View source for Cut Halo: Reach levels

{{Title|Cut ''Halo: Reach'' levels}}
{{Status|RealWorld}}
{{GameFiles}}
[[File:HR EarlyCampaignLayout Map.jpg|300px|thumb|An early "map" of the planned campaign structure for ''Reach''.]]
{{Series/Cut/HR}}
During the [[Development of Halo: Reach|production]] of ''[[Halo: Reach]]'', many '''levels were cut''' or otherwise massively re-worked.

==Lehto's original plan==
Early in the game's production, game director [[Marcus Lehto]] came up with an early draft for the game's campaign, which he later shared on Twitter.{{Ref/Twitter|Id=Levels|game_fabricator|1035367310725279744|Marcus Lehto|Quote=This was a very early campaign layout I made for Reach. Space combat. But it took brave people like @tipul [Mike Tipul] who made it a reality.|D=11|M=9|Y=2021}}{{Ref/Twitter|Id=Progression|game_fabricator|728974316654579712|Marcus Lehto|Quote=These are very early Reach mission progression ideas and adrenaline maps. Water craft were functional at that point.|D=25|M=10|Y=2021}}{{Ref/Twitter|Id=Plan|game_fabricator|896765628916260865|Marcus Lehto|Quote=Found this very early mission plan for Halo:Reach and campaign. Most of the sentiment made it into the final game - except water combat!|D=25|M=10|Y=2021}}
<gallery>
File:HR EarlyCampaignLayout.jpg|Lehto's early ideas for the direction of the campaign.
File:HR EarlyCampaignLayout Map.jpg|Another series of notes by Lehto.
File:HR EarlyCampaignLayout Notes.jpg|Early notes for the campaign's plan.
File:HR Reach EarlySetting Draft.jpg|An early exploration for the planet Reach itself.
</gallery>

===Mission 0 - Training===
According to Lehto's notes, the campaign would have begun with a [[UNSC Marine Corps|UNSC Marine]] recalling back to the events of the [[Fall of Reach]], and hinted towards "''some mysterious pivotal thing with which he was involved''". This would have then moved into the first mission, which would have consisted of simple training with the player's squad, alongside "communications".{{Ref/Reuse|Plan}}

===Mission 1 - Infantry battle===
The first level of the campaign, in Lehto's notes, was to be an infantry battle, and seemingly close to the final game's first level [[Reach:Winter Contingency|Winter Contingency]]. Lehto's planning document has the following notes for this level's first part:
{{Quote|Frantic opening battle<br>-seat of your pants terror<br>-lots of civilians in small coastal city<br>(more of an experience than combat){{Ref/Reuse|Plan}}}}

The notes of a horror-styled intro to build up the Covenant, and a more cinematic "experience"-based approach echo the early parts of Winter Contingency in which [[NOBLE Team]] investigate [[Visegrád]], encounter [[civilian]]s, and uncover the fate of [[3 Charlie]] before engaging the Covenant properly. However, unlike the document, the final game's Visegrád is a mountainous region, rather than a coastal one. The documents then say the following on the level's second part, referencing the more combat-heavy focus of the latter half of Winter Contingency:
{{Quote|regroup and plan and attack<br>-infantry + weapon training<br>-small town{{Ref/Reuse|Plan}}}}

===Mission 2 - Ground vehicle battle===
Labelled in Lehto's plan outline as "Ground Vehicle Training", this mission would have served to introduce players to the use of vehicles. The document reads:
{{Quote|-ground vehicle training<br>-wide open combat<br>-victory<br>-valley between mountains{{Ref/Reuse|Plan}}}}
The broad concept of this mission seems to line up with both the second half of Winter Contingency, and the mission [[Reach:ONI: Sword Base|ONI: Sword Base]]. The use of a more "training"-styled vehicle in simple battles, alongside the mention of a "''valley between mountains''" echo Winter Contingency's [[Spade]] truck and overall level setting, while the "''wide open combat''" and "''victory''" notes seemingly echo more of Sword Base's vehicle setpieces.

===Mission 3 - Boat level===
Named in the [[Halo: Reach DLC tag build|''Halo: Reach'' DLC test builds]] as <code>40_boat</code>, this level was planned to employ the [[Cut Halo: Reach vehicles#Motorboat|UNSC motorboat]] vehicle. The mission's name coincides with the final game map files numbering <code>m35</code> (for [[Reach:Tip of the Spear|Tip of the Spear]]) and <code>m45</code> (for [[Reach:Long Night of Solace|Long Night of Solace]]), with an apparent lack of an "<code>m40</code>" to fill the gap.

