FAQs and Information Thread [*Spoilers*]

[Ty-Rex]

Originally Posted by Joker0fLife

(Brute Hammer is probably gone)

Well I do remember reading that Grifball was going to be a premade gametype in Halo 4, so I think the hammer will be back, but if not, at least something that is the equivalent.

Looking forward to the OXM Halo stuff when it comes out. I still spent like ten minutes reading the Game Informer article once I got it despite having already read it online.

[LickableLemons7]

Just thought I'd say that a Halo 4 concept art theme has been released, and it's premium. Those who want to download it can do so now for 240msp, and drool in wonder at the beauty of it all in anticipation for November 6th, 2012.

From what I've seen, it does look rather splendid, but I don't have any msp(well, I do have 30). The next time I stock up on msp I will probably be getting this(as well as Minecraft and those Walking Dead episodes). I guess those who download it can vomit up their thoughts on the theme, and let us know how it is.

That's the first time I've bothered discussing about a dashboard theme for the 360, regardless of it being with a friend or in these here forums. Huh. Well, it IS Halo 4...

[DarkReign2021]

Lol. That sounds about like my upcoming shopping splurge. Walking dead, Minecraft, and Halo 4 Premium theme. lol

[Ty-Rex]

Good call on the Railgun, guys.


RAILGUN
DESIGNATION: Asymmetric Recoilless Carbine-920
MANUFACTURER: Acheron Security
The ARC-920 Railgun is a compact-channel linear accelerator that fires a high-explosive round at incredible speed, delivering both kinetic and explosive force to both hard and soft targets alike.

Reposting from GameInformer's site since it's getting bombarded right now.

Here's the article on GI's site itself along with specs on the AR, BR, DMR, and acronym combo-breaking Sniper Rifle.

[DarkReign2021]

I don't know if being right is a good or a bad thing... I've been doing this for too long. lol. At any rate, happy to see a rail gun entering the Halo universe finally. In fact, by the sounds of it they're going to have a large variety of weapons like Assault Rifles and Carbines and LMGs. Could play well into my theory that Halo might take a Battlefield-esque approach in scale.

[LickableLemons7]

So would this rail-gun be the UNSC's version of a brute shot?

Another vid from Halo4Follower:

Halo 4 News - Rail Gun, Live Action Series, & Pistol Revealed! - YouTube

Halo 4 News - Rail Gun, Live Action Series, & Pistol Revealed! - YouTube

Supposed screenshot of a pistol during gameplay, and two more of the assault rifle. Anybody thinks that these are real?

Forge has been confirmed to return.

And then there's that new live-action web series, "Forward unto Dawn." Apparently it's about a "young UNSC cadet who becomes inspired by Master Chief." This cadet eventually becomes a leader aboard the Infinity. Sounds like it's gonna be up to snuff.

[Zyronin]

I'm glad that you will still be able to customize your armor, I was looking in the newest Game Informer and all the multiplayer Spartans looked exactly the same. I was a little concerned now I realize they were probably just keeping the cool new armor pieces under wraps. Hope they allow individual armor pieces to be customized further i.e. more than 3 choices, maybe color for each piece. Also glad the armor will have active effects in game to some degree, even if it is slightly off balancing will still be really cool to be able to "equip" differing boosts. Looking forward to the continuation of the Halo series.

[Mackepappa]

thx for the information

[Shadowzsn1p3r125]

Yay I love browsing the armory in Halo Reach and I would love to do the same in Halo 4. I hope they have even more customization.

[Vectorman953]

if you had asked me a month or two ago, I was really skeptical, especially with how the Game Informer info was dribbling in.

But now that the Game Informer information has been clarified, plus the limited edition information - I've pulled a 180. I'm extremely excited for this game.


Plus...

Spoiler! (click here to reveal)

Bioshock Infinite got delayed another five months... so this is the only real game on my radar for the year. that comes immediately to mind anyway.

[n1ck3sixty]

I knew I signed up to twitter for a reason

Danny Clayton (A supposed voice actor in H4) has just posted this regarding his role.....
(Hopefully its the right size and everyone can read..)


