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Blam engine: Difference between revisions
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*Blam! engine | *Blam! engine | ||
*''Halo'' engine | *''Halo'' engine | ||
*Midnight engine {{C|''[[Halo 4]]''}} | |||
|developer=[[Bungie]] | |developer=[[Bungie]] | ||
|entereddev=[[1997]] | |entereddev=[[1997]] | ||
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}} | }} | ||
The '''Blam engine''',{{Ref/Site|Id=TigerEngine|URL=https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1022106/Lessons-from-the-Core-Engine|Site=GDC Vault|Page=Lessons from the Core Engine Architecture of Destiny|D=22|M=9|Y=2021}} often stylised '''Blam! engine''' | The '''Blam engine''',{{Ref/Site|Id=TigerEngine|URL=https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1022106/Lessons-from-the-Core-Engine|Site=GDC Vault|Page=Lessons from the Core Engine Architecture of Destiny|D=22|M=9|Y=2021}} often stylised '''Blam! engine''', alternatively known as simply the '''''Halo'' engine''', and sometimes known as the '''Midnight engine''' in the case of ''[[Halo 4]]'',{{Ref/Site|Id=ArtstationMidnightEngine|URL=https://www.artstation.com/artwork/Q53Ll|Site=Artstation|Page=Thomas Stubbs, HALO 4|D=03|M=10|Y=2022}} is the [[Wikipedia:Game engine|game engine]] that powers the majority of ''[[Halo (disambiguation)|Halo]]'' titles, beginning with ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' in [[2001]]. It has since been succeeded by the [[Slipspace Engine]] in [[2021]], with the release of ''[[Halo Infinite]]''. | ||
==Development history== | ==Development history== | ||
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===Early roots: ''Minotaur'' and ''Pathways into Darkness''=== | ===Early roots: ''Minotaur'' and ''Pathways into Darkness''=== | ||
[[File:NH-PiD Screenshot Early3DRenderer.jpg|thumb | [[File:NH-PiD Screenshot Early3DRenderer.jpg|thumb|250px|A very early development version of the 3D graphics engine used by ''Pathways''.]] | ||
Blam's origins can be traced back as early as [[Bungie]]'s [[1993]] game ''[[Pathways into Darkness]]''. Inspired by [[Wikipedia:id Software|id Software]]'s [[1992]] title ''[[Wikipedia:Wolfenstein 3D|Wolfenstein 3D]]'', which itself began as a 3D remake of 1981's ''[[Wikipedia:Castle Wolfenstein|Castle Wolfenstein]]'', ''Pathways'' was originally conceived as "''Minotaur 3D''", a 3D remake of Bungie's previous game ''[[Minotaur: The Labyrinths of Crete]]'', released the year before.{{Ref/Site|Id=JJInt93|URL=http://pid.bungie.org/IMGjasoninterviewOct93.html|Site=pid.bungie.org|Page=Inside Mac Games Archive - Interview: Bungie's Jason Jones|D=9|M=3|Y=2022}} In the summer of 1992, [[Jason Jones]] began work on creating a 3D [[Wikipedia:Rendering (computer graphics)|rendering]] framework for Bungie's next game, soon producing a simple graphics engine that was able to simulate halls and walls using wireframe trapezoids. Though crude, this rendering engine laid the foundations of what would become the engine used for the game, and was improved and modified for months by Jones and others at Bungie until late 1992, introducing features such as [[Wikipedia:Texture mapping|texture mapping]] for walls.{{Ref/Site|Id=MakingOfPathways|URL=http://pid.bungie.org/IMGmakingofPID.html|Site=pid.bungie.org|Page=Inside Mac Games Archive - The Making Of: Pathways into Darkness|D=9|M=3|Y=2022}} | Blam's origins can be traced back as early as [[Bungie]]'s [[1993]] game ''[[Wikipedia:Pathways into Darkness|Pathways into Darkness]]''. Inspired by [[Wikipedia:id Software|id Software]]'s [[1992]] title ''[[Wikipedia:Wolfenstein 3D|Wolfenstein 3D]]'', which itself began as a 3D remake of 1981's ''[[Wikipedia:Castle Wolfenstein|Castle Wolfenstein]]'', ''Pathways'' was originally conceived as "''Minotaur 3D''", a 3D remake of Bungie's previous game ''[[Wikipedia:Minotaur: The Labyrinths of Crete|Minotaur: The Labyrinths of Crete]]'', released the year before.{{Ref/Site|Id=JJInt93|URL=http://pid.bungie.org/IMGjasoninterviewOct93.html|Site=pid.bungie.org|Page=Inside Mac Games Archive - Interview: Bungie's Jason Jones|D=9|M=3|Y=2022}} In the summer of 1992, [[Jason Jones]] began work on creating a 3D [[Wikipedia:Rendering (computer graphics)|rendering]] framework for Bungie's next game, soon producing a simple graphics engine that was able to simulate halls and walls using wireframe trapezoids. Though crude, this rendering engine laid the foundations of what would become the engine used for the game, and was improved and modified for months by Jones and others at Bungie until late 1992, introducing features such as [[Wikipedia:Texture mapping|texture mapping]] for walls.{{Ref/Site|Id=MakingOfPathways|URL=http://pid.bungie.org/IMGmakingofPID.html|Site=pid.bungie.org|Page=Inside Mac Games Archive - The Making Of: Pathways into Darkness|D=9|M=3|Y=2022}} | ||
