A neat little feature of the new site system we're testing-- no, it's not running the live site here yet, it's elsewhere-- let us know that Halo.bungie.org had just posted an update, and here's what Louis spotted: the fourth part of PlanetXbox's Halo Developer diary by none other than the illustrious Jaime Griesemer (aka Flawless Cowboy aka Case).
Okay, true believers... before you click the link to read GameSpot UK's preview of a nearly complete copy of Halo, decide how much you really want to know before you play the game for yourself. While the revelations aren't completely new or startling, some people probably don't want to know any more about the backstory than they already do... so if you're in that part of the pack, you've been forewarned.
September 28, 2001 Originally at Battleground: Halo.
The Halo Update is one week away from its first birthday. I guess next week we'll throw a little party for it - cupcakes and party hats and maybe a pony. But soon thereafter we'll be done with Halo and then we'll have to take it out back and shoot it. The Halo Update, I mean. Not the pony.
There hasn't been much discussion of it here at Rampancy, where recent threads have focused more on the recent disasters in New York and Washington, DC as well as the relative sociopolitical merits of certain theistic and nontheistic belief systems. But over in the Halo.bungie.org forum everyone's been up in arms about the recent confirmation that in addition to having no Internet play at launch, Halo also won't be able to substitute computer-controlled enemies in multiplayer game types.
Meaning, no bots .
There's been an ongoing discussion in the Halo.bungie.org forum about an item in the last update about Covenant units in Halo that would self-destruct upon dying, making killing them dangerous. Some sought to find links between similar suicide units in other Bungie games, like the Wight from Myth and the Assimilated Bobs in Marathon.
Well, it seems while I slept the blissful slumber of the terminally unaware, a couple of bombshells dropped in the Halo universe.
The first was expected: Matt's latest update at Bungie.org. Really not too much here except some praise all around for the good work done by The Bear , Marty, and everyone else. However, there were some hints about easter eggs:
Mike Weber from PlanetXbox has written us to let us know they have a new first look feature on Halo. There isn't anything particularly earth-shattering, but it is a nice compilation of what we know so far, and a look ahead to what Halo will be upon release. They have especially nice things to say about the AI and physics code:
Originally at Halo.bungie.org.
An eerie calm settles over Bungie HQ as we approach the moment when we start calling them release candidates instead of just builds. A sense of quiet contemplation sets in, and the silence of employees hard at work is only broken by the occasional cry of DIIIIIIIIIIIIIINK! as a rocket launcher or sniper rifle does its dirty work. This is what Bungie is all about.
I saw how bummed out people were this afternoon after MS launched and then retracted their Halo website. Peter suggested I could cheer you guys up with a new screenshot. As you already know, there's not a lot for me to talk about these days, so screenshots sounded good. Besides, other people had suggested back in the day that I include a screenshot with every update, and I never said I would, but I never said I wouldn't either. Peter happened to have several lying around, so we took a look at them.