Twinreaper

Well played good sir! But as the most feared and revered swearer of the great forums...I must retaliate! Blame Dog for egging me on Mairzy doats and dozy doats and liddle lamzy divey A kiddley divey too, wouldn't you? How was that AD?

Well damn me hard. he beat me to the swearing thing. Of coarse, freaking Jester.... LOL

Looks like it's time to test the new guy with unprecedented level of "swear-o-meter" tactics! LAMO Just kidding Dan. Congrats on making Moderator! You've come a long way and it very deserved!

Companies in the gaming industry have long used PC's to show their console or specific platform goods at trade shows, expos, etc. When it comes to new hardware like game consoles, it's hard to have an actual playable demo compiled and bug free for public consumption. The Xbox One and PS4 are too "new" to the devs for them to properly or timely issue demos to run. Running them on comparable PC's instead of the console itself is actually worse than running it on a console. With PC's, there is a large memory overhead having to boot and run back round services, along with the game and services themselves. Remember, a console boots on small OS to run from, and the rest of the hardware/memory resources are straight away utilized to the fullest. It is unfortunately, necessary to run a slightly higher graphics card to achieve the same results as the Xbox One for the purpose of a demo.

Damn dude your still around?! We've been through some crazy rough times together. Glad to see such a great member finally get his recognition! Congrats Egypt!!

They have already released information about placing AI in Forge. Simply put, not gonna happen.

Congrats Zebra, welcome to the club. I look forward to getting to know you better and reading some of your stuff.

It's called common sense. While you may not be able to find official word they are never working on it, they did state many times during panels and interviews that they are not currently working on it. Looking at the recent events of the Korean Ratings, where Bootcamp was unveiled, how much man power or time do you really think the 343i division within Microsoft has to do Bootcamp, oversee the Halo TV Series, and actively work on 1st party titles besides Halo 5? Simply put, if you use common sense and put all the titles and work they have together, you can plainly see that without hiring another 100 person or so team, you won't see anything Anniversary coming for quite some time. Everyone says how much they enjoyed Halo 2, and how much they want to play it again. IT"S CALLED HALO 2 VISTA PEOPLE!!!! You have had a chance to play halo 2 for years now, with full online and custom content. No one has taken advantage of it. And don't go quoting some **** about how it's Vista only. How many people have Windows 7 PC's now? Find me a large majority of PC users that are still in the olden times of XP. Simply put, you had your chance to play it, and still have a chance. But noooooooo... let's all hope for a console version of a remake of an original with a remake of an original multiplayer. You guys make no sense at all!

No offense Hiralis, but you and the rest of the CE community can **** off! Keep your CE crap over at Dennis' abortion of a Halo community. You CE guys downright laughed at us H2 guys, so you will receive no better treatment from me, in my house. CE can go rot and so can that existing small part of the community. End rant.

One aspect of gaming rigs that most people overlook is the "Crossfire" and "SLI" features. I have a two medium to sometimes discounted priced, GTX 550 TI's. The advances in bandwidth and utilization of 16x or even 8x SLI or Crossfire connected cards has really advanced a lot. Running these two puppies, I can outrun most newer cards on good days in certain areas. Just remember, just because it's a generation or chipset revision above another card, doesn't mean that it is worth the money. I see people all the time waste money on kick-ass PSU's that exceed 800watts, but only run 1 card with it. What good is a high voltage PSU, if your not gonna utilize it? For that matter, if the GTX 660 is anywhere from $250 or beyond.....don't bother. Grab a few series below it, and SLI or Crossfire them. The performance will be much better thanh the standalone card.

Banned for allowing me to come back!

Just remember, Nvidia chipsets run hotter than the ATI ones. Most ATI's run a bit more decibles though. It's a trade off sometimes depending on the overall build of your PC. EX: Your motherboard may be better suited or built for Crossfire X or Hybrid SLI.