[[File:NH-PiD Screenshot LevelEditor.jpg|thumb|left|250px|An image of the level editor created for ''Pathways''.]] | [[File:NH-PiD Screenshot LevelEditor.jpg|thumb|left|250px|An image of the level editor created for ''Pathways''.]] | ||
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Following the release of ''Pathways into Darkness'', Bungie began work on two future projects, ''[[Mosaic (cancelled Bungie project)|Mosaic]]'' and ''[[Marathon]]''.{{Ref/Reuse|MakingOfPathways}} ''Mosaic'' was to feature significantly improved graphics than ''Pathways'', including texture mapping for the floors and ceilings, as well as optimizations aimed to make it possible for slower computers to reach acceptable [[Wikipedia:Frame rate|framerates]] without switching to a lower-[[Wikipedia:Display resolution|resolution]] mode. Another goal of the game was to produce more intelligent enemy artificial intelligence, capable of reacting to the player in more unique and interesting ways, such as searching for backup when outnumbered.{{Ref/Reuse|JJInt93}} | Following the release of ''Pathways into Darkness'', Bungie began work on two future projects, ''[[Mosaic (cancelled Bungie project)|Mosaic]]'' and ''[[Marathon]]''.{{Ref/Reuse|MakingOfPathways}} ''Mosaic'' was to feature significantly improved graphics than ''Pathways'', including texture mapping for the floors and ceilings, as well as optimizations aimed to make it possible for slower computers to reach acceptable [[Wikipedia:Frame rate|framerates]] without switching to a lower-[[Wikipedia:Display resolution|resolution]] mode. Another goal of the game was to produce more intelligent enemy artificial intelligence, capable of reacting to the player in more unique and interesting ways, such as searching for backup when outnumbered.{{Ref/Reuse|JJInt93}} | ||
[[File:NH-MZ Screenshot Demo.jpg|thumb | [[File:NH-MZ Screenshot Demo.jpg|thumb|250px|The ''Marathon'' demo that was shown at Macworld in 1994, entitled ''Marathon Zero''.]] | ||
Originally a sequel to ''Pathways into Darkness'', ''Marathon'' entered development around the same time as as ''Mosaic'',{{Ref/Reuse|JJInt93}}{{Ref/Reuse|MakingOfPathways}} initially starting out as a series of coding experiments aimed at making the ''Pathways'' engine faster and more structurally elegant, while also seeking to improve enemy intelligence, as with ''Mosaic''. These experiments led to the creation of ''[[Marathon#Marathon Zero|Marathon Zero]]'', an alpha version of the game that was demoed at the [[Wikipedia:Macworld/iWorld|Macworld Expo]] at [[Wikipedia:San Francisco|San Francisco]] in [[1994|January 1994]]. However, this demo garnered very little reaction from the public, and many dismissed the game as ''Pathways into Darkness'' with some minor cosmetic improvements.{{Ref/Site|Id=MarathonScrapbook|URL=http://marathon.bungie.org/scrapbook/pages/page03.htm|Site=marathon.bungie.org|Page=Marathon Scrapbook, Page 3|D=9|M=3|Y=2022}} | Originally a sequel to ''Pathways into Darkness'', ''Marathon'' entered development around the same time as as ''Mosaic'',{{Ref/Reuse|JJInt93}}{{Ref/Reuse|MakingOfPathways}} initially starting out as a series of coding experiments aimed at making the ''Pathways'' engine faster and more structurally elegant, while also seeking to improve enemy intelligence, as with ''Mosaic''. These experiments led to the creation of ''[[Marathon#Marathon Zero|Marathon Zero]]'', an alpha version of the game that was demoed at the [[Wikipedia:Macworld/iWorld|Macworld Expo]] at [[Wikipedia:San Francisco|San Francisco]] in [[1994|January 1994]]. However, this demo garnered very little reaction from the public, and many dismissed the game as ''Pathways into Darkness'' with some minor cosmetic improvements.{{Ref/Site|Id=MarathonScrapbook|URL=http://marathon.bungie.org/scrapbook/pages/page03.htm|Site=marathon.bungie.org|Page=Marathon Scrapbook, Page 3|D=9|M=3|Y=2022}} | ||
