Halo 2 - 3 months later

[Glockstar]

Well... 3 months and 10 days later. :p

First things first - gotta talk about XBox Live, you know?!? It's still going strong. Starting up a new game no longer takes just a couple of seconds, like it did back in November, but it still happens pretty quick. And that goes for all of the game modes: Head-to-Head and Big Team Skirmish, just as well as Team Skirmish or Rumble Pit, etc. The longest I've had to wait over these past few nights was about one minute. (That happened once.) Waiting to fill the spots left by people who left the game before it even started - you know how that goes. Most of the time though, I was fraggin' anew within 30 seconds of completion of the previous game.

There's been a couple of issues tho'. One, there have been an inordinate amount of "disconnects" lately. (I say "disconnects", but really you only lose half of your connection, though it is a pretty big delay - everybody loses their connection to the game for a few seconds (about 15 to 20) but everybody comes right back to the place and time they were at before. You can still hear people during this time too. Well, hear them all moan and *****, I mean. I ain't gonna lie to you - it sucks! It happened a couple of time tonite, but Thursday night, whoo boy, I swear it was happening every other game!

Anybody else notice any problems lately with XBox Live connections in other XBL games?

The other bad thing that's been happening is that there's a lot more people quitting in the middle of the game now. Like with the jerks that allow themselves to be counted towards a spot so as to fill up "the room" so's the game can get underway - then leave at the last second - I think this is the work of spies. Oh I hate to start rumours, but I am serious here; I think this is the handiwork of Midway, Eidos, Activision, LucasArts, Ubisoft, EA, and even Buena Vista. See, they pay these guys - these "squatters" if you will - to try and wreck the experience for us. They're trying to get it so that we eventually become fed up it and become ready to move on. Hopefully, to their game. Serial.

Hmmm... I don't see many of my fellow VGR'ers playing Halo 2 anymore. Actually, it's more like none. This is the polar opposite of what the vg mags would have you believe. The guys (and gals) over at the OXM for example, every issue they say they're still playing it - like, every single night! Was there something about the Live experience that ticked you guys off, or something?

On to a different subject...
I see that the Limited Edition's are still out there on shelves, readily available for sale. (Of course I for one had serious doubts about them being truly Limited anyway. :p ) And unless my eyes had deceived me, I'm pretty sure that I saw the LE priced the same as the regular edition at GameStop. (And yes, the sticker read "new".) Even if the LE is still priced $5 more, I think it's totally worth it.

Did everybody else who bought the LE watch the special features DVD? I love that inside stuff. And that making of featurette is quite lengthy. And insightful. And enjoyable. Easily worth $5 alone, imo.

Question - for those of you who bought the Regular Edition: I know that the RE instruction booklet is written from the "regular" Human point of view, while the LE ib is written from a Sangheili (Elite) pov, but did the RE come with that "Conversations From The Universe" booklet? That thing is pretty neat too.

What else? I thought there was something else...
Ah yes... the poll. Don't forget to vote in the poll. ;)

[Gadfly2317]

I liked your poll question regarding what downloadable content would be cool for Halo 2.

To be completely unrealistic here, I'd still love to see a downloadable bot set, so you could play multiplayer modes and deathmatches offline against the Halo 2 AI. . .you know, if you wanted to play but didn't feel like messing around with Live and that host of irritants you mentioned in your post. The lack of any single player offline replay value besides the campaign is just unconscionable to me.

Maybe they could add some more modes and challenges too, for both on and off Live.

How about a ". . .vampire mode which forces you to kill others to extend your own life."

Or a "Shrink mode which bases you opponents body size on their current ranking in the game."

Or "Monkey assistant Mode, which rewards the player in last place with a slew of little simian helpers."

(I apologize in advance for the possible irrelevance of this post. . . I just can't muster enthusiasm for Halo 2 based on my experience with the first one and based on the posts here about the second one; and I've got severe covet-itis for a certain upcoming FPS we're supposed to boycott and not talk about. Boycotting is one thing glock, but can't we at least talk about it? It's causing me poster's-psychosis.)

