trav himself's blog

As I'm sure you are aware by now, Bungie released the AutoUpdate for Halo 2 this morning. I won't go over all the fine details of what this update encompasses; you can find that information here. But what I will talk about is my impressions of this update, what it means for Halo players around the world, and what it means for videogaming as an industry.

I'm not sure if people realize how enormous this really is. I mean, on the surface, this is really just a software patch, and software patches are nothing new. PC game developers have been using patches to fix bugs and implement balance changes for years. But the patching -- or "updating", as the Bungie folks like to call it -- of console games is something very new and exciting.

In generations past, if a console game went to market with a handful of minor bugs, that's how the game existed indefinitely. There was really nothing you could do, as a player or as a developer, except deal with it. But that is no longer the case.

Bungie have had a very unique opportunity with Halo 2. The tremendous popularity of the game, coupled with the creation of a solid online community, have given Bungie a chance to keep close tabs on things as they develop. They have accomplished something remarkable in being able to monitor each and every match played on XBox Live, and they have had the opportunity not only to listen to player feedback, but to actually do something about it.

I find this exciting and remarkable. Bungie are updating Halo 2 based on the way you and I have played the game over the past six months. That's pretty cool.

This has huge implications for the gaming industry as a whole. Gone are the days of "take it or leave it" products, where the game you buy is the game you're stuck with. In the next generation, developers will be forced to listen to their communities, and to make appropriate changes based on the data they gather and what the players are saying.

Some have noted their concerns with this system, claiming that developers will be more likely to release less-than-perfect games, knowing that they can always update or fix things later. Personally, I'm not terribly concerned. I think it is fair to assume that Bungie were aware that they would be able to update Halo 2 at a later date, but they still released a shockingly polished game (especially considering the time constraints they were under). I don't think we have to worry about developers getting lazy.

So now for the update itself.

Bungie's reasoning behind most of the changes was to increase the fun factor. From my initial impressions, and from what I have been reading in the forums, this seems to have been accomplished. I have read a few posts saying, "It's not that different, this hasn't changed, that hasn't changed." Well, the intent wasn't to change things for the sake of change. The intent was to make subtle adjustments to improve the overall quality of the experience, and I think this has been achieved. The vast majority of players seems to be happy.

The initial community response seems to be favorable. I'm eager to see what less-obvious alterations will crop up in coming months. Reading between the lines of the last few What's Updates, a few changes were made that aren't being explicitly documented. Keep your eyes peeled for the fans to isolate other changes in the coming weeks and months.

As an aside, I'd like to note: Don't be shocked and amazed if Bungie releases a second patch (1.11, perhaps) to tie up any loose ends. They seem to have done a great job getting the update prepared and distributing it painlessly to the masses. But hey, this is the world of software -- something is bound to have gone under the radar.

Sound off! Let's hear what you guys think.

Update: Having had a chance to play some LAN games for a couple hours tonight, I must say that I'm very, very pleased with the changes. As predicted, the biggest differences are the grenades and the melee attacking. The game feels good; very smooth, very balanced. It almost feels more like... *gasp* the original Halo.

Intro
In 1994, Bungie released a game for the Macintosh called Marathon, which many consider to be the first true three-dimensional first-person-shooter. Featuring a deep and inventive storyline, addicting and immersive gameplay, and eye-popping graphics, in many ways, it was an early iteration of what Halo would later become.

The final page of the game manual for Marathon contained the interesting account of the Greek general Multiades, who overcame staggering odds to soundly defeat a supposedly superior Persian army. Bungie provided the story as a textbook example of efficient and merciless warfare, and isolated seven key lessons to be learned from the battle at the Plain of Marathon.

That story has been reproduced here in its entirety:

The First Marathon
In 490 BC the Persian king Darius landed 20,000 cavalry, infantry and archers on the plain of Marathon and established a defensive beachhead where he intended to destroy the Greek forces before conquering Athens. The Greek general Multiades, leading 10,000 infantry, learned that the Persians were resting and watering their horses while awaiting the Greek attack. Multiades decided to forgo the standard, slow, phalanx formation and charged his troops at a dead run across the plain. Before the Persians could react, the Greeks were inside their archers' range. The Athenian infantry had superior armor and melee weapons, and the lightly-armed Persians, without archery or cavalry support, were butchered. A Greek soldier, Phidippides, ran the 26.2 miles from the Plain of Marathon to Athens, where he announced the Greek victory before dying.

Darius retreated to his ships, and sailed directly for Athens. Multiades, guessing the Persian intent, led the Athenians on an overnight forced march to the city. The next morning, the Persian fleet arrived at Athens to find the Greek army waiting for them. The Persians turned and fled. In all, the Persians lost 6,400 men; the Greeks, 192. Contrary to custom, the Greeks buried their dead on the Plain of Marathon to commemorate the victory.

<br />
	Carnage Ratio				1 : 33.33<br />
	Kills per Minute			13.73<br />

Lessons applicable to the game: move fast, seize the initiative, wield superior firepower, dive into the melee, anticipate enemy movements, slaughter the defenseless, endure.

Foreword
Ten years after the release of Marathon -- and indeed, some 2500 years after the slaughter at Marathon -- the keys to a successful battle have not changed. My goal here is to resurrect these ideas and apply them to the modern (but not altogether distant) game environment of Halo.

The ideas that follow are not mutually exclusive. Some of the material overlaps; you will see recurrent themes. Some of the material may seem to be contradictory. Combat is art, not science; there are no hard and fast rules. Make use of your own judgement.

Move Fast
It is vitally, critically, exceedingly important to be fast. Battles are won with speed. You can be a great shot, you can be tactically brilliant, you can carry better weapons, and on and on. But if you don't move with a good degree of haste, you're going to be in trouble. It is important to always be pushing.