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''Marathon'' was ultimately released on December 21, 1994, and was met with significant commercial success relative to the studio's small size. Within the first year, at least 100,000 copies of the game were sold worldwide. This success prompted work on two sequels, ''[[Marathon#Marathon 2: Durandal|Marathon 2: Durandal]]'' and ''[[Marathon#Marathon Infinity|Marathon Infinity]]'', releasing on [[1995|November 24, 1995]] and [[1996|October 15, 1996]] respectively. Each of the sequels was built upon the same engine and technology that powered the first game, but with significant iterations, improvements and optimisations each time. ''Marathon 2''{{'}}s iteration of the engine was reportedly roughly twice as fast, which permitted Bungie to increase the resolution from the original game's 448x272 to 640x320, a 68% increase in the number of rendered pixels. However, the later games did require more capable hardware than the original.{{Ref/Site|URL=http://marathon.bungie.org/story/imgm2sneak.html|Site=marathon.bungie.org|Page=Inside Mac Games Archive - Sneak Peek: Marathon 2|D=9|M=3|Y=2022}} | ''Marathon'' was ultimately released on December 21, 1994, and was met with significant commercial success relative to the studio's small size. Within the first year, at least 100,000 copies of the game were sold worldwide. This success prompted work on two sequels, ''[[Marathon#Marathon 2: Durandal|Marathon 2: Durandal]]'' and ''[[Marathon#Marathon Infinity|Marathon Infinity]]'', releasing on [[1995|November 24, 1995]] and [[1996|October 15, 1996]] respectively. Each of the sequels was built upon the same engine and technology that powered the first game, but with significant iterations, improvements and optimisations each time. ''Marathon 2''{{'}}s iteration of the engine was reportedly roughly twice as fast, which permitted Bungie to increase the resolution from the original game's 448x272 to 640x320, a 68% increase in the number of rendered pixels. However, the later games did require more capable hardware than the original.{{Ref/Site|URL=http://marathon.bungie.org/story/imgm2sneak.html|Site=marathon.bungie.org|Page=Inside Mac Games Archive - Sneak Peek: Marathon 2|D=9|M=3|Y=2022}} | ||
After completion of the Marathon trilogy, Bungie's focus moved on to a new project, which would come to be known as ''[[ | After completion of the Marathon trilogy, Bungie's focus moved on to a new project, which would come to be known as ''[[Wikipedia:Myth: The Fallen Lords|Myth: The Fallen Lords]]''. ''Myth'' was to be a [[real-time strategy]] game, with a particular focus on commanding units as opposed to the resource management and base building prominent in other RTS games.{{Citation needed}} ''Myth''{{'}}s engine featured significant technological leaps over ''Marathon''{{'}}s, with the use of a static [[Wikipedia:Polygonal modeling|polygonal]] 3D mesh for terrain, | ||
{{Ref/Site|Id=JJInt99|URL=http://www.insidemacgames.com/features/99/jones/jones.shtml|Site=Inside Mac Games|Page=Interview: Halo's Jason Jones|D=15|M=8|Y=2000}} and the introduction of the [[tag]]s system for storing game data in a platform-agnostic manner.{{Ref/Site|URL=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/postmortem-bungie-s-i-myth-the-fallen-lords-i-|Site=Game Developer|Page=Postmortem: Bungie's Myth: The Fallen Lords|D=9|M=3|Y=2022}} Nevertheless, ''Myth'' still inherited technology from the ''Marathon'' trilogy. At least one component, the [[Wikipedia:Physics engine|physics engine]], was a substantially improved version of that used in the ''Marathon'' engine.{{Ref/Reuse|JJInt99}} | {{Ref/Site|Id=JJInt99|URL=http://www.insidemacgames.com/features/99/jones/jones.shtml|Site=Inside Mac Games|Page=Interview: Halo's Jason Jones|D=15|M=8|Y=2000}} and the introduction of the [[tag]]s system for storing game data in a platform-agnostic manner.{{Ref/Site|URL=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/postmortem-bungie-s-i-myth-the-fallen-lords-i-|Site=Game Developer|Page=Postmortem: Bungie's Myth: The Fallen Lords|D=9|M=3|Y=2022}} Nevertheless, ''Myth'' still inherited technology from the ''Marathon'' trilogy. At least one component, the [[Wikipedia:Physics engine|physics engine]], was a substantially improved version of that used in the ''Marathon'' engine.{{Ref/Reuse|JJInt99}} | ||
''Myth: The Fallen Lords'' was released on [[1997|November 7, 1997]], and was followed by a sequel in the same engine, ''[[ | ''Myth: The Fallen Lords'' was released on [[1997|November 7, 1997]], and was followed by a sequel in the same engine, ''[[Wikipedia:Myth II: Soulblighter|Myth II: Soulblighter]]'', on [[1998|December 28, 1998]]. A third game entitled ''[[Wikipedia:Myth III: The Wolf Age|Myth III: The Wolf Age]]'' would eventually be produced by a different studio, [[Wikipedia:MumboJumbo|MumboJumbo]], and released on [[2001|November 2, 2001]]. | ||
===Inception of Blam: ''Halo''=== | ===Inception of Blam: ''Halo''=== | ||