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Author Topic: Halo: Combat Evolved  (Read 745 times)

Foe-hammer

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Halo: Combat Evolved
« Reply #60 on: December 23, 2003, 07:19:00 PM »

QUOTE (DuDeR MaN @ Dec 23 2003, 09:32 AM)
and those of you with INTELLIGENT thoughts who dislike halo, I would enjoy to read your review based on a mix of fact and opinion.

Yes, truly.
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Lt. DARRYL

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« Reply #61 on: December 24, 2003, 05:22:00 AM »

Yeah, "Halo-fests" (LANs) are alot of fun, I have them on a 1:1 week to LAN ratio.  Another great thing about Halo is that it is infinitely easier to LAN than many other popular PC FPS games such as UT2003 or BF: 1942, because you don't have to worry about getting the PC's networked, you don't have to worry about patch compatibility, expansions, installations, and all the other bullshit that you have to go through prior to a PC LAN.  Halo is just plug and play, and you are gaming within 5 minutes of your friends walking through the door.  640X480p is an acceptable resolution to game at, its obviously not 1080i or 1600X1200 but it still suffices.

And to Duder Man, all of the input that people put into this thread is contributing towards the review of the game, because of all of us or critiqueing the game in some fashion, whether it is a positive or negative input, it is still comparing and contrasting and reviewing the game, perhaps not in the way you expect or intend, but it is still accomploshing the goal of the thread, so let it continue.
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DuDeR MaN

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« Reply #62 on: December 24, 2003, 07:29:00 AM »

QUOTE (Lt. DARRYL @ Dec 24 2003, 10:22 AM)
And to Duder Man, all of the input that people put into this thread is contributing towards the review of the game, because of all of us or critiqueing the game in some fashion, whether it is a positive or negative input, it is still comparing and contrasting and reviewing the game, perhaps not in the way you expect or intend, but it is still accomploshing the goal of the thread, so let it continue.

I'm seeing few ideas being thrown around.  Half of this whole thread is nothing but people flaming other's for the opinion.  Last time I checked nothing gets done that way, not to mention mods don't seem to like it too often.  You go through this thread from start to finish and what do you see?  well...(these aren't real quotes but close enough to what this thread has been)

"halo sucks, nothing is great about it at all."

"you suck a-hole.. halo kicks ass"

"only PC shooters are good"

"no way, halo has perfect controls"

"fuck off, halo is the best game of all time, you should be shot"

"how can you even like a game that isn't 60fps, thats like so 2 years ago!"


It annoys me that this thread has kept going because this is not a forum where flaming should be tolerated, especially when this review forum is based mainly on opinion.  I personally feel each reply to a thread should be one of two things, either to praise to the author of the review or a couple of your own thoughts on the game itself.  Not lashing out at the author (I did in an earlier post but not about his opinion about ow he wrote the review and because of how he wrote it is why this is a flame war) and definatley not a arguement.  If this is the way you bounce ideas off of each other.. you need to grow up.

[edit] and I'm not a mod so my opinion of this subject doesn't even matter really but whatever... I'd hate to this forum get trashed.  This is my last reply on the subject matter (in this thread at least)
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Foe-hammer

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Halo: Combat Evolved
« Reply #63 on: December 24, 2003, 03:29:00 PM »

http://www.fit.com.r...ression/tc2.htm
As do you.

The xbox with it's 64 megs of ram needs all the help it can get to save memory, and using texture compression to produce the high res, big images it needs is a must.

Comparing the grass in halo is a terrible example, you are comparing the grass on the same damn level where the two pictures are taken just across the canyon from eachother.  That's like comparing a corner of my lawn with the opposite corner.  What do you want, burnt dead grass?  Your nit picking at things that are perfectly good.
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Foe-hammer

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« Reply #64 on: December 24, 2003, 08:43:00 PM »

QUOTE (Foe-hammer @ Dec 23 2003, 07:02 AM)
In order to use detailed, high res textures up close, larger textures must be used.  In doing so, a lot of memory is required and the necessary textures will not fit into memory. Using texture compression, textures can be compressed and stored in memory at a ratio of 4:1, effectively improving texture quality while keeping reasonable memory requirements.  This gets rid of the blurry pixely textures found in most 3D games, where this lack of detail is due to the use of low res textures. 