For anyone who cant view the screenshot, he talks of a 'Swamp Marine'.
Anyone got any idea what/who they are? Does this mean UNSC may come to MC's aid in H4? Or maybe soldiers who landed on the planet earlier than MC?

EDIT: An earlier tweet from Clayton reads as follows:
"Geeked out in a BIG way today. Doing voice overs for characters in #Halo4 @oakleyAus_NZ"

With the tweet below appearing a few hours later

[LickableLemons7]

It wouldn't surprise me if some Marines were sent out to the distress beacon Cortana deployed at the end of Halo 3. John's been in cryo for 4 years, 7 months, and 10 days. So it could be a possibility that the Covenant discovered the beacon before the Marines and beat them to it in an untimely fashion. Never heard of "Swamp Marines" though. Darn ONI, keeping secrets from us.

[Vectorman953]

Swamp Marines, eh?
Reminds me of a certain someone

[DarkReign2021]

Hmm... nothing on "Swamp Marines" in the database. The closest relation to swamp in the Halo series is the level 343 Guilty Spark, but we already have a confirmed list of KIA and survivors from Installation 04. The way he refers to himself as Swamp Marine 1 would also suggest that it has nothing to do with any past elements in the series since it's such a vague title whereas key characters usually have an established name (though Halo has always done a good job giving even fodder marines names. He's probably just doing it to be careful.) I would guess that they aren't going to use unique individual voice actors for every soldier in the game, however, so for this Danny Clayton to be a voice actor for a "swamp" marine, I would guess it's less to do with a specific marine in a specific 'swampy' segment of the game. Seems more likely that Swamp would be an acronym or moniker of some sort. Kind of like ODST or Helljumper. The question is what could SWAMP be referring to... perhaps a specialty squad (like ODST) that specialize in 'on the ground' Reconnaissance or 'behind enemy lines' discreet sabotage.

We already know that Infinity is going to play a role in Halo 4, however, so ONI and the UNSC will definitely maintain a presence in the trilogy to some unknown degree. Infinity is stocked almost entirely with Spartan IV's, however, so I don't know if the presence of a basic marine (or even an ODST) would really be warranted. We do still have the possibility of the Spirit of Fire being stranded out there somewhere (I'm not letting that go until somebody from 343 tells me it's not happening to my face!) and I remember hearing a rumor from a while back where somebody claimed to have seen an early showing of the game and mentioned Humans that were already established on the world and had some advanced technology fused with their weapons and vehicles (Warthogs with anti-gravity propulsion and such.) Granted it's not much to go on, but if it does have any truth to it that could explain the presence of the marines as well as the possible need for a moniker like "Swamp Marine" (which would suggest meaning they had been "living off the land" or something along those lines.)

I'm probably over-thinking everything, but it beats missing something.

[n1ck3sixty]

Again, Twitter has prevailed!!
Found this http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology...lo-4-interview

All of it looks like info we already know, but this section:
"We have the Spartan Ops story mapped out, at least loosely, for a few years. The first season is very rigid at this point and we know where this story goes. If it's successful, if people enjoy it, we have a narrative arc that can last for years, with a known beginning, a middle and an end."

A MP storyline that could last a few years??!!
Although the 1st Episode will be free (im guessing it will be packaged with the game as standard?) somewhere else in the article they say the other episodes will need to be purchased.....
Will certainly be interesting to see how it all goes....

[Vectorman953]

I take "a few years" to mean that Spartan Ops will be continue (be imported) into Halo 5, rather than giving Halo 4 a extra long shelf life (not that I wouldn't want that).

That narrative arc stuff is really awesome. I hope you can play the episodes as you want though (like episode one is available forever, isn't just erased/replaced by episode two when that comes out) since I'll be completely immersed in the campaign for the first two weeks.
I'm finding it hard to find another game to compare the SpartanOps content to. It seems like really really quickly released episodic content dlc, which no game that I've ever played has/had. Not that I was aware of anyway.


I'm really interested to see the explosion of content that happens when the E3 news drops - I'm at work all day but can still check the forums on my phone every now and then until I get home and watch the DVR'd conference

[DarkReign2021]

Frankie has already confirmed that the episodic Spartan Ops Content will not cost extra. It is included as part of the original $60 package. Whether or not this encompasses the entire lifespan of the title or perhaps just one story of a set is yet to be determined, but at any rate we will have enough free content to keep the game active for some time after release. We will at least get to complete one storyline free of charge.

