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I have forgotten Halo.
[edit] BTW, I would consider myself a Halo fan, but only of the story and characters. The game was utter shite. I'm also a bit of a 360 fanboi, but I actually agree with Headbog here. With CoD out there why do people play this shit on multiplayer?
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 28/02/08 @ 13:10
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"With CoD out there why do people play this shit on multiplayer?"
Because, maybe, just maybe, their taste in FPS games is DIFFERENT TO YOURS. FUCK ME THAT WAS DIFFICULT WASN'T IT? Note to self: Stay out of comments threads, too many utter plebs in here.
Edited 2 times,
most recently on 28/02/08 @ 16:20
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Comments: 1-42 of 42 in total
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