Reread my initial statement above.  I've said the same damn thing that you just said.  You are talking in a circle.  I perfectly understand what you're saying, and i agree with you, but saying texture compression does not improve a games image is wrong.  The whole purpose of texture compression is to save memory, so higher res, large texture can fit on the xbox's available ram.  If it were not so, the textures in halo would not have been so clean and detailed up close; there just is not enough available memory on the xbox to do this and the many other technically advanced visuals.  Texture compression is a means to an end.  The only way developers on the xbox are going to be able to produce large, high res textures, especially when up close, is if they use texture compression.  So yes, it does indeed improve the actual image.  I don't understand why this is so difficult to understand.

And a quote from the link i gave above, and the one you quoted:
QUOTE
Texture compression can allow for larger textures. While smaller, less detailed texture maps typically result in surfaces that look blurry or blocky, larger textures let the application provide more surface detail

I don't know how you could interpret this the wrong way.  "Providing more surface detail", means that the actual games image is improved.
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nothingisttrue

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« Reply #65 on: December 25, 2003, 08:06:00 AM »

jester.gif  rotfl.gif
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Foe-hammer

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« Reply #66 on: December 25, 2003, 09:46:00 AM »

QUOTE (ThunderMonkey @ Dec 25 2003, 08:35 AM)
I don't see how you're misinterpreting what I'm saying truthfully.

Having extra space in this day and age is great, but one day it won't be needed. It does nothing but allow for more useable space. It doesn't make the IQ any better, it doesn't make the textures a higher res. Given the current hardware limitations all it does is free up some bandwidth. It does nothing to improve the actual texture.

Which is what you were saying. You weren't saying it is helpful. You said:

QUOTE
1) Texture compression; where the closer you get to an object (tree, rock, etc.) the cleaner (higher res) the textures get. Games like quake 3 on a top of the line pc, back in 2001 on a PIII 1.4 Ghz, Geforce 3, 256 ram, the closer you get to an object the more blurrier and pixely they get.


Which isn't true.

Texture compression frees up space for those larger textures to be used, but has no factor in how the textures actually look. Let me put it to you this way. Mario Sunshine has some of the less appealing textures seen this generation, but Nintendo used the same S3TC compression technique used for Halo to save some space.

Now I still don't see what the huge misunderstanding is with this. TC can be considered a factor in more detailed texture sets, but it's far from a determining factor. It helps yes, but having an intelligent programmer, or better art assets counts for more then the space saved by a little trick. It is a little helper, but it doesn't change what the artist has already made.

Whatever.  Texture compression makes it possible for large detailed textures to be used with the xbox's limited memory.  And being able to use large detailed textures improves the games graphics; overall picture.  It's really that simple, don't make it more complicated than is neccessary.

Merry Christmas all.
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Bobby_vomit

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« Reply #67 on: December 25, 2003, 10:07:00 AM »

heres the final word on why halo sucks :
50 reasons:
1. The perfect fuel

Ever notice how the Warthog and Scorpion tank never run out of fuel? Don't you think that's rather odd? Apparently, Bungie Studios has discovered the secret to an eternal fuel source and isn't telling us.

2. Support for tyranny

The UNSC Marines are portrayed as "good guys," despite the fact that they work for an organization with origins in today's United Nations, an evil worldwide dominion which interferes with the affairs of peace-loving states such as Iraq and North Korea.

3. Profiling I

Captain Jacob Keyes eventually finds himself entrapped inside a giant Flood "blob." This is an obvious attempt to mock the former weight condition of Subway Diet champion Jared Fogle.

4. Profiling II

The Covenant races are all stereotyped; for example, the Grunts are always short and cowardly, whereas the Hunters are always strong and stupid. Is this the kind of perspective of other races we want or kids to grow up with?

5. Profiling III

UNSC Navy crewmen are all portrayed as "cowardly fools" in an obvious attempt to weaken US Navy morale.

