Halopedia:Bungie Weekly Update 08-29-03

This is the Bungie Weekly Update of August 29, 2003, written by Brian Jarrard.

Bungie Update
It's hard to believe it's already been 7 days since our last update. Things are moving at a blistering pace as the Gearbox and Bungie teams work tirelessly to hammer out the last few kinks. It's been great getting frontline reports from Michel these past few weeks but unfortunately for us (but fortunately for those awaiting the game's release), he's locked himself in the confines of the Gearbox HQ until the game goes gold. While the testers and programmers are busy doing their thing, those of us who are less technically inclined are helping out by simply playing the beta. I may not know how to debug and dig into code but I DO know how to play. And play I have. What follows is a little snapshot of my own personal experiences playing the Halo PC beta...

Halo multiplayer is a fairly new adventure for me as I didn't have many opportunities to partake in Xbox LAN action before coming to Bungie. For me, each day has been a new experience. Whether it's creeping around Timberland with a sniper rifle or taking to the skies in Gephyrophobia, each game and each map always seems to offer something a little different. I'm quickly learning which strategies work and which ones don't. After hearing Michel's report last week, I had to try out some team Crazy King on Gephyrophobia. Man, talk about intense! One of the King zones appears right in the middle of the lower platform. You've got people firing and throwing grenades from above, Ghosts blazing full speed on the ground and Banshees strafing from the skies. Just when I get a foothold and start to accrue time... BAM!... the zone moves. This time, the zone is up on the middle level in between two stationary turrets. If a team plays together, it's devastating to have a few players inside the zone and a few others manning the turrets. Turrets are your friend. Another thing I've learned the hard way on this map - if your team doesn't maintain a presence in the skies, you've all but lost. Banshees are very effective at disrupting ground movement and causing havoc with their secondary attack but I've found the most satisfying way to eliminate an enemy is to simply ram him at full speed. =)

Timberland still remains one of my favorites of the new PC-exclusive maps. After spending a ton of time punishing people with my sniper rifle, I've moved on to some different approaches. The hilly terrain on this map will truly separate the rookies from the experts when it comes to driving a Ghost or Warthog. For the experienced pilot, it's a great feeling to drive at full speed while maintaining near perfect control. Using a mouse to drive does take a little getting used but in time it becomes second nature. So last night when I betrayed Achronos by accidentally running him over, I was just getting used to the mouse. Yeah, that's it. Playing race on this map is a lot of fun provided you are a decent driver. CTF on this map is great to play as well since penetrating a well defended base can be very difficult. Luckily the new rocket Warthog seems to be very effective for clearing out any defenders who are hiding inside. On defense, the flamethrower is devastating in close spaces and can wipe out an assault before they even touch the flag. Dead bodies burn a little bit after they drop and can actually be used to create a burning barricade around your flag. Any enemies who want to get the flag will have to first walk through flaming corpses and catch themselves on fire. Thanks to Shishka for sharing this hot tip.

Check back next week for more beta impressions and the latest developments leading up to final release. For more info on Halo PC, check out the Gearbox website for new screenshots each week. Over at the Microsoft site the featured map this week is Danger Canyon. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some fragging to do. After all, I'll need the biggest head start I can get before facing off against all of you!