Outlined in Marcus Lehto's original game plans, this level was to involve the player attacking an "oil rig"-like structure in the ocean, with an approach similar to [[Wikipedia:United States Navy SEALs|Navy SEAL]] operations. The level was to have the target of the attack consist of a large, moving structure - a challenge for the engine and lighting due to a lack of ability to use BSP level geometry. A rough prototype was created based on the concept of boat combat.{{Ref/Twitter|game_fabricator|896770144961052672|Marcus Lehto|Quote=Yes, we had a very rough mission prototype around some kind of oil rig type structure in the ocean. Shooting enemies while jumping waves.|D=09|M=02|Y=2022}} According to [[Lee Wilson]], the mission was to additionally have a mechanic which would see players able to "ride torpedoes" in the water combat.{{Ref/Twitter|dangerousonion|896821460932501504|Lee Wilson|Quote=It was such a pity the riding of torpedoes during water combat didn't make it into the game #rememberreach|D=09|M=02|Y=2022}}

Lehto's documentation notes on the level were noted as the following;
{{Quote|4 - covert training -Seals type approach -boat attack -night -sink ship -off shore{{Ref/Reuse|Plan}}}}
{{Quote|3 - large moving platform. -ship at sea - sink it - have it slowly sink and pitch during mission. (challenge - lighting interiors of non-bsp geometry)!!!{{Ref/Reuse|Plan}}}}
{{Quote|Covert "Seals" boat attack<br>-night<br>-Sink Ship{{Ref/Reuse|Levels}}}}

Footage of the boat's in-game prototype were later shown at PAX 2010, alongside some of the wave technology developed presumably for the prototype.{{Ref/YouTube|Id=PAX10|pZs8ryXP4kE|Halo|PAX 2010: Bungie Halo: Reach Panel (Part 3)}}
<gallery>
File:HR Boat Screenshot 3P.png|Footage of the boat being driven on the water, later showcased at PAX 2010. Note the presence of the ''[[Halo 3]]''-era [[John-117|Master Chief]] character model - indicating this was still fairly early in development.{{Ref/Reuse|PAX10}}
File:HR_Boat_Screenshot_1.png|A screenshot of the boat on the water.{{Ref/Reuse|PAX10}}
File:HR_Boat_Screenshot_2.png|A screenshot of the boat on the water.{{Ref/Reuse|PAX10}}
File:HR BoatLevel Storyboard 1.jpg|A storyboard depicting the opening to the boat level: {{Quote|Ahh, rope deploying to the boat would have been fun. Alas, the boat mission was cut. Water physics was a real challenge back then.}}{{Ref/Site|Id=Storyboards|URL=https://www.artstation.com/artwork/nJ5xD4|Site=ArtStation|Page=Halo:Reach - Story * Cinematic Notebooks|D=09|M=10|Y=2025}}
File:HR BoatLevel Storyboard 2.jpg|A storyboard depicting the opening to the boat level.
</gallery>

===Mission 4 - Aircraft level===
Named in the DLC tag builds as <code>45_fightertown</code>, this level was seemingly intended to be the predominant aircraft mission in the game. Interestingly, the mission name shares its <code>45</code> numeration with <code>m45</code> - the final game level Long Night of Solace. 

Notes provided by Marcus Lehto indicate this mission was to involve the player using an aircraft of some variety to engage in aerial combat and clear out Covenant forces from a number of small towns to allow friendly forces to deliver supplies. It is unclear whether this would have involved the [[Cut Halo: Reach vehicles#Drone|UAV-like drone]] aircraft cut from the game, or would have been intended as a [[Falcon]] mission.{{Ref/Reuse|Plan}}{{Ref/Reuse|Levels}} At this time, no other levels in the game were described as having similar air combat segments (and initially, the final game level [[Reach:New Alexandria|New Alexandria]] was [[#Driving a Scarab|intended to]] involve a player driving a Scarab), indicating this may have been intended to be the game's Falcon mission. 