[Glockstar]

...

Get a hold of yourself, man!

Discipline!

[Superior Beatslayer]

I am incapable of having LIVE out where I live, and I'm still playing Halo 2, Gadfly is right though, bots would be a very welcome addition to the game, but it's pretty safe to say that we should keep dreaming about that one. And if I had Live I'd be playing Halo 2 everyday, easily.

[Glockstar]

Bots, huh?

Hmph. :confused:

Guess my poll is a little flawed. I forgot to put in "bots". :rolleyes:
I did forget to put in "Other" though; I meant to do that too. Nuts.

Oh, and the "Co-op Play" should read "Online Co-op Play". (Wonder if I could get the mods to fix that?) But I think y'all know what I meant. Like the person who picked it. (I think I know who that was. :p )

I want "all of the above", but because I only allowed for one, it's a tough choice. Still, I know what my answer is. I'm just waiting for more votes before I cast mine.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Question - for those of you who bought the Regular Edition: I know that the RE instruction booklet is written from the "regular" Human point of view, while the LE ib is written from a Sangheili (Elite) pov, but did the RE come with that "Conversations From The Universe" booklet? That thing is pretty neat too.



I don't believe I received the "Conversations....." booklet with my RE. Must be another perk with the LE. That's cool, though. I had a chance to get the LE, but I like the box art of the RE more.

As to the poll, for some reason I picked the Halo 1 weapons. I miss the standard rifle they gave you at the beginning of each level. I liked that one more than the rifle in Halo 2 because it seemed to hold more ammo, plus it had that little compass that always helped me with directions, because I definitely got lost for much of Halo 2.

If I had any choice, it would be to cut off friendly fire damage during campaign/co-op campaign. It's not a big issue when you control Master Chief because you can tell who's who, but when you are Arbie, it's hard to tell which Covenant is on your side and which is the enemy, unless you have enough time to notice the green and red target circle without dying. I got used to it, but when I had a newbie on co-op, he was blasting each and everything that moved.

[joquito]

If only I had the time to game like I want to. My Live account has expired and I haven't turned on my Xbox yet to even re-subscribe to Live. Otherwise I would be playing Halo 2 online.

Gad is correct with the bots, I would very much like bots . Unfortunately, it would be stupid on MS's part. It would give people a reason to not get a Live subscription. My real choice would be to add Online Co-op. When there's company co-op games garner more interest than normal multiplayer games. Online Co-op is the only reason my friends and I are buying Doom 3 for xbox.

[Glockstar]

I don't believe I received the "Conversations....." booklet with my RE. Must be another perk with the LE. That's cool, though. I had a chance to get the LE, but I like the box art of the RE more.

It's just a little thing. It's only 11 pages long (counting the back cover but not the front). It's mostly fictional stuff from the Halo universe (like 343 Guilty Sparks' log of events from just moments after the Humans and Covenant landed on Halo thru... sometime... after it's destruction; I Iiked the letter from the Prophet of Truth to the Prophet of Mercy - it's written in "Prophet" - in code... I had fun deciphering it) but it's also got some parts that continue on the events and story of the books. Like I said, it's neat.

Am I right about the instruction booklet thing? Is it true that the RE's is written from a human perspective?

As to the poll, for some reason I picked the Halo 1 weapons. I miss the standard rifle they gave you at the beginning of each level. I liked that one more than the rifle in Halo 2 because it seemed to hold more ammo, plus it had that little compass that always helped me with directions, because I definitely got lost for much of Halo 2.

If I had any choice, it would be to cut off friendly fire damage during campaign/co-op campaign. It's not a big issue when you control Master Chief because you can tell who's who, but when you are Arbie, it's hard to tell which Covenant is on your side and which is the enemy, unless you have enough time to notice the green and red target circle without dying. I got used to it, but when I had a newbie on co-op, he was blasting each and everything that moved.