@Church Of coarse I use 3ds max... Who wouldnt?!? @Elf Yeah the screen recording app I used was one of those quick dirty ones that suck. Once I get the map.fixed up.from my boo boos, Ill run it thru proper lighting and record with a better app.

So yeah, a lot of the places I go around the web and in real life, people always ask me.. "Twin, what's next for halo 2? Whatcha working on?" This little post is sort of a catchup to let everyone see what is going on, and what to expect. This first catchup features a video (horrible quality btw) of the map Powerhouse I have been working on. Now this map has been a work in progress for over a year now, and as of late I made some boo-boos which has pushed my 99% completion back to 75%. A bummer I know. So just in case your wondering in the video, the map was compiled for gameplay using only a low draft lighting setting. hence the horrible quality. Also in this video you will see my fully finished and fully functional Halo 4 Battle Rifle, and Reach DMR. The battle rifle as illustrated in the video is by popular demand, a 4 hit kill weapon. The DMR however has been nerfed to a 5 hit kill, since it does not have to rely on all 3 bursts connecting to the player. This has been a proven way to balance the two and leave victory up to the most skilled. Also very briefly is a look at the Reach Magnum and Halo 4 SAW. But enough talk...here is the video... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2kIxomUNZw&feature=youtu.be Lastly, I wanted to show you guys a secondary map I have been working on. For this one, I have once again gone back to ODST and have almost fully recreated Uplift Reserve. For those who don't remember, it's the map where you play as Mickey, and run through the large Zoo type map , right before the Covenant blast the ever living **** out of the Space Teather. Sorry for the WIP screenshot of it, but you get the idea...

Halo 4 was not coded from scratch. it's a Blam! engine variant that was updated to support the myriad of new features they added. So I guess your saying, that Bungie programmed like complete ****, because the inevitable outcome of 343i taking the code produced this game? I'm not following your logic. maybe there is none? I hate to come right out and say it, but programming an Atari game is not even in the same solar system as programming something for a dedicated x64 architecture proprietary gaming device. Maybe you should choose words a little better or... NOT BE A BAD TROLL! Seriously dude, did you really expect to sign up, post this and get a nice or even a good amount of responses to the turd of a topic? Perhaps we need a checkbox that reads... "I am not a complete retard" and "I am not a bot" [x]

Ummm.... Does anyone else wanna take a crack at this before I let loose?

Unless Microsoft can offer your parents a better job, there is no way for any console to solve a single television issue. This console does however, make it more likely that your parents will be willing to buy it and allow you to have it connected to a central hub for the family. It's the features other than gaming that are biggest selling points when it comes to parents. I'm a parent of two and I can tell you I would be 100 times more likely to buy my kids and entertainment device like this, over another console.

Again, the always on connection is not going to be needed to play. This feature is likely to be used to update the consoles "social" and "media" integrated features. While it may be unfair to say certain things about the hardware, it cannot yet be determined which system is more powerful in "actual" gaming. It can have the best architecture in the world, but if developers can't harness even 50% of it's potential, it's just another paperweight. Your comparison to Tomb Raider vs Battlefield is not even close to being even remotely accurate. Two completely different engines, different developers, different requirements of those engines. If you really want to compare things for PS3 and 360, look no further than Crysis 3 or Crysis 2. Crytek does all 3 platforms, PS, Xbox and PC. Of coarse PC will always be the dominant one, but depending on how well each system's architecture is worked with, even systems with lesser specs can produce better results. Personally I don't use my phone for anything but but the occasional mini-game or phone calls. Call it what you will, but whenever I see people bragging about using tablets and phones for stuff, I just hear "I'm lazy". The Xbox One is in a way catering to that laziness and helping it become even lazier an experience. Seriously, what does using your phone or tablet or even your voice really save you? Oooohhhh I don't have to pickup a remote a click "power"? Wow people...you saved 5 seconds of your life. a whole 5 seconds you were doing nothing with anyway, hence you didn't save any time. Also about the brick and mortar thing. You do realize that by revolutionizing the industry and pushing for sole digital or internet downloaded gaming, you are effectively cutting jobs and revenue right? Don't get me wrong, I'm all about convenience, but at a certain point that new revolution is going to cost us more down the road to compensate for job loss and revenue from it. Think about it a bit before you judge how good it is, or how well off it really seems to be. But then again, that might just be my "dad" adult mentality kicking in...

