Here’s a new poster I just finished in Photoshop. I’ve applied some techniques to make it appear somewhat “Graphic Novel”-esque in style. I hope you like.

Here’s the really BIG version of it.

Via kotaku.com

Tea Bagging will return in Halo 4, but with a twist. While the folks at 343 prefer to call it a Victory Crouch, we all know what it really is. To help circumvent that you get instant respawn. This wasn’t intentionally meant as a way to not see yourself getting the BAG. But it works.

Here’s the full article:

Halo 4 Teabagging

-HFFL

Most of this has already been seen in the E3 trailer. However, if you skip to near the end, you will see a LIVE -Action Master Chief. (Also note the reflection in his visor, I think some of the film crew is in there…)

Look at the visor (top middle right of visor). Is that the crew?

In the following clip you get a taste of what the music will be like in Halo 4. I personally am enthralled with it. I think while it’s deviated from the original trilogy, it most definitely has a Halo feel to it. Though it seems more personalized. Allow me to explain.

At the following time frames, here are the feelings I get from the music:

Start (after Waypoint intro): Desperation with a sense of resolve. Chief has resolved himself to the idea that he is trapped on the Shield world, while Cortana is desperate to to do something about it (and her onset of Rampancy)

1:37: Determination and Heroic: Chief has found new hope. Possibly from the crash landing of the UNSC Infinity. He and Cortana know now know they have a chance.

2:22: A new resolve. They are going to make it.

2:30: Wait something isn’t right. Fear, unknown, danger. This is bigger, MUCH bigger than a Covenant threat.

As the track closes, I get a sense overall that Chief is still strong of mind. He knows what his reality is, even when it changes at the sight of the UNSC Infinity as well as the appearance of this new “old” enemy. To use a much clichéd word: Epic.

The music invokes a theme of Halo, while being Master Chief’s own personal story of this mission.

Very powerful!
Listen for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5d4YfR3unc

So what do you think? How does this music affect you?
-HFFL

I’m not talking gameplay wise, I’m talking story wise. What do you think about the back story of why Spartan IVs exist?

Given where the story is, it made sense to make the next-gen of Spartans from existing soldiers. The idea of using children as soldiers, while not new (it’s used all the time in guerilla warfare), is still appalling. We didn’t connect to that with Halo as it wasn’t mentioned in the games. Not until the novels were written did we really know the backstory of how they became Spartans.

With Spartan IIIs, they were similar to SIIs in some respects. Not as enhanced as their predecessors, they still have some augmentations that made them more capable that the regular soldier.

Those two programs were scrapped. Too expensive and controversial was the Spartan II program. The Spartan III program for near the same reasons.

Having the everyday (albeit exceptionally talented/skilled) solider being able to become a spartan gives hope to every soldier who wants to heed that higher call. As gamers we can see ourselves ascending to that higher calling too. The only SII we’ve been able to play as is Master Chief. I think we can agree that he’s a separate entity unto himself.

SIIIs came closer to being individualized. While we can modify our armor, we are still super soldiers to a degree. Something we mere humans can’t yet attain.

SIVs do give us that shot. Only the best of ODSTs and Marines are chosen. Some of us would like to think that we could do that. This helps to personalize the experience for we gamers. With the inclusion of Spartan Ops, we are “growing” along with our character. Now ranking up matters. It’s not just a number. (Well, not to we hard core fans)

I happen to really like the direction this is going. When I first heard it without any explanation, I was like, “huh?” Then after getting some clarification I was like, “oh.” Now it just makes sense in the evolution of the franchise.

