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[Ghost]

this thread went to hell fast...

anywho, yeah, i'm willing to bet you'll be able to shoot off their breathing masks (much like the brutes helmet "cap". somehow, i dont think the grunts are important enough for the MC to visit their homeworld

Doesnt have to be their homeplanet, just a planet with a methane atmosphere, shooting their masks off on other planets would in effect just be a lengthy death animation.

 

[MightyHedgehog]

Doesnt have to be their homeplanet, just a planet with a methane atmosphere, shooting their masks off on other planets would in effect just be a lengthy death animation.

That's fucking brilliant thinking, man! Too bad it won't happen...

 

[Ghost]

what part? how come? you've lost me

 

[MightyHedgehog]

I'll be oh-so disappointed if Halo 2 doesn't include your idea. It'd be a very nice touch, if only to fuck with those poor little buggers.

 

[The Shadow]

Wow. The grunts are no longer cute without their masks.

 

[cybamerc]

Redbeard:

> What the hell is with these shadows?

It's texture aliasing due to Bungie using low res shadow maps.



GhaleonEB:

> There is not a single normal map in Halo 2. Not one. Bungie (Anim8erJB) has confirmed
> this.

Link? The alternative is using height maps instead and that is slower on Xbox. I'm sure you just didn't understand what he was saying.

 

[Squeak]

Redbeard:

> What the hell is with these shadows?

It's texture aliasing due to Bungie using low res shadow maps.

I thought Halo2 was going to use stencil volumes for all shadows? Not ugly aliased z-shadows.

GhaleonEB:

> There is not a single normal map in Halo 2. Not one. Bungie (Anim8erJB) has confirmed
> this.

Link? The alternative is using height maps instead and that is slower on Xbox. I'm sure you just didn't understand what he was saying.

Height maps? Wouldn't that be if they were doing emboss bump mapping (highly unlikely, since you can't do specularity with that technique)? If you were talking about EMBM, AFAIK that also uses a normalmap.

 

[cybamerc]

Squeak:

> I thought Halo2 was going to use stencil volumes for all shadows?
>Not ugly aliased z-shadows.

They switched shadowing method a long time ago.

> If you were talking about EMBM, AFAIK that also uses a normalmap.

EMBM uses grayscale bumpmaps (heightmaps).

 

[Squeak]

EMBM uses grayscale bumpmaps (heightmaps).

So it does (just read up on the subject), but internally the hardware creates a slope/normal map.

 

[Sai]

Lovin' that new effect for the plasma grenade. Grunt no longer looks cute. I'd hate to see it without it's mask and with it's new "badass" animations...

 

[akascream]

I want this game so very bad.

 

[Littleberu]

So what do you add to the board besides your admitted trolling.

I post like every member. I did not troll since E3 anyway.

 

[COCKLES]

Christ. They suddenly don't look so cuddly any more. :0

(puts down Grunt plushie)

Oh and Halo 2 - GOTY!!!

 

[Sai]

Oh and Halo 2 - GOTY!!!

You still aren't forgiven for the comments you made during your Blinx 2/5-D hype session. :l

THERE WILL BE NO LOVE FOR YOU COME NOVEMBER 9TH, COCKLES!

 

[FriScho]

I love that new grunt critter - just made a new avatar

 

[COCKLES]

You still aren't forgiven for the comments you made during your Blinx 2/5-D hype session. :l

THERE WILL BE NO LOVE FOR YOU COME NOVEMBER 9TH, COCKLES!

Twas a jest! Besides my informer spies tell me that Blinx makes a cameo in Halo 2. Honest guv.

Nice Avatar FriScho

 

[ohamsie]

I think those Grunts look adorable.

 

[Sai]

http://www.bungie.net/News/TopStory.aspx?story=GIstoryinc&p=187229

Lots more in the link above. Most of them have already been shown in magazines 'n' such, but these are all official 'n' hi-res... Enjoy.

 

[aerofx]

Damn those pics are hot!

 

[Li Mu Bai]

I swear, complain about any subpar aspect of the "Almighty Halo 2's" visuals & get crucified by the fanboy mob. Oh that's right, it's going to be perfect like Halo was. (insert rolleyes here)

 

[Incognito]

With EYES. You know what EYES are? I mean look at the first pics. And that is the only one I see a bad thing about textures... It's not like I trolled the game. Not yet. Not enough hype yet.

Edit : And anyway, these are normal maps, so expect to see more and more bad textures quality comments, because Normal are only good far away and with good lighting. When you're too close, it's just a flat low-res texture really.

You're cool.

"LOLRLOFL. I'LL ONLY TROLL A GAME WHEN IT'S HYPED A LOT. THAT WAY ATTENTION IS ON ME!!!11"

 

[op_ivy]

I swear, complain about any subpar aspect of the "Almighty Halo 2's" visuals & get crucified by the fanboy mob. Oh that's right, it's going to be perfect like Halo was. (insert rolleyes here)

no, not perfect. just sooo fucking good that any imperfections are easily overlooked, just like halo 1


and fucking-a, nice shots!

 

[MightyHedgehog]

I swear, complain about any subpar aspect of the "Almighty Halo 2's" visuals & get crucified by the fanboy mob. Oh that's right, it's going to be perfect like Halo was. (insert rolleyes here)

Visually, I don't think there was anything wrong with Halo 1 at release. Halo 2 isn't done and, as repeatedly stated in Bungie's weekly updates, it's still being polished up for release. Also, I don't think anyone's said that Halo 1 or 2 look "perfect." They just look great! Anyway, the hype for Halo 2 is how it'll play, not really how it'll look.

 

[Li Mu Bai]

I agree also that the gameplay is top-notch, though no game is beyond criticism. In addition no person should be hung for voicing theirs either by the "Hive Mind."

 

[The Promised One]

And if you or anyone has the "right" to complain about a certain aspect of a game, other have the right to disagree with them. I love how people who troll a highly anticipated title, start bitching when people don't automatically agree with them *rolleyes*

The game works both ways son, and if you're gonna troll, or even complain about a game like Halo 2, you have no right bitching when people think you're being an ass. Kinda like I'd have no right walking into the N.O.W., and saying women shouldn't join the military, without expecting a hell-of-a-lot of people disagreeing with me.

Anyway, HALO2 is gonna rock!!!

 

[ScientificNinja]

Most of the new shots are touched up, and for good reason. Personally I think the graphical improvements will be too subtle for the average punter to scream "WOW!" at when it's not in motion. For me it was the smoothness of the framerate and all the cool little animations, options and functions that were fun.

 

[The Promised One]

I can't wait to see an updated, Halo 2 version of Red vs Blue.

 

[Sai]

None of the screenshots are touched up, this has been confirmed several times. If you're talking about the huge bastard-size resolution, that's only because of the way the screens are taken. You shouldn't notice a difference come November 9th.

And dynamic lighting and excessive use of bump-mapping isn't subtle. Then there's the new animations they're working very hard on and the improved vehicle physics. It's going to look quite a bit different.

I can't wait to see an updated, Halo 2 version of Red vs Blue.

They should just use HALO PC. :/

... Not that I'm really interested in RvB anymore. That shit got stale 2 or 3 episodes into season 2.

 

[The Promised One]

That shit got stale 2 or 3 episodes into season 2.

There were a few bad episodes, but 33 has to be the funniest RvB episode I've ever seen. Every time I think about it, I crack up.