User:JackVibe/Drafts/4

Template:Game Infobox Halo Wars is the first real-time strategy game in the Halo Universe. It took place in the year 2531, 21 years prior to Halo: Combat Evolved, during the Covenant eradication of the Outer Colonies in the Human-Covenant War. The game was developed by Ensemble Studios, and is an Xbox 360 exclusive, like every other Halo game. Unlike other Halo games, Halo Wars is rated "T" for Teen, downgraded from "M" for Mature given to previous installments. In the U.K, the game is a 16+ game, while its predecessor Halo 3 is a 15+ game although this is due to the two games using different rating boards (PEGI is stricter than the BBFC). Downloadable content and support were being developed by Robot Entertainment, a studio founded by ex-Ensemble Studios employees after its closing.

As of February 28th, 2010 (or March 1st, 2010), Halo Wars and Halowars.com support was transferred from Robot Entertainment to Halo Waypoint. It was stated that Waypoint would provide "exciting plans", but this has yet to come to fruition.

On November 5th, 2010, The Halo Wars Leaderboards were reset by popular demand.

On November 16th, 2010, it was announced that Halo Wars Online Stat Tracking would no longer be supported. Along with the act, 343 Industries and Halo Waypoint planned to release one final Title Update to fix a cutscene bug in Theater from Title Update 4, and to disconnect the game from the site, moving the forums to Halo Waypoint's. This change was to occur on December 15th, 2010. However, on December 8th, 2010, 343 Industries and Halo Waypoint announced a reversal in their decision to cease Online Stat Tracking, citing they were "...always uncomfortable with the idea...", and "...decided that the current plan of action was not in line with how we have always intended to support Halo games and the Halo franchise in general." The Halo Wars forums have been merged with Waypoint's forums and since then, Title Updates 5 and 6 have been released.

Plot synopsis

Harvest, just after the UNSC Spirit of Fire arrives in the system.

"At this point in time, the Covenant is at its most evil. They are hell-bent on the destruction of humanity, on scouring us from the universe."

— Graeme Devine, Lead Writer, formerly Lead Developer.

During the Harvest Campaign, while Sergeant Forge, an infantryman from Template:UNSCship, is patrolling the northern regions of Harvest, Alpha Base is attacked and destroyed by the Covenant, with survivors fleeing to the countryside. After rounding up these survivors, Forge leads them in an assault that removes the Covenant presence and reestablishes Alpha Base, returning it to operational status. Forge then leads an assault on a nearby Forerunner relic site itself, removing the Covenant occupants and preventing the enemy from destroying it to deny human access and securing the site for Anders' examination. Shortly after, a Covenant counterattack cuts them off from Alpha Base. Grizzly tanks launched from the Spirit of Fire manage to cut through the Covenant, linking up with Forge and his Marines, and escorting them back out through the relic while forces from Alpha Base holds off the Covenant. Information gathered from the Harvest relic shows that the Covenant have been pointed to a second UNSC colony, Arcadia.

Upon following the Covenant to Arcadia, the Spirit of Fire finds that most of the orbital defense ships have been either destroyed or damaged in battle with the Covenant. Sergeant Forge and his forces are deployed on the ground in order to assist the SPARTANs from Red Team in the effort to evacuate civilians from Arcadia City, via cargo transports. Afterward, the UNSC forces withdraw to a defensible area on the city outskirts, holding off Covenant attacks long enough for SPARTAN Group Omega to arrive and assist in the destruction of local Covenant forces. At the same time, the Covenant have erected a large energy shield generator around a site of importance, with undiscovered ruins surrounding the area, forcing the UNSC to deploy prototype Rhino plasma artillery to penetrate it. Moving in to examine what was of such interest to the Covenant, they come under attack from a Super Scarab, only partially complete and annihilating any UNSC forces in its line of sight. Eventually managing to destroy it, Anders and Forge begin documenting the area, only for the Arbiter Ripa 'Moramee to arrive, taking Anders prisoner and wounding Forge, with Red Team arriving too late to assist. Rapidly heading out of the system aboard a starship, the Spirit of Fire follows, eventually emerging in orbit over a mysterious planet in an unknown location.

