Halo 5: Guardians

I'll say.

I never get tired of Gruntpocalpyse.

Escalation art... so terrible... strength... failing!

AIIIIEEEEEEEE

He be getting swol at the gym, yo. He's the Schwarzenegger of Jackals.

The bonus waves in Firefight tended to be the best, little stakes but the most exciting. My favorite was running over 10 elites in a row with a ghost, I've seen youtube videos have them take on 30+.

If they could offer a firefight mode similar to Mass Effect 3 multiplayer or Destiny where you have to achieve objectives in a certain period of time, that would be excellent.

So. 343 has pushed back the update they claim will stabilize the MCC from Wednesday to an undefined time later this week. I also found out that, despite having a tremendously good Forge for Halo 2 Anniversary, besides Halo 3 and 4's, there is no fileshare. So good luck sharing maps and gametypes, if the apparently rather-low file limit lets you keep that many alongside clips and pics.

Controller layout for the beta has been released.◊ The similarities to COD has been noted.

Also, apparently, aside from the gameplay additions, Spartans will call out to each other during combat. As in, "Nice shot!", "I picked up the Sniper!", "There's the enemy!", and so on. A problem has been detected in that Spartans will call out that they've found the enemy, while the enemy is sneaking up behind them. Power weapon respawns will also be announced by the announcer, who is apparently overly talkative.

I'm afraid my faith is shaking. I have hope that the gameplay and movement additions may be properly balanced after the beta, but some stuff they're doing isn't at all sitting well with anyone...

edited 17th Nov '14 10:24:35 PM by OrKuunArQenByundis

They've still got the classic control schemes. No fears.

Eh this is what betas are for.

&

That's what I've been saying in its defense, but still, stuff like ADS/Iron Sights are a very obvious attempt at keeping the games relevant "in the scene", rather than use some innovative or otherwise exciting new features.

• Space Fighter Dogfights in Sabres, Seraphs, etc.
• Updated, more complex and malleable Invasion
• More vehicles like Dropships in Multiplayer

And so on. Instead, we get something that's already been done by half the games on the market. It just showcases an alarming willingness to abandon the tried and true for the cheap and new.

But that's just me. If I end up getting an Xbox One the beta might assuage some fears... or energize them. Hm.

It's cosmetically ADS, but it apparently still functions like more like a scope (no change in damage regardless of zoom level, etc.), complete with de-scope if you get hit.

edited 18th Nov '14 1:02:51 AM by umbrellasareawesome

The new Helioskill armor seems pretty exciting especially with it's description,a Sangheli designing armor for humans? If it isn't covered in future media I anticipate the fan fiction writers will be all over it.

Yeah, you can certainly see the Sangheili influence. The widows-peak style helmet, the hump in the back, the sharp angles, the pronged toes, the armor panels on the arms...

The much-hyped "Fix Everything" update just went live.

Doesn't seem to be working.

Not good.

edited 20th Nov '14 6:08:51 PM by OrKuunArQenByundis

Also, here's episodes 1 and 2 of Halo: Nightfall. Unfortunately, none of the "Second Story" stuff seems to have been placed online yet.

Hm, can't say I found the Lekgolo swarms too interesting... an unarmored Hunter or other Lekgolo formation would have been better, I think.

Also, could they have made that Fatal Family Photo in the beginning any more blatant?

Episode 3.

Still can't really get behind Lekgolo as the primary antagonists... oh well...

Anybody else think we should update the Halo Character pages with the Halo 2 Anniversary examples? Also the picture for the Jackal is kinda wonky, you can see a bit of cut-out around its feet...

edited 26th Nov '14 9:31:42 PM by OrKuunArQenByundis

Also, Escalation 12 is out.

Looks like ONI is still merrily doing things behind HIGHCOM's back; the Elite "terrorist" was one of theirs, and the bioweapon was merely to lure Infinity to destroy the Kig-Yar pirate base.

What is wrong with them? Is it just Utopia Justifies the Means since they apparently don't trust the Covenant enough to keep their word?

I think they've planning some kind of coup. That or there so used to being all cloak and dagger and able to do whatever they want they can't quite kick the habit.

I'm feeling (like some others here have already said) that 343 has been pulling a very subtle troll on the Kilo-Five books, given the more positive and diverse portrayal of the Sangheili in most post-4 media, and how Osman seems have to shed whatever scruples she used to have.

Indeed, I'm starting to think, regardless of Traviss's own stance, that 343 intended for Kilo-Five to be sort of an ironic tragedy, where ONI's inherent flaws keep it from truly reforming itself, despite all the moralization about the SPARTAN-II program.

edited 27th Nov '14 1:45:38 PM by umbrellasareawesome

I can imagine 343 giving Traviss the instruction "Make Halsey more controversial, and show all the heinous stuff ONI does", intending to make Kilo-5 a kind of Villain Protagonist and edging away from previous, more forgiving view of Halsey (an intent I'm fully willing to get behind).

Unfortunately, it looks like "more controversial" translated as "bash Halsey's guilt and evilness into the readers' heads", while ONI becomes less Knight Templar or Token Evil Teammate and more Hero with Bad Publicity. I can see her trying to write the latter in an ironic fashion, I suppose, but she went far, far too overboard doing so.

There seems to have been a complete lack of self-awareness during its writing.

edited 27th Nov '14 2:03:13 PM by OrKuunArQenByundis

I think you're over complicating things. Take a poke around the pages for her Star Wars and Gears of War works; Traviss' MO seems to be: establish some sort of deep hate for some faction or individual, make them the bad guys, twist the setting into any shape needed to make that happen. Halsey couldn't go full SPACE HITLER if ONI bore any of the responsibility, so ONI became the good guys. Proceed from there.

edited 27th Nov '14 7:26:27 PM by kingtiger522

Nightfall episode 4.

Interesting, I didn't expect Ramos to turn out to be an antagonist,also Horigan is a fucking douchbag.