I liked the MA5B too. But I really miss the M6D pistol. The M6C is just about worthless! :mad:

I hear you about the Elites. I was constantly getting an earful! But you know what? I'll bet we'da killed more Marines and Helljumpers - it's just that they never really joined us in any great numbers, you know?

- -

Something about Superior's post sparked something in me... and I started up another profile and campaign last nite. :D I started out on Normal, but after three straight nights of playing the game on XBL it was too easy. So I stopped and started over on Heroic.

Btw, I cast my vote. Mine's the one calling for another difficulty level.

This is Halo 2's biggest flaw, as far I'm concerned. Normal was too easy, and Heroic was too... aggravating. Heroic was the level to play on in the first game, but in the second one it's borderline absurd. Enemy snipers nailing you with a one-shot kill headshot 100% of the time?!? That's Legendary-type stuff and it's ridiculous! It's absolutely infuriates me when I get pegged in the head within a split second after appearing from behind cover, and it totally sends me flying off the handle when they hit me I'm in mid-jump. I don't even know where I"m going - how could they?!? It's just assinine. Gimme smarter AI and/or tougher opponents and/or more of them (like in Halo 1) not this cheating bull*bleep*. Aggravation isn't fun.

We'll see if it goes any better this time thru.

- -

One of my initial criticisms of the game was that it didn't have anywhere near the atmosphere of the first one. I took that back after playing thru it a second time. Now, here on my third time thru, I'm just giddy in love with it all. That battle that takes place outside Cairo Station - in the vacuum of space - and on the MAC guns' piston/trigger? Is that a trip or what!?! And every moment after reaching the shoreline (out the back of Hotel Zanzibar) is awesome fun: the highway tunnel... the bridge... the amphitheatre... the Scarab...! Then later: the flood laboratories; "the perfect storm/cable ride"; the gondolas; the submerged sections; "the library" and all of the purpley-snowy areas on the way to it; the whole "Gravemind" level - especially the light-conveyers; and then the whole Brute "Uprising" level. This game's got atmosphere up the ying-dulang!

Even the multi-player maps do!

I gotta go!

[joquito]

We shouldn't keep our hopes up for substantial downloadable content, this is Halo not Ninja Gaiden.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Am I right about the instruction booklet thing? Is it true that the RE's is written from a human perspective?

Yeah. I took a look and it starts off with a letter (or e-mail) from Cortana to one of the Human groups on Earth. It also mentions "our" with Marine weapons and vehicles and "The Covenant" with alien weapons and vehicles.

Who were the Helljumpers?

[Glockstar]

We shouldn't keep our hopes up for substantial downloadable content, this is Halo not Ninja Gaiden.

I don't know...

Have you been to <a href=http://bungie.net/>Bungie.net</a> lately?

Last weeks What's Update (Bungies' Q&A Forum) contained the following:

Q: Why is the Weekly What's Update so short this week?

A: Shut up is why. Also, we're working like mad on cheat fixes and downloadable content stuff. Seriously. I'm about to go into hiding.

-

Q: What about downloadable content then?

A: Downloadable content continues to be a priority for Bungie. Like the cheat fixes, our teams are hard at work on some very cool stuff. I can also tell you that our downloadable content plan is pretty epic, probably very surprising to a lot of folks and we think we have a plan for new maps that's going to make everyone happy. Remember my "trench" tease from ages ago? Try this: "aqueduct."

New maps were a given, that's why I doubt anybody voted for them in the poll. Also, in "reading between the lines" - or even hearing between the lines - I think there might actually be a revival of some Halo 1 maps.

New weapons are also a possibility. Same for the Halo 1 weapons.

The rest of my poll options however... they're pretty much just fantasies. :(
But then again, you never know. Right?

- -

Who were the Helljumpers?

