year since it was released, Halo 3 continues to be one of the most played games on Xbox Live. This speaks to not only the quality of the game, but also the quality of support development studio Bungie has provided after shipping the product. Ever vigilant in the quest to make a cheater-free experience, Bungie has also provided game updates and a series of downloadable multiplayer map packs. The third of these, titled the Mythic Map Pack, will be given to those that purchase a Limited Edition of Halo Wars on March 3 with a wide release to follow. In this IGN exclusive interview, Lars Bakken, Multiplayer Designer, and Brian Jarrard, Community Director, discuss all things Mythic, including why the map Sandbox is so special and how the studio intends to punctuate the Halo 3 experience.
IGN: We hear Sandbox is a big map. How big are we talking here?
Lars Bakken: Internally it's what we consider to be a medium to large sized map. In terms of a Forge-based map, it's huge though. It's not as big as Avalanche, for example, but let's just say that people who felt confined in Foundry are going to be very happy.
IGN: What will the default layout for the first floor of Sandbox look like? What kind of gameplay is it best suited for?
Lars Bakken: The default layout is exactly what you've seen in the screenshots. There is a base-like structure on each side of the map, and then multiple cover points laid out in a symmetrical fashion. It's really well suited for Team Slayer, Multi Flag, and Territories. The main vehicles featured are Warthog, Chopper and Mongoose and the default power weapons are rocket launchers and detached missile pods to help balance out the vehicles. Vehicle balance was important in this map, we wanted people to use the vehicles and feel powerful, but not too powerful.
IGN: What new Forge items are being added for use with this map?
Lars Bakken: On top of just about every kind of building block (we hope) you could ever want, there are some cool new goodies too. We have tunnels now, different sized door frames (like ones that are crouch height), and some extra things that we can't talk about yet. One of our favorites though has to be the "Kill Ball." It's essentially a big sphere that kills anything that is foolish enough to enter. Justin Hayward, our art director, was able to cook up a red and blue dynamic light object that will allow players to place them around the map to differentiate bases easier.
IGN: What will the Forge budget be for Sandbox?
Lars Bakken: We were able to play with the numbers a bit and the starting budget is $510 with everything placed on the map you see in the screens. Here's a tip though, there are only so many objects the game allows you to place, so you can still run out of objects before the budget limit is reached. So, for all the hardcore forgers out there, it would be wise to use all the existing objects in the level where possible before you go creating more new ones. You'll get the most out of the map that way.
IGN: Are there any new wacky custom game types that have sprung up in the testing of Sandbox?
Lars Bakken: Well, there is this one gametype we played a lot. It has a flag at each base, and you try to capture your enemy's flag and… get this, you try to bring it back to your own base to score! Hahahaha… Seriously though, nothing on the scope of Grifball or Rocket Race came out of the map while we were testing, but we imagine our fans will come up with some very cool things.
IGN: Which matchmaking playlists will Sandbox, Assembly, and Orbital eventually be incorporated into?
Lars Bakken: When Halo Wars ships, there'll be a 4v4 playlist called Team Mythic that features only the Mythic map pack. After the maps hit Marketplace, we'll start off with some focused Mythic offerings in addition to requiring them in Rumble Pit, Social Team DLC, Social Big Team, Team SWAT and Team Snipers, and optional in pretty much every other hopper. They will not be present in Social Slayer, Social Skirmish, or MLG (unless MLG decides to add variants to their playlist). Double EXP weekends will be updated to feature Mythic after they hit Marketplace. As always we'll continue to monitor how things are going and update the playlists as needed. We're also hoping to see a nice influx of high quality Sandbox variants that will eventually make their way into matchmaking as well.
IGN: We hear Sandbox is a big map. How big are we talking here?
Lars Bakken: Internally it's what we consider to be a medium to large sized map. In terms of a Forge-based map, it's huge though. It's not as big as Avalanche, for example, but let's just say that people who felt confined in Foundry are going to be very happy.
IGN: What will the default layout for the first floor of Sandbox look like? What kind of gameplay is it best suited for?
Lars Bakken: The default layout is exactly what you've seen in the screenshots. There is a base-like structure on each side of the map, and then multiple cover points laid out in a symmetrical fashion. It's really well suited for Team Slayer, Multi Flag, and Territories. The main vehicles featured are Warthog, Chopper and Mongoose and the default power weapons are rocket launchers and detached missile pods to help balance out the vehicles. Vehicle balance was important in this map, we wanted people to use the vehicles and feel powerful, but not too powerful.
This would not be the defaul layout. Click through to the gallery for exclusive screenshots of the Sandbox map.
Lars Bakken: On top of just about every kind of building block (we hope) you could ever want, there are some cool new goodies too. We have tunnels now, different sized door frames (like ones that are crouch height), and some extra things that we can't talk about yet. One of our favorites though has to be the "Kill Ball." It's essentially a big sphere that kills anything that is foolish enough to enter. Justin Hayward, our art director, was able to cook up a red and blue dynamic light object that will allow players to place them around the map to differentiate bases easier.
IGN: What will the Forge budget be for Sandbox?
Lars Bakken: We were able to play with the numbers a bit and the starting budget is $510 with everything placed on the map you see in the screens. Here's a tip though, there are only so many objects the game allows you to place, so you can still run out of objects before the budget limit is reached. So, for all the hardcore forgers out there, it would be wise to use all the existing objects in the level where possible before you go creating more new ones. You'll get the most out of the map that way.
New Forge items? Check.
Lars Bakken: Well, there is this one gametype we played a lot. It has a flag at each base, and you try to capture your enemy's flag and… get this, you try to bring it back to your own base to score! Hahahaha… Seriously though, nothing on the scope of Grifball or Rocket Race came out of the map while we were testing, but we imagine our fans will come up with some very cool things.
IGN: Which matchmaking playlists will Sandbox, Assembly, and Orbital eventually be incorporated into?
Lars Bakken: When Halo Wars ships, there'll be a 4v4 playlist called Team Mythic that features only the Mythic map pack. After the maps hit Marketplace, we'll start off with some focused Mythic offerings in addition to requiring them in Rumble Pit, Social Team DLC, Social Big Team, Team SWAT and Team Snipers, and optional in pretty much every other hopper. They will not be present in Social Slayer, Social Skirmish, or MLG (unless MLG decides to add variants to their playlist). Double EXP weekends will be updated to feature Mythic after they hit Marketplace. As always we'll continue to monitor how things are going and update the playlists as needed. We're also hoping to see a nice influx of high quality Sandbox variants that will eventually make their way into matchmaking as well.
المشاركات
ليست هناك تعليقات:
إرسال تعليق