Halo 3 Public BETA; New Halo 2 Maps

[stanley porkchop]

I don't understand why so many games nowadays equate good graphics to shininess.

I'm not saying the screen looks bad, but the MC seriously looks like he's covered in slime.

[Ayepecks]

Of course Bungie is a credible source, seeing as how they are the ones developing it obviously! That, added to the fact that Bungie does not have a history of lieing or 'overestimating' things then I don't see why we can't take their word for it? Nobody is saying that the trailer included physics or AI, it was just to show how the final graphics will look even with the addition of physics and AI. The screen doesn't show anything but MC because Bungie doesn't want to give anything away from the story, not because their engine can't handle those level of graphics (which still have a long way to go imo) along with physics or AI. Please, get over yourself. Why is this so hard for you to believe? Bungie wouldn't release a screenshot showing MC at that level of detail if they didn't know full well that their final game will ship with equal or greater quality, that's just the type of company that Bungie is.

Yes, you will see. :yes:

Again, magik, you have yet to prove that Halo 3 will have a graphical equivalent to that of the trailers, so don't tell me to "get over it" as I am not telling you that. I'm not right yet and neither are you, so stop pretending like you are. You don't know for a fact and you won't until we get to play it, so stop with your little parade of how Bungie is almighty and the second-coming of Christ.

And you only think Bungie is a credible source whenever they agree with you. I said the engine right now can't handle it... and I'm willing to bet that it can't. Just like it can't handle the particle and dust effects you saw in the trailer as it had three cores dedicated to graphics without physics or AI present.

Perhaps the one who should "get over [themself]" is the one who keeps proclaiming himself to be right. I never said I was right. I said right now it doesn't look like the trailer... and it doesn't. I haven't gone so far as to assure victory like you have. So, please heed your own advice and get over yourself.

Elliott: Please link to where Bungie said the trailer was part of the game. I have yet to read that. And yes, it's all a matter of opinion, but I don't see how anyone can claim GOW looked better than the Halo 3 trailer. Just my point of view.

[Shetland]

Despite being a long-time fan of the series that screenshot of the chief is horrid;

- the specularity is far too high

- the base and normal maps are obviously quite low res (by today's standards) and is tried to have been hidden by a noisy detailbumpmap.

- the cubemap on the visor is very blurry compared to those of the trailer.

the other screens look alot better though, like this:

http://www.gamecity.ch/popupImage.php?u=up...llery_21204.jpg

I have a feeling (that goes against everything Bungie have stood for over the years) that alot of this isn't realtime - its in-engine though.

[Elliott]

And you only think Bungie is a credible source whenever they agree with you. I said the engine right now can't handle it... and I'm willing to bet that it can't. Just like it can't handle the particle and dust effects you saw in the trailer as it had three cores dedicated to graphics without physics or AI present.

News flash: The CPU cores don't do much of any of the raw rendering. :o Decompression and procedural geometry and textures is about it during a scene like that. Using the CPU cores to try and help along would be a waste, as they're not designed for that. It's just like Sony's dream of the SPE's being used as backup graphics cores. Basically, they had three CPU cores sitting there doing very little during that whole trailer while the Xenos chip was pushing out the good stuff. They've got plenty of leftover power to push out the AI and physics.

And I'm too lazy to look up the statement from E3, but I could've sworn they had stated that the actual trailer was a little ways through the game (although I'm sure they'll change it just like they changed the Earth city level in Halo 2).

@ Shetland: That screenshot you linked is exactly what I'm talking about. That is in-game stuff, so obviously they're hitting close to the target already for some maps.

Edited November 17, 2006 by Elliott

[acies]

This picture is amazing:

http://www.gamecity.ch/popupImage.php?u=up...llery_21204.jpg

and it will look so much better when actually playing like this, it'll be so much nicer than halo2.

[magik]

And you only think Bungie is a credible source whenever they agree with you.

Wrong. Bungie is a credible source because their history backs them up as so. You can't say otherwise until they ruin their own reputation.

Perhaps the one who should "get over [themself]" is the one who keeps proclaiming himself to be right. I never said I was right. I said right now it doesn't look like the trailer... and it doesn't. I haven't gone so far as to assure victory like you have.

Oh? You haven't?

I said it wasn't going to look as good as the trailer. It doesn't currently, and it won't.

Sounds to me like you've declared yourself victory. Don't be such a hypocrite. :whistle:

[Ayepecks]

Wrong. Bungie is a credible source because their history backs them up as so. You can't say otherwise until they ruin their own reputation.

Oh? You haven't?

Sounds to me like you've declared yourself victory. Don't be such a hypocrite. :whistle:

Dear goodness, please tell me you're not that dense. I was referring to the fact that you didn't find them credible when I cited them (or you pretend like I took the quotes out of context), but whenever you cite them they're suddenly credible.

If anyone's being a hypocrite, it's someone who is just as stubborn as the other about their stance telling their opposition that they're being difficult and to "get over [themself]." In that case, we are both hypocrites -- don't try to pretend like you're any better off in the argument than I am. Kthxbye.

[magik]

Why are you taking this so personally? Relax man.

[Shetland]

Bungie are credible, they've never really done anything to say otherwise, and are one of my personal favorite studios from the perspective of a developer and fan - i use them as a benchmark for my own work.

HOWEVER I do believe things are changing and even if they don't want to, for reasons out of their control i **believe/guess** they are not giving the entire picture as... truthfully as could be - with the trailer.

