The weather in the Pacific Northwest over the past few days has been fantastic. The sun is shining each and every day, we’re into the 70s, and there is no rain in sight. I know this because I’ve been checking the weather forecast on my computer from inside the studio, where we are prudently planning for things ahead, one of those things being E3. By the time everyone leaves the studio each evening, the sun has likely gone down, but we move closer and closer to being able to share things with you early next month in Los Angeles. Many of you have been sending us countdown tweets or reminders for the past few weeks (and for many of you, months) which generally read something along the lines of “100 days until E3 (insert really excited exclamation here!)” and while we’re excited to see the event draw nearer, we realize we now have less than 30 days before the show. This preparation has us quite busy, so we have a lighter Bulletin today, but I managed to bother the Franchise team to answer some lore questions, and we’ve got a few Matchmaking goodies to talk about. Let’s get into it!

HFFL: Yes, HURRY UP E3! I would like some news of the Halo XBOX One Edition and if it will come with or without the Kinect!

Matchmaking Playlist Update

This Monday, we introduced Dominion Light, a 4 vs. 4 playlist that features smaller maps and slightly modified settings for smaller teams. We hope you’ve been enjoying the game type and the hunt for any last commendations, as well as the Commando armor set. Additionally, we updated Halo 4’s “Select Playlist” screen UI to indicate which playlists are new, featured, and which have received new maps and/or game types. We’ll continue to update this screen to provide an easy way to see what’s been added. Next week, we’ll have some news regarding the upcoming King of the Hill playlist as well as some other updates to a variety of playlists, but for now, we’ve got a new Community Choice Poll. This week, we want to know which game type you’d like to see featured in the new upcoming King of the Hill featured playlist!

Community Choice

Shotgun King
In the same family as Shotgun Ricochet and Shotgun CTF, Shotgun King equips players with Thruster Packs, Plasma Grenades, and a Shotgun. Get ready for some up close and personal combat.

Rocket King
Rocket King is not a game type for the faint of heart. Players willing to get in the Hill in this game type need to be ready for immediate explosions as well as lots of respawns.

HFFL: YES! I love chaotic game types like this. I’m voting for this one!

Mosh Pit
A game type that will be familiar to Halo 3 players, Mosh Pit uses one central Hill that doesn’t move, and provides players in the Hill with increased shields. There is only one rule: if you’re killed, just head back to the Hill and jump right in.

HFFL: This is a pretty good choice too. I’m all for one hip and one hip only! Lots of predictability in this game type.

Head here to vote on the Halo Waypoint forums, where voting will be open for approximately four days. Check back next week to find out which game type is the winner and will be included in the playlist!

Knowledge Drop: Community Q&A

After last month’s Knowledge Drop, we received more questions than ever on Twitter and the forums, and I’ve been sending them over to the legendary Franchise team in search of some answers. Learn about some lore below, and if you have any questions of your own, send them over to us on Twitter or in the discuss link at the end of this article. If you already sent us your questions but haven’t been answered yet, fear not – they are patiently waiting in line with the other questions, and may very well be answered soon.

Question: Do the ships of Battlegroup Dakota have class names, or are they just “ship class A/B/C”?
-@TheTrekspert

Answer: Interestingly, these ships were all part of the most recent Visual Guide, but didn’t make it in due to space limitations. Here are their names, but alas, which is which? Some of the more vigilant of Halo spaceship fans will likely be able to tell.

HFFL: For those that don’t know, Battlegroup Dakaota was at Earth when the Didact attacked it and later joined with the UNSC Infinity for the mission back to Requiem.

Vindication-class Light Battleship
Length: 1,580m (5,183ft) 

Poseidon-class Light Carrier
Length: 719m (2,359ft)

Strident-class Heavy Frigate
Length: 1,887ft (575m)

One hint is that the ships are not completely to scale with each other as objects in the game, but the dimensions above represent their fictional sizes. It’s possible we may dig deeper one day.

HFFL: Okay, since they want to be a little secretive and you folks KNOW I love Halo’s spaceships, HERE are the ships: 

In the graphic below, they are in order as presented above, Vindication, Poseidon, Strident:

(side note, I pulled the different images from the net. I don’t know who the person is who got the screenshots.)

Here they are in relative scale to each other: 

HFFL: (I’ll be adding these to my Halo ships scale sized poster shortly. (Likely tomorrow)

Q: What ever happened to Endurance? Did she Compose herself to drive a Promethean?
-@Mr_Admirals

A: Keeping in mind that the terminals in Halo 4 are impressions of reality created by the Domain, whereas the novels are far more literal in their interpretation of the universe, you actually get a glimpse of Endurance at the end of the terminals when the Librarian takes Requiem’s Prometheans under her control. Her fate is clearly conveyed here.

Q: In the 1st level, the Dawn has a vacuum resistant energy barrier. Was that tech taken from the Covies or made by humans?
-Onyx81

A: A little of both. There had been early experimentation with these kinds of barriers, but recovered Covenant technology ultimately tipped the scales to actual production.

Q: What made everyone of every race/culture/ethnicity suddenly drop all hate for each other and come together to form the UNSC?
-LimaOmegaLima10

A: The UNSC is an imperative of the UEG and both are the offspring of the Interplanetary War (and really the answer to it), which actually saw humanity at a state where the above kinds of hatreds weren’t the main ones in circulation. Frieden and Koslovic ideologies dominated the landscape and produced a variety of kinds of animosity. The UNSC wasn’t forged during a time of peace, but rather as a solution to a violent war.

Screenshot Spotlight: Sticky Detonator

Last week, we turned the spotlight on Multi-Team. Take a gander at the following Sticky Detonator screenshots, and maybe even find inspiration to make your own.

HFFL: I like “Cast Glare” (more for the Spartan’s armor than the sticky set, “Out of Ammo” again, more for the Spartan (love that crackling effect), and “Shocking“. Great use of a light filter there!

For your chance at being in the next spotlight, take a screenshot featuring the Shotgun and then tag it with “Shotgun” and “Halo Waypoint,” and maybe, just maybe, yours will be featured in the next Halo Bulletin!

And with that, this week’s Bulletin comes to a close.
Until next week,
Bravo

-Sal