Ok so people have posted a lot of gossip, rumor and fear around this new system. A lot of what I am reading seems to be paranoid suspicion and unwarranted precaution. Last time around when 360 launched, there was a lot of gossip as well about the dashboard and the tons of new side loading features and layout. None of which proved to be something to fear or effect us negatively. In fact it had quite the opposite effect. most of us wouldn't know what to do with the 360 WITHOUT all those features now. Superintendent, while that article you posted was a fun read, it lacked any true operational environment facts. Graphical units and architecture can and do effect performance on various levels. But to see any real difference in the 2 systems, all depends on the individual developers and how optimized they create their rendering, sound and processing engines to operate within the limits of the new systems. Just because a system has a better memory overhead, or a faster click, doesn't instantly give a game better graphics, better fps or even better performance. Sometimes depending on the optimized game, faster clock reads can lead to unstable memory offsets, pointers, etc. RAM is another story. We have no idea yet what the system usage WILL be. Nor is there any way to determine that. Every game and application ahs different requirements. I hear a lot of talk about multiple programs or OS's, yaddah. Fact is, that every Xbox unit is designed to only execute one single application at a time, and only runs one unified OS. I don't know where people are getting this 3 OS **** from, but they need to go back to school and learn about side loading applications, and scripting environments. No PC, device or any electronic can load and use multiple OS's. And don't give me that Virtual OS crap...that's an app running, plain and simple. The only reason for the shift to x86 PC architecture over the superior x64, is that it makes it easier for developers. Developers can use a more familiar environment for debugging, programming and RT testing. Remember, PC's is what most content is created on, then compiled into a platform format. RAM usage is always variated, and sometimes, depending on the app or environment, certain types of RAM perform better than others. Again, we have to wait and see what retail tests of ACTUAL games shows us. As for always on, that feature is strictly for updates and updating the integrated "Guide" television connection. Anyone in the U.S. who has a DVR, a Zune, or any other media box can tell you how that works. It's not annoying, it's simple. For that matter, how many of you actually have any device in your house that DOESN'T use a net connection that is always on? This one is all over reaction and hype from people who really don't understand the methodology or reason for the feature. Next up, used games. What's the big deal? Personally for me, I always felt like the developer was getting ripped off by scum nags like gamestop, ebay, etc... Every time a used game is purchased, that's potential profit lost to the hard working developer for their product. It is only natural that in this constantly evolving media format future, that something has to give to keep the developer afloat. I actually applaud Microsoft for this. Sony, while it may seem like they are good guys for not having this, this actually hurts the developer in terms of their platform. Whom do you think the developer is likely to flock to, to ensure their product reaches the maximum profit potential? Would YOU sell games on a system that charges nothing to gamers who share all the games, downloads them or buys them second hand, or would you sell them to the one who is trying to maximize your bottom line? Everyone wants to cry foul and pout about it, but I don't see any of you thinking about in terms of a business whom employees countless hundreds you all have families to feed. But eh who cares, you just want to get your frag on...at whatever the cost of someone who isn't you right? With that mentality, we won't have much developers left by next decade. Finally lets move onto the dreaded TV feature. Look guys, I can see teenage and college kids bitching about this one, but most gamers don't understand that their are multitudes of families out there, who have to share a single TV for gaming and television. Why do you think Microsoft added this? Do you think it's because they shifted away from gaming focus? No, it's quite the opposite. This is Microsoft's attempt to try to unify the gaming family, and give the "family" more reasons to be together. How is this exactly not gaming focused? Does the system not play games? Does the system not allow you to communicate and message gamers? Does it not allow you to do all things you do now? IT DOES EVERYTHING THE 360 DOES NOW! Explain to me how any of these new features negates or takes away anything you do now on a regular basis. Seriously....explain it, because I haven't see one single post that clearly explains and details how any feature is making you do anything you do now not possible. So in short, relax guys. We have seen all this hype before and have gone thru all these before. it happens with any new system. In the end, only you as an individual can decide what is good for you, and what is not. Someone on the other side of the screen cannot dictate that for you. And if you let them, then you are just as foolish and moronic as they are. Thanks for reading. TL:DR