Deploying ground forces to search for Anders, the UNSC and Covenant forces come under attack from a previously undiscovered alien organism - the Flood. Managing to regroup and hold a defensible location, the UNSC forces manage to locate the source of the signal - an apparent body of water. The UNSC forces withdraw back to the Spirit of Fire as a concentrated Flood force begins to gather momentum, narrowly escaping annihilation, regrouping at the Spirit of Fire over the lake - which splits to reveal an entrance, and with swarms of Aggressor Sentinels emerging to deal with the Flood. The Spirit of Fire manages to enter, proceeding through a docking system, removing Flood growths and moving through a system of concentric rings that filters out Flood biomass. The Spirit of Fire then emerges inside a massive Shield World, immediately engaging a CPV-class heavy destroyer and fending off attacks while conducting repairs.

Meanwhile, the Arbiter uses Anders to activate an installation known as the Apex, revealing a fleet of Forerunner warships which the Covenant plans on reverse-engineering and incorporating into their existing naval forces to crush the humans quickly, without needing to dedicate all of their existing forces to the war. Anders manages to escape, using what had been her stasis prison as a translocation device, teleporting to the surface of the Shield World's interior, linking up with Forge and his Marines, who clear the area of Covenant forces and establish a base of operations on the Shield World. Removing the Spirit of Fire's FTL drive, the UNSC move it into the Apex, planning to detonate it - the chain-reaction will send the Shield World's sun into a supernova, destroying the installation and the fleet, denying it to the Covenant and saving humanity from near total defeat and extinction. The Arbiter attempts to stop them, but his Sangheili are killed by Red Team, and Forge himself manages to kill the Arbiter with one of his own Energy Swords. Forge stays behind to detonate the reactor, while the rest of the UNSC forces activate a portal out of the Shield World, evacuate to the Spirit of Fire, and manage to slingshot around the sun to build up enough speed to escape the supernova's blast radius and the range of the Shield World's debris.

Now unable to return to UNSC space with the speed an FTL drive would have afforded them, the Spirit of Fire's crew enter cryonic storage. The ship begins its long journey home, likely to take many years or decades. Here, Forge's cryo-tube is closed by Captain Cutter, who briefly nods, upon which the camera pans down to find the words "Sgt. J. Forge", acknowledging the sacrifice of the valiant Marine Sergeant.

The Spirit of Fire, lacking an FTL drive, is left adrift in space. On February 10, 2534, the UNSC declares the vessel "lost with all hands". At the end of the credits, Serina could be heard saying, "Captain. Wake up. Something has happened."

Gameplay

A Spartan from SPARTAN Group Omega sporting an early concept design of the Mark IV armor in the Halo Wars announcement trailer.

In Halo Wars, players command armies of both old and new UNSC units during its first encounters against the Covenant, a massive collection of alien races that threatens to destroy all of humanity. Halo Wars will immerse gamers in an early period of the Halo Universe, allowing them to experience events 21 years prior to Halo: Combat Evolved.

With the guidance of the AI Serina, from the UNSC CFV-88 Spirit of Fire, the player leads UNSC soldiers and vehicles against classic Covenant foes. Each group has its own strengths and abilities in battle. Strategic-minded players who react well under pressure will emerge victorious over their foes.

Halo Wars can be played in both single-player and online cooperative campaign modes. Additionally, up to six players can play three-versus-three match head-to-head over Xbox LIVE. Published by Microsoft Game Studios, Halo Wars is a title exclusive to the Xbox 360. Despite speculation of a version for the PC, Ensemble and Microsoft have repeatedly said that no such plans have been made or even considered. The Covenant is playable only in multiplayer and Skirmish modes.

Campaign

Campaign consists of fifteen levels which tells the story of Halo Wars.

1. Alpha Base - "Forge rallies the troops and retakes Alpha Base."
2. Relic Approach - "Get Alpha Base up and running and find what the Covenant are up to."
3. Relic Interior - "Forge and Anders are trapped in the relic. They must be rescued."
4. Arcadia City - "The Covenant invasion of Arcadia is in full swing. Evacuation of its civilian population is UNSC's top priority."
5. Arcadia Outskirts - "The civilian evacuation is complete. UNSC forces must safely withdraw from the city."
6. Dome of Light - "Uncover what the Covenant were after on Arcadia."
7. Scarab - "Send in ground units to destroy a Covenant super weapon."
8. Anders' Signal - "Forge and Recon Groups ECHO and INDIA start the search for Anders."
9. The Flood - "Find Anders and rescue her before it's too late."
10. Shield World - "Spirit of Fire is being drawn against her will in to the belly of a hostile planet. Ground force deployed to the planet's surface will be abandoned if the Spirit of Fire doesn't act quickly…"
11. Cleansing - "Cleanse the infection forms from Spirit's hull before they penetrate the interior."
12. Repairs - "Repair Spirit of Fire and drive Covenant forces back."
13. Beachhead - "Protect Anders and escort her to the LZ."
14. Reactor - "Pull the reactor core to the Apex Site."
15. Escape - "Help the Spirit of Fire's crew escape the Shield world."