Ultimately, this level was scrapped and the Falcon moved to New Alexandria; the <code>45</code> designation was reused for Long Night of Solace. Lehto's documentation notes on the level were noted as the following;
{{Quote|5 -Air attack<br>-clear out area from above<br>-provide route in through for supplies (segment to 5-7 small towns){{Ref/Reuse|Plan}}}}
{{Quote|Air attack<br>-daylight<br>-Clear out area from above{{Ref/Reuse|Levels}}}}

Early tag builds for ''Halo: Reach'' contain an early map for <code>45_fightertown</code> which is closer in nature to Long Night of Solace, with an early blockout for [[Anchor 9]], several {{Class|Marathon|heavy cruiser}}s, and no shader work.{{Ref/X|___Gal4xy___|1627901550118023168|Galaxy|Quote=Well, looks like the entirety of "45_fightertown" was literally assigned only 1 shader for every part of the map. A grey shader. Easiest shader update ever lol.|D=09|M=10|Y=2025}}
<gallery>
File:HR 45FighterTown Screenshot.jpg|A screenshot of the blockout Fightertown/Long Night of Solace level.
</gallery>

===Mission 5 - Sniper level===
Labelled in Lehto's plan document as "sniper training", this mission's premise is similar to that of the final game's third level, [[Reach:Nightfall|Nightfall]]. In the mission, the player would have been deployed to a "''high ridge''" to work alongside Jun as a [[sniper]], taking out Covenant leadership.{{Ref/Reuse|Plan}} The document reads as follows:
{{Quote|-sniper training<br>-high ridge<br>-take out leadership targets<br>-up in ridge pass{{Ref/Reuse|Plan}}}}
{{Quote|Sniper Training<br>-Evening<br>-Remove leadership from power{{Ref/Reuse|Levels}}}}
In the final game's Nightfall level, the objective was changed from assassination to a reconnaissance mission on the Covenant [[landing zone]] in the [[Viery Territory]].

===Mission 6 - Hold the line===
{{Quote|-hold the line<br>-brudge to supply station through canyon is under attack<br>-hold area with a variety of heavy weapons + explosives!{{Ref/Reuse|Plan}}}}
{{Quote|Hold the line<br>-Dusk<br>-hold bridge for supply line{{Ref/Reuse|Levels}}}}

===Mission 7 - Space level===
{{Quote|-Low orbit aerial platform destruction<br>-fly ships around massive ship<br>-dog fight and eventually take down ship{{Ref/Reuse|Plan}}}}
{{Quote|Low orbit aerial platform attack<br>-noon<br>Dogsight around Cov ship + take it down{{Ref/Reuse|Levels}}}}

===Mission 8 - Supply convoy attack===
The "Supply Convoy Attack" mission is noted in Lehto's notes as a large vehicular setpiece mission, with the following notes:
{{Quote|-massive Covenant hover ships<br>-low over ground<br>-race around on small craft<br>-enter + destroy<br>-make DAMN sure there's always activity from other operations visible off in the distance{{Ref/Reuse|Levels}}}}
{{Quote|Destroy Covenant supply convoy<br>-Evening<br>-Take out massive hover platforms{{Ref/Reuse|Plan}}}}

In the above notes, this mission was to have taken place after the space battle level, with both documents describing a "Covenant hover platforms" - seemingly in reference to cut concepts for the [[Cut Halo: Reach vehicles#Siege engine|Siege Engine]] cut vehicle (later canonised as the [[Zashk-pattern Draugr|Draugr]]). It would have involved players using Warthogs and other light vehicles to attack and [[Naval boarding|board]] the Siege Engines, destroying them in a manner to the [[Deutoros-pattern Scarab|Scarab]] encounters in ''Halo 3''. Overall, these concepts correspond to several officially-released pieces of concept art depicting a Warthog charge on a Covenant army in the desert, and would seem to indicate that the broad concept behind this level may have later been reused and turned into the Warthog charge on [[Reach:Tip of the Spear|Tip of the Spear]].