Favorite DragonBall character, that would have to be Taopaipai. As for Z, it's a toss up between Raditz and Pykon. If we're talking GT, that honor goes Goku

I see a lot of common misconceptions. The game itself is not what kills another franchise, it's the studio and the planning behind it. Both franchises make individual decisions based on what they "think" will trump the competition. Sometimes they are right, and sometimes they are wrong. But it is not the individual game on it's own legs, that fails. Simply put, the player get's something out of it uniquely, the experience isn't cookie cutter. Stand-alone, both CoD and Halo have fantastic games with unique qualities unto themselves. To say that one particular game alone kills another is merely a perception of the individual player or the overall sales. Sales do not dictate whether a game or a franchise is truly successful. Remember, initial printed factory/warehouse sales is what determines those numbers. This does not include 2nd hand or rentals. Longevity and playability far past it's prime is what should be considered a game's success. In terms of shear sales and overall population during each franchise, Halo is the winner. But yes as far as population right now, CoD is heavier with players. The same can be said about movies. Some movies blow others away during first weekends or in total theatrical sales. While others surpass the rest with dvd sales. By that measure, how do you really define to yourself, which is the most successful and which is the killer movie? Remember... not everyone gets a game themselves. Some people have games bought for them as gifts for birthdays, Christmas, and other religious holidays.

Yes and no. The scenario file, which is also referred to as "map name".scenario is limited in what can be altered. Everything you have access to in terms of Forging, is simply just editing the coordinates and spawn amounts of pre-determined items that reside in a scenario files "palette". AI requires 3 different types of zones, a trigger volume, individual scripting, object pathfinding and a few other tid bits that would require new fields to be added when none exist. This in return would result in the forger or player, needing to create a completely new seperate scenario file and furthermore, require you to have to recompile the scenario and or encrypt it. Now yes there are dirty ways to achieve firefight and AI thru forging, but none of which can be done easily and would require hex editing and or an app that can poke meta data properly and or inject new data. Assembly is close, but nowhere near where it needs to be to achieve this yet. Xerax is working on this though I do believe... Aside from that, Firefight maps are completely seperate maps. Even though Reach had campaign maps or sections of them used for FF, they were seperate map files than the campaign. Halo 4 uses a "War Games" and 'Spartan Ops" folder hierarchy to seperate the maps out. So in terms of forging Spartan Ops maps, you would hit the same obstacles and even more because of the nature of the v6 Blam! engine and the new Megal scripting variant they use.

To the dismay of the entire community, I regret to inform you that one of the most beloved of it's old original members has returned! That's right folks, fresh from the eternal damnation of the hell fire, I rise once again to grace this community. For those of you who do not know me, search around....you can't go anywhere in here without running into something I have posted, someone I have touched or someone I have wronged. In short.... - 1st MoM - 1of 5 original memebrs to "be given" a title. Yes, titles were sacred and earned once, not a profile customization. - #1 in all things Halo knowledge related in terms of engine tech, rendering, textures, etc... - #1 best guy evah!!! That about sums it up. So if you need help, need a reaming or just want to hang with an original OG of the forum, hit me up. We got lots to catch up on guys!