Multiplayer

Main article: Skirmish

File:1209090473 Screenshots 1280 003.jpg

Covenant forces engage humans on the level Chasms.

Just like Halo 2, Halo 3 and Halo: Reach, Halo Wars has strong characteristics of online gaming. Halo Wars' live gaming characteristics include Direct voice communication & Online leader boards. Unlike any of the other Halo games, now your vehicles' and troops' armor will change to the teams color so you can get red Hunters, black Grunts, orange Hornets etc. There is no specific information regarding player ranking but players are able to achieve the ranks of Recruit, Lieutenant, Major, Commander, Colonel, Brigadier, and General. Multiplayer is up to 6 players at a time in a match. Two player online Co-op for the campaign story is available in the game.

Maps

Multiplayer maps are mostly based on the locations introduced in campaign. There are fourteen maps in the original release, and the number rose to eighteen after the release of downloadable contents.

• Beasley's Plateau
• Blood Gulch
• Chasms
• Crevice
• The Docks
• Exile
• Frozen Valley
• Fort Deen
• Pirth Outskirts
• Labyrinth
• Release
• Repository
• Terminal Moraine
• Tundra

Historic Battle Map Pack The Historic Battle Map Pack was released to Xbox LIVE Marketplace on July 21, 2009 and sells for 800 Microsoft Points. Along with 4 new maps, the DLC includes 4 new achievements as well. The maps included in this Map Pack are:

• Barrens
• Memorial Basin
• Blood River
• Glacial Ravine

Game concepts

Technology advancement

Throughout the campaign and in Skirmishes, the player must advance their technology in order to increase their army's power. When technology is increased, more units, upgrades, and buildings become available. For instance, infantry units can receive additional members or stronger weaponry. Field Armories or Temples (and the upgrades within them) can become available with increased technology as well.

The tech tree is different for the two playable factions. When playing as the UNSC, the player advances by building and upgrading reactors. The Covenant moves through the tech-tree in Ages by purchasing upgrades at the leader temple; players can advance to the Age of Doubt and the Age of Reclamation respectively. Both factions can also advance by capturing Forerunner Bonus Reactors .

When a Reactor is built or an Age is researched, or a Forerunner Bonus Reactor is claimed, the tech number on the top right of the screen goes up. Losing the source of increasing the tech level in the number goes down. Different buildings, units, and upgrades require higher numbers for use.

Veterancy points

Veterancy points increases a unit's statistics, such as attack, attack speed, defense, etc. This number can be calculated by counting how many stars a unit has above their health bar. This is the number of veterancy points said unit has. The stars, or Veterancy Points. are acquired only after a unit or a group of units have defeated enemy structures, units, vehicles, or other combat related situations. They are also gained by upgrading the unit. A unit has a maximum of 3 stars, except a Spartan-Commandeered vehicle, which has a maximum of 14 "Veterancy Points" for Scorpions/Grizzlies and Hornets/Hawks. All other Spartan-Commandeered vehicles have a maximum of 13 "Veterancy Points". Some special player units in campaign mode (e.g. ODSTs in the level Anders' Signal) that have a maximum of 5 Veterancy Points. A mist effect appears briefly over a unit when it gains a veterancy point.