-HFFL

Here’s what I’d like to see in Halo 4 Forge:

1) Theme based terrain: When selecting the map from the start you can choose if you want a Snow, Desesrt, Forest or Jungle map. All items with then be “skinned” to that base attribute to coincide with the theme. No multiple themes on one map though.
2) Terrain Editor: By far one of the most asked for features. The ability to create hills, valleys, rivers, etc., would be an amazing addition to Forge and would revolutionize the way we make Halo maps.
3) Weather: This is fast becoming one of the next most popular request. If we could set the maps to make it snow or rain and even further at timed intervals and/or intensity (blizzard versus a dusting of snow), that again would vastly change maps. Imagine having to fight on a blizzard covered map. It would be tough to see enemies, the snow whirling around may make it hard to hear anyone approaching. This adds another level of interactivity.
4) Time of Day change: If we could have filters to make maps look more realistically like dawn, full sun, dusk, and night, again those would change maps. The same map at full sun could be completely changed by adding just a night filter to it. The “Purple” or “Orange” filters in Reach can only slightly capture this, but neither are realistic enough to get the desired affect.
5) Bigger budget: Yes, we know the reason for the budget is to cut down on lag by too many objects being place on a map. I thought it was a bit ridiculous to only be able to place two lights on a map. I can think of many instances where having extra lights would have been awesome. It’s possible to do if you mod a map. I’ve seen it done on a racing map before. However, it shouldn’t take someone else modding to accomplish this.
6) Copy/Past: Instead of having to go back into the menu to get the same item you just used, if you could click a button on the controller to bring up the last used item, that would be fantastic.
7) Group Items: I can’t say how many times this would have come in handy. I’d love to be able to make a structure out of many parts, then group it and move it where ever I want and/or be able to copy it exactly without having to recreate it all over again.
8.) More vehicles: I was one of the many who were disappointed that we couldn’t place a Spade on the map. Sure, no firepower, but then the mongoose doesn’t either. A Spade could have carried two passengers and the driver. Heh, even a forklift would have been fun to have on a map. And those yellow carts. Just more interactive stuff.
9) More “set dressing”: This being those small or big items that make a map look more realistic. As mentioned, something as simple as a toilet…It could be funny to have on a map, but if you’re seriously making a bathroom, then why not? My big thing (and this would go more with the terrain feature) is trees and shrubs. I’d love to be able to create a forest or jungle. Can be as dense as I want it, within reason before lag would set it. Ridgeline is a great map. How much better could it have been if we could have moved or deleted all those trees already on it?
10) Interactive items: Think the bridge on Last Resort, or the gate on High Ground for instance, or the bay doors on Orbital. I’d love to have this kind of interactivity ability on a map. Making obstructions such as these for objective games would really add to gameplay. Racing to the laser on Last Resort was a thrill. So too was opening the gate on High Ground to set up someone waiting with a mongoose on the other side to ride a flag carrier to the score point. More of this kind of thing please.
11) Lighting: Already mentioned this, but I’ll be more specific. More lights to place would really add to maps. For instance, I’m creating a Lava map. I’m really limited on the lighting as I can only place two lights on the map. While I can use a filter to help add to the effect, the map just isn’t entirely what I want. I want that Lava glow in a lot more places on the map than what I can currently produce.
12) Particle Effects: Lava, Water, just to name the two most wanted. On that note, also the ability to raise and lower the height of said effects. Also, being able to include waterfalls or lava flows. We’d make a start point, flow points and an end point. Then the game would simulate that path with the effect. We could then adjust the points along the way to get the effect to flow how we want it too.
13) “Snap-to” feature: This would work great for racing maps where people want to put an object next to another. The piece would snap to the other piece, then you could adjust the XYZ axis according to the snapped piece, rather than the global XYZ axis (which can be frustrating)
14) Space Map: Why oh why did Bungie tease us with the Sabre, when it’s only playable in ONE mission? How many of us would have LOVED to have space battles. Sabres against Space Banshees! Sabres on Sabres. This could have been EPIC!

I’m sure theres more that isn’t coming to me at this moment. However, if these were added, I’m certain it would make Forging much more awesome experience. Not just for the Forger, but for those who would eventually play on those maps.

-HFFL