6. You can't hug your children with nuclear arms

A nuclear device is used to destroy Halo and save all life in the galaxy. This runs contrary to the fact that nuclear weapons are evil.

7. False advertising

An advertisement for a colony ship is found on the level "Pillar of Autumn," yet Bungie Studios owns no such colony ship. To me, this smacks of fraud.

8. Phony Physics I

The UNSC Pillar of Autumn is supposed to have a drive system capable of faster-than-light travel. Yet Einsten's theory of relativity proves that matter cannot travel faster than light.

9. Phony Physics II

The Master Chief is somehow able to lift massive objects such as tanks. Apparently, Bungie Studios would have us believe that he is some sort of superhero or cyborg.

10. Phony Physics III

The Master Chief is able to see the outside world through his visor, yet we cannot see his face through his visor. What does he have to hide, and, most importantly, how is this possible?

11. Phony Physics IV

Sir Isaac Newton showed that objects are gravitationally attracted to each other's centers of mass. The center of mass of Halo is in the center of the ring, yet the Master Chief is obviously attracted to the ring's surface when in fact he and the rest of the objects on the ring should float toward its center.

12. Phony Physics V

When the Covenant Plasma Pistol is overcharged, it releases a bolt of plasma which homes in on its target. In fact, real glowing balls of plasma are not attracted to living tissue.

13. Phony Physics VI

Throughout the game, the Master Chief is able to cross "light bridges" to reach his destinations. However, real light does not support matter in this way--the Chief should fall through these "bridges" to his death.

14. Phony Physics VII

Often, weapons, corpses, and vehicles disappear for no reason at all. I guess Bungie Studios thinks it can creat a magical universe where objects vanish into thin air.

15. Irreverence

When his comrades die, the Master Chief never takes time to bury or cremate them, thereby showing disrespect for the dead.

16. Don't touch that window!

Neither the Master Chief nor his allies nor his opponents is ever injured by broken glass despite the fact that glass shards are extremely sharp and dangerous. Apparently Bungie Studios is in league with various Mexican window cartels in their downplay of the dangers of glass.

17. An Easier Way

There are undoubtedly female Marines and Naval crew aboard the Pillar of Autumn. Why doesn't Captain Keyes use their seductive potential to neutralize the Covenant threat à la Erin Brockovich?

18. Homage or Theft? I

The character of Cortana is similar to the AI named Durandal from the Marathon series. Can't Bungie come up with its own ideas instead of stealing those of others?

19. Homage or Theft? II

The Flood is based on the voracious corporate conglomerate AOL Time Warner.

20. Homage or Theft? III

The Elites' plasma sword was stolen from LucasArts' Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast.

21. Homage or Theft? IV

The doomed character of Captain Jacob Keyes is based on United States 2000 Presidential nominee Alan Keyes.

22. Homage or Theft? V

The short, scurrying Grunts are based on Utah Jazz point guard John Stockton.

23. Homage or Theft? VI

343 Guilty Spark's betrayal of the Master Chief was stolen from Cortana's betrayal of the Master Chief in Halo 2.

24. Support of Eastern Religions

Ever notice that if the Master Chief dies, he is able to start over in another life? This is an obvious allusion to the Hindu tenet of reincarnation.

25. The Grunts are Hindu too

Sometimes when a Grunt finds he has a plasma grenade attached to his body, he will yell, "Not again!" Are we to believe that he has been killed by a plasma grenade in a previous life?

26. Rock and Roll All Night?

Often, while the Master Chief is battling Covenant and Flood, ambient music will begin to play with no apparent source. I guess Bungie doesn't realize that in real life, music doesn't play out nowhere when dramatic things happen.

27. Leaving the Body

Whenever the Master Chief enters a vehicle, he is suddenly able to see himself from outside his own body, apparently undergoing a near death experience every time he gets behind the wheel.

28. The Cutting Room Floor

This game could have been improved by the inclusion of a Yellow Banshee.

29. Corporate Evil

I have recently discovered that Bungie Studios is in fact a subsidiary of the MS Corporation, also known as the Evil Empire and the Mauler of Fluffy Kittens.