Leader abilities

Certain characters belonging to both the Covenant and the UNSC have been confirmed to be "leader factions", which are sub-factions with unique units and bonuses. All of the Covenant leaders appear on the battlefield and have unique in-game abilities. The UNSC leaders on the other hand do not appear on the battlefield, unless on certain campaign missions. They instead have economic bonuses and "super units" (upgrades of normal units). Currently known leaders are Captain James Cutter, Sergeant John Forge, Professor Ellen Anders, Ripa 'Moramee, an unknown Jiralhanae Army Commander and the Prophet of Regret. Each leader has a number of unique features, for the UNSC it's "super units", economic bonuses, unique units (Cutter's Elephant, Forge's Cyclops and Anders' Gremlin.) and leader powers (ODST Drop/MAC Blast, Carpet bomb and Cryo bomb, respectively to leaders stated previously) that can be called from the Spirit of Fire. The Covenant on the other hand have a unique unit (two for the Jiralhanae Commander) and a "hero unit" (their leader) with their leader power attached to the "hero unit". The Prophet of Regret's ability is to glass enemy forces (known as the "Cleansing Beam" in Halo Wars), which causes significant damage to both structures and units, however it also drains resources while active. His unique units are Sangheili Honor Guards. Ripa Moramee can go into a rage mode and wield two energy swords and can upgrade to infinitely cloak himself, but at the cost of draining resources for every second these modes are active. Ripa Moramee will also have the ability to train Suicidal Grunts. The Brute Chieftain can use his Gravity Hammer to create a vortex which sucks in infantry, then the player can press the A button to create a massive explosion. The Brute Chieftain's unique units are a pair of Brute Shot wielding Brutes (which can be upgraded to have jump packs) and the Chopper.

Although Covenant leaders are limited to one unit at a time, they are some of the strongest units in the entire game and are immune to stun effects. They can also empower surrounding units.

UNSC leader powers

• Transport: Call a Pelican down to transport selected units (maximum of three vehicles and six infantry units) to a selected area of the map.

• Disruption Bomb: A bomb that deactivates any leader powers and prevents others being activated in a short radius during the effect.

• Heal and Repair: Heals all units and repairs all structures in a selected area.

• MAC Blast: Calls down a MAC blast from Spirit of Fire's onboard MAC. Upgrades allow for more shots before the power has to recharge. This power is exclusive to Captain Cutter.

• ODST Drop: ODST pods, individually aimed by the user, are called down at 100 resources each. The pods will spawn a whole ODST squad, which is much faster than training them in a Barracks or via the Elephant. However, if reactors are destroyed or a bonus reactor garrison squad is killed, the player won't be able to to drop more.

• Cryo bomb: The Cryo Bomb freezes any units and buildings, including the player's, within the blast radius. Units are unable to move when frozen, and buildings halt all activity. When frozen, air units have a chance of falling to the ground, shattering instantly. The more the Cryo Bomb is upgraded, the freeze time and the chance to make air units fall increases. This power is exclusive to Professor Anders. Any units that are equipped with shields fare better against the cryo bomb and also have extra time escaping then other ground units.

• Carpet Bomb: Calls in a bomber to wipe out a large area. Effective against mass infantry or ground vehicles. The more times it is upgraded, the stronger and larger the carpet bomb is. This power is exclusive to Sergeant Forge.

Black boxes

Main article: Black Boxes

Black Boxes are a new feature in the game. Black Boxes are collectibles in the Halo Wars campaign that when collected, they add new events in the Halo Wars Timeline. They look like black boxes with yellow stripes on them and can be picked up by any unit. When the player collects one they can just resign straight away and they will still have it. The timeline covers many of the important events from the games and the novels. There is only one black box on each campaign level in the game.

Cut content

File:Mining.jpg

A concept of a Covenant mining facility cut from the final game.

Six units, the UNSC Cougar, UNSC Fox Cannon, Covenant Air Artillery, Covenant Gorgon, the UNSC Falcon, and the UNSC Leviathan were under development early in the game along with the ability to actually construct individual buildings. The developers later announced that these units been cut, as they had decided to focus on more recognizable Halo units and simpler gameplay.

The post alpha control scheme for Halo Wars (outdated).

Before Ensemble conceived the idea for The Apex, the storyline was supposed to feature a Covenant mining asteroid that was located at a Forerunner ore refining mechanism. This concept tries to show the scale of the large Forerunner machinery in place with machines that are still operational, although now controlled by the Covenant. In the end the mining aspect of the story was removed from the game.

Another piece of deleted content is ambient life (i.e. Thorn Beasts, Harvest Whale, etc.) This may have been because the game already has some minor 'pathfinding issues' and the wildlife would have just been an obstacle.

