VGL Asks Players To Vote On Tourney Games
VGL is letting players vote for what games they want to play in tournaments. More information on VGL's tourneys, as well as instructions on how to vote, can be found at the VGL news page. Thanks Jeff Gross.
Death by intelligence.
I Am Dead, I Just Haven't Stopped Moving Yet
Having finally gotten online, I've just now gotten around to discussing my favorite topic related to Internet gaming: the scourge of lag. Of course, the broadband-only Xbox Live service is designed not to have any, but under extreme circumstances there is still some lag to deal with. The first part of the High Ping Bastard's Guide to Halo 2 is on how choosing the right weapon for when you're playing on a not-so-fast connection.
Weapons and Encounter Times
Halo 2's weapons, compared to Halo 1's and perhaps compared to other shooters, work or combine in such a way that the average time of any given encounter is greatly reduced. This makes any latency you are experiencing a greater percentage of the total encounter time than it would be if it took longer to get a kill, and places a lagged player with dual SMGs going up against a player also with dual SMGs is at a greater disadvantage than if both players had single SMGs.
High Ping Bastard's Guide to Halo 2
In many ways Halo 2 deals admirably with lag, but the game engine cannot ignore the inescapable fact that latency creates a difference between what the player perceives is going on, through his screen, and what is really going on in the server's authoritative world.
So how does a player with an above-average ping cope with the stiff competition on Xbox Live? Read on.
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Bungie Brings Shame And Dishonor To America
The pistol-whipping delivered to Bungie in last week's Humpday Challenge came from the land of the rising sun, in the form of the GunShin clan. The match was arranged by Microsoft's Japanese office, who was apparently asked to find a "group of typical Japanese players". Bungie lost all three games.
MLG Online League Filling Up
dolbex writes that Major League Gaming's new online leagues are starting to fill up-- go check out the site for details on how to register your team!
Bungie Reveals Halo 2 Map Expansion Plans
[image:9163 align=left hspace=5 vspace=5 border=0]Xbox.com and Bungie.net have news on Bungie's map expansion and downloadable content (DLC) plans for Halo 2.
At the end of next month, there will be two maps available for free to Xbox Live subscribers, and an additional two maps available for $5.99.
H2 mp turf
H2 mp sanctuary
H2 mp containment
H2 mp warlock
Bungie Studios Moving Into New Digs
Over at Bungie Sightings, mnemesis points out a King County Journal story that says that Bungie Studios will be moving out of the Microsoft Millennium Campus in Redmond and into the Kirkland Hardware Store, previously home to the longest-running retail business in the area, open from 1890 to 2000. The move is apparently designed to alleviate space concerns and "maintain camaraderie".
Cheaters Never Win... At Least, Not For Much Longer
Frankie's Weekly What's What Update is mostly about what Bungie is doing to deter cheaters and how close they are to releasing the fixes they've been working on. Very soon now. There's also a mention of the DLC-- just that it will be announced well in advance, and be made available to users of Xbox Live and other Halo 2 owners as well.
Marginally Improved Graphics, Indeed
Penny Arcade's side of the Humpday Challenge debacle is up now; responses come in both verbal and visual forms. Tycho thought that Bungie's triumphant victory would make up for their initial review of Halo 1..
Kill Covies For Christ
Louis Wu at HBO noticed, and Major Nelson also commented on, this article at the Christian Post about using Halo 2's storyline as an example for, and even the Xbox Live communicator as a vehicle for, as they put it, "testifying the faith"-- despite their apparent disapproval of the ga