Helljumpers is actually the nickname given to a specialized unit of Marines: the ODSTs (Orbital Drop Shock Troppers). Which I liken to Airborne Rangers. They were featured more in the books than in the games, but I think they fight alongside a few times in Halo 2. At least once, I know for sure. The opening mission of the Delta Halo level is actually called "Helljumpers". ;)

[Cuddly Knife]

I read a while back that there were at least two Halo maps that didn't make it into the multi-player in Halo 2, and I bet those will definitely be downloads. I can't remember the names, but I remember that they were some of the smaller maps.

[Fivespot]

I have to admit that I burnt out on Halo2 pretty hard. Crash and burn...

I played through the single player within 2 weeks and then took it online. Online had lots of obnoxious folks that really started to annoy the @#*& out of me. I never really gave the team games much a chance due to my teammates always being uncooperative.

Some Halo1 maps and weapons - now that may bring me back pretty fast. I keep eyeballing the game everytime I jump on XBOX Live but tend to always grab something else.

I've seen Glock online playing it quite a bit lately which is also tempting me into maybe picking 'er back up.

Good thread!

[joquito]

I have to admit that I burnt out on Halo2 pretty hard. Crash and burn...

I played through the single player within 2 weeks and then took it online. Online had lots of obnoxious folks that really started to annoy the @#*& out of me. I never really gave the team games much a chance due to my teammates always being uncooperative.

Good thread!

The Big Team battles are the best. Unfortunately have to bear through idiots until you raise your level to a 4 or 5. Once there, everyone knows what they are doing and makes the game far more enjoyable. Too bad we never created a VGR clan.

[ThaMaskedGamer]

It's kinda funny, that yet again. My views are completely different, than just about everyone else on this site, lol. But, I thought Halo2 was a great single player game. I was disappointed in the ending, like everyone else, but only from the sense that I wanted more. But, I thought it was the best single player shooter i've ever played. It was an intense rush.

But, once again, I played the game differently than everyone else. I started out on heroic mode, and finished on heroic mode. Then I tried to play normal mode, and it was just too damn easy, so I stopped. Then I played Legendary cooperatively. Then I played Legendary single player, and i'm about half-way though the game on Legendary single player, I stopped playing about a month ago, but do plan on finishing.

If I had of played the game on normal mode, I would be in the club of people who think the game was underwhelming. But, by starting on heroic mode, the game was a hell of challenge, and one in which I finished before most people finished normal mode. The thing most gamers refuse to do, is learn and adapt their playing style. At first, I thought Legendary was impossible, then one day I just said, what am I doing wrong. The key, is the weakest weapons in the game, are in fact the most powerful. Once I learned how to use the plasma pistol, and magnum pistol against the Elite's, I started breezing through Legendary mode.

Online though, from an infrastructure perspective, it is one of the best games on LIVE technically. But I just hate fragfest, so I burned out on it after about 2 weeks, when GhostRecon2 came out.

One thing about guys wanting bots to play against. I just don't understand this, where is it that you live that you can not get broadband? I mean broadband is here and online gaming is here to stay. What kind of gamer would rather play bots instead of real people? And, I don't want to hear about not being able to afford it. Please, if you can buy a few games a month, own 3 different consoles, and two or more handhelds, you can get broadband for $20 t0 $40 a month. You'll buy fewer games cause you'll play them longer on LIVE. Anyway, you can't harp on a game for not having bots.

[Darwin]

One thing about guys wanting bots to play against.

Bots would be nice. But, in reality, if you want challenging play against AI just play through the campaign. There are multiple ways to deal with each encounter, so it's not like the campaign's gameplay is completely linear.

IMO, people who didn't enjoy the campaign probably wouldn't enjoy bots in their multiplayer maps.

[ThaMaskedGamer]

Bots would be nice. But, in reality, if you want challenging play against AI just play through the campaign. There are multiple ways to deal with each encounter, so it's not like the campaign's gameplay is completely linear.