I think the trailer WAS realtime however I do not believe it would work in a gameplay scenario, just a show of what the engine CAN do, not what it will do. it is a working goal and i think if they can reach it then that is fantastic.

Edited November 17, 2006 by Shetland

[Elliott]

HOWEVER I do believe things are changing and even if they don't want to, for reasons out of their control i **believe/guess** they are not giving the entire picture as... truthfully as could be - with the trailer.

I think the trailer WAS realtime however I do not believe it would work in a gameplay scenario, just a show of what the engine CAN do, not what it will do. it is a working goal and i think if they can reach it then that is fantastic.

I just don't see a reason why it couldn't. Xenos was pushing out miles and miles of rendered terrain and sky with plenty of Convenant ships and the Forerunner structure without dropping visible frames. Xenon still has leftover power to handle the number-crunching things like AI and physics. I really can't see Bungie having an excuse to underdeliver when they have so much power available to them that they haven't tapped.

[Shetland]

I agree however at least what we have seen so far the screenshots do not match that, now I can't see why - if it were possible in the trailer build then why not in practice?

I am hoping things will look better - that isn't to say I am unhappy now because I actually really like it so far.

I love those skyboxes, so crisp.

[Ayepecks]

Why are you taking this so personally? Relax man.

I'm not taking it personally. It's just that I don't agree with you at all and I'm not going to hide my feelings on the matter. I'm not taking anything personally and I don't have any problems with you. Heck, I hope your right. But I doubt you will be, just my opinion. If you're right, though, and the game looks as good as the trailer in the final product, I'll be more than happy to let you know I think so.

Edited November 17, 2006 by Ayepecks

[magik]

I'm not taking it personally. It's just that I don't agree with you at all and I'm not going to hide my feelings on the matter. I'm not taking anything personally and I don't have any problems with you. Heck, I hope your right. But I doubt you will be, just my opinion. If you're right, though, and the game looks as good as the trailer in the final product, I'll be more than happy to let you know I think so.

Yea, I'm hope I'm right too for the benefit of all of Halo Nation. :D (Y)

Spring can't come soon enough! I've always hated the winter anyway. Frankly, if they wanted the most testing possible a Winter release for the beta would be ideal since (at least how I see it based on my friends list) more people play more games in the Winter.

[sweetham]

Unfortunately the beta release that they are wanting to release to the public is probably not ready yet. I agree a nice game of halo 3 would be an excellent reason to stay inside on a cold winter day. But thankfully they arent doing that. I aint connected to live over here so that would suck

[Shetland]

Ofcourse it isn't ready, its scheduled for spring.

[magik]

I didn't say it was ready, I just said it'd be nice. :p

[Shetland]

Sorry should have quoted, i was taling to Flacid Mongoose who said "Unfortunately the beta release that they are wanting to release to the public is probably not ready yet"

[Fugi]

I don't understand why so many games nowadays equate good graphics to shininess.

I'm not saying the screen looks bad, but the MC seriously looks like he's covered in slime.

It looks good in realtime.

[giga Veteran]

Bungie Weekly Update.

First off, the screenshot. Here’s the deal. Brian grabbed a controller, moved the Chief up against a wall from a level in Campaign, and typed a debug command to take a shot. We ran the shot in Newsweek and then later, right here on Bungie.net. We took the shot at 2X so you could use it for wallpaper or whatever. But just to be clear, it’s a very ordinary, if atmospheric moment from the game. Well, ordinary in the graphical sense. Naturally that building is crawling with the Chief’s foes, and he’s not really going to get a chance to stand around chewing the fat.

There’s been some speculation that it’s totally different than that showed in the E3 trailer. Well, that’s just lighting. There have been some minor tweaks to the Chief model, but he’s about 99% identical.

http://www.bungie.net/News/TopStory.aspx?cid=9194

Edited November 18, 2006 by Giga

[PL_ Veteran]

I wonder how far in that was taken...

I say it's inside

the Ark.

Any ideas?

[sweetham]

I'd Say its underground some type of human made stucture. The pipes and the support beams dont really look like any type of forerunner technology.

[magik]

Bungie Weekly Update.

First off, the screenshot. Here’s the deal. Brian grabbed a controller, moved the Chief up against a wall from a level in Campaign, and typed a debug command to take a shot. We ran the shot in Newsweek and then later, right here on Bungie.net. We took the shot at 2X so you could use it for wallpaper or whatever. But just to be clear, it’s a very ordinary, if atmospheric moment from the game. Well, ordinary in the graphical sense. Naturally that building is crawling with the Chief’s foes, and he’s not really going to get a chance to stand around chewing the fat.

There’s been some speculation that it’s totally different than that showed in the E3 trailer. Well, that’s just lighting. There have been some minor tweaks to the Chief model, but he’s about 99% identical.

http://www.bungie.net/News/TopStory.aspx?cid=9194

Ever ever closer to the target trailer. :D

And there's yet more to come next week:

Next week – high res versions of the multiplayer shots (at last) and some chat aout what they do and don’t contain.

Edited November 19, 2006 by magik

[Ayepecks]

When does that 1Up video come out, anyways? I thought it was supposed to be out by now.

[giga Veteran]

When does that 1Up video come out, anyways? I thought it was supposed to be out by now.

Last Friday's 1UP show? http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3155344

Doesn't show any new footage but it's a really good analysis of the three maps. They basically draw it out on a board and go over the different weapon spots, vehicles, fire-fights, etc.

[Ayepecks]

I thought there was supposed to be a gameplay video?