Features

Characters Major Characters UNSC James Gregory Cutter (First appearance) Serina (First appearance) Ellen Anders (First appearance) Sergeant John Forge (First appearance) SPARTAN Alice-130 (First appearance) SPARTAN Douglas-042 (First appearance) SPARTAN Jerome-092 (First appearance) Covenant Arbiter Ripa 'Moramee (First appearance) Prophet of Regret Minor Characters Human Adam (First appearance) Papadakis (First appearance) Covenant Re'gish Wamik (First appearance) Unnamed Jiralhanae Army Commander (First appearance) Flood Infection form Carrier form Combat forms Infected Marine Infected Flamethrower Infected Elite Infected Brute Infected Grunt Infected Jackal Flood thrasher form (First appearance) Flood spore clouds Flood swarm (First appearance) Flood bomber form (First appearance) Proto-Gravemind Forerunner Unidentified ancilla (First appearance) Aggressor Sentinels Protector Sentinels (First appearance) Watcher Sentinels (First appearance) Events Harvest Campaign Battle of Arcadia (First appearance) Battle of Shield 0459 (First appearance) Location Epsilon Indi system Harvest Alpha Base (First appearance) Forerunner Relic (First appearance) Procyon system (First appearance) Arcadia (First appearance) Mu (First appearance) Abaskun Template:First mentioned Pirth City (First appearance) Forerunner ruins (First appearance) Arcadia ONI facility (First appearance) Deep Space Research Array Template:First mentioned Korinth Prior system (First appearance) Shield 0459 (First appearance) The Apex (First appearance) Organizations Covenant Empire Covenant Army Covenant Navy Fleet of Glorious Interdiction Insurrectionist Unidentified insurrectionist group (First appearance) United Nations Space Command UNSC High Command UNSC Security Council UNSC Navy Third Fleet (First appearance) Battlegroup D (First appearance) UNSC Marine Corps Hellbringers (First appearance) Recon Team Echo Recon Team India Tango 14 (First appearance) Tango 33 (First appearance) Naval Special Warfare Command Orbital Drop Shock Troopers SPARTAN Program SPARTAN-II Program Red Team Omega Team (First appearance) Species Human Huragok Jiralhanae Kig-yar Mgalekgolo Sangheili San 'Shyuum Thorn beast (Mentioned only) Unggoy Equipment UNSC MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark IV Maastricht/Raleigh Ordnance Delivery-Application System UNSC Marine Corps Battle Dress Uniform Covenant Active Camouflage Arbiter body armor Jiralhanae power armor Jump pack Kig-Yar point defense gauntlet Sangheili combat harness Energy shielding Unggoy combat harness Methane tank