30. It's Magic!

Whenever the Master Chief steps on a clear object with a colored sphere inside of it, he somehow gains abilities such as an overshield and invisibility. Sorry, Bungie, but stepping on geometric shapes does not give you super powers.

31. What's in a Name? I

The Truth and Reconciliation is an obvious racist jibe at "truth and reconciliation" committees formed to heal the scars of Apartheid in South Africa.

32. What's in a Name? II

The Pillar of Autumn is in fact not a pillar at all but a space-faring vessel.

33. What's in a Name? III

Halo is in fact not a halo at all but a giant hula hoop.

34. Shows How Much You Know

They're called aliens, not Covies!

35. Quelle Coincidence

The Grunts speak perfect English, which is highly unlikely considering the fact that they are not English at all.

36. Where Did He Go?

When playing with two Master Chiefs in Co-op Mode, I found that one of them vanished whenever there was a cutscene. I ask you, who is in charge of quality control at Bungie?

37. Not Appropriate for Children

One of the characters in Halo remains unclothed and uncensored throughout the game. Do we really want to expose our kids to nudity at an early age and thus lead them into a life of sexual perversion? Couldn't Bungie have at least put some underwear on 343 Guilty Spark?

38. Funny-looking Beetles, Those...

Seargent Johnson calls the Covenant "bugs," despite the fact that they do not even resemble insects.

39. Selective Stickiness

The plasma grenade sticks easily to a person when it is thrown at him or her, yet it never sticks to the thrower's hand.

40. Shameless Promotion I

Whenever the Chief is holding a gun in a cutscene, it is always the Assault Rifle. Does Bungie have some sort of underhanded contract with manufacturers of heavy firearms?

41. Shameless Promotion II

Captain Keyes is shown smoking a pipe during the level "Pillar of Autumn." Apparently, Bungie Studios would have us believe that smoking a pipe is harmless so that we will fall into the deadly clutches of Big Tobacco and Big Marijuana.

42. Casting I

Why couldn't the Master Chief have been played by N*Sync pop star Justin Timberlake?

43. Casting II

Why couldn't 343 Guilty Spark have been voiced by Gary Coleman?

44. Casting III

Why couldn't the nubile Cortana have been played by former US Attorney General Janet Reno?

45. Casting IV

Why couldn't one of the Marines have been voiced by Brian Morden?

46. The Man with the Morphing Gun

Start a game in Co-op Mode, and have one player watch the other switch weapons. Note that when the Master Chief switches weapons, his first gun simply morphs into another. Also note that real guns don't do this.

47. Out of Character

The Covenant, which are supposed to be a ruthless league of alien races, also use purple vehicles, despite the fact that purple is for girls.

48. Salary Cap

How is the Master Chief meant to be a realistic character? Wouldn't a real cyborg sign on to a professional sports team to earn big bucks?

49. That's Some Gene Therapy

The AI Cortana modeled her physical appearance after that of the woman she was based on. Are we supposed to believe that Dr. Halsey constantly walked around naked, exposing her purple, binary-lined skin to the world?

50. Lack of Merchandising

Where's my Grunt plushie, dagnabbit?
My Webpage
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XMAN0024

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« Reply #68 on: December 26, 2003, 09:30:00 AM »

oh grow up everyone has there own opinion.. The game is 3 years old... let the game die for god sake..
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Foe-hammer

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« Reply #69 on: December 26, 2003, 01:15:00 PM »

Halo's been out for 3 yrs, huh.  That's rather amazing considering the xbox just barely turned 2 yrs old.
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Bobby_vomit

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« Reply #70 on: December 26, 2003, 03:15:00 PM »

BANNED
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Mast3r Ch13f

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« Reply #71 on: December 26, 2003, 08:59:00 PM »

mad.gif .
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nothingisttrue

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« Reply #72 on: December 26, 2003, 11:31:00 PM »

jester.gif
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LepPpeR

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« Reply #73 on: December 29, 2003, 07:28:00 PM »

This thread just plan sucked.
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