This is really a pretty simple idea: the longer you leave your enemy to his devices, the greater risk you run of falling behind (in terms of both weapon pick-up and territorial position). If you can get things rolling faster than your opponent, it can be very difficult for him to change the momentum of the game.

The blitz can be a very practical, very efficient tactic if used with discretion. Many game types tend to promote a typical pattern of behavior: grab a sniper... grab the rocket... one guy watch the gate side... okay, here comes the enemy Warthog... and so on. If you can catch your opponent falling into this routine, you can have him by the balls at a very early point in the game. And as we all know, it is extremely difficult to play catch-up when you're caught off your guard at an early stage.

Seize the Initiative
This idea runs in the same vein as 'move fast,' but it's a slightly different concept. What we're talking about here, is taking advantage of opportunities that present themselves to you.

Don't be afraid to step up to the plate. It's kind of like asking that girl you know out on a date. You can't think about it, you have to just do it. Just stand up and take action. Otherwise, you're going to sit there waiting... and waiting... and waiting... until it's too late. And then you'll be left kicking yourself, and thinking, "What if I had just gotten up and said something?" You'll never know unless you go for it.

This combat lesson differs from the others in that it is largely psychological. You have to think fast; get those synapses firing. By all means, don't hesitate. Make a decision, commit to it, and follow through.

Wield Superior Firepower
Let's not beat around the bush about this one: bigger is better. I almost hate to admit it, but Halo 2 is largely a game of weapon control. Get the big guns and hold onto them.

"But I'm not really a big fan of such-and-such a weapon, so I usually just - "

Pick it up anyways. Hand it off to a teammate. At the very least, keep it out of the hands of the bad guys. You don't want to be out-gunned; it's going to seem like a loooong wait until your enemy runs out of ammo and the weapon respawns.

I like the SMG as much as the next guy; it's a cool weapon. But you have to switch that baby out (or at least supplement it) as soon as possible if you want to win battles. This may seem like common sense. And for the most part, it is. They key here is knowing which weapons constitute "superior" under different circumstances. Look at what you opponent is carrying and adjust accordingly. Don't just run in there with whatever you happen to have on hand; you probably won't fair too well.

I don't think I really need to go into too much detail about which weapons are better in which situations. Most of the competent players already know these things. Just keep in mind that each weapon has its weakness. Grab the appropriate ordinance and get in there with guns blazing.

(Which leads us to our next lesson...)

Dive Into the Melee
Never, ever hesitate to jump into an battle that's currently underway. Confuse the enemy; pick off the partially-weakened. Just get in there and mix it up. Particularly in team games, a little extra support mid-way through a battle can make all the difference in the world.

For some people, jumping in aimlessly is an acquired taste; many players prefer to stay out on the periphery and either throw grenades or pick people off with mid- and long-range weapons. It takes a certain type of person to say, "Screw it" and jump in among the throngs of bodies trying to destroy each other. But for those that learn to love it (and who learn to keep their cool amidst the bedlam), it can be extremely rewarding.

You're not gonna get kills unless you're in there duking it out.

Anticipate Enemy Movements
This is probably the most valuable lesson to be learned from the battle at Marathon. If I had to single out a particular lesson as being the most critical one of all, this would be it.

Try to learn your opponent's movement patterns. The really good players will try to randomize their movements, but inevitably, they'll fall back into some sort of pattern sub-consciously. There are prescribed ways of getting things done, and a lot of people will follow these methods time and again. Most players are surprisingly predictable.

The idea is to always, always be one step ahead. Get in your enemy's head. Figure out what he's going to do before he even figures it out. Be preemptive. Don't be reactionary. If you find yourself waiting to see what your enemy is going to do, you've already lost.

Slaughter the Defenseless
Alright. So there you are. You're cruising along, rocket launcher in hand, well on your way to a running riot, when you see your next victim. You're just out of motion sensor range, and he doesn't see you yet. So you follow. You've only got two rockets left; no sense wasting one of them on a guy who has no clue that you're even there. It'd be better to sneak up on him and bip* him from behind. Definitely.

The guy disappears around the corner. You crouch down and get ready to move in. You move slowly. You don't see him on your motion sensor, yet. Poor sap, he has no clue what's coming. Just as you turn the corner, you hear a sickening noise echo in the hallway.

*ch-chick... BOOM*

Shotgun. Right to the face. And now you're dead. Why are you dead? Because you didn't kill the guy when you had the chance.

You must be ruthless. You must be harsh and unforgiving. Take the cheap kills. Destroy the guy that isn't paying attention. Beat up on the weak link. There's no such thing as overkill. Don't be afraid to bust out that rocket launcher, even if your enemy has but a sliver of health remaining. Don't try to conserve ammo by getting in close for the melee attack; just put the poor bastard out of his misery. Don't toy with people who respawn in poor position and with poor weapons; just kill them. Jump right in and put them back on the respawn.

Trust me. There's nothing worse than sitting there for those 10 seconds thinking about how you should have had him...

Endure
As much as we might hate to admit it, we've all been on the losing end of a good 15- or 20-kill whooping. Whether you're having a bad game, or you're forced to cope with lag, or you fell behind early... It happens. And it's discouraging. At times like those, it's very easy to say, "We'll never come back: they have the good guns/they have the good position/they're better than us/whatever." But you can not give up.

Rally your team and get it done; it's all in your head. It just takes one person to say, "Guys, let's do this." Make the push. It doesn't happen too often than you can overcome a big deficit to win a game, but it does happen. You must want it. Never, ever, under any circumstances, give up.

*The term "bip" was coined by a friend of mine back in the days of the original Halo. It just means to melee attack someone. Try to use it in various parts of speech. It's fun.