<gallery>
File:HR CovenantArmy Concept 2.jpg|Concept art for a Covenant army, depicting what appear to be siege engines.
File:HR WarthogCharge Concept 1.jpg|Concept art for the level - note the presence of siege engines in the artwork.
File:HR EarlyDraugr Blockout Screenshot 1.jpg|An early blockout of the siege engine model for ''Halo: Reach''.{{Ref/Twitter|Id=DraugrModel1|___Gal4xy___|1590617916432449537|Galaxy|Quote=While going through more BSP's from Halo: Reach, I stumbled upon an early block out version of the mission "Tip Of The Spear", but the thing that took me by surprise was the fact there was a model of the Covenant Siege Engine on the BSP! The Siege Engine has been found!|D=11|M=02|Y=2023}}
File:HR EarlyDraugr Blockout Screenshot 2.jpg|An early blockout of the siege engine model.{{Ref/Reuse|DraugrModel1}}
File:HR EarlyDraugr Blockout Screenshot 3.jpg|An early blockout of the siege engine model, as viewed in first-person.{{Ref/Twitter|Id=DraugrModel2|___Gal4xy___|1610109353755041794|Galaxy|Quote=Damn, the Siege Engine is huge in person!|D=11|M=02|Y=2023}}
</gallery>
According to [[Halo: Reach storyboards|early storyboards]] uploaded by Lee Wilson, [[Rosenda-A344]] was to have been killed presumably in this mission. The storyboards depict her being sniped by [[Orsu Lar 'Ahtalee|the Elite Field Marshal]] while riding in a Warthog, resulting in the vehicle stopping to recover her body while Jun provides sniper support. According to Wilson, Rosenda's death was replaced by Kat in the final game, after Rosenda was cut (with Kat originally intended to be the one sent to escort Halsey later on).{{Ref/Reuse|Storyboards}}
<gallery>
File:HR RosendaDeath Storyboard 1.jpg|A storyboard depicting Rosenda's death: {{Quote|Rosenda was a Spartan team member who was cut due to budget. Her design proposal was to have her be a little shorter than the others to contrast with Jorge with whom she had a close mentor-mentee bond.}}
File:HR RosendaDeath Storyboard 2.jpg|A storyboard depicting Rosenda's death: {{Quote|I had always planned for the main antagonist to kill a beloved team member in a sudden way. Had we kept Rosenda, Kat would have lived to escort Halsey instead of Jun.{{Ref/Reuse|Storyboards}}}}
</gallery>

===Mission 9 - City level===
{{Quote|Storm the city<br>-Dawn<br>-Take back a portion of the city{{Ref/Reuse|Levels}}}}
{{Quote|City setting<br>-lots of rockets blasting out windows<br>-paper<br>-office furniture raining down<br>-play through buildings up to upper levels for sniping<br>open plan<br>-lots of destroyed and partially functional vehicles for cover + fun<br>-lots of glass{{Ref/Reuse|Plan}}}}

===Mission 10 - Last Great Battle===
{{Quote|Last Great Battle<br>-Afternoon<br>-Wave after wave of massive battle{{Ref/Reuse|Levels}}}}
{{Quote|Covenant Walkers<br>-blast them to bits with artillery guns<br>-take them over + drive them{{Ref/Reuse|Plan}}}}
{{Quote|Last Great Battle - Wave after wave of difference forces<br> - We annihilate them, but they give up trying to save the planet (to keep the Forerunner artifact) + glass the entire thing{{Ref/Reuse|Plan}}}}

==Production levels==
===Driving a Scarab===
While the {{Pattern|Deutoros|Scarab}} did ultimately make its way into the final game as a low-poly background entity on the levels [[Reach:Tip of the Spear|Tip of the Spear]] and [[Reach:The Pillar of Autumn|The Pillar of Autumn]] (with the latter level also featuring a more detailed, non-interactive setpiece Scarab at one point in the mission), early ideas for the game's campaign were to have the player character able to ''drive'' the Scarab. Early ideas for the level New Alexandria would have seen the player drive the Scarab in the remains of the post-[[glassing]] city. Prototypes for the Scarab were made and the physics involved was described by Chris Ophdal as "sweet", though the Scarab was ultimately considered unsustainable - especially with the high engine cost needed to run the level. Ultimately, the drivable Scarab was scrapped and New Alexandria was transformed into an aerial mission focusing on the [[Falcon]] instead.{{Ref/Site|URL=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-halo-reach-tech-interview?page=3|Site=Eurogamer|Page=Tech Interview: Halo: Reach - Page 3|D=11|M=9|Y=2021}}{{Ref/Game|Id=Commentary|HR|[[Halo: Reach Legendary Edition|Legendary Edition]]|Detail=developer commentary}}

[[Cut Halo: Reach dialogue|Cut dialogue]] for the missions Tip of the Spear and [[Reach:Exodus|Exodus]] shows that early plans for these levels were for both to feature Scarab encounters similar to those featured in ''Halo 3'' and ''[[Halo 3: ODST]]'', though all were cut.
<gallery>
File:ScarabNoble.jpg|The Scarab was ultimately realised in-game, though as a scripted setpiece with no gameplay attached.
</gallery>

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}
{{Levels|HR}}
{{Deleted Material}}
[[Category:Halo: Reach deleted material]]