Vehicles UNSC AC-220 Vulture (First appearance) AV-14 Hornet AV-22 Sparrowhawk (First appearance) B-65 Shortsword (First appearance) Dropship 77-Troop Carrier D82-EST Darter (First appearance) Halcyon-class light cruiser (Mentioned only) Template:UNSCship (Mentioned only) HRUNTING Mark III [B] Exoskeleton (First appearance) M12 Force Application Vehicle M12 Light Reconnaissance Vehicle M12G1 Light Anti-Armor Vehicle M145D Mobile Artillery Assault Platform (First appearance) M312 Heavy Recovery Vehicle (First appearance) M808B Main Battle Tank M9 Main Anti-Aircraft Tank (First appearance) Phoenix-class colony ship (First appearance) Template:UNSCship (First appearance) Pod (First appearance) SP42 Main Battle Tank (First appearance) XRP12 Combat Support Vehicle (First appearance) Template:UNSCship Template:First mentioned Template:UNSCship Template:First mentioned Template:UNSCship Template:First mentioned Covenant CCS-class battlecruiser (Mentioned only) CCS-U321 Template:First mentioned CCS-U624 Template:First mentioned CPV-class heavy destroyer Unidentified CPV-class heavy destroyer (First appearance) Type-25 Rapid Assault Vehicle Type-25 Troop Carrier Type-26 Assault Gun Carriage Type-26 Ground Support Aircraft Type-29 Anti-Infantry Stationary Gun Type-29 Close-support Fighter (First appearance) Type-30 Light Excavation/Anti-Fortification Platform (First appearance) Type-32 Rapid Assault Vehicle Type-47 Ultra Heavy Assault Platform Structures UNSC UNSC Firebase (First appearance) Supply Pad (First appearance) Reactor (First appearance) Field Armory (First appearance) Barracks (First appearance) Airpad (First appearance) Vehicle Depot (First appearance) Base turret Covenant Covenant citadel (First appearance) Warehouse (First appearance) Temple (First appearance) Shield generator (First appearance) Hall (First appearance) Factory (First appearance) Summit (First appearance) Plasma Turret (First appearance) Anti-vehicle barrier Deployable lookout tower Mega Turret (First appearance) Forerunner Energy Wall Forerunner Supply Elevator (First appearance) Forerunner Spire of Healing (First appearance) Forerunner Teleporter Forerunner Bonus Reactor (First appearance) Forerunner Life Support Pod (First appearance) Forerunner fort (First appearance) Protector Plant (First appearance) Relic (First appearance) Sentinel Shop (First appearance) Flood Flood colony (First appearance) Flood den (First appearance) Flood launcher (First appearance) Flood growth pod Flood Nest (First appearance) Flood root (First appearance) Weapons UNSC AIE-486H Heavy Machine Gun A-74 Sylver Vertical Missile Launcher (First appearance) Argent V missile Combat knife GBU-1105 bomb (First appearance) GUA-23/AW/Linkless Feed Autocannons (First appearance) Magnetic Accelerator Cannon MA5B Individual Combat Weapon System M247 General Purpose Machine Gun M247T Medium Machine Gun M301 Grenade Launcher (First appearance) M310 smooth-bore high-velocity cannon (First appearance) M41 Light Anti-Aircraft Gun M41 Surface-to-Surface Rocket Medium Anti-Vehicle/Assault Weapon M6 Grindell/Galilean Nonlinear Rifle M6C Personal Defense Weapon System M6D Personal Defense Weapon System M66 light rail gun (First appearance) M68 Asynchronous Linear-Induction Motor M7/Caseless Submachine Gun M9 High-Explosive Dual-Purpose Grenade M90 Close Assault Weapon System M98 105mm light rail gun (First appearance) NA4/Defoliant Projector (First appearance) Sniper Rifle System 99C-S2 Anti-Matériel Unidentified UNSC deck gun (First appearance) XGBU-302 bomb (First appearance) XM510 Multishot Grenade Launcher (First appearance) XM511 Heavy Grenade Launcher (First appearance) Zeus 320mm plasma cannon (First appearance) Covenant Assault cannon Class-1 directed energy cannon Class-2 directed energy cannon Energy stave Energy projector Fuel rod cannon Focus cannon Gravity cannon Heavy needle cannon (First appearance) Stasis cannon (First appearance) Plasma mortar Plasma turret Type-1 Antipersonnel grenade Type-1 Energy Weapon/Sword Type-2 Energy Weapon/Hammer Type-25 Directed Energy Pistol Type-25 Directed Energy Rifle Type-25 Grenade Launcher Type-33 Guided Munitions Launcher Type-50 Sniper Rifle System Type-51 Carbine 35mm autocannon

Gametypes

Halo Wars features a "Skirmish Mode", where the player can battle on multiplayer maps against an AI opponent in 1vs1, 2vs2 and 3vs3 match. There are 14 skirmish and multiplayer maps. There are two modes in Skirmish, Standard and Deathmatch. Three more modes are available if you have the Strategic Options DLC (800 Microsoft Points): Keepaway, Tug of War, and Reinforcements.

In Standard mode, you start off with 0 tech level and 800 resources. All units must be upgraded including turrets and leader abilities. The population limit starts at 30 for the UNSC and 40 for the Covenant. In Deathmatch, you start with 15,000 resources and a tech level of 4 for the UNSC, and 3 for the Covenant (Building a Temple increases your tech level to six, but more importantly give you your leader). All your units, buildings and leader abilities are already fully upgraded. Your population starts at 15 and you gain 10 population for taking over a base, up to 99. When you lose a base, the population limit goes down by 10. In Keepaway mode, you capture the flag from your opponent and bring it back to your base. In Tug of War mode, the objective is who can field and maintain the strongest army who wins. In Reinforcements mode, you have to adapt your tactics as you are granted waves of troops, much like an endurance battle.

It is also known that you have to win a Skirmish match on every playable map with all the different leaders in order to achieve the Playin' The Field and the Gallivant Around The Galaxy achievements.

Audio

Main article: Halo Wars: Original Soundtrack

Ensemble Studios began recording the music for the game in March 2008, with Ensemble's Music and Sound Director, Stephen Rippy, flying to Prague for the orchestral and choral parts and to Seattle for the piano and mixing.