I'm pretty sure the same article mentioned that Spartan Ops episodes will not simply disappear once the next one goes live. The entire season will be available to late comers.

[Vectorman953]

After watching one of the videos posted on this site (link) but the Spartan Ops video seemed to me like a glorified version of firefight. Not that I'm complaining, I think it'll be great fun. Probably my most played mode after beating campaign a few times.

What I am ready to complain about is how the multiplayer is turning out.
(Detailed here)
Killstreak ordinance drops? No thanks.
Thruster-Teleport? Nah.
Passive perks? We'll see.

But god to those menus (in the IGN link, the third/last video) look friggin sexy.

[Wer Bn]

I think they're doing a great job.
First of all: I was kinda sick of Halo enemies. These new robot/forerunners thingy got me excited.

The removal of armor lock. It's pretty good, since to many people were complaining about it.
They replaced it with that shield. TOUCHÉ 343

[danielhauck007]

Wow, great job putting this together. I'm so excited for Halo 4. Since Halo 1, every Halo game released has brought so much anticipation.

[RBmaster9345]

Anyone know how much the Limited Edition is priced at? There's a lot more goodies in there that I want compared to previous Limited or Legendary Editions

[Ty-Rex]

Originally Posted by RBmaster9345

Anyone know how much the Limited Edition is priced at? There's a lot more goodies in there that I want compared to previous Limited or Legendary Editions

Amazon currently has it listed at $100, and I'm sure that's what it will be judging by Reach and Halo 3's limited edition price points.

[DarkReign2021]

New information released from ExpertZone. Nothing really major, but it gives us some concrete minor details (whether they're good or bad is a different story.)

http://www.littleenglishhaloblog.com...xpertzone.html

Summarized:

Panel 1: Halo is the next big epic adventure set for this Holiday season. (Duh? We already knew this.)

Panel 2: Recaps how epic and awesome Halo is (Did they really feel it was necessary to tell us this?)

Panel 3: Timeline recapping the release of all past Halo titles and bragging about how well they all did (though it's sad to see a steady decline in sales after Halo 3.)

Panel 4: Explains that you're continuing as the Master Chief after the events of Halo 3. (Because we totally didn't already know this.)

Panel 5: New enemy, mysterious new world, Chief finally has a true nemesis, Can Cortana be trusted? (Cortana has gone batshit crazy. I wonder just how prominent this will be throughout the campaign. Could make for some interesting discussions between her and John.)

Panel 6: 10 new weapons, 2 new vehicles and the return of old classics, restates battling against new enemies and an ancient evil (Only 2 new vehicles? Kinda sad for going up against the advanced and superior Forerunners. At least we get some new weapons out of the bunch even though we've already seen at least 4 of them.)

Panel 7: Campaign is upping immersion levels. Mentions something about calling your friends to brag (because my friends totally want me calling them to spoil moments of the game that they might not have experience yet. Those are called spoilers.)

Panel 8: Details War Games. Improved Accessibility, career progression to unlock weapons and equipment, better matchmaking, drop in and out of matches, able to search and create groups (sounds like Clan features are finally making a return. Haven't seen these since... what? Halo 2? About damn time. At least 343 knows what's smart. Effectively gives us a second Friends list exclusively for our Halo 4 buddies if my guess is right.)

Panel 9: Brand new Gametypes, 10 MP maps confirmed at launch, Specializations to enhance gameplay, more maps coming via DLC (Only 10 maps? I hope they don't get stale as quickly as the ones in Halo: Reach did. And they better not just be a bunch of Forge World maps. Speaking of which, have they even confirmed Forge yet? I don't think they have...)

Panel 10: Mentions Spartan Ops. Confirms 5 missions a week and 10 weeks of missions planned for Season 1. Absolutely free. Braggingly asks "how many games give you free DLC for 10 weeks?" (Sounds like Season 1 will be free, but they'll most likely charge for seasons after that. Hopefully the first one proves to be enjoyable enough to make more season worth owning. I'd prefer story-based DLC over map packs any day.)