IMO, people who didn't enjoy the campaign probably wouldn't enjoy bots in their multiplayer maps.

good point, but they probably would also want the option to set the bot AI to easy.

Hey man u need to come back online and do some TOCA.

[Cuddly Knife]

Here's why I would like bots. Because playing multi player gets old in a hurry if there is only two or even three people. Most of the levels are too large to have any real fun, and slayer is pretty much what we're limited to in game types. It would be better if my opponent and I were able to have a squad. And yes, we have already destroyed co-op campaign.

I live in a ghetto town, where PS2 and GCN are king, and XBOXers are odd men out. The high-speed net isn't up-to-date enough for people here to play Live, at least, that's what the people at Quest keep telling me. Speed is a less than one gig with lots of hiccupping, they say. So until I can move up to Albuequerque, I'm SOL.

[Darwin]

good point, but they probably would also want the option to set the bot AI to easy.

Hey man u need to come back online and do some TOCA.

Well name the time. I will be playing GT4 a lot, so I won't be connected to Live to know when people are on.

I may need to take a day off of GT4, though. I did 10 hours yesterday and 8 hours today with my driving wheel and my back and forearms really hurt. I need a freakin chiropracter.

[ThaMaskedGamer]

Well name the time. I will be playing GT4 a lot, so I won't be connected to Live to know when people are on.

I may need to take a day off of GT4, though. I did 10 hours yesterday and 8 hours today with my driving wheel and my back and forearms really hurt. I need a freakin chiropracter.

That's kinda hard to do, I never really know when i'm gonna hop online. Except for Wednesday evenings. But, i'll tell ya what, you been racing GT4 so remember you gotta leave all that crashing behind when you come online, :D

[Glockstar]

Ha haa! I finally got it tonite!

It's... okay. :(

It's actually called Original Soundtrack and New Music. And, well, it's the "new music" that taints it. Mostly.

First off, some numbnut effed up on the backcover layout - the words on the spine are facing the wrong way. I hate that!

Second off, there's only 21 tracks. The first one had 26. Oh yeah, it also says Volume One. What the hey, are they fixing to jip us?!?

Thirdly, of those 21, 7 are "new music" tracks. These are songs that weren't in the game. "Real" songs (you know, full length and with lyrics and whatnot); songs by: Breaking Benjamin, Incubus (3 songs), Nile Rodgers and Nataraj, and Hoobastank. Yeah, I know. :rolleyes: One of the Incubus songs is kind of neat, in that it "pays homage" to Pink Floyds' On The Run, from Dark Side Of The Moon album tho'. Now, a couple of these songs I know I've heard before (the one by Breaking Benjamin, "Blow Me Away" and "Follow" by Incubus); I think they used instrumental versions in the game. Too bad they don't include the instr.versions on the CD tho'! Perhaps the worst thing about these "new songs" is that they are interspersed throughout the CD. So unlike the first soundtrack, you can't hear the game in it's entirety from start to finish without interruption. Then again, these tracks were arranged in order anyhow.

Fourth thing, of the seven "new music" tracks, three I hate. And one's pushing it.

Lastly, If I were to "cut and paste" and make my own soundtrack just using the instrumental songs that were purely used in the game - the 14 that are left... I'd have a pretty short CD. :(

But, some of these songs ROCK! You knew that though, right? It's done by the same guys who did the first OST. (You knew that already too, I'm sure.) The Halo Theme Mjolnir Mix, the new opening Bungie-song with Steve Vai, I actually like better out of the game. Peril (the tip-toeing-butterfly-with-a-sniper-rifle song), Heretic, Hero (which you'll recall from the "You Break It, You Buy It" mission (the part where you drive a Scorpion tank thru the ruins on Delta Halo) among others), and Impend (which sounds...impending, there's just no other way to put it! - I LOVE THIS FRICKIN SONG!) I'm over here hootin' and hollarin' to a soundtrack from a videogame, for cryin' out loud! What a geek! But some of these songs get you going tho', boy! I'm giddy!!!