The music for Halo Wars was composed by Ensemble Studios in-house composer Stephen Rippy, with additional music by his long time collaborator and game Audio Lead Kevin McMullan. It was recorded in Prague, Czech Republic by 45 members of the FILMHarmonic Orchestra and a 21 voice choir at CNSO Studio No. 1. The score was released as a single CD package with a bonus DVD containing additional tracks, 5.1 surround sound mixes of some cues and a behind the scenes video showing the recording sessions of the Halo Wars main theme and various trailers for the game. It was also put up for retail as a digital download over iTunes and Sumthing Digital. The response to the score was almost universally enthusiastic, with most critics praising Stephen Rippy's taking the series into new stylistic territory while still paying homage to and reworking classic themes and ideas.

Marketing promotions and release

Alpha test

A screenshot taken of an Alpha playtester.

An Alpha test was done for Halo Wars, concluding during May, 2008. The test was open only to several thousand Microsoft employees, including Bungie Studios, in order to locate any bugs or glitches, and to test its performance over Xbox Live. It consisted of a brief "tutorial" and multiplayer, and was "limited to a specific set of units." It is unknown how long the Alpha test was conducted, or when it began.

During the Alpha test, anti-air units were glitching so that their effectiveness was lessened, and Scorpion tanks and aircraft were extremely powerful. Aircraft strength was lessened to prevent players from sending in air-strikes against the enemy Command Center and crippling them too easily, ruining many a protocol player's chances of victory. This actually isn't an element of the game, but in fact a "balance issue".

Demo

Main article: Halo Wars Demo

On February 5, a demo for Halo Wars was released on Xbox Live for the first time for Gold Xbox Live Subscribers. The demo was made available to non-Gold subscribers on February 12. The demo also set a record for most downloaded demo in one day.

Trailers

E3 2008

Main article: Five Long Years Cinematic

Five Long Years is a Halo Wars cinematic preview released on the July 14th of 2008 depicting the five year long struggle to reclaim Harvest from the Covenant, as well as being the first cutscene for the game. The trailer can be downloaded from the Halo Wars official website or here.

An early build was shown on G4's E3 08 LIVE, showing a hands-on demo. Some newer off-screen demos were released, showing how the controls work and how battles proceed.

Field Trip To Harvest

Field Trip To Harvest is a cinematic preview that was released to the public on October 3, 2008 showing the UNSC's retaking of the planet Harvest and the Covenant's finding of a Forerunner structure. Also, in the conversation between a Zealot and the Arbiter, there is mention of "the Infection". This was speculated to be an introduction to the Flood in Halo Wars before the release of the game, but because no Flood were encountered on Harvest, it is almost certainly just a name for the Humans on Harvest.

The Call To Battle

The Call to Battle is a collection of already known cinematics, but it also shows some campaign maps. You can also see that you can make a lot more units than in the demo.

Unknown Trailer Video

On February 8, 2009, the Taiwanese Xbox Live website released a four minute-long trailer which contained spoilers detailing the later story of Halo Wars. It was soon taken down, and other sites which put it up, including halo.bungie.org, removed it at the request of Microsoft Game Studios. However, several sites still have the video. The music from the trailer has been confirmed to be "Optimus vs. Megatron", a song from the Transformers movie. It can be watched here.

ViDoc: Halo Times Ten

Main article: Halo Wars ViDoc: Halo Times Ten

On January 23, 2009, the first ViDoc of Halo Wars was released on Xbox LIVE marketplace. It tells how a different perspective can change the gameplay and an announcement of the demo planned for February the 5th.

ViDoc: Expanding The Arsenal

Main article: Halo Wars ViDoc: Expanding The Arsenal

On February 3, 2009, the second Halo Wars ViDoc was released. It tells about Spartans and hero unit abilities.

ViDoc: Strategy on Xbox

Main article: Halo Wars ViDoc: Strategy on Xbox

On February 12, 2009, the third Halo Wars ViDoc was released. It describes the controls featured and what expectation there are of the game. Like the previous ViDocs, this one features cinematic scenes.

ViDoc: Jaws of Victory

Main article: Halo Wars ViDoc: Jaws of Victory

On February 19, 2009 the fourth Halo Wars ViDoc was released. It informs the viewer about tactics, including multiplayer and the developers' tactics.