Panel 11: Conclusion Details covering what we've learned (In short, another whole panel detailing how amazing Halo 4 will be and how much other games wish they could be it. If you read between the lines, 343 is giving BO2 the finger the entire time. Probably hocked a couple loogies while they were at it.)

[Vectorman953]

Yeah, the only thing that I was really able to take away from the pamplet was the "two new vehicals" and how the Spartan Ops will work.

The way I see it, Spartan Ops is going to operate like firefight matches with short cutscenes, or vocal/voice-over blurbs explaining why you're there... Hopefully the campaign/story content matches up with the fun-levels (of course it will be fun) so that I'd actually feel like i was getting something when I immediately pay for it. I don't care if it's just a squad exploring where the books won't go - I just want it to actually be canon.

As for the vehicles, I really highly doubt they'd have a forerunner/promethean vehicle. Seeing as how the species seems to get around just fine by itself. I do expect the yearly upgrade to the covie car that caries a driver, turret, and the two side passengers. There's always one of those...

Edit: One thing that really resonated with me was that the infopacket described that this was the first time that teh masta chef was going to have a true/singular antagonist/nemesis. Which I believe to be the didact, but we shall see.

[DarkReign2021]

Originally Posted by Vectorman953

Yeah, the only thing that I was really able to take away from the pamplet was the "two new vehicals" and how the Spartan Ops will work.

The way I see it, Spartan Ops is going to operate like firefight matches with short cutscenes, or vocal/voice-over blurbs explaining why you're there... Hopefully the campaign/story content matches up with the fun-levels (of course it will be fun) so that I'd actually feel like i was getting something when I immediately pay for it. I don't care if it's just a squad exploring where the books won't go - I just want it to actually be canon.

As for the vehicles, I really highly doubt they'd have a forerunner/promethean vehicle. Seeing as how the species seems to get around just fine by itself. I do expect the yearly upgrade to the covie car that caries a driver, turret, and the two side passengers. There's always one of those...

Edit: One thing that really resonated with me was that the infopacket described that this was the first time that teh masta chef was going to have a true/singular antagonist/nemesis. Which I believe to be the didact, but we shall see.

It refers to the true Nemesis as being "an ancient evil." Depending on what perspective you look at it, it could be the Didact or something completely different. Although by the standards of humanity the Didact would be considered ancient, the Forerunner novels have persistently referred to ancient enemies in regards to Precursors, the Timeless One, Graveminds, etc... so stating it's an ancient evil is subjective to what frame of mind they're approaching from.

Same thing goes with 'Evil'. Even though the Forerunner and Humanity seem to be at odds with one another, I've never expressly heard the Forerunner referred to as 'Evil.' As of this point in the Forerunner trilogy, the Didact and Librarian are still avid supporters of Humanity, so the certainty of the Didact is blurry at best. He may very well take a turn in Silentium, but no signs have pointed to him being the next nemesis outside of him being the most seemingly capable antagonist against the likes of the Chief.

[tHc Sephiroth]

i dont understand how all of you can complain have you played it, more than likely no so seriously everyone thought halo 2 was gonna suck and there was no beta, but no everyone compares all the multiplayer of halo to halo 2 so quit complaining and wait for the game to come out

[LickableLemons7]

Woah, woah, woah! In panel 3, has Halo Anniversary shifted 15 or 1.5 million copies? If it did only 1.5 million...that's pretty depressing.

[DarkReign2021]

It's only 1.5 million, but even still that's not too bad for an HD remake. When you consider Halo: CE isn't that old, the original still works on the 360, it lacked the original multiplayer component, and it's $30 cheaper than the anniversary, really breaking Platinum is an impressive feat in itself. It saw more success than most of the HD remakes that have 3 or 4 games included like DMC and MGS.

[LickableLemons7]

Those are all very good points. Still, I can't help but groan and mumble, wishing Anniversary would dish out a sturdier 3-5 million copies. Let it catch a wider scope of attention from audiences and make them realize the potential 343i has with the Reclaimer trilogy.

[DEG23]

It would be interesting to know of the 1.5M how many were fans of the original and bought it for nostalgia and how many were people who started on this gen Halo titles like ODST or Reach and experienced CE for the first time. Not really important but i'm just curious.