-

Oh, one last thing... on the backcover of the innersleeve there's a poem. It reads:

COVENANT WRIT OF UNION, CANTO I

So full of hate were our eyes
That none of us could see
Our war would yield contless dead
But never victory

So let us cast arms aside
And like discard our wrath
Thou, in faith will keep us safe
Whilst we find the path

-High Council of Concordance,
First Age of Reconciliation

Now what the heck do you suppose that's supposed to mean?!?

[Cuddly Knife]

The title theme came on last months OXM as a download. The song is good, like you say, better out of the game, but I think Vai should've shredded more. His guitar also sounds a little too synthesized for my liking.

Is the song Impending the one that starts off with bass hits? That's probably my favorite Halo 2 song.

And hearing vg music isn't geeky. Hell, that's all I've been hearing for months now! The latest ost's being Guilty Gear Reload and Katamari Damacy, the latter even holding a chart spot in the Japan music scene. I was also reading that they are planning on including a music category in the Grammys. The Grammys blow ass of course, but at least there is now a little more recognition where there are some of the most talented music writers out there. Of course, most feel how you do about vg music.

[Glockstar]

The title theme came on last months OXM as a download. The song is good, like you say, better out of the game, but I think Vai should've shredded more. His guitar also sounds a little too synthesized for my liking.

I agree. I'm a huge Steve Vai fan; I consider him the best guitarist in the world. (Well, second in all reality, but because everybody knows and agrees that Jimi is the best I consider him, like, #0. :p ) But his work on this song is... underwhelming. Really all he's doing is playing over the other strings; the violins and whatnot. He tears it up for like a whole fifteen seconds.

:
Is the song Impending the one that starts off with bass hits? That's probably my favorite Halo 2 song.

Actually, on the CD at least, Impend starts out with 30 seconds of orchestral music - you know, the familiar Halo music - then the base drops. Like a gong. Like The Undertakers death bell. But Heretic, Hero is the one really starts with the big "DOOOOOM!... Big Dooooom!" So I don't know if Impend is the song that you are talking/thinking about.(?) I know the exact spot in the game to go to to hear Heretic, Hero though - so go play the game, then you can tell me. ;)

I wouldn't doubt it if you were talking about Impend tho'. That's my favorite track. The song is fluke! After the big boom, there begins the faintest of drum beats that underlies the main ones; it kind of sounds like somebody woggling a big loggers saw; or rubbing. It's awesome. And it's got some great "Aaaaahhhhhh, aaaaaahhhhhh, aaaaaahhhhhh, aaaaahhhhh" nunnish like chanting/moaning. I remember the song in the game, but I can't think of where exactly. I think it's on Cairo Station. When I place it, I'll let you know.

:

And hearing vg music isn't geeky. Hell, that's all I've been hearing for months now! The latest ost's being Guilty Gear Reload and Katamari Damacy, the latter even holding a chart spot in the Japan music scene. I was also reading that they are planning on including a music category in the Grammys. The Grammys blow ass of course, but at least there is now a little more recognition where there are some of the most talented music writers out there. Of course, most feel how you do about vg music.

Nah, you got me all wrong. I love the music. But it is kind of embarassing when I tell people that I'm listening to a videogame soundtrack. People need this *bleep* explained to them, you know?

As mentioned before I have the Halo soundtrack. And I also have Panzer Dragoon Orta. But I've never listened to it. Heck, I've never even opened it. To be honest with you, I'm not all that fond of the music in that game. Actually, I'm not all that fond of the game in that game. :o Trade? :p

Somebody gave the Metal Gear Caca 2 soundtrack awhile back. (A guy at GameSpot, I'm pretty sure.) I don't know why I took it. I #@$%ing hate that game. I looked at it again when I got home, grew a look of disdain, then disgust, then threw it in the garbage.

The Fable soundtrack is supposed to be coming out soon; I'm definitely getting that one!