Merchandise and Promotions

Features	Standard	Limited
Image of contents
Game disc & manual	Yes	Yes
Halo Wars: Genesis	No	Yes
Halo 3: Mythic Map Pack	No	Yes
6 Leader cards	No	Yes
UNSC Spirit of Fire emblem patch	No	Yes
Honor Guard Wraith	No	Yes

Halo Wars was released in two separate versions. The Standard Edition contains the game disc and manual. The Limited Edition, contained in a metal case, contains the game disc, manual, the Halo Wars: Genesis graphic novel, a one-time only code to download the Halo 3: Mythic Map Pack for free, six Leader cards, which show information on all six UNSC and Covenant leaders, a UNSC Spirit of Fire embroidered ship emblem patch and the Honor Guard Wraith. The Gamestop Limited Edition came with an excerpt of the Halo Wars: Official Strategy Guide, detailing strategies for Relic Approach.

A special in-game "Fireball Warthog" unit is only available to customers who pre-ordered Halo Wars.

Trivia

• All the cutscenes were pre-rendered CGI sequences created by Blur Studios. This does not include the "vignettes" (Intro and Conclusion sequences) which were rendered in-game using the game engine.
• The Doritos snack food held a sweepstakes where the winner got a voice role in the game. Unfortunately, it is not known who won the contest or which character they play.
• Halo Wars didn't start as a Halo game at all. Six months were spent developing a control scheme for a viable RTS for the Xbox 360, which was later pitched to Microsoft, asking to use the Halo IP, to which Microsoft agreed.
• There are Skulls in the campaign like in Halo 2 and Halo 3, which add replay value. They may increase or decrease the score, and there is an achievement for getting Gold on a mission with all "Rebel" skulls which make gameplay harder when turned on. Unlike Halo 2 skulls, which are merely hidden, you need to achieve a certain goal in each level to make the skulls appear.
• An article released by ShackNews states that Halo Wars is Ensemble's last game, and that they are laying off any personnel not essential to the game's completion. In fact, the supposed layoffs were confirmed merely as a rumor, and that while Ensemble was indeed shutting down after the shipment of Halo Wars, layoffs had not begun. However, some of Ensemble's employees had started the company Robot Entertainment, and offered the executives at Ensemble a job there.
• The demo had been downloaded over two million times in the week following its debut, setting a "day one record" in its initial release.
• On the cover of Halo Wars, the helmet visor of the front most Spartan reflects the Arbiter and part of the honor stave on cover from the Limited Collector's Edition, implying that the two sides are meant to be "facing" each other.
• Canada-based Mega Brands has released several Halo Wars construction sets.
• Halo: Combat Evolved was originally supposed to be a real-time strategy game before being turned into a third-person shooter, and then a first-person-shooter.
• Halo Wars' Online Stat tracking on HaloWars.com along with the site was planned to be shut down on December 15th, 2010. This was reversed on December 8th, 2010, due to fan outcry and an image to maintain.
• According to a concept art note, there would have been Sangheili heretic "creep units" that would've been recruitable. The note also makes mention of similar "rogue" cyclops units.

Gallery

Logos

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  Title art.

Promotional images

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  Promotional poster.

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  Promotional poster for Halo Wars.

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  Promotional poster for Halo Wars.

Concept art

• Screenshot 6 preview.jpg

  Concept art of an intense battle to claim a Forerunner structure.

• Cov jackalfinal.jpg

  Concept art of the Kig-yar.

• HaloWarsConceptart8.jpg

  Concept art with a SPARTAN-II and a marine overlooking a UNSC base with a Library-like structure in the background.

• Hw heretics.jpg

  Concept art of recruitable Sangheili heretics.

Screenshots

• HarvestT-1-.jpg

  An early cutscene from Halo Wars.

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  A Sangheili inspecting a dead Marine.

• Wolveriney.jpg
• HWscreen.jpeg
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  A Scarab wiping out UNSC infantry along with two Wraiths.

Related Pages

Internal

• Halo: Contact Harvest
• Halo Wars Announcement Trailer
• Halo Wars: Limited Edition
• Halo Wars Title Updates
• Halo Wars Skulls
• Halowars.com
• List of Halo Wars Cinematic Cutscenes

External

• Official website
• Halo Wars announcement
• Halo Wars Fansite
• Extended Halo Wars E3 montage
• Heavengames.com
• Halo Wars Profile Page
• Halo Wars GC 2008: Halo Wars Hands-on
• Halo Wars English Manual
• Halo Wars Quick Reference Tech Tree