In Bungie's latest weekly update Frankie answered some of the questions that people have been asking about the beta, so I decided to post a few of the Q&A's here.
Before I do, I came away with a higher level of respect for Bungie when it comes to how they handle and fine tune Halo's multiplayer design. When you read the update, the first thing you will notice is an overhead view in grid form of Valhalla. What makes this grid view so interesting is that Bungie uses these grids to map the "hot spots" in each map and adjust and tweak the maps accordingly for a better experience.
So all of you haters out there and especially all of the developers out there that shove shitty online games down our throat. Pay attention to what Bungie is doing, because there is a reason Halo is the best online multiplayer game around. They use the latest technology not to mention busting their ass to produce a killer product (unlike Killzone) when it comes to multiplayer functionality.
Stan Marsh: What's missing from the public beta that was/is available in the internal beta?
A: In short, lots of stuff. To be specific, you’re missing obvious things, like levels, weapons, vehicles and so on, but you’re also missing a vast swathe of functionality – some hinted at (character customization) and some explained plainly (Saved Film functionality). I would describe what you’re playing in the Beta as a small percentage of what you’ll have access to in the final game – and while we’ll obviously have lots of new maps and extra game modes, there are a few things we’re still saving as surprises.
Scottymate: How does the game calculate the MVP at the end of the game? And why does it seem to get it wrong sometimes?
A: Well, for one thing, the game is in Beta and MVP is not functioning the way it will in the final game, but MVP will be decided on a formula that changes on a per game type basis. So in a game of CTF, successful flag caps can be more important than kills. We’ll also be implementing measures to prevent incidences of betrayals and other unsportsmanlike conduct.
xI MadRoX Ix Why can't we use N64 as a service tag in Halo 3?
A: Because it’s somebody else’s trademark and a common combination – imagine being in a game where half the players used the same Service Tag? It would defeat the purpose of having it.
JoeSki73: Why does the mongoose sound like a 50cc 4-stroke engine? (weak and "slow" sounding.) Is this the final version? I wouldn't mind hearing a strong "fast sounding" motor. A 2-stroke might be nice?
A: Because it sounds sweet. 2-stroke sounded too clean and domestic. We wanted a sound with a little visceral oomph. And if you listen carefully, you’ll hear that it’s actually a combination of two different engine types.
Ajustice: How far off is the beta from the current build you guys are kicking around the office? What has changed between these builds?
A: There are different multiplayer builds appearing on our dev kits every day. Sometimes the weapon/equipment/vehicle placements change, sometimes the fundamental construction of a map changes, sometimes there’s some new, mind-numbing effect that scorches your eyes out of your skull. It changes daily.
Click here to read the update!
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